DARK CITY (1999) - WTF Happened To This Horror Movie?!
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- čas přidán 28. 05. 2024
- Director Alex Proyas’s DARK CITY wasn’t a hit when it was released to theatres in 1998, but it did receive a lot of positive attention from critics, with Roger Ebert even going so far as to name it the best film of the year. So it’s interesting that the theatrical cut was a compromised version of Proyas’s vision, the result of the film being whittled down after it received a weak response from a test screening audience. In this video, we’re going to dig into the making, editing, and re-editing of DARK CITY to find out What the F*ck Happened to This Horror Movie
WATCH OR OWN DARK CITY HERE! amzn.to/3f5Y45x
This episode was written by Cody Hamman, narrated by Jason Hewlett and Edited by Lance Vlcek. It was Produced by John Fallon and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.
SERIES SYNOPSIS: Hollywood has had its fair share of historically troubled productions. Whether it was casting changes, actor deaths, fired directors, in-production rewrites, constant delays, budget cuts or studio edits, these films had every intention to be a blockbuster, but were beset with unforeseen disasters. Sometimes huge hits, sometimes box office bombs. Either way, we have to ask: WTF Happened To This Horror Movie?
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#darkcity #wtfhappenedtothishorrormovie - Krátké a kreslené filmy
I never thought of this as a horror movie. It seemed more like a thriller to me.
Technically it falls under the category of Gothic mystery.
Not only did I never think of it as a horror movie, I wasn't previously aware ANYONE did.
I had this strictly as a science fiction movie and an excellent one at that.
@@bighuge1060 I think part of the issue is that sci-fi and fantasy have always had elements that intersect with horror, in works that aren't horror per se. Obviously a work can be both--horror/sci-fi is a thing--but simply having creepy or macabre elements doesn't necessarily qualify a work as horror. It can be a blurry line, I admit, and one of those lines concerns malevolent aliens--what makes Alien horror, but War of the Worlds not? You might say the relative gruesomeness of what the aliens do to the humans, but I think it's also a matter of emphasis. I think you could make War of the Worlds into horror, and I think that while the original Alien is definitely horror, the second film (Aliens) has somewhat more of an action-adventure feel.
In Dark City, the creatures are kept in the background for much of the story, there aren't any gruesome killings (or are there? I can't remember, it's been so long since I saw the film), and the film's suspense isn't really built around the aliens--it focuses more on the noirish situations in the city. And the aliens themselves seem more creepy than scary. Obviously it's subjective to some degree, but as I said earlier, I've never heard ANYONE describe this film as horror until I saw this video. And I'm someone who tends to be the one arguing for a broader definition of horror than a lot of people accept (whenever I list my favorite horror films, I invariably pick Silence of the Lambs and Jacob's Ladder, both of which many people do not consider to belong in the genre).
I felt it almost like an adventure movie. It shows so much the antagonist side, so the movie loses that fear of the unknown. But it could have be made focused on the horror side too. There's so much Lovecraftian elements in it.
This isn’t a horror movie. It’s a Noir meets Sci-Fi meets thriller. I saw this in theaters when it came out and was absolutely thrilled with it. About to thrilled with the Director Cut as it takes out the opening lines by Keifer Sutherland. For me, that’s what set the tone for the movie.
I still love this movie to this day. All the actors give amazing performances, and I feel that the ending is the perfect way to finish off the movie.
I had not heard the term Horror applied to this film before. Sci-fi & Fantasy yes, but not horror.
Rented this movie when I was 12 in the early 2000s and I fell asleep 30mins in
Years later when I was 19 I decided to give it a 2nd chance and rented the directors cut and immediately fell in love with it and bought it the next day. This movie is a masterpiece
It’s crazy how there were so many underrated Sci-Fi gems in the 90s ( Existenz, Gattaca, Strange Days, Thirteenth Floor) a decade that seemed to embrace the Future ala New Millennium.
Nice list! Gattaca and Existenz in particular are really good
Existenz was neat, it was Cronenberg doing a lower budget passion project. Gattaca was unwatchable trash. That movie just sucked, unless you love watching swimming.
@@kimbaptempura4073 well, thanks for that opinion, I guess?
