The Matrix was filmed at the same Fox Studios, Sydney, and production scheduled next in line after Dark City. In late '96 the Matrix producers were given a tour of the studios while Dark City was being made and after shooting some of the sets were purchased by the producers of The Matrix.
You can see where the Wachowski's took the distinctive green color palette from Dark City for everything inside The Matrix- it's become a sorta Hollywood staple since then for setting an uneasy tone in set design- lots of pale green tile, dripping water, black tones jacked up some, etc.
I feel like this must be pretty common, like pretending like you're moving automatic doors with your mind. Another common saying of mine is "We're gonna lose a lot in the transfer, Ken" as a response to being asked to do something outside normal parameters. It's from Apollo 13 and the correct response is "Yeah, but all we're talking about here is four amps." ("four amps" can be replaced with something appropriate to the specific situation). So far nobody's provided the correct response.
The director has said Dark City was held back for at least a year, and during that time, the film was privately screened for the Wachowskis prior to filming the Matrix. That would explain why the first act of The Matrix feels so much like Dark City in aesthetic and tone. And of course, the Matrix re-used rooftop sets from Dark City.
Also look up "Nirvana" (IMDB tt0119794) and "Skyggen" (IMDB tt0136535) Was a bit of a cyberpunk virtuality inflation around that time. I'm sure there are many more examples.
I saw this movie in theaters by accident. I was 19 and my brother was 14. We had paid to watch Rounders and after that movie was over, we hopped into another room and Dark City was just starting. It became one of my favorite Sci-fi films ever.
This movie got better for me on 2nd watch - picking up stuff I missed the 1st time around because I was a bit confused on some parts. I liked it the 1st time and loved it after the 2nd watch.
That is the thing though, they didn't need to actually see what it was like in the 1950's. They went off the memories of the people they took. It is possible that it has been the 1950's there for generations.
I don't think it's necessarily true that these people are even human or abducted. They could have been made in a lab and given fake memories from the Doctor but the Doctor's memories definitely did have to come from somewhere in time. There's no way to place it in time though. The Doctor could have come from 3000AD or anything after 1950 AD. I guess at a certain point the 1950's would become so distant that nobody would really think of them very much. Last I knew manipulating memories wasn't something that we can do, yet, so I would actually assume he was from the future at some point compared to us. Then again the memory manipulation tech in the movie come from the aliens so I don't know how the doctor would have known how to do it without being taught in a training coarse on Earth unless they taught him how to do it as well. It felt like the movie implied he knew how to do it before he wiped his own memories. I don't know if there's anyway to place what solar system they are in either. They maybe able to get back to Earth or they might being 1,000 years in the future on the opposite side of the universe. These people may not even be aging anymore, either even if they are abductees. The doctor does say that "nobody remembers who they are anymore" implying they did at one time know who they were but is he just making assumptions after his memory was wiped or does he actually know that for sure.
@@parker469a The only reason why I don't think the people are grown for the experiment is because they remember things the strangers don't want. The sun or water being the main examples. If the people and their memories were homegrown I don't think they would have included those in their memories. But then I guess that makes me wonder why the strangers didn't delete the knowledge of those things.
I would have never thought to confuse Daniel Craig for Richard O'Brien. O'Brien as James Bond would have been an interesting take. Lets do the Time Warp Again.
@patturk7408 I 'm wondering if DANIEL Craig will ever see this and think '' YOU WHAT !!'' in exasperated English fashion lol!! Mr Movies is usually intentionally funny that was an unintentional moment i found funny. Not throwing shade on one of my favourite reactors here in fact it was a great review i love how this blends 50's Noir and SCI FI fantasy into a very unique vision. i seem to get more out of it each time i do watch it again . and it is rare to find movies like this now and how it praises the power of the human spirit .
Murdoch couldn't take them back to Earth because he wouldn't know where it is. It is possible he even doesn't have a concept of a world outside of the city and Shell Beach, so at least at the beginning he's only going to build on what he knows - i.e. fix the city and add Shell Beach and daytime. Everyone, including the doctor, only have limited memory, but usually they aren't even aware of that limit until someone like Murdoch wakes from the imprinted life and asks them questions, and then they realise they can't remember the details. Only then they start to think about what they are missing. It would be interesting to know what Murdoch would do afterwards with his tuning powers.
I found that this movie was a lot deeper than the matrix. The matrix movie has only one real revelation. "what if reality was fake". Here it takes that concept several steps further. It asks "what if reality is sculpted?" Are our personalities all just a sum of our memories? What if you change those memories? Would the personality change completely or is there something inside of us that really makes us who we are? If you injected the memories of a killer into two separate people would they both do the same thing and continue killing? So while the matrix is more fun action wise, Dark city has much more to think about.
They touch on similar subjects, but are also very different movies and not necessarily for the same audiences. I don't really see them as competing movies. The supplement each other nicely, I think. This is coming from an old fan of both, having watched both movies at least 7 times. It depends largely on what is meant by the "The Matrix". The Matrix works best as a stand a lone, with the extended universe and following movies ruining much of the openness the original movie gave us. I know they planned it as a trilogy, but I can't really with good conscious recommend people to watch Reloaded, Revolution and especially Resurrections. I got to see The Matrix when it came out, without knowing anything about it in advance, so it obviously blow me away. Dark City on the other hand has Jennifer Connelly, who'll always have a special place in my heart, growing up with Labyrinth :) The way I see it: As a story The Matrix(singular movie) is more interesting, grand and relevant and hits closer to home for more people, than Dark City. But this is obviously very subjective. The Matrix is/was more cool and 'corny'(for a lack of a better word), something that will turn off some people. Others might be turned off Dark City by the theatrical feel (something they briefly mentioned in this video), the dark(literally) theme, slow pacing and the (deliberately) overacting by Kiefer Sutherland. People will always have preferences, and that is fine. Both are obvious great movies. The Matrix focus more on the surface of things in its storytelling, while this movie has more focus on the inner thoughts of the people effected. In The Matrix you follow Neo closely, you see things from his(us the viewers) perspective, where you in Dark City are slightly more along for the ride while also getting involved in the thoughts of other people (e.g. the detective). What both movies does well is to make people think! This is the main reason why I think the original Matrix(again singular movie) edges out for me. It has an even more open ending story, something I really enjoy, and something I wish more movies would do... But when we include all the additions that was following made to The Matrix after 1999, something I personally ignore, then things can look increasingly in favor of Dark City... Slightly of topic: My guess is that religious people prefer how the human mind is portrait in Dark City. As something special and mystical versus the relatively simple and cold way it is done in The Matrix .. But then again, the Matrix have the kiss of true love going for it, that breaks this simplicity.. Any way, cool movies with a lot to talk and think about :) Cheers!
