Dark Star is a 1974 American independent science fiction comedy film produced, scored and directed by John Carpenter and co-written with Dan O'Bannon.

Beginning as a University of Southern California student film produced from 1970 to 1972, it was gradually expanded to feature-length until it appeared at Filmex in 1974, and subsequently received a limited theatrical release in 1975.

[6][3] O'Bannon collaborated with home video distributor VCI in the production of releases on VHS, LaserDisc, DVD, and eventually Blu-ray.

It was also the feature debut for O'Bannon, who also served as editor, production designer, and visual effects supervisor, and appeared as Sergeant Pinback.

Armed with artificially intelligent Thermostellar Triggering Devices, which can talk and reason, the scout ship Dark Star searches for "unstable planets" which might threaten future colonization.

Pinback plays practical jokes, maintains a video diary, and has adopted a ship's mascot in the form of a mischievous beach-ball-like alien who refuses to stay in a storage room.

En route to their next target in the Veil Nebula,[8] the Dark Star is hit by electromagnetic energy during a space storm, resulting in another on-board malfunction.

[17][18] Beginning with an initial budget of one thousand dollars from USC in late 1970,[19] Carpenter and O'Bannon completed the first version of the film in early 1972.

[9][21] Through John Landis, a friend of O'Bannon, the movie came to the attention of producer-distributor Jack H. Harris, who obtained the theatrical distribution rights.

Deeming about 30 minutes of the film "boring and unusable" (including a protracted scene of the crew sleeping in their quarters, not responding to the computer voice), he insisted that cuts be made, and additional 35mm footage be shot to bring the movie back up to a releasable length.

[22][12] Other edits that Harris mandated, in order to secure a more marketable G rating, toned down rough language, and blurred a wall of nude centerfolds.

Ron Cobb designed the ship, O'Bannon and Greg Jein did the model work, and Bob Greenberg did the animation.

It is thought that O'Bannon was influenced by the striking "star gate" sequence created by Douglas Trumbull for 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968).

The album was remastered for a limited 2016 vinyl rerelease, which included an additional seven-inch record containing remakes and other bonus tracks.

Additionally, the Valhalla Supermassive VST reverb/delay audio processing unit includes a preset called "Benson Arizona" in tribute to the movie.

[34][30] In June 1979, after Carpenter and O'Bannon had found commercial success with other films, Atlantic Releasing Corporation rereleased Dark Star, noting on a promotional poster that it was "from the author of Alien & the director of Halloween", and including the tag line, "The Ultimate Cosmic Comedy!

A new video master was sourced from O'Bannon's personal 35mm print,[citation needed] and a widescreen "Special Edition" of the film was released by 1986.

[37] O'Bannon later re-edited the movie into a seventy-two minute director's cut, removing much of the footage that had been shot and added after Harris had bought the distribution rights.

Along with the two versions of the movie previously released on DVD, it included a feature-length documentary, Let There be Light: The Odyssey of Dark Star, which explores the origins and production of the film.

The website's critics consensus reads, "A loopy 2001 satire, Dark Star may not be the most consistent sci-fi comedy, but its portrayal of human eccentricity is a welcome addition to the genre.

"[47] Leonard Maltin awarded it two and a half stars, describing it as "enjoyable for sci-fi fans and surfers", and complimenting the effective use of the limited budget.

"[50] Doug Naylor has said in interviews that Dark Star was the inspiration for Dave Hollins: Space Cadet, the radio sketches that evolved into science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf.