The Director's Cut of Dark City is simply one of the greatest science-fiction films ever made. I saw the theatrical release first, in the theaters, and still loved it. But when the DC DVD came out a few years later, I grabbed it up and was blown away by it. I had already been telling people about it, but when I got that DVD, I began to sit people down and make them watch it. They all loved it. This is probably my favorite film. I liked the original Matrix just fine. But I've always been a Dark City man.
The biggest difference is that the director's cut removes the opening monologue with Kiefer Sutherland, which spoiled everything and gave away the plot way too early. The Director's Cut preserves the mystery, leaving you to discover what's going on as the story progresses. The Director's Cut is absolutely the version you should watch for a first-time viewing.
@@jedijessic Donald Sutherland had a unique style that made him a great character actor. You can see him playing a psychotic in Backdraft. He's the main bad guy in The Hunger Games. There are a ton of great movies of his from the 70's and 80's, like Ordinary People which is a 4 time academy award winner. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) was a remake of the 1956 movie of the same name. He really made that movie as terrifying as it was. And it was terrifying!
@@jedijessicI agree! He could scare the shit out of you like the last scene in Invasion of The Body Snatchers to playing the Southern drunk lawyer who comes out of retirement in A Time to Kill. Fine actor, he ran the gamut and then some. R.I.P.
Her lounge scene confirmed for me as a teenager that I was a dy__. So sultry, her body barely moving......wow. Some 40+ years later it still moves me. I was hardly surprised when her career skyrocketed and continued over the decades. Not just a pretty face (voice?) I just realized I have no idea if she was the real singer.....Anyone know ?
@@shannonmcstormy5021 well, here's the thing, which version did you watch, if you've only seen the original version, that's not her singing, but it is her in the Director's cut. if you haven't heard the DC version Jennifer's voice is a bit deeper, a little more raw, and if you ask me, sultrier
Not every attractive actress fits the role or in the universe presented in the movie. He was talking about that, not about her being attractive in general.
That was a great basic DVD that was full of cool features. I especially loved the movie review of "Metropolis" by H.G. Wells where he essentially trashed the film.
Roger Ebert was one of the only film critics i ever respected (even if i didn't always agree with him). partly because of this and also because of his championing of animation in general and anime specifically. He had even dedicated entire episodes of his show to gush over animated films.
Mask of the Evil Apparition, a short film written and directed by Proyas, set in the Dark City cinematic universe, was released in 2021. During a Q&A session after a screening of the short film, Proyas revealed he was in the early stages of developing a Dark City series.
@@chrisbentley3988 He took a lot of queues from late, great character actor Peter Lorre. I dunno if that was in the script or if it was something Kiefer Sutherland pursued himself but yeah, he did a great job.
Nope... 'The Cowboy Way' came out in 2001. @VetSGT was right mentioning Rodeos... Sutherland bought a ranch in Montana during the '90s and did indeed tour the Rodeo Circuit so put the skills he learned on the set of 1988's 'Young Guns' into this passion project.
Dark City is one of my favorite movies. I saw it in theaters, and I love listening to the Ebert commentary track. I also appreciate the restoration of Jennifer Connelly's singing in the Director's cut. This film has seemed like it fit well with Jean-Pierre Jeunet's films of Delicatessen and City of Lost Children, and of course Brazil, films that normalize unreality.
I saw City of Lost Children and Dark City fairly close together back in the day, and agree the vibe is nicely similar, with the Jeunet film feeling even farther detached from normal reality.
Totally underrated movie! I loved Kiefer Sutherland in this, his performance was straight up Peter Lorre. Which fit nicely with the 40s noir theme of the movie.
I remember when this came out. My late husband and I went to the cinema to see it. (I'm the world's most ardent K. Sutherland fan and no way was I not gonna be first in line to see THIS one.) I still remember how the sun felt after, when we walked out of the cinema. And I remember that day with him every time I've watched it since. RIP SBZ RIP DSutherland.
I was lucky enough to see that one in theaters. It was definetly a trip, and has become one of my favorite films. I often ask people--to this day--"Do you know how to get to Shell Beach?"
One of my three favourite movies of all time (the other two being Donnie Darko and Robot Monster). I just can't imagine anybody else playing Murdoch other than Rufus Sewell. And of course Richard O'Brien was amazing as Mr. Hand.
Jennifer Connelly became one of my all time favourite actresses way back in 1986, because of the little known movie (at the time), Labyrinth. This movie is in my top 10 collection of hers, amongst others like Phenomenon, Etoile, Dark Water, The Day The Earth Stood Still, Some Girls, The Rocketeer.... It is such an underrated surreal noir movie, a real gem.
Very groovy, Minty! I was working at a theater in 1998 and I’ll never forget the trailer. It was a work of art that completely intrigued me. I thought “From the director of The Crow? I was sold!” I loved it as much as Roger Ebert and even snagged the poster! I don’t think I’ve sat down to watch Dark City in a long time but now you’ve got me wanting to treat myself to a rewatch. I’m looking at Proyas’s IMDB page and it really sucks that he hasnt directed a feature film since 2016, but it’s cool that he’s made 4 short films. Anywho, thank you for all the trivia. It keeps this movie geek happy.
