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Dark Star: H.R. Giger's World

Released May 15, 2015 1h 35m Documentary Biography List
64% Tomatometer 42 Reviews 61% Audience Score 250+ Ratings Filmmaker Belinda Sallin delves into the life and art of surrealist H.R. Giger, whose dark creations have a far-reaching influence in film, music, body art and more. Read More Read Less

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Dark Star: H.R. Giger's World

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Critics Consensus

Dark Star only provides a shallow glimpse into HR Giger's World, but fans of the provocative artist's work will find a spoil of twisted riches here.

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Critics Reviews

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Ethan Gilsdorf Boston Globe The film captures both the claustrophobic and melancholic mood of Giger's house, and also, perhaps, his mind. Rated: 3/4 Jul 2, 2015 Full Review Tom Keogh Seattle Times Sallin balances enlightened perspective on Giger's mythopoeic style - his feverish fusions of flesh, exoskeleton and machine, probing depths of the human condition - with casual rhythms of his daily life. Rated: 3.5/4 Jun 25, 2015 Full Review Ben Rayner Toronto Star The spectre of imminent mortality ... adds a layer of poignancy to what might otherwise have been a more prosaic, if still totally interesting, portrait of an eccentric creator. Rated: 3/4 Jun 9, 2015 Full Review Michael J. Casey Michael J. Cinema Feels fairly thin. Rated: 2.5/5 Sep 18, 2021 Full Review Mike Massie Gone With The Twins There's little dialogue to interrupt the onslaught of imagery, which actually hurts the potential for audiences unfamiliar with Giger's history to enjoy the film. Rated: 3/10 Dec 4, 2020 Full Review Jon Hogan Hyperallergic Sallin skillfully shows this horrific fantasy as disturbingly close to reality, lending Giger's work a relevance that its gruesome nature might otherwise overshadow. Feb 6, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member The darkly, necro-erotic artwork of H R Giger has wielded a strong influence over popular culture through gothic metal bands to the ALIEN movie franchise. This documentary-while not entirely enlightening- chronicles what turned out to be the Swiss artist's last few months and takes the viewer on a short journey through his daily business which, by this stage, has slowed down somewhat. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/26/23 Full Review Audience Member The darkly, necro-erotic artwork of H R Giger has wielded a strong influence over popular culture through gothic metal bands to the ALIEN movie franchise. This documentary-while not entirely enlightening- chronicles what turned out to be the Swiss artist's last few months and takes the viewer on a short journey through his daily business which, by this stage, has slowed down somewhat. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/26/23 Full Review Audience Member HR Giger was a Swiss artist who made several dark and twisted prints, images that mixed the organic and the mechanical, and were simultaneously grotesque and beautiful. Unfortunately this documentary about him kind of blows. If you want to see him old and decrepit and shuffling around his hoarded house? Go for it! But I learned nothing about him or his art...what made him tick or anything that I didn't know before going into this. I already knew he made this crazy dark pieces of art, and it inspired Ridley Scott to hire him to design the titular alien in "Alien." But the only thing I really learned is that he once loved someone who killed herself, and know he has a tiny train that rides around his house, and he and his current wife lived out his final days pretty much in squalor because he overspent on things they didn't need. That could at least be interesting, a man who was once fairly famous, won an Oscar, but is now living in pretty poor conditions...but the movie seems to brush over that just as it brushes over his entire career, or why he really does this unique artwork he does. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review Audience Member Portrait of the Artist as a bloated, immobile, incoherent ghoul / Old Man. was impressed at times with some of the sculptural accumulations he spent a lifetime disgorging and hoarding in his fetid, dungeon home, surrounded by bland corporate office towers. And his draughtsmanship is definitely impressive....but the reptilian underworld of stunted misfits and endless repetition of this roiling, carnal, poster-art, leaves me apathetic to an extreme. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Audience Member I thought it was a really interesting look at the man behind the art that is so well known. It was fascinating to see where the inspiration comes from, how he developed over the years and getting a glimpse into his private life, even if it was in the final stages of it. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review Audience Member Slow paced. Featured a lot of Giger's art, which was cool, but the rest of the movie you were just sort of watching a sad old (albeit brilliant and accomplished) man die. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/24/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Dark Star: H.R. Giger's World

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Movie Info

Synopsis Filmmaker Belinda Sallin delves into the life and art of surrealist H.R. Giger, whose dark creations have a far-reaching influence in film, music, body art and more.
Director
Belinda Sallin
Producer
Marcel Hoehn
Screenwriter
Belinda Sallin
Distributor
Icarus Films
Genre
Documentary, Biography
Original Language
Swedish
Release Date (Theaters)
May 15, 2015, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 1, 2016
Runtime
1h 35m
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