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Information

Year
1974
Runtime
83 min.
Director
John Carpenter
Genres
Comedy, Sci-Fi
Rating *
6.4
Votes *
18,891
Checks
3,518
Favs
196
Dislikes
97
Favs/checks
5.6% (1:18)
Favs/dislikes
2:1
* View IMDb information

Top comments

  1. VVKT's avatar

    VVKT

    Too bad. Could have been an amazing short film, instead of a boring feature film. 5 years 1 month ago
  2. phantometal's avatar

    phantometal

    epic ending 12 years 6 months ago
  3. Siskoid's avatar

    Siskoid

    Dark Star is essentially John Carpenter's satirical take on 2001: A Space Odyssey (white model ships, space proceduralism, malfunctioning A.I., psychedelics), but I'm somehow better reminded of Silent Running in terms of pace and mood (this is not a positive). When the movie goes a bit broad - the beach ball alien - it fails, but making the astronauts jobbers with little ambition and/or ability does create some interest. In 1974, the Apollo program was falling out of favor, and so this projection makes complete sense. Directorially, Carpenter is still developing his style, but the camera moves well and he manages to create real moments of tension. And in those moments, you're not thinking about the low budget or the dodgy acting. Co-writer Dan O'Bannon is also touching on things he'll return to in absolute blockbusters later (Alien, Total Recall). A mixed bag, then, and hard going at times, but I absolutely love the final reel, from the resurrection of the dead commander, through the argument with the bomb, to that crazy ending. I wish the movie had been more like that throughout. 1 year 3 months ago
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In 7 official lists

  1. This movie ranks #19 in BFI's 100 Science Fiction Films
    BFI's 100 Science Fiction Films's icon

    BFI's 100 Science Fictio…

    19
  2. This movie ranks #47 in Total Sci-Fi's The 100 Greatest Sci-Fi Movies
    Total Sci-Fi's The 100 Greatest Sci-Fi Movies's icon

    Total Sci-Fi's The 100 G…

    47
  3. This movie ranks #113 in Badmovies.org's Best B-Movies
    Badmovies.org's Best B-Movies's icon

    Badmovies.org's Best B-M…

    113
  4. This movie ranks #217 in The Guardian's 1000 Films to See Before You Die
    The Guardian's 1000 Films to See Before You Die's icon

    The Guardian's 1000 Film…

    217
  5. This movie ranks #318 in Emma Beare's 501 Must-See Movies
    Emma Beare's 501 Must-See Movies's icon

    Emma Beare's 501 Must-Se…

    318
  6. This movie ranks #388 in Jennifer Eiss's 500 Essential Cult Movies
    Jennifer Eiss's 500 Essential Cult Movies's icon

    Jennifer Eiss's 500 Esse…

    388
  7. This movie ranks #1027 in Halliwell's Top 1000: The Ultimate Movie Countdown
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    Halliwell's Top 1000: Th…

    1027
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