Strange Days has reached it's 25th birthday and has proven itself to be very relevant, it brought to mind some very interesting issues. What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.
It's held up really well in many ways, was hoping for a re-issue this year, maybe for the 30th anniversary I guess. Thanks also for subscribing, I hope you enjoy my other videos.
@@MovieBirthdays let’s cross our fingers that the film gets a streaming release and a digital 4K release, this is Katheryn Bigelow’s most personal film, it’s one of my favorites from her, she’s an awesome talent.
Strange Days is the best of the 90s virtual reality thrillers and sorely under appreciated. I remember Roger Ebert really liked it, calling it refreshing for presenting a meaningful warning about the dangers of the vr experience, unlike Johnny Mnemonic or Virtuosity which were more about surface spectacle. Fiennes gives a lot of dimension to what's essentially a seedy drug dealer, and Angela Bassett practically steals the show.
There were definitely a small wave of VR films back then, not to mention The Lawnmower Man. But as you said none had the depth of Stranger Days or the staying power as the film grows more and more relevant.
@@MovieBirthdaysthey didn’t rely on hype. When the Matrix films came out I just though to myself big deal. This film explores more on why we humans relied on technology as an escape.
@@nickadams2451 Strange Days is definitely the more nuanced film. The Matrix is a great movie in its own right, but it always amused me that all of its philosophical ideas were solved through king fu. At the same time I admire it for using the vehicle of the action genre to create such a unique and memorable movie.
I've been a fan of this film for 25 years. It definitely doesn't get enough love. I had this film in my old VHS collection, and no one had heard of it. People would always ask me " What's strange days about ?" And I would say it's an awesome sci fi movie. So ahead of it's time and fits perfectly in today's society.
It’s definitely a lost classic. In many ways it’s very much a product of its times but at the same time it feels so fresh and creates a very well realised world. Hopefully over time more people will discover it, at the very least it’s a cult classic for many, I’ve found a lot of fans for it through this video.
The movie feels more relevant today as it did 25 years ago. Thanks for the reminder, and for the interesting references which I have not seen before. Great take.
Kathryn Bigelow is at the top of my list of visual storytellers. She has a unique taste for scenography, photography, light, and color and is one of those directors who love to give some extra screentime for emersion.
This is one of my all time favorite movies. Its so raw, emotional and gritty. Everyone was amazing in this movie. It left me wanting more. I was working at the movie theater when this came out and I watched it every week while it was premiered. A kiss in the 90s hits so different than a kiss in today’s movies.
The film Strange Days made a big impression on me when I was a teenager. In Germany, young people can watch this film from the age of 16. I don't know what the age rating is in the US, but I'm guessing NC17. This film shows the absolute dystopia of the year 1999. Fortunately, it did not turn out that way in reality. I am impressed how the main character Lenny realizes at the end who his true love is, Mace. Back then, I was impressed by the technology to experience the memories of others. Today as an adult I understand the moral philosophical background and that the finger on the increasing tensions between black and white in the U.S. But it also shows that there is still hope for healing between black and white as long as there are interracial love relationships, the film shows this with the love between Lenny and Mace.
Same here, it depicted a near future that played on the anxieties of the mid 90s not only socially (the racial tensions you mention) but also technologically it created a world where virtual reality and the online world would create an escape from the troubles of that era. Thanks for the comment.
Absolutely, it still holds up. From a a visual and conceptual perspective. It’s a shame it’s so hard to track down it’s almost a forgotten film from Bigelow’s body of work.
@@MovieBirthdays it's a tragedy that some great, groundbreaking movies have almost disappeared. Especially since they are so relevant in society today.😥
Tony Hallett More lows than highs in my mind. I prefer here earlier work to her current output. I might do a video on Blue Steel as that turns 30 this year and is a really interesting film.
