Dark Star

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J H This absurdist sci-fi comedy isn't for everyone. I prefer the shorter Director's Cut. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 04/23/25 Full Review Madam D Interesting as the student film of 2 friends who became famous in later life. The copy I got from the library could not play the last 2 chapters...how did it end? Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/19/25 Full Review Leaburn O Just can’t get over the awful production value. Didn’t find anything enjoyable about watching this. Gave up after half an hour. Painful stuff. Watched on Amazon Prime. Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 01/09/25 Full Review Blobbo X Pedestrian but worthwhile watching for Carpenter fans. (Started out as student film.) Fun in spots. (In a pedestrian way.) Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/26/24 Full Review 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 Read all reviews

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