Dark Star

Rating: **/*****, or 5/10

Very low budget Sci-Fi comedy, the result of a student project done by John Carpenter (Halloween, The Thing) and Dan 'Bannon (screenwriter of Alien), which eventually was released in a small theatrical run through low budget producer Jack H. Harris. The simple look and obviously largely absent production values make this a dull watch for the uninitiated, though it remains a cult favorite of many Sci-Fi aficionados. In the distant future, the crew of the starship Dark Star, on a mission to destroy unstable planets threatening human colonies, encounters various problems, among others a smart bomb with a God-complex, the infiltration of the vessel by an unknown alien life form resembling a beach ball (a plot element that would later form the basis of O'Bannon's much acclaimed space horror, except for its silly shape) and the usual computer faults. A few good ideas are found here, but some of them are hard to take seriously due to the lack of believable sets and effects. Nevertheless, they hint at the talent behind the film's creators, which would indeed grow to successful careers for the both of them in later years.This movie might very well warrant a remake, since there's a lot of intriguing material that would definitely benefit from some improvement.

Directed by John Carpenter

Starring: Brian Narelle, Cal Kuniholm, Dan O'Bannon

USA: Jack H. Harris Enterprises, 1974