I liked the Matrix but... The human body requires more energy than it produces - that's why we eat. So...we make TERRIBLE batteries, lol. When I realized that, well, I still like the Matrix, but can never get that outta my head. With Dark City, none of the "how" needs explaining. Which, other than there being no increasingly stretched sequels, is why I like Dark City so much more.
Its a MacGuffin, just a fast superficial explanation to get things going. Not something particular important to the plot, imo. It doesn't matter to me why the machines made the Matrix, it could be inside another matrix for all we know, but I accept that some people feel different. That is fine. Some people will similarly be put off by the non-scientific "magic" in Dark City. I teach science to pupils btw, so I'm well aware of the different kinds of energy and how batteries work. If I were to be critical about small things like that, then I wouldn't be able to enjoy most hard sci-fi involving aliens or time travel :) @roin6916
John was just a random guy who, through the various tunings had evolved to use that ability on his own. He had never even met Emma before they made it back to the apartment. He unconsciously tuned most of the serial killer memories right out of the doctors hand mid-injection. So John was never a killer. None of the people were swapped. Their memories had all been extracted, then the doctor mixed-n-matched them to create whatever the strangers needed for their experiments. Be it cabby, salesman, detective etc. Nobody was who they were born as. None of them knew the way home, back to Earth. So with that not even being an option, the only way to proceed would be forward. Clean slate time for John and "Anna" who met on a pier just outside Shell Beach.
One of my all-time favorite movies! Thanks for this reaction! 25:32 To clarify, John wasn't really a murderer. That was the identity they were about to implant him with just before the start of the movie, when he was asleep in the bathtub. But he tuned the syringe out of the doctor's hand, breaking it, thus leaving him with a partial identity. Uncle Karl would have been set up with his identity at the same time, considering John Murdoch hadn't existed prior to the events of the film. So Karl wasn't "outside the loop," but was just acting according to the personality the doctor had synthesized and implanted him with. At the end, the same guy was now a "different person" and gave up his seat to Emma Murdoch (now Anna) on the city bus. Fascinatingly enough, he wasn't even wheelchair bound anymore, suggesting that his previous condition was completely psychosomatic. Walenski is a pretty open-and-shut case. The guy had been implanted with the identity of a detective, somehow eventually started figuring out that the whole city didn't make sense, then began to disassociate from reality because of it. He pointed out at one point that the woman he was living with "wasn't his wife," likely because the Strangers had changed out the woman implanted with those memories, and he realized it. Walenski may have somehow been missed during a tuning or something, allowing him to realize that reality had changed in impossible ways, driving him crazy. Ultimately, he was a guy in John's position who went crazy and lost it, instead of defeating the Strangers. All the identities of all the people in the movie are completely synthesized by the doctor - there was no real Murdoch or Walenski, or anybody else. There was no real murderer. The closest thing to a real identity in the whole movie is the fact that the doctor really had been a doctor; everything else was false.
I literally started laughing out loud when I saw the thumbnail for this. When I first saw this movie I rented it from blockbuster. My routine at the time was to rent some movies and my ex would bring ones she or I thought her mother would like over to her house after I or we had watched them. This night it was Dark City. My ex worked a night shift and never had a chance to watch it with me but as I was leaving for work in the morning she asked me how the movie was and I said "great!" If I had been thinking at all I would have added her mother would not like Dark City, but I was on the way out the door. So she brought them over to her mother. That face in the thumbnail is almost exactly the face her mother made when I asked her the next time I saw her mother what she thought of the movie, lol. I am dying.
When this came out on DVD the copy I rented was double sided. One side was pan and scanned, or flip it over for letter-boxed. Now of course everything is letter boxed.
@@davidmarquardt9034 I think I still have mine, I've got my double sided copy of Se7en you have to filp mid movie just like a laser disc. My first dvd player cost $600. My dad drove 9 hours to come watch movies with my brother and I when I set up my home theatre. Ahh the good old days.
Interesting fact: *The Matrix* LITERALLY borrowed a lot from this film. Concepts aside, the Wachowskis actually re-used set pieces from *Dark City* to create the rooftop chase scene between Trinity and the cops/agents in the opening scenes.
I spotted at least 4 Australian actors in that movie. Turns out, it was filmed in Australia, so makes sense. Copter guy from Mad Max 2, Melissa George, Paul Livingston or "Flacco" and Colin Friels.
Alex Proyas, the director came out and said in an interview that Dark City was finished in 1997 and sat on a shelf for about a year before it went to cimenas. One of the producers from Dark City went to be involved with The Matrix and they showed Dark City to the makers of The Matrix before it got released with out Alex Proyas's concent. not only that but there were a couple of sets from Dark City that the team from The Matrix used in their own film.
One thing I loved about this movie is that leaves very little room for doubt. While many sci fi movies withhold information till the end, this one gives you all the answer you need. I loved it for that. The big reveal in outer space was not something I expect because of how explicit it was. Honestly it reminded me a lot of an anime called Megazone 23. In the end, Dark City doesn't say anything profound, but the storytelling for its premise was excellent and the technical aspects (cinematography, art, production design etc) are superb. Sometimes that's all you need for a good movie.
Hey, Mr. and Mrs.! This is one of my favorite films! The Director's Cut was definitely the way to go because it eliminates the spoiling opening narration. I saw this five times in a packed NYC theater and the audience audibly gasped each time they burst through the wall at Shell Beach! Collective mind-blowing! Director Alex Proyas really should revisit this story to chronicle Murdoch's godhood and the search for home. Absolute power corrupts and Proyas once considered a sequel with a villainous Murdoch which would have been really interesting. Late film critic Roger Ebert was an outspoken champion of this film. The Wachowski siblings used some of the sets from this movie when they shot "The Matrix" at the same Australian studio. Rufus Sewell has also been in "Dangerous Beauty", "The Illusionist", "The Legend of Zorro", "The Man in the High Castle", "John Adams" and, currently, "The Diplomat".