My favorite line: Mr. Hand : But I wanted to know what it was like... how you feel. John Murdoch : You know how I was supposed to feel. That person isn't me... never was. You wanted to know what it was about us that made us human. Well, you're not going to find it... [Murdoch points at his head] John Murdoch : ...in here. You were looking in the wrong place. Whats yours?:
I love seeing this movie in the theater in 1998. The score, the sets, the cinematography, and the special effects were creepy and cool. RIP to Kiefer Sutherland's father, Donald.
Always enjoyed this movie and the Noir ambiance. Rufus Sewell was excellent and even watching it today, I look back on his performance and appreciate it.
I remember being so excited for this movie! As a kid I used to entertain and even make friends because of my own comic strip superhero character I created. All the characters were bugs and they lived in a city built inside a huge hollowed out mountain called Cavern City. Seeing the city in Dark City was pretty much like seeing what was in my head for Cavern City!
I saw Dark City in the theater at least four times. And I went to WorldCon in Baltimore that year and saw the world premiere of the director’s cut. Kudos Minty for bringing attention to this excellent movie! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
@@jasonking4146 Director’s cut, for sure. I would have much preferred to suss out what was going on on my own instead of having it spoon fed by a voiceovers. 🤷🏻♂️
John Murdock is almost literally a blank slate, except for his moral and kind nature, and his talent. It was a great choice to cast Rufus Sewell. O'Brian and Southerland were also genius strokes of casting!
@@DonMachado Come on! It's just a medium-level action flick pretending to be sci-fi and the "philosophic" discussions are shallow at best, pretentious and silly at... well, at best. They're already at worst. It's a fun movie, but literally nothing beyond that, like all (the Matrix better than most) Wachowsky's brothers movies. BTW, yes, the movie "philosophy" is cliche and trite, mere quotes of so-called thinkers read in summary philosophy handbooks, but that doesn't mean that philosophy as a whole is not a dumpster fire of vanity and idiocy, which it is. You want actual thinking, go to science, the humanities are just, well... idiotic.
Good review and mentioning points for behind the scenes geeks. One thing though, Richard O'Brien's character wasn't 'The Hand', but Mr Hand. There were also Strangers called Mr Book and Mr Door, they all seemed to have single syllable noun names.
Back then I had a good friend from my grade school years who I also worked with at a used music store that was massively into Dark City. We went to see it together in the theaters. I really enjoyed it but was not surprised when it wasn't a massive hit. It's a great film, but definitely a thinking person's flick. Later in 1998 that friend moved from the Midwest US to Sacramento, California, I took a different job, moved out of my parents house and so on. He came back to visit in 1999 on the weekend that The Matrix premiered. I had been so busy with life I knew nothing about it. He and I went to go see it on that opening weekend and we were both completely blown away! Back then it impressed me so much I went back the next weekend and took my father along with me! So while my friend and I were both big fans of Dark City, even before it was released, we nearly completely forgot about it for years after The Matrix debuted!
@@NeedMorePlebs You don't get the overdub at the start which ruins the mystery. A few scenes are longer, for character development. The former is the important part. Modern audiences will probably figure things out pretty quickly but it's still nice not to be insulted at the start of the film with "I know you're too dumb to understand what's about to happen, so let me just tell you up front..."
I always felt the inspiration for The Strangers came from the Space Guild guys from the classic DUNE (1984) movie. They look identical (except when they wear hats), and even walk like them. Great vid Minty, thanks for making it!
I told people I loved a sci-fi movie from the late 1990s where it turns out the world, as we know it, is an illusion controlled by shadowy figures, and in which a black-clad trench-coated hero discovers the truth and gains super powers to fight the shadowy figures. Of course, I was talking about _Dark City_ .
THANK YOU! I've been asking in the comment section for years for you to do this! One of my favorite movies and I think the most underrated movie ever made!
The scene where the cars all stop is filmed at the Rocks in Sydney, where the old warehouses are. I loved this film at the time and its still one of my favourites. A classic full of neo noir 90s cool
I'm with Roger Ebert on this one. It's deep, creative, and the mystery had a great payoff at the end. It's akin to hard core SciFi where it's not meant for mainstream audience and only for those who seeks an adventure into the unknown. These movies has to be fiercely supported by those of us who rest in that small demographic and I happily bought various DVD and BluRay formats since I saw this in the theaters.
I remember the first time I saw this movie. I was 16 and absolutely loved it. This movie has been in my collection for most of my life and I still regularly watch it.
Thanks for mentioning Roger Ebert since he’s the reason I saw _Dark City_ in the theaters and loved it. And he was right. It was the best movie of 1998.
