# Dark City (1998)



## Marleen (Sep 13, 2000)

Did any of you see the movie called Dark City? I thought it was fantastic! Would like to discus it...


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## padders (Sep 13, 2000)

I may have but not sure. What was the basic plot to remind me?


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## SGPflughaupt (Sep 13, 2000)

Great Movie....watched it a dozen times on the movie channels. Loved the stylish but spooky design.

The city was nightmarish in the way that the era seemed to be 1950's americana but there were things that did set right,like a twisted version of 1950.


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## Krystal (Feb 25, 2001)

I really enjoy Dark City, specially because I'm a big fan of Kiefer Sutherland.
Love his villains characters. The movie was really cool.  I love the special
effects, maybe it wasn't so much but I really think it make the movie look
very cool.  And the story was very interesting also.


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## padders (Feb 28, 2001)

moving to the new dark citty forum.


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## markpud (Feb 28, 2001)

I think I saw this film a week or two back, is it the one with the aliens who stop time to perform experiments and change stuff, but the one guy is immune to the stopping of time and yadder yadder yadder breathe out....

Erm I think I'm off to bed now (3:30 am  )


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## DarkCity545 (Dec 9, 2001)

*Dark City*

as you can see by my user name i loved this movie.  this is matrix 1 the start of it all.


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## Ivanhoe (Feb 9, 2002)

*Very good !!! One of all time best!!*

THE PLOT: A man wakes up in the bathroom without any recollection of  how did he get there or what is he doing there. All he knows that the police is after him for the murders he doesn't remember committing. Trying to solve the mystery and clear his name he meets people that seem to know him even from his childhood, but with a totally blank mind they are strangers to him. Trying to go to the only place he can remember, "The Shell Beach",  he discovers that nobody really knows how to get out of  town ?! People change personalities in a mater of hours where an endless night is ruling the skies.

REVIEW: This a really interesting story that involves memory changing, paranormal and of course aliens. Maybe the only flaw is the awkward acting of young Sutherland but  it compensates with a rely great and imaginative script especially the ending which avoids the stereotypical trap.


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## rde (Feb 9, 2002)

I'd mostly agree; it's a great film, and one that really should be watched. However the ending, if not stereotypical, <I>has</I> been done quite a few times before (in print, and occasionally on the screen).


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## GOLLUM (May 9, 2005)

*Dark City*

HI there!

I'm sorry if this has already been talked about but I recently watched a DVD copy of Dark City from the director of The Crow (my fav movie btw).

Anyway I remember watching this several years ago when it came out and still enjoyed watching it a second time.

Just wondering what people thought of this movie.

Bye..


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## Tsujigiri (May 9, 2005)

*Re: Dark City*

It was one of the precursor movies to The Matrix and operates within the same sub-genre. Very filled with gothic eye candy and operating from a dark gnostic point of view.

I enjoyed it, but it does get wearing seeing loads of films pillaging the richness of gnostic culture without quite managing to get it right....
When Jennifer Connelly's character sings 'Sway' it has such a powerful effect, most of the men I have spoken to have said they felt a very powerful desire to see if they could make her sway to the music.

It is incedentally not Connelly singing, but a woman called Anita Kelsey.


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## GOLLUM (May 9, 2005)

*Re: Dark City*

I'd have to agree there tsujigiri, that the song "Sway" and the way it was sung added another textural layer or two to the film.

I also agree that at times it was almost like "the director" (Ah the wonders of modern technology.. ) had been given a gothic "sand pit" or playground to see how much gothic inspired stuff he could cram into the sets, at least with those underground dudes.. 

I must say I enjoyed it for the gothic elements and "dark undertones" but I also found the concept quite interesting, nothing perhaps new I suppose but still interesting in the way it was done.


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## ravenus (May 9, 2005)

*Re: Dark City*



> I also agree that at times it was almost like Burton had been given a gothic "sand pit"


Burton? Alex Proyas y'mean?


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## GOLLUM (May 9, 2005)

*Re: Dark City*



			
				ravenus said:
			
		

> Burton? Alex Proyas y'mean?


