drexel

You know I think this is one of the best films of the 90's it was directed by Katherine Bigelow starred ralph fiennes and angela bassett, it was produced by Cameron. Whenever I bring the film up people never have heard of it but they love it when I pop in the DVD. Why was this film so neglected. It was made in the late 90's but it's scale and scope hold up well today. Anyone agree, disagree??

JonTurner

It's one of my favorite sci-fi (even though it's not too much of that genre) films of all time. I guess no love for it around here since there's not too much of a reason to bring it up... I do recall a few threads when Fox first started re-releasing some titles as 5 Star SEs, where people were really hoping this would be one of them. Myself included!

indycohiba

I agree, this is a very good but often overlooked movie. I am waiting on a re-release before buying.

Deftones

It's in my top 10 favorite flicks.

Tyler_Durden

Well, the concept is certainly very interesting, but in my opinion the film became a bit too jarring towards the end. I felt that after an ambitious, at times impressively apocalyptic first half it sort of retrograded to a regular thriller level. Perhaps the whole subplot (though some would argue it's more than a subplot) between Fiennes and Lewis took up too much of the story.

I do like the film, I just don't think it's that underrated.

DVDGUY1116

Well said. Very well said. I really like Strange Days, and I do think it is underrated; however, I was a bit disappointed that the film degenerated into typical thriller fare towards the end. I guess it was just because the concept was soo interesting and different I was expecting a bit more from the ending.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised though because after all it is a Kathryn Bigelow film. What I mean by that is Point Break, which is also a Kathryn Bigelow film, follows a similar story hiccup towards the end as well. It seems to me as though that is a sort of unwanted trandemark of her films. All directors have that though, like Speilberg screwing up a perfectly good film with some "I have to please the masses" over-sentimentality and Lucas's over-dependence on digital technology instead of Directorial talent! Sorry, I just had to take a shot.

Sunday Morning

Strange days is on my 10 best list for 1995.

Geofferson

I thoroughly enjoyed this film as well. As was said before, interesting premise that turned into an average thriller in the second half. Though, very well-made and I too am anticipating an SE of this one to come out on DVD.

kneijst1

good film. I hadn't seen it in awhile, and instead of paying $4 to rent it, I just decided to add it to my dvd collection. I might upgrade if they release an SE in the future, as long as the price is right.

Groucho

I thought it was terrible. The concept was good, but the execution was so-so. A sci-fi film taking place at the New Year's celebration of 2000 with no mention of the Y2K problem, even in passing? I was very disappointed, and find this film to be OVERrated, rather than the other way around.

Jazzbutcher

I liked it. Saw it in the theatre and was blown away by the visuals and the sound. I really hate Juliette Lewis (anyone seen the Other Sister?) so this was a stretch for me.

It was action-packed, and an excellent movie, IMHO. Lots of love here!!!

Kechulater

Was the potential Y2K problems even that public in 1995? Good flick!

movielib

It had certainly been talked about by then but may not have been too far into our consciousnesses.

Far crazier was the idea that in just a few years (or maybe even ever), they would be recording people's thoughts and experiences and putting them on discs for others to experience.

But it's just a movie. A good movie, of course, gets us to willingly suspend our disbelief. And IMO, Strange Days is a very good movie.

Josh-da-man

Good movie, but it falls prey to one CRITICAL FLAW that infests most science fiction movies.

They put a date on it. And a "near future" date at that.

"Strange Days" takes place in 1999. It's now 2002, going on 2003, and the kind of tech we see in that movie is nowhere near availalbe. In many ways, it sort of shatter the suspension of disbelief and pulls me right out of the story.

"Strange Days" would've been much more effective had no reference at all been made to the year in which it takes place.

And they have to do this with every damned science fiction movie out there, even absolute classics like "Blade Runner" and "2001 A Space Odyssey" along with the stuff like "Johnny Mnemonic." And if you do have to stick a date on there, make it one that won't come anytime soon.

Does Hollywood think we're too stupid to figure out that it takes place in the future without telling us that it does? And do they think that audiences won't be able to form attachments to the characters and action if they take place too far in the future.

Which is one of the things I love about William Gibson's Neuromancer novel. There's never a date put on it. The book was published in 1984, but it could be taking place in 1999 or 2010 or 2103.

Khan

The date is not good but anyone with a little imagination can get over it easily enough surely.

