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Columns
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Original Material
Cth's
DVD Buys
or
Commander Powell Would Have Named This Review..
by Cth (cth@clickcom.com)
This
Weeks DVD selections were brought to you by:
The letter "B" and the number "19"
Dark
Star
Cover
2/5 (Better than most 70s
films; Misleading with scenes not in film, cultish look)
Direction/Story
4/5 (Innovative; G Rated
"Alien"; "Smart bombs"; Excellent Budget Use)
DVD Layout
2/5 (Slideshow syndrome; no animation; simple design)
Extras
2/5 (Extended version that's about it)
OVERALL
3/5 (If you enjoy GOOD bad movies; Funny; Great first effort)
2/5
(If you don't like seeing a watered down "Alien"; G rated; Kid
friendly)
COVER
At least the credits don't take up as much space like other
70s movie posters. The main problem
is there's no toilet paper scene in the film.
You can tell this is a bad movie even though you see John Carpenter and
Dan O'Bannon's name attached. Another
painted cover from the 70s which makes you glad they got out of that phase of
poster design.
DIRECTION
STORY
The story of 3 men (formerly 4, before their commander died
in a radiation leak explosion), traveling the galaxy blowing up unstable stars
with "smart bombs". During
a storm, part of the ship is damaged leading one of the smart bombs to think it
received the order to detonate. The
ships computer talks the bomb down and the crew comes out of stasis after the
storm passes. Sometime during
all of this, the ships' "mascot" escapes and it's up to Pinback to
track it down and kill it. Commander
Dolittle is forced to deal with an existential bomb who becomes solipsist.
A philosophical discussion
between the commander and the bomb ensues until the bomb
reaches it's conclusion.
LAYOUT
Simplistic. Can't
ask for easier than this. Of
course, if there was something to actually look at, then this might have gotten
a better score.
EXTRAS
Extra footage restored that you can toggle on or off.
DON'T
MISS
The space ship that stops on the drop of a dime, that
strangely resembles a small "Dustbuster". The mindless alien that
looks like a slightly deflated beach ball.
The elevator shaft scene filmed by tilting the camera and
overacting.
Etc, etc, etc..
FINAL
WORD
The student film of John Carpenter and Dan O'Bannon (of Alien fame) is one of those bad movies you have to see.
Copyright©2000 Cth