...its style more than makes up for any lack of substance.
Video:
Certainly, there is fine quality to the DVD presentation, its extensive notes, its creative menu screens, and its audio commentaries. Along with two separate screen formats, full-screen and 2.35:1 letterbox, buyers are getting their money's worth. Indeed, in the latter instance, it surprises me that so many DVD manufacturers offer both versions separately. It has always seemed to me that the extra expenditure for both standard and widescreen formats ensures that every segment of the DVD market is covered. Why lose one or the other customer? Spending money makes money. In addition, I found the image quality quite good. Dark it is, to be sure, but I seldom noticed the graininess he reported.
Audio:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 sound only gets better as the movie goes on, with more and better sonic effects channeled to the rear speakers, and well dispersed once they are there. It is very fine reproduction with excellent frequency range, deep bass, and transient response.
Extras:
The main bonuses are feature-length audio commentaries by Roger Ebert and by the director, writers and other filmmakers. Ebert's is the more entertaining and historically elucidating. Then, there's a comparison to "Metropolis," the "Find Shell Beach" game I mentioned earlier, some cast and production notes, a theatrical trailer, and a mere sixteen chapter stops, odd even for so short a film. English and French are the spoken language options, with English and French for subtitles.
Parting Thoughts:
However you look at it, "Dark City" does create its own world, even if it's so weirdly familiar a world that I couldn't quite suspend my disbelief long enough fully to appreciate it. It is probably a film that bears further viewing and less analysis, which I look forward to doing.
Certainly, there is fine quality to the DVD presentation, its extensive notes, its creative menu screens, and its audio commentaries. Along with two separate screen formats, full-screen and 2.35:1 letterbox, buyers are getting their money's worth. Indeed, in the latter instance, it surprises me that so many DVD manufacturers offer both versions separately. It has always seemed to me that the extra expenditure for both standard and widescreen formats ensures that every segment of the DVD market is covered. Why lose one or the other customer? Spending money makes money. In addition, I found the image quality quite good. Dark it is, to be sure, but I seldom noticed the graininess he reported.
Audio:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 sound only gets better as the movie goes on, with more and better sonic effects channeled to the rear speakers, and well dispersed once they are there. It is very fine reproduction with excellent frequency range, deep bass, and transient response.
Extras:
The main bonuses are feature-length audio commentaries by Roger Ebert and by the director, writers and other filmmakers. Ebert's is the more entertaining and historically elucidating. Then, there's a comparison to "Metropolis," the "Find Shell Beach" game I mentioned earlier, some cast and production notes, a theatrical trailer, and a mere sixteen chapter stops, odd even for so short a film. English and French are the spoken language options, with English and French for subtitles.
Parting Thoughts:
However you look at it, "Dark City" does create its own world, even if it's so weirdly familiar a world that I couldn't quite suspend my disbelief long enough fully to appreciate it. It is probably a film that bears further viewing and less analysis, which I look forward to doing.
Average user rating (1-5):
[release]309[/release]