Inspirational Movies and TV for Dark Conspiracy

Any and all discussion about Dark Conspiracy, the RPG of modern conspiracy horror
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ReHerakhte
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Re: Inspirational Movies and TV for Dark Conspiracy

Post by ReHerakhte »

Thanks for your review of Children of the Stones Linden.
I had added it to my "to watch" list but had resolved myself to buying it from the UK because I couldn't find a copy here. I search for movie to buy irregularly but often enough and given your review I'm thinking that although I'd still like to see it, it can stay off the search list for a little while.
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Re: Inspirational Movies and TV for Dark Conspiracy

Post by Linden »

I'm currently halfway through watching the first series of "1990". Despite the title this Orwellian BBC drama dates from the mid-to-late seventies. Edward Woodward stars as a reporter in a Britain that seems to be on its way to becoming a totalitarian state. His main enemy is the Public Control Department, a Stasi-esque organisation charged with keeping the public in line via constant surveillance. Dissidents are shunted off into ghettoes, lose their jobs or have their benefits stopped, and if they're really unlucky sent to Adult Rehabilitation Centres where their brains are turned into potato salad via a combination of drugs and ECT.

I'm finding fascinating as a worse case scenario dystopia from the 1970s - an example of what might have been. Of course given the contemporary Security Services' thirst for personal data it could be that main writer Wilfred Greatorex only got the date wrong and not much else. There isn't a huge amount of action but it's played with real conviction by all concerned which has been more than enough to keep me watching.

Some good location shooting as well. Lots of grimy late seventies UK cityscapes.

As a DC setting it might serve as an alternative to the United States presented in the main rulebook controlled by corporate interests and suffering a large scale breakdown of law and order. Things in the UK are just as bad but in a different way. Or it could serve as a back story for what things were like before the corporations moved in (the most recent episode I watched it was suggested the country was nearly bankrupt and in dire need of a massive bail out).

Lee, I'm guessing the series was an influence on your Republic of Britain articles in Demonground?.
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Re: Inspirational Movies and TV for Dark Conspiracy

Post by Morthrai »

Linden wrote:Lee, I'm guessing the series was an influence on your Republic of Britain articles in Demonground?.
Funnily enough it wasn't. I was aware of its existence, vaguely remembering the name from when I were a lad. I even remember seeing the novelisation in paperback in Nostalgia & Comics a few years ago. As I say, I haven't seen it but if it's available somewhere I'll have to check it out :)
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Re: Inspirational Movies and TV for Dark Conspiracy

Post by Linden »

Morthrai wrote: Funnily enough it wasn't.
That's interesting. I do remember you talking about your source material but couldn't recall if 1990 was included. I think "Red Scare" stories depicting oppressive left wing governements were ubiquitous in the mid-to-late 70s. They were the other side of the coin to all those right wing private armies we discussed on one of the Protodimension threads.
Morthrai wrote: As I say, I haven't seen it but if it's available somewhere I'll have to check it out :)
It's well worth a watch. The other thing I should have mentioned is that it features lots of chunky IT and communications equipment which fits the DC technology aesthetic rather well.
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Re: Inspirational Movies and TV for Dark Conspiracy

Post by Morthrai »

Further to Linden's mention of the "1990" series with Edward Woodward, I went looking and quickly found the whole thing is on YooChoob :D

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL ... eEdYRq6GgT
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Re: Inspirational Movies and TV for Dark Conspiracy

Post by Phulish »

Looking at Korean TV, the neuropath is common in supernatural shows. The people have severe trauma and can see ghosts. The ghosts would be Tulpas. I'll chase down the titles, but "The Master's Sun" has a Megamall as a setting that could be playable. Nine tail foxes from Japan are common as well, but in romantic comedies :?
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Re: Inspirational Movies and TV for Dark Conspiracy

Post by Linden »

Watched Near Dark the other night, not seen it for a couple of years. It's not obviously a Dark Conspiracy style film - Lance Henriksen's band of itinerant white trash vampires have little in common with the intelligent and mendacious bloodkin. That said I thought the film's neon lit townscapes and dusty rural vistas fitted the DC aesthetic quite nicely (and it does feature half the supporting cast from Aliens).
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Re: Inspirational Movies and TV for Dark Conspiracy

Post by Phulish »

On Hulu there is a Russian TV show "The Day After"(not to be confused with the U.S. nuke movie from the '80's). Oligarchs use a biotech solution to try to "improve" mankind. An accident releases the virus that kills instead of sterilizing the "inferiors", the "superior" women become homicidal mutants. I'm thinking that I might have my next virus induced horror..... :D Clever people get too clever while fooling with something better left alone.
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Re: Inspirational Movies and TV for Dark Conspiracy

Post by ReHerakhte »

Thanks for the info about the Russian show. Although we can't access Hulu in Australia, I at least know the show exists and can look for it elsewhere :D
Clever people get too clever while fooling with something better left alone.
Hehehe, isn't this always the way!
You could tie in with the mythology of Prometheus and Frankenstein if you're looking for avenues to explore. The Prometheus/Frankenstein concept is universal so I think you could easily connect it with your idea.
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Re: Inspirational Movies and TV for Dark Conspiracy

Post by Linden »

I'm going to nominate Ben Wheatley's drug fuelled Civil War drama "A Field in England". Although it's historical setting isn't overtly DC it does contain a number of elements that fit in with the game:

1. The eponymous field where most of the action takes place seems to be be outside normal reality and is possibly a Protodimension. Access is through a gate located in an overgrown hedgerow. One of its assimilation effects may be rapid healing from injuries.

2. The film's antagonists O'Neil and Whitehead both have empathic powers and fight a psychic duel prior to the climactic shoot-out.

3. Magic mushrooms make good Empathy boosters.
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Re: Inspirational Movies and TV for Dark Conspiracy

Post by Morthrai »

I still haven't seen that one Linden but it certainly sounds like the elements of a protodimension are there. Thanks!
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Re: Inspirational Movies and TV for Dark Conspiracy

Post by Linden »

It's slightly disjointed in places, but well worth seeing. I read an interview with Ben Wheatley in which he suggested it was a companion piece, if not exactly a prequel, to his earlier modern horror film Kill List. They'd make a good double bill I think.
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Re: Inspirational Movies and TV for Dark Conspiracy

Post by ReHerakhte »

Very interesting!
I've wanted to see "Kill List" for a while but never seem to remember it when selecting movies and I'd been aware of "A Field In England" for a while (it's premise intrigued me enough to want to see it) but again, never seen it.
To find out that they are connected in some manner makes them a whole lot more interesting for me.
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Re: Inspirational Movies and TV for Dark Conspiracy

Post by Linden »

ReHerakhte wrote: To find out that they are connected in some manner makes them a whole lot more interesting for me.
They've both got a rustic English occult/pagan thread running through them - perhaps not dissimilar to older films like The Wicker Man and Blood on Satan's Claw.
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Re: Inspirational Movies and TV for Dark Conspiracy

Post by Phulish »

I found the 1978 "The Car" on line! Replace the demon with an animator spirit or gremlin. Also found "Kill Dozer" something from space possesses a D-9 dozer. That would really be a monster! :shock:
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