DARKSTAR – The Interactive Movie
Encyclopedia
Darkstar: The Interactive Movie is an independent, science fiction
computer game written, produced, edited, animated, and directed by J. Allen Williams
, CEO of the American company, Parallax Studio
. It features actor Clive Robertson
(Sunset Beach
), the entire original cast of Mystery Science Theater 3000
, animations by the prolific comic book artist Richard Corben
, and the final work of actor Peter Graves
who narrated the game. Darkstar was released online November 5, 2010 through the Darkstar website and as a downloadable through Strategy First
. It will be released in stores December 9, 2011 in the United Kingdom
and Ireland
through Lace Mamba Global.
gave a brief description of the project to the website Slightly Deranged saying:
Your ship is damaged and helplessly adrift in the orbit of the ominous Theta Alpha III. An unknown crew member has deleted any data that provides an explanation as to why this is.
You know, despite the emptiness and desolation, that someone is in the cold silence waiting for you.
And, as if the day isn't bad enough, the Earth has been destroyed for three centuries.
as Westwick Captain John O'Neil. It also features the entire original cast of Mystery Science Theater 3000
including its creator Joel Hodgson
as Scythe Commander Kane Cooper, Trace Beaulieu
as Westwick First Officer Ross Perryman, Frank Conniff
as both Westwick Navigator Alan Burk and the voice of the quirky robot SIMON (Semi Intelligent Motorized Observation Network), Mary Jo Pehl
as both Bridgebuilder Captain Beth Ingram and the voice of the computer Westwick Main, and J. Elvis Weinstein
as Galactic Discovery II Captain Cedrick Stone. Also from MST3K
is Beth "Beez" McKeever as Westwick Pilot Paige Palmer who stars across from Clive Robertson
. Darkstar was also the final work of legendary actor Peter Graves
who is famous for his roles in such films as Airplane!
, Men in Black II
, and his lead as Jim Phelps in the original Mission: Impossible
television series.
In addition to Clive Robertson
and the MST3K
players, the production has a cast of nearly fifty actors, almost all of whom are local to Springfield, Missouri
and the surrounding area.
over the course of nearly a decade. Though most of the credit goes to Williams alone, a number of others contributed to the enormous production. Additional animations for Darkstar were done by the prolific American illustrator and comic book artist Richard Corben
who is best known for his "Den
" character featured in the 1981 film Heavy Metal
and for his comics featured in the magazine of the same name
. Other noteworthy crew members include cinematographer Roger Jared, co-producer Mark Walters, electronic media producer Dahlia Clark, and composers Jimmy Pitts, Bill Bruce, and J. Allen Williams
.
, progressive rock
soundtrack to Darkstar was composed and performed by Jimmy Pitts (keyboards and pianos), Bill Bruce (guitars and percussion), and J. Allen Williams
(bass guitar) under the moniker "Progressive Sound And MetalWorx". Two other performers include Brent Frazier (guitars) and James Lee Dillard (percussion). Additional music for Darkstar was composed by Ruell Chappell, an original member of the Ozark Mountain Daredevils
.
The soundtrack was released in tandem with the game and features 38 tracks of music on a 2-disk set.
Reception for the soundtrack has been positive. In a review of Darkstar at diehardgamefan.com, Alex Lucard rated the soundtrack as "Unparalleled" and wrote, "This is without a doubt one of the best scores I have heard all year."
gave Darkstar 3 out of 5 stars, praising the ambition of the production and the maturity of the story while being highly critical of gameplay and acting performances. Though critical of bug issues in the game, the website Game Boomers also gave Darkstar a positive review saying, "Overall, I did have fun with DARKSTAR, despite its frustrating aspects. It harkened back to earlier games that I remember playing with relish, and was different than most things being produced today."
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
computer game written, produced, edited, animated, and directed by J. Allen Williams
J. Allen Williams
Jeffery Allen Williams is an American animator, writer, producer, musician, and director. Williams founded Parallax Studio in Nixa, Missouri, and presently continues in the capacity of its CEO....
, CEO of the American company, Parallax Studio
Parallax Studio
Parallax Studio is an American animation studio based in Nixa, Missouri, United States. It was created by current CEO J. Allen Williams. Apart from their local work, Parallax Studio is most known for the production of the computer game epic Darkstar: The Interactive Movie which stars actor Clive...
