Story: Documentary about the harmful effects of light pollution on human life, featuring interviews with scientists, philosophers, historians and lighting designers. Cast:Irving Robbins, Roger Ekirch, Larry Birnbaum, Sam Storch, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Matty Holzhacker, Ann Druyan, Mark Van Baalen, Jack Newton, Chris Impey, Jeffrey Kuhn, JD Armstrong, John Tonry, Nick Kaiser, Kirt Rusenko, Annette PrinceDirector:Ian CheneyOpened:January 18, 2012From:Argot PicturesLength:1 hr. 23 min.
The City Dark played in limited release to good reviews. • Mark Feeney wrote in the Boston Globe, "...examines how light pollution harms our souls much as air and water pollution harm our bodies.... at its best when focused on the nighttime sky. 'What do we lose when we lose the night?' filmmaker Ian Cheney wonders. It's a haunting question." More Reviews Below...
The City Dark Positive Reviews (8 Reviews, reviews below)
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: VERY GOOD "Ian Cheney's film is a personal lament for the star-filled night sky he experienced growing up in Maine, but it is neither sorrowful nor a rant; he somehow manages to give this engaging work a sense of humor."(Read the full review...) 442 words, 01/18/12
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "An illuminating documentary about what constant exposure to artificial light does to our bodies, our minds and the natural world. Director Ian Cheney strolls New York at night, remembering the star-filled Maine skies of his youth."(Read the full review...) 82 words, 01/20/12
Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "...poetic, at times profound... sheds, well, light on how the constant increase of modern-day artificial illumination has brightened our urban -- and many suburban -- night skies..."(Read the full review...) 212 words, 04/06/12
Eric Hynes, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "Underneath all of the wild hyperbole and unproven hypotheses is an obvious unease with urbanism and the synthetic necessities of city life."(Read the full review...) 230 words, 01/18/12
KEY CITIES (1 Review)
Mark Feeney, Boston Globe: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...examines how light pollution harms our souls much as air and water pollution harm our bodies.... at its best when focused on the nighttime sky. 'What do we lose when we lose the night?' filmmaker Ian Cheney wonders. It's a haunting question."(Read the full review...) 568 words, 10/05/11
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (3 Reviews)
Eric Hynes, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "Underneath all of the wild hyperbole and unproven hypotheses is an obvious unease with urbanism and the synthetic necessities of city life."(Read the full review...) 230 words, 01/18/12
Chuck Bowen, Slant: WEAK(cg) "...as a film it's lacking. Ian Cheney isn't much of a showman or a poet (especially when you consider, say, the Qatsi trilogy), and so this film feels like something you might only half watch in a high school science class."(Read the full review...) 418 words, 01/16/12
HIGHBROW PRESS (2 Reviews)
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: VERY GOOD "Ian Cheney's film is a personal lament for the star-filled night sky he experienced growing up in Maine, but it is neither sorrowful nor a rant; he somehow manages to give this engaging work a sense of humor."(Read the full review...) 442 words, 01/18/12
Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "...poetic, at times profound... sheds, well, light on how the constant increase of modern-day artificial illumination has brightened our urban -- and many suburban -- night skies..."(Read the full review...) 212 words, 04/06/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (3 Reviews)
Jay Weissberg, Daily Variety: VERY GOOD "...informative, well-rounded... Impressive images of star-filled nights will remind auds of childhood trips to the planetarium, and few will fail to notice the difference when they next look up into the heavens."(Read the full review...) 592 words, 11/01/11
Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "...poetic, at times profound... sheds, well, light on how the constant increase of modern-day artificial illumination has brightened our urban -- and many suburban -- night skies..."(Read the full review...) 212 words, 04/06/12
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: VERY GOOD "Ian Cheney's film is a personal lament for the star-filled night sky he experienced growing up in Maine, but it is neither sorrowful nor a rant; he somehow manages to give this engaging work a sense of humor."(Read the full review...) 442 words, 01/18/12
18.8 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
The City Dark's reviews are separated by an average 18.8 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
The City Dark (8 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:The City Dark's reviews cover 9.7% of potential readers (average is 68.2%). Volume:The film's reviews total 2,774 words involume (average is 19,979 words). Length:The film's reviews average 347 words in length (the norm is 512 words).
The City Dark Coverage, Volume & Length (8 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 9 Days After Release (Norm is 0.2 Release)
The City Dark's reviews on average broke 9 days after opening. Norm for this measure is 0.2 hours after. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is The City Dark's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
The City Dark (8 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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