Dark Star [Blu-ray]

Director: John Carpenter John Carpenter

Overview

The directorial debut of horrormeister John Carpenter comes in the way of Dark Star a parody of Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece, 2001--A Space Odyssey. The story follows four hippyish techno-nerds in their mission through deep space to destroy planets and ward off boredom and loneliness as they attempt to hold on to what little they can remember of Earth. When their weapons system malfunctions, they are forced to deal with a "smart" bomb trapped in the launching mechanism, and the acting captain must debate phenomenology with the device in order to dissuade it from destroying them all. The film also features an imaginative and amusing struggle between one crew member and an inflatable alien he attempts to keep as a pet, a long reflection on the virtues of surfing, a series of personality struggles, and a cryogenically-frozen captain whose brain is preserved on computer for the purpose of consultation.

Product Details

Release Date:	11/06/2012
UPC:	0089859901027
Original Release:	1974
Rating:	G
Source:	MUSIC VIDEO DIST.***
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:23:00
Sales rank:	15,420

Special Features

Let there by light: the odyssey of "Dark Star" - the extended version - includes clips from a rare student film directed by Dan O'Bannon. Featuring exclusive interviews with actor Brian Narelle, cnematographer Doug Knapp, art director Tommy Lee Wallace, visual effects artists Greg Jein, voice artist Cookie Knapp, film distributor Jack Harris, Diane O'Bannon, and more! Also includes an archival interview with John Carpenter, as well as the fonal interview of Dan O'Bannon. Produced and directed by Daniel Griffith; Interview with sci-fi author Alan Dean Foster; Interview with Brian Narelle; 3D guide to the dark star ship; Full-length audio commentary by 'super-fan' Andrew Gilchrist; Written intro by Dan O'Bannon; Trivia

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Brian Narelle	Doolittle
Andreijah Pahich	Talby
Carl Kuniholm	Boiler,Actor
Dan O'Bannon	Pinback
Joe Sanders	Powell
Carl Duniholm	Actor
Joe Saunders	Powell
Miles Watkins	Mission Control
Pahici-Cal Kunholme	Actor
John Carpenter	Composer

Technical Credits

John Carpenter

Dan O'Bannon

John Carpenter	Director,Screenwriter,Producer,Executive Producer
Dan O'Bannon	Screenwriter,Special Effects
Jack H. Harris	Executive Producer,Producer
Bill Taylor	Special Effects
J. Stein Kaplan	Producer
Harry Walton	Special Effects
Gregory Jein	Special Effects
Ron Cobb	Special Effects
Bob Greenberg	Special Effects
John Wash	Special Effects
Nina Kleinberg	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

As the directorial debut of John Carpenter, Dark Star has achieved a degree of cult status over the years. It's no masterpiece by any stretch and the acting, dialogue, and pace are a bit stale, but this spacey 1974 parody of Stanley Kubrick's classics, 2001: A Space Odyssey and Dr. Strangelove, is intriguing in that it features many of the elements that became staples of Carpenter films: a simple but effective score, anti-establishment sentiments, blue-collar characters, and a downbeat ending. Taking inspiration from 1958's It! The Terror from Beyond Space, Carpenter began the film while attending USC in 1970 and later expanded it to feature length. He was assisted significantly by future screenwriter Dan O'Bannon (who later wrote the very similar Alien), whose multiple credits on the film include a starring role. One scene featuring O'Bannon's character Pinback playing a game in which he stabs an ice pick between his fingers was later used by James Cameron in Aliens. O'Bannon's most impressive contribution to the film, however, were his special effects, which are startling for a film with such a low budget.

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