Soundtrack was awesome because in USA that year we were still slaves to radio DJs and you had to search for good music.the soundtrack got me into DJs I would never have found like forest and bands that were forbidden like my life with the thrill kill cult and lords of acid
I saw this movie in the late 90s and absolutely fell in love with it I was so ahead of its time and all the issues are so relevant today in 2023. I owned the vhs and the DVD also still have the CD of the movie soundtrack excellent film
This film is my favourite romantic movie of all time as it’s obvious they are perfect for each other but both are so broken they can’t see it till the end
@@Phoneybeetlemaniacxs Ralph Fiennes is so great in this, seeing him in The Menu recently just reminded me of what a unique performance this was from him. Completely different from everything he did since. He was a a very likeable anti-hero.
That’s why it’s one my favourite movies he’s flawed as a man. He’s in love with ex whose toxic whose got a porn addiction but he had a moral compass. This my favourite performance Brcause a hero without being totally good
The 90's had a series of memorable crime movies for me: Seven, Devil in a blue dress, Misery, Lost Highway, The Game, Sleeping with the enemy, Arlington road, L.A. Confidential, Strange days, The bone collector, The Crow, Dark City, The silence of the lambs, Fallen. Even though they might belong to different sub-genres, there was just an abundance of compelling thrillers out there.
Absolutely it was a great decade for that genre. I struggle to think of a great thriller from the last two decades. Perhaps Prisoners by Denis Villeneuve and Side Effects by Steven Soderbergh. I love all the movies you’ve mentioned above, I’ve watched them countless times.
@@MovieBirthdays I've been remiss I see, because I haven't watched either of the two you mention. There's only so much memory can provide in the moment, so I took the liberty of looking up the last two decades of movies with thriller traits. From the 2000's I'd recommend: The departed, A history of violence, Mulholland drive, Zodiac. And I'd add a special mention for two great movies: "Oldboy" from Korea and the Italian thriller "I'm not scared" (Io non ho paura). From the 2010's I'd recommend: Inception, Gone Girl, Black Swan, Nightcrawler, Skyfall, Argo, Wind River, Drive, Super 8, Atomic Blonde and Mad Max: Fury road.
Give it a watch and let me know what you think. In some ways it’s aged well and at the same time it’s very much a product of its era which makes it very interesting to revisit.
Strange Days becomes Happy days. What a great way to revisit a movie through your informed eyes. I loved the references to Gilda. Makes me want to delve deeper.
I was one of the lucky few who saw this at the theater in 1995. The movie was so ahead of it's time that most people didn't get it which is why it flopped at the box office. I found out about the movie from a promotional CD-ROM that was included with a computer magazine. It had samples of songs from the soundtrack as well as the trailers to the movie. This was before the internet was in common use and before trailers were uploaded to the web.
It’s a movie that becomes more and more relevant as time moves on. Never seen it on the big screen, saw it on VHS shortly after it was released and it blew me away.
It’s a great little sub-genre that defines an atmosphere as well as a set of conventions. Movies like Blade Runner, Thief, Terminator, Drive and many more.
@@MovieBirthdays oh i'm quite aware of what it may implicate, I've just never seen the specific term before despite being very familiar with every movie you mention. and as a Neo-Noir junkie, fully familiar with it's influence on those films, i'm just impressed that you or someone combined the elements and descriptions, cleverly grafted together as Neo(N) Noir
The movie itself has turned out to be a cult classic in the case of it’s genre and movement. Always it shows me Erie similarities of our reality. Great Movie in my eyes.
@@MovieBirthdays excellent, i really appreciate your analysis as well as attention to editing. I would love to see you cover Ronin. Cheers and thanks again for the hard work.
Really unique and beautiful film. Watching it I could tell it wouldn’t be a box office success. Too many things going on. I actually think it would benefit as a short run streaming series or with an extra hour. It would give more time to flesh out the themes
Strange Days was a really cool film - liked it a lot, but i could tell who the squid killer was very early on in this film, i found it very obvious - its the only aspect that i think Bigelow could have handled better.
Strange Days has reached it's 25th birthday and has proven itself to be very relevant, it brought to mind some very interesting issues. What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.
You don't hear much from Kathryn Bigelow anyone.
This film is unbelievable, it deserves to be released on streaming and 4K Digital. The film remains relevant to this day.
