final few minutes of the Dark Star - 1974 low budget sci-fi comedy. it won 1976 Golden Scroll award for Best Special Effects(Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA) and was nominated for Hugo and Nebula awards
I'm surprised by just how much this ending moved me. It perfectly encapsulates the entire tone of the film. Dark Star isn't a thrill-a-minute movie, but there's something very zen and meditative about it without taking itself too seriously. It falls in the very rare category of "Existential Slacker Sci-Fi".
@@whatsthis22 This movie has long been a favorite of mine and has a cult following. Sometime later this year my wife and I are driving to visit the UFO museum in Roswell, NM, and I plan to drive through Benson just for the Hell of it. BHE
@@only257 and at 5:18 good lord, I only wish I could be as calm about life's most critical emergencies. Hats (or helmets) off to you, Doolittle. The anti-stress MASTER!
"And even, finally, when his faceplate cracked from the heat, his smile didn't because the wave was lifting him up, up toward the blue sky, toward the planet, up and over and down and under into the star-speckled foam-flecked blackness. *Wipeout*...." -- Alan Dean Foster, in the *Dark Star* novelization
@@En_theo Sorry, but I can't answer that. All I can say is, it is, in many ways, my favorite Sci/Fi movie for many reasons. I mean they've been on a mission so long they are all going a little batty and the captain got electrocuted from the main control chair. Then, there's intelligent bombs....I mean bombs which you can sit down and have an esoteric conversation with, can think for themselves, reason, make their own decisions and will do as they damn well please! However, Google is a wonderful 'tool' and I'm sure you can research it. The song, 'Benson, AZ' plays prominent in it and I once rode my motorcycle to Benson just to wee what it was all about and I've heard of others doing the same. BHE
The second you hear the bomb quoting Genesis, you just kind of know they are all screwed. I love the dark humour in this movie...it is the best part of it....and that Benson Arizona song.
Sometimes I think that this is the greatest movie I've ever seen...... Like Married With Children, it is so much closer to real life than most of us would like to admit.
This film also helped in the creation of what would have been Jodorowsky's Dune, to which Star Wars was the spiritual successor to, so this film really is responsible for lots of Science-fiction
There was a rumor ofa lawsuit involving ALIEN's close resemblance to an old favorite of mine, IT, THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE.I know there isn't much innovation in horror films anymore, but ALIENsort of abused the privilege. Let's see; rescue mission to planet, alien life form gets on ship, Kill's people, alien moves through the airducts...by this time I said to my friend that if they killed this thing by blowing it out the airhatch I was going to ask for my money back. IT didn't have the budget for that or for special effects at all. I'm certain they would have loved to blow it out the airhatch, but they had to settle for decompressing. Then add a touch of Queen of Blood as long as you're borrowing, And PRESTO! That's the reason I vastly prefer ALIENS to ALIEN. Even though ALIENS was a grunts in space flick it was still more original than it's predecessor.
Again, it"s hard not to give any credit to John Carpenter who directed. Odd because usually people never give a thought to the writer (unless it's Stephen King) and credit the director with EVERYTHING!
Some of the earlier commenters were quizzical about why Talby and Doolittle were so calm at the end. This was a mission that had gone on too long, and they had probably already given up hope of being allowed to return to Earth. The earlier dialogue in the film explained how poor living conditions were becoming on a decaying spaceship. So, they were mentally burned out. Meeting death was relief to them. Plus - why bother panicking? There was nothing they could do but accept fate.
At least two story arcs / circles closed; Talby meets the Phoenix asteroids which he talked about and Doolittle gets to "ride a wave" which he talked about.
This is one of my favorite movie endings of all time. It's like the ending of Gilliam's "Brazil"... on the surface it seems like a dark ending because the character dies, but it's really a happy ending because he goes out fulfilling a dream and getting exactly what he wants. Despited the crudeness and cheeseballery of Dark Star, I think it's a far better work from Lucas than the last 3 Star Wars films... it's intelligent, not formulaic, and has a real sense of humor.
Great movie, made by Dan O'Bannon and John Carpenter when they were film students. Love the attempt to surf down thru the atmosphere on the piece of debris.
