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Dark Star
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Dark Star (1974) More at IMDbPro »

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Dark Star (1974) -- Open-ended Trailer from Liberty

Overview

User Rating:
6.6/10   7,164 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 2% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
John Carpenter
Writers:
John Carpenter (original story and screenplay) and
Dan O'Bannon (original story and screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for Dark Star on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
9 February 1979 (West Germany) more
Genre:
Comedy | Sci-Fi | Thriller more
Tagline:
What would you be like after 20 years aboard DARK STAR the spaced-out spaceship. The ultimate cosmic comedy! more
Plot:
Low-budget story of four astronauts in deep space, whose mission is to destroy unstable planets in star systems which are to be colonised... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
1 win & 2 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(2 articles)
AMC Launches Bmc Online
 (From Dread Central. 9 April 2009, 12:45 AM, PDT)

Exclusive: Dan O’Bannon Scripting ‘The Pain Clinic’
 (From Screen Rant. 11 July 2008, 4:00 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
Science fiction with a funny bone more

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Additional Details

Also Known As:
John Carpenter's Dark Star (Australia)
more
Runtime:
83 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Metrocolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
A computer screen flashes "FUCK YOU HARRIS" during the film. This was to Jack H. Harris, the producer, who annoyed director John Carpenter during filming and this was his revenge. more
Goofs:
Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Pinback says, "Now it's time to go sleepy-bye, you worthless piece of garbage" before shooting the alien, his mouth actually says "worthless piece of crap." more
Quotes:
Computer: Sorry to interrupt your recreation, fellows, but it is time for Sgt. Pinback to feed the alien.
Sgt. Pinback: Awww, I don't wanna do that!
Computer: May I remind you, Sgt. Pinback, it was your idea to bring the alien on board in the first place. . If I may quote you, you said the ship needed a mascot.
Sgt. Pinback: [walking away in disgust] Awwwwww, I gotta do everything around here...
more
Movie Connections:
Spoofs Silent Running (1972) more
Soundtrack:
Benson Arizona more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
21 out of 27 people found the following comment useful:-
Science fiction with a funny bone, 7 April 2004
8/10
Author: Klaatu-18 (b5guy@aol.com) from Dallas, TX USA

I saw this movie for the first time at the USA Film Festival. Held here in Big D every spring, the USAFF showcases films produced here in the USA. (No foreign films)

Each night they would show two new films, plus a retrospective film from the actor or director being honored that year. After the film, the film critic who selected the film would interview one or more of the people involved with the film's production.

Towards the end of the week, I arrived at the Bob Hope Theatre (on the SMU campus) to find a notice on the chalkboard: one of the films had cancelled out, and "Dark Star" a "sci-fi comedy" would be shown in its place.

Bringing science fiction and comedy together is a tricky business: usually either the SF content or the humor suffers. Or both.

I ended up being pleasantly surprised. The special effects were a little cheesy (Carpenter originally shot it as a film student, on a film students "budget"), but the characters were funny, and they got off some nice riffs.

Carpenter and O'Bannon (who also co-wrote the first "Alien" movie) produce a collection of odd characters on an extended mission. For the last 20 years they've been travelling the galaxies in search of "unstable planets" to destroy.

Unfortunately, the crew is falling apart. Boredom, apathy, mechanical malfunctions and a puckish alien mascot ensure that things only get worse and worse.

There's a clever parody of a scene from "2001" occurs when one of the bombs can't be released and has to be talked out of exploding.

And there's a reverse reference to one of O'Bannon's own script for "Alien" when the alien gets free and one of the crew has to track the thing down. (O'Bannon refers to this as "Alien" turned upside-down: instead of the alien chasing the crew, one of the crew chases the alien)

Lots of fun. Eight stars.

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Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Dark Star (1974)
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Didnīt like that movie das_urmel_aus_dem_eis
Dark Star is utter tripe anthony_suleiman
Calling all Dark Star fans!!! crowe-24
Funniest Part? ardenempire
How is this a comedy? tezz27000
You Can Pre-Order The New DVD Now Only Ģ3.99!!! Turnbull_AC_68
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