Dark Star

Name: Dark Star
Genre: Sci-Fi, Comedy
Released: April 1, 1974
Duration: 83 min
Rating: 66
Cast: Dan O'Bannon, Dre Pahich

1974

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 10 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 17 Ratings

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5.6

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5.6	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 17 Ratings

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Dark Star

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Movie Details & Credits

Jack H. Harris Enterprises | Release Date: April 1, 1974 | G

Starring: Dan O'Bannon, Dre Pahich

Summary: In the far reaches of space, a small crew, 20 years into their solitary mission, find things beginning to go hilariously wrong.

Director: John Carpenter

Genre(s): Sci-Fi, Comedy

Rating: G

Runtime: 83 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Empire Adam Smith

In essence, Dark Star has what all great comedy has: a sense of desperation and pathos allied to an abiding humanity which elevates it high above the realm of mere spoof. Read full review

Time Out London Staff (Not Credited)

Four bombed-out astronauts journey endlessly through the galaxy, whiling away the time with jokes, sunlamp treatment, personal diaries on videotape, and games with their own pet alien. Sheer delight. Read full review

The Guardian Phelim O'Neill

It's a smart, cynical look at space travel, treating it as a blue-collar job and not a divine calling as Kubrick and others would have you believe. Read full review

Dave Kehr

Carpenter creates a vision of the technological future that is both disillusioned and oddly affirmative in its insistence on the unscientific survival of emotional frailty. Read full review

Noel Murray

Dark Star has a stoner sardonicism: The movie feels like the product of long nights at the dorm passing around The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers comics and Arthur C. Clarke paperbacks. Read full review

Janet Maslin

There are some funny routines here, though Mr. Carpenter doesn't seem to have cared much about integrating or sustaining them. Mr. Carpenter makes his amateurishness unmistakable, especially when it comes to the film's four actors. Only one of them can act even crudely (fortunately, his is the largest role). The other three, neither photogenic nor particularly extroverted, look like well-meaning fraternity brothers helping out a pal with his class project. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

Dark Star is a limp parody of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey that warrants attention only for some remarkably believable special effects achieved with very little money. The dim comedy consists of sophomoric notations and mistimed one-liners. Read full review

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User Reviews

eva3si0n

Jul 6, 2022

Dark Star is John Carpenter's debut film. This is a comedy Sci-Fi film from the 70s made on a very tight budget. This film can only be recommended to fans of John Carpenter. Dark Star is such a cheap parody of 2001: A Space Odyssey. But a hilarious parody. I liked the film, such films areDark Star is John Carpenter's debut film. This is a comedy Sci-Fi film from the 70s made on a very tight budget. This film can only be recommended to fans of John Carpenter. Dark Star is such a cheap parody of 2001: A Space Odyssey. But a hilarious parody. I liked the film, such films are now lacking in modern cinema… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Broyax

Mar 21, 2022

Une bien étrange « curiosité » que cette « étoile noire » dans la carrière de John Carpenter, faiseur émérite bien connu de nanars plus ou moins frais ou faisandés (ou bien parfois brillants !). C’est une sorte de comédie spatiale bricolée avec les moyens du bord qui nous fait suivre lesUne bien étrange « curiosité » que cette « étoile noire » dans la carrière de John Carpenter, faiseur émérite bien connu de nanars plus ou moins frais ou faisandés (ou bien parfois brillants !). C’est une sorte de comédie spatiale bricolée avec les moyens du bord qui nous fait suivre les avanies de trois clampins dans un vaisseau sous Prozac (qui parle) ainsi que de bombes capricieuses (qui parlent aussi)…

Le film date de 1974, alors il convient d’être indulgent avec les « effets spéciaux » (entre grosses guillemets de rigueur) mais tout de même, quelle horreur…! Ce n’est pas le pire cependant, car le pire consiste à se fader le film en entier (un exercice de masochiste impossible), lequel demeure un festival d’humour demeuré qui ne fera rire que les plus attardés d’entre nous (à savoir Rain Man, Forrest Gump et Vincent Lagaf’).

La télécommande nous permet donc de raccourcir sensiblement cette débilité qui s’étire sur plus d’une heure et demi… nous constatons de loin en loin l’étendue des dégâts de cette hystéro-bouffonnerie et a fortiori de cette bouffonnerie hystérique qui s’est prise pour un film de science-fiction… mais ça c’était de la fiction à nette tendance mongolo-golio-mongolienne !… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Horrorseeker

Aug 29, 2019

I couldn't get into the sci-fi comedy approach of this student made film by future Horror/Sci-fi filmmaker John carpenter

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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