Dark Star
Low-budget story of four astronauts in deep space, whose mission is to destroy unstable planets in star systems which are to be colonised…
- Director: John Carpenter
- Genre:Comedy / Sci-Fi / Thriller
- Runtime:82 minutes
Cast
Brian Narelle : Lt. Doolittle
Cal Kuniholm : Boiler
Dre Pahich : Talby
Dan O’Bannon : Sgt. Pinback
Official Site:-
In the middle of the 22nd century, mankind has reached a point in its technological advances to enable colonization of the far reaches of the universe. Armed with intelligent “Exponential Thermostellar Bombs”, the scout ship Dark Star and its crew have been in space alone for twenty years on a mission to destroy “unstable planets” which might threaten future colonization.
The ship’s crew consists of Lt. Doolittle (who dreams of surfing back in Malibu), Sgt. Pinback, Boiler and Talby (who has become reclusive and spends all his time in the ship’s dome). Their Commander, Powell, has died and exists only via cryogenic supports. The crew perform their jobs in a state of abject boredom as the tedium of their task has driven them up the wall.
Sgt. Pinback claims to be liquid fuel specialist Bill Froog, who accidentially takes Pinback’s place on the mission after failing to rescue Pinback from committing suicide by wading into a fuel tank before the mission. However, this may be evidence of Pinback’s space madness and desire to go home as he makes these claims after one year of being on the ship and demands to be sent home. Pinback adopts a ship’s mascot in the form of a mischievous alien “beachball with claws” that refuses to stay put in the food locker and forces Pinback to chase it all over the ship.
The computer is malfunctioning, with parts of the ship burnt out and others simply blown up. After damage suffered in an asteroid storm, Thermostellar Bomb #20 threatens to detonate while still in the ship’s bomb bay. The other crew members attempt to talk the bomb out of blowing up. Doolittle revives Commander Powell who advises them to teach the bomb the rudiments of phenomenology, resulting in a memorable philosophical conversation between Doolittle and the bomb. Bomb #20 retreats to the bomb bay for contemplation, and disaster seems to have been averted. Pinback addresses the bomb over the intercom to finally disarm it. Read more