. It features actor Clive Robertson
Clive Robertson
Clive Gladstone Robertson is a British actor perhaps best known for his roles on the soap opera Sunset Beach, the Canadian science fiction series Starhunter, and the 2010 science fiction computer game Darkstar: The Interactive Movie.-Biography:Robertson spent much of his younger life abroad,...
(Sunset Beach
Sunset Beach (TV series)
Sunset Beach was an American television soap opera, first broadcast in the United States on NBC on January 6, 1997, and last airing on December 31, 1999. The show followed the loves and lives of the people living in a fictional coastal city named Sunset Beach, on the coast of California...
), the entire original cast of Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....
, animations by the prolific comic book artist Richard Corben
Richard Corben
Richard Corben is an American illustrator and comic book artist best known for his comics featured in Heavy Metal magazine...
, and the final work of actor Peter Graves
Peter Graves (actor)
Peter Aurness , known professionally as Peter Graves, was an American film and television actor. He was best known for his starring role in the CBS television series Mission: Impossible from 1967 to 1973...
who narrated the game. Darkstar was released online November 5, 2010 through the Darkstar website and as a downloadable through Strategy First
Strategy First
Strategy First is a software company based in Montreal, Canada. Founded in 1988, the company has published numerous well-known games, such as the Disciples series, Jagged Alliance series, Space Empires series, and Galactic Civilizations....
. It will be released in stores December 9, 2011 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
through Lace Mamba Global.
Interactive movie
Darkstar differs from most other games because it contains over thirteen hours of live action cinema–far more than any previous game. Creator and Parallax Studio CEO J. Allen WilliamsJ. Allen Williams
Jeffery Allen Williams is an American animator, writer, producer, musician, and director. Williams founded Parallax Studio in Nixa, Missouri, and presently continues in the capacity of its CEO....
gave a brief description of the project to the website Slightly Deranged saying:
Plot
The player is Captain John O'Neil of the Westwick. You awaken from a cryogenic sleep that has spanned a period of over 300 years. As a result of the abnormally long hibernation, you have no memory as to who you are, where you are, or why you are there. Beside you are three other sleep chambers. One is empty, the other is occupied by a beautiful woman, and in the final chamber lies the body of a man–300 years dead and missing his left hand.Your ship is damaged and helplessly adrift in the orbit of the ominous Theta Alpha III. An unknown crew member has deleted any data that provides an explanation as to why this is.
You know, despite the emptiness and desolation, that someone is in the cold silence waiting for you.
And, as if the day isn't bad enough, the Earth has been destroyed for three centuries.
Cast
Darkstar has roughly thirteen hours of live-action cinema including a cast of all real actors. It stars Clive RobertsonClive Robertson
Clive Gladstone Robertson is a British actor perhaps best known for his roles on the soap opera Sunset Beach, the Canadian science fiction series Starhunter, and the 2010 science fiction computer game Darkstar: The Interactive Movie.-Biography:Robertson spent much of his younger life abroad,...
as Westwick Captain John O'Neil. It also features the entire original cast of Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....
including its creator Joel Hodgson
Joel Hodgson
Joel Gordon Hodgson is an American writer, comedian and television actor. He is best known for creating Mystery Science Theater 3000 and starring in it as the character Joel Robinson. In 2007 MST3K was listed as "one of the top 100 television shows of all time" by Time.com...
as Scythe Commander Kane Cooper, Trace Beaulieu
Trace Beaulieu
Trace Beaulieu is an American puppeteer, writer, and actor. He is best known for his roles on Mystery Science Theater 3000 .-Mystery Science Theater 3000:...
as Westwick First Officer Ross Perryman, Frank Conniff
Frank Conniff
Frank Conniff is a writer and actor who is perhaps best known for his portrayal of TV's Frank on Mystery Science Theater 3000 .-Early work:...
as both Westwick Navigator Alan Burk and the voice of the quirky robot SIMON (Semi Intelligent Motorized Observation Network), Mary Jo Pehl
Mary Jo Pehl
Mary Joseph Pehl born February 27, 1960 in Circle Pines, Minnesota, is an American writer, actress and comedienne. She is best known for her various roles on the television series Mystery Science Theater 3000.-Mystery Science Theater 3000:...
