John Carpenter is known for his horror movies, but the 1974 sci-fi film Dark Star is his directional debut. A few years later, he would become famous and acclaimed for directing the classic Halloween. In the 1980s, Carpenter impressed audiences and critics even more with popular movies like The Fog and The Thing. He moved between the horror and sci-fi genres with ease and told shocking and terrifying stories no matter what.
Dark Star is worth checking out, especially since it has a great script from the same writer as the beloved Alien. It's fascinating to watch Dark Star and see the very start of John Carpenter's impressive career.
What Is Dark Star About?
While there are many great John Carpenter horror movies, Dark Star is one of his best forays into the sci-fi genre. Dark Star is about crew members on the ship of the same name who are looking to get rid of "unstable planets" that could cause problems. The movie is set in the middle of the 22nd century and stars Dan O'Bannon in the role of Sergeant Pinback. Brian Narelle played Lieutenant Doolittle. There is also a brief appearance by Nick Castle as Alien. Castle is famous for playing Michael Myers in the Halloween franchise. Cal Kuniholm also played Boiler.
The characters are hilarious and unique, especially Doolite, who is now in charge of the Dark Star. He stands out since he used to live in Malibu, California and devote his life to surfing, and now he's here. This is one example of Dark Star being a satire. While there are some great sci-fi monsters, Dark Star focuses on the people on the space shuttle. As the characters try to go to the Veil Nebula, they are plagued by problems, including electromagnetic energy hitting them. They have no idea what they're doing, which is what makes Dark Star so much fun.
Dark Star is known for having a small budget of $60,000. It's amazing to think that a movie could be made for that little money. Sometimes horror movies get worse with bigger budgets and the same thing is true of any film genre. Dark Star proves that some movies don't need huge budgets in order to be fascinating, funny, and unforgettable. There is nothing fancy about this film, and that is refreshing. Any wild effects would just distract from the people who are so enjoyable to watch.
Who Wrote Dark Star?
John Carpenter and Dan O'Bannon co-wrote Dark Star, whch is a corny but memorable 1970s sci-fi movie. O'Bannon wrote the 1979 classic Alien, along with other favorites like Total Recall and Screamers. O'Bannon was also an actor and he played the character Sergeant Pinback in Dark Star.
Dark Star has an interesting origin story. O'Bannon and Carpenter studied film at the University of Southern California and this is where they originally came up with the idea and worked on the movie. According to the British Film Institute, Dark Star was screened at the 1974 Edinburgh Festival. In an interview with the publication, Carpenter said "I hate show-offs and I hate pretension." He explained more about why he wanted to make this kind of movie.
John Carpenter said, “I’ve loved science fiction since I was a kid. and some of the film was paying tribute to the old science fiction films… the beach ball alien was like the 50s rubber monsters running around. We had no money to compete with 2001, but its religious overtones insulted me so much that I just said I’m not going to do that, I’m going to make a down-to-earth movie, how do you clean your underwear when you’re on a spaceship and so on."
How Does Dark Star End?
The John Carpenter film The Fog and Dark Star are equally eerie. The Dark Star ending sees Pinback forcing Talby (Andreijah "Dre" Pahich) out into space accidentally. A bomb goes off and ruins the Dark Star space shuttle.
The four main characters Doolittle, Talby, Boiler, and Pinkback end up in space. Dolittle begins surfing on debris, which is a hilarious way to end his character arc. He then becomes a falling star and passes away. The Phoenix Asteroids steal Talby, who is fine with it because he has always been interested in them.
Dark Star is one of the best sci-fi movies set in the 22nd century and the characters are what set it apart. The Dark Star ending is memorable and humorous. It pokes fun at the way that these types of stories usually wrap up. It proves that the crew members don't know anything about space and that their demise was inevitable. It's enjoyable watching the four characters stumble through their space mission, and the ending fits the movie well.