Fun fact: when Kief was learning his roping, he was driving everybody nuts backstage. At one point, he roped some poor little PA with full hands and tripped her. He did feel awful after, but dude... And it's not random. He was a cowboy for a couple years. Remember??
Here’s one thing I know about Dark City, it was friggin’ awesome!!!! Saw this banger in the theater opening night with no idea what it was about and had my mind blown proper😁
Dark City was definitely an inspiration for the Matrix such a wondrously dark fantasy and it makes you think about important issues like identity and who is really in power , i just love this film and how it inspires you to think about what is really real around you great review Minty i always enjoy coming here for your great insights into movies . CHEERS mate .
I saw this in the theaters when I was 16 and definitely did not appreciate it at the time. I revisited it years later and was blown away. It's definitely the best of 1998 and one of the best from the 90s period.
I so adore this movie. I've had it on DVD for years and recently upgraded to blu ray. I hope eventually this gets a 4k release with new commentary and deleted scenes and behind the scenes content.
No. Dark City was not The Matrix before The Matrix. It was genuinely its own thing. A version of Science Fiction Noir that had never been seen before, and hasn't been replicated since. I guess you could say it was a 'thinker's' movie, but you didn't have to have a bloody Masters or PhD to get it. I was already a SciFi geek, so I really liked the whole concept. All of the acting was fantastic. Sewell, Sutherland, Connelly, and Hurt played characters outside their scope, so to speak (even though Connelly did Labyrinth and Hurt did Altered States). Kiefer was the biggest surprise. I too would have thought they would've wanted Daddy Donald to play that rather complex part. But he really nailed it. He easily broke out of that 'Bad Boy Teen and Young Adult Angst' trope. The whole film was just spectacular, both the original and Director's cut. I didn't know it at the time (until I saw it, of course) but I needed that movie, and love it to this day.
Back in 1997, I was lucky enough to get invited to a test-audience screening of it (as "Dark Empire"). It's been one of my Favorite Movies of all time ever since. I went back to see it on the big screen again (as "Dark City") when it finally got released and was one of the first DVDs I ever bought too. LOVE. THIS. MOVIE. (almost as much as I love Jennifer Connelly) 😅
I think I either also saw the directors cut first, or for some reason I missed the opening narration, because the first time I saw it, I don't remember the narration. It was upon rewatching that I first saw the narration sequence. It's much better without it.
I really love this odd movie. When it was released back then, it was totally buried, hidden, so I totally missed it then. I've now seen it several times, and the piecing together of the mystery is the fascinating part.
Yes! This and Split Second, for some reason I remember fondly seeing in the theater, but almost everyone else has no idea wtf I'm talking about. F*king classic!
So glad that the Director's Cut is the only version of this movie I've seen... I hate to think how my experience would've been if unraveling the mystery had been spoiled for me from just the opening narration.
@@darrenbent7601 I didn't find her attractive in Requiem, not because Jennifer isn't hot, but her story arc was so depressing, it ruined her for that movie
Loved this movie when it came out. Definitely underrated and underappreciated when it released. My crush Jennifer Connelly is drop dead gorgeous as the lounge singer!
This is in my personal top 10 sci-fi movies of all time. I can find, nothing to fault in it. I have immense respect for the story, visuals, and cast and all the work they did.
I love the “Dark City” movie, there was an earlier movie 1996 similar look and feel “The City of lost children” with Ron Perlman I saw it in theaters in French with English subtitles. You should see it if you like Dark City and the look and feel.
13:55 There's also the fact that it wasn't until the director's cut that they removed the god-awful intro to dark city where they had a minute or longer monologue explaining the entire plot of the movie and its main mystery to you. Imagine if in The Matrix Morpheus explained to the audience in a monologue that machines had taken over the world and everybody lives in a simulated reality in the first minute of the movie before anything had happened yet. EDIT: Ahah, okay you do get into exactly that later
@jrbarmett2453 Kiefer Sutherland actually competed in Rodeo events and was an accomplished Roper , it was after The Cowboy way and he was still doing it when he made this . DARK CITY is an awesome movie is what i came here to say .
I loved Dark City it reminded me of the movie Strange Days even though they aren't anything alike story wise. Minty if you haven't already done a "10 things ..." about Strange Days yet that'd be a good one to do.
What a great movie. I saw the Director's Cut and didn't know the original release had that voice-over expose intro. I loved it from start to finish. I especially loved the mystery of it and of trying to work out what was going on as it unfolded. The whole thing was very trippy.
1- Jennifer Connely . . . . . She looked stunning in this movie. She should have been more utilized in movies. 2- Matrix was not original at all, it was about as original as Halo is mechanically for FPS games, in other words not at all. Not that it is bad It just isn't original and has a lot of influences that are quite apparent. 3- Investors ruin movies thinking people aren't smart enough to enjoy something. . . . well I mean. . . yeah I get it, there are alot of not too smart people that don't get things and they are afraid that will off put the majority. 4- See this is why Anime Could never make a transition to Hollywood live action, especially the SciFI philosophy heavy stuff. They turned Ghost in the Shell into a stupid dumb and Boring action movie, they waste so much potential being stupid.