DOH!! I stand corrected. Got confused switching b/w this and my Big Fish thread..


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## MoonLover (May 11, 2005)

*Re: Dark City*

The soundtrack to that movie is excellent too. Dark City is one of my favorite films, but it really needs to be seen and heard on the big screen. It was shot in Sydney where I was living at the time, so it was fun to try and spot our landmarks amongst the digital apparitions.
Karen


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## Foxbat (Feb 27, 2006)

Please put your thoughts, musings and theories here on this month's movie


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## weaveworld (Feb 27, 2006)

*I saw 'Dark City' the first time when it came out on DVD, I rented it from the local dvd/video shop, well I really enjoyed it.  The way it was filmed especially, I loved the way it looked and I also loved the whole story of the strangers controlling everyone's lives, making it worse or better, whatever they deemed suitable.  Then you have the main character John Murdoch played by Rufus Sewell who could do what the strangers did.  

Have to say though my favorite character was Dr. Daniel Schreber played by Keifer Sutherland. 

I know this isn't most interesting discussion on a movie but I love Dark City and I recently bought it on dvd as well, and watch it as often as I can*


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## Foxbat (Feb 27, 2006)

I'm going to re-watch this one over the weekend but here's my thoughts for now. I really like this movie. I find the merging of something akin to _film noir_ and a bit of conspiratorial sci-fi makes for a good cinematic experience. _William Hurt_ plays his usual type character (he of the tortured soul) and _Rufus Sewell_ puts across a fine display also. The persistent night and the idea that our destiny is way beyond our control seems to strike a chord within  and it makes me wonder why. Perhaps an analogue that some of us feel about the direction our own world is taking?

I've always felt that this film suffered a bit and was viewed almost like the runt of the litter when compared to _The Matrix_ but, in many ways, this is the better movie (in my opinion at least). Don't get me wrong, I love _The_ _Matrix_...I just feel there's something deeper in _Dark City_ that appeals to me.


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## Winters_Sorrow (Feb 27, 2006)

I thought the film asked some very interesting questions about what defines 'us' as individuals. Do the memories make us who we are or is it something grander?
Can you take away someone's memories from them (essentially regressing them to infancy) and mould the result?
There were lots of visual metaphors in the film - the opening bathroom scene of John Murdock in the bath is (to me anyway) an analogy of birth. Here is a blank slate of a human being, in a literal sense, everything which defined him was stripped away and he had to rediscover and re-evaluate who he really was from the sparse clues left to him.

I'm probably making this movie sound much more intelligent that it actually was! 

It was visually very _noir_ with some good touches so that you're never really sure when it is suppose to be set - automats & cars say 50s but a few other architectural touches say 30s.
As Foxbat said, this film suffered when the Matrix came out as that was "popcorn-psychology" which asks questions not to elighten, but to mislead.

To me, Dark City was a great, thought-provoking sci-fi noir with great visuals and, to me at least, a great ending which I didn't see coming at all (but this is from the man who never realised Bruce Willis was dead in Sixth Sense!  )


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## weaveworld (Feb 27, 2006)

*I didn't realise either that Bruce Willis was dead in 'The Sixth Sense', man did I look a right fool *


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## Culhwch (Feb 27, 2006)

I love Dark City. I saw it when it first came out in the cinemas, drawn by the director more than anything else. Alex Proyas had done The Crow, which I loved, so I was drawn to this film. Plus I love anything dark and moody. I have to agree with Foxbat, for me this is a far superior film to The Matrix, which has never really drawn me into a repeat viewing. Dark City, on the other hand, I've seen a dozen times. I really must buy the DVD and watch it again. The only downside is the cringe worthy Aussie cameos (colin Friels in particular). On the up side, I've always wanted to be able to do the whole 'Sleep' thing.


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## the_faery_queen (Feb 27, 2006)

dark city is goregous. i think its lovely to look at, kefier sutherland and richard o brian rock (well they always do) and its nice to see refus sewell NOT being a bad guy!  i think its totally underrated.


