Reviews
Is ‘Dark City’ A Flat Earth-Approved Film?
Author’s Note: This review is based on the Director’s Cut of Dark City that excludes the opening expository monologue.
A few years ago, my mother told me that Dark City was one of her all-time favorite films. As someone who typically doesn’t enjoy Sci-Fi (the genre, not the channel), I purchased it and let it collect dust on my shelves. Every time I would take my movies out to dust, I would see it and think, “I should watch this soon.” Thankfully, the curator of all things Horror Press, James-Michael, made one of the themes for June science fiction. What better time to watch one of my mom’s favorite Sci-Fi films than now?! Not only was Dark City a wholly enjoyable film, but there are weird parallels to Saw, the flat earth theory, and the Men in Black!
Rufus Sewell’s John Murdoch Anchors Dark City’s Mystery
John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) wakes up in a bathtub inside a seedy hotel, unsure of who he is, where he is, or why he’s there. After a call from Dr. Schreber (Kiefer Sutherland), John leaves the hotel as quickly as possible when he learns a group of strange men (The Strangers) are after him. Not only does John find himself on the run from The Strangers, but he soon learns that he’s on the radar of Inspector Bumstead (William Hurt) regarding the deaths of multiple sex workers. Along with his wife Emma (Jennifer Connelly), John must evade police and The Strangers in the hopes of clearing his name and finding out what is going on in this backwards, dark city.
Alex Proyas Creates a Visually Stunning Neo-Noir Sci-Fi World
Fresh off the heels of his cult classic film The Crow, writer/director Alex Proyas (with co-writers Lem Dobbs and David S. Goyer) comes out swinging with an even more stylistically gorgeous, groundbreaking science fiction film. When it comes to straight-up science fiction films, one of the biggest issues creatives can face is how to handle the science aspect of science fiction. Proyas (Dobbs and Goyer) weave a slightly convoluted science-based story that slowly starts to tie itself in a neat bow by the finale. To be completely honest, I was slightly worried that none of it was going to make sense, and I would have to resort to one of those “ending explained” videos. Thankfully, as long as you thoroughly pay attention, it all does make sense. Which makes me wonder why producers forced Proyas to write an opening monologue to explain the film.
Dark City and Saw Share Surprising Similarities
To momentarily step aside from the film as a whole, I almost wonder if Dark City was the impetus for Saw. We start with John waking up in the bathtub, as Adam (Leigh Whannell) does in Saw. The bodies of the deceased sex workers in Dark City are covered in spirals, which is John Kramer’s (Tobin Bell) signature. Dark City is fraught with blueish and yellowish hues, as is Saw. And the editing of Dark City occasionally devolves into that music video-like, quick cut, Nu Metal editing that Saw would inherit more of as the franchise went on. A quick Google search didn’t reveal much of anything regarding Leigh Whannell or James Wan discussing Dark City, but I believe there’s a connective line somewhere.
The Men in Black and Conspiracy Theory Abound
What I loved the most about Dark City is how it is in line with some of my favorite conspiracy theories, specifically the flat earth theory and the Men in Black. The Strangers are very similar to the descriptions given in Nick Redfern’s The Real Men in Black. Tall greys (except the child), herky jerky movements, stilted speaking, and a general misunderstanding of what it means to be human. In fact, the motivating factor of The Strangers is to attempt to understand what makes humans human. And wrapping all of that into a Matrix-like flat earth world is the cherry on top of the cake. It would take multiple viewings of this film to find more examples of how many science fiction and conspiracy topics Dark City broaches, but it does so in a way that doesn’t feel forced or overcrowded with ideas.
Dark City’s Sets Create a Nightmare Atmosphere
Not only chock-full of brilliant ideas, but also nightmarishly impressive visually. It makes sense that the director of The Crow is also the director of Dark City. Thankfully, Proyas had a hand in the script for Dark City because, while his directorial style in The Crow is impressive, The Crow is just an awful film. I know that will piss a lot of people off, but I just really don’t understand the love for that film. Dark City’s ever-evolving set creates this deeply unsettling atmosphere that adds to John’s amnesia. As a viewer, you start to get accustomed to a certain layout, only to have The Strangers pull the rug out from under you in a single moment.