This movie had some of the most interesting visuals and concepts. Also, Jennifer Connelly.
Yes, also Jennifer Connelly 😍
The perfect noir lady herself...
You misspelled "including"
I gotta fart
Labyrinth forever
This is a criminally underrated film.
100%
Yeah, everyone underrating this movie should be imprisoned.
Because criminally. 😊
As tired as the “underrated” thing is I’d agree on this one, it’s a bit obscure having released so near to The Matrix.
It's a cult classic day one
I loved it because it didn’t over explain.
Dark City is probably one of my favorite movies. It's definitely in the top ten and extremely underrated.
It's underrated because nobody from Shell Beach has seen the movie. 😅
Agreed and agreeed. It’s an amazing and actually unique idea
Its a very good movie. It reminds me of a cross between the matrix and the city of lost children
I also totally agree. Very underrated. When I first saw this movie. I was instantly hooked.
Definitely one of my very favorites.
The Director's Cut of Dark City is simply one of the greatest science-fiction films ever made. I saw the theatrical release first, in the theaters, and still loved it. But when the DC DVD came out a few years later, I grabbed it up and was blown away by it. I had already been telling people about it, but when I got that DVD, I began to sit people down and make them watch it. They all loved it. This is probably my favorite film.
I liked the original Matrix just fine. But I've always been a Dark City man.
I didn’t know the director’s cut was significantly different.
This was the CRITERION EDITION you are referring to? I expect this movie to be in that format.
The biggest difference is that the director's cut removes the opening monologue with Kiefer Sutherland, which spoiled everything and gave away the plot way too early. The Director's Cut preserves the mystery, leaving you to discover what's going on as the story progresses. The Director's Cut is absolutely the version you should watch for a first-time viewing.
Thanks. Saw it in the theater and was blown AWAY! Everytime I show it to somebody who hasn't seen it, they ask "how did I not know about this??" ❤❤❤
Saw it in theaters too! This was when I was 20 and punk/goth, so this spooky movie looked perfect for my crowd, and man was it ever!
I also saw it in theaters. One of the best movies ever made.
I saw it in theaters too, it seems like yesterday. I wish it was.
@@michaelrussom6463 I remember titanic was playing there too, probably one reason it wasn't seen
@@Torgo-and-the-Lucifer-Cat Funny, I actually ended up seeing that in the same theater.
My top three Jennifer Connelly movies: Labyrinth, The Rocketeer, and Dark City.
Thanks for over 100 likes! (Sep 18, 2024)
Not the one where she takes her top off?!?
Dark City; Waking the Dead; Top Gun: Maverick
ruclips.net/video/co1yOV4AOJc/видео.html
Requiem for a Dream...
@@fbauzo024fb wasn't that a beautiful story for ugly children!
*"Invasion of the Body Snatchers"*
(1978) deserves a Minty Top 10
episode, with the recent passing of leading star Donald Sutherland.
MASH and Space Cowboys are the only movies of his I've seen.
@@jedijessic Donald Sutherland had a unique style that made him a great character actor. You can see him playing a psychotic in Backdraft. He's the main bad guy in The Hunger Games. There are a ton of great movies of his from the 70's and 80's, like Ordinary People which is a 4 time academy award winner. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) was a remake of the 1956 movie of the same name. He really made that movie as terrifying as it was. And it was terrifying!
@@jedijessicI agree! He could scare the shit out of you like the last scene in Invasion of The Body Snatchers to playing the Southern drunk lawyer who comes out of retirement in A Time to Kill. Fine actor, he ran the gamut and then some. R.I.P.
@@jedijessic- Animal House is another great one!
I concur
Understatement of the year "Jennifer Connelly has a great look"
Her lounge scene confirmed for me as a teenager that I was a dy__. So sultry, her body barely moving......wow. Some 40+ years later it still moves me. I was hardly surprised when her career skyrocketed and continued over the decades. Not just a pretty face (voice?) I just realized I have no idea if she was the real singer.....Anyone know ?
@@shannonmcstormy5021 well, here's the thing, which version did you watch, if you've only seen the original version, that's not her singing, but it is her in the Director's cut. if you haven't heard the DC version Jennifer's voice is a bit deeper, a little more raw, and if you ask me, sultrier
Not every attractive actress fits the role or in the universe presented in the movie. He was talking about that, not about her being attractive in general.
@@ares395I agree. He was refering to her having that classic noir look, almost in the Bacall or Gene Tierney mould.
@@Jon7763cheers I didn't know this. 👍
Underrated gem. The Ebert commentary on the DVD version (back in the day) was awesome. A great insight as he breaks down the scenes.
I pretty much went with whatever Ebert recommended after that DVD commentary. I was never disappointed.
That was a great basic DVD that was full of cool features. I especially loved the movie review of "Metropolis" by H.G. Wells where he essentially trashed the film.
