Dark Star (1974)

In the far reaches of space, a small crew, 20 years into their solitary mission, find things beginning to go hilariously wrong.

Director:

John Carpenter

Writers:

John Carpenter (original story and screenplay), Dan O'Bannon (original story and screenplay)

Stars:

Dan O'Bannon, Dre Pahich, Brian Narelle

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Brian Narelle	...	Lt. Doolittle
Cal Kuniholm	...	Boiler
Dre Pahich	...	Talby
Dan O'Bannon	...	Pinback

Storyline

Low-budget story of four astronauts in deep space, whose mission is to destroy unstable planets in star systems which are to be colonised. The late Commander Powell is stored in deep freeze, where he is still able to offer advice. As their mission nears completion, they must cope with a runaway alien which resembles a beach-ball, faulty computer systems, and a "smart bomb" who thinks it is God.

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Plot Keywords:

alien | cult film | spoof | satire | parody | 

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Taglines:

What Do You Say To A Talking Bomb? All Systems Snafu!!!

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Genres:

Comedy | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 February 1979 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

Estrella oscura

Filming Locations:

Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$60,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bryanston Pictures, Jack H. Harris Enterprises, University of Southern California (USC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min 70 min (Original Version) 71 min (Director's Cut) 68 min (original student film)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dre Pahich, who played "Talby", had a heavy accent; eventually all of his dialogue was re-dubbed, allegedly by John Carpenter himself.

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Goofs

When they're chasing the "alien" through the bowels of the ship, one of the poorly lit rooms is actually a basement. You can see the conventional light switch and the conduit on the wall.

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Quotes

Bomb #20: Intriguing. I wish I had more time to discuss this.
Doolittle: [frantic] Why don't you have more time?
Bomb #20: Because I must explode in 75 seconds.

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Alternate Versions

Both versions of the film are commonly available on DVD and laser disc.

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Connections

Featured in Vice Guide to Film: John Carpenter

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Soundtracks

Benson Arizona
Music by John Carpenter
Lyrics by Bill Taylor
Vocals by John Yager (uncredited)
[Played over the opening and closing credits]

User Reviews

A demented outer space comedy from John Carpenter.

Dark Star (1974) was a student film that John Carpenter and Dan O'Bannon worked on while they were in college. They later found a film distributor who asked them to expand it to feature film length. The movie takes place in a small, cramped out of date spacecraft. Several astronauts are on board (who have been around each other to long) trying to complete their mission of destroying unstable planets. I found this film to be very entertaining and bizarre. I enjoyed it very much. The highlight of this film is when a computerized bomb decides that he doesn't want to take orders from the astronauts anymore and ponders the meaning of life. Highly recommended, but it's not your average Sci-Fi film.

A.