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Did Anyone Else Besides Me Actually SEE This Movie In The Theatre?

posted 16 years ago by ogservice
21 replies | jump to latest

When I was a kid my mom and dad used to dump me and my friends at the Air Force Base theater while they went shopping and all that adult stuff. In 1975 I was a freshman in high school and me and a couple of buds were bored so mom said, "call the base theater and see what's playing."

Military theaters are a lot like college: no first run stuff and often times old movies projected on the big screen. The main-line movies usually got to the base about 6 months to a year after initial release.

Anyway, I called and the tape recorder said, DARK STAR was playing. I had no clue what it was but we went anyway. When we got to the theater and saw the promo poster, we decided it would be cool so we paid our FIFTY CENTS and went in.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Four years later I was in college and on the Student Union's Cinematic Arts Committee. We were responsible for programming and managing the SU's theatre. I fought like hell but eventually got DARK STAR scheduled for a weekend show. It was a huge hit on campus in 1979.

So, anyway, has anyone else ever sat in a theatre and actually watched DARK STAR on a big screen with theatre sound and all the fun that goes with it?

Oh, and does anyone else Alan Dean Foster's novelization? I remember I got it as soon as it came out. It has some cartoonish art on the cover of Pinback chasing the Alien with the ship in the background. I found it by accident rummaging around one day in the science fiction section of the old B. Dalton's Bookstore. I only found it because it was grouped together with Foster's novelizations of all the animated STAR TREK stories (which I also still have.)

[–] Goosehoundv2 16 years ago

No, I never saw this at the cinema, I bet that was fun. I watched it as a kid and thought it was great. The Alan Dean Foster novel you mentioned was great too.. I just started a new topic here about the book oddly enough.

"That gentleman has placed a deposit on this meat.. No.. a monetary deposit hahaha!"

[–] ogservice 16 years ago

The fun one was seeing in at the University's theatre a second time. This was 1979. People was tokin' and bringing in all kinds of food and beer. Typical Saturday night show. The main dining room would close early but the Student Union had a fast food joint opened til midnight. We'd go in there and buy like five orders of large fries with out meal cards and dump them in the bag. Helluva a lot better to munch on than popcorn.

Anyway, as you can imagine the Cinematic Arts Committee was filled with all these hoity-toity artsy film types who would go on ad nauseum about Fellini and Bergman. Then there were guys like me and my friends who scheduled whole weekends of James Bond movies and John Wayne/James Stewart film festivals. The meetings were shall we say, quite rambunctious.

I remember, though, when this movie was over a lot of the Committee was at this showing. They were all FLABBERGASTED. All they could do was ask, "how come I've never heard of this? Who made this? I can't believe it! That was incredible!" (No one actually put Dan O'Bannon or John Carpenter together with the recently released ALIENS and what was then last year's HALLOWEEN.)

Forever after, though, I was known as "the guy who brought DARK STAR to the student theater." There were a couple of other off-the-wall movies I wanted to bring and after that everyone took me seriously because they knew I knew how to find some good stuff.

[–] Goosehoundv2 16 years ago

Cool story ogservice, I can visualise that one. I was the same, kind of, because I watched the film years ago and none of my buddies managed to see it at the time. I went on about the film to them for ages, when home video rental kicked in they all got to see it and were converted. A great film that is last on my list of `possible remakes`. The thought of a remake makes me cringe in fear. (Unless Dan O'Bannon and John Carpenter film it, I could go for that.)

"That gentleman has placed a deposit on this meat.. No.. a monetary deposit hahaha!"

[–] Im_satisfied 16 years ago

That's a great story you have:D

I was not born in the 70s so no way I could watch it in the theater.

Well I'm going to uni at the moment. And I never heard of Dark Star. Luckily I came across a 'Sci-fiction movie chart', the annual greatest top 100 blah blah.. I did go through the whole 100, and that's the how I got to know Dark Star.

I'm still surprised that this was a student work.(No ordinary students) Over 30 years old but the breeze is still young.

[–] winterview 16 years ago

I saw this movie in a theater in Racine Wisconsin, IIRC in 1978. It was great fun, and I took a date who was impressed. We both noticed the 'tribute' to Jack Harris on the computer screen and wondered who he was till we realized he was in the credits.

I definitely saw this before Alien and noted the plot similarity in the latter. In Aliens, the knife/hand scene with Bishop came on and it caused me to laugh out loud as I remembered Pinback doing the same in Dark Star. I was the only one in the theater to catch that reference.

I was unable to find the 'tribute' on my DVD copy and suspect it was deleted. If I have just missed it due to getting old and not seeing so well, let me know where it's at on the DVD.

Great movie, and proof you do not need a budget to make great sci-fi.

[–] Mobius_loop 16 years ago

I had completely forgotten that the knife game was in both Aliens and Dark Star! Thanks for reminding me...another similarity between DS and the Alien movies. It's funny to think he did the spoof before the "serious" movies.

So far my list of similarities with DS:Alien/Aliens is:

* the "alien"
* the maternal computers
* the self-destruction of the ships (one intentional the other...not).
* the captains die...sort of.
* the knife game

Can anyone else think of any others?

Oh...and the first time I saw the movie wasn't in a theatre, but it was at a science fiction convention called Octacon in Santa Rosa CA just after it was released, but I guess it was still a big screen.

