Dark Conspiracy Movie Database Rides Again, sort of

[Morthrai]

So I have decided to post the original reviews from Chris Carpenter's long-lost DC-IMDB site on this thread as individual posts. Maybe at some point we can put them up in a separate section, but for now here are some of the reviews from way back when. I am missing a bunch of them but hopefully they will turn up somewhere

[Morthrai]

THE SHADOW (1994)

Between the First and Second World Wars a rogue American known only as Yingko (Alec Baldwin) becomes a drug overlord somewhere in Tibet. One day he is abducted by Buddhist warrior monks, whose leader informs him that he has been chosen to fight evil rather than dispense it. As he has been so evil, he knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men, thus making him the ultimate device of natural justice. After a rigorous training regime he returns home to New York under his original name, Lamont Cranston (also heir to a vast fortune).
Cranston is also starting to make waves in New York in his new secret crimefighter guise, nicknamed The Shadow. Using his mental abilities to make himself almost invisible and to "cloud men's minds" he thwarts crime whilst keeping out of the way of the law. To this end he has built a network of helpers, many of whom owe him personal favours.
Into the midst of all this comes Shiwan Khan (John Lone), last descendant of Ghenghis, who has been in hiding. Shiwan has powers somewhat akin to The Shadow and has come to the USA to find him, or rather his evil side Yingko. When Cranston refuses to team up with him and take over the world they become enemies. Throw into this mixture a beautiful girl, a mad professor, a prototype atomic bomb, Tim Curry doing some magnificent scenery-chewing and several classic lines of dialogue and you have a pulp movie that is way better than people seemed to think it was at the time. Enjoy the pulpiness!

- Lee.

[Morthrai]

THEY LIVE! (John Carpenter, 1988)

Unemployed (and unnamed) construction worker (wrestling's very own Roddy Piper) arrives in the city seeking work, only to find that things are even worse there than where he came from. Eventually he finds some work, and a temporary home among a group of street people thanks to workmate Frank (Keith David). Being naturally wary in a new environment, Nada begins to spot odd things happening around him that others either ignore or miss altogether.
After hearing some way-out conspiracy tales from different people, he happens across a pair of sunglasses which are able to give the wearer an insight into the true nature of the world. Subliminal messages are hidden everywhere, and as if that weren't bad enough many of the people going about their business are not even human. Therefore, Nada decides to find the underground resistance and offer his help in the fight against alien oppression.

Any review of this movie simply cannot do it justice, especially with regard to its place in the Dark Conspiracy milieu. Much like 'Split Second' it has many of the elements that are necessary for a DC movie, but here they seem to fit together better. I mean, an alien conspiracy hidden behind corporate double dealing? A beefy guy with a shotgun who cracks wise when surrounded by bad guys? John Carpenter's set up for the plot is also very DC: prole comes to the big city and uncovers ET plot by accident. I also have to say that Roddy Piper is a revelation as an actor, although not exactly big league it would be very easy for a pro wrestler such as he to go completely over the top on screen. Instead, his performance is somewhat understated, and he does a good job as the slightly baffled working guy who is thrown into the midst of gawd knows what.

One final thought from me, Dark Conspiracy's original author Lester Smith MUST have been watching this movie when he was writing the game.

[Morthrai]

VIRTUOSITY (1995)

Convict and former cop Parker Barnes (Denzel Washington) is a test subject for a virtual reality system designed to help track down serial killers. At the core of the program is SID 6.7, an amalgamation of the personalities of over 150 multiple murderers. Programmed with full self awareness and learning capabilities, the SID program manages to build itself a physical body and breaks out into the real world. Having had some experience of its ability, Barnes is press-ganged back into the police force to aid in the hunt. However, SID 6.7 (Russell Crowe) also contains the personality of the man who murdered Barnes's family and really knows how to bug him...
Although derivative of several other movies (as are many of the movies in this list!), this definitely is an enjoyable future schlock flick. Okay, so SID 6.7 reminds me of the T-1000 crossed with 'Lawnmower Man' but Crowe does have the requisite air of menace. Of course, both he and Washington are capable of greater things but there isn't too much here that either of them should be ashamed of.

