John Carpenter and Dan OBannon kicked off their careers in 1974 with the sci-fi comedy, Dark Star.
Lawrence looks back at a low-budget classic…
pril 1974.
Richard Nixon is in the last days of his presidency.
The bloody war in South East Asia rages on.
Abba win the Eurovision song contest withWaterloo.
AndDark Star, a low budget sci-fi comedy, hits the screen.
The film also proved the basis as a dry run forAlien, for which OBannon wrote the script.
Dark Starcan rightly be awarded the seminal tag.
Many films may lay a claim to it, but this ones the real deal.
These spacemen cant even remember their first names.
Each crew member, however, is fleshed out with their own unique characteristics.
His only solace is in watching back the video diary entries that hes kept throughout the voyage.
As the film progresses, its revealed that Pinback is actually on the ship by mistake.
Theyre striking, but basic.
Look closely and you’re free to see frying pans, vacuum cleaner nozzles and silver sticky tape.
Dark Staris very much a product of its time.
Most alternative movies in the early 70s had either Watergate or Vietnam as subtextual themes andDark Staris no different.
Its in these moments thatDark Starreveals a philosophical and almost existential edge.
PostDark Star, John Carpenters career rose rapidly.
He never worked with Carpenter again, however.