Daniel Schreber was an actual doctor who wrote Memoirs of My Nervous Illness, one of the first texts on the subject of schizophrenia. He was a schizophrenic himself who had periods of lucidity, during which he wrote about what it was like when he wasn't...hence the use of his name in a film about uncertain identity. And I guess you know by now that Walenski was just Walenski. At one time, Alex Proyas was considering a sequel wherein Murdoch had become the villain, due to having absolute power. It would have been a neat idea, but at this point I guess it's probably never happening.
What a fantasticly dark and moody sci-fi film. Keifer Sutherland is extra creepy with his lazy eye and stilted affectation, but I love that he doesn't have them in the training memories. For more of Jennifer Connelly looking like a pin-up model 😍 - The Rocketeer
Dark city considered by many one of the fathers of Matrix inspiration. I really enjoy this movie, wish had a sequel to continue the story. Jennifer was good with that sweet young girl. And rufus was absolutly great. sadly he didnt get more backstory of the strangers... the all noir vibe was on point!
I understand in part why people compare Dark city to the Matrix, and why people think Dark city is the father of the matrix because it came before. And I can see a bit of that they have something in common and parallel to each other. However, I believe that these are 2 different Movies that each have their own vibe, and in their own unique Way, despite the fact that they have things in common. But I'll agree with you that it would have been cool if there had been a sequel. But I can Live with the fact that there is only one. And unfortunately, I don't think that many people know about it either. And I don't think it was very successful either. And some of that, we can thank Titanic and James Cameron for. But yes, a movie I love and is High on my list❤😊🎉
What if I were to tell you about the concept of Jungian Archetypes? (See Joseph Campbell's "The Hero of a Thousand Faces). The Matrix was released less than a year after this film, and it's stretching credulity to think "The Matrix" was inspired by "Dark City". If you know anything about film making, it can take years to bring a script from concept to screen, especially for a film as complicated as "The Matrix". If you were to follow the making of "The Matrix" you'd find that the Wachowski's had been story boarding every single scene of their film, for years prior to the release of "Dark City". It is not uncommon for many films to contain the same themes and ideas as movies released with in the same time period (Deep Impact v. Armageddon, Volcano V. Dante's Peak, et al.) This could go into Jung's ideas about the collective conscious, but that is beyond the scope of this comment. While the Wachowski's have been accused of plagiarism, most internet articles written about the subject fail to realize the Wachowski's were inspired by a great deal of philosophy and existential thought that has been around for hundreds (if not thousands) of years. Plato's allegory of the Cave explores the limits of human perception and "The Matrix" was obviously inspired by that archetype; yet I don't see anyone claiming "The Matrix" was a ripoff of Plato's philosophy.
@@MarsterKanobi Proyas was developing what will seemingly act as a sequel in tv series form, as reported up until a yr and a half ago. Don't know what happened to it. There's been no updates.
it should be noted that the film was delayed a fair bit, so got released alot later then originally planned. also the wachowski's were there for the early screenings of the film, before they made the matrix, and as many have pointed out, even bought some of their sets from this and reused them in that film.
Thank you for watching this and thanks to Raining Madness for requesting it! An all-time favorite and a movie should be a staple for all reaction channels.
For another noir-esque movie, The Shadow (1994). Needs more reactions by the way, and I think most who have seen it would agree with me. And, as always, Alita Battle Angel (2019) that has some noir-like qualities itself, despite being somewhat cyberpunk.
looooooove this film so much.... was filmed in my hometown of Sydney, Aus and many of my Goth Friends were used as extras for the large crowd scenes involving the 'Strangers'
Such an incredible film, all these other channels keep doing the same old same old fms normally marvel which is so boring, you guys are the only ones I've seen do older popular and non popular alike films and I love it 😍😍😍
I actually find that most people don't ever think 3 steps or more deeper about things. A lot of people get the most surface level information on a subject then move on. The scene where he asks the detective about Shell Beach and the second he asks a second question the detective starts to fall apart which is common for most people.
I think, if I remember right, that Roger Ebert loved this movie so much when it came out he actually did a movie commentary on the dvd when it came out.
That's Richard O'Brien playing Mr. Hand. You'd probably know him best as Riff Raff in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. He was also the writer of it. He's really good at creepy.
I think this movie was greatly overlooked at the time that it was released due to other movies released at the time. I love the noir look of this film and the overall premise and is always fun to put on to either watch or have playing in the background. Glad you guys jumped into this one. If you like this, you should also check out The Thirteenth Floor!
7:17 This actress, Jennifer Connelly, has been on my radar ever since she was in the '91 film _Career Opportunities._ She was 20 years old, that year. I was at a very hormonal time in my life and that movie made her look _good._ More recently, though, I also saw her in the movie _Alita: Battle Angel,_ from 2019, and I recognized her _instantly._ She barely looked a day older. I swear, _fine wine_ does not age this well as this woman.
Honestly, thank you to whoever recommended this film to Mr. & Mrs. Movies ❤️🔥 and thank you two for reacting. I watched it for the first time after seeing this thumbnail. I was not disappointed. It was a cool ride. Fun fact: Biofield Science falls along the lines of "Love is Power" motto. You two should check it out 😉
Sort of. There are four of them, myself included. Some times there is an extra 5th one if the month has 5 Wednesdays. They only pick the Wednesday videos. Everything else is YM&TM choosing it. Unless it’s a month when patreon gets to vote on picks.
Such a good film. It was one of those good quality lower budget one and done movies, a complete story that studios use to support and make. We've lost films like this with studios only putting money into ever more stale franchises... wasn't this an upbeat comment. Thanks for all the awesome uploads!
Always reminded me of a cross between Total Recall and Matrix. Its funny because I saw this before the Matrix, and when I watched Matrix, I remember thinking it reminded me of Dark City. Also, I'm digging that Monday Nitro shirt!!!
This may be the way to watch movies for me. Your comments are funny, at it's half the time without the suspence, everybody seems to love so much, and I find boring, mostly - so emotional it's often pathetic. Your down-to-earth cracks are sometimes LOL-material! And anywho, so charming! Best of luck and blessings and such ;-)
The automat kind of acts as foreshadowing. At an automat you have a bunch of blank spaces that can be filled with food just like all the characters are blank slates.
