Strange Days (1995) 20th Anniversary Edition

[Jowiko96]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vK3KZiJSFHs

35mm scan of the teaser trailer

[The 4th Doctor]

I originally saw Strange Days for the first time, back around 1995-96, when it first aired on HBO, here in the states, and there was one scene that stuck in my mind, as it showed a guy wearing a deck in the bar, and Lenny loads up a movie of a woman taking a shower. After the movie was over, Lenny tells the guy that he had just been (quote) "A 17 Year Old Girl Taking A Shower".

That was a very erotic scene.

However, years later when I bought the DVD - there was no such scene, and even though I still love the movie, the mystery of that missing scene always had me confused...I mean WHERE did it go? WHY was it removed? I never saw the movie in the theatres when it was originally released, so was that scene originally shown in the theatres as well, or was it added to the HBO broadcast only?

Several years back, I spent sometime researching the whole mystery of that missing scene, online, but sadly there didn't seem to be any information at all, and so I just gave up.

Now just moments ago, after partially reading through this thread, I was wondering if anyone had any answers as to WHY the scene was missing from the DVD, as well as is it available on any of the import Blu Ray releases, and does anyone else here at least know what I'm referring to - Did anyone here ever see that same scene?

[professorwho]

It’s on the 20th Anniversary German BD. Watched it a week ago, and it was there.

[Moonlight Shadow]

Here in Germany the scene has always been there, in the theater, on DVD and on Blu-ray.

[trip66]

Originally Posted by The 4th Doctor

I originally saw Strange Days for the first time, back around 1995-96, when it first aired on HBO, here in the states, and there was one scene that stuck in my mind, as it showed a guy wearing a deck in the bar, and Lenny loads up a movie of a woman taking a shower. After the movie was over, Lenny tells the guy that he had just been (quote) "A 17 Year Old Girl Taking A Shower".

That was a very erotic scene.

However, years later when I bought the DVD - there was no such scene, and even though I still love the movie, the mystery of that missing scene always had me confused...I mean WHERE did it go? WHY was it removed? I never saw the movie in the theatres when it was originally released, so was that scene originally shown in the theatres as well, or was it added to the HBO broadcast only?

Several years back, I spent sometime researching the whole mystery of that missing scene, online, but sadly there didn't seem to be any information at all, and so I just gave up.

Now just moments ago, after partially reading through this thread, I was wondering if anyone had any answers as to WHY the scene was missing from the DVD, as well as is it available on any of the import Blu Ray releases, and does anyone else here at least know what I'm referring to - Did anyone here ever see that same scene?

I've owned Strange Days on VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray. That scene has always been there. Maybe you saw some sort of TV edit. I know in the UK, the rape scene was censored and shortened. BTW, He says she's 18! not 17! Just in case anyone has a question about that!

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by The 4th Doctor

I originally saw Strange Days for the first time, back around 1995-96, when it first aired on HBO, here in the states, and there was one scene that stuck in my mind, as it showed a guy wearing a deck in the bar, and Lenny loads up a movie of a woman taking a shower. After the movie was over, Lenny tells the guy that he had just been (quote) "A 17 Year Old Girl Taking A Shower".

That was a very erotic scene.

However, years later when I bought the DVD - there was no such scene, and even though I still love the movie, the mystery of that missing scene always had me confused...I mean WHERE did it go? WHY was it removed? I never saw the movie in the theatres when it was originally released, so was that scene originally shown in the theatres as well, or was it added to the HBO broadcast only?

Several years back, I spent sometime researching the whole mystery of that missing scene, online, but sadly there didn't seem to be any information at all, and so I just gave up.

Now just moments ago, after partially reading through this thread, I was wondering if anyone had any answers as to WHY the scene was missing from the DVD, as well as is it available on any of the import Blu Ray releases, and does anyone else here at least know what I'm referring to - Did anyone here ever see that same scene?

I'm in the US, and the film is one of my favorites ever.

I saw it three times in the one week it played in theaters. I own (or have owned) the US VHS, the US laserdisc, the US widescreen VHS, the US DVD, the first German BD, and the 20th Anniversary BD.

That scene and that line have been present in all of those releases.

Not sure which country's DVD you're referring to, but perhaps the film was censored in some other country.

