Life in the Tunnel - Dark Days
November 9, 2008 1:19 AM Subscribe
Sunday Morning Movie - A moving and fascinating documentary, Dark Days is on Google Video. Marc Singer lived in the tunnel, and started filming with the help of his fellow tunnel dwellers. Trivia here. Inevitable Wikipedia link here.
The online video can't possibly do justice to the stunning black and white imagery, but it's worth seeing in any form. I'd encourage anyone to add this to your Netflix Queue, or get the DVD, which includes the director's commentary.
The online video can't possibly do justice to the stunning black and white imagery, but it's worth seeing in any form. I'd encourage anyone to add this to your Netflix Queue, or get the DVD, which includes the director's commentary.
I'm barely 4 minutes into this and I can already tell I'm really going to enjoy it. Thanks for posting it here.
posted by Venadium at 2:23 AM on November 9, 2008
posted by Venadium at 2:23 AM on November 9, 2008
Awesome! I remember hearing about this when it came out and I been meaning to watch it ever since.
posted by sophist at 2:29 AM on November 9, 2008
posted by sophist at 2:29 AM on November 9, 2008
If you get the chance, watch it on DVD, as it was filmed in 16mm b&w, and a lot of the imagery is really enhanced by the grain of the film IMO. Really moving.
posted by suedehead at 2:42 AM on November 9, 2008
posted by suedehead at 2:42 AM on November 9, 2008
This follows a bunker post from three days earlier.
For a moment I thought that this was the new Republican message: "Everybody hunker down underground with Dick Cheney until we Mole People can come back to the surface!"
Seriously though, it's a good film (I've seen it before). Thanks for the link.
posted by twoleftfeet at 2:45 AM on November 9, 2008
For a moment I thought that this was the new Republican message: "Everybody hunker down underground with Dick Cheney until we Mole People can come back to the surface!"
Seriously though, it's a good film (I've seen it before). Thanks for the link.
posted by twoleftfeet at 2:45 AM on November 9, 2008
We love Dark Days here on Metafilter, as it combines so many things we like.
posted by asok at 3:53 AM on November 9, 2008
posted by asok at 3:53 AM on November 9, 2008
Wow. What a coincidence. I've wanted to watch this movie since it came out 8 years ago, and i finally got around to downloading it and watching some of it last night.
posted by svenni at 4:00 AM on November 9, 2008
posted by svenni at 4:00 AM on November 9, 2008
Definitely second getting the DVD. The photography is really just stunning. And yes, DJ Shadow's music throughout is brilliant. Really incredible outsider effort.
posted by Aversion Therapy at 5:26 AM on November 9, 2008
posted by Aversion Therapy at 5:26 AM on November 9, 2008
I was apparently the only one in the film department in college who hadn't seen this in some class or other. Everyone said it was unbelievable. Thanks.
posted by Peevish at 5:50 AM on November 9, 2008
posted by Peevish at 5:50 AM on November 9, 2008
this is not Marc Singer of Beastmaster
apparently they're going to remake V! (ot ;)
posted by kliuless at 6:09 AM on November 9, 2008
apparently they're going to remake V! (ot ;)
posted by kliuless at 6:09 AM on November 9, 2008
Wow. This is a brilliant documentary. Nice soundtrack too.
posted by snoktruix at 8:05 AM on November 9, 2008
posted by snoktruix at 8:05 AM on November 9, 2008
Sweet. I was just reading about this film last night, and wanting to see it. Thanks.
posted by flotson at 8:54 AM on November 9, 2008
posted by flotson at 8:54 AM on November 9, 2008
Saw this in theater.
It changed how I viewed the city I walk around in.
I've recommended it to many people, glad to see it's still garnering attention.
Also, when I saw it, I thought it was the same Marc Singer as V, and it improved my opinion of him mightily. HA!
posted by Busithoth at 9:18 AM on November 9, 2008
It changed how I viewed the city I walk around in.
I've recommended it to many people, glad to see it's still garnering attention.
Also, when I saw it, I thought it was the same Marc Singer as V, and it improved my opinion of him mightily. HA!
posted by Busithoth at 9:18 AM on November 9, 2008
I saw this at the Chicago film festival when it came out. The director Marc Singer was there. He had never filmed anything...ever.
Two really interesting things about the film: he shot on black and white because a friend in the film "would look cool". Secondly, they shot and shot and shot and never looked at their film. It sat in canisters until they came "above ground". They could have had multiple reels of nothing. When they asked if he was going to make another film he said he didn't think so. That this was a film that just needed to be made.
posted by zerobyproxy at 10:06 AM on November 9, 2008
Two really interesting things about the film: he shot on black and white because a friend in the film "would look cool". Secondly, they shot and shot and shot and never looked at their film. It sat in canisters until they came "above ground". They could have had multiple reels of nothing. When they asked if he was going to make another film he said he didn't think so. That this was a film that just needed to be made.
posted by zerobyproxy at 10:06 AM on November 9, 2008
Watched it tonight. Remarkable movie--a close look at people we rarely get close to. And they're nice people.
posted by flotson at 6:32 PM on November 9, 2008
posted by flotson at 6:32 PM on November 9, 2008
Also please note that this is not Marc Singer of Beastmaster fame.
Well, goddammit, thinking it would be was 75% of the reason I clicked the link. Glad I did, though.
posted by middleclasstool at 7:12 PM on November 9, 2008
Well, goddammit, thinking it would be was 75% of the reason I clicked the link. Glad I did, though.
posted by middleclasstool at 7:12 PM on November 9, 2008
This is my second opportunity to talk up Slake's Limbo on Metafilter, and by God I'm taking it. As a kid Slake's Limbo adjusted the way I looked at the world; it was like I started seeing everything in cutaway, in exploded view. This movie is reminding me really strongly of that experience.
posted by penduluum at 7:31 PM on November 9, 2008
posted by penduluum at 7:31 PM on November 9, 2008
Regarding the Marc Singer/Beastmaster thing... I almost put a line in the FPP that it was not that Marc Singer. I confess that I briefly thought maybe it was him as well, but the idea seemed so far-fetched that I dismissed it pretty quickly. And a quick web search confirmed my assumption.
The fascinating thing is that the Beastmaster Marc Singer's name is so recognizable from that one movie! Oh, the power of 1980s cable programming!
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 8:14 PM on November 9, 2008
The fascinating thing is that the Beastmaster Marc Singer's name is so recognizable from that one movie! Oh, the power of 1980s cable programming!
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 8:14 PM on November 9, 2008
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Also please note that this is not Marc Singer of Beastmaster fame.
posted by infinitewindow at 2:20 AM on November 9, 2008