Dark Star: H.R. Giger's World

During the final months of his life, H.R. Giger (1940-2014)—a Swiss artist known for his bizarre paintings as well as his creature designs for Ridley Scott's Alien—gave filmmaker Belinda Sallin access to his cluttered Zurich estate for this documentary, which mimics the dreamy, surrealist tone of the artist's work rather than being a conventional biographical profile. Much of Dark Star follows Giger as he putters about the house, where every nook and cranny is stuffed with his creations, or visits the surrounding garden, which is filled with grotesque statuary that is circuited by a miniature train. Giger says little, although when he does become introspective—such as when he recalls his first wife's suicide—the tone of regret is palpable. More in-depth commentary is offered by Giger's second wife and a number of friends and collaborators, who not only offer admiring assessments of Giger's art but also provide insight into his family background and suggest psychological interpretations regarding the origins of his unusual “biomechanical” constructs. In addition to archival footage of a younger Giger, the film also accompanies him on a contemporary trip to a museum that houses his work, where he seems shyly ill at ease with enthusiastic fans at a book signing. Serving up an interesting portrait of a popular artist in his twilight days, this is recommended. (F. Swietek)