It's held up really well in many ways, was hoping for a re-issue this year, maybe for the 30th anniversary I guess. Thanks also for subscribing, I hope you enjoy my other videos.
@@MovieBirthdays you got a really cool 😎 channel I like 👍🏼 it
@@iamdevilboy5976 thanks a lot, appreciate the support.
@@MovieBirthdays you’re welcome 😉
@@MovieBirthdays let’s cross our fingers that the film gets a streaming release and a digital 4K release, this is Katheryn Bigelow’s most personal film, it’s one of my favorites from her, she’s an awesome talent.
Strange Days is the best of the 90s virtual reality thrillers and sorely under appreciated. I remember Roger Ebert really liked it, calling it refreshing for presenting a meaningful warning about the dangers of the vr experience, unlike Johnny Mnemonic or Virtuosity which were more about surface spectacle. Fiennes gives a lot of dimension to what's essentially a seedy drug dealer, and Angela Bassett practically steals the show.
There were definitely a small wave of VR films back then, not to mention The Lawnmower Man. But as you said none had the depth of Stranger Days or the staying power as the film grows more and more relevant.
@@MovieBirthdaysthey didn’t rely on hype. When the Matrix films came out I just though to myself big deal. This film explores more on why we humans relied on technology as an escape.
@@nickadams2451 Strange Days is definitely the more nuanced film. The Matrix is a great movie in its own right, but it always amused me that all of its philosophical ideas were solved through king fu. At the same time I admire it for using the vehicle of the action genre to create such a unique and memorable movie.
I've been a fan of this film for 25 years. It definitely doesn't get enough love. I had this film in my old VHS collection, and no one had heard of it. People would always ask me " What's strange days about ?" And I would say it's an awesome sci fi movie. So ahead of it's time and fits perfectly in today's society.
It’s definitely a lost classic. In many ways it’s very much a product of its times but at the same time it feels so fresh and creates a very well realised world. Hopefully over time more people will discover it, at the very least it’s a cult classic for many, I’ve found a lot of fans for it through this video.
The movie feels more relevant today as it did 25 years ago. Thanks for the reminder, and for the interesting references which I have not seen before. Great take.
Chr Cae thanks a lot. I’m glad you enjoyed the video.
Kathryn Bigelow is at the top of my list of visual storytellers. She has a unique taste for scenography, photography, light, and color and is one of those directors who love to give some extra screentime for emersion.
Great take mate. The film still feels incredibly relevant
This is one of my all time favorite movies. Its so raw, emotional and gritty. Everyone was amazing in this movie. It left me wanting more. I was working at the movie theater when this came out and I watched it every week while it was premiered. A kiss in the 90s hits so different than a kiss in today’s movies.
The film Strange Days made a big impression on me when I was a teenager. In Germany, young people can watch this film from the age of 16. I don't know what the age rating is in the US, but I'm guessing NC17. This film shows the absolute dystopia of the year 1999. Fortunately, it did not turn out that way in reality. I am impressed how the main character Lenny realizes at the end who his true love is, Mace. Back then, I was impressed by the technology to experience the memories of others. Today as an adult I understand the moral philosophical background and that the finger on the increasing tensions between black and white in the U.S. But it also shows that there is still hope for healing between black and white as long as there are interracial love relationships, the film shows this with the love between Lenny and Mace.
Same here, it depicted a near future that played on the anxieties of the mid 90s not only socially (the racial tensions you mention) but also technologically it created a world where virtual reality and the online world would create an escape from the troubles of that era. Thanks for the comment.
One of my most favourite sci fi films, and one that annoyingly no one else I speak with has ever heard of :) Great revisit!
Thanks, it’s always been a classic in my book.
underrated classic!
I love it so much. I recommended it to a friend at work thinking he'd love it too but he hated it! I now question his taste.
I guess by today’s standards it perhaps a bit subdued. There haven’t been many movies like it since.
My favorite film!
-"Hey Lenny we made it"
-"Yeah, we did"
saw this 2 weeks ago, after searching for years. Awesome movie night with friends. We all voted, it's still a classic.
