Dark Star

Starring:Brian Narelle, Cal Kuniholm, Dre Pahich, Dan O'Bannon, Adam Beckenbaugh, Nick Castle, Alan Sheretz, Joe Saunders, Miles Watkins, Cookie Knapp, Michael Shaw
Director: John Carpenter
Studio: Magic Lantern Ent.
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

The Dark Star's crew is on a 20-year mission to destroy unstable planets and make way for future colonization. The smart bombs they use to effect this zoom off cheerfully to do their duty. But unlike Star Trek, in which order prevails, the nerves of this crew are becoming increasingly frayed to the point of psychosis. Their captain has been killed by a radiation leak that also destroyed their toilet paper. "Don't give me any of that 'Intelligent Life' stuff," says Commander Doolittle when presented with the possibility of alien life. "Find me something I can blow up." When an asteroid storm causes a malfunction, Bomb Number 20 (the most cheerful character in the film) has to be repeatedly talked out of exploding prematurely, each time becoming more and more peevish, until they have to teach him phenomenology to make him doubt his existence. And the film's apocalyptic ending, lifted almost wholly from Ray Bradbury's story "Kaleidoscope," has the remaining crew drifting away from each other in space, each to a suitably absurd end. Absurd, surreal, and very funny. John Carpenter once described Dark Star as "Waiting for Godot in space." Made at a cost of practically nothing, the film's effects are nevertheless impressive and, along with the number of ideas crammed into its 83 minutes, ought to shame makers of science fiction films costing hundreds of times more. The DVD contains both the original 68-minute release and the director's full version. --Jim Gay

Description

DARK STAR was originally intended to be a 68 minute film. Jack Harris, the Hollywood producer, convinced the filmmakers to shoot 15 minutes of extra footage and he released the expanded version theatrically in 1975 through Bryanston Pictures. In 1983, DARK STAR was re- issued to home video as a "Special Edition," created under the supervision and authorization of the filmmakers. This special version, featuring a new technically superior video transfer, had been edited by the filmmakers though, virtually removing all the extra footage. Now, once again for all DARK STAR purest, here is the full length theatrical release version, painstakingly restored, and sporting a new Dolby Digital Hi-Fi stereo sound track. Enjoy! In the mid twenty-first century, mankind has reached a point in its technological advances to enable colonization of the far reaches of the universe. DARK STAR is a futuristic scout ship traveling far in advance of colony ships. Armed with Exponential Thermosteller Bombs, it prowls the unstable planets. But there is one obstacle that its crew members did not count on -- one of the ship's thinking and talking bombs is lodged in the bay, threatening to destroy the entire ship and crew! Bonus Features: Contains 2 Versions: Longer Theatrical & Original Shorter Version| Trailer| Scene Selection| Actor Bios| Remixed 5.1 Track. Specs: DVD5; Dolby Digital 5.1; 83 minutes; Color; 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio; MPAA - G; Year - 1974; SRP - $9.99.

Customer Reviews:

Very funny Sci-Fi.......2007-06-27

This is well worth getting. Starting out as a student picture for debut director John Carpenter, he turned out a minor classic on an absolute showstring budget.

The film is about the crew of a spaceship, whose purpose is to destroy planets making way for colonisation. The crew are very bored. To make things more interesting an Alien escapes from the hold and proceeds to torment one of the crew. This sequence is extremly funny. The other main area of the film revolves around a bomb that seems to have a mind of its own. The dialog between the bomb and the crew and the ships computer is very funny. The film finishes with what is probably a comedic reference to 2001.

For a film made on such a small budget Carpenter achieved mircles. It wouldn't surprise me at all if Alien was inspired to some degree by this film, and indeed Alien does reference Dark Star according to the IMDB and of course Dan O'Bannon was involved in both films. At 80 minutes long its the perfect length - there is no time for you to get bored. If there has been a better sci-fi comedy made I haven't seen it.

Hard SF fans.......2007-05-30

This film answers the question what do you do when your crew was scraped up from the people rejected for spaceflight, you are light years from home, your smart bombs are smarting off, a captured alien gets out of his pen, and your ship is falling apart.

It is a important film to see, not for the flashy special effects, there aren't any, but for the characterizations and plot lines. It is the obverse of the spit and polish of many SF films.

This does not portray the best and brightest in space, its more like putting fruits and nuts in a can and sending it into deep space for a mission nobody really cares about anymore.