[Jay H.]

Are you saying that we actually see the clip of the girl taking a shower? Because that was never shown. There is a scene of the man watching the movie, and Lenny comments on what he just watched, but the actual scene of the shower isn't in the movie - and never has been.

[The 4th Doctor]

Originally Posted by professorwho

It’s on the 20th Anniversary German BD. Watched it a week ago, and it was there.

So just to clarify...the girl in the shower scene IS on that 20th Anniversary German BD?

Because I don't want any misunderstandings, I'm not just referring to what Lenny said to the guy, but the fact that we as the audience, actually did get to see the girl as well.

The only time I ever saw that girl was on the HBO Broadcast.

Every other version I ever saw of the movie edited / censored that scene out.

Every other version I saw merely mentioned what Lenny's client was watching, but didn't show us.

A few years back a friend of mine mailed me an import BD of the movie claiming that scene was in it, but I watched the movie, and it wasn't included - Just Lenny telling the guy (and us) what was in the clip, but no actual shower scene for us to view.

Personally, I think the movie is awesome, with, or without that scene, but I hate both censorship, and mysteries! And that whole missing scene had been a mystery these past so many years.

[The 4th Doctor]

Originally Posted by trip66

I've owned Strange Days on VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray. That scene has always been there. Maybe you saw some sort of TV edit. I know in the UK, the rape scene was censored and shortened. BTW, He says she's 18! not 17! Just in case anyone has a question about that!

Well just to be clear I'm stating that the scene where Lenny tells the guy what he just watched is yes - Available on every release, but I never saw the girl in the shower herself on any official release of the movie. I only ever saw her, on the HBO broadcast version. The nude shower scene was removed from every other disc I ever owned, and I did buy those discs brand new / sealed from Best Buy, and from not somewhere like Wal-Mart, where I know Wal-Mart used to sell censored versions of movies...which is one of the reasons why I never used to buy from Wal-Mart.


Yeah, it has been a while since I last watched the movie, so I probably did screw up on the age...I thought Lenny said he was 17, but apparently she was 18, although I wouldn't think that 17 for a regular nude shot in a major Hollywood movie would be illegal - Not even in the U.S.A. Though the actress in the shower scene could've been much older than that, and we would never know, as she was an uncredited actress.

[Jay H.]

Originally Posted by The 4th Doctor

So just to clarify...the girl in the shower scene IS on that 20th Anniversary German BD?

Because I don't want any misunderstandings, I'm not just referring to what Lenny said to the guy, but the fact that we as the audience, actually did get to see the girl as well.

The only time I ever saw that girl was on the HBO Broadcast.

Every other version I ever saw of the movie edited / censored that scene out.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_memory

[The 4th Doctor]

Originally Posted by Jay H.

Are you saying that we actually see the clip of the girl taking a shower? Because that was never shown. There is a scene of the man watching the movie, and Lenny comments on what he just watched, but the actual scene of the shower isn't in the movie - and never has been.

YES - We actually get to see the clip of the girl taking the shower.

It WAS shown on the HBO Broadcast as I already stated. I originally saw it broadcast on HBO, sometime in 1995-1996.

It was the very first time I had ever seen the movie, and so assumed the movie would always have that shower scene, but it didn't as I have said.

The only time I ever came close to even a mention of that missing scene was another forum many years ago where I read a quote from another person online about the same exact missing scene.

Certainly NOT a false memory, and I wasn't drunk, etc It was an actual scene.

Maybe there was some legal reason for it's HBO inclusion at the time, I wouldn't know, I'm not a Lawyer in the entertainment industry.

If I'd known at the time I saw it on HBO that I was witnessing a rare scene - I would've record it!

[The 4th Doctor]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

I'm in the US, and the film is one of my favorites ever.

I saw it three times in the one week it played in theaters. I own (or have owned) the US VHS, the US laserdisc, the US widescreen VHS, the US DVD, the first German BD, and the 20th Anniversary BD.

That scene and that line have been present in all of those releases.

Not sure which country's DVD you're referring to, but perhaps the film was censored in some other country.

So...just to clarify, are you saying that you actually saw the girl in the shower, or are you saying that you just saw the scene with Lenny talking to his client about it?

