Darkest City

*I had promised Stego I'd give feedback on Darkest City. Very nice! Next on my review list (just in time for Halloween) Looney Runes own Cemetery Emblems!*

The overall mood of Stegokitty's sync creation DARKEST CITY is a perfect example of darkness & light. Sinester elements of film sync'd and blended with such a wide array of music both light hearted as well as ominous. All this together makes for a sync film so unique & mesmerizing one might feel as though they've run a gauntlet of emotion that leaves them elevated & better still...entertained! The opening scene using Pink Floyds Sysyphus (pts. 1-4) gives off the spidery piano tingle that brought Rhapsody In Blue to mind. Highlights of this opening segment that stood out to me were how the music tempo changes when the people of the city fall asleep & how the Dr. Schreber character is given a Charlie Chaplain/silent movie feel. When John Murdock awakens the music fits perfectly with the chaos that is going on. What ensues is a brilliant cacophony of wonderfully atmospheric sync occurrences including the first appearance of The Strangers through the elevator door. When Emma first appears singing, birds can be heard in the background...songbirds. The music intensifies apon seeing John in front of the store window pondering his identity as the music bleeds nicely into organ music as Detective Bumstead plays the accordion. The Bent Cold Sidewalk segment is very nice with lyrical syncs like "all you've seen is what you wanted to" as John watches the doomed prostitute undress, and "as you look behind" as the prostitute looks behind her over her shoulder. When The Strangers confront John you can hear the lyrics "we can lead you far beyond the door". The treacherous Mr. Hand locates Dr. Schreber while voices can be heard, the beat matching Dr. Schreber treading water. "Creating dreams that pass you by" plays out as John runs from Detective Bumstead & the tempo shifts as John creates a door to evade Bumstead's pursuit. My favorite part plays out during the next scene which uses Pink Floyds The Narrow Way as Bumstead pays a visit to a former detective Eddie who has become obsessed with the mystery of The Strangers. The Narrow Way is a perfect phrase & choice of song title due to the fact that Eddie is seen as insane with his constant obsession with the riddle of Dark City. The music itself is very subtle acoustic guitar with a chaotic slide guitar track over it. This works perfectly for this scene. Musical cohesiveness (sanity) mixed with psychedelic slide guitar with ambient overdubs (insanity). The ending of The Narrow Way is so perfect for the following scene that it could pass for the actual music video for Dark City. The passionate flamenco music that starts Serpent Dream matches with Dr. Schreber & John arguing in the streets. The flamenco vibe of the song gives way to a harder electric guitar assault that starts when the people of the city awaken none the wiser of the activity & changes made by The Strangers. The next scene uses the song Because by the Beatles as we see Emma appear to mouth the word "because" as the backup jazz musicians sway in time. I mostly found it ironic and humorous that the subject matter of the song is based on human emotions that would be lost on The Strangers. "Love is old, love is new", & "because the sky is blue, it makes me cry" are emotions that may have prompted The Strangers to look for our souls to begin with. This leads to another Beatles composition "You Never Give Me Your Money and like the other segments there are many sync occurrences. Most notably "you only give me your funny paper" as we see a news stand & "nowhere to go" is heard several times all syncing in accordance to finding Shell Beach. Another great sync is when Mr. Hand closes his eyes to see John Murdocks past playout like a dream as we hear "one sweet dream". "Always know sometimes think its me, but you know I know when its a dream" stood out strong during the Strawberry Fields Forever playthrough. Many syncs can be found here. I like to think of Strawberry Fields as a metaphor for Shell Beach. During Cream's Tales of Brave Ulysses there are many references to the beach & the sea which John & Uncle Karl are watching slides of. "And her footprints make you follow" as we see footprints in the sand. Next is a song by Terry S. Taylor entitled Confused And Upset which is very funny. Detective Bumstead appears to talk gibberish after comforting Emma. Many of the atmospheric aspects of Darkest City can be traced back to the use of music by chanters Enya. The song Aldebaran is primarily used for mood & lends an aura of beauty to the darkness of the film & gives a feeling of impending...hope! As the city changes, Klaymen Shuffle by Terry S. Taylor plays giving the scene a circus fun house type feeling. Very humorous! They Might Be Giants echo the fun of the prior tune as shifting buildings (giants) cause havoc for our hero & his pursuers The Strangers. "Hang on, hang on tight" is heard as John dangles over the city & the word "boy" is heard as the youngest of The Strangers bites John on the hand. Mike Oldfields Etude goes with John & Bumsteads conversation as well as the conversation with John & Emma. The next song Behind My Camel by The Police plays out as John & Emma magically break the glass that separates them leading to a kiss. The dreamy music of Enya again creates a nice sound scape as The Strangers put several police officers to sleep & fitting that before this scene music from the band The Police was played . A great song about realization is played out with the Talking Heads Once In A Lifetime. Dr. Schreber's exclamation of "My God, what have I done" is amazing & many appropriate water references! The next medley by Mike Oldfield, Sunset Door, Tattoo, Altered State, & Maya Gold fit well with the discovery of what waits beyond the walls of Dark City. The bagpipes heard next are fitting after the death of Detective Bumstead & Johns oncoming victory. The climatic battle between John & The Strangers go incredibly well together creating the perfect segway to....Athair Ar Neamh by Enya. Johns personal victory as well as his victory for humanity fit so well with this music even the bell that tolls seem to toll the impending doom of Mr. Hand & his Stranger cohorts. Johns arrival at Shell Beach is moving & almost spiritual as the darkness of the film is given the future prospect of hope & prosperity. Supertramps Asylum brings up the end credits & fittingly so!

Overall...a sync masterpiece! Thanks to Stegokitty for being not only the architect of Darkest City but for also giving out the key to "the city". - Jaydingo

i have a good sync for the beatles magical mystery tour

doctor dolittle(1967) and magical mystery tour(1967)

1. skip overture (some dont have it)

2.start cd when "20th century fox" has faded out and just as actual movie fades in repeat until movie ends

I thouroughly enjoyed this "Darkest City" creation by Stegokitty. It absorbs me at all levels of beauty. It is harmonic from start to finish. many of the songs have a hypnotic surrealism which resonates strongly with the movie. I also think it is a plus to use different artists to keep your brain alert and surprised.

I just do not like the music chosen for the credits at the end of the movie, but who cares, its the credits. This last song finished the beauty on a sour note for me so it would be the only thing I would like to have changed.

-Karl Tune