Great movie.......2007-04-02

Knowing it was a glorified student film before I watched it, my expectations for Dark Star weren't very high. However, I was surprised by the script and subtle humor in the movie, and the small details and creative moviemaking used to make up for the low budget.

It wasn't a perfect movie, but its freshness and creativity make up for its flaws. Obviously Carpenter, O'Bannon, etc., all went on to have great careers, and made some great movies.

If you like "first movies", sci-fi, fantasy, horror, or any of the other work put out by the people involved in this movie, you should end up liking Dark Star. I thought it was great.

Budget Sci-Fi Parody.......2007-03-31

I first saw this movie when I was in college 30 years ago and loved it. It was made on a shoe-string budget and was John Carpenter's first full length movie release. It is a sci-fi comedy and parody. The special effects are obviously not up to today's standards, but they were pretty good for the time it was made. I think this movie actually presents space travel in a more realistic light than most other sci-fi shows I have seen. In this movie, systems on the ship are breaking down forcing the crew to come-up with work arounds, and the crew is going stir-crazy from spending years out in deep space. The government says they appreciate the important work the crew is doing, but doesn't want to send out a repair ship to help them because it is too expensive. While this probably done for comic effect, if we ever do develop long range space travel, you know this is how things will probably be.

All-in-all, while it is not as action packed as most of today's sci-fi movies, this is a funny movie with a different take on deep space travel.

I was once so drunk..........2007-03-22

...that I actually thought this movie was great.

But I got it on DVD and now I realize that it's a collection of:

pedantic political humor, much of it anti-military
cheap costumes and sets
a slow-moving plot that never really gets to a point
mediocre dialog delivered too fast without convincing emotion
a beach ball alien

Special effects-wise, I am amazed at what Carpenter and O'Bannon accomplished on a non-existent budget. The Spaceship and "computer room" effects are way ahead of their time.

Still, watching it again without the aid of all that beer from my college days... This movie stinks!

The Bette Davis Collection (The Star / Mr. Skeffington / Dark Victory / Now, Voyager / The Letter)

Average customer rating:

Changing my tune
The Bette Davis Collection
BRAVO!
Fabulous
Bette Davis's Best Movies All In One Simple Box

The Bette Davis Collection (The Star / Mr. Skeffington / Dark Victory / Now, Voyager / The Letter)
Starring: Bette Davis , Sterling Hayden , Natalie Wood , Warner Anderson , and Minor Watson
Director: Stuart Heisler , Vincent Sherman , and Edmund Goulding
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

The Bette Davis Collection, Vol. 2 (Marked Woman / Jezebel / The Man Who Came to Dinner / Old Acquaintance / What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? Two-Disc Special Edition)
The Joan Crawford Collection (Humoresque / Possessed (1947) / The Damned Don't Cry / The Women / Mildred Pierce)
The Little Foxes
All About Eve
Jezebel (Restored and Remastered Edition)

ASIN: B0008ENIOI
Release Date: 2005-06-14

Amazon.com

Even in the 21st century, very few film stars create and define their own genre--and certainly not in the complete way Bette Davis did. The Bette Davis Collection gives an exceptionally good survey of essential Bette, with four of the five films absolute knock-down classics from her long reign at Warner Bros. Davis's personality was so strong that she tended to overpower her directors, but William Wyler was one of the few to maintain his own distinctive style with her, and The Letter (1940) is a triumph for both of them. At a humid Malaysian plantation, Davis kills a man in the brilliant opening sequence, and the remainder is a darkly suggestive unraveling of the complicated explanation.

Dark Victory (1939) and Now, Voyager (1942) would be on anybody's list of most representative Davis pictures. In the former, she's a doomed heiress nobly losing her eyesight, a multiple-handkerchief situation that proved one of her biggest hits. Voyager allows Davis one of her favored techniques (appearing frumpy for at least part of her performance) as a mother-dominated spinster who comes out of her shell. Her match with Paul Henreid--and the music of Max Steiner--turns this into one luscious melodrama.

If Mr. Skeffington (1944) is not as celebrated as those films, it is nevertheless a characteristic Warners work-out. Davis wasn't shy about playing unsympathetic roles, and Fanny Skeffington--vain, selfish, married for practicality--is an exasperating tour de force. She gets good support from Claude Rains as the sensible, adoring husband. The Star (1952) is no classic, but its Pirandellian aspects will appeal to the actress's fans: Bette plays a washed-up Oscar-winning star desperate to get herself back in the public eye (think if it as a less witty postscript to All About Eve). There's some hint the main character is modeled more on Joan Crawford than Bette herself, in which case Davis must have loved playing it.

