DING DING DING! You've found it! ...My #1 favorite film of all time!

Rating: 10/10 (23 September 2004)

This must be by far, the most underrated film of its time since Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" (1927). For once, Roger Ebert and I agree, this is our favorite film of 1998. Too bad that goggle-eyed albino zeppelin claims he enjoyed "Garfield" and "Nutty Professor 2", otherwise, he'd almost have credibility.
In case you haven't done so, you should watch the movie again with Ebert's commentary after you've watched it normally. It's quite observational about the film's references and hidden metaphors. Oddly enough, Ebert pointed out a plot-hole that I never noticed before. Just how does Jennifer Connelly's character know where the prostitute lived? Oh well.
I just have to add this at random... Richard O'Brien's "Mr. Hand" is the creepiest villain EVER! Better than Darth Vader, Freddy Kreuger, Jason Vorhees, Michael Meyers, Agent Smith and Dick Cheney combined. I love this guy, and I'm not even that big on "The Rocky Horror Picture Show".
My original complaint when I first saw this film was that the ending seemed inconsistent with the mood established in the first 85% of the film. Now it doesn't bother me so much. The ending makes perfect sense, regardless of the change of the mood.
The film bombed in theaters, and I blame the chosen cast, and the lack of explanatory advertising. Nobody knew what it was about, and the biggest star in it at the time was Kiefer Sutherland, who isn't an A-list guy.
In a way, I'm kind of glad this film bombed, only because if it didn't, they'd try to make a sequel and tarnish the image of the original. Just look what sequels did to the original Matrix. It's funny when I think back and remember liking Dark City more than The Matrix, and everyone else telling me they thought the opposite. Ha! Talk about a reversal. You can't look at the original Matrix without thinking about how all the fighting that's going on is over that lousy excuse for an underground city of Babylon-5 extras. If they do that to Dark City, then that's it. I'm packing some pyramid-climbing equipment and tetnis shots and getting my ass to Mars like the Ahhnold.
Go ALEX! Bring me more! 10/10