United States - 1986
Director - Albert Pyun
Media Home Entertainment, 1988, VHS
Run Time - 1 hour, 36 minutes
Either you love it or you don't really care enough to have a strong opinion. Dangerously Close is an early film from auteur Albert Pyun. Sandwiched between other 80's Pyun classics The Sword and the Sorcerer and Vicious Lips, Dangerously Close is surprisingly unembelished. In fact it's downright vanilla, following a lower class kid who goes to an elite school only to discover that the rich students are not particularly friendly towards the lower classes.
Numerous other films have covered similar territory, at LVA we've met Zombie High and Brotherhood of Justice, but its a story that comes directly from the pages of history. Ever since the inception of private property, the Haves have tried to keep out the Have-Nots. United Statesian cinema loves to tell the story of the poor kid who fought back and kept his dignity. If he won the girl that's because love is more valuable than riches. If he won the riches, it's because, darnit, this country is GREAT, and anybody can achieve anything if they set their minds to it. I would argue that it is the power of such myths that makes this country great. That films in which we sympathize with the po' folks keep getting made and out in the real world we continue to idolize the vampire elite.
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Canadian Director Dan Zukovic's Vancouver shot feature "DARK ARC", a bizarre modern noir
called "Absolutely brilliant...truly and completely different..." in Film Threat, was recently released on
DVD and Netflix through Vanguard Cinema (http://www.vanguardcinema.com/darkarc/darkarc.htm), and is currently debuting on Cable Video On Demand. The film had it's World Premiere at the Montreal World Film Festival, and it's US Premiere at the Cinequest Film Festival. (The film has also been an official
selection at the Calgary and Edmonton Int'l Film Festivals, won Best Production Design at the
Nickel Film Festival in Newfoundland, and screened at the Vancity Theatre in Vancouver.)
Featuring Sarah Strange ("Da Vinci's Inquest", White Noise", Leo Award Nominee for Best
Actress for "DARK ARC"), Kurt Max Runte (Dan Zukovic (director and star of the cult comedy "The Last Big Thing"). Featuring the songs "Dark Fruition", "Ire and Angst" and "F.ByronFitzBaudelaire", and a dark
orchestral score by Neil Burnett.
TRAILER : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPeG4EFZ4ZM
***** (Five stars) "Absolutely brilliant...truly and completely different...something you've never tasted
before..." Film Threat
"A black comedy about a very strange love triangle" Seattle Times
"Consistently stunning images...a bizarre blend of art, sex, and opium, "Dark Arc" plays like a candy-coloured
version of David Lynch. " IFC News
"Sarah Strange is as decadent as Angelina Jolie thinks she is...Don't see this movie sober!" Metroactive Movies
"Equal parts film noir intrigue, pop culture send-up, brain teaser and visual feast. " American Cinematheque
Wow, nice advertisement, very succinct. Beyond the soundbites though, tell me, is the film any good? Does it ask any hard questions, challenge any long held ideologies? Does it shit in anybodies Cheerios? In short, IS IT MEANINGFUL?
Or is it just going to pat my white hetero-male back?
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