This was Carpenter's first feature length film as a director. It was originally made as a short while a postgraduate at college. He later expanded it into feature length with his friend and co-writer Dan O'Bannon. Dan was also the writer of "Alien" and "Return of The Living Dead", an excellent "Night Of The Living Dead" spoof. Dark Star is an inspired black comedy. Four astronauts travel around the universe indentifying and destroying unstable planets that might turn into black holes. The ship is called Dark Star, hence the films title. Technology rules the crews lives to such an extent that they are left with little to do in the monotonous stretches of space. This leads to apathy and constant bickering amongst the crew. Captain Powell (Joe saunders) has died and is being kept in deep freeze. He is still 'conscious' and helps the crew out as a sort of counsillor and advisor. The nervous and nerdy Pinback (O'Bannon) bears the brunt of the crews' boredom and frustration.
	"Let's have some music in here Pinback..." - the budget constraints are obvious, and yet the realism of the human relationships - bored, tired and oh so disenchanted - are incredibly believable. The final scene, though comic and bizarre, is strangely poetic, and always brings to mind the thought... "now THAT's how I wanna go !"

	The light that burns twice as bright, burns half as long, and you have burned so very, very brightly...
	This is a movie I have just seen, and am completely ecstatic about ! It is a first time feature by English director (..but of course) Anthony Waller. Shot in Russia with an almost completely Russian crew, it is one of the most visually stunning debuts I have seen in a long time - Go rent "Mute Witness", and be as scared as I was.