Dark Star: HR Gigers Welt

Just what you might have expected: HR Giger's home is a museum of the macabre. The celebrated creator of the Alien monster and a painter, sculptor, and architect as well, Giger inhabits a world of gargoyles and monsters, straight from his imagination to us. Dark Star: H R Giger's World is an intriguing documentary sometimes as weird and inscrutable as his mind. It certainly doesn't burden the audience with analysis.

As director Belinda Sallin tracks us through the baroque museum that is his Zurich house, we see a phantasmagoria of monsters from Egyptian-monarch-looking portraits to old skulls, one of which he dragged around by string when a young boy. While the camera passes his Oscar on a shelf, the spare narration overall gives no nod to this achievement (Oscar for best visual effects for Ridley Scott's Alien), typical of the documentary's minimalist approach.

Appearances by his collaborators like Gabriel Fischer, a metal musician, sometimes refer to the artist's kindness, and they occasionally give insight into the psycho-sexual, violent undertow of his startling images. The now humble man appears as if in the aftermath of a stroke, moving and speaking slowly and deliberately, but always kindly as he autographs body parts and throws off a sly smile or two.

Perhaps the purpose of limiting explanation about his work is to let the array of deeply symbolic creations out of his subconscious speak for themselves, almost defying analysis. Although Freud would have a holiday assessing Giger's innermost demons, Giger's expressionism remains delightful impressionism for viewers.

Instead of being a joyous celebration of the life and artwork of H.R. Giger, the man who (in 1979) had created "Alien" (SyFy's most hideously awesome monster of all)..... "Dark Star" was truly a sad, pathetic, and oppressively suffocating film documenting the final year of Giger's life as he was obviously deteriorating both physically and, especially, mentally.

It was almost horrifying to see that Giger had become so utterly consumed (in an unbalanced way) by his own artwork and that the stifling interior of his home in Switzerland represented that of the inside of a decrepit crypt of a hording pack-rat.

Yes. I do fully respect Giger as being the gifted illustrator who created "Alien" - But this documentary's uncomfortable ambiance gave me the creeps. From start to finish - It had squalor, oppressiveness, and death clearly written all over it.

And, with that - I totally resent director, Belinda Sallin for presenting Giger in the disrespectful way that she did (as a doddering, old kook) in this truly repulsive presentation.

*Note* - In 2014 - Hans Rudolf Giger (70 at the time) died from a fall sustained in the hospital.

'DARK STAR: H.R. GIGER'S WORLD': Two and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

A documentary film exploring the life, and work, of the popular Swiss painter, sculptor and set designer (known as) H.R. Giger. The film focuses on Giger, at the age of 74, when his health was severely deteriorating. It was written and directed by Belinda Sallin, in her feature film debut, and it contains multiple interviews with Giger, as well as his friends and work associates. I found the movie to be extremely slow-paced, even boring (at times), but still, definitely, visually pleasing (like the majority of Giger's work).

The movie takes place in the last days of Giger's life, shortly before he died (on May 12, 2014). The filmmaker interviews Giger, and follows him around, watching him slowly do day-to-day things. Sallin also interviews Giger's wife, and multiple co-workers, and friends of his, as well. A lot of the visuals are filled with Giger's beautiful art.

The film, like I said, is really slow paced, to a somewhat painful extent; I found my thoughts drifting (a lot)! It is interesting, getting to know Giger, if only just a little, in his final days of life. It's also cool to see that he was a 'cat person', like me! I can never really get tired of looking at his fascinating art, too; but I wish there would have been more time spent on 'ALIEN', or 'SPECIES'. Although I was bored, I'm sure obsessive fans of his will be more than pleased.

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Don't bother watching this crap, there's no subs for the people speaking in ENGLISH, when others who spoke different languages got English Subs, totally unfair for us deafs who wants to understand this fricking documentary, thanks a lot for wasting our time! Sick of this Audistry biases!

Well, as I sat down in 2021 to watch the 2014 documentary / biography about HR Giger for the first time, I must admit that I was expecting a bit more than what this documentary actually managed to deliver.

Now, it should be said that the words documentary and biography should be taken very lightly when you sit down to watch the 2014 "Dark Star: HR Gigers Welt".

It felt more of a reality TV episode of some kind where you follow a famous person around for a day, than it did as an enlightening and informational documentary.

This 2014 documentary offers some insight into the early life of the artist and a bit into whom he was, but it was hardly a fulfilling documentary for me, and I must admit that I was not particularly thrilled or entertained by what was being shown and told.

While I definitely enjoyed the artwork of HR Giger, then this documentary hardly does the man much of any justice. Especially not if you are interested in knowing more about his work, the man himself, and such. But hey, if you want to follow a former artist around for a day or two, then this is the stuff for you.

I am rating "Dark Star: HR Gigers Welt" a three out of ten stars, as the documentary failed to deliver something wholesome for me.