Rating: 
Summary: For film and sci-fi buffs
Review: Yes, this film is not for the general couch potato who wants to be given entertainment on a silver platter. Please rent Star Trek-Numbesis and ogle at the zillion dollar effects.This movie is a must for film buffs and sci-fi buffs. Place yourself in the year 1974; Kubrick's "2001" had set the stage for sci-fi presentation, the Star Trek TV series for stories with meaning, 50s sci-fi flicks for kitsch. Carpenter and O'Bannon create an incredible parody to counter the established sci-fi genre with something unexpected. Life in space isn't mysterious, it isn't majestic, it isn't noble. It's outright boring, boring, boring. People go loopy and act stupid when bored out of their skulls. Crew members don't die from defending our way of life, they die from equipment breakdowns. Aliens aren't big-brained morally righteous gods or armies of monsters, they're silly beachballs. Computers aren't soulless mechina, they're as snippy and neurotic as the rest of the crew. The movie offers a view of things to come from both Carpenter and O'Bannon. By taking this work as a skills-in-progress snapshot, you can see how both are forming their craft in movie-making. Carpenter's penchant for dark shadowy scenes is obvious, and O'Bannon displays his evolving talents at storytelling. Then take into consideration that the entire film was created for under $60,000 and you can appreciate the accomplishment. If you appreciate the history of cinema and science fiction, you'll appreciate Dark Star. Let there be light. Movie - 5
Content - 3
DVD Quality - 2
Overall - 4
Rating:
Summary: Hippies in Space
Review: I originally had this film on a Beta cassette, so
I can say it found me early. My first thoughts
were "Hippies in Space". This is a microcosism
of the world around the time they started the film.
Rating: 
Summary: Dark Star
Review: I have seen this movie in the theaters and I thought this movie was bad-bad-bad. It does not belong on a dvd. Putting it on a dvd is a waste. The dvd format is to0 good to be wasted on this movie.
Rating:
Summary: Not very Dark, but not very light, either
Review: In the mood to widen my cult/trash-cinema repertoire, I decided to check out John Carpenter's early cinematic effort, Dark Star. In the aftermath, I found myself rightfully punished for viewing this crass waste of perfectly good motion-picture film. What was this rightful punishment, you ask? The loss of 90 minutes from my life that could've been better spent doing something productive-- like plucking the wings off of houseflies, for example. And that's on top of the two bucks and gasoline I blew going to the local rental place and checking out this celluloid monstrosity... I should've turned back at the very beginning, when it was painfully apparent that the mission control announcer talking to the Dark Star crew was reading off of cue-cards, and put little emotion into his spiel... but foolishly, I forged on. Actually, none of the Dark Star crew emoted much; for the most part they sounded really dazed, and bored outta their skulls. Now I know the principals are trying to reflect the tedium and monotony of an extended mission in space with their way-understated (not to mention way-underacted) performances, but do they have to be so dull and low-key that they put the VIEWER into a stupor? Unfortunately, this perpetual boredom didn't help the allegedly comedic scenes out, most of which would've likely fell as flat as a tranquilized beach-ball alien even if there was more caffeine available on board. It's really sad when the onboard computer and the 'smart' bombs (I'm referring to actual explosive bombs, not this movie) put more feeling in their performances than the human actors did... The only real highlights of this sad quagmire were the beach-ball alien shenanigans, and even then I only let out a couple of light chuckles, marveling at the utter stupidity of the situation. Unfortunately, the goofy proceedings between the ET and its hapless zookeeper dragged on for far too long, especially the elevator shaft scene. After watching and occasionally fast-forwarding through this interminable moment, I found myself grateful that John Carpenter learned to pick up the pacing of suspenseful scenes in his later flicks... 'Late
Rating:
Summary: What were they smoking?
Review: My God, this movie must be the most boring thing I've seen since My Dinner with Andre. I wanted to like it...I tried to like it...but I guess I'm just one of the ones who "didn't get it". I'm not certain that's such a bad thing. I understood the premise and the plot, but I didn't crack a smile during the entire film, and I spent half the time looking at my watch in disbelief at how slow time can seem to pass. One word: monotonous! I now use my Dark Star DVD as an "avant garde" coaster for my coffee mug at work. R.I.P.
Rating: 
Summary: Attack of the Beachball
Review: This film really tickled me. I mean, when you can laugh when a living beachball-monster with claws attempts to kill a guy by tickling him...that's pretty warped, and also pretty darn funny.
This movie bombed at the theaters, and that's too bad, because it is a classic. I dunno. Maybe it's an acquired taste.
Personally, I found it hilarious. I sometimes wonder if the equally funny British TV series _Red Dwarf_ wasn't influenced by this movie.
Rating:
Summary: ultimate cult movie - the best version available
Review: PICTURE QUALITY (2/5 STARS)
No doubt this release is the best available yet. Don't expect too much though. Picture is without flickers or grain but unsharp throughout the whole film. SOUND QUALITY (2/5 STARS)
Dolby Digital 5.1 remix - terrible audio quality; often very hard to understand anything. This is because of the source material. Surround effects are poorly. EXTRAS (2/5 STARS)
This bomb bay is virtually empty: a trailer and biographies. SPECIAL/UNIQUE ON THIS DVD RELEASE:
- Widescreen letterbox format
- Dolby Digital 5.1 remix
- theatrical release and Director's Cut (shorter, as-intended-version)
- mind the low price: it's worth a try! COMMENT:
This movie is cult - never mind the quality of its source, just tune in to the most extraordinary space adventure ever!
Rating:
Summary: Not For Everyone...
Review: ...but if you've got that certain strange *kink* in your sense of humor, the one that makes you love Douglas Adams, no-budget monster flicks, bizarre midnight matinees, etc. you just might love this. Some people claim that it's slow...and if you aren't receptive to this sort of dead-pan ridiculous humor, then I guess it is. But if you appreciate the thought of 3 spaced-out losers drifting forgotten in space, looking for planets to blow up just to kill the boredom, smoking cigarettes and discussing philosophy with tempermental "smart" bombs...it makes a fun evening. I say, "Cool!"
Rating: 
Summary: More fun than a bowlful of Tribbles!
Review: Yeah, it's a campy sci-fi film. Follow it during a double-feature evening with Repo-Man, and you'll be fine.
Rating: 
Summary: "John Carpenter's Dark Star"
Review: Dark Star (G) **/5
Brian Narelle, Dre Pahich, Ycal Kuniholme, Dan O'Bannon, Joe Saunders.
Directed by: John Carpenter.
Synopsis: A group of astronauts who destroy unstable planets must try to survive when a bomb gets lodged in the launch bay.
Special Features: Contains Extended and Theatrical Cut of the Film, Trailer, Biographies.
Review: A loopy cult sci-fi comedy. This was made as a student film, but somebody decided to release it. It has a lot going for it, but you know it just didn't have the budget. Several great scenes are in there though like attack of the killer beach ball, and philosophy discussions with a bomb. So the plot is what you ask? Several astronauts are on a ship that destroys unstable planets, but a bomb gets lodged in the bomb bay, and they must scramble to save their lives. The actors all do a respectable job with what they have to work with. Carpenter comes through in directing, and he gives us a hint of the greatness to come. As for the DVD? While the special features and two versions of the film are fascinating this is really only a pick up for Carpenter fans, or perhaps fans of cult sci-fi films.
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