Extras are modest, with short featurettes giving background on three of the discs, and director Vincent Sherman providing commentary for Mr. Skeffington. But the films themselves, and their neurotically intense star, are quite capable of standing alone. --Robert Horton

Description

The Bette Davis Collection includes 3 new-to-DVD classics, featuring Davis in multiple Emmy-nominated performances as a captivating adulteress, a manipulative beauty, and a former Oscar-winning actress recovering from the end of her career.

Customer Reviews:

Changing my tune.......2007-05-05

As my tagline indicates I am mad about musicals, and I vowed I would never add dramas to my collection because with musicals, you can play the numbers over and over again, like a record, and enjoy. You can never tire of songs, dance and spectacle. But dramas? Once seen, to be put away for years, otherwise you become too familiar with the plot and the initial impact weakens. I revised my thinking with the release of the Bette Davis Collections because I realised that - in keeping with my love of musicals - every Bette Davis movie is a symphony. A symphony of emotions that equals major musical works - grand opera, concertos, and the subtlety of chamber ensembles. I also have a personal connection with "Dark Victory" and "Now Voyager". They were the work of screenwriter Casey Robinson, top Warner Brothers writer of the 30's and 40's, who retired with his Australian wife, Joan, to Sydney and became a close friend. Having heard all the stories, I asked him if Bette was difficult. "She never changed a line," he told me, "she respected a good script." Enough said. I worry a bit about them shoving "The Star" into this collection - it's a lesser vehicle when they could have included "The Old Maid" or "The Sisters"...but that's the deal, huh? It seems 'collections' are an opportunity to offload at least one minor low-budget movie. However, it's still interesting given Bette's typically bravura performance, and it's wonderful that her formidable contribution to cinema is preserved so magnificently. Go see what I think about Collection Two.

The Bette Davis Collection.......2007-02-23

Absolultely must have for any fan. It is great. I love "The Letter".

Regards

BRAVO!.......2007-02-17

My favorite is Mr. Skeffingtion. Talk about a dose of cold hard reality. That psychiatrist was a real trip! Very enjoyable movie.

Fabulous.......2006-12-23

Better is the best and fabulous in this box set. We've never had a better actress.

Bette Davis's Best Movies All In One Simple Box.......2006-11-04

People have often said that Bette Davis is the most versitile and simply the best actress to have come out of Hollywood, and until Meryl Streep came along I would agree with that statement, Bette Davis give remarkable performances in all five of these films, In The Letter, Bette Davis gives one of her finest performances a moody cheating housewife who murders her lover and then claims it was self defence, in Now Voyage she plays the shy and intraverted daughter of a controlling mother, when the mother dies she has trouble coming out of her shell and when she does she finds love, but none of it is that simple, a very good film, extremely good dialogue, all the films in this box set a brilliant and I would recommend these films to anyone that wants to watch a film with real actors that have real talent.

Average customer rating:

I'll never pick up my knitting needles again without remembering this movie
Three Blind Mice
Go away, son, you bother me!
The one-eyed man is king in the land of the blind
Mark Peploe's Afraid of the Dark

Afraid of the Dark
Starring: James Fox , Fanny Ardant , Paul McGann , Clare Holman , and Robert Stephens
Director: Mark Peploe
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Bad Dreams
Room 6
Visiting Hours
Let's Scare Jessica to Death
The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane

ASIN: B000AYEIJU
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Description

Academy Award-winner Mark Peploe delivers a terrifying and haunting psychological tale inw hich all of the frightening circumstances of childhood, both real and imagined, are heightened to extremes. A madman is attacking blind people in their homes, and a small boy with disintegrating eyesight begins his own secret investigation into the brutal assaults. When he finally identifies the monster responsible for the chilling crimes, he finds himself face to face with something that everybody understands... the fear of the unknown. - Starring James Fox (CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, PERFORMANCE), Fanny Ardant (CALLAS FOREVER, 8 WOMEN), Paul McGann (TV''s "Horatio Hornblower" and "Doctor Who"), David Thewlis (NAKED, HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN), Catriona MacColl (THE BEYOND, CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD) - "Chilling!" -Janet Maslin, New York Times - "One of the nastiest little psychothrillers around." -Mirabella - "Genuine terror... Gripping!" -John Anderson, Newsday

Customer Reviews:

I'll never pick up my knitting needles again without remembering this movie.......2006-03-05

This movie was a surprise from start to finish. It definitely kept me off balance and was unpredictable, if not pretty disturbing. I will never pick up my knitting needles again without thinking of this movie. Strange how familiar objects and sounds take on an entirely different meaning in this boy's world.