Not only was the producer of this move also the producer of the Matrix, which explains the rip off from Dark City concepts, but they also used some of the props from Dark City to film the Matrix. Dark city was actually finished being filmed and in the can at the end of 2006 but it took another year to properly edit the movie which was finally finished at the end of 2007 and then came out in 2008. Alex Proyas knows he was ripped off and there's been bad blood ever since.
Yeah, I always wanted to hear more about that. I remember watching the DVD commentary, for this movie, before The Matrix came out, and they said that he (I believe it was Joel Silver) couldn't be here for the commentary because he was off filming some movie called "Matrix" or something. Makes me wonder now how much the Warchowski's really the driving force behind The Matrix, since they had nothing to do with Dark City. It really is a rip-off. Kind of like Wall-E is of Idiocracy, but that's another story. :)
How the FUCK am I only noticing now that the Stranger who says "during the last tuning, we detected a lack of control" is fucken FLACCO!? (It's an Aussie thing)
Dr. Schreber is a reference to Daniel Paul Schreber (German: 1842-1911), who "was a German judge who was famous for his personal account of his own experience with schizophrenia" (Wikipedia).
Interesting to mention about the matrix being inspired in part by anime, because in the director's commentary for this film they mentioned that some elements and the ending battle were directly inspired by the anime "Akira".
When I was in primary school we'd start the week doing a times tables race. Each week we'd go to a higher number and people would volunteer to speed run through from x times 1 to x times 12 and I'd always win with a time of 3-4 seconds by doing exactly what Mr Movies does at the start. It'd sound just enough like what I was actually supposed to say that they couldn't prove it wasn't my times tables. What did I win that I felt the need to do this for several months? Pride I guess. There was no actual prize. I'd just be known as the winner. Obviously I was super cool in school. Heaps of friend.
That's so funny-you said "trilobites" and we were both dead wrong but I knew just what you meant! BTW, check out Clive Barker's "Nightbreed". You've never seen anything like that one.
yeah, and thats just the worst offense. alot of stuff was changed around, cut, reordered, etc. even recolored or using alternate shots. movie-censorship gives a detailed breakdown of all the changes.
Roger Ebert put this in his "ten best films of the year" when it came out. Real SF, great cast, and it didn't cost 9 figures. Shows what can be done.
He also did the commentary on the DVD, one of (I think) only 3 movies he ever did commentary on/for
It was #1. One of only a few movies he ever did a scene-by-scene analysis for. He loved it..rightfully so.
I listened to that and I agree 100%.
@@danielmolyneaux2139 It was a joy to listen to!
One of the most underrated Sci Fi movies ever made!
Yep this one my favorites.
An actual fact
Strongly disagree. Didn't care for it as a kid, or in this review
@@zakarylux2271 cool
Agreed!
Richard O'Brien was the evil Mr Hand, he wrote the musical Rocky Horror Picture Show and played the character Riff Raff the butler.
I was hoping mr movies would have that realization while reading IMDb lol
And played the evil sorcerer Gulnar in the Robin of Sherwood series!
Dammit Janet.
And hosted the Crystal Maze!
Richard O'Brien is such a unique character.
Yes such a terrific actor and song writer. But seems to excel at playing creeps. But seeing him in interviews he's just a charming wonderful spirit
Thank goodness it's the Director's Cut.
I was wondering why that monologue at the beginning was missing, must've made it much creepier to watch the first time
The Matrix was filmed at the same Fox Studios, Sydney, and production scheduled next in line after Dark City. In late '96 the Matrix producers were given a tour of the studios while Dark City was being made and after shooting some of the sets were purchased by the producers of The Matrix.
You can see where the Wachowski's took the distinctive green color palette from Dark City for everything inside The Matrix- it's become a sorta Hollywood staple since then for setting an uneasy tone in set design- lots of pale green tile, dripping water, black tones jacked up some, etc.
That explains why Bruce Spence is in it
Many of the visual artists who worked on Dark City worked on The Matrix as well.
I like this movie more than The Matrix.
@@davestang5454 So do I!
I still say "Shut it down forever!" whenever I shut down my computer. Freaking love this movie, so underrated.
That's hilarious - I do the same thing whenever I close my work laptop :-)
Same. lol
I feel like this must be pretty common, like pretending like you're moving automatic doors with your mind. Another common saying of mine is "We're gonna lose a lot in the transfer, Ken" as a response to being asked to do something outside normal parameters. It's from Apollo 13 and the correct response is "Yeah, but all we're talking about here is four amps." ("four amps" can be replaced with something appropriate to the specific situation). So far nobody's provided the correct response.
I won't do it since Windows 10 as I worry it really won't start up again...
No joke... I STILL have a Dark City mousepad setup with my computer. ;-) Completely unnecessary, but I still like it and use it.
The director has said Dark City was held back for at least a year, and during that time, the film was privately screened for the Wachowskis prior to filming the Matrix. That would explain why the first act of The Matrix feels so much like Dark City in aesthetic and tone. And of course, the Matrix re-used rooftop sets from Dark City.
Dark City, The Matrix, & The Thirteenth Floor are the forgotten triad of the late nineties. People only remember The Matrix.
the holy trinity, my friend
Don’t forget ExistenZ. Matrix ripped off all 3 and added more leather and gunplay.
@@bobcobb3654how can the matrix rip off of The Thirteenth Floor and eXistenZ if it came out before them?
Also look up "Nirvana" (IMDB tt0119794) and "Skyggen" (IMDB tt0136535)
Was a bit of a cyberpunk virtuality inflation around that time. I'm sure there are many more examples.
Yeah...think just only i remember it.
This movie was directed by Alex Proyas, the director of "The Crow" with Brandon Lee.
I saw this movie in theaters by accident. I was 19 and my brother was 14. We had paid to watch Rounders and after that movie was over, we hopped into another room and Dark City was just starting. It became one of my favorite Sci-fi films ever.
Dark City is a great and underrated sci-fi film, and more proof that the 1990s is one of the greatest decades in film history
Fun fact... Some of the roof film sets in this movie was also used in The Matrix when Trinity flees from the agents in the beginning of the movie...
This is better than "The Matrix" in many ways.
This movie got better for me on 2nd watch - picking up stuff I missed the 1st time around because I was a bit confused on some parts.
I liked it the 1st time and loved it after the 2nd watch.
I'm guessing the strangers kidnapped people from Earth in the 1950s and modeled that place after what they saw.
The odd thing is that the end could also be interpreted as the Earth we know now being tuned from the Dark City...