Why Dark City Deserves Recognition Alongside The Matrix
Dark City is a film that needs to be seen to be believed. It’s hard to imagine that it predates The Matrix, if only by one year. Science fiction films typically have a hard time living a show-don’t-tell existence, and Dark City perfectly toes that line. It’s a blend of showing and telling in a way that doesn’t feel like Proyas (Dobbs and Goyer) is talking down to the audience. Moreover, it gives enough away to have it all make sense as the credits roll, while still letting the audience put together enough pieces to walk away feeling as if they solved the mystery themselves. If you haven’t seen Dark City (the Director’s Cut), then you need to rectify that immediately.
Most people find that stretching their dollar still barely gets them by in today’s economy. I am very particular about what I spend my spare money on regarding extracurriculars. And no one likes to feel like their money is wasted. Madame Morbid Trolley Tours wasn’t an experience I had been familiar with. Maybe that’s because I’m chronically offline for most of my life. So this leads to the perfect question: in today’s turbulent economy, is Madame Morbid Trolley Tours worth the price? The short answer is unquestionably, yes. But it’s more than just a simple yes.
My wife and I arrived at the designated meeting point 15 minutes before the scheduled departure time. A handful of minutes later, a gorgeous, e-candle-lit trolley pulled up to the side of the road. We were greeted by impeccably on-brand Allison Chase, our tour guide, and trolley driver ‘Mad’ Matt Zaller. The wonderfully cheery duo invited us on the trolley, and the tour was set to begin.
400 Years of Death, Destruction, and Infrastructure
After a welcoming video intro from someone who knows a thing or two about busting ghosts, we set off on the inaugural Madame Morbid Trolley Tour in its ninth year of operation. From the Brooklyn Naval Yard all the way to Dumbo, and more, this tour magnificently chronicles 400 years of history, the good and the bad, expertly. No matter how much you think you may know about Brooklyn history, I can bet there will be something new learned within the first 15 minutes of the tour. From the first-ever plane crash to one of the worst theater fires in history, this tour covers tragedies that the greatest horror writers couldn’t conceive.
The Deadly [Charming] Docent
Allison Chase led the fascinating tour in character from the moment we stepped on the trolley until our departure. But Allison’s character was not forced or fake; you could feel Allison’s passion for not just morbid history, but the accuracy of it. Some of the stories we heard were steeped in historical context, and it was not boring for a single second. The Madame Morbid Trolley Tour is not your standard full-talking tour. It’s a mixed-media adventure of some of Brooklyn’s darkest moments.
During “downtime” (the times between locations), we were edutained by mini documentaries (that were quite funny). Some of the “downtime” was filled with traffic trivia (I won a needle pen!). And other times were show-and-tell-like, with objects passed around for us to examine. But there was never a moment of silence that wasn’t purposeful. All in all, Allison’s knowledge and passion shone like the luminosity of a full moon.
Is Madame Morbid Trolley Tours Worth It?
The Madame Morbid Trolley Tour was not just a fun night out for my wife and me, but it was a delightfully dark night of edutainment. It should also be noted that ‘Mad’ Matt’s driving skills were fantastic. There was a time when I had become enamored with how Matt handled the narrow streets of Brooklyn before realizing that I needed to refocus my attention on Allison. The Madame Morbid Trolley Tour is an exceptionally fun evening of horror and history that will make you think twice next time you walk down the streets of Brooklyn. It is worth the money, and then some. There’s no better activity for a cold, dark October night than the Madame Morbid Trolley Tour.
For more information on Madame Morbid Trolley Tours, and to get your tickets, click here!
