The End of Dark Star

[@billyjackoff]

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]

you said it

[@blackholeentry3489]

@@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

[@TaylorSmith-godbucket]

The greatest ending of any movie of all time.

[@only257]

@@TaylorSmith-godbucket agreed

[@TaylorSmith-godbucket]

​@@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!

[@stempo1]

"Hey, Bomb?" As a kid that one always got me, Much deeper ending than it gets credit for.

[@josephgover5072]

He knew he was done for, so there was no point to get angry there was only shock

[@denniscarlson4674]

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.

[@disconnected22]

That speech by the bomb, quoting Genesis, is amazing.... Let there be light, indeed!

[@sync0x]

Best fail-safe, ever

[@aztec0112]

Truly the "Oh my G.......!" moment. I read the book before the movie and I was going, "Don't do it, don't do it!"

[@DementedCaver]

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.

[@blackholeentry3489]

And.....mucho light there was!

[@blackholeentry3489]

I first went to check out Benson because of this song.

[@johnburt7935]

"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

[@blackholeentry3489]

John Burt.....I still have that book...somewhere. The cover has the guy on a surfboard in a spacesuit against a starry background.

[@En_theo]

@@blackholeentry3489 Did they steal the idea from Stan Lee ?

[@blackholeentry3489]

@@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

[@BalsamicVignettes]

@@En_theo This ending was heavily "inspired" by Ray Bradbury's short story Kaleidoscope.

[@En_theo]

@@BalsamicVignettes But the Silver Surfer was created around 1966, the movie came much later it seems

[@countdown4725]

I like that it ends basically like The Thing but funny instead of depressing

[@anton1990]

A very tragic ending. But so beautiful in a way.

[@artgoat]

I think of this movie every time I drive through Arizona.

[@L0LWTF1337]

"The Skipper always was lucky!" My favorite line ever.

[@gordonm.7387]

"Be back this way again some day," is also a great line. Benson Arizona is great tune, too!

[@Merecir]

What is your one purpose in life? To explode of course.

[@morghan_with_an_h]

you should listen to Crippled Black Phoenix's song "No Fun" cause they sample this movie on the song.

[@blackholeentry3489]

@@gordonm.7387 This movie prodded me to take a trip to Benson, AZ, just to see what is there. Wonder if anyone else did the same?

[@controlledburst]

"Let there be light" was mine. That scene was my first realization of 'profound' as a 14 year old.

[@Seanwilliamsmart]

If it wasn't for this movie, we would have never had the Alien franchise.....Pinback is Dan O'Bannon, the guy who created the whole thing LOL

[@kinhamid9665]

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

[@JohnFlood]

Thanks for this Sean as I didn't know the relationship between them...

[@karenshaub8273]

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.

[@karenshaub8273]

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!

[@kerryedavis]

@@karenshaub8273 Also look at the similar part of "Voyage Of The Space Beagle" by A.E. Van Vogt.

[@Minpeace]

An absolute classic film that has a great cast and continues to make me laugh.

[@Halfdannn]

Love Dark Star, proof that you don't need a massive budget to make hilarious sci fi.

[@z3my4l]

Halfdannn Yeah, a good script is almost enough. The fxs are good enoguh, also. Loved the beach ball alien scene.

[@WayneShay00]

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.

[@z3my4l]

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.

[@dirkstarbuck6126]

They may also be spoofing Bowman and Poole’s near emotionless portrayals.

[@kirk1133]

i guess too burned out to call it and return anyway

[@Pygar2]

@@kirk1133 They couldn't return until they'd expended their bombs- for security's sake! No bringing planetkillers *towards* Earth!

[@kirk1133]

@@Pygar2just dump em

[@BodaciousBurnley]

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

[@LordZontar]

Brilliant, brilliant little movie. I've loved it from the first time I ever saw it.

[@partymanau]

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.

[@dharr123]

Dude, it wasn't an attempt, it was a complete success.

[@denniscarlson4674]

Now THAT is wishful thinking.

[@Dufffaaa93]

I watched this movie on a TV as a kid. It left an emotional scar on my young brain.

[@alexanderscott9001]

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

[@PuzzleCollege]

Was introduced to this masterpiece in the mid-nineties. It's really in a class all its' own.

[@klistiranikrupije1724]

Oh, really? Watched the movie when it was released to the theaters. That was a real pleasure.

[@blackholeentry3489]

Circle the universe forever with the Phoenix Asteroids.

