Is Dark City worth a blind buy at $10.00? (1 Viewer)

[Christopher Cheadle]

To Neil's point, the advance trailers for this movie is what completely sold me on the film. It was the first and last time in a long while that a trailer affected me as much and then turn around to only be a true tease for what I found to be a deep and engaging film.

 

[Bryan_Bortz]

any tips on how long that narration is? So I can mute it for that long

-Owl

 

[John Alderson]

I got this on a blind buy (my first!) back when it was new from, I think, 800.com. I paid around $10 for it (shipped), and I've watched it probably a dozen times since then. So yeah, it's worth it

 

[TedT]

worth it for the commentary alone.

 

[Elbert Lee]

excellent scifi movie. I recently re-watched it on DVD and i have to admit that I could see through the production value a bit - excellent cinematorgraphy, but I can tell where costs were cut during the more action-oriented sequences.
Ebert's commentary is truly one of the only commentaries that I've listened to all the way through.
A good sleeper to have in your collection.

 

[Charlie Essmeier]

If you've seen Brazil and Metropolis, you've seen Dark City. Actually, you've seen better than Dark City. It certainly looks nice, and the trailer is one of the best trailers ever made. Unfortunately, it's just not a very good movie, and the ending, with all of its revelations, is just downright silly.

Pass. Even at ten bucks or less.

Charlie

 

[Patrick McCart]

If you've seen Brazil and Metropolis, you've seen Dark City. Actually, you've seen better than Dark City. It certainly looks nice, and the trailer is one of the best trailers ever made. Unfortunately, it's just not a very good movie, and the ending, with all of its revelations, is just downright silly.

Well, Dark City is heavily influenced by German expressionism...

You can get a lot more out of the film if you've seen films such as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Nosferatu, Metropolis, Sunrise, Dr. Mabuse, etc...

 

[Sean Campbell]

The film would be a classic if it wasn't for the music ( from the otherwise excellent Trevor Jones ). The background score never lets out for most of the duration, it just drums away constantly. It really got on my nerves after a while.
Guy crossing the street. Dum dum dum dum...
Two characters having a conversation. Dum dum dum dum...
Silence is golden. Some things work better without wall to wall music.

 

[DeanWalsh]

I've only seen Metropolis out of the films you mention and I still love Dark City, even more so after seeing it again recently. It was the first time I've watched the film since Matrix came out, and hadn't realised how much The Matrix copied story elements wholesale from Dark City.

 

[Henry Gale]

I collect Jennifer Connally movies, of any quality. Dark City is a great film. the sale price is just a bonus.

 

[JohnnyHK]

any tips on how long that narration is? So I can mute it for that long

From IMDB's trivia page for Dark City:

Many fans of the film prefer to watch it with the sound turned off during the opening narration, until the first appearance of Kiefer Sutherland.

 

[Bryan_Bortz]

Sweet, thanks for the tip! I have this on my Netflix Queue and will remember that.

-Owl

 

[Martin_T]

I recently bought this blind myself, simply because the $5.99 price at Best Buy was too good to pass up.

Turned out to be a wonderful surprise! Great sci-fi movie!

Buy it now! Enjoy it soon!

 

[Jan Strnad]

Thanks for the heads-up on the $5.99 price at Best Buy! I checked it out and picked up a copy. BTW, at my local store, it was shelved with the science fiction titles, not in the Special Value sections.

Tips like this one are what make the HTF so great!

Jan

 

[Chris]

This was also one of my top-10 for 1998, and I had always contended the DTS LD was one of my favs. I picked up on DVD for $24 at one point, I know several I'll give it as gifts to who are sci-fi fans for $6!

 

[Edwin-S]

I hope he does a better job than he did on "Dark City". I don't know why people wax so eloquent about this movie. I would not call it a bad movie, but it certainly is not the cinematic masterpiece that everyone (mostly) here thinks it is. I thought the movie was confused, to say the least. I like science fiction, and I don't consider this movie science fiction. DC reminded me more of fantasy/horror. I saw the film once and have never had the urge to ever watch it again: unlike Blade Runner which really is a Science Fiction movie.

 

[Garrett Adams]

Is there a template one must follow? I'm a big fan of Blade Runner as well as Dark City. I think Dark City has a very strong science element and as far as I know it is fiction.

 

[Bill J]

Did New Line ever repackage Dark City in a keepcase or is it still a snapper?

 

[teapot2001]

At the Best Buy I went to, it was priced at $14.99 in the science fiction section.

~T

 

[Nick Senger]

A big thank you to all of those who encouraged me to get this. I purchased it yesterday and watched it last night. It exceeded my expectations. I didn't realize it was going to be as intellectual or as atmospheric. I've been disappointed in some other contemporary sci-fi movies, but Dark City is definitely a great one. I even think my wife will like it.

Though I like Brazil and Fritz Lang's Metropolis better, I will definitely be watching Dark City multiple times. I also look forward to the two commentaries.

Thanks again!