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One of my favorite movies of all time (at least in the top 5), I saw this "blind" at the cinema - turning up with a group of friends on a Sunday without a clue what to watch. Saw a poster for Dark City, and got absolutely blown away by it.
It seemed to be a movie that divided the sexes (at least in my small group) - the guys loved it, the girls hated it. I think that's due to its heavy sci-fi slant, although I can't remember any specific reasons. Probably because the entire film is about discovery, of oneself and what one is able to do with human potential (if you suspend the sci-fi for a second). The film builds to an extremely satisfying crescendo, which can unfortunately also be seen (by some, not me) as too neat and hokey for the dark mood that came before. I feel that this short sharp burst of "light" at the end instead gives the film balance, whilst maintaining an ethereal quality.
When I subsequently saw the Matrix, all I could think about during it was "they ripped off Dark City". Subsequent viewings show them both to be very different films, however, they simply have a similar theme of self-discovery.
The DVD of Dark City opened my eyes to Metropolis, which made me realise how much of not only Dark City but also most of modern sci-fi owes to Fritz Lang's vision of film.
The DVD also features an amazing audio commentary by Roger Ebert, which does at times feel like a worship session for Alex Proyas, but revealed even more hidden depths of the film to me. I've only managed to get through the commentary once, though not for the lack of trying - 3 or 4 previous attempts ended with me switching to the main audio after less than 30 minutes, as this film is so compelling to watch properly.
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