@@michaelklaus I suppose it COULD, but I certainly don't.
That is the thing though, they didn't need to actually see what it was like in the 1950's. They went off the memories of the people they took. It is possible that it has been the 1950's there for generations.
I don't think it's necessarily true that these people are even human or abducted. They could have been made in a lab and given fake memories from the Doctor but the Doctor's memories definitely did have to come from somewhere in time. There's no way to place it in time though. The Doctor could have come from 3000AD or anything after 1950 AD. I guess at a certain point the 1950's would become so distant that nobody would really think of them very much.
Last I knew manipulating memories wasn't something that we can do, yet, so I would actually assume he was from the future at some point compared to us. Then again the memory manipulation tech in the movie come from the aliens so I don't know how the doctor would have known how to do it without being taught in a training coarse on Earth unless they taught him how to do it as well. It felt like the movie implied he knew how to do it before he wiped his own memories.
I don't know if there's anyway to place what solar system they are in either. They maybe able to get back to Earth or they might being 1,000 years in the future on the opposite side of the universe. These people may not even be aging anymore, either even if they are abductees.
The doctor does say that "nobody remembers who they are anymore" implying they did at one time know who they were but is he just making assumptions after his memory was wiped or does he actually know that for sure.
@@parker469a The only reason why I don't think the people are grown for the experiment is because they remember things the strangers don't want. The sun or water being the main examples. If the people and their memories were homegrown I don't think they would have included those in their memories.
But then I guess that makes me wonder why the strangers didn't delete the knowledge of those things.
I would have never thought to confuse Daniel Craig for Richard O'Brien. O'Brien as James Bond would have been an interesting take. Lets do the Time Warp Again.
@patturk7408 I 'm wondering if DANIEL Craig will ever see this and think '' YOU WHAT !!'' in exasperated English fashion lol!! Mr Movies is usually intentionally funny that was an unintentional moment i found funny.
Not throwing shade on one of my favourite reactors here in fact it was a great review
i love how this blends 50's Noir and SCI FI fantasy into a very unique vision.
i seem to get more out of it each time i do watch it again . and it is rare to find movies like this now
and how it praises the power of the human spirit .
He's also 25 years older than Daniel Craig.
Murdoch couldn't take them back to Earth because he wouldn't know where it is. It is possible he even doesn't have a concept of a world outside of the city and Shell Beach, so at least at the beginning he's only going to build on what he knows - i.e. fix the city and add Shell Beach and daytime. Everyone, including the doctor, only have limited memory, but usually they aren't even aware of that limit until someone like Murdoch wakes from the imprinted life and asks them questions, and then they realise they can't remember the details. Only then they start to think about what they are missing. It would be interesting to know what Murdoch would do afterwards with his tuning powers.
I'm so glad SOMEBODY did a reaction for this movie, & I'm so glad it was you guys, you're hilarious! 😂
You guys need to see 'The Thirteen Floor' which was basically released at the same time as 'The Matrix', good sci-fi story too!
Great movie
Yes. The thirteen floor have much in commen with Dark city and matrix, and is a great Movie too. And Is a must see Movie.❤🎉😊
LOL, came to suggest the same. Totally needs more views, 🥰
13th floor is especially delightful for those of us who live in Tucson
I was going to suggest that movie.Good call.sir.
I found that this movie was a lot deeper than the matrix. The matrix movie has only one real revelation. "what if reality was fake". Here it takes that concept several steps further. It asks "what if reality is sculpted?" Are our personalities all just a sum of our memories? What if you change those memories? Would the personality change completely or is there something inside of us that really makes us who we are? If you injected the memories of a killer into two separate people would they both do the same thing and continue killing? So while the matrix is more fun action wise, Dark city has much more to think about.
They touch on similar subjects, but are also very different movies and not necessarily for the same audiences. I don't really see them as competing movies. The supplement each other nicely, I think. This is coming from an old fan of both, having watched both movies at least 7 times.
It depends largely on what is meant by the "The Matrix". The Matrix works best as a stand a lone, with the extended universe and following movies ruining much of the openness the original movie gave us. I know they planned it as a trilogy, but I can't really with good conscious recommend people to watch Reloaded, Revolution and especially Resurrections.
I got to see The Matrix when it came out, without knowing anything about it in advance, so it obviously blow me away. Dark City on the other hand has Jennifer Connelly, who'll always have a special place in my heart, growing up with Labyrinth :)
The way I see it: As a story The Matrix(singular movie) is more interesting, grand and relevant and hits closer to home for more people, than Dark City. But this is obviously very subjective. The Matrix is/was more cool and 'corny'(for a lack of a better word), something that will turn off some people. Others might be turned off Dark City by the theatrical feel (something they briefly mentioned in this video), the dark(literally) theme, slow pacing and the (deliberately) overacting by Kiefer Sutherland. People will always have preferences, and that is fine. Both are obvious great movies.
The Matrix focus more on the surface of things in its storytelling, while this movie has more focus on the inner thoughts of the people effected. In The Matrix you follow Neo closely, you see things from his(us the viewers) perspective, where you in Dark City are slightly more along for the ride while also getting involved in the thoughts of other people (e.g. the detective). What both movies does well is to make people think! This is the main reason why I think the original Matrix(again singular movie) edges out for me. It has an even more open ending story, something I really enjoy, and something I wish more movies would do... But when we include all the additions that was following made to The Matrix after 1999, something I personally ignore, then things can look increasingly in favor of Dark City...
Slightly of topic:
My guess is that religious people prefer how the human mind is portrait in Dark City. As something special and mystical versus the relatively simple and cold way it is done in The Matrix .. But then again, the Matrix have the kiss of true love going for it, that breaks this simplicity.. Any way, cool movies with a lot to talk and think about :)
Cheers!
I liked the Matrix but...
The human body requires more energy than it produces - that's why we eat. So...we make TERRIBLE batteries, lol. When I realized that, well, I still like the Matrix, but can never get that outta my head.
With Dark City, none of the "how" needs explaining. Which, other than there being no increasingly stretched sequels, is why I like Dark City so much more.
@@fastertoveHuman bodies are terrible batteries...
Its a MacGuffin, just a fast superficial explanation to get things going. Not something particular important to the plot, imo. It doesn't matter to me why the machines made the Matrix, it could be inside another matrix for all we know, but I accept that some people feel different. That is fine. Some people will similarly be put off by the non-scientific "magic" in Dark City.