[–] runar-4 16 years ago

I read the novelization first, because I was a big Foster fan, but didn't see it in a theater until several years after its release. I now have the DVD.

[–] ILoveWinona-1 15 years ago

Yes, seeing "Dark Star" in a theater during it's original release in 1974 was something I will always remember. When I first saw the movie I instantly became a fan!!!! ----- And then back in September 2000 finding the movie on DVD was a real treat. My favorite scene in the movie is the choice of music played during one scene "Benson Arizona" , instead of some futuristic kind of music, the guys prefered country style music, I like that. ----- ----- Rusty

"On screen Winona stands out like a polar bear on black velvet" Timothy Leary about his Goddaughter

[–] edhesk 15 years ago

Here in Melbourne in the late, lamented 1970s was an arthouse theatre that catered for ALL tastes, called the Valhalla in Victoria Parade, Richmond. One of my favourite events was the annual 24 hour SciFi festival, which ALWAYS included a screening of Dark Star.

Around the same time an enthusiastic friend (also a DS fan) dragged me to a new gothic horror film masquerading as SciFi called Alien, and although I was blown away by the experience, I was a little confused as to why Dan O'Bannon and Ridley Scott had apparently remade Dark Star without the laughs.

Despite the limitations of the 16mm original, Dark Star looks great on the big screen, and nothing compares to the tribal experience of sharing it with a large, darkened room full of like-minded souls.

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Dzersim 14 years ago

Our family spent a month in Melbourne in 1977. A couple times we went to a theater that had the craziest, most eclectic programming of any theater I've been to - that sounds like it! I remember watching one of the Asterix movies, which was a treat because they never show them in the States.

[–] longbaughs 15 years ago

No, for ONCE I can say 'I was too young!'. And thanks for that :P

I used to watch it on VHS, back when channel two actually said 'TWO' instead of BBC 2'. Was that guy at the beginning Dan Ackroid, lol?

The special effects always reminded me of ASTEROID WARRIOR I had on the MASTER SYSTEM I as a kid, heh.

[–] blackknight273 15 years ago

I only wish I could have seen it in the theater - I bet it was a great time.

The first time I saw it was in 1981 on Portland Oregon indie channel. Me and a bunch of my friends crashed at a friends house (we were 12 on average)and my friend had his bedroom in the garage. We snuck in some beer and a fifth of McNaughtons, watched Portland Wrestling, and capped it off with a 1:30 am showing of Dark Star - great times!

[–] LeBrainBoy 14 years ago

I was actually lucky enough to see Dark Star on a big screen three times.

The first time was in 1974. My mom took me to see the re-release of Westworld at the local budget theater. We saw that there was a second feature on the bill, but we knew nothing about Dark Star. Well, I cannot possibly overemphasize the impact that Dark Star had on my life...the humor, the pathos, the imagination, the humanity, the ambition. Dark Star made me want to be a filmmaker even though, at the time, I had no idea what that involved; I was only about 10 years old. It was a mind-blowing experience.

Later, when I was about 17 or 18, I went to see Dark Star at Sacramento's late, lamented art house theater, L Street's Showcase Cinema, on the second half of a double bill with Barbarella.

Finally, a couple years ago, I drove from Sacramento to San Francisco for the Midnights for Maniacs "Lost in Space" triple feature at The Castro theater (http://www.midnitesformaniacs.com/lost_in_space.htm). Dark Star was the third film on the bill, screening (appropriately, I think) at Midnight.

And, of course, not only do I own several copies on DVD (for giving away to those unfamiliar with the pure, uncut genius that is Dark Star), but I already have my order in on Amazon for the new release (with the new transfer!) next month.

[–] esteban2 13 years ago

Yep. Saw it in 1978 at an independent Arts cinema in the UK as a bit of pre-first year university exam relaxation. Loved it, especially Philosophy 101 with the Smart Bomb.
Never seen it since, but the memory stayed with me and I've become a huge JC fan.
Must find DVD on Amazon ... but will the DVD live up to the memory?

Now I ain't no student ... of ancient culture. Before I talk ... I should read a book.

[–] pzip125 10 years ago

Not only saw it in the theatre, but went because of its radio ad. I was in a car with a bunch of friends when we heard from the radio feet running on a metal floor, then a metal door banging open. A hystrical voice shouted, "We're out of ... TOILET PAPER!!!" Then a different voice, "The crew of Dark Star, 5 years into their 20 year mission..". Never heard the rest as we almost fell out of the car laughing. Of course we HAD to go see it then.

Saw it again in the theatre at Ft Bragg, NC. It was late Friday night when they would show any really cheap film they could pick up. We use to go to these because it was cheap, no kids, we could talk the guy at the counter into giving us free popcorn (left over from the earlier show) and goof off without getting into trouble. DS was one of the few of these that everybody watched from beginning to end.

Coincidently, I read the short story that the end of the movie is based on just a few weeks before and recognised it right away.

[–] dcgalloway1956 9 years ago

I saw it when I was a graduate student at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, GA in 1978. It was hugely entertaining. Everyone there loved in philosophical underpinnings.

David C. Galloway

[–] VermontMaid 9 years ago

I saw "Dark Star" in a theater in Phoenix, AZ ca. 1980. That was my one and only viewing. Things I remember best are the alien's feet and it's toe tapping, the Bomb Bay, and inverted ice-cube trays used for buttons on the control panels. Enjoyable experience.