I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I should have watched the Stephen King adaptation Cujo a million years ago. First of all, I was a voracious King reader in middle school. The other thing I was obsessed with during those years was Friends. You know, the show that hinges a major episode’s subplot on Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) watching Cujo for the first time. Whatever the reason was, I never got around to it, but I’m rectifying that oversight now.
What is Cujo About?
Cujo tells a relatively simple story. Donna Trenton’s (Dee Wallace) a housewife who’s cheating on her husband Vic (Daniel Hugh-Kelly) with local handyman Steve (Christopher Stone). There’s no accounting for taste, because Vic is 10 times hotter and Steve doesn’t own a bed frame. Look, Donna. I know Vic has that awful David Hasselhoff hair, but I promise the 1980s will end sooner or later. It’ll be OK.
Donna’s attempted termination of this affair ultimately leads to its discovery. Amid this drama, her car breaks down at a mechanic’s isolated farmhouse, trapping her and her son, Tad (Danny Pintauro). You see, the mechanic’s dog, Cujo, freshly christened with rabies, is patrolling the area and attacking everything in sight.
Dee Wallace Is Cujo’s Not-So-Secret Weapon
It would be impossible to start a worthwhile review of Cujo without praising Dee Wallace. The woman is a genre icon, naturally. Think about this: She had only appeared in seven theatrical movies before starring in Cujo. Four of those movies are The Stepford Wives, The Hills Have Eyes, E.T., and The Howling. But this woman didn’t become an icon simply by accidentally stumbling into some iconic titles. She is simply terrific as Donna, using her darting eyes and taut expression to deliver oodles of subtext. You instantly get the sense of how trapped she feels by marriage and motherhood without her uttering a single word.
A good performance is vital, here. Because there’s a hell of a lot of drama to get through before she’s trapped in that damn car. But Wallace instantly shoves you into Donna’s perspective, whether you like it or not. This makes it all the more potent when she is menaced by Cujo. Her desperate attempts for survival, also impeccably performed, have true weight because she seems like a real person. She is also given an incredible scene partner in Danny Pintauro. The future Who’s the Boss? star, who was only six when shooting Cujo, has a perfect everychild quality. His innocence heightens the peril. But so does that fact that he is just as irritating as every six-year-old you’ve ever met.
This movie truly captures how annoying it must be to be stuck in a life-and-death situation with a child. This is a compliment, I swear! Donna is worn down by every aspect of the situation, including her own son’s inability to cope with it. And this ratchets up the tension even further, to an almost unbearable degree.
Cujo Is a Mixed Bag, But Worthwhile Overall
The movie doesn’t work if Cujo himself doesn’t work, and at first I was real worried that he wouldn’t. In the first half, the St. Bernards that play Cujo onscreen are often shown to be wagging their tails in delight. Which kind of undercuts the reality of the situation, I’d say. But the editing and the special effects step in to fix what animal training couldn’t. The attack scenes in the second half are constructed with quick cuts that never let you get too much purchase. It’s a good approach for keeping viewers off-kilter.
Also, Cujo becomes less and less recognizable as a cuddly canine the further the movie gets. It’s a simple trick, really. He ends up getting coated with more and more slime. Saliva, pus, blood, and what have you. This is good for making him feel like a true movie monster. Plus, it’s a good mirror for the sliminess inside the car as it gets covered in sweat, blood, and grime.
The second half of the movie ultimately works like gangbusters. It’s a shame that Cujo is too cowardly to get Donna and Tad in the car before the halfway point. This decision is somewhat faithful to the book’s structure as I remember it. However, it diminishes the weight of the long days that they spend in the car. We really need to feel that crushing stretch of time, and we don’t. When Tad is suffering from dehydration, it’s not a gut punch. Honestly, I just found myself asking, “Already?” It’s good that they gave the movie a happier ending, because the classic grimdark Stephen King finale wouldn’t have landed.
Is Cujo Worth Watching in 2026?
At the end of the day, Cujo is a solid movie and I’m glad I finally watched it. However, it’s not such a stone-cold classic that I’m not at least a little intrigued by that upcoming Netflix remake…
