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Review : Nothing So Strange on DVD
This weekend I watched the movie Nothing So Strange on DVD. This is a fictional pseudo-reality movie about a group of citizen activists trying to uncover the truth about the assassination of Bill Gates in 1999.
In this movie Bill Gates was shot dead by a sniper at a charity event in Los Angeles and the police then kill the suspect Alek Hidell at the scene. There the evidence supporting the case against Alek Hidell is sketchy at best and it is entirely possible that he was an innocent victim who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time and was killed by a rookie cop who panicked when he saw him pick up the riffle. There is also an unidentified man scene running out of the hotel as well as evidence of police intimidation of a key witnesses. Also the fact that Hidell was an young African American man who was shot by the LAPD does not sit well with those who suspect a conspiracy and cover up.
The movie follows the group Citizens for Truth, a grass roots organization trying to get the LAPD to open up all the files and make all the evidence in the case public. It does not really go into Bill Gates or who would want him dead. There is no Microsoft bashing and Bill Gates is just a well like public figure here and the real story is about the conspiracy and cover up. Bill Gates is portrayed in a purely positive light and is giving a big check to charity as he is gunned down by an assassin. Despite that Microsoft was not pleased with the storyline of the movie.
The movie is shot in a pure documentary style on location with very convincing actors and settings and it weaves a very interesting story and the viewer can easily slip through their suspension of disbelief and really get the feeling of frustration and paranoia. This is really not like an episode of Sliders where an alternative history can be easily brushed off as sci-fi but this film paints a very convening picture. It does not really go into shadowy pulp fiction ranting conspiracy but it stays very believable at all times and leaves the viewer slightly paranoid. I found it much more enthralling than the numerous fictional crime TV dramas the air right now.
The movie was shot and edited in 2001 and it came out in early 2002 and it's thematic concepts of a modern conspiracy on the scale of the JKF and RFK assassinations seem to have very unfortunate timing following the terrorist attacks of 9/11. This movie along Donnie Darko had bad timing in its release. One of the reasons why a fictional movie about violence and conspiracy didn't click outside the film festival circuit is that had enough of that in reality. Luckily you can get this movie off Netflix and Amazon.
This film is also interesting in that it is a totally Creative Commons licensed movie. The director is distributing the footage and you are free to cut your own movie if you are so inclined.
On the commentary track the director and actors of the movie stay in character and keep the fantasy going all throughout the commentary track. The films founder of the group Citizens for Truth unleashed a rant against the films director due to how is portrayed in the movie. I am glad that I was slightly disturbed by Nothing So Strange and I found it a completely refreshing drama.
Jake at September 19, 2006 
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