I teach science to pupils btw, so I'm well aware of the different kinds of energy and how batteries work. If I were to be critical about small things like that, then I wouldn't be able to enjoy most hard sci-fi involving aliens or time travel :)
@roin6916
Not important, imo@@patmcgroin6916
FINALLY!!!... Out of all the people I follow, you are the second one to ever watch this movie, which is easily within my top 50 of all time.
You probably remember Rufus Sewell from "A Knight's Tale." If you want to see him as a romantic lead, check out "Dangerous Beauty."
And MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE.
He did a pretty good Fortinbras in Brannagh’s Hamlet.
He's also the abusive prince in The Illusionist.
I like him as the Devil in "Bless The Child".
John was just a random guy who, through the various tunings had evolved to use that ability on his own. He had never even met Emma before they made it back to the apartment. He unconsciously tuned most of the serial killer memories right out of the doctors hand mid-injection. So John was never a killer. None of the people were swapped. Their memories had all been extracted, then the doctor mixed-n-matched them to create whatever the strangers needed for their experiments. Be it cabby, salesman, detective etc. Nobody was who they were born as. None of them knew the way home, back to Earth. So with that not even being an option, the only way to proceed would be forward. Clean slate time for John and "Anna" who met on a pier just outside Shell Beach.
This also features Bruce Spence from The Road Warrior
One of my favorite films of the 90s and Gene Siskel's favorite film of that year. Truly breathtaking.
One of my all-time favorite movies! Thanks for this reaction!
25:32 To clarify, John wasn't really a murderer. That was the identity they were about to implant him with just before the start of the movie, when he was asleep in the bathtub. But he tuned the syringe out of the doctor's hand, breaking it, thus leaving him with a partial identity.
Uncle Karl would have been set up with his identity at the same time, considering John Murdoch hadn't existed prior to the events of the film. So Karl wasn't "outside the loop," but was just acting according to the personality the doctor had synthesized and implanted him with. At the end, the same guy was now a "different person" and gave up his seat to Emma Murdoch (now Anna) on the city bus. Fascinatingly enough, he wasn't even wheelchair bound anymore, suggesting that his previous condition was completely psychosomatic.
Walenski is a pretty open-and-shut case. The guy had been implanted with the identity of a detective, somehow eventually started figuring out that the whole city didn't make sense, then began to disassociate from reality because of it. He pointed out at one point that the woman he was living with "wasn't his wife," likely because the Strangers had changed out the woman implanted with those memories, and he realized it. Walenski may have somehow been missed during a tuning or something, allowing him to realize that reality had changed in impossible ways, driving him crazy. Ultimately, he was a guy in John's position who went crazy and lost it, instead of defeating the Strangers.
All the identities of all the people in the movie are completely synthesized by the doctor - there was no real Murdoch or Walenski, or anybody else. There was no real murderer. The closest thing to a real identity in the whole movie is the fact that the doctor really had been a doctor; everything else was false.
Fun Fact: Mr. Hand is Riff Raff from Rocky Horror Picture Show. Richard O’Brien.
And one of the others is Bruce Spence: Stork from Mad Max
I literally started laughing out loud when I saw the thumbnail for this. When I first saw this movie I rented it from blockbuster. My routine at the time was to rent some movies and my ex would bring ones she or I thought her mother would like over to her house after I or we had watched them. This night it was Dark City. My ex worked a night shift and never had a chance to watch it with me but as I was leaving for work in the morning she asked me how the movie was and I said "great!" If I had been thinking at all I would have added her mother would not like Dark City, but I was on the way out the door. So she brought them over to her mother. That face in the thumbnail is almost exactly the face her mother made when I asked her the next time I saw her mother what she thought of the movie, lol. I am dying.
LoL... I almost hate-watched for Ms. Movies reaction. This is too much for her, it is just going to be too much of a "what is happening" for her.
I thought it would be a shitty horror movie when I first rented it. Had never even heard of it before. But the cover was pretty intriguing.
When this came out on DVD the copy I rented was double sided. One side was pan and scanned, or flip it over for letter-boxed. Now of course everything is letter boxed.
@@davidmarquardt9034 I think I still have mine, I've got my double sided copy of Se7en you have to filp mid movie just like a laser disc. My first dvd player cost $600. My dad drove 9 hours to come watch movies with my brother and I when I set up my home theatre. Ahh the good old days.
Interesting fact: *The Matrix* LITERALLY borrowed a lot from this film. Concepts aside, the Wachowskis actually re-used set pieces from *Dark City* to create the rooftop chase scene between Trinity and the cops/agents in the opening scenes.
I spotted at least 4 Australian actors in that movie. Turns out, it was filmed in Australia, so makes sense. Copter guy from Mad Max 2, Melissa George, Paul Livingston or "Flacco" and Colin Friels.
Alex Proyas, the director came out and said in an interview that Dark City was finished in 1997 and sat on a shelf for about a year before it went to cimenas.
One of the producers from Dark City went to be involved with The Matrix and they showed Dark City to the makers of The Matrix before it got released with out Alex Proyas's concent.
not only that but there were a couple of sets from Dark City that the team from The Matrix used in their own film.
One thing I loved about this movie is that leaves very little room for doubt. While many sci fi movies withhold information till the end, this one gives you all the answer you need. I loved it for that. The big reveal in outer space was not something I expect because of how explicit it was. Honestly it reminded me a lot of an anime called Megazone 23.
In the end, Dark City doesn't say anything profound, but the storytelling for its premise was excellent and the technical aspects (cinematography, art, production design etc) are superb. Sometimes that's all you need for a good movie.
Hey, Mr. and Mrs.! This is one of my favorite films! The Director's Cut was definitely the way to go because it eliminates the spoiling opening narration. I saw this five times in a packed NYC theater and the audience audibly gasped each time they burst through the wall at Shell Beach! Collective mind-blowing!
Director Alex Proyas really should revisit this story to chronicle Murdoch's godhood and the search for home. Absolute power corrupts and Proyas once considered a sequel with a villainous Murdoch which would have been really interesting.
Late film critic Roger Ebert was an outspoken champion of this film.
The Wachowski siblings used some of the sets from this movie when they shot "The Matrix" at the same Australian studio.
