# Dark Star (1974)



## Dave (Mar 15, 2001)

Dark Star (1974) 83 minutes.

Written by and  Music by John Carpenter.

In the 22nd Century, the bored crew of a starship  on an intergalactic mission, to blow up planets in space-lanes, become prey to their own phobias, and to the alien mascot they are taking back to Earth.
Low-budget, cult-status, at the time a different kind of 'space-science fiction' from the flying saucers and aliens that had prevailed, but not wholly entertaining, though has some funny bits.

http://uk.imdb.com/Title?0069945

With:
Dan O'Bannon, Brian Narelle, Dre Pahich, Cal Kuniholm.


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## Gilraen (Mar 15, 2001)

Love the song Benson Arizona


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## neXus_6 (Mar 22, 2002)

*John Carpenter's first movie!*

I've not seen this yet. is there anyone out there who has. what's it like?


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## rde (Mar 23, 2002)

It's very good. The special effects are a bit cheesy, and the plot is pretty thin, but it's quite funny.
Well worth watching. It's a great antidote to Star Trek; instead of noble heroes boldly going etc etc, you've got four apathetic guys going around blowing up planets. But not in a Lexx kind of way; it's their job. They just don't care about it.

The bomb is very entertaining, too.


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## Tabitha (Dec 16, 2002)

I found this to be terribly overrated.  Pinback's battle with the Alien (an obvious precursor of his Alien screenplay) was highly entertaining, and I agree that the bomb was quite funny, but to be honest there was too much missing.  I didn't care a squat about any of the characters save Pinback.  There were a few moments of greatness, but I don't think this compensates for the bad acting and wobbly narrative.

Don't get me wrong - I am not complaining about the special effects or set design, I can easily forgive the cheapness of those if the story is engaging and coherent, but Dark Star's story is neither of these.


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## ray gower (Dec 17, 2002)

I agree with Tabitha here. The film is the unwilling insomniacs dream come true.

I've seen it four or five times now and still cannot find a reason for or behind the film. Only conclusion I've ever decided upon was the bomb did mankind a favour when it blew them all up


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## Tabitha (Dec 18, 2002)

I struggle to even understand what the film was 'saying'.  And I think it was saying _something_.  The only thing I could come up with was that it was an extreme form of cabin fever.  

I wonder if I was a stoned teenager when this came out would I like it more?  I don't know.  It isn't glossy like Planet of the Apes or Star Wars, but it doesn't seem to have any overarching message or philosophy like Silent Running or 2001.


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## Esioul (May 11, 2006)

*Dark Star*

Has anyone seen this? I saw it yesterday. I'm not quite sure what it was meant to be about, but it was quite enetrtaining and interesting. That beachball alien, heh, gave me nightmares. The ending was slightly unexpected.


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## steve12553 (May 11, 2006)

*Re: Dark Star*

I saw it quite a few years ago and only remember it somewhat. John Carpenter and Dan O'Bannon before they were famous.


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## roddglenn (May 11, 2006)

*Re: Dark Star*

It was John Carpenter's first film - he was still a student when he made it.  I've always found it really funny and quirky - the intelligent bomb, the boucing alien and the surfing were all great moments.


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## Paradox 99 (May 11, 2006)

*Re: Dark Star*

A strange film, but I've always loved it.


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## j d worthington (May 11, 2006)

*Re: Dark Star*

So that old thing's still being shown, is it? Wonderful! I actually liked the film enough to buy the Varese/Sarabande album, which was durn near like listening to the film all over again. For sheer lunacy, it's hard to beat a double bill of _Dark Star_ and one (sorry, the title slips my mind) by John Landis before he was famous (when was that, exactly?) about a missing link. The suit looked like a reject from _2001_, and they took the ball and ran with it. Although a rarely-seen film, _Homebodies,_ definitely is up there for the truly skewed award.


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## Foxbat (May 11, 2006)

*Re: Dark Star*

Dark Star has always been a favourite of mine. 