Three Blind Mice.......2005-11-19

This was a film with a great premise with a first half that showed amazing promise.
Immediately we're told a slasher is targeting the blind and introduced to a strange boy and his sightless mother and rigid policeman father. Though uncertain who the criminal is we get the impression a young repairman working at a blind institute whistling ironic songs can't have good intentions. The parallel between killer and young protagonist is made early on with the boy covering alot of stalker ground: following a target home, toying with them, peeping on them, then breaking & entering.
Right at about this point the movie begins to devolve. The rationality takes that of a nightmare and though mildly frightening it makes very little sense in the long run. Great lines about villians being "all the same" are lost in a plotless story. We're treated to truly great set-ups, the stand-out being a train station attack, and it's ultimately all in vain.
But really it's not surprising. This seems more akin to Italian giallo than any other kind of thriller and those films, despite their ingenuity and ambition, are always incomplete.

Go away, son, you bother me!.......2004-11-11

Uneven British voyage into bizarre murders--and a
kid who makes viewer want to yank him from the screen and personally introduce him to Jeffrey Dahmer. Nice touch: beautiful blind woman has no clue how incredibly sexy she is.

The one-eyed man is king in the land of the blind.......2003-05-30

I know that this is meant to be a drama of great power with startling insights into the human condition, man's inhumanity to man's, the lives of quiet despair we all face, or some other pretentious nonsense. I just found it confusing as well!

The basic plot centers on young Frank. Just starting his school holidays, Frank offers to help his blind mother down to walk to the local center for the blind. There he meets her blind friends, listens to the gossip about the local serial killer (who attacks blind people), and then goes about his merry day stalking some of the blind residents who live near the center. Unseen he pries into their lives and, is actually able save one the victims from the serial killer.

Reality check ! It was all in the kid's mind ..

Young Frank has imagined a world in which he is the hero and saves the day. In reality the little boy is the one going blind and his fear has caused an imaginary world in which he is the sighted hero.

The boy's behavior becomes increasingly erratic and dangerous as the movie progresses. Because the adults have so many other things going on it takes a long time before anyone realizes how dangerous Frank has become. By the time they do clue in, it might be too late.

This was confusing and often times dark movie. I like the first part in the boy's fantasy where he silently prowls the neighborhood. I even enjoyed the first part of the 'real' section where half the fun was spotting the people and places from the child's imagination. But every time you get used to something in the film they ratchet it up to a new level of cruelty. That was a little overdone.

Mark Peploe's Afraid of the Dark.......2002-06-05

Mark Peploe, one of the Oscar winning screenwriters behind "The Last Emperor," comes up with his own tale of a little boy overwhelmed by his situation, and in the process scares the living daylights out of the viewer.

Ben Keyworth is young Lucas, a morose little boy whose blind mother Miriam (Fanny Ardant) dotes on him. His father, Frank (James Fox), is a cop and Lucas' hero. A madman is running around London slashing the faces of blind women, and the blind community is in a panic. Lucas is a little boy, hardly noticeable, and begins observing prime suspects. The ice cream man, the window washer, the photographer, even the overly helpful locksmith (played by a young David Thewlis), are all under the boy's suspicion. A neighborhood golden retriever is Lucas' only friend and confidant, and eventually Lucas has a showdown with the slasher, stabbing him in the eye with his trusty knitting needle...and then the film does a complete 180!

We find out Lucas was only imagining the first half of the film. The characters from the first half were not blind at all. Instead, it was Lucas who is slowly losing his sight. The day of his older half-sister's wedding, he is shunted aside. His mother goes into labor at the reception, and everyone forgets the poor little boy. Lucas still has the trusty dog Toby along, but his imagination gets the best of him. Toby is killed, and Lucas sets his next target as his new baby sister with the pretty blue eyes everyone comments on.

Ben Keyworth, as Lucas, is incredible. Some might see his delivery as flat and monotonal, but I thought his cold exterior was perfect. You will feel sorry for him, even in the throes of the madness that grips him in the latter part of the film. The beautiful French actress Fanny Ardant is great as his mother, and James Fox is always reliable as the dad.