[Morthrai]

THE TRIANGLE (2006 TV miniseries)

Whilst interfering with a whaling expedition, a Greenpeace vessel piloted by Meeno (Lou Diamond Phillips) is sunk, along with the whaler, by a strange surge of energy in the sea. Meeno is the only survivor, but when he gets home he becomes convinced that things are not as they were before he set sail. Soon he believes that he is losing his mind, especially when things suddenly go back to being as he remembered. Apart from his dead former crewmates caming back to haunt him that is.
Meanwhile, a disparate quartet recieve invitations to meet shipping magnate Eric Benirall (Sam Neill). The four are a seedy tabloid journalist (Eric Stoltz), a psychic whose powers are beginning to fade, an oceanographer with an attitude and an extreme-sports loving Australian meteorologist. Benirall's shipping line have lost several vessels in recent months, all within a certain area of the Atlantic (yep, the title refers to the Bermuda Triangle). The most recent incident was not as severe, the ship made it back to port but without three-quarters the crew. However, a corpse was deposited on the ship, apparently a missing member of Christopher Columbus's crew from 1492. Benirall offers the four an all-or-nothing deal: using his resources find out what is happening in the Triangle and each will receive five million US dollars. Fail, and they get nothing. It is also made clear that this group are not the first choice, but the other people who were made the same offer turned it down flat.
Suffice to say they take up the offer and get stuck in straight away when a 747 goes down in the Triangle with no survivors...or so the government say. After that things just get weirder. Contending with military intelligence meddling and continued time-warp and other electromagnetic incidents, the team actually manage to formulate a plan which may or may not work. However, it turns out that their benefactor isn't entirely unaware of the phenomenon, and may have more than mere financial motives for the investigation

From the Dark Conspiracy standpoint, this has more than I expected. There's secret government projects, a rich patron, dimensional and time warping, tilt-rotor aircraft and unexpected setbacks and bonuses that confront the protagonists. In fact, the protagonists would make a pretty interesting party of characters: tabloid journalist, empath, two different types of scientist...sounds very DC-ish to me. Sam Neill's turn as Benirall is as good as almost anything else he's ever done, though he's not given much screen time he makes the most of it.

[Morthrai]

PREDATOR 2 (1990)

There's a full scale war on the streets of Los Angeles, with heavily armed Colombian drug gangs battling against West Indian Yardies and their voodoo-using leader, King Willie. In the midst of this is LAPD cop Mike Harrigan (Danny Glover) and his overworked and woefully overstretched narcotics team (Ruben Blades, Bill Paxton and Maria Conchita Alonso). After a couple of particularly bloody and very weird incidents, he begins to suspect that something not entirely human is at work. His suspicions are further raised by the arrival of arrogant federal agent Keyes (Gary Busey at his sneering best), and his team of 'special investigators'. Harrigan eventually finds out what it is that Keyes is after, only by now it's coming after Harrigan...
Fair enough, no Arnie this time around but if you forget that and take this movie on its own merit there's much to like. Danny Glover is a narcotics cop, but unlike in 'Lethal Weapon' this time he is the rogue, loose cannon street cop (how many guns in the back of his car?). We also get to learn some background on the hunter aliens this time around, but the movie stops before it gives too much away which is a wise move in my book. Gotta be worth 2 hours of your life.

[Morthrai]

AKIRA (1988)

Groundbreaking anime (Japanese animation) about a biker gang living in Neo-Tokyo after World War 3. One of their own is kidnapped by the government so that his psychic powers could be fully realized, only to the detriment of the city as a whole. The story and characters are very intelligent and complex, but this is one gory flick. This is a city already on the edge of disaster, with anti-government protesters rioting in the streets, biker gangs fighting at 90+ MPH with pipes and chains, and a fully corrupt government hiding a dark and dangerous secret. Plenty of visuals to draw inspiration from, including the plot as a whole, could keep a campaign going for a while. My only recommendation is to watch the DVD if possible, as it is fully restored, with a new dialog track, scenes added, others extended, and the whole movie making a lot more sense. - Chris

[Morthrai]

Crossworlds (1996)

Wimpish student Joe Talbot (Josh Charles) is woken one morning by the attractive Laura (Andrea Roth) who saves him from a kidnapping attempt by mysterious armed men. Meeting up with freedom fighter A.T. (Rutger Hauer), Talbot soon finds himself drawn into an age-old fight against the forces of Ferris (Stuart Wilson), who wants the gemstone left to Talbot by his father. When fitted into an ancient staff the crystal can 'open the doors between universes', as well as transforming the staff into a powerful weapon.
I enjoyed most of this movie, although there are some very 'cheesy' cliche moments. Then again, it's a straight- to- video Rutger Hauer flick where he plays a sardonic warrior type, so I wasn't expecting too much. Some good effects though but I think that was where the (low) budget was spent. A few dollars more on story would have been nice. Also some nice moments with Ferris's irritating henchman Rebo, who you really want to get smacked in the face...