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## Foxbat (Feb 28, 2006)

I never really thought about the bathroom scene being analogous to birth but, the more I think about it, the more it makes sense 

The point about the memories is a good one but I'd like to add also - does removing somebody's memories of an event absolve them of responsibility for their actions (as in the case of Sewell's character)?


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## Winters_Sorrow (Feb 28, 2006)

Foxbat said:
			
		

> The point about the memories is a good one but I'd like to add also - does removing somebody's memories of an event absolve them of responsibility for their actions (as in the case of Sewell's character)?


 
Are you referring to the murders committed?
I don't know, I maybe delude myself, but I liked to think that the Strangers did that as well - merely more 'set-dressing' as it were, for his character to believe it. After all, Keifer Sutherland was suppose to inject the memories of a murderer into him wasn't he?
Maybe I got the wrong end of the stick, but I didn't think Rufus Sewell killed that girl (what he did 10-15 memories ago is another matter of course...).

Which brings me to another question. If they switch memories every so often, do they keep the 'new' memories brought to that psyche by that incarnation of it? I would doubt it. So ultimately, who's memories were they?

Love these questions with no easy answers


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## Foxbat (Feb 28, 2006)

Yes, I'm thinking of the murders...but I'm also thinking of the theme in the context of us here in reality. 

There have been many uses of the voices in my head/can't remember/diminished responsibility when crimes have been committed. I wonder  about the seperation of the physical act and the mental intent to harm .....and where does the memory and the psyche seperate (if it does)...and if it does, how does Rufus Sewell remain the character that he is?..if that makes any sense. 

I think I'm starting to lose myself


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## ravenus (Mar 1, 2006)

Yea, the bathtub scene was meant a sort of birthing sequence - it's something that is mentioned in the DVD commentary.

With respect to the murder, I don't think Murdoch committed the crime, or he wouldn't be in the position he was at the opening scene. He was placed at the scene of the crime in an unconscious state.

One of the things that I loved about this movie was that the so-called bad guys had a very interesting and, within the confines of the film, logical and scientific motive for what they were doing and they can't be just considered evil people, because they were only looking for a way to protect their own kind from extinction. That is analogos to the many things we as humans fo against the natural order to propagate and perpetuate our race and our individual selves.


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## GOLLUM (Mar 1, 2006)

Culhwch said:
			
		

> I love Dark City. I saw it when it first came out in the cinemas, drawn by the director more than anything else. Alex Proyas had done The Crow, which I loved, so I was drawn to this film. Plus I love anything dark and moody.


Well as rare an occasion as this is I find myself agreeing with Cullwch's comments 110%....

The Crow is probably my favourite movie having watched it at least a dozen times and I now owe it on video plus have seen Dark City probably half a dozen or so times having originally watched it in the cinemas way back when...

I just love anything in film that reeks of Gothic or at least my interpretation of it.


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## ravenus (Mar 1, 2006)

*The Crow* is what I consider a most overrated sort of movie. I don't know if it's viewed differently by comic-book fans whose main expectation of a film adaptation is the "faithfulness to the source material" aspect, but I thought it was a pretty much standard order revenge drama. Good production design and some nicely shot bits but really not something that I'd give much thought over. I was pleasantly surprised to find *Dark City* having a script of inifintely greater interest.


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## Winters_Sorrow (Mar 1, 2006)

Foxbat said:
			
		

> Yes, I'm thinking of the murders...but I'm also thinking of the theme in the context of us here in reality.
> 
> There have been many uses of the voices in my head/can't remember/diminished responsibility when crimes have been committed. I wonder about the seperation of the physical act and the mental intent to harm .....and where does the memory and the psyche seperate (if it does)...and if it does, how does Rufus Sewell remain the character that he is?..if that makes any sense.


 
Well I guess the whole film is about 2 opposing ideologies in my opinion.
One the one hand we have the Strangers who are trying to find the secret of "humanity" and are exploring it through rational, scientific method using chemical and behavioural stimuli and then there's the John Murdock character who is a more 'spiritual' journey to discover himself. He has clues about who he _should_ be, but doesn't feel it himself. As he has no memory or past experience to draw upon, he lets his emotions and feelings guide him in situations.

