Nothing turns my life upside down quite as efficiently as the end of daylight-saving time. It seems that no matter how good my intentions, there's always at least one clock I forget to set, one appointment I'm late for or one task I fail to complete because at some point, when I wasn't paying attention, everyone did the traditional Fall Back.
Part of the problem is my forgetful nature. Setting the clocks back is a theoretical activity until it directly affects me.
The other problem is the dark. Even after every timepiece I come into contact with reflects the proper time, the early sunsets throw me for a loop. There's something about the darkness falling, even if it is before dinner time, which for me signals the end of the day.
I'm sure I'm not alone. There is something primal in us that responds to the dark. Just the word "dark" conjures up images and emotions. It allows us to contemplate the things we can't see, but know exist, the things that, to borrow from Rick James, come out at night.
That's probably why movies that reference the dark have always been popular. There's a certain strength bestowed on a title when dark is included. I mean, which sounds menacing - Wait Until Dark or Wait Until After Dinner?
Here are a few notable films with "dark" titles:
DARK CITY (1998): Shot noir-style with long shadows and urban environs, this science fiction story stars Rufus Sewell as an unsuspecting citizen who finds everything he knows - friends, family, even the architecture of his hometown - literally changing before his eyes. A visionary film yet to find the audience it deserves.
DANCER IN THE DARK (2000): This film stars experimental pop star Bjrk as a single mother fighting encroaching blindness, cultural ignorance and false accusations between stirring song-and-dance numbers. An odd but very effective film.
A SHOT IN THE DARK (1964): The second Pink Panther film established many of the characters and concepts (the long-suffering Commissioner Dreyfus, Cato in the closet) closely associated with the series. Film comedy owes Shot an awful lot.
DARK STAR (1974): Before scaring suburbia with Halloween or offering a guy named Snake the opportunity to Escape from New York, director John Carpenter warmed up with this space spoof about the crew of a ship charged with destroying unstable planets. Along the way they also deal with a malfunctioning computer, unstable explosives and an alien running amok. Certainly silly and very low-budget, Dark Star is still interesting as a cult artifact and a look at the early career of a movie legend.
DARK VICTORY (1939): A precursor to the disease-of-the-week movies that grow like kudzu on the Lifetime network, this Bette Davis vehicle stars the actress as a socialite who discovers love and a terminal brain tumor at about the same time. Bad timing, Bette. Still, it's an interesting and affecting film, thanks in no small part to Ms. Davis and her co-stars, George Brent and Humphrey Bogart.
Reach Steven Uhles at (706) 823-3626 or steven.uhles@augustachronicle.com.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2012 Morris Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