Peploe's direction is so creepy it becomes uncomfortable often. The graveyard scenes are chilling, as is Lucas' hallucinations. Peploe also co-wrote the screenplay (with Frederick Seidel), so he knows these characters better than anyone. None of them are stupid, or do horror film-stupid things, and this adds to the squirm level. Plus, if you have any sort of phobia about things getting too close to your eyes (like I do), this may not be for you.

The pace is slow, as Peploe builds his characters, and this is actually a relief. The entire cast is good, and Peploe should direct more. All in all, "Afraid of the Dark" is one of those films that you will find bothering you days after you see it. I highly recommend it.

Amazon.com

The Vulcan-born first officer of The Enterprise, Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy), generally smiles about as often as Greta Garbo. But in "This Side of Paradise," Spock not only smiles but laughs, dangles from a tree, kisses a good-looking blonde woman, and gets into a fight with his best friend. It all starts when Spock, Captain Kirk (William Shatner), Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley), Sulu (George Takei), and a couple of crew members beam down to Omicron Ceti III to find out what happened to a group of scientists who built a research colony on the planet. What they discover is a little spooky. The colonists claim they've created a true paradise where everyone is part of a collective mind bent on positivity. Kirk, naturally, argues that paradise robs people of their need to suffer and crawl toward progress.

Meanwhile, Spock is zapped by an exotic flower that is the real source of all this community goodwill, and he instantly gets happy, acting like a kid, renewing a romance with a comely biologist (an angelic Jill Ireland), and giving the sputtering Kirk an earful of entertaining insubordination. Story editor D.C. Fontana's script contains some obvious parallels between a chemically induced "paradise" and a drug-induced high in the 1960s. But the real draw here is Spock's uncharacteristic joy and the drama behind Kirk's shattering decision to break his friend's heart.

"Devil in the Dark" opens with an emergency on Janus VI, a planet rich in raw materials crucial to the running of Federation operations. There's a lot of money to be made by the mining contractor involved, but a swift, unseen monster is roaming the snaky tunnels of Janus's interior, turning miners into acid-drenched goo. It's up to the Enterprise crew to find the alien culprit and defuse the lynch-mob mentality spreading among the paranoid working stiffs there. Captain Kirk (William Shatner), Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy), and Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) beam down to initiate the detective work, leading Spock to quickly conclude that the thousands of silicone balls mysteriously strewn about the planet's deepest level might have something to do with the reasons behind the atrocities.

Written by series guru Gene L. Coon and directed by mainstay Joseph Pevney (who alternated directorial chores with Marc Daniels during the show's second season), "The Devil in the Dark" is a breathlessly paced episode reflecting a delightful variety of cross-genre influences--Westerns, creature-features, gritty noir. Add one of the most effective and moving instances of the Enterprise's search for new life on Star Trek (plus McCoy's infamous complaint, "I'm a doctor, not a bricklayer!"), and this is a memorable program indeed. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Spock Emotes! Morals Galore!.......2006-08-28

Overall, these are not 2 of the stronger eps from Season 1 however they do allow for telling insights into the characters of both Spock and Kirk. In the first, weaker ep, strange spores on an otherwise inhospitable planet allows settlers to survive in blissful existence without any ill effects from deadly radiation that is constantly bombarding the planet; in fact, even preexisting medical conditions are righted giving the inhabitants perfect health. Now as you can expect, Kirk has to spoil things and 'rescue' the settlers from their brand of Eden. The plot is rather weak as we are never told why Kirk isn't affected to the degree of the others to the effects of the spores or how easily he is able to counter the effects but we do get to see a softer, 'human' side of Spock as he actually admits loving someone here and you can feel his regret at having to leave this moment behind at the end.

The stronger second ep has a strong moral encouraging communication rather than revenge and retribution to settle differences. Spock again gets to emote as he mind melds with the alien which is the subject of persecution as miners of a mineral-laden planet misunderstand the reasons behind the creature's animosity towards them. A great advertisement for diplomacy over brute force if you can get over the low tech special effects.

If you are picking and choosing which volumes to collect and keep, put this under the "good to have" category, the others being: "must have" and "give it a miss".

