Dark Star

Rating:
Summary: Superb SciFi Spoof
Review: There have been so many bad science fiction spoofs - you must see this movie to appreciate what the genre is supposed to be! Sure, the production is cheap and the screenplay would never win any awards, but the characterizations are just hilarious.

Rating:
Summary: Phenomenology has never been so funny!
Review: I first saw this movie in the theaters (with the "Hardware Wars" short) and couldn't stop laughing. The burgeoning genius of Carpenter and O'Bannon is unsullied by big budgets full of perfect special effects and surround sound. The very crudity of the props, special effects, and visuals makes you think maybe you could have made this film (if only you were that imaginative). Though some may criticize the acting, it fits perfectly in the period, and anyway, comedy (dark or otherwise) is all about timing, not emotional nuance...("one day they'll see these tapes and then they'll be sorry!...) Granted, it helps to have grown up in during the development of the modern science fiction space opera, but if my 13-year old son can like it, so can you!

Rating:
Summary: Hilarious spoof will appeal to stoners and straights alike
Review: I first saw Dark Star when it was released and immediately loved it, even though it spoofs 'serious' films I also loved, particularly Kubrick/Clarke's 2001. It was with glee that I found this CD, at the bargain price of $10. Admittedly, the production is a bit rough, and the original film shows its student budget, but that is somehow fitting to the film. My only complaint is that they did not include the short "Hardware Wars" (a spoof of Star Wars, featuring an intergalactic steam iron and the heroic Fluke Starbucker, if I recollect correctly), which toured with Dark Star after HW's release in 1977; it made an inspired pairing. Oh well, I guess that 13 minutes of hilarity is available on its own DVD.

Rating:
Summary: For the John Carpenter Enthusiast
Review: This movie is a great concept that was underfunded in the execution. The sets and special effects are cheap and I think that the editing could have been a bit tighter as some of the scenes go on too long (you don't need to experience monotony to get a sense of what the characters are going through).

As mentioned by others the it is a lengthed version of an orginal short film, and you get the feeling when watching it that the makers ran out of both ideas and money during this process. Probably worth watching but not owning.

Rating:
Summary: A gem in the rough is still a gem
Review: As every film buff knows, Dark Star started off as a student film. The work so impressed producer Jack H. Harris (The Blob) that he gave the 'kids' some extra money to pad it to feature length. The rest is history, sort of. Dark Star is a deserved cult classic. For one, while it is bargain basement filmmaking, nonetheless the movie manages to look fairly good and does not bog down with filler (each scene is fresh and entertaining and adds something to the overall feel). The alien escaping into the ship and Pinback's giving chase (which alternates easily between hilarious and harrowing) is undoubtedly a highlight (both for being so entertaining and for forshadowing O'Bannon's script/story for Alien). As is Bomb #20. The second reason is that many of the crew (Carpenter, O'Bannon, and the effects creators) all went on to successful careers in the film making industry. If you can get past the tape and cardboard look (and the movie is so inventive and funny that it is easy to do) then Dark Star is a fun ride and an essential addition to any sci-fi film buffs library. Highly recommended.