Strange Days (1995)

A former cop turned street-hustler accidentally uncovers a conspiracy in Los Angeles in 1999.

Director:

Kathryn Bigelow

Writers:

James Cameron (story), James Cameron (screenplay)

Stars:

Ralph Fiennes, Angela Bassett, Juliette Lewis

2 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ralph Fiennes	...	Lenny Nero
Angela Bassett	...	Lornette 'Mace' Mason
Juliette Lewis	...	Faith Justin
Tom Sizemore	...	Max Peltier
Michael Wincott	...	Philo Gant
Vincent D'Onofrio	...	Burton Steckler
Glenn Plummer	...	Jeriko One
Brigitte Bako	...	Iris
Richard Edson	...	Tick
William Fichtner	...	Dwayne Engelman
Josef Sommer	...	Palmer Strickland
Joe Urla	...	Keith
Nicky Katt	...	Joey Corto
Michael Jace	...	Wade Beemer
Louise LeCavalier	...	Cindy 'Vita' Minh

Storyline

In 1999, Los Angeles is racial war zone with the army and LSPD and SWAT officers fighting Afro-American people. The former cop Lenny Nero is a dealer of illegal recording in CDs that gives the memories and sensations of the recorder to the user. He buys the recordings from the supplier Tick; he misses his former mistress Faith, who was a hooker and now is a singer; his best friend is the private eye Max Peltier and the limousine driver Lornette 'Mace' Mason, who has unrequited love for him. Two days before the turn of the century, the black rapper Jeriko One is murdered. The hooker Iris seeks Lenny out but there is an incident and they do not talk to each other. However she drops a recording into Lenny's car while he unsuccessfully tries to meet Faith at a night-club. However her boyfriend Philo Gant does not let them talk. When Lenny learns that Iris was sadistically raped and killed, he gets involved in a sick scheme and discovers dirty hidden secrets.

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Plot Keywords:

cyberpunk | virtual reality | murder | rape | year 1999 | 

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Taglines:

An extreme taste of reality.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for intense disturbing violence, sexuality and pervasive strong language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 October 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Strange Days 1999

Filming Locations:

Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$42,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$7,919,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lightstorm Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

145 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SDDS Dolby SR

Color:

Color (CFI)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The group playing in the street near the end is Skunk Anansie, playing the song from the soundtrack.

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Goofs

Before Max shoots Philo, the mirror behind him is cracked. After he shoots him, the mirror is unbroken.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Tick:

• you ready?

Lenny Nero: Yeah, boot it.

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Crazy Credits

The ending credits end with the dedication "To Gertrude".

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Alternate Versions

A censored television version of the movie aired in the USA on the Sci-Fi channel on November 15, 1998. 29 minutes of footage were cut from the film to accomodate a "TV14" rating, and to shorten the film's running time.

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Connections

Referenced in The Scanner (2009)

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Soundtracks

Rebuke
Written by Andre Edwards
Performed by Bokie Loc

User Reviews

Cameron wrote and it shows

Yep. It sure shows that Cameron has laid his hand on this film. It has a superb plot, great timing and a spectacular ending - one of the best ever, I might add.

Just about everything you see in this film adds to the momentum. Just look in the background. There is always something going on, someone getting arrested or stealing something or burning something... all of it enhances the doomsday feeling you get when watching.

I also find Fiennes' acting just short of perfect. His face, his gestures and his entire being reeks of the sordid life his character leads. To cast him was genius. Lewis, Sizemore, Bassett and Wincott perform excellently as well - but it's really Fiennes that just makes this film happen.

Do you want to see something unusual for a change? Do you long to see a believable sf-story for once, even despite the fact that the events of the film took place in 1999? And do you yearn for a sensational film made to make you really feel something? See Strange Days.