Roger Ebert was one of the only film critics i ever respected (even if i didn't always agree with him). partly because of this and also because of his championing of animation in general and anime specifically. He had even dedicated entire episodes of his show to gush over animated films.
This was the thing I remembered - that commentary on there and all of the films influences. When I talk about the movie I mention Ebert. Great film.
Mask of the Evil Apparition, a short film written and directed by Proyas, set in the Dark City cinematic universe, was released in 2021. During a Q&A session after a screening of the short film, Proyas revealed he was in the early stages of developing a Dark City series.
I'd watch that.
🤔
Doesn't need it.
Love this movie!
One of my favorite movies from my childhood!
Also Kiefer Sutherland is in the movie.
RIP to his dad, Donald Sutherland, 1935-2024.
Poor Rufus, this is like the only time he got to play a good guy, I can only recall him being a villain from this point on.
He deserved better from Hollywood.
Amazing Grace he was a good guy :)
Real actors don't care if they're playing a 'good' or 'bad' character.
Probably because of his villainy mug.
In The Rock's "Hercules" he turned out to be pretty solid in the end.
"You are probably wondering why I keep appearing in your memories, John. It is because I have inserted myself into them."
With a bunch of spaces in between. Keifer nailed his character. So unique!
That twist was so boss.
@@chrisbentley3988 He took a lot of queues from late, great character actor Peter Lorre. I dunno if that was in the script or if it was something Kiefer Sutherland pursued himself but yeah, he did a great job.
One of the greatest sf films perhaps better than The Matrix.
This and "The Thirteenth Floor". Another great one that's underrated are some of my fav's
I agree!👍
Yes!!
Nice double feature you got lined up there!
Yes!
Both are better then matrix. No need for filler fighting scenes but story telling
Keifer doing the lasso was probably a skill he picked up filming the Cowboy Way. RIP Donald Sutherland😔
I forgot he did that movie. I wanted to say he probably had a job at Disneyland as a trick lasso cowboy. Like Steve Martin did.
Cowboy way, and or Young Guns and YG2
That's some young guns shit.
Keifer also used to do rodeos….legit roping champion
Nope... 'The Cowboy Way' came out in 2001. @VetSGT was right mentioning Rodeos... Sutherland bought a ranch in Montana during the '90s and did indeed tour the Rodeo Circuit so put the skills he learned on the set of 1988's 'Young Guns' into this passion project.
Dark City is one of my favorite movies. I saw it in theaters, and I love listening to the Ebert commentary track. I also appreciate the restoration of Jennifer Connelly's singing in the Director's cut.
This film has seemed like it fit well with Jean-Pierre Jeunet's films of Delicatessen and City of Lost Children, and of course Brazil, films that normalize unreality.
I saw City of Lost Children and Dark City fairly close together back in the day, and agree the vibe is nicely similar, with the Jeunet film feeling even farther detached from normal reality.
I’d agree it’s a classic, one of my very favorites, but most people I ever talk to have no clue what it even is.
Totally underrated movie! I loved Kiefer Sutherland in this, his performance was straight up Peter Lorre. Which fit nicely with the 40s noir theme of the movie.
I definitely got a Lorre vibe from him.
Love how this movie went from a Gothic mystery suspense thriller into a superhero scifi movie at the end.
I remember when this came out. My late husband and I went to the cinema to see it. (I'm the world's most ardent K. Sutherland fan and no way was I not gonna be first in line to see THIS one.) I still remember how the sun felt after, when we walked out of the cinema. And I remember that day with him every time I've watched it since. RIP SBZ RIP DSutherland.
I was lucky enough to see that one in theaters. It was definetly a trip, and has become one of my favorite films.
I often ask people--to this day--"Do you know how to get to Shell Beach?"
Kiefer's Dad died yesterday. RIP. Donald and Kiefer are Great Canadians.
Kiefer Sutherland is also famously Tommy Douglas’ grandson on his mother’s side. In real life, “Jack Bauer” is a Canadian socialist.
Donald did some brilliant work
Body snatcher???
I thought they were Limeys. At least the old fart who apparently recently kicked the bucket.
One of my three favourite movies of all time (the other two being Donnie Darko and Robot Monster). I just can't imagine anybody else playing Murdoch other than Rufus Sewell. And of course Richard O'Brien was amazing as Mr. Hand.
Jennifer Connelly became one of my all time favourite actresses way back in 1986, because of the little known movie (at the time), Labyrinth.
This movie is in my top 10 collection of hers, amongst others like Phenomenon, Etoile, Dark Water, The Day The Earth Stood Still, Some Girls, The Rocketeer.... It is such an underrated surreal noir movie, a real gem.