Here's a snippet of trivia - Dan O'Bannon (he wrote the script for Dark Star)  admitted in an interview that he took out the humour and turned it into the script for Alien


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## j d worthington (May 11, 2006)

*Re: Dark Star*



			
				Foxbat said:
			
		

> Dark Star has always been a favourite of mine.
> 
> Here's a snippet of trivia - Dan O'Bannon (he wrote the script for Dark Star)  admitted in an interview that he took out the humour and turned it into the script for Alien


And here all this time I thought he'd taken it from A. E. van Vogt's "Dark Destroyer".


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## williamjm (May 11, 2006)

*Re: Dark Star*



			
				Esioul said:
			
		

> Has anyone seen this? I saw it yesterday. I'm not quite sure what it was meant to be about, but it was quite enetrtaining and interesting. That beachball alien, heh, gave me nightmares. The ending was slightly unexpected.



It is an amusing film, particularly the alien. 

Apparently it is one of the inspirations for Red Dwarf, so I'm grateful to it for that as well.


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## Esioul (May 11, 2006)

*Re: Dark Star*

Heh.

I liked th eintelligent bomb thing, although the ending seemed very dramatic/quirky. Not a long film either- makes a change from long, mind-numbing epics.


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## The_Cosmic_Quest (May 12, 2006)

*Re: Dark Star*

It's a low budget, corny, trashy movie.


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## roddglenn (May 12, 2006)

*Re: Dark Star*

It's low budget because he made it while still a film student.  As for corny and trashy, that's a matter of opinion.


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## Foxbat (May 12, 2006)

*Re: Dark Star*



> It's a low budget, corny, trashy movie.


 
Granted, when held against the CGI blockbusters of today, it might look a bit jaded. But I remember watching this in the late 70s - and with all the bad sci-fi going around then, this stood out a mile. It's funny, intelligent, poignant and quite an achievement for a film student. Remember, without this movie, O'Bannon might never have achieved Alien.

Also, the world of film would be a lesser place without the maverick directors like John Carpenter. Long may he continue!


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## roddglenn (May 15, 2006)

*Re: Dark Star*

Hear hear!  John Carpenter has brought us some brilliant cult films including The Thing, They Live, The Fog, Escape From New York (don't talk about the sequel though), Vampires, Ghosts of Mars and Assault on Precinct 13 (remake was ok but not a patch on the original).


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## speedingslug (May 23, 2006)

*Re: Dark Star*



			
				Foxbat said:
			
		

> Here's a snippet of trivia - Dan O'Bannon (he wrote the script for Dark Star)  admitted in an interview that he took out the humour and turned it into the script for Alien



I thought Alan Dean Foster wrote Alien ?

But Dark Star was ok, I think they used the space ship in the old Battlestar Galactica


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## angrybuddhist (May 23, 2006)

*Re: Dark Star*

Dark Star is a cult classic.  I believe the total budget was $60,000 and it has more humor and intelligence in its script than 90% of what currently comes out of Hollywood.  And yes, Dan O'Bannon totally ripped himself off when he wrote the 'hunt for the alien scene' in the darkened ship in Alien.  It was originally intended to be a 68 minute student film.  A Hollywood producer asked them to shoot 15 minutes of extra footage so he could release the film theatrically in 1975.
"All systems--SNAFU!!!"


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## steve12553 (May 23, 2006)

*Re: Dark Star*



			
				speedingslug said:
			
		

> I thought Alan Dean Foster wrote Alien ?


 
Alan Dean Foster wrote the novelization not the screne play. I bought that years ago and really enjoyed it.


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## speedingslug (May 23, 2006)

*Re: Dark Star*



			
				steve12553 said:
			
		

> Alan Dean Foster wrote the novelization not the screne play. I bought that years ago and really enjoyed it.


 
cheers.

I only read the spellsingers, they are a bit strange.


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## roddglenn (May 23, 2006)

*Re: Dark Star*

I've read a few of Alan Dean Foster's novelisations and a few works of his own.  All entertaining and fast-paced reads.