as both Bridgebuilder Captain Beth Ingram and the voice of the computer Westwick Main, and J. Elvis Weinstein
J. Elvis Weinstein
Josh "J. Elvis" Weinstein is an American writer and performer, best known for his roles as Dr. Laurence Erhardt and the original puppeteer and voice for Tom Servo on Mystery Science Theater 3000.-Mystery Science Theater 3000:...
as Galactic Discovery II Captain Cedrick Stone. Also from MST3K
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....
is Beth "Beez" McKeever as Westwick Pilot Paige Palmer who stars across from Clive Robertson
Clive Robertson
Clive Gladstone Robertson is a British actor perhaps best known for his roles on the soap opera Sunset Beach, the Canadian science fiction series Starhunter, and the 2010 science fiction computer game Darkstar: The Interactive Movie.-Biography:Robertson spent much of his younger life abroad,...
. Darkstar was also the final work of legendary actor Peter Graves
Peter Graves (actor)
Peter Aurness , known professionally as Peter Graves, was an American film and television actor. He was best known for his starring role in the CBS television series Mission: Impossible from 1967 to 1973...
who is famous for his roles in such films as Airplane!
Airplane!
Airplane! is a 1980 American satirical comedy film directed and written by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker and released by Paramount Pictures...
, Men in Black II
Men in Black II
Men in Black II is a 2002 science fiction action comedy starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. The film also stars Lara Flynn Boyle, Johnny Knoxville, Rosario Dawson and Rip Torn...
, and his lead as Jim Phelps in the original Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible is an American television series which was created and initially produced by Bruce Geller. It chronicled the missions of a team of secret American government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force . The leader of the team was Jim Phelps, played by Peter Graves, except in...
television series.
In addition to Clive Robertson
Clive Robertson
Clive Gladstone Robertson is a British actor perhaps best known for his roles on the soap opera Sunset Beach, the Canadian science fiction series Starhunter, and the 2010 science fiction computer game Darkstar: The Interactive Movie.-Biography:Robertson spent much of his younger life abroad,...
and the MST3K
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....
players, the production has a cast of nearly fifty actors, almost all of whom are local to Springfield, Missouri
Springfield, Missouri
Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of...
and the surrounding area.
- Trace BeaulieuTrace BeaulieuTrace Beaulieu is an American puppeteer, writer, and actor. He is best known for his roles on Mystery Science Theater 3000 .-Mystery Science Theater 3000:...
as Westwick First Officer Ross Perryman - Bill Brown as B170 Pilot Billy Bob Brown
- Alan Bryce as President Timothy Brisbane
- Libby Chappell as F88 Pilot Lisa Hicks
- Frank ConniffFrank ConniffFrank Conniff is a writer and actor who is perhaps best known for his portrayal of TV's Frank on Mystery Science Theater 3000 .-Early work:...
as Westwick Navigator Alan Burk and the voice of SIMON (Semi Intelligent Motorized Observation Network) - Valli Flores as Northstar Pilot Zoe Palmer
- Peter GravesPeter Graves (actor)Peter Aurness , known professionally as Peter Graves, was an American film and television actor. He was best known for his starring role in the CBS television series Mission: Impossible from 1967 to 1973...
as Narrator - Lisa Hamaker as Solar Patrol Ship Pilot Landry
- Obie Harrup III as Captain of the Solar Patrol Ship
- Brad Hedrick as Bridgebuilder First Officer McIntyre
- Joel HodgsonJoel HodgsonJoel Gordon Hodgson is an American writer, comedian and television actor. He is best known for creating Mystery Science Theater 3000 and starring in it as the character Joel Robinson. In 2007 MST3K was listed as "one of the top 100 television shows of all time" by Time.com...
as Scythe Commander Kane Cooper - Brian McElroy as F88 Wing Commander B. Mitchell
- Beez McKeever as Westwick Pilot Paige Palmer
- Paul Oakley as Purgatory II Warden Tom Carlson
- Mary Jo PehlMary Jo PehlMary Joseph Pehl born February 27, 1960 in Circle Pines, Minnesota, is an American writer, actress and comedienne. She is best known for her various roles on the television series Mystery Science Theater 3000.-Mystery Science Theater 3000:...
