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:

new year's eve 1999. anything is possible. nothing is forbidden.

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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

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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Goofs

Mace's mouth moves while Max speaks when they are at Replay's van.

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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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Connections

References RoboCop (1987)

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Soundtracks

Rebuke
Written by Andre Edwards
Performed by Bokie Loc

User Reviews

The Most Underrated Of Cyberpunk Noirs

Probably one of the best big-budget sci-fi films to never reach a big audience. Written and produced by James Cameron and expertly directed by Kathryn Bigelow, this film is more noir than actual sci-fi - although the sci-fi elements are important. With a great cast and an amazing atmosphere throughout, this is one not to miss for fans of thrillers, film noir, sci-fi and especially the subgenre knwon as cyberbunk. 8 stars out of 10.

In case you're interested in more underrated masterpieces, here's a list with some of my favorites:

imdb.com/list/ls070242495