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## AE35Unit (Jan 28, 2008)

*John Carpenter's Dark Star?*

t'other half just phoned me from blockbuster, says she found a copy of Dark Star on DVD, says to me do you want it? I'm like,,,,,well yea!

This is a film I've never seen but always wanted to- its a comedy, i think its a Star Wars parody, but not in the same vein as Spaceballs which is just pants.

anyone else got it?


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## j d worthington (Jan 28, 2008)

*Re: John Carpenter's Dark Star?*

Don't have, but have seen, more than once. No, it's not a *Star Wars* parody... it was released in 1974 (and made even earlier), before Star Wars had ever even been heard of. It's an affectionate sendup of the entire genre, with nods to various famous writers (such as Bradbury, for instance). It's quirky, and off-the-wall, and delightfully, wickedly funny (I mean, a sentient bomb that is kept from blowing up the ship by getting it into a discussion on existentialism? a beach-ball alien that has genuine personality and clicks its nails?). Low-budget, very low-tech, but a _very_ enjoyable film... even if Ace _does_ hate that C&W track!


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## The Ace (Jan 28, 2008)

*Re: John Carpenter's Dark Star?*

Thanks for the reminder JD,  the film is wonderful, shame about the music.   Why can nobody ever make a sci-fi film with a glam rock or surf soundtrack ?


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## Pyan (Jan 29, 2008)

*Re: John Carpenter's Dark Star?*



AE35Unit said:


> , but not in the same vein as Spaceballs which is just pants.


A man of taste, indeed!

Saw this _(Dark Star) _years ago, on video I believe.
 As jd and Ace said, most enjoyable as a send-up of the genre at that time, and well worth watching still.
And what's wrong with the soundtrack? I always thought it complimented the feel of the film perfectly - a little tacky but fun, a bit like _The Dukes of Hazzard_ in space.


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## j d worthington (Jan 29, 2008)

*Re: John Carpenter's Dark Star?*



pyan said:


> A man of taste, indeed!
> 
> Saw this _(Dark Star) _years ago, on video I believe.
> As jd and Ace said, most enjoyable as a send-up of the genre at that time, and well worth watching still.
> And what's wrong with the soundtrack? I always thought it complimented the feel of the film perfectly - a little tacky but fun, a bit like _The Dukes of Hazzard_ in space.


 
I'm in agreement with you about the soundtrack, Pyan. I just like to tweak Ace about it now and again.... Actually, I think "Benson, Arizona" is a delightful part of the whole spoof. It's sort of the cherry on top of the whole thing... it's so absurdly appropriate.... I mean, those lyrics:

Dark Star - Benson Arizona


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## Foxbat (Jan 29, 2008)

*Re: John Carpenter's Dark Star?*

I'll just add my support to the praise for this movie - still one of Carpenter's best. Whereas everybody in Star Wars seems to have a purpose driving them, the only thing driving the crew in Dark Star is how to relieve the boredom of space. The alien definitely steals the show for me. 

Very funny stuff.

P.S. Screenplay by Dan O'Bannon(writer of Alien - and the similarities are quite striking)


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## j d worthington (Jan 29, 2008)

*Re: John Carpenter's Dark Star?*



Foxbat said:


> P.S. Screenplay by Dan O'Bannon(writer of Alien - and the similarities are quite striking)


 
That they are....


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## Culhwch (Jan 29, 2008)

*Re: John Carpenter's Dark Star?*

I started watching this on TV once, but couldn't see it out, sadly. Not sure what the fuss.

Just for clarification, does 'pants' equal good or bad?


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## j d worthington (Jan 29, 2008)

*Re: John Carpenter's Dark Star?*



Culhwch said:


> I started watching this on TV once, but couldn't see it out, sadly. Not sure what the fuss.
> 
> Just for clarification, does 'pants' equal good or bad?


 
In this case, bad:



> (h) Adjective. British. Rubbish


 
from Urban Dictionary online....