@@kimbaptempura4073 Okay so how exactly did Gattaca suck? I'd love to hear an explanation that involves more than just personal taste.
it's funny, I remember watching Gattaca in my 10th grade science class because we were studying DNA.
I feel happy that Dark City's getting more love. It's definitely one of my favorite movies of all time.
most underrated sci-fi noir film!
Completely agree
Yeah, don't know why they call it a horror. I suppose it's a nightmare vision but definitely not what I consider a horror movie.
Matrix would not have happened if not for this movie
You couldn't be more correct.
Agreed.
I saw this when it was released, and I think there were 3 or 4 people in the theater, including myself. I was blown away by it, and it's still one of my favorite sci-fi films. Criminally underrated!
Dont worry this film got its Justice thru the matrix crazy similarities
Exactly my experience as well!
@@shelbymarchant2753 Yeah I have long held that this movie inspired the matrix.
I agree love this film
It's the matrix before the matrix and the 13th floor
I remembered going to the theaters when this came out. I was by myself. I wondered why? This movie is a gem. I could imagine this being in black and white.
I had the same experience
I never considered it in B&W. (thank you)
@@BobMinelli I always imagined that lol
Same! Saw it all by myself, a lonely high school student realizing that most people I knew would never appreciate it, and probably had shit taste in movies.
It is in black and white. You've only been made to believe it's in colour.
The 'existential' era succession of films: existenZ, Dark City, The Matrix, and The 13th Floor.
Man, I wish The 13th Floor wasn't so overlooked. If it hadn't had the bad luck to come out the same year as The Matrix, it would probably be more remembered.
And that episode of AYAOTD
Don't put that shitty Matrix movie in the same category as this masterpiece. The Matrix is like the godawful rip-off mockbuster version of Dark City. It's like the Ratatoing to Ratatouille.
And Gattaca.
Equilibrium has the same feel too.. Damn those dark gritty movies of that era were amazing.
I didn’t know there was a directors cut. Thanks for that. I love this movie.
Jennifer Connelly's vocals are even left intact in the director's cut. (They were overdubbed in the original release.)
Jeah me too, now I have to buy it again.
It blew my nipples off.
So glad I got to see this when it was in the theater. The director's cut is even better. That hidden double helix at the end was genius. 🖤👏
Clicked so fast. Saw Dark City before I saw The Matrix and thought it copied Dark City. I bought the the Director's Cut (bought it twice actually, once on DVD and later on Blu-Ray) and it was even better. I wish I'd seen the Director's Cut first so I wouldn't have head the opening narration, but c'est la vie.
Considering when Proyas first wrote the movie versus when the Matrix was released, I'm leaning toward thinking one of the many studios who "passed" on his script had the Wachowskis adapt his concepts. Years ago there was another lady who claimed the Wachowskis stole her script for the Matrix as well so nothing would surprise me.
I saw Dark City in the theater when I was 14, it blew my mind.
I was about the same age too.
I've never really thought of this as a horror film. To me it's a sci-fi noir with a hunted protagonist. All things I happen to love.
I remember reading an article or watching a video about how The Matrix did have real big overlapping story points with this movie. And even The Matrix used parts of the city props that were built for Dark City in the background of a fight on the rooftops. I still wonder how big of a connection there is between those movies.
Dark CIty remains one of my favorite movies I own on DVD.
I saw this in the theater, at a time when there were dozens of throwaway shit being made, and this must have gotten lost in the mix. I was blown away not just by the eye candy of the cinematography and production design, but the story, and mystery just blew me away, man I was so surprised at how damn entertaining this movie is. This is a total MUST WATCH!
Love this movie, one of the sci-fi hidden gems I always recommend to people (director's cut obviously).
And it's funny that i remember watching it in theaters when it came out as a 17 years old and thinking to myself "the movie is great, even better than the Crow, but why the hell did they gave away the twist at the start of the movie?!".
I remember seeing this movie in 98. In some ways it was like the Matrix that came a year later. Dark city has similar themes.........people living in a construct they are vaguely aware of, and are struggling to discover the real power that shapes their world. Murdoch and Neo are in a similar predicament.
Not a "horror movie" at all. But one of the best sci-Fi movies ever.
