Rating: 
Summary: Ha! Ha! Ha!
Review: "Let there be light" -- and you will absolutely fall off your couch laughing. And you'll keep laughing till the film ends. It was just as great/funny as when I first saw it 20 years ago. Dark humor, and brilliant. A must-see for sci-fi fans. Plus, it's so short that even people who might get bored, or might not "get it," should still find the time spent worth the laughs it will generate. Its [less costly](but amazing for the price) production values are its charm. This film would never work as well if it was a slick [costly] production...
Rating: 
Summary: Not For Everyone...
Review: ...but if you've got that certain strange *kink* in your sense of humor, the one that makes you love Douglas Adams, no-budget monster flicks, bizarre midnight matinees, etc. you just might love this. Some people claim that it's slow...and if you aren't receptive to this sort of dead-pan ridiculous humor, then I guess it is. But if you appreciate the thought of 3 spaced-out losers drifting forgotten in space, looking for planets to blow up just to kill the boredom, smoking cigarettes and discussing philosophy with tempermental "smart" bombs...it makes a fun evening.I say, "Cool!"
Rating:
Summary: Two Years Before "Star Wars"
Review: A lot of people i know who are not aware that this film was originally released in 1975 fault it for being derivative, when, actually, if anything, the shoe is on the other foot. Dan O'Bannon's special effects sequences are incredible, especially since the entire budget for the whole film wouldn't buy coffee for an effects house working on teevee commercials today; i am especially taken with the utterly convincing planet-buster bombs made from an HO-scale piggyback trailer turned upside down with engine parts from a 1/25th scale model car attached (if you look closely on a good copy you can still read the logo of the car manufacturer on the valve cover used as part of the bomb's drive mechanism). So many great lines and sequences in this film -- Pinback and the beachball and the elevator may exceed the Maximum Allowable Funny Quotient for a minor film, and Doolittle's conversation with the bomb (capable of destroying an entire planet) that plans to detonate right alongside the ship, as he leads it into beginning philosophy and convinces it that maybe it *didn't* really hear the "go" code... The theme song, "Benson Arizona", one of the more warped contry songs one will ever hear, is a hoot; the original is by Carpenter and a lyricist whose name i have lost, and SF fans have been adding verses to it for years. Watch for the "THX-1138" gag -- for many years (if not still) the only time the *whole* title has been used in a film reference. O'Bannon worked on special effects on the first "Star Wars" film, and basically borrowed his own "computer search of the blueprints" sequence from "Dark Star" for that film. The basic design of the "Dark Star" itself is by Ron Cobb, background astronomical paintings by Jim Danforth, and the design of the crew's spacesuits is determined by the fact that they used a commercially-available toy spaceman for effects shots. As an example of the sort of audience this film appeals to -- it was briefly released theatrrically in the latter Seventies; a frind here in Atlanta went to see a matinee, and realised that the only other people in the dark with him were Joey Ramone and his girlfriend.
Rating: 
Summary: If I could bottle this cure for insomnia, I'd be rich...
Review: After reading the reviews, I thought I'd give this one a try. I shouldn't have. What I should have done was paid more attention to the reviews that stated that this film isn't for everyone. I would have saved myself some money. It looks like a low-budget (which I guess it is), amateurish film -- along the lines of the Blair Witch Project, which I didn't care for either. But heck, I liked that better than this. And yes, I realize they're two totally different genres. It's like watching a home made movie that maybe your uncle made while following someone around with his camcorder. I will admit that a few scenes made me smile simply because they made me think of the fun the actors and directors must have had making such a campy film. But with that said, I expected more than what I got so I didn't care for it. Heck, I didn't even finish it. But to its credit, it solved my insomnia at least for one night.
Rating:
Summary: A gem in the rough is still a gem
Review: As every film buff knows, Dark Star started off as a student film. The work so impressed producer Jack H. Harris (The Blob) that he gave the 'kids' some extra money to pad it to feature length. The rest is history, sort of. Dark Star is a deserved cult classic. For one, while it is bargain basement filmmaking, nonetheless the movie manages to look fairly good and does not bog down with filler (each scene is fresh and entertaining and adds something to the overall feel). The alien escaping into the ship and Pinback's giving chase (which alternates easily between hilarious and harrowing) is undoubtedly a highlight (both for being so entertaining and for forshadowing O'Bannon's script/story for Alien). As is Bomb #20. The second reason is that many of the crew (Carpenter, O'Bannon, and the effects creators) all went on to successful careers in the film making industry. If you can get past the tape and cardboard look (and the movie is so inventive and funny that it is easy to do) then Dark Star is a fun ride and an essential addition to any sci-fi film buffs library. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Carpenter and O'Bannon show their impressive chops.