Bomb20: In the beginning, there was darkness. And the darkness was without form, and void. Boiler: What the hell is he talking about? Bomb20: And in addition to the darkness there was also me. And I moved upon the face of the darkness. And I saw that I was alone. Let there be light. *BOOOOOOOOOooooooommmmmmm.....*
The ending of the film is based on the short story by Ray Bradbury "Kaleidoscope" from the Illustrated Man. That doesn't detract from the film or anything: Dan O'Bannon very explicitly stated they borrowed from Bradbury's story. While the ending can appear sad, I don't think that was the intention. The men of the ship had lost meaning in their lives and only found thrills in the brief endorphin rush of blowing up planets. In the end, as Talby and Doolittle drifted apart in space, their lives now almost over, they were both able to find a little joy: Talby joins with the Phoenix Asteroid, something he's always wished to see, and Talby is able to surf one last time, the thing he truly missed back on earth. Even the bomb has a religious moment, giving its purpose profound meaning. LIfe has value in the moment as your experience it: beginning, middle, and end.
this is one of my favorite ending of any movie yet made! such a feel-good ending that it's difficult to admit that everyone dies or is stranded in space at the conclusion. it makes me smile everytime that doolittle starts to surf his last wave
Was anyone else a bit troubled when this ending unfolded? I absolutely did not expect that the whole crew would just die like that, it was such a dark twist to the story. I loved it, thought. It was one of the main movies that convinced me that unhappy and tragic endings can be absolutely interesting, and that I'd love to see more of these.
+Kitten Communism I actually didn't consider this a dark ending; perhaps even a light ending when you consider the tone of the film. The story spent some time telling us that those guys were essentially already dead; wasting away in space doing menial work for decades, stuck on a ship that was falling apart around their ears. They resorted to desperate means of passing the time - sunbathing under an office lamp, playing target practice on their own ship, building a musical instrument out of bottles, making log entires nobody will ever hear, keeping a pet alien, cultivating a beard, etc - they were all on the brink of insanity... and nobody on earth really gave a shit about them. They couldn't even remember their own names. They were out there waiting to die. In the end, of course, they all die and their ship is destroyed - Talby's wish to see the Phoenix Asteroids is fulfilled (it is never specified that he dies; only that he flies towards the asteroids) and Doolittle gets to go surfing one last time, to die (in Talby's words) in such a beautiful way. I truly love this film. It was ahead of its time in 1974 and in many ways, it still is. It continues to influence science fiction even today. And it was a no-budget student project. Simply amazing. :)
I think they take dieing lightly because they've been in deep space for 20 years. This has left them loopy and separated from reality. On top of that death is a change from the monotony of 20 years on Dark Star. I love how they only see the beauty of their deaths.
My dad took me to go see this movie when it came out. Well, it was 1975, we were in Germany. My dad was stationed in a town called Baumholder. So I guess it took a while before the armed forces theaters got a hold of it. I don’t remember too much of anything when I was 9 yrs old. But for some reason, I still remember this whacked out movie. I’ve been a sci-fi fan ever since. 👊🏻
The budget for this film was probably one percent of the Prometheus budget and it is an all time classic while the annoying turd that was Prometheus was forgotten two weeks after it was shown
@@jiveAt5 Especially the parts where every single one of the supposedly highly trained spaceship crew members acted in the dumbest and most nonsensical way possible ...
This film got me interested in making movies along with Trumbull's Silent Running. They were on really low budgets and I seem to remember this was actually a student film...Brilliant "Let there be light!"
Easily one of the best movie endings of all time. Carpenter always had a nack for great conclusions to his creations. Thanks for posting and letting me remember this moment of cinematic art! And remember " the days seem so much kinder when we watch them you and I"
Thanks for this...I remember seeing this as a kid in the 80's and never knew the name of the movie! I just remembered him surfing to the planet at the end. Now i know I didn't just have some weird dream and was a real movie
I think as Dark Star drew inspiration as a parody from sci fi such as 2001 and Star Trek, Red Dwarf clearly used this movie as direct inspiration. Pinback is clearly Rimmer, Boiler the Cat, and Doolittle is Lister.
At least they took it well. And Doolittle died in an awesome way. Though I still think Talby didn't die. I think he evolved, like Dave at the end of 2001.