I saw this in the cinema because I was a big fan of Rocky Horror and saw Richard O'Brian was in it. I'm so glad I did and told so many people about it. I wonder why it didn't do well? Maybe it was ahead of its time. It definitely influenced many movies like The Matrix (literally having them steal scenes)
i think the reason it wasn't super popular when it came out was because it's philosophical undertones, people kinda want scary scary or action. but this is a slow burn movie that sticks with you long after you've seen. the acting, setting, premise was just fantastic, and i wish there was a prequel with that detective that would be amazing.
Also an amazing score by Trevor Jones.
Absolutely. "You Have The Power" is still my go-to track when I want to try out new speakers or headphones or whatnot.
Thank you for this review. It is one of few films I'll watch more than once. Full of interesting ideas, evocative science fiction noir visuals, and so well-acted.
My dad passed away this year on March 5, 2021, my dad passed away exactly 3 years, in the 3rd month & 3 days before his baby brother(my uncle) who passed away on March 8, 2018.
My dad was a very spiritually connected man, my dad was not faith based off of a worldly kind of religious belief system, my dad practiced what he preached & This DARK CiTY is one of my dads favorite movies & it became my favorite movie when I saw it with him at my tender age of 9yrd old when this came out in 1998.
I use to have dreams about beings that would look almost like these “STRANGERS” but their appearance was a lot more sinister than what’s depicted in the film(mind you) I dreamt about these beings before I had ever seen the movie, when I told my dad about these dreams that’s when he showed me this movie & he said
”Tiger, you have a gift just like myself & Mr. John Murdock within this film, he also continued to say to me “Tiger don’t you ever let no one tell you that you are krazy, because that shit is dismissive & all the way NOT the truth, YOU & I, MY SON, are VERY MUCH ALiKE, because I have had dreams about otherworldly beings/demons & I have also seen aliens/UFO before(& I am a witness to that because he & I saw a UFO together & we’ve never told anyone)”.
Live On In Peace Daddy
I love you
I also want to thank my dad, again, for raising me to look at the world for what it really & truly is over what’s it’s fabricated for the public to believe to be TRUTH.
Dark City was & is still my favorite movie & every-time I watch it, I happily reminisce on the times that my dad & I spent together & together watching this amazing film👏🏿👏🏿
i've seen this flick on dvd somewhen in 99 and fell absolutely in love with it. sewell was simply brilliant and the whole cronenbergian vibe of the movie hit every base with me. to this day baffles me how how much of a commercial failure 'dark city' could become :(
I haven't watched Dark City in a long time. It's a classic weird sci-fi mystery thriller. Yes. The plot is complicated and it's one of those movies you have to watch again and again. Dark City is a dark visual nightmarish masterpiece.
I actually have this one in the DVD collection. Aside from the over the top performance from Sutherland being about 20% too much it was a really cool concept and well done.
It's odd that the film was released in 1998. In 1999 we got The Matrix and Cronenberg's eXistenZ. But The Matrix in specific had comparisons to Dark City. I love The Matrix too, but Dark City in my view was the superior film. The Matrix didn't let you know who was running the world until about 40 minutes in. Replace the alien strangers with AI and set it on Earth instead of space throw in more action and you have The Matrix.
I see Dark City, I click.
I’m waiting for the UHD disc version if it ever becomes available
Love this movie. I remember watching the original cut and loving it. The Directors cut is def more digestible for someone who doesn't love the mystery of the film but it's no where as good as the original. A classic either way.
I remember seeing this opening weekend when i was a teenager. I went to see movies every weekend with some friends for several years.
Thanks so much for this! I love Dark City and now I must own that Director's Cut! Great Video!
Must get Director’s Cut of this great movie!
Thank you for this video
I saw this at the cinema on one of my day long movie binges where I just went through as many screenings as I could. I was blown away by this so much that I can't actually remember what else I saw that day. Seeing The Matrix after this felt like I was watching a less interesting take on the idea, it just didn't impact me in the same way as Dark City did.
I had a weird experience with "Dark City." My mother took me to a screening of it when I was about 13 or so. The theater was nearly empty and when the movie started, the volume was almost deafening. To this day I've never been to a film that was so unabashedly LOUD. The background noise and sound effects were so heavy, it was difficult to make out the dialogue. Never had this experience before or since.
in Australia we got the directors cut first up. The sledgehammer scene at the end was the most surprising reveal in movie history. Certainly a 'six sense' moment.