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## Culhwch (Jan 29, 2008)

*Re: John Carpenter's Dark Star?*

Aha. I suspected as much. EDIT: So if something is good, is it 'the shirt'?

Also, now that you've quoted it, I just noticed I didn't finish that second sentence. How embarrasing for.


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## MG1962 (Jan 29, 2008)

*Re: John Carpenter's Dark Star?*



Foxbat said:


> I'll just add my support to the praise for this movie - still one of Carpenter's best. Whereas everybody in Star Wars seems to have a purpose driving them, the only thing driving the crew in Dark Star is how to relieve the boredom of space. The alien definitely steals the show for me.
> 
> Very funny stuff.
> 
> P.S. Screenplay by Dan O'Bannon(writer of Alien - and the similarities are quite striking)


 
Took the words of my keyboard. 2001 gave us a super clean, well adjusted perfect future - Dark Star gave us the gritty crap it will really be.


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## Dave (Jan 29, 2008)

*Re: John Carpenter's Dark Star?*

_Info from 'The Alien Quartet' by David Thomson_
It was actually a college film assignment of Carpenter and O'Bannon. They were fellow students in the graduate programme in film studies at the University of Southern California. Carpenter initially asked O'Bannon to act in his student film. It was subsequently bumped up from 50 minutes to 83 minutes, and from 16mm film to 35mm, and released commerically by Jack H. Harris.

O'Bannon does act in it, but he also helped with the screenplay, special effects and the set design, and so he asked for a credit - "A film by John Carpenter and Dan O'Bannon". Carpenter insisted that he was the lone director, they disagreed, friends became rivals. Carpenter said that he never wanted to work with O'Bannon again.


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## Pyan (Jan 29, 2008)

*Re: John Carpenter's Dark Star?*



Culhwch said:


> Just for clarification, does 'pants' equal good or bad?


The Urban Dictionary doesn't quite give the nuances of "pants", though - _Rubbish in a pathetic way_ is closer.....as in..





> You can't expect XXXXX team to stop the opposition scoring with such a pants defence....


Useful word.


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## Urien (Jan 29, 2008)

*Re: John Carpenter's Dark Star?*

I loved this film, funny and clever with more ideas than most sci-fi films. The sentient boom and the unhappy pet make it.


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## roddglenn (Jan 29, 2008)

*Re: John Carpenter's Dark Star?*

I love Dark Star - I've got a very old and dog-eared copy of the book too which I found quite by accident in a second hand book shop.


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## AE35Unit (Jan 29, 2008)

*Re: John Carpenter's Dark Star?*

Well, she couldnt pick it up, was too busy, but she will be able top get a copy, for the princely sum of..........£.3.99 - staff discount!
And i';ll be watching it for the first time.
I'll let you know about the soundtrack but if its country and western I'll prolly hate it.


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## j d worthington (Jan 29, 2008)

*Re: John Carpenter's Dark Star?*



AE35Unit said:


> Well, she couldnt pick it up, was too busy, but she will be able top get a copy, for the princely sum of..........£.3.99 - staff discount!
> And i';ll be watching it for the first time.
> I'll let you know about the soundtrack but if its country and western I'll prolly hate it.


 
Only one piece in there is C&W (though it's repeated at the end of the film, where the applicability becomes even more apparent -- and ironic): when the crew plays a little music to relieve the ennui. As noted, though, one of the points of this little piece is because it is both so off-the-wall (a country and western song) and right on the nose (the lyrics to said song) that it fits this group absolutely perfectly....


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## clovis-man (Jan 29, 2008)

*Re: John Carpenter's Dark Star?*



Dave said:


> O'Bannon does act in it, but he also helped with the screenplay, special effects and the set design, and so he asked for a credit - "A film by John Carpenter and Dan O'Bannon". Carpenter insisted that he was the lone director, they disagreed, friends became rivals. Carpenter said that he never wanted to work with O'Bannon again.


