This outrageously unique sci-fi semi-spoof was the first feature from genre film emperor John Carpenter. DARK STAR originally began as a 45-minute student film project by Carpenter and collaborator Dan O’Bannon (Alien, The Return of the Living Dead) that was eventually expanded into a feature-length production. The film takes place on the deep-space cruiser Dark Star, where a crew of laid-back astronauts (including O’Bannon himself) are assigned the unenviable task of blowing up planets with unsuitable life forms in order to make the universe safe for the human race.