[@forestrhodes1843]

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.

[@agdtone]

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"

[@Wargasm644]

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. 👊🏻

[@MoonCrashed]

I saw this couple of years back when I was going to school for film. Excellent movie. Always loved that ending.

[@lappilappland3708]

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.....*

[@lowlinton]

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.

[@Cenamark2]

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.

[@PassiveSmoking]

Given how influential this film was it's amazing so few people seem to actually know about it.

[@flyingfisbeefilms]

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!"

[@FoobarMagnum]

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.

[@BloodofPatriots]

FoobarMagnum The skippers "survived". He was always lucky. LOL

[@cabbievonbump]

FoobarMagnum Well, the movie was listed as a dark comedy. :-)

[@dannyfrench447]

+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. :)

[@CalisCool]

+Danny French I refuse to believe that Doolittle and Talby are dead lol

[@BloodofPatriots]

General .Cinema Well, we did see Doolittle turned into a surfing "shooting star" that burns bright, then fades out so pretty sure he's dead.

[@bergssprangare]

How could I have missed this..

[@chap666ish]

Phenomenology.

[@vigo894]

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.

[@jollyjohnzz]

utterly brilliant ! first time I saw this I was well twisted in 80 something........just as brilliant now.

[@CalisCool]

"Behind me something that glows. Doolitle! I think it's the pheonix asteroid!" This movies ending is so refreshing.

[@cocksmokinclerk]

Goddamn I love this film.

[@frbe0101]

Powell's frozen corpse: No, no, Doolittle, you talk to it. Teach it Phenomenology. Lt. Doolittle: Sir? Powell's frozen corpse: Phenomenology...

[@joshmoyers]

one of the smartest productions ever

[@stephenpitkin5492]

Well said!

[@Nizzemancer]

I love that ending, especially the dialogue with the bomb.

[@RTannamal]

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.

[@vksasdgaming9472]

2001 Space Odyssey came out before this. It definitely had effect.

[@RobTheTrucker]

I'm literally looking back at my childhood with a feeling of happiness.

[@RTannamal]

I remember watching this movie in the early 80s. It is of it's time yet it stands the test of time.

[@sedwards8870]

Always loved this song Benson Arizonarrrrrrrrr !!!!!!!!!!!

[@davidscott1052]

Brilliant film ..way ahead of its time

[@karenshaub8273]

Is anyone going to give any credit at all to director John Carpenter? I''ve heard this started out as one of his student films.

[@BlackTalon53]

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]

Prometheus is awesome

[@BlackTalon53]

@@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 ...

[@JohnnyComptonAuthor]

So forgotten it got a sequel. Meanwhile Dark Star is far less well-known. I like Dark Star and dislike Prometheus, but you're being hyperbolic.

[@OfLanceTheLonginus]

@@JohnnyComptonAuthor Lmao dude

[@Stonez]

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.

[@nelson3300]

"what a beautiful way to die... as a falling star"

[@alanconway94]

"I thought I had the damn thing convinced." 😂😂

[@denniscarlson4674]

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......

[@SecuR0M]

"Yeah, Skipper always was lucky." Lol. Favorite line.

[@jaakkotoijanniemi369]

One of the best (and funniest) scifis ever!

[@mayflower5751]

6:34 Toilet Tank THX1138

[@z3my4l]

Never saw that before!

[@numbers9to0]

I learn so much from reading KZbin comments. XD

[@robinhoodradio582]

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!

[@blackholeentry3489]

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.

[@chumbersdee]

Just an awesome movie. What a classy ending

[@kyotocoversjimanderson782]

A masterful movie.

[@davidjohn639]

greatest film of all time

[@itsallinallston]

Time for a new, remastered version with commentary with Carpenter, O'Bannon etc. Come on Criterion collection, get on this!

[@charles2241]

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.

[@zarathustra1991]

This film is amazing.... Beautiful.

[@z3my4l]

It should've won a prize for its script; an absurd, yet intelligent story.

[@michaelzlprime]

Best and funniest ending to any movie ever! Let there be light, said the bomb, and there was!

[@GeneralOlde]

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.

[@SamuelBlack84]

Imagine having the honour of circling the entire universe forever

[@216cheri1]

Still a.great movie

[@MasterJediDude]

I wonder what “last thing” Talby was going to tell Doolittle? You can hear him say something right as he goes out of communication.

[@richardv.582]

Lol,I remember seeing this at a drive in.ah the good ol days.