 
This may have been a not uncommon scenario. O'Bannon got into it with Ridley Scott also, IIRC. But then so did Jerry Goldsmith. Nobody wins arguments with Scott. Anyway, it would be interesting to see what *Alien* would have been like if O'Bannon had gotten to have more say in the finished product.

As Sergeant Pinback in *Dark Star*, he was a hoot.

Jim


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## Kostmayer (Jan 29, 2008)

*Re: John Carpenter's Dark Star?*

Indeed. The video diary scenes are brilliant.

It has to be said, for all the sillyness in the film its very sad at times.


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## brsrkrkomdy (Jan 30, 2008)

*Re: John Carpenter's Dark Star?*

*I have a version on VHS of the whole Dark Star being broken into two pieces, one's the original film they've made as film students and the other scenes that are excised were originally added to it for a longer length.  They should've just left it alone as it was for theatrical release.  I'll always love that movie regardless.*


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## gully_foyle (Jan 30, 2008)

*Re: John Carpenter's Dark Star?*

For "just" a college movie, it has enduring appeal (more so than THX1138?). The concepts in the script are both fun and a statement on the human condition (blow it up before it can become a threat). Is Pinback genuine or just plain psychotic, like the rest of the crew? And the thinking bomb is a wonderful echo of nuclear toys gone wrong.

However, the outstanding attribute of this film, the thing (no pun) that showed John Carpenter was a master of the craft, was the fact that you could sense the loathing and contempt the alien had for Pinback, and it was a spray painted beach ball for gawds sake!

5 thumbs up from ol Gav.


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## starman7 (Feb 1, 2008)

*Re: John Carpenter's Dark Star?*

Great movie. I like Carpenters "STARMAN" too.


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## Metryq (Apr 10, 2011)

_Dark Star_ is one of my guilty pleasures—so bad it's good. My next statement may generate some outrage, or cheers of agreement. I'd put this film on a par with _Buckaroo Banzai_. Just too bizarre to be pigeon-holed, and all the more fun because of that.

As for O'Bannon, he did _not_ play Sgt. Pinback. What's the matter with you guys? Didn't you pay attention to the video diary? His real name is Bill Froog, and he's a fuel maintenance technician!


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## Interversus (Nov 3, 2012)

*Dark Star*

is the 1974 John Carpenter film Dark Star the marmite of sci-fi?

Love it, hate it, or don't care? 

Its on youtube if you've not had the pleasure.


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## reiver33 (Nov 3, 2012)

*Re: Dark Star*

Ah, bomb number 20!

And yes, I'm a fan, to the extent of using small snatches of dialogue in a couple of stories.


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## steve12553 (Nov 3, 2012)

*Re: Dark Star*

Saw it and enjoyed it at the time. Wasn't neccessarily one I would go back to many times.


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## Metryq (Nov 4, 2012)

*Re: Dark Star*

Sci-fi convention style trivia question: Sgt. Pinback wasn't really Sgt. Pinback. What was his real name?


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## The Ace (Nov 4, 2012)

*Re: Dark Star*

Great film, lousy sound-track (science Fiction and C&W do NOT mix).


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## Starbeast (Nov 4, 2012)

*Re: Dark Star*



Interversus said:


> is the 1974 John Carpenter film Dark Star the marmite of sci-fi?
> 
> Love it, hate it, or don't care?


 
One of the best college made films from the 1970's, with a production cost of 60 K. I read about _DARK STAR_ when I was in high school, then found it on the shelf at a video rental store in the mid 1980's. I thought it was fun and entertaining, I still watch it now and then.



Metryq said:


> Sci-fi convention style trivia question: Sgt. Pinback wasn't really Sgt. Pinback. What was his real name?


 
Dan O'Bannon, plays the nerdy Pinback character. He's great in the elevator sequence.

Here's a trival tidbit, when Pinback looks for the alien mascot (beachball with _Creature of the Black Lagoon_ prop hands), you can see floating star-like creatures in the window. Those things were copied from the film _Planet of the Vampires (1965)._ I'm guessing it was a small spoof on the energy beings from the sci-fi horror film directed by Mario Bava.