[Jay H.]

Isn't it odd that there is not one single mention of this on the internet? Isn't it bizarre that the scene in question was not shown in U.S. theaters (I saw it theatrically three times)? Isn't it weird that nobody has any recollection of this scene?

The scene in question was never filmed. I don't know what you saw, but it wasn't in Strange Days.

[The 4th Doctor]

Originally Posted by Jay H.

Isn't it odd that there is not one single mention of this on the internet? Isn't it bizarre that the scene in question was not shown in U.S. theaters (I saw it theatrically three times)? Isn't it weird that nobody has any recollection of this scene?

The scene in question was never filmed. I don't know what you saw, but it wasn't in Strange Days.

You're not going to tell me what I did, or didn't see.

I'm not going to waste my time on you with anymore responses - Now go pester someone else with your ignorant, immature, rude, troll attitude.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by The 4th Doctor

So...just to clarify, are you saying that you actually saw the girl in the shower, or are you saying that you just saw the scene with Lenny talking to his client about it?

You're merging that dialogue in your mind with one of two other moments in the film.

At one point, early in the film, we see Lenny watching a clip of two women having sex, with one woman licking another's breasts. We then cut to Lenny, who tells one of the women, standing fully clothed in front of him, selling him the clip, that he'll buy it, but next time she needs to do better and "move your eyes slower next time, much much slower. Like... like you're making love with your eyes" and we see her comically stoned blank reaction.

At another point, we see Juliette Lewis walk out of a shower during one of the SQUID playback scenes Lenny watches, when they're in his apartment, when the song "Three Little Birds" is playing.

The mention of the girl taking the shower is during a different scene, where Lenny is showing the SQUID technology to the entertainment lawyer client. We see Lenny watch the client enjoying the clip, the client rubs his hands slowly up and down his fully clothed, suited body in the back room of the Chinese bar. Lenny shuts the clip off and says to the client "You were just an eighteen-year-old girl taking a shower. Are you beginning to see the possibilities here?"

I've seen pretty much every format this film has ever existed in, multiple times - theatrical, VHS, laserdisc, DVD, BD. And yes, I even watched it on HBO when it aired there.

I can assure you with absolute certainty that there was never a cutaway to an image of that girl in the shower during the scene with the client. Not in theaters, or on any subsequent release of the film. The film has never been altered in the US, the only alterations were in the UK to remove a couple of shots, nothing has ever been added to the film.

You're conflating your memories of two moments in the film, I assure you.

[James Luckard]

This is the scene in question, as it is now and has always been:

Just an 18 year old girl taking a shower (scene from Strange Days) - YouTube

It is two shots:

- a closeup of the lawyer's face
- a panning dolly shot pushing in on Fiennes and the lawyer.

It has only ever looked like this.

[The 4th Doctor]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

You're merging that dialogue in your mind with one of two other moments in the film.

At one point, early in the film, we see Lenny watching a clip of two women having sex, with one woman licking another's breasts. We then cut to Lenny, who tells one of the women, standing fully clothed in front of him, selling him the clip, that he'll buy it, but next time she needs to do better and "make love to the camera with your eyes" and we see her stoned reaction.

At another point, we see Juliette Lewis walk out of a shower during one of the SQUID playback scenes Lenny watches, when they're in his apartment, when the song "Three Little Birds" is playing.

The mention of the girl taking the shower is during a different scene, where Lenny is showing the SQUID technology to the entertainment lawyer client. We see Lenny watch the client enjoying the clip, the client rubs his hands slowly up and down his fully clothed, suited body in the back room of the Chinese bar. Lenny shuts the clip off and says to the client "You were just an eighteen-year-old girl taking a shower. Are you beginning to see the possibilities here?"

I've seen pretty much every format this film has ever existed in, multiple times - theatrical, VHS, laserdisc, DVD, BD. And yes, I even watched it on HBO when it aired there.

I can assure you with absolute certainty that there was never a cutaway to an image of that girl in the shower during the scene with the client. Not in theaters, or on any subsequent release of the film. The film has never been altered in the US, the only alterations were in the UK to remove a couple of shots, nothing has ever been added to the film.

You're conflating your memories of two moments in the film, I assure you.