Very groovy, Minty! I was working at a theater in 1998 and I’ll never forget the trailer. It was a work of art that completely intrigued me. I thought “From the director of The Crow? I was sold!” I loved it as much as Roger Ebert and even snagged the poster! I don’t think I’ve sat down to watch Dark City in a long time but now you’ve got me wanting to treat myself to a rewatch. I’m looking at Proyas’s IMDB page and it really sucks that he hasnt directed a feature film since 2016, but it’s cool that he’s made 4 short films. Anywho, thank you for all the trivia. It keeps this movie geek happy.
new proyas film coming in 2025,titled R.U.R
My favorite line:
Mr. Hand : But I wanted to know what it was like... how you feel.
John Murdoch : You know how I was supposed to feel. That person isn't me... never was. You wanted to know what it was about us that made us human. Well, you're not going to find it...
[Murdoch points at his head]
John Murdoch : ...in here. You were looking in the wrong place.
Whats yours?:
I love seeing this movie in the theater in 1998. The score, the sets, the cinematography, and the special effects were creepy and cool. RIP to Kiefer Sutherland's father, Donald.
Lucky you. That must have been a good time.
I would see it this weekend if they re-released it into theaters.
Always enjoyed this movie and the Noir ambiance. Rufus Sewell was excellent and even watching it today, I look back on his performance and appreciate it.
I remember being so excited for this movie! As a kid I used to entertain and even make friends because of my own comic strip superhero character I created. All the characters were bugs and they lived in a city built inside a huge hollowed out mountain called Cavern City. Seeing the city in Dark City was pretty much like seeing what was in my head for Cavern City!
Maybe "tuning" in to our own reality...(twilight zone music here)
Your comment about the strangers as being “cyberpunk Illuminati” was hilarious
I saw Dark City in the theater at least four times. And I went to WorldCon in Baltimore that year and saw the world premiere of the director’s cut. Kudos Minty for bringing attention to this excellent movie! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Which is your preferred version?
@@jasonking4146 Director’s cut, for sure. I would have much preferred to suss out what was going on on my own instead of having it spoon fed by a voiceovers. 🤷🏻♂️
John Murdock is almost literally a blank slate, except for his moral and kind nature, and his talent. It was a great choice to cast Rufus Sewell. O'Brian and Southerland were also genius strokes of casting!
The whole concept of mixing peoples memories; altering personalities was truly bizarre. You did see that if simpler films until after Dark City.
The Matrix pretends to be cerebral.
Dark City IS cerebral.
If you don't think The Matrix was cerebral, then you don't know much about the movie.
@@DonMachado Come on! It's just a medium-level action flick pretending to be sci-fi and the "philosophic" discussions are shallow at best, pretentious and silly at... well, at best. They're already at worst. It's a fun movie, but literally nothing beyond that, like all (the Matrix better than most) Wachowsky's brothers movies.
BTW, yes, the movie "philosophy" is cliche and trite, mere quotes of so-called thinkers read in summary philosophy handbooks, but that doesn't mean that philosophy as a whole is not a dumpster fire of vanity and idiocy, which it is.
You want actual thinking, go to science, the humanities are just, well... idiotic.
@@DonMachado the matrix is really good but is a mixed of things coming from Dark City, ghost in the shell even more and others sci fi
Dark City is one of the failed attempts of the machines to implement the Matrix.
@@M0butu Yes!!
Jennifer Connelly was the Original “Woman In a red dress”
Apparently Denis Villenivue (Dune) used the character models in this movie as inspiration for the Harkonnen in Dune
Yeah, it tends to get annoying, just walking down the street to be suddenly lassoed by Kiefer Sutherland and tied to a stop sign.
I love this movie. Didn't know anything about it till my buddy brought the vhs over.
Keifer Sutherland was f'ing brilliant in that movie..
I would guess Kiefer learned the lasso for "Young Guns"
Kiefer was in The Cowboy Way where his character was a competitive roper.
@@chrishuber3372 totally forgot that one - now I need to go watch it again
@@code-chimpyeah! It is a good comedy.
Good review and mentioning points for behind the scenes geeks. One thing though, Richard O'Brien's character wasn't 'The Hand', but Mr Hand. There were also Strangers called Mr Book and Mr Door, they all seemed to have single syllable noun names.
I love this movie, got the Director's Cut on Blu-Ray.
Love it. and Jennifer is absolutely gorgeous in Dark City.
Back then I had a good friend from my grade school years who I also worked with at a used music store that was massively into Dark City. We went to see it together in the theaters. I really enjoyed it but was not surprised when it wasn't a massive hit. It's a great film, but definitely a thinking person's flick.
Later in 1998 that friend moved from the Midwest US to Sacramento, California, I took a different job, moved out of my parents house and so on. He came back to visit in 1999 on the weekend that The Matrix premiered. I had been so busy with life I knew nothing about it. He and I went to go see it on that opening weekend and we were both completely blown away! Back then it impressed me so much I went back the next weekend and took my father along with me!
So while my friend and I were both big fans of Dark City, even before it was released, we nearly completely forgot about it for years after The Matrix debuted!
Learned about automats from this film.
It's one I can always just throw on.
