Dark City (1998)

A man struggles with memories of his past, including a wife he cannot remember, in a nightmarish world with no sun and run by beings with telekinetic powers who seek the souls of humans.

Director:

Alex Proyas

Writers:

Alex Proyas (story), Alex Proyas (screenplay),

Stars:

Rufus Sewell, William Hurt, Kiefer Sutherland

6 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rufus Sewell	...	John Murdoch
William Hurt	...	Inspector Frank Bumstead
Kiefer Sutherland	...	Dr. Daniel P. Schreber
Jennifer Connelly	...	Emma Murdoch
Richard O'Brien	...	Mr. Hand
Ian Richardson	...	Mr. Book
Bruce Spence	...	Mr. Wall
Colin Friels	...	Walenski
John Bluthal	...	Karl Harris
Mitchell Butel	...	Husselbeck
Melissa George	...	May
Frank Gallacher	...	Stromboli
Ritchie Singer	...	Hotel Manager / Vendor
Justin Monjo	...	Taxi Driver
Nicholas Bell	...	Mr. Rain

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

memory | murder | hotel | night | sleep | 

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Taglines:

Darkness Falls Soon

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Genres:

Mystery | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violent images and some sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

New Line Cinema [us]

Country:

Australia USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 February 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dark Empire

Filming Locations:

Fox Studios, Moore Park, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Box Office

Budget:

$27,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£309,525 (UK) (29 May 1998)

Gross:

£848,615 (UK) (19 June 1998)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mystery Clock Cinema, New Line Cinema

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min 111 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Mr. Sleep is played by twins, a girl (Satya Gumbert) and her brother (Noah Gumbert). Both were fond of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and they (and the rest of the cast and crew) were frequently entertained by Richard O'Brien, who played Mr. Hand in this film and Riff Raff in "Rocky Horror", with recitations from that film.

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Goofs

The cable supporting John Murdoch when he opens the door and nearly falls down the shaft.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Dr. Schreber: [voiceover] First there was darkness. Then came the strangers. They were a race as old as time itself. They had mastered the ultimate technology. The ability to alter physical reality by will alone. They called this ability "Tuning". But they were dying. Their civilization was in decline, and so they abandoned their world seeking a cure for their own mortality. Their endless journey brought them to a small, blue world in the farthest corner of the galaxy. Our world. Here they ...

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Connections

Featured in 5 Second Movies: The Matrix Trilogy (2012)

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Soundtracks

"The Night Has 1000 Eyes"
Written by Marilyn Garrett, Dottie Wayne and Ben Weisman
Sung by Anita Kelsey

User Reviews

Confusing at first but ultimately fantastic

John Mudoch (Rufus Sewell) awakes in a bathtub completely naked, with blood dripping down his forehead, unaware of what is happening, he remembers nothing. In the next room he finds a dead body and a blood stained knife. What follows is john trying to piece together what is happening to him and what he unravels is one of the greatest science fiction stories ever put to film. There is a group called the strangers who have an ability to physically change surroundings of them and the people living in the city, they call this ability "tuning". They soon discover that john also has this ability, which is impossible as it would take a normal human a few lifetimes to gain the ability to "tune". Thats the most i can tell without giving away major plot points.

The movie is set in a 1940ish looking city where detectives are hunting John, along with the mysterious strangers. The tall buildings and the knowledge that the strangers could be anywhere in the city gives a menacing ambiance, heightening the tension in the movie and giving off a great effect on the viewer. The special effects in Dark City are stunning and realistic, especially when certain characters use "tuning".

Rufus Sewell gives a good performance as John Murdoch, though i could'nt help feeling he was holding back somewhat. I could think of a few other actors who could have gave a much better performance but he was generally good.

Kiefer Sunderland as Dr. Daniel Schreber was very good and seemed to have put all of his effort into his character, its quite an unusual role for Sunderland but he pulls it off pretty well.

Another performance worth mentioning is Richard O'Brien as Mr Hand, he gives a genuinely creepy performance as one of the main strangers, i thought i would see him and think crystal maze through all of his scenes but he does a pretty good job of playing a convincing character.

Overall the movie leaves a few unanswered questions, leaving the viewer to conduct their own theories about the outcome of events. I have a good grasp of the story as a whole but some people will find bits and pieces confusing. A great film anyways, i gave it an 8 because it tends to drag in some spots, but the end makes up for all doubts.