The B/W cinematography of Leo Tover emphasized expressionistic dark noirish shadows - not typical for sci-fi films.As Tatum twisted along in the labyrinthine cave, he was already formulating in his mind his plan to get the scoop on his disaster - his own personal ticket for getting out of the entrapping Albuquerque.He explained about the runes symbols and the meaning of Thorn:"Runes are a kind of early alphabet that originated about 500 B.Blake was assigned by Batman to help evacuate the city and get people across the bridge ("Save as many lives as you can") within 45 minutes.