Rufus Sewell has also been in "Dangerous Beauty", "The Illusionist", "The Legend of Zorro", "The Man in the High Castle", "John Adams" and, currently, "The Diplomat".
Daniel Schreber was an actual doctor who wrote Memoirs of My Nervous Illness, one of the first texts on the subject of schizophrenia. He was a schizophrenic himself who had periods of lucidity, during which he wrote about what it was like when he wasn't...hence the use of his name in a film about uncertain identity. And I guess you know by now that Walenski was just Walenski.
At one time, Alex Proyas was considering a sequel wherein Murdoch had become the villain, due to having absolute power. It would have been a neat idea, but at this point I guess it's probably never happening.
Funny to me that they mentioned Roswell in their final thoughts. I saw Dark City in a Roswell movie theater during a cross country road trip.
What a fantasticly dark and moody sci-fi film.
Keifer Sutherland is extra creepy with his lazy eye and stilted affectation, but I love that he doesn't have them in the training memories.
For more of Jennifer Connelly looking like a pin-up model 😍 - The Rocketeer
Dark city considered by many one of the fathers of Matrix inspiration. I really enjoy this movie, wish had a sequel to continue the story. Jennifer was good with that sweet young girl. And rufus was absolutly great. sadly he didnt get more backstory of the strangers... the all noir vibe was on point!
I understand in part why people compare Dark city to the Matrix, and why people think Dark city is the father of the matrix because it came before. And I can see a bit of that they have something in common and parallel to each other. However, I believe that these are 2 different Movies that each have their own vibe, and in their own unique Way, despite the fact that they have things in common. But I'll agree with you that it would have been cool if there had been a sequel. But I can Live with the fact that there is only one. And unfortunately, I don't think that many people know about it either. And I don't think it was very successful either. And some of that, we can thank Titanic and James Cameron for. But yes, a movie I love and is High on my list❤😊🎉
What if I were to tell you about the concept of Jungian Archetypes? (See Joseph Campbell's "The Hero of a Thousand Faces). The Matrix was released less than a year after this film, and it's stretching credulity to think "The Matrix" was inspired by "Dark City". If you know anything about film making, it can take years to bring a script from concept to screen, especially for a film as complicated as "The Matrix". If you were to follow the making of "The Matrix" you'd find that the Wachowski's had been story boarding every single scene of their film, for years prior to the release of "Dark City". It is not uncommon for many films to contain the same themes and ideas as movies released with in the same time period (Deep Impact v. Armageddon, Volcano V. Dante's Peak, et al.) This could go into Jung's ideas about the collective conscious, but that is beyond the scope of this comment. While the Wachowski's have been accused of plagiarism, most internet articles written about the subject fail to realize the Wachowski's were inspired by a great deal of philosophy and existential thought that has been around for hundreds (if not thousands) of years. Plato's allegory of the Cave explores the limits of human perception and "The Matrix" was obviously inspired by that archetype; yet I don't see anyone claiming "The Matrix" was a ripoff of Plato's philosophy.
@@MarsterKanobi Proyas was developing what will seemingly act as a sequel in tv series form, as reported up until a yr and a half ago. Don't know what happened to it. There's been no updates.
it should be noted that the film was delayed a fair bit, so got released alot later then originally planned. also the wachowski's were there for the early screenings of the film, before they made the matrix, and as many have pointed out, even bought some of their sets from this and reused them in that film.
Thank you for watching this and thanks to Raining Madness for requesting it! An all-time favorite and a movie should be a staple for all reaction channels.
Love it. Inspired by the silent movie Metropolis.
For another noir-esque movie, The Shadow (1994). Needs more reactions by the way, and I think most who have seen it would agree with me. And, as always, Alita Battle Angel (2019) that has some noir-like qualities itself, despite being somewhat cyberpunk.
The Shadow knows.
looooooove this film so much.... was filmed in my hometown of Sydney, Aus and many of my Goth Friends were used as extras for the large crowd scenes involving the 'Strangers'
Rufus Sewell is probably most known for A Knight's Tale... but he's also pretty good in Cold Comfort Farm. Richard O'Brien (Mr Hand) is also notable.
Bad guy in "The Illusionist"
One of the most underrated sci-fi movies of the 90s! A cult classic!
Underrated - no.
Overlooked - yes´.
One of my favourite films ever.
I watched it on acid, once, and the final scene was like a full-mind psychological orgasm.
The Thirteenth Floor (1999)❤❤❤
John Murdoch was the antagonist in Knight's Tale. I don't know what else he's been in.
Such an incredible film, all these other channels keep doing the same old same old fms normally marvel which is so boring, you guys are the only ones I've seen do older popular and non popular alike films and I love it 😍😍😍
I actually find that most people don't ever think 3 steps or more deeper about things. A lot of people get the most surface level information on a subject then move on. The scene where he asks the detective about Shell Beach and the second he asks a second question the detective starts to fall apart which is common for most people.
5:08- Where is it? How do you get there? 17:02- Yeah wheissat??? 17:09- Exactly, now don't you think that's weird? 34:15- Really now. Where is at?
Dark City is one of the best movies ever...another good 90's Jennifer Connelly movie called Career Opportunities
Thirteen Floor should be viewed after this.
It's even funnier knowing that the strangers all got their bodies from dead humans.
This movie always reminds me of that unmade David Lynch screenplay, Ronnie Rocket.
I think, if I remember right, that Roger Ebert loved this movie so much when it came out he actually did a movie commentary on the dvd when it came out.
He did. I listened to it as well as the director's commentary. very interesting stuff.
That's Richard O'Brien playing Mr. Hand. You'd probably know him best as Riff Raff in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. He was also the writer of it. He's really good at creepy.
I think this movie was greatly overlooked at the time that it was released due to other movies released at the time. I love the noir look of this film and the overall premise and is always fun to put on to either watch or have playing in the background. Glad you guys jumped into this one. If you like this, you should also check out The Thirteenth Floor!
A similar mind-warping movie is ''The 13th Floor''.
21:12 No need to wait 10 years, this was the year the Cher song "Believe" came out
One of my favourite movies of all time. It's really special and unique and I loved the ending.
Ian Richardson the head Stranger, was in the original UK version of House of Cards. He was amazing.
“They don’t make movies like this anymore.”
That truth hits hard. 💀
I think Roger Ebert was the only person who loved this film more than me. He started to teach a college class on the film at one point.