Better than it ought to be really, largely due to Hauer's performance. - Lee

[Morthrai]

Dark City (1998)

Noir-dark and extremely well-crafted sci-fi yarn starring Rufus Sewell as John Murdoch, a man with no memory, being pursued by the city police (who believe he is carving up prostitutes,) and strange pasty men with bizarre mannerisms and abilities. Also stars William Hurt as Inspector Frank Bumstead, a dedicated officer of the law who doubts John's guilt, and Kiefer Sutherland as Dr. Daniel Paul Schreber, our narrator and inside man. A ravishing Jennifer Connelly as Emma Murdoch and Richard O'Brien as the enigmatic Mr. Hand round out the cast. The visuals are gorgeous; it is a city that lives in perpetual night, a city that could only come from the collective angst and dreams of its thousands of inhabitants, a city with no apparent way out. Many different inspirations could come from this film, but embracing the plot too rigidly would certainly change the basic structure of any campaign setting. - Chris

[Morthrai]

SPLIT SECOND (1992)

Let me make something clear: I didn't give this movie a "must see" because it was a great movie, heck, it's not even a good movie. But the setting is so well done, so Dark Conspiracy, you have GOT to see it.
In 2008, the greenhouse effect has melted the polar ice caps and caused worldwide flooding. First casualty: coastal cities, namely Great Britain. In the midst of this soggy, polluted mess, a killer runs free, tearing the hearts out of it's victims. Rutger Hauer is Detective Harley Stone, a loose-cannon police officer with a sidearm as big as his coffee habit, and an obsession to capture the killer as deep as his sugar addiction. Neil Duncan plays his over-educated partner, a partner Stone wants nothing to do with because, "I work alone."

OK, you can see the cliched mess we are already dealing with here, but now throw in a dash of mysticism, a splash of empathic powers (too little though for an icon,) and the largest auto-shotguns I have ever seen, and you have the makings of a wicked bug - whoops, I mean manhunt. Strangely enough, all the elements of a good movie are here, they just don't jell somehow. The setting is flawless though, and serves as a springboard for Lee Williams DC campaign setting. - Chris

[Morthrai]

Tremors (1990) & Tremors 2: Aftershocks (1995

Tremors:
Fred Ward and Kevin Bacon play a pair of drifter-type jacks-of-all-trades in an undisclosed Southwestern U.S. desert area. (Read as Paramount's back lot). Finn Carter plays a geologist that is studying strange underground tremors in the area. Michael Gross and Reba McEntire (yep, the singer) play survivalists who live in the small town. After finishing up some general cleanup jobs, the pair find strange murders and livestock mutilations. After the way out of the valley is closed, events force all the characters together in the truckstop village.
The plot moves along classic monster-movie lines with the set of strange deaths, the brief but nonlethal encounter, the mad-doctor discussions where the monster's origin is discussed, the action sequences and final conflict. Swap out the technology and special effects it could have been filmed in the 50's.
The plot is light, the origin of the monster is never adequately detailed and but the characterizations have moved this B-movie to cult status. Fred Ward and Kevin Bacon play the unlucky pair to perfection complete with love interest Finn Carter. It's a case of cowboy ingenuity versus the unknown.
Casting Reba McEntire as a gun-toting survivalist might seem incongruous, but she is an avid gun enthusiast in real life and a decorated shooter as well. She's no slouch shooting up monsters despite her slight frame. Michael Gross of Family Ties fame plays the survivalist Burt Gummer well. Even Victor Wong (Egg-Chen in Big Trouble in Little China) gives a solid performance as the general store proprietor.

