Dark City (Director's Cut)
by Alex Proyas
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Jennifer Connelly, Kiefer Sutherland, Richard O'Brien, Rufus Sewell, William HurtDirector: Alex Proyas
Brand: NEW Line Home Video
Writer: Alex Proyas
Writer: David S. Goyer
Writer: Lem Dobbs
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Color, Director's Cut, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 111 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-07-29
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: New Line Home Video
Product features:
- Condition: New
- Format: DVD
- Color; Director's Cut; DVD; Widescreen; NTSC
Movie Reviews of Dark City (Director's Cut)
Movie Review: Dark City The Directors Cut
Summary: 5 Stars
I was lucky enough to see Dark City during its theatrical run in 1998 and have watched several times over the last ten years. I wouldn't call it one of my favorite films but I definitely think its a classic of its genre and was happy to see that it was not only recieving a new dvd just in time for its ten year anniversary, but more features to replace the old ones which were mostly audio commetaries and two essays from Neil Gaiman and H.G. Wells. So how does the directors cut compare to the original film?
Watching it again for the first time in years there might not be anything noticeable in the changes. This isn't like the Kingdom of Heaven or Blade Runner cuts where whole sequences were taken out of the film creating disharmony in the flow of the story. As far as I could notice most of the cuts to the film were more inserts and extensions than anything else. The narration at the begining of the film is the most famous cut while the only added scene I could tell was showing Murdoch and Bumstead taking Schreber to Shell Beach at the finale. Other scenes included an extensions like a bit of dialogue between the husband and wife who go from middle class to wealthy during the tuning, a scene with Emma finding a little girl in the murdered prostitutes apartment, and a longer ending as Bumstead floats into outer space after discovering the truth about Dark City. I also noticed in some scenes that Trevor Jones score seemed to be dialed down and for the scenes where she sings Jennifer Connely's actual voice is heard. As whole how do all of the cuts add up. I don't think they change my opinion of the film. Its neither better or worse in my opinion. The film is still a good one and thankfully the additions weren't as bad as to hurt the film like Appocalypse Now Redux and its great seeing them reinserted into the film.
So hows the dvd itself.Of course the film itself has recieved a newer transfer that is brighter and more colorful. You never really notice the added scenes like you do on some other films. I never really listen to commentaries but I heard that Roger Ebert recorded a new one for the dvd. I notice that theres three with Ebert and Proyas having their own tracks while Lem Dobbs and David Goyer share a track so for fans I'd assume they're newly recorded. Theres also a spattering of documentaries that taken together roll for over two hours. On the first it has the general making of where filmmakers and actors talk about the film itself. On the second its mainly film professors with Roger Ebert, Lem Dobbs, and Alex Proyas discussing meanings and ideas in the film.
In the end this is a great disc for fans of the film. It might not pick up newer fans but with both cuts collected on the disc as well as the added bonus content I'd definitely recommend this as an easy purchase to those thinking about it.
A little bit more. I recently picked up the Blu-Ray (one of the first movies I buy on DVD becomes one of the first movies I buy on Blu) which has the actual two cuts of the film as well as the other special features. It also has a feature I really liked in the fact track that provides a little window to explain the difference between the theatrical and directors cut as well as background information on inspirations. This was a neat feature especially for this fan of both cuts, and highlights a lot more scenes I missed on my first viewing. As its now 7.99 on Amazon fans of the film or just those who are generally interested have no reason not to pick the disc up.
Summary of Dark City (Director's Cut)
The critically-acclaimed triumph from visionary director Alex Proyas (I, Robot, The Crow) is back with a brand new directors cut featuring enhanced picture and sound, never-before-seen footage and three commentary tracks that take you deeper than ever before into the world of one of sci-fis most exciting and revered tales. When John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) wakes with no memory at the scene of a grisly murder, he soon finds himself hunted by the police, a woman claiming to be his wife and a mysterious group of pale men who seem to control everything and everyone in the city. Starring Rufus Sewell (The Illusionist), Jennifer Connelly (A Beautiful Mind), William Hurt (A History of Violence) and Kiefer Sutherland (TVs 24).If you're a fan of brooding comic-book antiheroes, got a nihilistic jolt from The Crow (1994), and share director Alex Proyas's highly developed preoccupation for style over substance, you might be tempted to call Dark City an instant classic of visual imagination. It's one of those films that exists in a world purely of its own making, setting its own rules and playing by them fairly, so that even its derivative elements (and there are quite a few) acquire their own specific uniqueness. Before long, however, the film becomes interesting only as a triumph of production design. And while that's certainly enough to grab your attention (Blade Runner is considered a classic, after all), it's painfully clear that Dark City has precious little heart and soul. One-dimensional characters are no match for the film's abundance of retro-futuristic style, so it's best to admire the latter on its own splendidly cinematic terms. Trivia buffs will be interested to know that the film's 50-plus sets (partially inspired by German expressionism) were built at the Fox Film Studios in Sydney, Australia, home base of director Alex Proyas and producer Andrew Mason. The underground world depicted in the film required the largest indoor set ever built in Australia. --Jeff Shannon
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