The ending is somehow bittersweet. Doolittle coming full circle and surfing into the atmosphere made me miss him. Even through its rough edges it still somehow moves me lol.
I saw this in a drive in theater with my fiance.... loved the movie, and I think she thought I was nuts because of that...... groom to be, meet future......
It's no good just watching last ten minutes you gotta see this baby right through. Obviously a genius genre spoof. Anyway thanks whoever put this here for reminding me of a deeply spiritual and awesomely amusing little film.
Perhaps the funniest part of the movie to me, is not only how these guys, especially Doolittle and Boiler, are hippies in space, but that they listen to Benson Arizona to get some music. Then the killer of all killers, when they're having down time and they can't remember their first name anymore, and Pinback goes into his long, long story again, the computer decides to play "When twilight falls on NGC 891" as their relaxing music. How much counter-hippy culture is that song? I mean it sounds like something you would hear from a mall on it's last legs, at least malls back in the days when this was made. That music is so " in a box" type and there has to be at least 5,000 songs just like it. You heard some of that sort of music at the drive-ins too - nice tinny music. The real version doesn't sound quite so bad in stereo, but in this movie it's pretty funny and just as tinny as it can be. That computer had an awfully soothing voice BTW.
Saw this in Kingston in 1975 I think..went to see it many times! Just got the DVD 36 1/2 year anniversary edition!!1 From Amazon, watched it two more times...Benson Arizona! Love it!
In about three months I'm riding my motorcycle 1000 miles to visit my brother in northern Idaho, then diagonal to Roswell, NM to visit the UFO museum there, and then.....on my way back to CA, ride through Benson, AZ, just to see what the Hell it looks like. I'm sure, one way or the other, I'll find an excuse to spend some time there.
About 3-4 years ago, when I first really started creating electronic music (of the more ambient, "experimental" kind), I sampled this movie (the Bomb's "In the beginning"-part). A couple of friends borrowed Dark Star from me and they watched it in the apartment above mine. After watching it they came back down and said "You didn't tell us you made the music for that film". To this day, that is still the best compliment I've gotten. I need to revive those old projects of mine some time.
I can definitely see how this film influenced Space Dandy. Aside from surfing in space, the idea of everyone dying is a recurring theme/gag in Space Dandy.
After such a depressive ending to a screwy movie, there's only one real question you can ask yourself... what the heck WERE they using for toilet paper???
lol the lift shaft is about 12 storeys high but the overall ship height is like two storeys, you can even see the captains head at the top of the ship. Low budget effects are just simple amazing :D
Best special effects in 1976 because George Lucas didn't throw his space masterpiece at us until 1977. I saw this for the first time in 1978 as a Saturday night midnight movie at a local theater. Laughed our (stoned) heads off.
***** The letters and numbers on a piece of debris which passes by on screen are a reference to George Lucas' first film, "THX 1138." As for Star Wars fans, the Star Wars movies are good, but I'm not like totally into it so I wouldn't exactly call myself a fan. Besides, I kind of like "Indiana Jones" more (another Lucasfilm property)... I am, however, generally interested in movies, including the history. And, I was just pulling your leg over how I responded to you at first, hence the emoticon. No hard feelings, I hope. ;-)
I still think its the best movie carpenter mad. When i saw it when i was like 15 years old it did blew my mind. And actually it added to my desire to learn surfing.
that is the point he did die!! He went on about how he loved surfing and missed his board. This kind of satisfied his longing in a sad death kind of way.
I just understood what someone had put in a newgroup reguarding the chances of the 'Columbia' astronauts surviving once the crew cabin had disentigraded. Someone else had typed something along the lines that they could have grabed wreckage and shielded themselves from the heat. The first person typed something like "What was McCool going to do? See the wreckage falling with him and say, "I think I have figured out a way"". A little morbid, but I understand his reference now.
I'm planning on a 5000 mile trip on my motorcycle in about three months with a stop in Roswell NM. Will ride from there towards home with Benson in my sights.
Decent little film with a big footprint, has something relevant to say. I like the absurdity and the nihilism, reminds me of Alex Cox's Repo Man, another favorite of mine. Great fun, always worthwhile....