I'm a huge fan of the movie. I love showing it to my many friends who haven't seen it before and they're invariable amazed they haven't heard of it before. It has one of the greatest opening scenes ever, completely breathtaking. It keeps up the pace for a long while and yes, does fade away a little towad the end but that kind of pace and brilliance is hard to maintain.

The big reason it isn't more popular is because it is one of the darkest studio movies ever released. In remembering the movie as great overall I did squirm on a number of occasions showing it to even my reasonably broad minded friends. In particular it has a very, very nasty and brutal rape sequence. Also some very dark, dark violence and tons of partial nudity and drug use.

DigIt

Also, having seen this film in theaters, I can tell you that they did not market the movie very well. The teaser trailer consisted of Lenny talking to the audience -- it really didn't appeal to everyday filmgoers, who had no idea it was a noirish sci-fi murder mystery. It appears that they were trying to use a then-unknown R. Feinnes to try and sell the film. Had I not known who K. Bigelow was, I probably wouldn't have seen it.

Also, in retrospect, there's a lot of talented actors, but at the time, Tom Sizemore was probably the most recognizable -- and that's not saying much, because you only knew him as "that familiar guy from that other film."

Drexl

Not to mention the proliferation of HDTV's in public places.

majorjoe23

I think the fact that it was very similar to "Until the End of the World" might have hurt it. The recording glasses and the fear of 2000 are used in both films.

That said, I still enjoyed it.

Filmmaker

Originally posted by DigIt:
Also, having seen this film in theaters, I can tell you that they did not market the movie very well. The teaser trailer consisted of Lenny talking to the audience -- it really didn't appeal to everyday filmgoers, who had no idea it was a noirish sci-fi murder mystery. It appears that they were trying to use a then-unknown R. Feinnes to try and sell the film. Had I not known who K. Bigelow was, I probably wouldn't have seen it.

Funny, I consider that to be the all-time greatest teaser/trailer in the history of cinema, and it was the reason why I sought this perfect gem of a film out during its original, abbreviated theatrical run. Of course, you're still probably right--after all, the numbers don't lie and STRANGE DAYS' box office gross was a travesty...

Jay G.

I concur, it's one of my favorite trailers ever. Feinnes performance in the trailer is far better than when he gives the same speach in the film.

Pants

I think that Bigelow, even though she is a woman, makes films that are too tough for the average audience. Witness K-19 boxoffice. The film had no female characters, was dreary, dirty, dreadful, gorey, and pessimistic. There aren't even any male filmmakers making films this "male oriented", tough, and unflinching, let alone women.

Strange Days' brutal rape, graphic violence, and all to subjective depictions of violent crime were too much for an audience. I applaude her.

Tyler_Durden

I see your point, but I don't think the date "2001" in "A Space Odyssey" has that much significance in itself - its value, like that of most things in the film, is purely symbolic IMO: 2001, as in the beginning of something new, a step forward(?) in evolution.For once I can't tell whether or not this is another example of your famous sarcasm.

necros

I've seen it on cable a few times, and it has some good parts but mostly I kinda thought it was on the boring side

veloce

I thought it was pointlessly violent and I didn't care for any of the characters except for Angela Basset. The thriller story with its twists and turns was incredibly predictable down to even the smallest details in the climax (wow! a wig!), and it had foolish flourishes, like the police beating a black woman, that had a fake contemporary resonance to it. And Juliet Lewis is so repugnant I don't get Ralph Fiennes' attraction to her at all. I really wanted to like it, but I've been disappointed by most of Bigelow's movies, and this was no exception (yet I still want to see K-19 for some reason).

That rape scene was so vile and I couldn't figure out what the point was. I'm not one to shy away from violence if it fits the story, but this just seemed extreme.

On the other hand, I dig Skunk Anansie and thought Skin looked hot in the film.

Rypro 525

I just watched the movie today. (hell only 4 bucks and change with suncoast closing) This is a great movie and very underrated. i honestly didn't know much about the movie going in except it takes place in 1999 and james cameron wrote and produced. The opening scene is amazing and original, and I have always kinda had the hots for Julliet Lewis, so going topless for the movie is a plus. If i had to make a complaint is that at 145 minutes, it is a tad long for this kind of movie, shave 10 or 15 minutes, it would have been a classic, but still a great movie overall and a high recomendation for this flick.