And Jennifer Connelly is just... She's a real beauty.
ALWAYS watch the Director's Cut. They showed this film at The Carolina Theater this past spring. Great to watch it on the big screen.
What is different in the director's cut?
@@NeedMorePlebs You don't get the overdub at the start which ruins the mystery. A few scenes are longer, for character development. The former is the important part. Modern audiences will probably figure things out pretty quickly but it's still nice not to be insulted at the start of the film with "I know you're too dumb to understand what's about to happen, so let me just tell you up front..."
I always felt the inspiration for The Strangers came from the Space Guild guys from the classic DUNE (1984) movie. They look identical (except when they wear hats), and even walk like them. Great vid Minty, thanks for making it!
Great observation!
I love seeing this movie Dark City is probably one of my favorite movies.
I told people I loved a sci-fi movie from the late 1990s where it turns out the world, as we know it, is an illusion controlled by shadowy figures, and in which a black-clad trench-coated hero discovers the truth and gains super powers to fight the shadowy figures. Of course, I was talking about _Dark City_ .
THANK YOU! I've been asking in the comment section for years for you to do this! One of my favorite movies and I think the most underrated movie ever made!
The scene where the cars all stop is filmed at the Rocks in Sydney, where the old warehouses are. I loved this film at the time and its still one of my favourites. A classic full of neo noir 90s cool
Minty should have worn a black trench coat and a black derby for the video. And say, "Let's check it out" before waving his hand over the camera.
I'm with Roger Ebert on this one. It's deep, creative, and the mystery had a great payoff at the end. It's akin to hard core SciFi where it's not meant for mainstream audience and only for those who seeks an adventure into the unknown. These movies has to be fiercely supported by those of us who rest in that small demographic and I happily bought various DVD and BluRay formats since I saw this in the theaters.
I remember the first time I saw this movie. I was 16 and absolutely loved it. This movie has been in my collection for most of my life and I still regularly watch it.
Thanks for mentioning Roger Ebert since he’s the reason I saw _Dark City_ in the theaters and loved it. And he was right. It was the best movie of 1998.
I saw a tv cut version of it back in the day and have been addicted to it since then. This is also where I became a fan of Alex Proyas
Love Dark City. Remember renting a VHS of it from Blockbuster in the late 90's.
ALLways and Always LOVED this film!
Dark City. Seriously top 5 of my favorite movies & it has the big time Cutie Jennifer Connelly.
Fun fact: when Kief was learning his roping, he was driving everybody nuts backstage. At one point, he roped some poor little PA with full hands and tripped her. He did feel awful after, but dude... And it's not random. He was a cowboy for a couple years. Remember??
RIP William Hurt. He & Sutherland made this film amazing from the acting team.
Here’s one thing I know about Dark City, it was friggin’ awesome!!!! Saw this banger in the theater opening night with no idea what it was about and had my mind blown proper😁
Dark City was definitely an inspiration for the Matrix such a wondrously dark fantasy and it makes you think about important issues like identity and who is really in power ,
i just love this film and how it inspires you to think about what is really real around you
great review Minty
i always enjoy coming here for your great insights into movies .
CHEERS mate .
Wasn’t an inspiration to the Matrix, they were both being made at the same time.
I saw this in the theaters when I was 16 and definitely did not appreciate it at the time. I revisited it years later and was blown away. It's definitely the best of 1998 and one of the best from the 90s period.
I so adore this movie. I've had it on DVD for years and recently upgraded to blu ray. I hope eventually this gets a 4k release with new commentary and deleted scenes and behind the scenes content.
One of my favorites and this was criminally underrated when it came out.
No. Dark City was not The Matrix before The Matrix. It was genuinely its own thing. A version of Science Fiction Noir that had never been seen before, and hasn't been replicated since. I guess you could say it was a 'thinker's' movie, but you didn't have to have a bloody Masters or PhD to get it. I was already a SciFi geek, so I really liked the whole concept. All of the acting was fantastic. Sewell, Sutherland, Connelly, and Hurt played characters outside their scope, so to speak (even though Connelly did Labyrinth and Hurt did Altered States). Kiefer was the biggest surprise. I too would have thought they would've wanted Daddy Donald to play that rather complex part. But he really nailed it. He easily broke out of that 'Bad Boy Teen and Young Adult Angst' trope. The whole film was just spectacular, both the original and Director's cut. I didn't know it at the time (until I saw it, of course)
but I needed that movie, and love it to this day.
The Hollywood guilds are notorious for their ridiculous rules about how many people can be credited for different roles.
Back in 1997, I was lucky enough to get invited to a test-audience screening of it (as "Dark Empire"). It's been one of my Favorite Movies of all time ever since. I went back to see it on the big screen again (as "Dark City") when it finally got released and was one of the first DVDs I ever bought too. LOVE. THIS. MOVIE. (almost as much as I love Jennifer Connelly) 😅
I think I either also saw the directors cut first, or for some reason I missed the opening narration, because the first time I saw it, I don't remember the narration. It was upon rewatching that I first saw the narration sequence. It's much better without it.