I'm wondering how they allowed me in, I was 16 when it was released 🤷🏻♀️💥❣
Absolutely, it still holds up. From a a visual and conceptual perspective. It’s a shame it’s so hard to track down it’s almost a forgotten film from Bigelow’s body of work.
@@MovieBirthdays 🥰
@@MovieBirthdays it's a tragedy that some great, groundbreaking movies have almost disappeared. Especially since they are so relevant in society today.😥
I had never known about the parallels with Gilda. Another great look back. Lots more to be said about the highs and lows of Bigelow's work.
Tony Hallett More lows than highs in my mind. I prefer here earlier work to her current output. I might do a video on Blue Steel as that turns 30 this year and is a really interesting film.
Incredible video. The killer forcing his victim to watch her own murder is so disturbing
Thanks, glad you enjoyed the video.
Not just watch but feel his enjoyment of the act too.
We need a tv series made after this movie. It would be amazing if done properly
You’re right, it set up quite a rich world that would be exciting to explore.
Soundtrack was awesome because in USA that year we were still slaves to radio DJs and you had to search for good music.the soundtrack got me into DJs I would never have found like forest and bands that were forbidden like my life with the thrill kill cult and lords of acid
I saw this movie in the late 90s and absolutely fell in love with it I was so ahead of its time and all the issues are so relevant today in 2023. I owned the vhs and the DVD also still have the CD of the movie soundtrack excellent film
This film is my favourite romantic movie of all time as it’s obvious they are perfect for each other but both are so broken they can’t see it till the end
The chemistry between them is great. I love both performances, you summed the characters up beautifully.
@@MovieBirthdays I wanted them to get together in real life as it’s obvious they have it in real life Angela said she fancied Ralph
@@Phoneybeetlemaniacxs Ralph Fiennes is so great in this, seeing him in The Menu recently just reminded me of what a unique performance this was from him. Completely different from everything he did since. He was a a very likeable anti-hero.
That’s why it’s one my favourite movies he’s flawed as a man. He’s in love with ex whose toxic whose got a porn addiction but he had a moral compass. This my favourite performance Brcause a hero without being totally good
@@Phoneybeetlemaniacxs True, it’s rare to find action/sci-fi movies with such deep characters.
The blade runner of the 90s. It’s got sci-fi it’s got action it’s a thriller and a neo noir One of the best films of the 90s.
Definitely, has the same feel as well as the elements you pointed out.
The 90's had a series of memorable crime movies for me: Seven, Devil in a blue dress, Misery, Lost Highway, The Game, Sleeping with the enemy, Arlington road, L.A. Confidential, Strange days, The bone collector, The Crow, Dark City, The silence of the lambs, Fallen. Even though they might belong to different sub-genres, there was just an abundance of compelling thrillers out there.
Absolutely it was a great decade for that genre. I struggle to think of a great thriller from the last two decades. Perhaps Prisoners by Denis Villeneuve and Side Effects by Steven Soderbergh. I love all the movies you’ve mentioned above, I’ve watched them countless times.
@@MovieBirthdays I've been remiss I see, because I haven't watched either of the two you mention. There's only so much memory can provide in the moment, so I took the liberty of looking up the last two decades of movies with thriller traits.
From the 2000's I'd recommend: The departed, A history of violence, Mulholland drive, Zodiac. And I'd add a special mention for two great movies: "Oldboy" from Korea and the Italian thriller "I'm not scared" (Io non ho paura).
From the 2010's I'd recommend: Inception, Gone Girl, Black Swan, Nightcrawler, Skyfall, Argo, Wind River, Drive, Super 8, Atomic Blonde and Mad Max: Fury road.
I've never seen this film but it seems right up my street, another to add to the watch list, cheers.
Give it a watch and let me know what you think. In some ways it’s aged well and at the same time it’s very much a product of its era which makes it very interesting to revisit.
Strange Days becomes Happy days. What a great way to revisit a movie through your informed eyes. I loved the references to Gilda. Makes me want to delve deeper.
My 3rd Best from Kathryn. Loved the opening sequence.
