# Dark City (1998)

### reviewed by
Berge Garabedian

    DARK CITY
    RATING: 8 / 10 --> Great movie

    Review Date:         March 29, 1998
    Director:        Alex Proyas
    Writers:                 Alex Proyas, Lem Dobbs & David S. Goyer
    Producers:         Alex Proyas and Andrew Mason
    Actors:                 Rufus Sewell as John Murdoch
    Kiefer Sutherland as Dr. Daniel Schreber
    William Hurt as Inspector Frank Bumstead
    Jennifer Connelly as Emma Murdoch
    Richard O'Brien as Mr. Hand
    Genre:                 Science-Fiction
    Year of Release:         1998

Alex Proyas' visionary follow-up to his big hit from 1994, THE CROW (8.5/10), is a stunning success on all counts of movie-making magic.

PLOT: Some eerie "people" named The Strangers living under a "dark city" attempt to identify the constitution of human beings in a futuristic setting.

CRITIQUE: Grand vision. Out of this world special effects (not one bit of cheese either). Deep story line that allows us to ponder the ramifications of our childhood, memories, and future behaviour. This movie is set on a quick pace, and doesn't let up till the very end. It's a very original story, set to Mr. Proyas' unique style, and dark motif. I never thought I'd see a movie that was darker than the original Crow, but here it is, ladies and germs! Obviously, if "dark films" are not your cup o' tea, I suggest you skip this piece of blackness.

This movie brought back images of BLADE RUNNER (7.5/10) and the original BATMAN (8/10) (before Joel Schumacher turned the series into a fantasy cartoon for him and his friends...) in regards to its grandeur and scale, and certainly will be remembered in the years to come as a cult classic. On the down side, Kiefer Sutherland's performance as the Doctor ran a little too close to a bad impression of the Hunchback of Notre-Dame, but I digress. The love story was also a bit weak, but then again, if you want to see a good love story, you wouldn't go see a film called DARK CITY in the first place, right?

Overall, I must say that this film is one that I thoroughly enjoyed from frame one to frame last, and look very forward to watching it over and over again, with nachos by my side, and mind set to "absorb". Try to see this flick on the big screen, boys and girls, it will certainly make for a stronger impression. Until then, I'm off to find a poster of The Strangers to plaster all over my walls.

Little Known Facts: Film was originally titled DARK EMPIRE and DARK WORLD. Director Proyas was apparently extremely distraught after the shooting of THE CROW (and more specifically, the accidental shooting of his young star, Brandon Lee) and took several years to recover. I would venture to compare the meaning behind this film with the thoughts that Mr. Proyas experienced for his ill-fated star.

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    (c) 1998 Berge Garabedian

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