Dark City (Directors Cut)
© New Line Home Video
Mania Grade: A
DVD: Dark City (Director's Cut)
Rating: R
Starring: Rufus Sewell, William Hurt, Kiefer Sutherland, Jennifer Connelly, Richard O'Brien
Written By: Alex Proyas, Lem Dobbs and David S. Goyer
Directed By: Alex Proyas
Distributor: New Line Home Video
Original Year of Release: 1998 (film) 2008 (DVD)
Extras: Expanded Commentaries, Documentaries, Production Gallery, Digital Copy of the Film and Trailer
Buy it now!
DVD: Dark City (Director's Cut)
Rating: R
Starring: Rufus Sewell, William Hurt, Kiefer Sutherland, Jennifer Connelly, Richard O'Brien
Written By: Alex Proyas, Lem Dobbs and David S. Goyer
Directed By: Alex Proyas
Distributor: New Line Home Video
Original Year of Release: 1998 (film) 2008 (DVD)
Extras: Expanded Commentaries, Documentaries, Production Gallery, Digital Copy of the Film and Trailer
Buy it now!
DVD Review of Dark City (Director's Cut)
By: Robert T. TrateReview Date: Sunday, August 10, 2008
John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) awakens naked and confused floating in a tub of water, with no recollection of who he is. Murdoch begins to unravel his own identity and discovers he may just be a serial killer that the police are looking for. On the run from the police, three peculiar men come looking for Murdoch and turn out to be more than just human. Why are these strange beings looking for him? His search for the answers will unravel his own mystery and that of Dark City.
When Dark City premiered back in February of 1998 Roger Ebert called this movie the “Best Film of 1998” (Ebert would later go to record a commentary track on the DVD). In the last decade it has become a cult classic. Not on the level of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, though Richard O’Brien does star in both. It nonetheless has become a film that has passed from fan to the uninitiated and so on gaining its place among the genre’s best. Alex Proyas’, now, classic film is getting the royal tenth anniversary treatment with a new documentary and restored scenes.
Dark City, like The Usual Suspects, is better the second time around. The intrigue, wonderment and horror are ever present and will never replace your first experience with Dark City. It is only after seeing it for the first time that you can go back and see all the clues and witness how beautifully orchestrated Proyas’ film is. The release of the Director’s Cut sparked both interest and apprehension. Would additional scenes change the overall tone of the film? Would there be a better explanation of some of the more mysterious scenes? If so, would that ruin one’s own interpretation of the film?
The additional scenes are more like snippets and extensions to scenes. There is not a huge alteration of the plot or a different ending. This is a relief because Dark Cityis practically perfect as it is. The majority of the additional scenes are character driven. The spiral symbol now appears even earlier and closer to John Murdoch than it did in the original film. The scenes that truly set it apart from the original version of the film are for William Hurt’s character, Inspector Frank Bumstead. These scenes elevate his character better so that this is not only John Murdoch’s story but Inspector Bumstead’s too.
Differences from the original in the terms of supplemental content are noticeable. Alex Proyas is given his own commentary track, where as on the first release he shared one with writers Lem Dobbs and David S. Goyer. There are several retrospectives on the new disc but gone is Neil Gaiman’s take on Dark City. Thankfully, the Shell Beach interactive game is gone along with those shameless stars highlights spotlighting the cast in other New Line films.
Dark City the Directors Cut is a perfect upgrade if you need to buy it again on Blu-Ray. If you have never experienced the film then there has never been a better time or reason to buy this DVD. Dark City is a near perfect film noir blended with the best of what true science fiction fans love, a dark mysterious story that not only bends reality but our imaginations as well.
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