Dark movies...

[Tweek]

What is the point of a movie that's mostly dark? I'm not talking in regards to the story, but the screen is dark most of the time!

Are we not supposed to see movies?

Sometimes it works but when it's most of the movie it makes no sense at all.

[TheDeadWalk]

To give that gloomy perception of the reality we are witnessing.

I'm pretty sure its a common tactic in some modern film noir.

I'd hate to see a movie like Seven (which is based in Seattle aka Rain capital of the U.S.) have a bright and colorful picturesque set throughout the film, with characters that look like a tinfoil reflection is staring back at their chin ala "Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!"

[Raoul Duke]

It's dark pending the subject of the movie. You're not going to have a movie like SE7EN all blue skys and happy sunshine are you? That would totally take away from its apporpriatly gloomy atmosphere.

[Tweek]

im not saying it should be happy!

i'm just saying that i'd like to be able to see what's going on.

there are movies that have plenty of light and still have a dark mood.

[Tweek]

Originally posted by TheDeadWalk
(which is based in Seattle aka Rain capital of the U.S.)

it's set in seattle?
i've never seen it.

man... we have some depressing movies set here.

[Adornado]

Originally posted by Tweek
it's set in seattle?
i've never seen it.

man... we have some depressing movies set here.

It's not really set anywhere...Seven takes place in an anonymous city.

[TheDeadWalk]

Originally posted by Adornado
It's not really set anywhere...Seven takes place in an anonymous city.

I don't know why I thought that then. Was that where it was filmed? Probably not...

But anyways, it gives you off that grimy, greasy and gloomy feeling. Giving off the essence of light to shine up the studio is often tactics for pleasant situations, or occurances.

[Tweek]

Is Seven emmersed in darkness for most of the movie?

I mean total darkness.

[adamjohnson]

What bmovie are you talking about in particular?

[TheDeadWalk]

Originally posted by Tweek
Is Seven emmersed in darkness for most of the movie?

I mean total darkness.

It purposely has a filter overtop of the camera lense to make everything appear much darker, almost similar to the Ohio scenes in Traffic, only with a greenish dirty water tint.

ANd yes, what movie(s) are you talking about in particular so we could discuss this better?

[Tweek]

well one example is daredevil...
part of the reason i didn't like it is because I couldn't see most of it.

and it's a movie about a blind superhero!

grr

[ilovemovies]

Maybe you need to wear glasses. I was able to see Daredevil perfectly fine. It is a dark movie but you can definately see it.

[Tweek]

i wear glasses.

damn
i didn't see the thing in the water in x2...


man, so it IS just me. i'm going blind quicker than i thought.

[Neesh]

Dark movies don't bother me at all... so long as the cinematography is done right. Sometimes movies look like they are too dark by accident... "Bird", the story of Charlie Parker directed by Clint Eastwood comes to mind. Although I saw it on VHS a long time ago, maybe it was a bad transfer.
But like Deadwalk said, sometimes the story requires that it be shot in dark settings.

Like Dark City. Now that movie is dark, and photographed well.

About Se7en.... it was in fact set in an anonymous city. Alot of people mistakingly think that it takes place in NYC. There are no references whatsoever in the movie to any real city. At one point Gwenyth Paltrows character says "we just moved to the city...", and there is a subway system in that city, but it is in fact a ficticious city. I believe it was shot in Philadelphia and Los Angeles. And I didnt think it was that dark at all... nothing like Dark City.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention.... I LOVED the fact that Daredevil was dark in alot of places. It should've been dark! Just like the Batman movies. I kinda hated the fact that Spiderman was pretty bright throughout, I like my comic book movies to have sort of dark and sinister vibe about them, not be all bright and cheery-like. Except American Splendor, but you know what I mean.

[Grim H.]

Originally posted by Raoul Duke
You're not going to have a movie like SE7EN all blue skys and happy sunshine are you? That would totally take away from its apporpriatly gloomy atmosphere.

Well...you could. You could just say you were being ironic. :D

[Tweek]

The Matrix was a movie with a dark mood and I could see all of it.

That's probably because Bill Pope was the cinematographer and he rules.

[Trail_Blazer]

I agree with the settings being too visually dark... The whole 'A Man Apart' movie was a HORRIBLE (yet perfect) example of this I think... I couldnt see SHIT in this movie... I HATE that!

[Ted Pikul]

"well one example is daredevil...
part of the reason i didn't like it is because I couldn't see most of it."

I think the reason Daredevil was shot in the dark was to try & hide the horrible CGI.

[Raoul Duke]

'Fight Club' is insanely dark in certain spots. On the commentary I think Fincher even says that at some points he had shot it with too much darkness.

[adamjohnson]

Its about atmosphere. A scary movie wouldnt be as scary if there was sunshine and lollipops everywhere.

Most people consider what you DONT see to be scarier than what you do, which is why things are dark.

Its also about establishing the world. Like in Batman - this is the darkest, grittiest, most crime infested city in the world, of course its going to be dark. If its not the entire movie is in jeopardyu because the 'dark world' Batman is supposed to be fighting against isnt dark at all.

If you cant see something, turn the brightness up.

[Tweek]

heh, i can't do that in the theater...


damn.

[Trail_Blazer]

exactly tweek! ;)

[adamjohnson]

True. But you named movies like The Matrix and X2 which led me to believe you were more focused on DVD's.

BTW, {hoenix in the water had NOTHING to do with its lighting. Its supposed to be a subtle effect, if you cant see it, look harder.

Darkness is all about mood. Caertain movies have to have it to keep you in that mind frame throughout. Trust me, if you could see EVERYTHING in say, Halloween, it wouldnt be at all scary.

[HedwigX]

This really pisses me off whenever I try to watch Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone on VHS. It's the shittiest VHS transfer I've ever seen.

You can hardly see a thing. I really need to get the DVD of that...