Sure, today John Carpenter is revered as a master of horror and suspense. Oh, and some pretty evocative music too. But back in the early 1970’s he probably wasn’t all that different from you, dear reader. Carpenter’s first feature, Dark Star, started as a student project at USC. After two years of working on the film, it was released in 1975, with an estimated budget of $60,000. (It actually started as a 45-minute student short with a $6,000 budget.)
Working along side Carpenter was Dan O’Bannon, who would go on to do special effects for something called Star Wars. O’Bannon was also the screenwriter of Alien, which feels like a distant cousin to Dark Star. In addition to serving as Carpenter’s co-writer, O’Bannon was also Dark Star‘s editor. He also plays the hijinx-loving Sergeant Pinback in the film.
Carpenter would go on to make his mark in horror/thriller films like Halloween, Escape from New York, and The Thing.
While the film isn’t “hilarious” as all of the synopses for it on streaming sites declare, it is an interesting look at a young creative mind on the cusp of big things. Oh, and you’ll definitely recognize the music as Carpenter’s creation.
Check it out:
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