Calling "Dark City" a horror movie is like calling "The Matrix" a musical.
Neo! A science fable
The analogy of the musical part is terrible. But I agree. Dark City isn't a horror movie. However, many state Silence of the Lambs as a horror, which I think is a thriller.
I'm a huge horror enthusiast, so horror fans claiming only people who don't like the genre consider Lambs to be a thriller is way off!
yeah.. that was weird. My favorite horror movie is the secret of nimh :)
Oh, this is a horror movie, you just don't know it's a horror movie until five months later when you drive to work at 6 am, in the dark, and come home at 6 pm still in the dark and nothing in your life has changed. That's when you remember this movie and think "Is the sun real?", "I remember the sun, but can I trust my memories?". You'll find yourself going outside in the middle of the day for no other reason then to confirm that the sun is still there. That's when you know this is a horror movie.
@@bobdole1105
"Oh, this is a horror movie, you just don't know it's a horror movie until five months later when you drive to work at 6 am, in the dark, and come home at 6 pm still in the dark and nothing in your life has changed. That's when you remember this movie and think "Is the sun real?", "I remember the sun, but can I trust my memories?". You'll find yourself going outside in the middle of the day for no other reason then to confirm that the sun is still there. That's when you know this is a horror movie."
Sounds more like a psychological thriller.
Nice timing; I rewatched this for the umpteenth time just last week.
A true underrated classic, one of my favourites
I don't get how people prefer The Matrix to Dark City.
Great video; I love Dark City; one of my favorite films that I've seen over 1K times.
Got it on video. Great flick. Absolutely a great flick. And a fantastic channel.
Loved this one!!!
This is my 2nd favorite movie. I saw this 6 times in empty theaters, which seems to be a theme here. It's just such a beautiful, brilliant little thing.
There is a timeline where Proyas got a fair shake from the industry and I would love to see it some day.
I'm very interested in the Director's Cut--Thanks for an informative video!
This was (is) a great film. I watched it several times when it was first available. It was like no other film at the time, and I find it so incredibly different to the Matrix.They only have a few aspects in common. Dark City is more intimate, more of a man's journey (for me), less action and more intrigue. Plus it felt like it could happen in any era, I loved the mix of old and new. Matrix was definitely about the future, and while the first one was good, it's definitely more flashy. Shut It Down!!!! :)
MUCH better than The Matrix.
too bad it got overshadowed by the latter.
Saw this in a half empty cinema.raved about it to anyone who would listen.a truly stunning film.
Will we ever get a Black Sheep video on Nightbreed or a WTF Happened To This Horror Movie video for Saw 3D?
Yes... VERY soon, infact.
I saw this in the theater the day it was released. I walked in late and missed the opening narration. I loved the movie so much I walked out of the theater and bought a ticket to the next showing. When I saw the opening narration I was PISSED they gave it away.
There’s a scene right at the end of this movie where Jennifer Connelly’s character stands on a pier looking out to the sea, she seems to do this in a few movies she is in, including the House of Sand and Fog and Requiem for a Dream.
I finally watched this about 2 years ago & really enjoyed it. The mystery is quite good with some great performances & the aesthetic is creepy with the dystopian setting
I've always liked Dark City (I saw it at a theater, on it's premiere date), great video...
This film is not a horror film. it is , to take from the original The Terminator bar :- Technoir.
I loved the original and the directors cut is just perfection. A great cinematic work.
Such a classy movie.
Loved this one so much
I remember seeing it in theaters with my Dad when it came out. It opened my eyes to sci-fi (which I always considered it).
The Directors Cut version is the only version I'll ever buy or watch again.
Great film and director!
One of my favourite films. Great visuals and premise.
Watched it the first week it came out. Still one of my all time favorite trailers and movies. Even have a custom poster on my wall.
When i first saw this movie i fell in love. Great cast and great movie theory. Reminds me of the 13tg floor, another great thriller
This movie is super underrated. It’s fantastic.
Saw it in the theater and regret nothing. It’s so good.
Great freaking film. Absolutely loved it. And the ending is amazing!
