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Vol.
I No. 8 Back Doors to the Id DV Indeed So you think you have a vivid imagination that needs stimulation? Well these three films will open that back door to your id and let all those deep dark tales come to light. If you’re more the adventure/action type, this might not be your cup of tea. But then again ,it just might be…
I wont give away the not-so-easy-to-divulge plot, as so many reviewers do, and ruin your adventure, but I will point out a few things to notice. Right off the bat you’ll be aware of the exquisite use of sound to pull you into the action. The cinematography and special effects were the most advanced in France when this film was released in 1995. If you are looking for an escape from reality or an adventure that will leave you with haunting scenes, this will be right up your alley . It does come with an R rating and is presented in a really dynamic Dolby Digital 2.0 surround sound.
The object Murdock seeks is a faint memory of a place called Shell Beach which he has an obsession to reach. The cinematography is dark and morbid, in this city that continues to expand, change and alter itself. You’ll be more than excited when you hear the term "Shut it down, shut it all down,” a cry issued by the leader of the underground forces. The sound is glorious, delivering all the shock and awe of a transforming civilization. The Dolby Digital mix is aggressive and the DTS mix puts you right in the center of the confusion and excitement, found throughout this film. This will certainly get your imagination going and leave you with the twisted images that litter this ambitious work. An R rating is provided because this will trip you out!
Of course, as in all his works, Lynch has included his unique way of
luring you into a false sense of security, then hitting you with a wallop
in both audio and video to wake you up and pay attention. Filmed beautifully,
the camera takes you along this journey, with emphasis on every detail.
The sound is also impressive and offers you both Dolby Digital 5.1 and
a preferred DTS 5.1 mix. Both formats are impressive here. Now don’t
try and seek out chapters in this bold story, as Mr. Lynch will not allow
chapters in his DVD presentations as he feels you should see the film
from beginning to end, the way he intended. An excellent package for all
you David Lynch fans and everyone else who just doesn’t know they
are yet. |
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Copyright © 2005-06, Humboldt Sentinel. All rights reserved. |
The
City of Lost Children (1995) - Here’s a tale for the really
imaginative mind, beautifully filmed in a style of its own. That style
is the work of the famous French duo Jean Pierre Junet and Marc Caro of
Delicatessen fame. This is an eye popping Wizard of Oz type drama
about a tough street urchin and her strongman guardian (Ron Pearlman).
These two are thrown together , and must endure hardships, trials and
tribulations to obtain their goals. There are so many turns in their journey
and an amazing amount of characters to meet, such as in Oz.
Dark
City (1998) - Now this may be the ultimate sci-fi thriller that you’ve
been waiting for! Although it was released in 1998, it still holds the
place of being one of the most advanced dark epics of our day. Alex Proya,
who brought you the dark epic The Crow, now brings you a more
involved and detailed saga of a man lost in his own mind. Rufus Sewell
stars in this tangled mystery, as a man, John Murdock, who upon awakening
in a strange room in the middle of a homicide. What to do, he contemplates?
After escaping oncoming officials (or so he thinks), he spends all his
time trying to unravel who he is and what happened in that strange room.
Kieifer Sutherland, who has the hit TV series 24, stars as a
demented doctor, forced to do the will of his extraterrestrial captors.
They force him to experiment on Murdock and others they have under their
control. John Hurt portrays the police official who unwittingly tries
to get to the bottom the crime. Richard O’Brien (Riff Raff and writer
of the Rocky Horror Picture Show and the latter movie plays a leader of
the aliens who track Murdock and the demented doctor.
Mulholland
Drive (2001) - I just had to add a work by one of the masters of
the dark film art. Mulholland Drive is another story in the succession
of dark adventures by David Lynch, who is renowned for his visual epics
such as Dune, Blue Velvet and his television series
Twin Peaks. This skilled craftsmen tends to weave storylines
that are unusual and haunting. In this tale, two women are wound in a
confusing, tangled mystery and caught in a web of erotic passion. Naomi
Watts and Laura Elena Harring star as the women wandering though this
complicated and twisted story. Ann Miller also makes a cameo role as a
boisterous, noisy landlord. There are role changes and turns in the plot,
to confuse and lead you astray in following the storyline.
Lynch
has a reputation of tantalizing and confusing his audiences, into false
situations that unfold with surprising endings. Justin Theroux rounds
out the cast in this psychological dark melodrama.