Dark City (1998)

[EB Farnum]

Did Robert Webb have an uncredited speaking role in this film as one of 'The Strangers'?



It's been bugging me ever since I saw it and any google search trying to find a link between Robert Webb and Dark City yields absolutely zero results. Despite this, I'm convinced it's him. The voice is a total match and he looks like him. Anyone?

[small_world]

I've got this film on my computer. I was going to watch it after hearing about it on here and some other sites as being hugely influential to The Matrix.
Is it any good? Out of ten?

[Big Jack McBastard]

I loved this when I first saw it, great ideas throughout, nice and creepy too. It's the Grim Fandango of film, it  looses a bit of it's wonder and sheen on the second watch as you're all too aware of 'the truth' but very much worth it's first.

I'm now going to have to re-watch it for about the 5th time though as Farnum has planted a seed of wonder in my noggin.

[EB Farnum]

Decent film but I was frustrated during any scene featuring Rufus Sewell, who plays the main protagonist. I've never seen him in a film before (although a quick imdb search suggests he was in The Illusionist, but that was so long ago I can barely remember the plot or literally any scene from the film - good time to re-watch it) and quite frankly, it's one of the worst acting performances I've seen.

BigJackMcBastard, I watched the Director's Cut. He (Robert Webb?!) features on screen during two minor speaking roles and a couple non-speaking roles (all where The Strangers congregate). 00:22:22 and 00:48:53 for the ones with dialogue.

[Big Jack McBastard]

Ta for that, I shall have a gander in the morning. [nb]afternoon really[/nb]

[SteveDave]

A late teens favourite of mine due to Angel from off of Home & Away taking her top off.

[eluc55]

Yeah, I loved this film when I was younger, and I'd love to see it again now. To this day I still involuntarily say "Doctor" in that booming Ian Richardson voice.

The acting is a bit stinky, but on the plus side, the concept, the look of the film and music are all great. Plus the villains are very creepy.

[El Unicornio, mang]

I love this film. Great idea, odd otherworldly vibe, and the above mentioned Melissa George scene. Sutherland's a bit dodgy in it, mind.

[eluc55]

Actually I'd forgotten how great the music was, love this piece, even if it's inspiration soon becomes very obvious. 

Dark City Soundtrack 10 - The Strangers Are Tuning (HD)

[Small Man Big Horse]

A late teens favourite of mine due to Angel from off of Home & Away taking her top off.

NSFW - http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1975821/melissa_george_topless/

_Ahem.

[Melodichaze]

I love this film. Great idea, odd otherworldly vibe, and the above mentioned Melissa George scene. Sutherland's a bit dodgy in it, mind.

I agree! Also love this film, I even enjoyed Sewell in it but Sutherland was well ropey....I don't think it takes away from it overall though. I've recommended it to many an obsessed Matrix fan over the years

[uncle_rico]

Does anyone own this on Blu-Ray?  I bought it recently and the disc appears to have a bad sound reaction to certain speakers.  I've first bought the Region B release (which is becoming increasingly rare, I think mainly because Entertainment in Video are quietly letting go of the rights to New Line Cinema's back catalogue to Warner Brothers) and there was this hideous static sound in certain parts of the film, especially whenever there was score and and sound-effects at the same time.  Sent it back to the website I bought it from thinking it was a faulty disc, but when I ordered the Region A release, the same problem remained.  There's nothing I can really do about it to be honest, because my set-up is more basic than basic (the speakers that are built into the TV set and nothing else).

Here is some talk about it... http://forum.blu-ray.com/blu-ray-movies-north-america/71255-dark-city.html

As for the stranger looking like Webb... I always thought he looked like Morris, to be honest.

[Zero Gravitas]

Shortest average edit distance of any commercial feature length film.

It's not bad either.

[Peru]

I think it's pretty weak. Interminable bloody music over every second of everything - always a bad sign - and some extremely ropey performances. The interesting thing is how much it influenced/was ripped off for The Matrix, which then became incredibly popular and led to a load of people saying that Dark City was better - not for my money it ain't. And as someone else said here - Sutherland is dreadful. Awful, over-mannered performance, and I normally enjoy him as an actor. Rufus 'void' Sewell is a major problem too - possibly the least charismatic leading man ever. I think someone once thought he looked 'brooding' and that was his career sorted out.

[MojoJojo]

Well, I don't think this thread should end on this point.
Since I first saw it I've always thought it was a good film - despite the dodgy performances. It is a bit weird with Kiefer Sutherland doing a ridiculously over the top performance, and Inspector Bumstead - it's like the director is trying to make a point, but I have absolutely no idea what it could be.

Comparing it to the Matrix is basically a bit broken. OK, so there is the common theme of the ultimate conspiracy - reality is a lie. That's hardly unique.

They have superpowered bogeymen - again hardly unique ... and DC goes for ultra creepy rather than the super bland of the Matrix.

Oh and the protagonists turn out to be the superpowered...

But fundamentally, the Matrix is an action film - if you find the concepts the characters talk about interesting more than once, you've managed to pay attention to the awful dialogue one more time than I have[nb] I've heard if you watch all 3 matrix films in a row, it all makes sense, and the sequels aren't just awful wank. But I suspect this is a practical joke, and do not intend to waste 6 hours of my life finding out. Fuck it, I think I'd put the first one on again at the rave seen - I'd rather watch that 3 times[/nb]. Conversely, if you are expecting exciting action out of Dark City, you're going to be disappointed with the climax which consists of the two antagonists staring at each other looking constipated.

(but conversely, it ends with the hero creating a reality of a memory he knows never existed, but is all he has. Which beats the Matrix with it's "special kind of fusion")

So yeah, Dark City is an interesting film, with a good atmosphere, some good ideas and some creepy baddies.

[Blumf]

Being more mystery than action, it's probably closer in tone to that other Matrix-like film The Thirteenth Floor

[Peru]

It also has one of the most unintentionally funny lines ever - 'my mother gave me this accordion, I carry it around to remind me of her'.

[Zero Gravitas]

The Thirteenth Floor

Due to idiocy I'm always unsure if that was based upon http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Unpleasant_Profession_of_Jonathan_Hoag , it's not, but there is an adaptation out this year which should be in a similar vein.