Pure 60ýs cheese, as you like it.......2003-09-15

"This Side of Paradise" - 3.865 stars

(a.k.a., "James T. Kirk: Wet Blanket")

"For the first time in my life, I was happy" - so says Mr. Spock, when asked to comment upon his experience on Omicron Ceti III. Of course, the duty-bound Joe Friday of space, Captain Kirk, would have none of this nonsense. Perfect health? Bah! Peace? Hooey! Love? He'd rather fight than switch. What a creep. "Man was meant to struggle" Kirk/Friday somberly intones, perfectly embodying the hair shirt anti-pleasure ethic. Living in harmony with nature and one another bad; tearing up the landscape to "accomplish" (i.e., build more starships to endlessly repeat the process) good.

Don't ever invite this guy to a party, unless you want it to end.

"The Devil in the Dark"- 2.135 stars

(a.k.a., "Super Smackdown with The Rock")

Our heroes are summoned to a Federation mining operation on Janus VI that is being troubled by one man-eating monster, and quite a few bad actors. Well, they've got quotas to meet, mister, and production is suffering. Who cares about environmental rape - hey, that's what other planets are for! Shoes for industry! The creature looks like a heapin' helpin' of Hamburger Helper dumped on a chenille rug, and man is it ticked off. Good thing Spock can connect because, unlike most of the other aliens in the Star Trek universe, it's English-speaking skills are lacking.

It's writing skills, however, are surprisingly good.

Two more must-see episodes.......2003-09-11

This Side of Paradise-Yet another excellent episode, this one concerns a planet where plant spores have caused an epidemic of joyful inebriation. Like many of the best early shows, the slow pacing here allows a sense of mystery to develop before the hook is revealed to us. This is one of the more convincing of the 'Enterprise in danger' episodes, but it is more than that. The plot device enables several crew members to flesh out their characters, most notably Leonard Nimoy. It is difficult not to feel angry at Kirk as he goads Spock with racial slurs, even as we understand why he says what he does. Certainly the conflict between the happiness provided by drugs and alcohol on the one hand vs. their 'unnatural' tendency to hinder personal development and achievement is as resonant today as it was in 1967. (4.5 stars)

Devil In the Dark-Yet another in the string on winning episodes, this one concerns a conflict between miners and a silicon-based life form. This unusual episode has a strong element of suspense, since we are not only trying to figure out just what's happening, but also worried about what lurks in the dark tunnels. The episode is more than just suspenseful though. Themes explored include the rights of all creatures to survival, and the mammal bias inherent in our notions of both ugliness and maternal love. Star Trek must have been one of the first shows to devote so much thought to ecological/environmental questions, which like so many themes explored by Star Trek has only grown in importance. More research is of course devoted today than ever before to boundary conflicts, and more generally to finding ways to balance our human resource needs with the survival of other species.

Tidbit: William Shatner's father died during the production of this episode. (4.5 stars)

Spores & Aliens.......2003-06-15

"This Side of Paradise" A planet laced with plants that shoot out spores which make everyone happy & content infects the crew of the Enterprise. How will they break free?

"Devil in the Dark" An underground monster is killing a bunch of miners. Why? Watch & find out.

Mmmm... Meat Loaf..........2002-09-25

REVIEWED ITEM: Star Trek® Original Series DVD Volume 13: This Side of Paradise© / The Devil In The Dark©

THIS SIDE OF PARADISE© PRELIMINARY BRIEFS:

Moral, Ethical, and/or Philosophical Subject(s) Driven Into The Ground: "Man stagnates if he has no ambition, no desire to be more than what he is"- Captain Kirk

Expendable Enterprise Crewmember (`Red Shirt') Confirmed Casualty List: None

REVIEW/COMMENTARY: All I can say is, it's about time Spock be mackin' the-mad hottie-of-the-week instead of the charming Captain Kirk! Especially entertaining is the setup to this little romantic romp: the official Star Trek love theme starts up, followed by alternating reaction shots of guest-star Jill Ireland (as the crush-ridden Leila Kalomi) and Mr. Spock as they stare at each other in "that way"! Well, actually she stares in "that way"; Spock looks a bit confused by it all. But don't worry, he'll come around! A nice touch to this initial scene is the gentle glowing aura surrounding the love-struck lady! Kudos to the show's lighting department for getting this effect just right!

