Tagarchief: Kiefer Sutherland

Dungeon Classics #34: Dark City

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

FilmDungeon’s Chief Editor JK sorts through the Dungeon’s DVD-collection to look for old cult favorites….

Dark City (1998, Australia, USA)

Director: Alex Proyas
Cast: Rufus Sewell, Kiefer Sutherland, Jennifer Connelly
Running Time: 100 mins.

A man with memory loss is being hunted by both the police and a group of scary looking bald guys. The police suspect him of murdering prostitutes, and the bald men want him for the special gift he appears to possess: the ability to alter reality with his mind. Slowly, the man begins to unravel the frightening truth about the dark city he lives in and the creatures who govern it, creatures who – like him – are able to ‘tune’ and change this world at will. Alex Proyas (The Crow) has directed a very atmospheric and fascinating film that looks beautiful. It preceded The Matrix by a year, which has a similar mind bending plot, a surprise revelation half way, and a chosen one with special powers. But it is still distinct in many ways. The Matrix is very much a sci-fi action film, while Dark City is closer to a film noir detective movie. It features great performances by lead man Rufus Sewell, a sniffling Kiefer Sutherland, an engaging Jennifer Connelly, and a sympathetic William Hurt. It also features impressive special effects for what doesn’t feel like a mainstream film at all. Highly recommended.

The Last Days of Frankie the Fly (1997)

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

Directed by:
Peter Markle

Written by:
Dayton Callie

Cast:
Dennis Hopper (Frankie the Fly), Daryl Hannah (Margaret), Michael Madsen (Sal), Kiefer Sutherland (Joey), Dayton Callie (Vic), Jack McGee (Jack), Karen Roe (Sal’s Girl), Bert Rosario (Miguel), David ‘Shark’ Fralick (Porn Actor), Nicholas Mele (Race Track Man)

Frankie the Fly (Hopper) is part of a mob crew. He’s the guy who always gets bullied. Hence his nickname ‘the Fly’. He eats shit from everybody. Especially from his boss Sal (Madsen), a psychotic who likes to collect his enemies testicles in jars.

There is one person who treats Frankie with respect, the porn actress Margaret (Hannah). She has occasional artistic differences with her sleazy director Joey (Sutherland), who makes porno films because he’s in debt with Sal.

Behind Sal’s back, Frankie makes a dangerous horse track bet on Joey’s behalf. In return, he wants to direct a movie with Margaret in the lead. But the paranoid Sal finds out which creates a serious problem for both Frankie, Joey and Margaret. The question is now if Frankie will stay a loser forever or finally stands up against his boss and the other bullies.

Sometimes you like a film without really knowing why. For me this is one of them. In essence it’s an ordinary story about mobsters and the underground L.A. porn movie industry. However the makers have managed to include some subtle twists and details as well as a dose of black humour. They also gave the film a fitting, colourful look.

The message seems to be that with the right motivation one can turn the cards for the better. No matter if that someone’s a douchebag mobster or a heroin addicted porn actress. Therefore ‘the last days’ from the title do not necessarily substitute ‘the death of’.

Rating:

Quote:
JOEY: “Fly, keeping your enemies nuts in a jar on the shelf is not an expression of power. It is a sick and demented act, created by a sick and demented person.”

Trivia:
Screenwriter Dayton Callie also plays Sal’s henchman Vic.