Tremors 2: Aftershocks

Fred Ward returns as a locally famous creature hunter. He is paired this time with Christopher Gartin who comically struggles in the shadow of his predecessor. Helen Shaver (Poltergeist: The Legacy) plays a scientist who was once a Playboy bunny and is this time Fred's love interest. The pair is called to Mexico to collect bounty on a "graboid" infestation.
Set in the Mexican hills, the setting is more lush than the desert. During a bug-hunting tour, Fred and partner find more creatures than they can handle and have to call in Michael Gross who recreates his previous role. This time Michael's wife has given up the survivalist lifestyle.
A new creature type is encountered. There are more guns (.50 caliber sniper rifle), but still a lot of cowboy ingenuity to tackle the "graboids" and their deviantions. Don't be mislead, there is "...two and one-half tons of high explosives..." and no "...low explosives..."
The characterizations are as powerful as the first movie. The plot is just as light. There are more special effects with the new creatures. I recommend both movies in the cult vein as well as demonstrations of how to build self-consistent monsters.

Dark Conspiracy related info:

At the beginning of a Demonground encroachment in a given area, the locals would operate pretty much as they did in these movies. In the movies, the characters were cutoff from assistance by geographical or communications factors. In DC any such requests would be largely ignored, leaving PCs to their own devices.
In the movies, the characters had to operate as a team -- much like in DC games. The creatures are overwhelming and a great deal of problem solving is required to survive even more to defeat the monster. Only one or two characters had combat experience, rabbit-hunting aside. - Norm

[Morthrai]

SCANNERS (1981)

During a scientific demonstration of psychic powers, volunteer Darryl Revok literally blows the mind of the scientist performing the display (in full view of an audience,) and then escapes from security agents. Homeless derelict Cameron Vale (Stephen Lack) is detained by agents of the mysterious ConSec corporation, and trained by their resident genius Paul Ruth (Patrick McGoohan) to use his powers to track down evil psychic Revok (Michael Ironside in possibly his scariest role ever.) Vale agrees to this after being promised a supply of the drug Ephemerol, which makes it possible to better control his wild talents. Vale makes contacts in the psychic underground, most of whom are later murdered by Revok's assassins. Vale and fellow scanner Kim Obrist (Jennifer O'Neill) track Revok to pharmaceutical company, a subsidiary of ConSec, where they spot Revok apparently in control of the entire operation. Vale also discovers a reference to the Ripe Program. The two go back to ConSec with this information, where they are betrayed by a Revok associate. During their escape, Ruth is murdered but gives Vale a tip off. Later, Vale destroys the ConSec mainframe and Revok's inside man after using his powers to download the Ripe Program into his own brain. Vale and Obrist travel to a country doctor whose name is in the Ripe Program, and the final play is made by Revok. The truth about Ruth, Ephemerol, and the origin of the Scanners themselves is revealed, followed by a huge and deadly telepathic gore fest featuring Vale and Revok in a fight to the death...possibly.

All in all, a top movie packed with ideas on how to run Neuropath characters in your DC games. - Lee

[Morthrai]

ROBOCOP (1987)

In a future Detroit where crime is rampant and large corporations have taken over public service jobs such as law enforcement (gee, this sounds familiar..) only one man can reign in the chaos: Robocop! Starring Peter Weller as officer Alex Murphy, he and partner Anne Lewis (Nancy Allen) bust into an abandoned steel mill to take down a crime lord and his gang, only to be cut to ribbons via shotgun amputation (graphic!) Omni Consumer Products take Murphy's remains and plop them into a new robotic chassis, forging the ultimate crime fighting machine. I hadn't seen the movie in some time, but remember liking it a lot in my youth; I didn't remember, however, the sheer carnage and violence presented within. It's bad, I suppose, but they don't dwell on it. People die by the bushel, but you just wanna scream "Go Robocop, go!!" Awesome displays of weapons, a small riot, a perfect car for a future gone mad (the SUX6000, gets 8 MPG) and my personal favorite, giant robots (ED209) This movie crawls with DC stuff, and inspired a slew of sequels, TV shows, a cartoon (!) and more. - Chris

[ReHerakhte]

A great start Lee, for a great resource. Very happy to see it living again in one form or another.
I only wish I had saved pages from the original site but like so much of the early internet, I just kind of assumed those sites/pages would always be there...

[Morthrai]

I only wish I had saved pages from the original site but like so much of the early internet, I just kind of assumed those sites/pages would always be there...

As stated in a previous post I lost a bunch of the files but managed to find at least some on the Wayback Machine. These are the original reviews from the turn of the century so opinions of the reviewers, including me, have changed on some of them We can always rewatch or add other movies and TV shows - there have been plenty in the past 15 years!