The real fun begins when Spock cops a whiff of some intoxicating flower spores, which cause him to become a way-too-cheerful ball of sickly-sweet happiness who is now deeply in love with Charles Bronson's future wife. He also acquires a penchant for literally hanging out on tree limbs like he was some kinda monkey! Ironically, for a man who's no longer afraid to show his emotions, Nimoy didn't put much feeling into his character's dialogue here. Fortunately, Jimmers finds out how to relieve Spock's (and subsequently everyone else exposed to the spores, including the entire ship's crew) newfound dorkiness by making insulting remarks to his face regarding his mom and dad, with a few racial slurs thrown in for good measure! But before Jimmers can bring the Spockster around, he has to snap outta his own little trip to La-La-Land. He manages this with his angered utterance of "I... Can't... LEAVE!", spoken in that distinctive manner that has become a staple of many a second-rate standup act! Adding to this scene's funkiness, our beloved captain's face is illuminated in a spooky quasi-fluorescent, light-blue hue! Needless to say, the dramatic lighting department was in rare form for this eppie!

Another memorable lowlight to goof on here: Dr. McCoy breaking into a way-too-overdone Deep South accent after his exposure to the happy-spores. I am aware that DeForest Kelley hails from Georgia, but never the less his character's drawl was a bit too much, even for a native southerner! Adding to the overdone good-ol'-boy charm is his concoction of a mint julep! Sheesh, why doesn't he just break out the grits and pickled pigs' feet while he's at it!

THE DEVIL IN THE DARK© PRELIMINARY BRIEFS:

Moral, Ethical, and/or Philosophical Subject(s) Driven Into The Ground: Don't mess with Mom!

Historical Milestone: Spock's first mind-meld with a non-humanoid life form

Expendable Enterprise Crewmember (`Red Shirt') Confirmed Casualty List: 1 Dead, 3 Incapacitated

REVIEW/COMMENTARY: `Devil' features one of the most entertaining cheeseball moments in Star Trek history: Spock's mind-meld with the rock-creature-thingy! His anguished utterances of pain and sorrow are very similar to Counselor Troi's little trances whenever she uses her empathic abilities to check out the entity-of-the-week's emotional state on NextGen. Speakin' of emotional states, am I the only person who gets a hankerin' for meat loaf (no, not the singer, silly!) whenever I grab a glimpse of the creature-thingy? I can't be the only one...

Another especially goofy scene-well, several scenes, actually-- are the reaction shots of the doomed miners and/or red-shirts right before they get toasted by the vengeful creature. Most of `em seem to have enough time to get off a phaser shot or two before they start to feel the burn, but instead they spend their last two seconds of life all petrified and screaming like the total sissies they are (were?)! These amusing moments reminded me of the death-by-steam-roller scene in `Austin Powers'! Actually, a better parallel would be the death of Darth Maul in `Star Wars Episode I'! In any case, it appears the average human's reflexes in the face of certain doom ain't gonna improve all that much in the next three hundred years...

Amazon.com

Description

"This Side of Paradise," Ep. 25 - Omicron Ceti III's colonists should have been killed by deadly Berthold rays, yet Kirk finds a group of mysteriously healthy colonists--and Spock falls in love! "The Devil in the Dark," Ep. 26 - Kirk and Spock beam down to Janus VI to investigate after an unknown monster roaming the planet's tunnels kills more than 50 miners.

Customer Reviews:

Spock Emotes! Morals Galore!.......2006-08-28

Pure 60ýs cheese, as you like it.......2003-09-15

"This Side of Paradise" - 3.865 stars

(a.k.a., "James T. Kirk: Wet Blanket")

Don't ever invite this guy to a party, unless you want it to end.

"The Devil in the Dark"- 2.135 stars

(a.k.a., "Super Smackdown with The Rock")

It's writing skills, however, are surprisingly good.

Two more must-see episodes.......2003-09-11

Tidbit: William Shatner's father died during the production of this episode. (4.5 stars)

Spores & Aliens.......2003-06-15

"This Side of Paradise" A planet laced with plants that shoot out spores which make everyone happy & content infects the crew of the Enterprise. How will they break free?

"Devil in the Dark" An underground monster is killing a bunch of miners. Why? Watch & find out.

Mmmm... Meat Loaf..........2002-09-25

REVIEWED ITEM: Star Trek® Original Series DVD Volume 13: This Side of Paradise© / The Devil In The Dark©

THIS SIDE OF PARADISE© PRELIMINARY BRIEFS:

Moral, Ethical, and/or Philosophical Subject(s) Driven Into The Ground: "Man stagnates if he has no ambition, no desire to be more than what he is"- Captain Kirk

Expendable Enterprise Crewmember (`Red Shirt') Confirmed Casualty List: None

THE DEVIL IN THE DARK© PRELIMINARY BRIEFS:

Moral, Ethical, and/or Philosophical Subject(s) Driven Into The Ground: Don't mess with Mom!

