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2-DISC 4K ULTRA HD LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

Brand new 4K restoration from the original 35mm camera negatives approved by director of photography Dariusz Wolski
4K Ultra HD (2160p) Blu-ray presentations of both the Director’s Cut and Theatrical Cut of the film
Original DTS-HD MA 5.1, stereo 2.0 and new Dolby Atmos audio options for both cuts of the film
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
60-page perfect bound collectors book featuring new writing by author Richard Kadrey, and film critics Sabina Stent, Virat Nehru and Martyn Pedler
Limited edition packaging featuring newly commissioned artwork by Doug John Miller
Double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Doug John Miller
Three postcard-sized reproduction art cards
Postcard from Shell Beach
Dr Schreber business card
DISC 1: DIRECTOR’S CUT

Brand new audio commentary by director Alex Proyas
Brand new audio commentary with Craig Anderson, Bruce Isaacs and Herschel Isaacs, co-hosts of the Film Versus Film podcast
Archive audio commentary by director Alex Proyas
Archive audio commentary by film critic Roger Ebert
Archive audio commentary by writers Lem Dobbs and David S. Goyer
Archive introduction by Alex Proyas
Return to Dark City, a new hour-long documentary featuring interviews with director Alex Proyas, producer Andrew Mason, production designers Patrick Tatopoulos and George Liddle, costume designer Liz Keough, storyboard artist Peter Pound, director of photography Dariusz Wolski, actor Rufus Sewell, hair & makeup artist Leslie Vanderwalt and VFX creative director Peter Doyle
Rats in a Maze, a new visual essay by film scholar Alexandra West
I’m as Much in the Dark as You Are, a new visual essay by film scholar Josh Nelson on film noir and identity in Dark City
Design & Storyboards
DISC 2: THEATRICAL CUT

Archive audio commentary by director Alex Proyas, writers Lem Dobbs & David S. Goyer, director of photography Dariusz Wolski and production designer Patrick Tatopoulos
Archive audio commentary by film critic Roger Ebert
Memories of Shell Beach, a 2008 featurette in which cast and crew look back at the making of the film from concept to reception
Architecture of Dreams, a 2008 featurette presenting five perspectives on the themes and meanings of the film
Theatrical trailer
Image gallery

five commentaries is hilarious. that's almost as many as Touch of Evil (which has six, between Universal and Kino)

There are two more in the theatrical cut (not sure if how different the Roger Ebert one will be).

It was initially two commentaries for the original New Line DVD of the theatrical cut of the film from 1998 (the Director, Writer, DP and Production Designer; and Roger Ebert tracks). That got additional commentaries added for the Blu-ray release in the early 2010s when the director's cut came out. And now we have another two updating things to the present moment.

This was a big one for Roger Ebert as Dark City was famously along with Citizen Kane one of the films he would teach to a class shot-by-shot over a series of lessons. He kind of does the same in his commentary, and another warning is necessary for anyone who has not seen Pandora's Box yet in that Ebert casually spoils its ending when he compares the German Expressionist atmosphere being conjured up here (and the opening situation that the main character finds himself caught up in) back to the Pabst film.

So many great sequences in this film, where while the central 'tuning sequence' is the big one, that sequence itself almost gets overwhelmed by some of the business that occurs at the end. And this really strangely features almost the exact same 'yearning to attain, but maybe always an idealised dream' muse image for the hero of Jennifer Connelly standing on a pier with her back to the camera that occurs with Jennifer Connelly's character in Requiem For A Dream a couple of years later! I have occasionally wondered if Aronofsky was making a conscious allusion back to Dark City there.

This felt naturally an option once I heard they were putting out The Cell, and am glad I was right. Awesome awesome movie and I am sure the 4K will be properly mind-blowing.

I love this movie (it's where my forum namesake originates), it was one of the defining films for me in my teenage years. I did not think much of the director's cut, and actually don't mind the rather spoiler-y opening sequence.

I will never understand the art card craze and will probably wait for a standard release (also not a big fan of posters included with physical media where you get a paper folded forty times over to fit into the case).

16 year old me would love the Dr Schreber business card but now I'm not sure who exactly is the target consumer for that (Kiefer Sutherland completionists?)

Unlike Long Kiss Goodnight, this one’s getting a Blu-ray release as well

I'm trying to remember if Dark City ever got a Blu-ray release in the UK before this - I know I ended up importing the Blu-ray of the Extended Version of the film from the US when it came out over a decade ago, so I am not sure about what the situation of the film in the UK was before this. I even had to import the initial early 2000s New Line DVD from the US as that was during the early period of DVD when all of New Line's films were distributed through the "Entertainment In Video" label in the UK, which adhered to a bizarre policy of only one commentary track per film, however many may have been on the US disc they were porting from!

Murdoch wrote: Fri Mar 28, 2025 10:45 pm art card

Art card.
Postcard.
Art card!
Postcard. How much money did you spend on that postcard?
Ten dollars.
Art card!

Is this the fastest selling Limited Edition yet? Rarewaves already have a July 21 street date for the regular edition and it drops the theatrical cut.

Amazon seems to be the only place to still get the 4k US edition (at $60). I ordered what seems to be the last copy from MVD shop. The standard edition was tempting but I'm in the minority of wanting the theatrical cut in 4k too!

I was in the Union Square Barnes and Noble in NYC today and they had the deluxe edition of this in 4k and blu ray on the shelf for anyone still desperate to find a copy.

Murdoch wrote: Fri Mar 28, 2025 10:45 pm I did not think much of the director's cut, and actually don't mind the rather spoiler-y opening sequence.

This is somewhat baffling to me, but glad you still enjoyed it. I kinda put off seeing it for many years, and finally watched it for the first time--and it was the director's cut--maybe a decade ago(?), and it was only after watching it that I'd found out the theatrical version opens with that ridiculous spoiler. I can't imagine the film having the same impact in its mystery--on first viewing--with that level of condescension toward the audience.