Zoe's illiteracy also causes her to be self-contradictory. She accuses detective Jaeckel of not doing enough to find the killer. Moments later, she switches and accuses him of going too far ("Thirty-two caliber justice?" she accuses).
One senses the screenwriter was writing cool clichés, unaware when his lines were contradictory. Zoe is supposed to be smart and idealistic, yet if one listens, she sounds illiterate and ego-driven. But since Crosby looks good, we're not really listening to her Zoe.
I've discussed atmosphere, monster, characters. I haven't gotten to the story yet? Well, the "story" is simple. What you'd expect. Characters wander about...
Theeeee da-a-a-a-a-a-a-ark!
Occasionally, their heads are ripped off, or shot into nothingness by the alien's red raygun eye beams (I call them eye beams, but sometimes they look more like mini-photon torpedoes). Curiously, when one jive-talking black guy goes in search of his prostitute, he gets shot with those eye beams and explodes into nothingness. But later, it's reported that he was decapitated. Then, when another character burns and disappears into nothingness, the remaining characters marvel that there appears to be nothing left.
As Warner and Zoe repeat to each other: "Weird."
Eventually, clues are found and the alien is cornered. At which point, the heroes run away. The cops arrive, and there's much shooting of guns and eye beams. The alien snatches Zoe and, maintaining proper 1950s BEM standards, for the first time in the film he does not instantly kill his victim. Seems he just wants to hold Zoe, maybe carry her off somewhere. This gives her time to scream and be rescued.
The Dark was produced by Film Ventures International, a prolific horror film company during the rise of video. It eventually went bankrupt, the fate of many indie startups. Much later, The Dark was re-released on video as The Mutilator, making all that whispering of "Theeeee da-a-a-a-a-a-ark" all the more nonsensical. (Not to be confused with the 1985 slasher film, The Mutilator, aka Fall Break).
The Dark is hardly original or great. And despite its comic relief or cheesy clichés, it's not intended as parody. Nor is it unintentionally funny. But it is fun.
If you like 1950s BEM movies, if you like 1970s TV supernatural thrillers, then you'll enjoy this walk through...
Theeeee da-a-a-a-a-a-a-ark!
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