My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies of All Time - #20
By Ken Parker
Some of my favorite sci-fi movies are mysteries. They have an almost
Twilight Zone feel to them as the story unfolds and a major
reveal happens. Most movies have some kind of story that reveals
answers as they go along. A movie like The Abyss sets up some
strange happening and the audience gets to see the answer by the
films end. The following movie has this type of mystery that
includes a very good pay off.I don't always like cut and dry answers and as you will see in this and many reviews, endings don't have to be spelled out all the time.
20 - Dark City (1998)
I have only seen this film three times. Up until just recently I had
not revisited it in years. One does not have to see a film a bunch
of times to enjoy it or even put it on their top lists. The recent
viewing of this film was of the director's version of the film and
since it was so long ago since I have seen the film, I didn't really
notice much different other than the lack of prologue that gives you
the entire secret of the story ahead of time. Why must films be
dumbed down so often is another mystery.
Anyhow, Dark City is an outstanding film about self,
perceptions and reality. The noir look and atmosphere adds to feel
of the film.
IMDB Story Summary
John
Murdoch awakens alone in a strange hotel to find that he has lost his
memory and is wanted for a series of brutal and bizarre murders.
While trying to piece together his past, he stumbles upon a fiendish
underworld controlled by a group of beings known as The Strangers who
possess the ability to put people to sleep and alter the city and its
inhabitants. Now Murdoch must find a way to stop them before they
take control of his mind and destroy him.
When preparing for this article I realized that it had been over 10
years since I had seen this film. That is much too long to not
experience this movie again. I went out and got the blu-ray and
watched the director's cut. I liked this version as it didn't have
everything explained to the audience. For the most part, we are not
as dumb as studios think we are, I think.
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Like many films on my list, this one has some incredible imagery not
only with the effects but the sets and filmography. The look reminds
me of Metropolis, Blade Runner in
that noir like style.
The idea that reality is changed overnight follows along a common
theme of not being in control of reality. Not everything is as it
seems and we are not in control of our lives. Elements of this theme
exist in other movies on my list like Inception and in other
excellent films like The Adjustment Bureau and The Truman
Show. It is an interesting idea that Dark City perfects
to a high degree. Interestingly the aliens in Dark City and
the men of the Adjustment Bureau both wear hats and are not fond of
water.
Good performances, especially by Keifer Sutherland and Jennifer
Connelly, highlight some of the other good points to the film.
When did I first see this film – opening weekend
How many times have I seen it – as of my latest viewing, only 3
Do I have it on DVD/Bluray – just got it on Bluray
Good choice.
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