DARK CITY (1998)

4 stars

Arrow Video. UHD/Blu ray. 23rd June

A cityscape, that echoes METROPOLIS. John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) awakens suddenly in a dingy, dark hotel room, soaking in the bath. He is bleeding from his forehead and appears confused. A case with K.H. monogram on it. Inside a postcard for Shell Beach. The phone rings – Dr Daniel Schreber (Kiefer Sutherland) offers to help. Talk of an experiment and memory being erased. He realises he must flee the scene when he finds the body of a woman, partially naked, with bloody red spirals drawn on her.

Three odd, pale men – the “Strangers” – are looking for him. Dressed all in black they look like Pinhead from HELLRAISER, minus the facial accoutrements. One is very tall (Bruce Spence), one is normal size (Richard O’Brien) and the last one appears to be a child.

John’s wife, nightclub singer Emma Murdoch (Jennifer Connelly) visits the psychiatrist Schreber, who explains her husband has had complete memory loss, is delusional and may be violent. Murdoch himself wanders the streets of the city, which are seemingly permanently in darkness. Meanwhile Inspector Bumstead (William Hurt) is investigating a series of killings of call girls – with the latest victim the one in Murdoch’s hotel room. John becomes the main suspect.

It’s all very mysterious – what is happening? What has caused his memory loss? Can he clear his name? Who, or what, are the “Strangers”…

Stylish and odd in equal measures, this is a science fiction with a 40s noir sensibility. A unique and original vision from director Alex Proyas, working from his own story, and scripted by him with Lem Dobbs and David S. Goyer. This has a great cast, incredible production design by Patrick Tatopoulos and superb cinematography – all pools of light piercing the darkness – by Dariusz Wolski. If you are a fan, this new presentation from Arrow is well worth a purchase.

The release presents both the Director’s Cut (11 minutes longer than the theatrical and with certain scenes in different order) plus the Theatrical version, spread across two discs – I personally would go for the former.

Steve Kirkham

EXTRAS

A whole plethora of goodies on here:

Disc One: Director’s Cut

New audio commentaries by director Alex Proyas/Craig Anderson, Bruce Isaacs and Herschel Isaacs, co-hosts of the Film Versus Film podcast

Archive audio commentaries by director Alex Proyas/film critic Roger Ebert/by writers Lem Dobbs and David S. Goyer

Archive introduction by Alex Proyas

A comprehensive documentary Return to Dark City (59 mins); two visual essays – one by film scholar Alexandra West (14 mins) and one by film scholar Josh Nelson (19 mins)

Design & Storyboards (14 mins)

Disc Two: Theatrical Cut

Archive audio commentary by director Alex Proyas, writers Lem Dobbs & David S. Goyer, director of photography Dariusz Wolski and production designer Patrick Tatopoulos plus the one by film critic Roger Ebert

Memories of Shell Beach, a 2008 making of featurette (43 mins)

Architecture of Dreams, a 2008 featurette – themes and meanings (33 mins)

Theatrical trailer and Image gallery