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## Foxbat (Nov 4, 2012)

*Re: Dark Star*



Metryq said:


> Sci-fi convention style trivia question: Sgt. Pinback wasn't really Sgt. Pinback. What was his real name?


 
Sgt Pinback was played by Dan O'Bannon (screen writer of Dark Star). Not sure if that is what you are looking for. 

I seem to recall that one of the crew (Pinback I think) got on by accident and was actually a cleaner or something similar (unless I'm getting it mixed up with another movie).

More trivia...O'Bannon - disappointed with the response to this movie modified the script a little and sold it as....Alien.

Edit..damn! Starbeast beat me to the punch.


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## Starbeast (Nov 4, 2012)

*Re: Dark Star*



Foxbat said:


> Edit..damn! Starbeast beat me to the punch.


 
We'll split the prize. 

Anyway, too bad John Carpenter didn't play one of the characters in the film.


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## Rodders (Nov 4, 2012)

*Re: Dark Star*

I've been a sci fi fan my entire life and yet I have never seen this movie. I think I'll have a look on play.com it can't be that expensive.


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## Interversus (Nov 4, 2012)

*Re: Dark Star*



Metryq said:


> Sci-fi convention style trivia question: Sgt. Pinback wasn't really Sgt. Pinback. What was his real name?



I think Pinback is called Bill Frugge, who was an engineer who tried to save the real Pinback and got on board by mistake.

Rodders, the "dark star full movie" on you tube should be ok to watch. The original wasn't great quality, especially the sound, so the youtube version isn't too bad.


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## Metryq (Nov 4, 2012)

*Re: Dark Star*



Interversus said:


> I think Pinback is called Bill Frugge, who was an engineer who tried to save the real Pinback and got on board by mistake.



Interversus wins the prize! You get to ask the next trivia question.


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## Interversus (Nov 4, 2012)

*Re: Dark Star*



Metryq said:


> Interversus wins the prize! You get to ask the next trivia question.



Sounds fun,

here's a simple one, you only have to watch a few seconds of the film.

Where is the space traffic control centre situated (its the same place used in Alien too)?


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## reiver33 (Nov 4, 2012)

*Re: Dark Star*

McMurdo Sound, Antarctica?

I think Bill Frugge was a fuel maintenance technician. Pinback's underwear does not fit him.


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## Interversus (Nov 4, 2012)

*Re: Dark Star*



reiver33 said:


> McMurdo Sound, Antarctica?
> 
> I think Bill Frugge was a fuel maintenance technician. Pinback's underwear does not fit him.



McMurdo it was, well done, your turn for a Dark Star trivia question. As a bonus for the extra funny Pinback trivia, you can ask a really hard one


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## reiver33 (Nov 5, 2012)

*Re: Dark Star*

OK then...

What was the 'tag line' for this film? (as in 'In space no one can hear you scream' from Alien)


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## Starbeast (Nov 5, 2012)

*Re: Dark Star*



reiver33 said:


> OK then...
> 
> What was the 'tag line' for this film? (as in 'In space no one can hear you scream' from Alien)


 
Is it...?

"They're not lost in space...they're loose."


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## reiver33 (Nov 7, 2012)

I thought it was...

"Bombed-out in space with a spaced-out bomb"

But I may stand corrected...


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## Interversus (Nov 7, 2012)

reiver33 said:


> I thought it was...
> 
> "Bombed-out in space with a spaced-out bomb"
> 
> But I may stand corrected...



After having a dig around, I'd say both answers are correct. Probably for different issues of collectors editions etc. If either of you has another trivia question?

PS to admin, I see this thread got added to an existing one. My apologies for starting a new one, and thanks for tidying up. I did try a search first, but I'm not very good at it.....


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## ChrisMorey (Nov 9, 2012)

Dave, I'm a big John Carpenter fan and I didn't even know about this movie!  Thank you!


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