When I saw 'Strange Days' during its brief theatrical run last fall, I couldn’t help but to notice that too much vertical information of the film’s Super 35 aspect ratio of 2:1 was blocked out during the "fake anamorphic" projection process. The theatrical ratio of 2.35:1 is maintained in this letterboxed laserdisc edition.
This is the rare instance of a Super 35 movie that would have probably looked better at a narrower aspect ratio (some pivotal P-O-V sequences actually look better on the full-frame, partially panned-and-scanned videocassette version).
The convoluted plot of this turn-of-the-21st-century thriller involves a virtual reality device that taps into the cerebral cortex of the person wearing and records his experiences. When someone else plays back—or "jacks in"—a "clip," they feel the same sensations, see the same images, hear the same sounds, and experience the same emotions as the person who originally recorded the material. There are several lengthy P-O-V scenes throughout the film that put the viewer in the shoes of the various people jacking-in. One important P-O-V rape/murder sequence is simply revolting, but in the true thrust of the voyeuristic nature of the film’s motif, you can’t take your eyes off the screen.
These P-O-V scenes are the best parts of 'Strange Days'; each boasts exceptional camerawork, seamless editing and exaggerated sound effects that lend the scenes a heightened surrealistic feel. Even with the tight masking of the 2.35:1 image, these scenes were mesmerizing on a big theater screen; on home video, the effect is inevitably diminished.
In what may be a laserdisc first, Kathryn Bigelow narrates a partial audio essay on analog track 1 -- not a scene-specific commentary, but rather an hour-long discourse on the opening P-O-V sequence (this commentary track is actually a recording of a lecture Bigelow gave at the British Film Institute). She goes into great detail to explain the mechanics and logistics of coordinating and accomplishing the several technically-challenging P-O-V sequences in the movie, using the opening sequence as a reference. Since this is not a scene-specific running audio essay (her lecture runs the course of side 1 and continues for a few minutes on side 2), it’s awkward to not be able to refer to the opening P-O-V shots while listening to her continually speak about them later. Apparently, Bigelow’s lecture hall was equipped with a monitor, and whenever she’d refer to something, she’d have that particular shot played back for the audience; on disc, you either have to go from memory, or repeatedly skip back to the first scene to visualize exactly what she’s talking about. This gets a bit frustrating, and after a while, impatient viewers may just opt to tune her out.
The laserdisc itself, THX-approved and mastered in Dolby Digital AC-3, boasts an image that is crisp and cool, and even the many night sequences are bright and well-defined. 'Strange Days' has the blue, metallic look and feel of 'Terminator 2', 'The Abyss' and 'True Lies' and it’s no wonder: James Cameron wrote and co-produced this film, and his influence is evident in every frame of the film.
The sound is exceptional, though the film itself is jammed with a few too many gratingly-loud "head-banger" songs. The best music in the film is the stuff contributed by the group Deep Forest. If you look closely at the first of two trailers preserved in the supplemental section, you’ll read that Deep Forest was supposed to score the entire film; by the time the movie was released, Graeme Revell had been commissioned as composer, and Deep Forest received an "additional score by" credit.
The 145-minute film is spread across 3 sides of 2 discs (everything, including supplementaries, is in CLV), and both side breaks are abrupt, interrupting music cues. The supplementary section features the teaser and release trailers, and both are great examples of previews selling a complicated movie without spoiling any important plot points (seeing 'Strange Days' on opening day last October was one of the most refreshing and unpredictable movie-going experiences I’ve ever had, because right up to the time the curtain rose, I didn’t have any idea what the movie was really about). Two deleted scenes are included as well, and while one is redundant, the second is an important bit that should have been left in; it fills in the otherwise gaping plot hole that shows how Lenny (Ralph Feinnes) and Mace (Angela Bassett) sneak into the Bonaventure Hotel during the big New Year’s 2000 party. A music video Kathryn Bigelow directed is also here (the migraine-inducing ditty "Selling Jesus" by the British group Skunk Anansie). The supplementary section concludes with a chapter of storyboards and production photos.
While not as jam-packed with extras as other recent so-called "special edition" laserdiscs, the pricing point makes this a great buy. At $49.95, 'Strange Days', with its unique audio essay and its handful of supplemental goodies, is priced just like a regular movie-only edition. And any time a laserdisc offers extra bonus material without an inflated price tag is cause for celebration.
Vital Statistics: Fox Video; 2 discs, 3 sides; CLV; Widescreen (Super 35, 2.35:1); Stereo Surround; Dolby Digital AC-3; THX; Chapter stops; Closed captioned; $49.95.
S. Damien Segal.
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