Strange Days

(Spoilers only cover the first ten minutes of the film, or the blurb on the
back of the disc.)


If you're looking for a good film to watch over the Christmas period,
see "Strange Days". It's no doubt available on video - it was made
in 1995. It is supposed to be set in an alternate 1999, where a
gadget has been invented for recording experiences. The action takes
place in the last three days of 1999.


The "hero" of our story deals in illegal brain-recordings. One of his
friends witnesses something that she shouldn't have seen, and suddenly
everyone is after her. But she was recording at the time, so everyone's
after the recording, too. The rest of the plot is a "MacGuffin" plot, but
done very very well, with the social and moral issues of this invention
quietly explored in the background. (Think of "snuff". Or not.)

The tense, twisty plot builds steadily through the film to the inevitable
climax on the streets in the last hours of the 1900s, with a backplot
clever enough to change the crowds from mobile scenery to the reason
for the whole show.

Kathryn Bigelow ("Near Dark", "Point Break") directs Ralph Fiennes
("Schindler's List", "The English Patient", "The Avengers"), Juliette Lewis
("From Dusk til Dawn") and Angela Bisset playing the strongest female lead
I've seen since Geena Davies in "The Long Kiss Goodnight". Like "The
Matrix", the special effects are there to tell the story, rather than being
the cause of it. The sound in particular should have won a bloody Oscar.

Genre-wise, I'd compare this film to "Johnny Mnemonic" or "The Matrix", but
I'd say it was better than either. Definitely worth seeing, especially with
everyone getting spooked by the calendar.


Strange days indeed.



Simon

---
"This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind" -Ecclesiastes 4:16

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H (+44/0)1784 431998 | Not affiliated to any ideology
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Really? I went to see it at an IFIS screening a while back, and in my
opinion it was by far the worst film shown during my time at uni. (I didn't
go to IKWYDLS.) I also don't remember anyone else actually having a good
word to say about it. The only redeming feature I can remember is the use of
Skunk Anansie's 'Selling Jesus' on the soundtrack.

Maybe I'm wrong and it is really an amazing film, but I don't usually walk
out at the end of good films thinking "why the hell did I just sit through
that?"


(the other) Andy

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Email: andy@
Website: http://zap.to/leopard

Andrew Wren wrote:
I rather like it. I wouldn't go as overboard as some, but then
the style of the film isn't one that I particularly enjoy.

Rather than try to explain what's good I'll ask you a question.
What did you think of "The Usual Suspects"?

See ya,

Adam

I'll hold my hands up here and say I haven't seen that. Is it any good?


Andy

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Email: andy@
Website: http://zap.to/leopard

Usual Suspects is one of the best films I have ever seen. I still have
arguments with some friends about the outcome of the film now and it's been
out since 1995. The actors turned in excellent performances (except maybe
for Benicio Del Toro whom I still can't understand), it's well written and
has some interesting twists in it. All in all - rent this film now!

Jacquie

On Mon, 11 Oct 1999, Andrew Wren wrote:
And like many good films you have to watch the whole thing to understand
it. In fact it'd probably be best to watch it several times just to make
sure - it really does your head in (in the nicest way possible,
obviously).

Chris

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christ@ #include <stddisclaimer.h> http://www.instituteofcorrection.org.uk/

"So this is really me? A no-style gimbo with teeth druids could use as a
place of worship" - Duaine Dibley (Red Dwarf - "Back to Reality")

Yes, alright, I'll find a copy as soon as I can.

Incidentally, anyone suggesting the Armstrong Gun should also give a warning
about the headroom. Basically anyone over about 5'6" should be really
careful when walking around as they have beams in odd places. I headbutted
several in my time.


Andy

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Email: andy@
Website: http://zap.to/leopard

well, that's happened quite a few times in the "IFIS Corner" in the Ascot,
as has been demonstrated by Steve Dismukes continually concussing himself on
the beams :o)

Previously this vile slander against me was uttered by Asan:
That's so untrue! At least, it only happened once or twice. I think. I may
not remember. Blows to the head occasionally result in amnesia... :-)

Later,

Steve :-)
_
__
(oO)
/||\ <Clonk> Aaaagh!

warning
Ascot,
himself
Once, having fallen down while escaping from the corner, my head was rammed
into that beam over our alcove. I believe Messers Strong, Smart, Haynes and
Banks can shed some light on that incident....

I can't remember who drove me to the health center afterwards ......

Any other good Ascot stories out there that deserve an airing at this time ?

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Philip Ayres
E-Mail: payres@
Web Site: www.netcomuk.co.uk/~payres
ICQ: 40853612
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

In message <001701bf14fb$75640820$1fe82ac2@>, payres
<payres@> writes
We were lifting you up. We just did it a bit fast thats all.....
Regards,
Christopher Haynes

Well, there's always the incident with the food display area when Ads pushed
his chair back and knocked Colin (old chairman for the younger IFIS members)
through the glass.

Kelly, Jacquie said:
There was a reason why, though? Wasn't tickling involved somewhere?

---

Nick Waterman. Senior Systems Administrator, FriendFactory, Sony UK.
mailto:nick-sig@ http://www.nilex.co.uk/~nick
AX25:G7RZQ@#32.GBR.EU #include <stddisclaimer> Team *AMIGA*!
The computer is mightier than the pen, the sword, and usually, the programmer.

Nick Waterman wrote:
Absolutely not. Any rumours that you may have heard that
I am obscenely tickelish are completely unfounded. Further,
it is inconceivable that a person not afflicted by such a
condition could wriggle when tickled to the extent that
they would throw a man of Colin's weight through a plate
glass window.

What is left is the matter of why Colin fell through that
display case.

My theory is that agencies unkown teleported the last
of the chocolate fudge cake from behind the display counter.
This cause a momentary partial vacuum, the resultant implosion
sucked the glass and Colin in.

The truth is out there.

Agent Adam Mouldering

Iz

yeah, but that only happens when someone happens to be walking on the
benches - in the Armstrong Gun it happens as a matter of course when you're
just walking around.

Couldn't agree more. IMO Bad film but very good soundtrack.

Andy.

---

awright@
Don't look back, the lemmings are gaining on you.

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