I really love this odd movie.
When it was released back then, it was totally buried, hidden, so I totally missed it then.
I've now seen it several times, and the piecing together of the mystery is the fascinating part.
I saw this movie once on VHS as a rental. I can't remember the plot but loved the stretching effects.
Criminally underrated. I love this movie.
Alex is legendary. The Crow and Dark City.
Yes! This and Split Second, for some reason I remember fondly seeing in the theater, but almost everyone else has no idea wtf I'm talking about. F*king classic!
I saw Split Second at the Drive in 😅
...searches "Split Second"
@@369frequencyandvibration Go watch it, it's a great movie. I have it on double VHS with "Wedlock", another fine old Rutger Hauer film.
One of my favorite movies. I always thought Jennifer Connelly was the main character. 😊
I'm glad that I was one of the people who actually saw Dark City in the theater, and I've been a fan ever since, owning a copy of it on VHS and DVD.
So glad that the Director's Cut is the only version of this movie I've seen... I hate to think how my experience would've been if unraveling the mystery had been spoiled for me from just the opening narration.
Damn fine flick and prime Connelly
YES!!!
Labyrinth, Dark City and Dark Water are my top three Jennifer Connelly movies.
@@darrenbent7601 I think her peak look was the Rocketeer. Holy Mother of God, that white dress.
@@nightshiftreports3866 Don't forget about Hot Spot... Career Opportunities and Requiem for a Dream, too.
@@darrenbent7601 I didn't find her attractive in Requiem, not because Jennifer isn't hot, but her story arc was so depressing, it ruined her for that movie
I have the director's cut on dvd, because Jennifer Connelly is actually singing in that version.
10 Things You Didn't Know About Cartoon Planet (1995) the Space Ghost Coast To Coast spinoff that been forgotten over time
So glad someone remembers that!
Loved this movie when it came out. Definitely underrated and underappreciated when it released. My crush Jennifer Connelly is drop dead gorgeous as the lounge singer!
The Pre-Matrix
It could have been one of the previous versions of the Matrix. ;)
Falls in the sub-genre of virtual reality movie, same as the matrix
It was, wasn't it.. weird.
@@Theggman83Huh?.
Sadly true.
This is in my personal top 10 sci-fi movies of all time. I can find, nothing to fault in it. I have immense respect for the story, visuals, and cast and all the work they did.
No more mr Quick. Mr Quick dead, yes.
I loved the Director’s Cut version!
Amazing visuals in this one!!
Thanks Minty!
I love the “Dark City” movie, there was an earlier movie 1996 similar look and feel “The City of lost children” with Ron Perlman I saw it in theaters in French with English subtitles. You should see it if you like Dark City and the look and feel.
A criminally underrated movie
13:55 There's also the fact that it wasn't until the director's cut that they removed the god-awful intro to dark city where they had a minute or longer monologue explaining the entire plot of the movie and its main mystery to you. Imagine if in The Matrix Morpheus explained to the audience in a monologue that machines had taken over the world and everybody lives in a simulated reality in the first minute of the movie before anything had happened yet.
EDIT: Ahah, okay you do get into exactly that later
Thanks for the video Minty!
I also found many similarities between “Dark City” and “The City of Lost Children”. I’d love to see you do a piece on that one!
I think Keiffer was prepping for the Cowboy Way.
@jrbarmett2453 Kiefer Sutherland actually competed in Rodeo events and was an accomplished Roper , it was after The Cowboy way and he was still doing it when he made this . DARK CITY is an awesome movie is what i came here to say .
I loved Dark City it reminded me of the movie Strange Days even though they aren't anything alike story wise.
Minty if you haven't already done a "10 things ..." about Strange Days yet that'd be a good one to do.
Great choice
This is my favorite film of all time. I saw it in the theater and it changed my life.
R.i.p. Donald Sutherland.
What a great movie. I saw the Director's Cut and didn't know the original release had that voice-over expose intro. I loved it from start to finish. I especially loved the mystery of it and of trying to work out what was going on as it unfolded. The whole thing was very trippy.
ran a vampire campaign based on this.
That sounds so cool
Such an underrated gem!
Also, your videos are brilliant!
1- Jennifer Connely . . . . . She looked stunning in this movie. She should have been more utilized in movies.
2- Matrix was not original at all, it was about as original as Halo is mechanically for FPS games, in other words not at all. Not that it is bad It just isn't original and has a lot of influences that are quite apparent.
3- Investors ruin movies thinking people aren't smart enough to enjoy something. . . . well I mean. . . yeah I get it, there are alot of not too smart people that don't get things and they are afraid that will off put the majority.
4- See this is why Anime Could never make a transition to Hollywood live action, especially the SciFI philosophy heavy stuff. They turned Ghost in the Shell into a stupid dumb and Boring action movie, they waste so much potential being stupid.