Review: As every film buff knows, Dark Star started off as a student film. The work so impressed producer Jack H. Harris (The Blob) that he gave the 'kids' some extra money to pad it to feature length. The rest is history, sort of. Dark Star is a deserved cult classic. For one, while it is bargain basement filmmaking, nonetheless the movie manages to look fairly good and does not bog down with filler (each scene is fresh and entertaining and adds something to the overall feel). The alien escaping into the ship and Pinback's giving chase (which alternates easily between hilarious and harrowing) is undoubtedly a highlight (both for being so entertaining and for forshadowing O'Bannon's script/story for Alien). As is Bomb #20. The second reason is that many of the crew (Carpenter, O'Bannon, and the effects creators) all went on to successful careers in the film making industry. If you can get past the tape and cardboard look (and the movie is so inventive and funny that it is easy to do) then Dark Star is a fun ride and an essential addition to any sci-fi film buffs library. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: cheap entertainment!
Review: bargain basement 1st feature from JC and dan o bannon has some laughs despite miniscule budget made in 1974
Rating:
Summary: Funny, Scary, Cool, makes you go "Hmmm..."
Review: By this time, the movie shows its age. The music is sappy and dated - mid 1960s to early 1970s. The plot is as good as 2001: A Space Oddyssey, and this could easily have had some influence on that movie's development. This movie has many funny moments. The Alien is a huge beach ball filled with gas. The Bombs and existential discussions with them remind one of "The HitchHiker's Guide..." The scares have more to do with man vs machine than actual threats on lives. The cool thing about this movie is how it shows the monotony of space travel. When things go wrong, it shows the apathy that grows among the crew, how they procrastinate in emergencies. If you rent or buy this, you WILL be entertained as it has elements of all the mentioned works and more: it ends with a space-surfer. Oh, and it was written and directed by JOHN CARPENTER (Ghosts Of Mars, Vampires, HALLOWEEN, Escape From N.Y. / L.A.).
Rating: 
Summary: "John Carpenter's Dark Star"
Review: Dark Star (G) **/5
Brian Narelle, Dre Pahich, Ycal Kuniholme, Dan O'Bannon, Joe Saunders.
Directed by: John Carpenter.
Synopsis: A group of astronauts who destroy unstable planets must try to survive when a bomb gets lodged in the launch bay.
Special Features: Contains Extended and Theatrical Cut of the Film, Trailer, Biographies.
Review: A loopy cult sci-fi comedy. This was made as a student film, but somebody decided to release it. It has a lot going for it, but you know it just didn't have the budget. Several great scenes are in there though like attack of the killer beach ball, and philosophy discussions with a bomb. So the plot is what you ask? Several astronauts are on a ship that destroys unstable planets, but a bomb gets lodged in the bomb bay, and they must scramble to save their lives. The actors all do a respectable job with what they have to work with. Carpenter comes through in directing, and he gives us a hint of the greatness to come. As for the DVD? While the special features and two versions of the film are fascinating this is really only a pick up for Carpenter fans, or perhaps fans of cult sci-fi films.
Rating:
Summary: Greater than the sum of its parts
Review: Dark Star has become something of a cult classic to sci-fi fans and it's easy to see why. It features the early work of several people (Dan O'Bannon and John Carpenter) who would later make signifant contributions to the genre. It also has the kind of skewed humor that often is a factor in achieving cult status. Yes, the effects are fairly cheesy and the acting and story are often lame, but somehow Dark Star rises above all that to be enjoyable in its own way. The DVD does a good job of presenting a movie that didn't look all that great in the theater. This was, as others have commented, originally a student film that was expanded and distributed in theaters. The DVD allows the viewer to see two versions of the movie, the theatrical release and a 'creators' cut that removes most of the expansion material and returns the film to something closer to its student film form. Frankly, I thought the expanded, theatrical version was superior to the special cut. The added scenes did give more depth to the story and characters, and they need it. This movie will not appeal to everyone, but I think any serious fan of the genre should consider having it in their library.
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