nick s
It has a few mildly amusing moments but for the most part it looks like a student film. Dismal special effects. It doesn't really have much of a story and just fumbles along with patchy acting. Lost me with the interminable beachball scene which really signalled the movie was going nowhere.
Rated 2/5 Stars •
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
11/17/24
Full Review
John C
Despite being a massive fan of John Carpenter's work, it's somehow taken me until 2024 to get round to watching his sci-fi/horror-comedy 'Dark Star.' I'd heard it was good, but didn't really know what to expect. First of all I should mention that it's very low-budget, but you'll soon appreciate that that becomes part of its charm and its gained a cult following for such reasons.
Directed and scored by John Carpenter and co-written by Dan ('Alien!') O’Bannon, 'Dark Star' mixes absurdist humor (talking bombs and inflatable monsters), tension, and genuine dread. It’s like a quirky prototype for future sci-fi and horror films that would become iconic in their own right. It has plenty of isolation, malfunctioning technology and dread aboard a spaceship that's on a mission to destroy unstable planets. Now I've seen it I can see where movies like 'Alien' and TV shows like 'Red Dwarf' got their inspiration.
But what makes 'Dark Star' shine is its unpredictable humor (did I mention the talking bombs?) and unique tone. The crew are even more lethargic and eccentric after years of monotony in deep space than the boys from 'Red Dwarf' and are hilariously deadpan as they confront increasingly bizarre and dangerous situations. The film's general creative strangeness (probably at least partially due to the film-makers having to make the most of their low budget) that makes this film memorable. For fans of sci-fi, it’s fascinating to see how this small film set the stage for later classics, building tropes that filmmakers would pay homage to. It's a little rough around the edges, but if you like your humour dark, quirky and dead-pan, plus you're a fan of sci-fi or horror (or just John Carpenter's work) 'Dark Star' is an incredibly imaginative and darkly funny ride.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
11/12/24
Full Review
David W
Only really watched this initially as a huge fan of the great director John Carpenter and sci-fi in general. However, I was very entertained by this low budget, satirically sarcastic little sci-fi classic. Sure the acting is a bit uneven and it looks like it was made on a shoestring but Carpenter deserves a lot of credit for pulling this off. I first saw this maybe twenty or so years ago and it's stayed with me (unlike countless other films) so on that level alone I can very much recommend it. It's got a great ending but, just don't expect existential meaning on a 2001 level :)
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
02/09/24
Full Review
matthias s
I embarked on a cinematic journey with "Dark Star," and boy, was it a rocky ride through the cosmos! This film had all the ingredients for an epic space adventure gone wrong. To start, the plot was thinner than a slice of interstellar ham, leaving me grasping for a storyline.
The runtime felt like an eternity, with each minute dragging on like an infinite black hole of boredom. I even started calculating the time it would take for me to escape the theater discreetly. And to think, I've watched paint dry with more excitement.
The only saving graces were the funky soundtrack that temporarily jolted me from my stupor and the unforgettable beach ball monster that made me chuckle for a fleeting moment. But alas, even a beach ball couldn't save this disaster.
In summary, "Dark Star" is a cosmic catastrophe, a cinematic black hole that should be avoided at all costs. Unless, of course, you're a die-hard fan of interstellar insomnia.
Rated 1.5/5 Stars •
Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars
11/18/23
Full Review
Sparky B
A cult classic, B-movie if there ever was one. A lot of people don't know why this film is so....'Loved'. But we, of course, know better (wink-wink). It helps to have been at a certain age, at a certain time...but not required. Go watch it. I for one enjoy this film every time i see it. 😄
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
07/22/23
Full Review
Taylor L
Dark Star is a suprisingly influential cult classic, a relatively early parody of the space opera style that Kubrick and Tarkovsky were creating sincerely; it marked the directorial debut for John Carpenter and was an influence in the creation of Alien (both of which were written or co-written by the versatile Dan O'Bannon). Made on a very limited budget from a student-film inception, the production team makes good use of what they have on hand to create some pretty decent visuals but the comedy is muted, featuring hit-or-miss droll performances that don't really translate to actual dry humor. Despite a short runtime, the film suffers from its performances and never grabs you, relying on a strange combination of silly gags (including beachball aliens) and office-sitcom dark humor based around being stuck together in a tight space, or arguing with wayward computers. Personally, I could never get into it. Feels too airy and insubstantial, without much in the way of actual laughs. Carpenter would quickly move on to bigger and better things, and it's more how distinctive and unusual Dark Star is compared to the director's later filmography that makes it interesting. (1.5/5)
Rated 1.5/5 Stars •
Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars
12/01/22
Full Review
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