December 12, 1993
STRANGE DAYS
Screenplay by James Cameron & Jay Cocks
Synopsis by Brian Aldrich
In the future, Virtual Reality technology is as portable as a Walkman and the technology allows one to actually experience the thoughts and feeling of the person recording their own experiences. However, the technology is illegal. Ex-cop LENNY NERO is a slimy black market software salesman. There’s a big underground market for sex and crime recordings. Lenny is a lonely, sad character, still in love with his ex-girlfriend, FAITH, an ex-hooker turned singer wannabe, who has run off with TRAN, an evil music promoter. Lenny has a collection of "tapes" of his experiences with Faith which he watches over and over. He wants her back.
A hooker, IRIS, is being pursued by two evil cops, SPREG and ENGELMAN, who try to kill her. Iris needs to find Lenny. She leaves him a frantic message, saying she and Faith may be in trouble. Iris drops a tape inside of Lenny's car. Lenny has a drink with his old cop pal MAX, now a private investigator. Max encourages Lenny to forget Faith. Lenny's car is repossessed. Lenny runs into MACE, a black female chauffer and single mom, who secretly adores him. Lenny talks her into driving him on his rounds. At a nightclub, Lenny tries to see Faith, but she rejects him and Tran's GOONS beat him up. Lenny gets an anonymous tape delivered to him. When he plays it, he watches the POV of a KILLER who rapes and murders Iris. Lenny shares the info with Max and Mace.
Lenny goes to tell Faith that Iris was murdered. Tran offers her her freedom to go with Lenny, but she stays with Tran. His goons start to beat Lenny again, but Mace rescues him. Lenny learns from his software pal TICK that Iris wanted a tape copied which leads Lenny to recovering the tape from his impounded car. Spreg and Engelman try to kill Lenny and Mace, but they get away. Lenny plays the tape which records Iris's POV of Spreg and Engelman killing two famous BLACK MUSICIANS, clients of Tran's. Tick is murdered. Lenny wants to take Iris's tape to Deputy Commissioner PALMER STRICKLAND, a cop of integrity, who incidentally had Lenny canned. Lenny and Mace try to free Faith from Tran, but are unsuccessful.
Lenny and Mace sneak into the New Year's ball at the Bonaventure Hotel to free Faith and give the tape to Strickland. Mace gets the tape delivered. Lenny goes to free Faith, but finds Tran dead. He finds out that Faith and Max are lovers. Max murdered Iris on Tran's orders and has killed Tran so he and Faith could be together. Max plans to set up Lenny as Tran's murderer. Before Max can kill Lenny, Faith helps Lenny get the advantage. Max falls to his death. Spreg and Engelman chase Mace, but before they can kill her, Strickland has them arrested. Lenny and Mace fall into one another's arms. New Year's Day, year 2000, arrives.
Summary Criticism: Although the plot consists of one chase scene after another, the overall story is riveting, particularly due to the intriguing and fresh VR gimmick.
Strange Days - imdb
Strange Days - wiki
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