as Bridgebuilder Captain Beth Ingram and the voice of Westwick Main - Clive RobertsonClive RobertsonClive Gladstone Robertson is a British actor perhaps best known for his roles on the soap opera Sunset Beach, the Canadian science fiction series Starhunter, and the 2010 science fiction computer game Darkstar: The Interactive Movie.-Biography:Robertson spent much of his younger life abroad,...
as Westwick Captain John O'Neil - Todd Smith as B170 Pilot Rock Carnage (Francis Lieberwitz)
- Woody P. Snow as TurboTwin Pilot Chuck Nordstrum
- Aaron Wahlquist as F88 Pilot Stewart
- J. Elvis WeinsteinJ. Elvis WeinsteinJosh "J. Elvis" Weinstein is an American writer and performer, best known for his roles as Dr. Laurence Erhardt and the original puppeteer and voice for Tom Servo on Mystery Science Theater 3000.-Mystery Science Theater 3000:...
as Galactic Discover II Captain Cedrick Stone - J. Allen WilliamsJ. Allen WilliamsJeffery Allen Williams is an American animator, writer, producer, musician, and director. Williams founded Parallax Studio in Nixa, Missouri, and presently continues in the capacity of its CEO....
as B170 Pilot Dean Wilder - Margaret Noel Williams as the voice of MAGS (Motorized Automated Girl for SIMON)
Production
Darkstar was written, produced, animated, edited, and directed by J. Allen WilliamsJ. Allen Williams
Jeffery Allen Williams is an American animator, writer, producer, musician, and director. Williams founded Parallax Studio in Nixa, Missouri, and presently continues in the capacity of its CEO....
over the course of nearly a decade. Though most of the credit goes to Williams alone, a number of others contributed to the enormous production. Additional animations for Darkstar were done by the prolific American illustrator and comic book artist Richard Corben
Richard Corben
Richard Corben is an American illustrator and comic book artist best known for his comics featured in Heavy Metal magazine...
who is best known for his "Den
Den (comics)
Den is the name of two identical planetary romance fictional characters created by Richard Corben. The first appeared in the 1968 animated short film Neverwhere. The second has been appearing in the medium of comics since 1973, and in short stories that have been collected for the most part in...
" character featured in the 1981 film Heavy Metal
Heavy Metal (film)
Heavy Metal is a 1981 Canadian fantasy-animated film directed by Gerald Potterton and produced by Ivan Reitman and Leonard Mogel, who also was the publisher of Heavy Metal magazine....
and for his comics featured in the magazine of the same name
Heavy Metal (magazine)
Heavy Metal is an American science fiction and fantasy comics magazine, known primarily for its blend of dark fantasy/science fiction and erotica. In the mid-1970s, while publisher Leonard Mogel was in Paris to jump-start the French edition of National Lampoon, he discovered the French...
. Other noteworthy crew members include cinematographer Roger Jared, co-producer Mark Walters, electronic media producer Dahlia Clark, and composers Jimmy Pitts, Bill Bruce, and J. Allen Williams
J. Allen Williams
Jeffery Allen Williams is an American animator, writer, producer, musician, and director. Williams founded Parallax Studio in Nixa, Missouri, and presently continues in the capacity of its CEO....
.
Soundtrack
The neoclassicalNeoclassicism
Neoclassicism is the name given to Western movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that draw inspiration from the "classical" art and culture of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome...
, progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
soundtrack to Darkstar was composed and performed by Jimmy Pitts (keyboards and pianos), Bill Bruce (guitars and percussion), and J. Allen Williams
J. Allen Williams
Jeffery Allen Williams is an American animator, writer, producer, musician, and director. Williams founded Parallax Studio in Nixa, Missouri, and presently continues in the capacity of its CEO....
(bass guitar) under the moniker "Progressive Sound And MetalWorx". Two other performers include Brent Frazier (guitars) and James Lee Dillard (percussion). Additional music for Darkstar was composed by Ruell Chappell, an original member of the Ozark Mountain Daredevils
Ozark Mountain Daredevils
The Ozark Mountain Daredevils are a Southern rock/country rock band formed in 1972 in Springfield, Missouri, USA. They are most widely known for their singles "If You Wanna Get To Heaven" in 1974 and "Jackie Blue" in 1975....