Point Break I think is her best.
@@MovieBirthdays im torn between Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty.
@@iforgotthenamemate I’m not as keen on her recent work. I always enjoyed Blue Steel, Point Break and Strange Days more.
@@MovieBirthdays point break anyway is on my to watch list.
@@iforgotthenamemate It’s a classic, one of the best action movies of all time.
I was one of the lucky few who saw this at the theater in 1995. The movie was so ahead of it's time that most people didn't get it which is why it flopped at the box office.
I found out about the movie from a promotional CD-ROM that was included with a computer magazine. It had samples of songs from the soundtrack as well as the trailers to the movie. This was before the internet was in common use and before trailers were uploaded to the web.
It’s a movie that becomes more and more relevant as time moves on. Never seen it on the big screen, saw it on VHS shortly after it was released and it blew me away.
Neon Noir is the perfect descriptor
"Neon Noir" is such a clever term
It’s a great little sub-genre that defines an atmosphere as well as a set of conventions. Movies like Blade Runner, Thief, Terminator, Drive and many more.
@@MovieBirthdays oh i'm quite aware of what it may implicate, I've just never seen the specific term before despite being very familiar with every movie you mention. and as a Neo-Noir junkie, fully familiar with it's influence on those films, i'm just impressed that you or someone combined the elements and descriptions, cleverly grafted together as Neo(N) Noir
@@CSM100MK2 I can’t remember where I came across the term, I definitely didn’t come up with it. It just fits perfectly especially for Strange Days.
Tremendous summary. Please explore more ideas and themes with more videos.
The Dojo 3000 thanks a lot. I have new videos every Wednesday
The movie itself has turned out to be a cult classic in the case of it’s genre and movement. Always it shows me Erie similarities of our reality. Great Movie in my eyes.
I love your work, thank you so much. Wishing you the best of luck and many more uploads to come.
Thanks so much, more on the way very soon.
@@MovieBirthdays excellent, i really appreciate your analysis as well as attention to editing. I would love to see you cover Ronin. Cheers and thanks again for the hard work.
@@CSM100MK2 glad you’re enjoying the videos. That’s the second time someone has requested Ronin, I’ll see what I can do.👍
Really unique and beautiful film. Watching it I could tell it wouldn’t be a box office success. Too many things going on. I actually think it would benefit as a short run streaming series or with an extra hour. It would give more time to flesh out the themes
Cool film analysis as always. Have you or will you cover the 40th Anniversary of Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner"?
Thanks so much. Blade Runner is on the list for this year so stay tuned.
@@MovieBirthdays Awesome, thanks again!
One of the best film in the history
Definitely one of the more interesting movies from the 90s
nicely done.
@@julieb.5860 Thank you.
Strange Days was a really cool film - liked it a lot, but i could tell who the squid killer was very early on in this film, i found it very obvious - its the only aspect that i think Bigelow could have handled better.
I think the world it creates and the tech is handled a lot more effectively than the plot. Thanks for the comment.
saw the thumbnail and thought he was supposed to be cyrano...
0:50 made me realize the origin of the fatboy slim song vocals
Yes, this movie. The actual vocals were said by Angela Bassett character Mace. This clip: ua-cam.com/video/JmL5uWrvUUM/v-deo.htmlsi=ueS9MZ50_Xm81pzf
Where can I watch it?
You should be able to stream it, if not I think it’s just been released on blu-Ray.
@@MovieBirthdays yeah but where?
Can't find it on Netflix or Anything
@@DannyK1992 if you’re in the US it might still be available on Amazon Prime.
@@MovieBirthdays thanks bro
I have a VPN 🙂❤️🔥
@@MovieBirthdays not on Amazon prime... I checked with a VPN to the US
George Floyd. A clip everyone needed to see. We saw and we fight bsck
Nobody in this film was a woman beating Fentanyl junkie though...maybe Strange Days II can use that as the main plot...
@@ca9968 Only if MAGA bigots and overzealous cops stop giving the world so much to work with.
What's with the ultra-morose voice commentary..?
It’s part of the ambiance.