Thank you for taking the time to write that - I appreciate it.

Your review of those scenes in the movie are all of course accurate.

However, the missing scene I also described is very real.

It must've been included on early broadcasts on HBO only, and then removed. Obviously I cannot say why this is, but I cannot simply just say to myself that I'm wrong, when I know 100% for certain what I saw.

I even found a mention of it years ago on another forum - I wish I could find that link for you all to read, as it showed I wasn't the only person to have seen that missing scene.

The only way I'm going to ever find an answer to this it would appear, is to somehow speak with someone who worked on the film itself, and / or someone at HBO who may have access to that information.

Anyway, Thank you again for your respectful response to my post.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by The 4th Doctor

Thank you for taking the time to write that - I appreciate it.

Your review of those scenes in the movie are all of course accurate.

However, the missing scene I also described is very real.

It must've been included on early broadcasts on HBO only, and then removed. Obviously I cannot say why this is, but I cannot simply just say to myself that I'm wrong, when I know 100% for certain what I saw.

I even found a mention of it years ago on another forum - I wish I could find that link for you all to read, as it showed I wasn't the only person to have seen that missing scene.

The only way I'm going to ever find an answer to this it would appear, is to somehow speak with someone who worked on the film itself, and / or someone at HBO who may have access to that information.

Anyway, Thank you again for your respectful response to my post.

Glad to help.

But I can assure you the film wouldn't have had a single shot of additional nudity, lasting mere seconds, added for HBO, and that scene is staged in a way that's too simple to cut up, that's why I pointed out the fact that it's just two shots.

The scene is designed for the visual humor of the guy caressing himself through his expensive three-piece suit, that's why it's covered almost entirely in that long dolly shot.

I have the shooting script, it's scripted that way. There's no mention of a cutaway to what he's seeing. Every cutaway to a SQUID shot or sequence is in the script, it has to be, for budgetary purposes.

Trust me, it's very easy to remember something incorrectly, especially when there are two such similar images in the finished film.

I promise you, there was never a cutaway to the girl showering in that scene in the back room of the bar.

[James Luckard]

This is exactly how the scene is scripted. (It was scripted for the men's room of the bar, but they moved it to the back room when they filmed it)

INT. CORAL LOUNGE/MEN'S ROOM

Close on Keith's face, as he sits on the sink counter reacting to a Squid tape. He jerks...his mouth drops open...he gasps. His hands start to move over his body, feeling it wonderingly. He gasps again, tilts his head down, moans...and Lenny hits Pause on the Playback. Keith opens his eyes to a grinning Lenny.

LENNY
You were just an eighteen year old girl
taking a shower. Are you beginning to
see the possibilities here?

Identical to the finished film.

Any cutaway would have gone against Cameron and Bigelow's intentions for the scene, and HBO could not just alter the film without their consent.

The only censored version of the film is the UK version, which has always been cut since the theatrical release.

[James Luckard]

I'll tell you about a very similar situation I encountered.

One of my other favorite films is Roman Polanski's FRANTIC.

The film involves the kidnapping of Ford's wife, Betty Buckley.

Years ago, a person swore, swore on the IMDB boards that they had seen a TV airing in which there was an alternate (presumably original) ending in which Ford sleeps with Michelle, the girl who helps him look for Buckley, and at the end, it's revealed that Buckley is in league with the terrorists who kidnapped her.

Another user on the IMDB boards agreed and also swore they had seen this alternate ending, but there was no evidence of its existence.

I had seen the film many times and found this implausible.

Eventually, I ended up contacting Polanski's office when the BD had an audio error, in order to get him to fix it. He sent me a shooting script, to thank me.

Indeed, the ending was it had always been, there was no alternate ending, save for a few altered shots.

There were also people on the Jurassic Park thread swearing they had seen a shot of Laura Dern grabbing a leaf from a plant earlier than the moment in the film when she does so, or something like that. They finally realized they had confused a shot in the trailer with the film itself, or some such thing.

I think you could also be remembering the trailer for Strange Days, which cuts directly from a shot of Fiennes taking Lewis's top off to a shot of the lawyer watching the clip, from 0:18-0:22:

STRANGE DAYS - Trailer ( 1995 ) - YouTube

Our memory can play tricks on us.