Historical Milestone: Spock's first mind-meld with a non-humanoid life form

Expendable Enterprise Crewmember (`Red Shirt') Confirmed Casualty List: 1 Dead, 3 Incapacitated

Description

The story of Dark Man X began in the scruffy projects of Yonkers, NY. It's a classic tale of rags to riches that has seen DMX aka Earl Simmons go from a life of crime and violence to one of wealth and fame. In this Rockumentary you will come to know DMX like you never have before. From a false start with a failed first album to the mega smash and record breaking single "Party Up In Here" it's an all access pass into the life of one of raps most consistent hit makers.

[DVD] William Shatner Double Feature - Pioneer Women + Incident On A Dark Street (1973)

Average customer rating:

Great DVD!!! Great Price!!!!!!!

[DVD] William Shatner Double Feature - Pioneer Women + Incident On A Dark Street (1973)

Manufacturer: Family Value Collection
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

The Andersonville Trial (Broadway Theatre Archive)
Secrets of a Married Man
Kingdom of Spiders
White Comanche
Alexander the Great

ASIN: B0009VV6RQ

Product Description

Pioneer Woman (1973) (TV) A homesteading family in the 1867 Wyoming faces a crisis when the husband is killed and the wife must decide whether to remain or take her son and daughter back East. Incident on a Dark Street (1973) (TV) A small-time hood is murdered just as he is about to blow the whistle on an organized crime ring.

Customer Reviews:

Great DVD!!! Great Price!!!!!!!.......2005-06-15

William Shatner rules in this double feature.It's a great DVD at a great price!!!!!!!!!!!!

Average customer rating:

Western Action & Adventure Drama-CARTWRIGHT FAMILY VALUES !!!

Bonanza: Dark Star
Director: Lewis Allen , William F. Claxton , Nicholas Colasanto , Robert L. Friend , and Alvin Ganzer
Manufacturer: Good Times Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

Television | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

All Deals | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B00006RCM4
Release Date: 2002-12-03

Customer Reviews:

Western Action & Adventure Drama-CARTWRIGHT FAMILY VALUES !!!.......2007-03-26

Western Action & Adventure Drama-FAMILY VALUES-REGION FREE-Dolby Digital Stereo-At the Bonanza Ranch the Cartwright family (Ben, Adam, Hoss, & Little Joe)face Tirza (Susan Harrison) a gypsy woman thought to be a witch. Zurka( Hugo Haas) has left Tirza behind as a bringer of bad luck and the wild outcast appears to believe it herself. But can she really turn into a wolf? The Bonanza team on The Ponderosa Ranch will find out! Stars: Lorne Greene Ben Cartwright - Father, Pernell Roberts - Adam Cartwright , Oldest Brother, Dan Blocker - Hoss Cartwright,Middle Brother, Michael Landon - Little Joe Cartwright,Youngest Brother.

Bonanza, Volume 4: Blood On The Land/ Dark Star

Average customer rating:

bonanza fan

Bonanza, Volume 4: Blood On The Land/ Dark Star
Starring: Dan Blocker
Manufacturer: Platinum Disc
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video

Television | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

All Deals | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Kids & Family | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Television | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Bonanza, Vol. 5: Day of Reckoning/The Avenger/The Ape/Breed of Violence
Bonanza, Vol. 6: Desert Justice/The Fear Merchants/The Gunmen/The Abduction
Bonanza, Vol. 3: Badge Without Honor/The Blood Line/The Courtship/Death At Dawn
Bonanza, Vol. 8: The Spitfire/The Stranger/The Mission
Bonanza, Vol. 7: Silent Thunder/The Last Trophy/The Hopefuls/The Spanish Grant

ASIN: B00008G8S1
Release Date: 1999-04-30

Customer Reviews:

bonanza fan.......2004-01-26

one disk - 1. Trail Gang; 2. Denver McKee; 3. Blood on the Land; 4. Dark Star.

Average customer rating:

Very funny Sci-Fi
Hard SF fans
Great movie
Budget Sci-Fi Parody
I was once so drunk...

Dark Star [Region 2]
Starring: Brian Narelle , Cal Kuniholm , Dre Pahich , Dan O'Bannon , and Adam Beckenbaugh
Director: John Carpenter
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

( D ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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