Hats off nonetheless to young whippersnapper John Carpenter, whose studenty tale of space tedium, aliens and molasses-black humour remains approximately a thousand times better than the director's last 15 years.
Dark Star (1974)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:20
Fresh:16
Rotten:4
Average Rating:6.5/10
Consensus: A loopy 2001 satire, Dark Star may not be the most consistent sci-fi comedy, but its portrayal of human eccentricity is a welcome addition to the genre.
Runtime: 1 hr 31 mins
Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy
US Box Office: $0
Synopsis: John Carpenter's low-budget debut feature is a hilarious romp set in the deepest reaches of outer space. The haggard crew of the dilapidated Dark Star spaceship--Doolittle (Brian Narelle), Boiler... John Carpenter's low-budget debut feature is a hilarious romp set in the deepest reaches of outer space. The haggard crew of the dilapidated Dark Star spaceship--Doolittle (Brian Narelle), Boiler (Cal Kuniholm), Pinback (Dan O'Bannon), and Talby (Dre Pahich)--is on an extended mission to seek out and destroy unstable planets. But after 20 years of the same routine, each crewmember is reaching the end of his tether. The journey is fraught with mishaps, and danger seems to lurk around every corner. There are misbehaving pet aliens, suicidal bombs that dream of detonating, frozen crewmates dispensing advice from beyond the grave, and a surly, unhelpful main computer that holds the men it serves in total contempt. Despite all these problems, the crew is still bored to the brink of madness. Co-written by the multitasking O'Bannon, who is also credited as the film's production designer and editor, DARK STAR brims with giddy jabs at the science-fiction genre (including George Lucas's THX 1138), an approach that Mel Brooks would later take in his own sci-fi spoof, SPACEBALLS (1987). In addition to writing, directing, and acting, Carpenter also composed the film's atmospheric score. [More]
Starring: Brian Narelle, Dan O'Bannon, Dre Pahich, Carl Kuniholm
Starring: Brian Narelle, Dan O'Bannon, Dre Pahich, Carl Kuniholm, Joe Sanders
Director: John Carpenter
Director: John Carpenter
Producer: John Carpenter
Composer: John Carpenter
Reviews for Dark Star
By introducing human eccentricities into the cold structure of SF, Carpenter creates a vision of the technological future that is both disillusioned and oddly affirmative in its insistence on the unscientific survival of emotional frailty.
The dim comedy consists of sophomoric notations and mistimed one-liners.
Isn't nearly as funny as it once was...but it nonetheless has its amusing moments.
Conta com idéias e momentos interessantes e divertidos, mas a precariedade técnica acaba comprometendo a experiência.
There are some funny routines here, though Mr. Carpenter doesn't seem to have cared much about integrating or sustaining them.
A berserk combination of space opera, intelligent bombs, and beach balls from other worlds.
It's the wonderful combination of sly humor and intelligence that characterizes Carpenter's best work.
This little cult classic, even from the distance of nearly three decades and even with all limitations of its budget and age, looks much brighter than its title would indicate.
John Carpenter's super-low-budget sci-fi pic gets a really slow start but becomes tons of fun for its last couple of acts.
Dark Star is, in many ways, the Anti-Star Trek, and deserves its cult classic status.
The plot is something only film school students making an independent film could get away with: the Dark Star in question is a star ship that floats around endlessly in space looking for unstable planets to demolish.
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