Stars: Vin Diesel, Radha Mitchell, Cole Hauser, Keith David, Lewis Fitzgerald, Claudia Black, John Moore, Simon Burke

Director: David N. Twohy

Summary: When a spacecraft crashes on a mysterious planet, the remaining survivors turn to Riddick, a convicted murderer, to help them survive. It appears that the only life form on the planet is a dangerous species of flesh-eating alien that emerges from underground when darkness appears. Before long, the abandoned passengers realise that a rare eclipse is about to immerse the planet in darkness, declaring open season on each and every one of them.

A dark, atmospheric sci-fi thriller with a sharp sense of humour. When a spacecraft crashes on a mysterious planet, the remaining survivors turn to Riddick (Diesel), a convicted murderer, to help them survive. It appears that the only life form on the planet is a dangerous species of flesh-eating alien that emerges from underground when darkness appears. Before long, the abandoned passengers realise that a rare eclipse is about to immerse the planet in darkness, declaring open season on each and every one of them.

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Pitch Black is a guilty pleasure that surpasses expectations, even though it owes a major debt to Alien and its cinematic spawn. As he did with The Arrival, director David Twohy revitalises a derivative story, allowing you to forgive its flaws and submit to its visceral thrills. Under casual scrutiny, the plot's logic crumbles like a stale cookie, but it's definitely fun while it lasts. A spaceship crashes on a desert planet scorched under three suns. The mostly doomed survivors include a resourceful captain (Radha Mitchell), a drug-addled cop (Cole Hauser) and a deadly prisoner (Vin Diesel) who quickly escapes. These clashing personalities discover that the planet is plunging into the darkness of an extended eclipse, and it's populated by hordes of ravenous, razor-fanged beasties that only come out at night. The body count rises, and Pitch Black settles into familiar sci-fi territory.

What sets the movie apart is Twohy's developing visual style, suggesting that this veteran of straight-to-video schlock may advance to the big leagues. Like the makers of The Blair Witch Project, Twohy understands the frightening power of suggestion; his hungry monsters are better heard than seen (although once seen, they're chillingly effective), and Pitch Black gets full value from moments of genuine panic. Best of all, Twohy's got a well-matched cast, with Mitchell (so memorable with Ally Sheedy in High Art) and Diesel (Pvt. Caparzo from Saving Private Ryan) being the standouts. The latter makes the most of his muscle-man role, and his character's development is one more reason this film works better than it should. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com

Aspect Ratio:	2.35 Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Directors Commentary, DVD Newsletter, Production Notes, Cast Files, Filmmakers Files, Web Cast, Green Bond And Red Bond Trailers
Subtitles:	Dutch, German
Year:	2000
Release Date:	May 28, 2001
Runtime:	104 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	U D R 90093
Label:	Universal
Keywords:	Black, General, Pitch, Fiction, Science, Horror, Sci, Fi
Genre:	Science Fiction