Nothing So Strange

Starring:David James (XVII), Douglas Glazer, Valerie Gordon, Jennifer Lauren, Laurie Pike, Philip Anthony Traylor, Mark Daniel Cade, Sarah Stanley, Steve Wilcox, Etana Jacobson, Keythe Farley, Steve Sires
Director: Brian Flemming
Studio: Unsharp Mask / GMD Studios
Product Type: DVD

Description

"It may be the ideal prototype film for the digital age," raves Variety about this ingenious, one-of-a-kind film. A global sensation on the festival circuit, NOTHING SO STRANGE has been hailed as "brilliant" (Boston Phoenix) and "a genre-bending experience" (Austin Chronicle). The film is a documentary from an alternate universe -- one in which Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates has been killed by a sniper. From that bold premise, this "uncomfortably realistic" (New York Post) drama constantly moves in unexpected directions as it follows the efforts of a grassroots group to uncover the truth behind the assassination. Who killed Bill Gates? That's what Citizens for Truth attempts to discover in a movie that Salon says "picks up brilliantly on the strange culture of conspiracy theorists" and Wired.com calls "pitch perfect."

Customer Reviews:

Interesting idea, poorly realized.......2004-11-11

An interesting premise becomes an exercise in tedium, and I found my self constantly hitting the fast forward button. Everything goes on way too long; the characters get obnoxious very quickly, and the payoff is pathetic. I suppose for legal reasons, the name "Microsoft" is never mentioned, but that contributes to the film's failure to create any sense of reality: if Bill Gates really was assassinated, you'd think people from his corporation would be involved in investigating a coverup. But this doesn't happen, so it all seems pretty dumb. By the end, I was mad I threw away $15 and over an hour of my time on this very amatuerish production.

Bill Gates is not dead!.......2004-09-25

Listen, Bill Gates is not dead! If you don't believe me go to encarta.com and you'll see information about Bill Gates. In 2000 Gates transferred the title of CEO to Ballmer. While remaining chairman, Gates also took on the title of chief software architect to focus on the development of new products and technologies. That's information about Bill Gates. If he died 1999 how could he do something a year later?

Get it, watch the extras.......2004-04-29

Great guerilla indie film making. I was lucky to see it on the big screen at a film fest. The director Brian Flemming is an inspiration for all want-to-be film makers. Solid performances, especially David James. The underlying social commentary is very of this moment.

The truth and how we see it.......2004-04-29

The old saying in marketing goes that people DO judge a book by it's cover and a company by it's slogan. This may be true. But I hope it's not the case with this film. Looking at the cover of the DVD people may get the idea that Nothing So Strange is some one joke gimmick on the death of Gates.
This is not even close. No way. The film in fact is a brilliant examination of truth in the media and a probing look into the nuances of a group dynamic.

Nothing So Strange is a film about a grassroots activist group called Citizens for Truth and their post assassination search into the truth behing the murder of Gates. The film succeeds as both a well crafted mystery and as a most convincing mock documentary. I had to stop and ask myself repeatedly throughout the film, "Wait. Did this really happen?" The filmmakers commitment to veracity is unflinching.

The performances in this film really make it fly. David James is fantastic in the starring role. Playing "David James" (many of the actors used their real names in this film) the fiery leader of Citizens for Truth, his work is truly worthy of awards. And the entire cast is top notch. I was amazed to learn that more than half of them are non-professionals.

If you're a fan of docs, mock docs or the daring and gritty cinema of the 1970's this film is a must see. I highly recommend it.

Inventive.......2004-04-29

A serious subject is dealt with here in a very real manner. So much so that you actually think it happened!! You'll walk away really wondering - is Bill Gates dead? Did I just wake up and miss the biggest news story since the Kennedy assassinations? It's a good look at what might just happen if there was a real class war in the United States, and under investigation in the notorious Rampart police division of Los Angeles. Like being fascinated by a car accident, you will find yourself mesmorized by the folks that are trying to get to the bottom of the mystery that surrounds this case.

DVD:

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