THE AISLE SEAT - by Mike McGranaghan
"DARKMAN"
For a movie that wasn't a box office hit, Sam Raimi's Darkman has always had an aura of coolness. From the film's teaser posters, which simply had the words “Who is Darkman?” in large bold neon letters, to its enduring cult status, it has been capturing the imagination of sci-fi/horror fans since 1990. It also presaged the current superhero movie trend; released today, this would probably be a blockbuster. The picture certainly was a bit ahead of its time. When Scream Factory announced they'd be releasing Darkman in a Collector's Edition Blu-Ray, film fans online began buzzing with a rarely-heard excitement. As someone who has loved the film passionately ever since seeing it on opening weekend, let me assure you that this is an A+ Blu-Ray release.
Liam Neeson plays Payton Westlake, a brilliant scientist who has created a synthetic skin to help burn victims. The only problem is that it dissolves after 99 minutes. One day, a mobster named Durant (Larry Drake) shows up at Westlake's lab in search of an incriminating document he believes the scientist's girlfriend, Julie (Frances McDormand), has hidden there. Durant and his men burn and disfigure Westlake in the process, then blow the place to smithereens. Westlake miraculously survives, though, and a local hospital severs his nerves so that he never feels pain. Now badly deformed, he dons a cloak and vows revenge against Durant. The synthetic skin makes it easy for him to impersonate other people, allowing him to get close to the mobster. However, that 99-minute rule has to be carefully monitored.
Darkman offers up a terrific origin story, one worthy of standing alongside those of Batman and Spider-Man. The character is given a motivation for his vengeance that is intensely dramatic. From there, Raimi proceeds to pay homage to both comic book characters and classic Universal Pictures monsters, while also mixing in his trademark slapstick-inspired humor and visual invention. There is an appealingly over-the-top quality to Darkman that feels just about perfect. Raimi plays up the operatic moments, providing the film with a modern Phantom of the Opera-type vibe, then injecting the story with genuinely exciting action.
Many of the scenes are incredibly clever. Most notable among them is a bit where Westlake, disguised as Durant, encounters the real Durant in a revolving door, leaving the mobster's henchmen unsure of which man to shoot. A climactic sequence in which Darkman hangs suspended from a helicopter as it rushes through the streets of the city remains impressive to this day. And, of course, there's a wicked sense of humor in the way one of those “dippy birds” is used to ignite a catastrophe. From first frame to last, Darkman oozes invention and creativity, and Liam Neeson perfectly anchors the movie, creating a hero we genuinely empathize with, even when he's at his most brutal.
Darkman holds up remarkably well, aside from a couple of now-dated special effects. It is every bit as funny, thrilling, and darkly captivating as it was twenty-four years ago.
Blu-Ray Features:
Scream Factory outdid itself with this release, which hits stores on February 18. The only disappointment is that there's no participation from Sam Raimi. Otherwise, you get well over three hours of first-class supplements. In Raimi's absence, director of photography Bill Pope provides the audio commentary, discussing the movie's unique, stylized look.
Liam Neeson sits down for a brand-new 7-minute interview, in which he reveals Gary Oldman and Bill Paxton were among the other actors considered for the role. He also notes responding to the “operatic” nature of the story, and says he'd love to work with Raimi again. (Yes, please!) Neeson additionally tells a funny story about how his fear of heights created a problem during the helicopter scene.
Larry Drake is the subject of a 16-minute interview, entitled “The Name is Durant.” He talks about being asked to perform the revolving door scene during his audition, and nearly passing on the role after reading the scene in which Durant cuts off a man's fingers with a cigar cutter. Perhaps most interestingly, Drake reveals that he included little gestures designed to suggest that Durant was gay and in love with one of his henchmen. Finally, he addresses the low-budget direct-to-video sequel in which Durant is somehow miraculously revived.
Frances McDormand is another star making an appearance on the Blu-Ray, in an 11-minute interview. The actress, who says she once worked for a company that answered fan mail for AC/DC, talks about sharing a house with Raimi and the Coen brothers (she eventually married Joel Coen), working to make Julie a feminist rather than a mere damsel in distress, and her complete lack of awareness about Darkman's cult following.
Aside from the three main stars, all of whom are open and witty in discussing the movie, co-stars Dan Bell and Danny Hicks (who play Durant's henchmen) are on hand for a 13-minute interview to discuss the fun they had making Darkman.
On the technical side, makeup designer Tony Gardner spends 13 minutes reflecting on the prosthetics used to turn Neeson into a deformed neo-superhero. Gardner says his biggest challenge was finding a way to let the emotions come through layers of prosthetics. Production Designer Randy Ser and Art Director Phillip Dagort are the subjects of a 17-minute segment on the film's overall look. Among the subjects they cover: shooting the revolving door scene in a pre-CGI era.
All these features are new. The Darkman Blu-Ray also contains a 6-minute vintage making-of featurette, a 9-minute clip of vintage cast interviews, and over 90 minutes of extended cast interviews from the time of initial release. The original theatrical trailer is here, as are some TV spots, still galleries, and storyboards.
Scream Factory has built a reputation on its superb presentation of genre films and generous collection of supplementary materials. With Darkman, they've set the bar even higher. This is one of the most impressive Blu-Rays I've ever seen.
For more information on this release, please visit the official Scream Factory website.
Darkman is rated R for sequences of violence and language. The running time is 1 hour and 36 minutes.
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