This has a surprisingly good cast. Also, the city is a mix of different eras.
7:17 This actress, Jennifer Connelly, has been on my radar ever since she was in the '91 film _Career Opportunities._ She was 20 years old, that year. I was at a very hormonal time in my life and that movie made her look _good._
More recently, though, I also saw her in the movie _Alita: Battle Angel,_ from 2019, and I recognized her _instantly._ She barely looked a day older. I swear, _fine wine_ does not age this well as this woman.
7:44 "Jennifer Connelly has _always_ looked young."
Ah. I see I'm not _alone_ in this sentiment.
Such a hidden gem for sci-fi fans and a truly unique experience.
Honestly, thank you to whoever recommended this film to Mr. & Mrs. Movies ❤️🔥 and thank you two for reacting.
I watched it for the first time after seeing this thumbnail. I was not disappointed. It was a cool ride.
Fun fact: Biofield Science falls along the lines of "Love is Power" motto. You two should check it out 😉
The IMDB trivia page for this film, mentions your reaction and your theories as to the plot.
“Uh oh, Stranger Danger” 😂👍🏾
I wonder if the "SHABBIT!" was him starting to exclaim "SHIT!" but attempted to pull it back into "DAMMIT!". 😂
So 'Grandaddy' is like the Puppet Master or the power behind the throne on this channel?
He got great taste though, i ain't complaining!
Sort of. There are four of them, myself included. Some times there is an extra 5th one if the month has 5 Wednesdays. They only pick the Wednesday videos. Everything else is YM&TM choosing it. Unless it’s a month when patreon gets to vote on picks.
you two knowing who dr disrespect is has honestly made my night
This is one of my all time favorite movies. It needs more attention
Oh wow, Proyas!!! From The Crow. Similarities for sure. 36:24- All the Smackheads say that.
Such a good film. It was one of those good quality lower budget one and done movies, a complete story that studios use to support and make. We've lost films like this with studios only putting money into ever more stale franchises... wasn't this an upbeat comment.
Thanks for all the awesome uploads!
Always reminded me of a cross between Total Recall and Matrix. Its funny because I saw this before the Matrix, and when I watched Matrix, I remember thinking it reminded me of Dark City. Also, I'm digging that Monday Nitro shirt!!!
I used to have this soundtrack on CD. It got lost in a move and I miss it.
If you haven't, I'd like to see you react to "The Rocketeer"
Because Jennifer Connolly.
(also it's a lot more wholesome than most superhero movies)
Anything with a young Jennifer Connelly, especially doing nude scenes.
This may be the way to watch movies for me. Your comments are funny, at it's half the time without the suspence, everybody seems to love so much, and I find boring, mostly - so emotional it's often pathetic. Your down-to-earth cracks are sometimes LOL-material! And anywho, so charming! Best of luck and blessings and such ;-)
Now you need to watch Thirteenth Floor (1999)
The Roger Ebert commentary on the DVD is a masterclass on filmmaking.
Fun fact: some of the sets that were left over were used durning the filming of The Matrix
The automat kind of acts as foreshadowing. At an automat you have a bunch of blank spaces that can be filled with food just like all the characters are blank slates.
Not only was the producer of this move also the producer of the Matrix, which explains the rip off from Dark City concepts, but they also used some of the props from Dark City to film the Matrix. Dark city was actually finished being filmed and in the can at the end of 2006 but it took another year to properly edit the movie which was finally finished at the end of 2007 and then came out in 2008. Alex Proyas knows he was ripped off and there's been bad blood ever since.
Yeah, I always wanted to hear more about that. I remember watching the DVD commentary, for this movie, before The Matrix came out, and they said that he (I believe it was Joel Silver) couldn't be here for the commentary because he was off filming some movie called "Matrix" or something. Makes me wonder now how much the Warchowski's really the driving force behind The Matrix, since they had nothing to do with Dark City. It really is a rip-off. Kind of like Wall-E is of Idiocracy, but that's another story. :)
i think you meant 1996, 1997, and 1998 there.
They re-used several buildings and stages from this when they made The Matrix.
Please watch Freeway starring Kiefer Sutherland and Reese Witherspoon.
That movie is a trip, but I honestly love the sequel with Natasha Lyonne.
So many people were blown away by The Matrix, but if you were a sci-fi buff, the idea was not new. Dark City was my matrix. It surprised me more.
How the FUCK am I only noticing now that the Stranger who says "during the last tuning, we detected a lack of control" is fucken FLACCO!? (It's an Aussie thing)
I wanted to see this since I was a child and only actually encountered it about 2 years ago.
The WCW Monday Night Nitro shirt is underrated.
Dr. Schreber is a reference to Daniel Paul Schreber (German: 1842-1911), who "was a German judge who was famous for his personal account of his own experience with schizophrenia" (Wikipedia).
A significant number of australian domestic actors in the supporting cast
Interesting to mention about the matrix being inspired in part by anime, because in the director's commentary for this film they mentioned that some elements and the ending battle were directly inspired by the anime "Akira".
Roger Ebert rated it the best film of 1998. It also inspired the Matrix which was released the next year
When I was in primary school we'd start the week doing a times tables race. Each week we'd go to a higher number and people would volunteer to speed run through from x times 1 to x times 12 and I'd always win with a time of 3-4 seconds by doing exactly what Mr Movies does at the start. It'd sound just enough like what I was actually supposed to say that they couldn't prove it wasn't my times tables. What did I win that I felt the need to do this for several months? Pride I guess. There was no actual prize. I'd just be known as the winner. Obviously I was super cool in school. Heaps of friend.
That's so funny-you said "trilobites" and we were both dead wrong but I knew just what you meant! BTW, check out Clive Barker's "Nightbreed". You've never seen anything like that one.
WAY better than the Matrix!!!
This movie was influential with the conception of the Matrix movies.
55:04 You pretty much nailed it. If you haven't tacked it down already, it was uploaded to youtube as 'Dark City Opening Scene (VHS Capture)'.
yeah, and thats just the worst offense. alot of stuff was changed around, cut, reordered, etc. even recolored or using alternate shots. movie-censorship gives a detailed breakdown of all the changes.
There are some sets from this movie that were re-used in the Matrix. like one of the staircases I believe.
Rufus Sewell was a real bad guy in A Knight's Tale
I like that Mr Movies snuck in a quick Ace Ventura reference.