Love this movie and glad to hear ‘spilling the beans’ still being used
This is one of my all-time favorites. Saw it twice in the theater, and own the director's cut.
I have owned this movie like 5 different times & every single time it goes missing. I def need to watch this again.
Same! I’ve had it swiped from my collection twice, so my husband tracked down the Director’s Cut Blu-Ray for me a couple of weeks ago and I got to introduce him to it for the first time and he was hooked
Such an amazing flick, the very definition of dark and claustrophobic, both visually and conceptually. It's pretty funny how it came out just before The Matrix having a somewhat similar story line, yet not getting anywhere near the level of recognition it got. At least it achieved cult status, and even if relatively small it gained a good fan base. 🖤🏴☠️💣
Weird. I swear I saw Dark City without the narration (because I was confused about what was going on and got to discover things as the lead character), but I’d also swear I saw it before 2008. Did they show the director’s cut on TV before releasing it? Or maybe I was channel surfing and landed on it after the narration. Maybe that was it.
Remember watching the matrix and thinking "this is just dark city" without the subtlety. Matrix 1,2,3 is summed up in one Dark City
I will never forget watching this for the first time. I happened to be on 3 hits of some lsd. One of the greatest experiences. Couldn’t tell if it was the acid or the special effects during most of the movie haha
I have not even heard of this movie?
Amazing that something like this had slipped through the net?
I shall now start out upon my quest!
Cherrs 👍🇬🇧
Remember it was before the Matrix, and you'll never see the Matrix again the same way.
Loved this movie. Even as a kid I adored it, while my parents thought it was stupid. Same thing happened with Fight Club. Most people simply can't go farther than surface-level on things.
I love the film, but never thought of it as horror at all. Interesting history. Thanks.
Great Movie, love the ending!
gotta admit, i like the opening of the theatrical cut better. the people falling asleep in the prologue enhances the mystery imo. i wish the directors cut had kept that part
I distinctly remember seeing the trailer and from the look alone thinking "this must be Alex Proyas" given how much it reminded me of The Crow, which I adore.
I believe some of the sets were re-used in the opening scenes of The Matrix
To start by calling this, one of the greatest films of all time, a horror movie makes me wonder if your reviewer has even watched it.
Not horror this is film noir set in space. Criminally underrated.
It was remade, and retitled as "The Matrix". Add faster action, machine guns and wire-fu and you have the Matrix.
I need to watch this one again.
I hope this gets a 4k blu ray release
Going on a JoBlo Horror marathon..so good!
Such a great flick. Very underrated.
Absolute classic of a film!
What a film! Might watch it tonight for the millionth time.
One of my all time favorite films-I classify this as a Neo Noir Sci Fi Thriller
I really like this movie. I still sometimes yell "SHUT IT DOWN!" whenever applicable. Thanks for explaining the reason why the movie ends with an awful cgi fest
Ah, the late ‘90s. What a time for film lovers 👌
I've made it a point to rewatch this masterpiece. But so many great movies have come and gone over the course of 20+ years that I sort of forgot about DARK CITY. This video review might be the final push to do it. It's kind of like LEGEND or EXCALIBUR. A beautiful fever dream of film.
The directors cut is a masterpiece. Love Dark City, one of the best movies ever
James Cameron had a real bad fever dream in the late 70’s. It later became The Terminator
I remember renting Cube and Dark City at Block Buster and watching them back to back
I saw it in the theaters and loved it. Even bought the soundtrack.
I remember watching this movie on VHS over and over again and again....
As a kid i didn't really understood it very well.
Awesome underated sci Fi movie.
😎💯😉
I've never seen this movie, but seems it deserved to be more than a cult classic, something of a Matrix event. Anyway, I think Proyas deserves more credit than he's gotten. He is a true visionary and most of his movies are quite distinctive. In a time when anybody is called a "visionary" (I'm looking at you, Zack Snyder, you hack), he's a truly creative force. His failed Paradise Lost project could have been something special. I haven't seen God of Egypt, but it surely was a weird choice for him. Looks more like a Michael Bay/Louis Leterrier film.
Do yourself a favour. It deserves a watch.
Dark City is vastly underrated
One of my favorite films as a kid