Trivia
The point-of-view action sequences (where the audience sees everything from the perspective of one of the characters) required well over a year of preparation, planning, and careful rehearsal before they could be shot.
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Director Kathryn Bigelow found that no existing camera system could accomplish the shots necessary for the point-of-view sequences, so Lightstorm Entertainment's research division spent a full year designing and fabricating a special camera for the production. Weighing only 8 pounds, the 35mm camera literally fit in the palm of the hand and featured interchangeable lenses, remote follow focus, and video assist (necessary since the camera had no viewfinder). The camera was then mounted on a SteadiCam-style portable rig, which gave the camera stability and mobility similar to the human eye.
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The opening sequence of the film was shot at four separate locations, as one contiguous location could not be found. The cuts between shots were disguised by rapidly panning the camera around. Due to the pace of the scene, the sound men could not effectively record any of the actual sound on the set. All of the sound and dialogue in the sequence had to be overdubbed during post production.
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Lenny Nero's 1997 Mercedes-Benz S500 was a prototype loaned to the production by the manufacturer.
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The band playing at the Millennium party at the end of the movie is Testament, from San Francisco.
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In the scene where Lenny uses the S.Q.U.I.D. to watch a clip of his past with Faith, Faith throws a blue towel and him and says, "Dry me." It is a reference to Blade Runner where Zhora throws a towel at Deckard and says the same line.
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James Cameron did extensive editing work, especially on the final action sequences, but he could not be credited because he was not in the editors union. He joined before making Titanic and is credited as an editor on that film.
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The party scene was an actual rave; it was promoted by Phillip Blaine and it was called "Millenium"; Aphex Twin, Lady Miss Kier and Doc Martin, among others, were among the live performers.
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In a scene between Mace (Angela Bassett) and Lenny (Ralph Fiennes), Mace says "...Right Here Right Now." This is exactly where 'Norman 'Fatboy Slim' Cook' obtained the sample from that is heard in his single "Right Here Right Now".
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James Cameron got the idea for the story after the outcome of the 'Rodney King' verdict on 29 April 1992.
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In the opening sequence after Nero takes off the head piece, Tick's pet lizard is a collared lizard which can be found in California
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The movie's title comes from the Album "Strange Days" by The Doors and a cover version of the album's title track is played in the movie.
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Cinematographer Matthew F. Leonetti estimates that 50 to 60% of the film was shot with the Steadicam or some sort of moving camera.
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The single biggest challenge facing Matthew F. Leonetti and his crew, was discreetly lighting a seven-block stretch of Sunset Boulevard, so that both sides of the street could be filmed simultaneously with several different incidents going on.
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According to DP Matthew F. Leonetti, the vast majority of the movie was shot at night, 77 nights of an 80-day shooting schedule, to be precise.
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A total of four different camera systems were used throughout the arduous shoot, including various lighting systems developed by Matthew F. Leonetti's Hollywood-based "Leonetti Company."
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Because so many 360-degree POV shots were used, the lights had to be either hung overhead, or cleverly disguised, so as not to be picked up by the roving cameras.
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The group playing in the street near the end is Skunk Anansie, playing the song from the soundtrack.
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The music that Juliette Lewis sings in the film was written by and originally performed by P.J. Harvey.
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When the character Mace (Angela Bassett) is delivering a speech to Lenny (Ralph Fiennes) about how memories are designed to fade, Lenny is crumpling in front of a poster of elephants - a well-known symbol of memory. Director Kathryn Bigelow was asked at a special screening if this was intentional, to which she replied, "No. I'm going to have to ask the art director about that..."
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One of the two movies where Juliette Lewis character has a fight with Tom Sizemore, the other film being Natural Born Killers.
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Judging by his birth and death year listed in the news report about his murder, Jeriko One is a member of the 27 Club.
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Early in the film, when Lenny's television is on, one of the predictions made for the new millennium is that Muammar Gadhafi will win a Nobel Peace Prize. Ironically, Gadhafi was captured and killed after the Libyan uprising in 2011, largely because he was viewed as a brutal tyrant and dictator.
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