DARK STAR (DVD/SPEC ED/AC3/ST&WS/DIGITAL MASTER/BIOGRAPHIES/TRAILER) DVD

Dark Star
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 (Dan O'Bannon) 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 a crew member (Dre Pahich) 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. ~ Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide

Cast Brian Narelle as Doolittle Andreijah Pahich as Talby Carl Duniholm as Dan O'Bannon as Pinback

Crew J. Stein Kaplan - First Assistant Director John Carpenter - Director Dan O'Bannon - Editor John Carpenter - Composer (Music Score) Dan O'Bannon - Production Designer Douglas H. Knapp - Cinematographer Jack H. Harris - Producer John Carpenter - Producer Dan O'Bannon - Set Designer Dan O'Bannon - Special Effects Bill Taylor - Special Effects Dan O'Bannon - Screenwriter John Carpenter - Screenwriter

Dark Star
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. ~ Patrick Legare, All Movie Guide
 

(no awards)

General Specifications: Language Options: English Subtitle Options: Sound Processing: DD5.1: Dolby Digital w/ sub-woofer channel Additional Features: DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1: Theatre Wide-Screen MPAA Rating: G DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 83 min   DVD Chapters: Chapter Stops 0. Chapter Stops 0. Menu Group #1 with 18 chapter(s) covering 01:22:19 1. Earth's Communication. [2:00] 2. The Bomb Run. [6:59] 3. Title Sequence. [2:58] 4. The Dark Star Log. [1:11] 5. Extra Scenes From 1974 Release. [9:41] 6. Solitude Of The Dome. [3:22] 7. Too Much Leisure. [2:00] 8. Lunch Time Antics. [3:13] 9. Pinback Gets The Shaft. [:28] 10. Table Talk. [:45] 11. Malfunction. [:36] 12. Dear Diary. [:23] 13. Let's vaporize it! [6:09] 14. The Emergency Airlock. [:50] 15. Drop Sequence. [:17] 16. Talking With Commander Powell. [1:07] 17. Destruction Sequence. [6:22] 18. Let there be light. [:09]