A great scene in the movie is where he is  in the room with the prostitute. He knows, from clues he's seen and given, that he is supposed to be the serial prostitute killer that the police are looking for, but he doesn't feel that is who he is.
He effectively creates his own character from his inner sense of soul (for want of a better word) and the Strangers cannot comprehend his motives and this eventually leads to Mr Hand absorbing the memories of who John Murdock should be - again, compounding their error. He isn't _their_ John Murdock, he's his own creation.

I still have no idea how he learned the Stranger's ability to "Tune", though


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## GOLLUM (Mar 1, 2006)

ravenus said:
			
		

> *The Crow* is what I consider a most overrated sort of movie. I don't know if it's viewed differently by comic-book fans whose main expectation of a film adaptation is the "faithfulness to the source material" aspect, but I thought it was a pretty much standard order revenge drama. Good production design and some nicely shot bits but really not something that I'd give much thought over. I was pleasantly surprised to find *Dark City* having a script of inifintely greater interest.


Well I agree that as far as storyline and content goes Dark City is superior to The Crow but I think I personally was very much taken with the visual look of the film and really enjoyed the revenge aspect of the movie but maybe I'm just sadistic...

The fact it was one of the first darker style comic book adaptations I saw probably means it left a great impression upon me at the time that has lasted to this day. On an introspective note, call me old fashioned but there is probably a nostalgic aspect to my bias.


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## Culhwch (Mar 1, 2006)

Nostalgia definitely plays a part in remebering films fondly, Goll. Besides, when I first saw The Crow I must have been fifteen, so I wasn't hard to impress....


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## GOLLUM (Mar 1, 2006)

Culhwch said:
			
		

> Nostalgia definitely plays a part in remebering films fondly, Goll. Besides, when I first saw The Crow I must have been fifteen, so I wasn't hard to impress....


Ditto for me Cullwch except I was probably in my early 20s. Hey c'mon I was a late starter....


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## roddglenn (Mar 1, 2006)

I know a lot has already been said on Dark City, but I just thought I'd add that I found it a very dark and intriguing film.  Certainly is very film noir-esq with a lot of thought-provoking undertones.  It is good to see Rufus in a good guy role for a change and I thought William Hurt was very good too.  Richard O'Brien was pretty sinister, which was a nice addition.  It has a similar feel to it as the 12 Monkeys, in my opinion - dark, brooding, mysterious etc.


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## Quokka (Mar 2, 2006)

Great movie and nice to see it's getting some discussion going  


There's alot to like about this movie, I know I read somewhere after watching it recently that there were examples of many different decades, I was thinking 30's to 50's but admit to not noticing links to later decades like to 70's 80's... although it would certainly would fit the storyline.

I really enjoyed william hurt's character, his stance from disbelieving/ just doing his job initially, questioning during the boat ride and finally making a stand and helping Rufus with the breaking of the wall was all very believable... I did watch this late at night (and ever so slightly intoxicated  ) so i may be getting some of the details wrong but I remember thinking at the time, that compared to something like anikan's (sp?) instant turn from good to child killer in SW3, that this character flowed really well.

I liked how the city wasn't just dark for feel of the movie but fit well into the story line. ]

But one thing that did annoy me was the stranger's turning to face the clock at midnight when the changes occurred, for some reason the use of an injection to change memories and the fact that they changed some things 'magically' and others by hand didn't break my suspension of disbelief... but the idea of this intelligent alien race that had the technology to build this labratory/satilite, turning to face a clockface in ritual really bugged me...


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## Foxbat (Mar 2, 2006)

I think the clockface and (very elaborate) syringe were more to do with style than storyline...verging almost into Steampunk territory. Stylistically, it worked very well for me. As for decades, it always felt late 30s to me. 

Certainly, the character interaction worked very well - especially Sewell's character who, basically, was the vehicle for the viewer through this fine movie.


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## GrownUp (Mar 3, 2006)

The City itself, the edges of it and the final seaside. Definitely film as art.

