John Carpenter and Dan O'Bannon took on the task of making a science fiction movie inspired by classic films like Dr Strangelove and 2001, despite having no money and enormous ambition. They started with some money from their parents and shot on 16mm film, building sets and acting in the movie themselves.
The duo decided to go for "Dirty Space" instead of something more conventional, as they wanted to portray the sterility of space that wasn't typical in sci-fi films at the time. The spaceship was designed by Ron Cobb, a friend of Dan's, while the premise itself didn't make sense - it was always meant to be humorous.
After three years of filming, which were supposed to take only a month, they managed to secure distribution and made the movie into a full-length feature film with the help of Jack Harris, who had produced The Blob. Carpenter also wrote the soundtrack for the film, as well as the music for the song "Benson Arizona", which played over the opening and closing credits.
A beachball was used to represent an alien planet in one scene, after Dan O'Bannon's friend came up with a similar idea while carrying the ball on set. The actor playing the alien, Nick Castle, brought a lot of character to it. Brian Narelle played Lieutenant Doolittle, who made a few trips to talk to Sgt Talby in the ship's observation dome.
However, filming was not without its challenges - one take had to be redone due to O'Bannon removing Carpenter's helmet after each line, leaving him breathing outside for some fresh air. Another actor, Cal Kuniholm, improvised a trick that involved stabbing a knife between his fingers, but accidentally skewered himself and continued acting out the scene without flinching.
The film was released in 45 theatres with no fanfare, starring nobody anyone knew, which didn't help its understanding by audiences. Dan O'Bannon has said that he left a screening where only 12 curious people showed up and were confused - this sparked his idea for the screenplay of Alien.
Years later at San Diego Comic Con, Carpenter met Ray Bradbury, who was not pleased with Dark Star's similarities to Bradbury's writing style and claimed it had stolen ideas from his work. He wore Coke bottle glasses during their meeting, which left Carpenter feeling like an insect being burned under a magnifying glass.
Dark Star has become more relevant over time, particularly with regards to AI - the film is often seen as not just a comedy but also a commentary on our relationship with technology. The final line "Don't give me any of that intelligent life crap, just find me something I can blow up" still resonates today.
The duo decided to go for "Dirty Space" instead of something more conventional, as they wanted to portray the sterility of space that wasn't typical in sci-fi films at the time. The spaceship was designed by Ron Cobb, a friend of Dan's, while the premise itself didn't make sense - it was always meant to be humorous.
After three years of filming, which were supposed to take only a month, they managed to secure distribution and made the movie into a full-length feature film with the help of Jack Harris, who had produced The Blob. Carpenter also wrote the soundtrack for the film, as well as the music for the song "Benson Arizona", which played over the opening and closing credits.
A beachball was used to represent an alien planet in one scene, after Dan O'Bannon's friend came up with a similar idea while carrying the ball on set. The actor playing the alien, Nick Castle, brought a lot of character to it. Brian Narelle played Lieutenant Doolittle, who made a few trips to talk to Sgt Talby in the ship's observation dome.
However, filming was not without its challenges - one take had to be redone due to O'Bannon removing Carpenter's helmet after each line, leaving him breathing outside for some fresh air. Another actor, Cal Kuniholm, improvised a trick that involved stabbing a knife between his fingers, but accidentally skewered himself and continued acting out the scene without flinching.
The film was released in 45 theatres with no fanfare, starring nobody anyone knew, which didn't help its understanding by audiences. Dan O'Bannon has said that he left a screening where only 12 curious people showed up and were confused - this sparked his idea for the screenplay of Alien.
Years later at San Diego Comic Con, Carpenter met Ray Bradbury, who was not pleased with Dark Star's similarities to Bradbury's writing style and claimed it had stolen ideas from his work. He wore Coke bottle glasses during their meeting, which left Carpenter feeling like an insect being burned under a magnifying glass.
Dark Star has become more relevant over time, particularly with regards to AI - the film is often seen as not just a comedy but also a commentary on our relationship with technology. The final line "Don't give me any of that intelligent life crap, just find me something I can blow up" still resonates today.
Dark Star's DIY ethos and experimental approach to filmmaking is still super inspiring! I mean, who wouldn't want to make a sci-fi film with a shoestring budget and no clear direction? 
Their willingness to take risks and poke fun at the genre really paid off in the end. And can we talk about how ahead of its time it was regarding our relationship with technology? The themes of AI, automation, and existential dread are so relevant today 
! It's amazing how much character can be brought out in an actor even with the most mundane props. And oh man, those behind-the-scenes stories about O'Bannon removing Carpenter's helmet during takes 
! It's no wonder they were able to make something so weird and wonderful on such a tight budget.
. And that meeting between Carpenter and Ray Bradbury? Still gives me chills 
! The way Bradbury felt like his work was being "burned under a magnifying glass" is just intense 
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. I mean, who wouldn't want to explore the darker side of our relationship with technology? The final line still gives me chills – it's like they knew we'd be facing this existential crisis eventually 
Dark Star is like, totally underrated fam 
! People always talk about Alien, but this movie came out first 
and was all about pushing boundaries 
. I love how it's not just a comedy, it's also a commentary on tech and space 
The fact that it took them 3 years to finish filming but only made 45 screens 
is wild too 
and can we talk about the alien scene with the beachball 
and that final line still hits hard today "don't give me any of that intelligent life crap" 
. These two dudes, John Carpenter and Dan O'Bannon, no money, big ambition, just like many entrepreneurs in our great nation 
. They took a risk, shot on 16mm film, built sets themselves... it's like they were bootstrapping their way to success 
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. Who needs intelligent life when we can blow something up? 
. People didn't get it when it came out but now we're all like "oh yeah, Dark Star was way ahead of its time". And those improv moments? 
i love how they went for this super unique vibe w/ the sterility of space & Ron Cobb's spaceship design is everything! 
and can we talk about the beachball alien tho?! 
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. I mean, who wants to watch a movie about an alien planet that looks suspiciously like a beach ball? 
.
but i guess that's what makes it so cult following kinda thing. anyway, i think it's kinda weird how ray bradbury got upset with carpenter over similarities between their work. didn't they have similar influences from dr strangelove and 2001? and also, did dark star's themes of technology and ai ever really resonate back in the day when it came out? or is that just something we see now that sci-fi has become more about exploring tech issues 
. And the cast, I mean, who wouldn't want to see Brian Narelle in a spaceship 
.
anyway dark star might not be a huge hit back in the day but its definitely gained some new relevance over the years especially w/ ai on the rise 
. The beachball scene tho... who comes up with that? 
. And can we talk about how underrated this film is? Like, it's one of those gems that you stumble upon when you're browsing old movie lists... totally worth a watch! 
nick castle's acting skills are insane, what a great find! and can you imagine John Carpenter's helmet situation? 
anyway, it's so cool how Dark Star has become more relevant over time, especially with AI on our minds. the final line still gives me chills 
at comic con, but still Dark Star is like totally relevant today in terms of AI and technology