[@blackholeentry3489]

richard V I too.

[@StigFostervold]

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.

[@ZoolGatekeeper]

My one purpose in life is Benson, Arizona blew warm wind through your hair. My body flies the galaxy, my heart longs to be here.

[@Citrus3000]

A very sad ending, but otherwise it was beautiful to see how their dreams became true :)

[@z3my4l]

Citrus3000 It's not sad, contrary, like you said, they got what they wanted, surfing and going with the Phoenix.

[@Eucal]

The Solipsism Bomb

[@PASCHDigiMedia]

The black text on the counter is the same typeface that Gerry Anderson used in Joe 90 and UFO. LOL!

[@theosprey7111]

Now I know why those letters triggered the UFO theme in my head…

[@norbertrosenkranz2536]

probably next to the endings of "Black Adders go forth", "the good, the bad and the ugly" and "Path to Glory" the best final scenes in film history

[@kes31]

Benson Arizona is the song at the end. Sad to hear Dan O'Bannon passed away on the 17th dec 09.

[@Cenamark2]

You're probably thinking of Ray Bradbury's "Kaleidoscope."

[@mohummadmohummid4917]

Man i have never seen this movie but I'm going to find it . It looks hilarious.

[@johnburt7935]

burpless6148 You will enjoy watching Dark Star. It is tied with "Rocketship X-M" for best SF movie ending ever.

[@Nightek1]

Best Final Ever

[@hexchief]

I remember watching this as a kid and being disturbed by the sound of Talby's voice fading as the asteroids took him away.

[@mikeb2575]

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

[@brilanto]

Like the vast void in Star Trek Discovery's turbo lift?

[@nufto]

be back this way again someday.we'll never know that one last thing talby wanted to tell dolittle before he was out of range.

[@nO_3Xcuses]

Dolittle ingenious idea to surf the atmosphere all the way down to the planet surface was genius.

[@Doggeslife]

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.

[@johnmogavero8156]

Epic movie !

[@turbopokey]

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???

[@gordonm.7387]

Pictures of Obama.

[@paperclip9558]

what?? depressing? i laugh my ass off when he ride that debris XD

[@fredblonder7850]

Three seashells

[@turbopokey]

@Default User yes, and in this particular time the answers to this question do have a special... urgency, don't they?

[@hexchief]

"Skipper was always lucky" LOL!!

[@ntube7]

Thanks a lot for this - recorded it on TV and it cut out 5 mins before the end when the ship blew up so I wanted to know how it ended!

[@drackbolt]

Damn, still such an epic movie.

[@blackholeentry3489]

After all of these years, still right up there in the top of my favorites.

[@janjanco646]

John Carpenter is a master.

[@PEHNKSTA]

The end is straight from kaleidoscope by Ray Bradbury. So sick but so obviously intellectual theft

[@klistiranikrupije1724]

Frozen captain is from Ubik by Philip K. Dick.

[@mannikiini5292]

Despite the actual... 'quality' being shit. The ending sorta moved me, yeah he died but... still it's a happy ending. Surfing like a falling star.

[@Watcher3223]

6:35 Notice a little pre-Star Wars George Lucas reference there?

[@MasterJediDude]

+Watcher3223 Ha ha ha!!! I have never noticed that before. Thanks!

[@derossetmyers47]

I don't know what you're talking about.

[@Watcher3223]

***** That's okay, because I don't know what you're talking about, either. ;-)

[@derossetmyers47]

***** Care to point the reference out then? I'm not an as much of an expert on George Lucas as many Star Wars fans are.

[@Watcher3223]

***** 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. ;-)

[@Charly6666666]

wonderful Movie like silent running...

[@benoitvibert5788]

Does someone know if there is an alternate ending (with a different music when he surfs). The first time is saw it it was with a music Closer to the main theme

[@lauriecroad3186]

When I saw this movie, in full, way back when, I watched it until the early hours, and the ending made me laugh stupidly, it was so funny!

[@nethead4223]

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.

[@rhineriversurf5594]

The Space Suit is made out of Duct Tape??? :D Great idea and nice detail "For All Mankind" made a hommage to.

[@brubeker12]

If this isn't the funniest film I have ever seen

[@alcosmic]

So great.

[@prussia23]

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.

[@mikesilva3868]

Love this movie 📼

[@Fr0st1989]

@MegaSlashProductions During the movie they chase an alien through the vents - the director would later use this in the movie Alien