Monday Movie on the Mind: Dark City

Welcome to a weekly feature here at Movies With Abe: Monday Movie on the Mind. I’ll be kicking off some weeks with a clip or trailer from a film that happens to be on my mind, designed as a retrospective look at some well-known, forgotten, or underappreciated classic from movie history, be it antique or current. Chime in with your thoughts about the film or any other movies that you might be thinking of this week!

Dark City
Directed by Alex Proyas
Released February 27, 1998



After I saw the preview for “Haywire,” which will be tomorrow’s featured Tuesday Top Trailer, I noted that it was written by Lem Dobbs, who also penned this magnificent sci-fi gem from the 1990s. I was surprised to note that I hadn’t already featured it, since it’s one of the most memorable movies I’ve seen, notable also because most of the cast and crew haven’t done all that much since. Yes, it does feature a limping, creepy Kiefer Sutherland before his “24” days, but director Alex Proyas has only made three films since then, including “I, Robot,” and star Rufus Sewell hasn’t done too much in terms of impressive acting. Still, this is a terrific mind-bending experience. Set in a world that is constantly retouched and edited by the alien beings that control it, it’s a hypnotic, frantic experience that manages to be absolutely thrilling and even make a bit of sense. The effects, while they might not be top-notch in technology, are cool, and the whole story is rather intoxicating. Watch the trippy trailer above for a sneak peek, but if you’re into sci-fi, this is like a less advanced and modern version of “The Matrix,” which trades kung fu for a truly eerie and mesmerizing universe where nothing is permanent and everything can change overnight. The soundtrack by Trevor Jones also boasts some memorable tracks that very much serve to enhance the sedated, completely lost feel that the movie has.