Strange Days [Blu-ray]

This review is for the movie and the UK MediumRare Entertainment Blu-ray.PLOT...Its the Eve of the Millennium in Los Angeles December 31st 1999, Lenny Nero is an Ex-cop turned street hustler who preys on human nature by dealing the drug of the future. Its an environment that will lead him deep into the danger zone when he falls into a maze filled with intrigue and betrayal, murder and conspiracy.Strange days written and produced by James Cameron (Terminator 2, Aliens) a movie that fits several genres, Action, Crime, Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller. A great story that even now is so much fun to watch, this idea has been duplicated different ways in many other movies over the years. This movie was massive budget for Fox back in the day with a fantastic cast of great actors/actresses, impressive set pieces especially the big celebration sequence at the end, the story is very long too at 2hrs and 25mins. The movie is well paced out with a good story that keeps you interested, and is constantly on the move, like I said the cast is amazing, Ralph Fiennes and Angela Bassett are great leads plus good roles from the sexy Juliette Lewis and Michael Wincott, William Fichtner and Tom Sizemore, all very popular at the time. If you like an intelligent thriller with a great story and good acting then this is still a great watch after all these years.Blu-ray looks great in HD.Features include a commentary, a featurette (7mins) trailer.Region B. Running time 2hrs 25mins. 1995/2017.English language movie. English subtitles.

STRANGE DAYS is surely KATHRYN BIGALOW'S masterpiece, though sadly unappreciated. This German BD is excellent but Strange Days is one those films that needs to be seen (at least once anyway) at the cinema on the biggest screen possible. This breathtaking and very stylish movie takes place on the last day of 1999 (the near future for this film made in 1995) the new millennium approaches (rather ominously it seems) continual riots on the streets of Los Angeles - casually observed by Lenny Nero (Ralph Fiennes) as he drives down them - burning cars in the middle of the road - Father Christmas been chased and mugged (in slow motion). Lenny is a petty criminal but instead of drugs he peddles SQUID a web that fits under a hairpiece and allows the wearer to experience first hand the activities of others - as if they were happening to them! Ralph Fiennes gives one of his best performances as Lenny a character who's pathetic, romantic, crazy but determined. He needs the assistance of his sidekick 'mace' ANGELLA BASSETT who's the real hero and does most of the fighting, JULIETTE LEWIS excels as Lenny's sensual, mysterious lost love who's gone over to the enemy. I can't say much about the villains of this piece (Michael Wincott & co) for fear of revealing the main rapist/killer but I must mention one minor but memorable female villain 'Vita' played by LOUISE LECAVALIER (why haven't I heard more of her since?) a unique & bizarre creation who's only line gives this review it's headline.

It’s been one of those films I’ve been a fan of since it first came out in 1995, and although it’s flawed, and touches on too many topics for it ever to come into focus because of the more mundane ‘conspiracy/whodunit’ plot elements that end up taking over, Kathryn Bigelow’s science fiction drama still has enough big scale (especially the finale), technical prowess and visual impact to still be worth a watch, even as some elements date it in ways that can only be found when looking back at early to mid 1990’s movies trying to visualise technology of the future can be.Scripted in part by James Cameron, it takes place over a few days at the turn of the Millenium. Lenny (played by Ralph Fiennes) is a former cop turned hustler who works in the L.A underbelly selling people memories experienced by others and recorded onto discs which can be played directly into the brain. So, if you can afford it, you can buy and experience any fantasy you want. Inevitably though, Lenny gets drawn into a larger conspiracy involving this technology when a friend is murdered.Unless you’re a big fan of ‘Strange Days’ I’d say there’s no real advantage to buying the Blu-Ray over the DVD that’s been out for years. The picture quality is better as you’d expect from the format, but extras are ported over from the DVD, which means a theatrical trailer, a 7minute featurette and what’s billed as a Director’s Commentary but actually isn’t. It’s a recording of a lecture given by Kathryn Bigelow discussing how the opening 5 minute sequence was created. It runs for about 50-odd minutes while the rest of the film plays as normal. It’s interesting as Bigelow gets quite technical about the processes involved but it doesn’t really allow any comment on the other two hours twenty minutes that follows.Good film, poor extras.

This film is long and windy in its plot. Don't underestimate. While it isn't spectacularly original and does have some reminiscent flair of top flicks like Bladerunner, it really engages you in something exciting -- paranoia.The opening of the film is all FIRST PERSON for several minutes: no cuts, no nothing just one long stream of first person action as "you" go into this place with a gun (a small one, you inspect it and question its power, infact) steal some money then run from the cops up to the roof of the building dodging gunfire all the way. Then your buddy jumps to the opposite building and when to try to follow, you don't make it and watch your hands scratching at the brick wall as you descend to your death. All in first person... incredible! There are several sequences of first person action like this throughout the film.The plot seems pretty predictable and tedious for about half of the film, but trust me: wherever you think its going, you're wrong. Prepeare for quite a surprise at the end.For a few quid, you can't go wrong, can you?