.
The soundtrack was released in tandem with the game and features 38 tracks of music on a 2-disk set.
Disk One
- "Surfing the Velvet Abyss" (3:17) - by Bill Bruce
- "Mindscape" (3:15) - by Jimmy Pitts, Ruell Chappell
- "Mirrors Tell a Different Tale" (3:05) - by Jimmy Pitts
- "Systematic Overload" (3:50) - by Bill Bruce
- "Solar Wind Chimes" (1:58) - by Jimmy Pitts, Ruell Chappell
- "Lost in Eternity (Paige's Theme)" (4:05) - by Jimmy Pitts
- "An Insignificant, Distant Nova" (2:17) - by Jimmy Pitts
- "FDS2" (1:49) - by Bill Bruce
- "Dementia in Absentia" (3:52) - by Jimmy Pitts
- "Deceptive & Dangerous" (4:15)- by Bill Bruce
- "Noir in A Minor" (3:11) - by Jimmy Pitts
- "Considered Gone" (1:34) - by Bill Bruce
- "Light Years of Darkness" (2:11) - by Jimmy Pitts
- "Requiem for a Blue Dot" (3:44) - by Jimmy Pitts
- "147" (4:10) - by Bill Bruce
- "Winds of Fate" (1:42) - by Jimmy Pitts, Ruell Chappell
- "Theoretical Paranoia" (2:18) - by Jimmy Pitts
- "Falling Down Stairs" (4:22) - by Bill Bruce
- "A Little Dream All My Own" (3:32) - by Jimmy Pitts
- "Winds of Fate (Reprise)" (4:41) - by Jimmy Pitts, Ruell Chappell
- "Underneath" (4:06) - by Bill Bruce
- "Light Years of Darkness (Reprise)" (2:14) - by Jimmy Pitts
- "Another Time and Place" (3:06) - by Bill Bruce
Disk Two
- "Bonechipper" (5:21) - by Bill Bruce
- "Eternal Twilight" (6:23) - by J. Allen Williams
- "Day of Darkness" (3:46) - by J. Allen Williams
- "Tomorrows Children" (6:00) - by J. Allen Williams
- "Corridors of Time" (3:16) - by J. Allen Williams
- "The Edge of Insanity" (4:36) - by J. Allen Williams
- "Knights of Vengeance" (5:14) - by J. Allen Williams
- "One Two One" (4:11) - by J. Allen Williams
- "Guardian" (7:35) - by J. Allen Williams
- "A Trinity of Sons" (4:36) - by J. Allen Williams
- "The Edge of Nowhere" (2:52) - by Jimmy Pitts
- "Holy War" (5:04) - by J. Allen Williams
- "The Secret Sign" (4:53) - by J. Allen Williams
- "Psychic Pilgrims" (4:42) - by J. Allen Williams
- "Lasting Memory" (4:12) - by Bill Bruce
Reception for the soundtrack has been positive. In a review of Darkstar at diehardgamefan.com, Alex Lucard rated the soundtrack as "Unparalleled" and wrote, "This is without a doubt one of the best scores I have heard all year."
Reception
Critical reception of Darkstar has been mostly positive. In a review at diehardgamefan.com, Alex Lucard rated it as a "VERY GOOD GAME!" and said "Darkstar is one of the best indie games I have ever played in my thirty years of gaming." In a similar review at brasslantern.org, J. Robinson Wheeler called Darkstar, "...challenging, fun, lovingly and painstakingly rendered and crafted, and worth playing." Drummond Doroski of the website Adventure GamersAdventure Gamers
Adventure Gamers is a computer game website created in 1998 dedicated to the genre of adventure games. It publishes reviews and previews of adventure games, as well as opinion articles and interviews with game designers....
gave Darkstar 3 out of 5 stars, praising the ambition of the production and the maturity of the story while being highly critical of gameplay and acting performances. Though critical of bug issues in the game, the website Game Boomers also gave Darkstar a positive review saying, "Overall, I did have fun with DARKSTAR, despite its frustrating aspects. It harkened back to earlier games that I remember playing with relish, and was different than most things being produced today."