It's funny: I walked into DARK CITY late -- and missed the opening 2-3 minutes -- starting the film with Rufus Sewell waking up in the tub.
I thought the film played brilliantly as a mystery/sci-fi film where you were never sure what was going on, UNTIL I rented it on DVD and realized they added this totally pointless prologue -- obviously added in test screenings -- that EXPLAINED THE WHOLE STORY AHEAD OF TIME!
So it's been no surprise to me that a DARK CITY director's cut has been in the works for years, and which will among other things dump the completely ruinous opening. As I wrote, I've seen how the film plays without it, and it's a much better movie because of it.
At any rate FINALLY official details are coming -- but what's this about the "score" being changed? Could they mean the songs being re-done? I'd hate to see something happen to Trevor Jones' score, which wasn't great but was fairly effective.
It was rumored a few months back that one of my favorite films of all time, DARK CITY, would be getting re-released with brand new special FX work added. No other details were revealed and it has been silent since then - until now. The other day I chatted with writer David Goyer, who is off in Chicago directing THE UNBORN for Rogue Pictures, who revealed a few more details on the project that any hardcore fan will appreciate. Read on for the skinny.
While on the set of his upcoming film UNBORN, writer-director David Goyer updated us on the re-release of DARK CITY, which he wrote for Alex Proyas to direct. "It's coming out fairly soon [and will] probably have limited theatrical, but Im not sure," he explains, "I have seen almost all of it and I took part in an over hour long making-of."
In addition to the special features, Goyer reveals that there's more to the re-release than just special FX upgrades. "[They re-did] the score and the cuts a little longer," he reveals, "all of the parties involved did fairly lenghtly interviews with us, they'll be incluced on there."
He's also quite sure that there will be a Blu-ray release. Join me in a lengthy scream of happiness. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
Released in 1998, Alex Proyas, (The Crow) directs this futuristic thriller about a man waking up to find he is wanted for brutal murders he doesn't remember. Haunted by mysterious beings who stop time and alter reality, he seeks to unravel the riddle of his identity. William Hurt, Kiefer Sutherland and Jennifer Connelley all star, even Melissa George makes a cameo!
Interesting. If we're lucky, maybe that language suggests they either found more of Jones's score from the masters and added it in there or actually had Jones come back and do some things for them. That would be nice.
I would hope whatever changes were made included Trevor Jones's input.
Tho it is possible it is a case like The Abyss special edition where a completely different composer scores the added footage. Or, cues from other scenes are used to fill-out the gaps in the soundtrack where new footage was added (as in the TV cut of the 1976 King Kong).
I just hope the original theatrical cut will be preserved via seamless branching. The mystery-squelching Kiefer Sutherland narration at the beginning aside, Dark City is one of my very favorite science fiction films of the past decade, and the brilliant F/X work and enjoyable Trevor Jones music certainly don't need to be overhauled. Holding onto my old disc until I'm sure what we're in for (also featuring a superb Roger Ebert commentary, which is all the more precious now considering how his current health woes have robbed him of his voice ).
Monterey Jack wrote:I just hope the original theatrical cut will be preserved via seamless branching. The mystery-squelching Kiefer Sutherland narration at the beginning aside, Dark City is one of my very favorite science fiction films of the past decade, and the brilliant F/X work and enjoyable Trevor Jones music certainly don't need to be overhauled. Holding onto my old disc until I'm sure what we're in for (also featuring a superb Roger Ebert commentary, which is all the more precious now considering how his current health woes have robbed him of his voice ).
From what I read all the DARK CITY "Director's Cut" was initially going to be was a cut that dumped the pointless opening narration. Apparently they're putting back in some other material too...either way I'll be fine as long as the "prologue" is gone and the film is respectfully extended, maintaining as much of the original score as possible. Agreed it's likely just some linking material for the new scenes.
I also found it one of the best sci-fi films of the last decade as well.
I went into the movie with low expectations and came out of it thinking it was one of the best sci-fi films I had seen in years. I haven't seen it since it first came out on DVD, and I'd be up for seeing it again soon. The original was pretty good and not needing any "fixing" from what I remember.
i guess with changing scenes, they had to change the score as there is hardly a minute without score... very subtle, but constantly there...
maybe the director kicked some out now or they just had to recut it... but apparently Jones worked on it himself...
i guess they more or less just throw out the beginning of the movie... rest is great the way it is...
maybe one of the DCs which will be shorter than the original... and then people will not buy it, because a new version of a movie is only good if it is longer!!!
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