But, where do all the memories come from? They can't, surely, be from the people because they are always being chopped and changed and the memories would be choppy and sewn together - cook-then-murderer-then-acrobat-then-hatmaker-... So is it the whole life-memories of another city? 

Or is it all one day's life, or say, a week's life being tested. So they took all the people, took all of their memories up to that point, and then made them live the next day, or week - with those memories swapped around - over and over?


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## weaveworld (Mar 6, 2006)

*Dark City is on Sci Fi tonight (6th March 2006) at 10.10 pm.

Classic movie*


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## Cyril (Mar 9, 2006)

I love Dark City. Yes, a classic movie indeed! IMHO Dark City is to Matrix what 2001 was to Star Wars : The first used at fisrt a new aesthetic and new SFX techniques while the second popularizated theses elements. I consider Dark City as a milestone in movie making and it was the first time I saw peoples flying without being ridiculous but with a certain majesty and a strong feeling of power.


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## ravenus (Mar 9, 2006)

> it was the first time I saw peoples flying without being ridiculous but with a certain majesty and a strong feeling of power.


Ah, for me it was the Christopher Reeve _*Superman*_ movies. His first appearance in the costume when he soars out of the Fortress of Solitude after his training under Jor-El...simply breath-taking!! Sure, some of the FX now look dated and obvious, but hey, Chris had the demeanor that really went a long way to convince an audience that he was flying with a certain majesty and feeling of power.


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## Wolfeborn (Mar 28, 2006)

I love this movie dark and intriguing, good performances from most of the actors.  I loved the feeling that you never knew quite what was going on, parts had a very terry gilliam feel.

Does anyone else think that the gentlemen from buffy may have in part been based on the dark aliens in this film, they do bear some similarities.

and Richard O'brian is always cool to watch in films.


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## GrownUp (Mar 28, 2006)

Wolfeborn said:
			
		

> Does anyone else think that the gentlemen from buffy may have in part been based on the dark aliens in this film, they do bear some similarities.



I definitely thought so.


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## ghoul31 (May 5, 2006)

*Dark City*

I just rented this movie. Its from 1998. Its a great movie. Very dark and goth, with lots of mystery thrown in.
What did you guys think of it?

Go check it out if you haven't seen it.


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## ravenus (May 5, 2006)

*Re: Dark City*

We had a discussion of it in the Film Club Section:
Click here


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## Foxbat (May 5, 2006)

*Re: Dark City*

This is definitely an underrated movie and a surprising little gem


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## ast (May 17, 2006)

*Re: Dark City*

I was dragged to see it by a friend, just because Alex Proyas (The Crow) directed it and I loved it!!!


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## speedingslug (May 23, 2006)

*Re: Dark City*

Jeniffer ....uummmmm...
good film !


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## steve12553 (Jun 11, 2006)

*Re: Dark City*

Saw this today. KInda felt like Dracula meets the Matrix. Interesting movie with some good performances although I will have to rewatch it because I dozed off.


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## roddglenn (Jun 14, 2006)

*Re: Dark City*

Rufus Sewell, Kiefer Sutherland, William Hurt and Jennifer Connelly - all superb.  A dark and twisted surreal tale.


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## j d worthington (Jun 14, 2006)

*Re: Dark City*

Haven't seen it in awhile, but as I remember -- quite nice! Now I'm going to have to give it another spin, I think....


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## Nesacat (Jun 23, 2006)

*Re: Dark City*

Picked it up at a DVD store because as *ast* says, Alex Proyas directed it and The Crow is an old favourite.

Have found myself liking Dark City more each time I watch it. One of those times when a chance pays off wonderfully. I'm surprised it received so little attention. Very dark, all twilight and surreal. Good.


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## Firefly (Aug 8, 2007)

I believe so Wolfeborn however I believe Dark City was released before that episode.


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## sunnye (Jul 21, 2008)

a good film,i think


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## BAYLOR (Aug 15, 2021)

As films go, unique  and  unforgettable  and,  soon to become a tv series .


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