A cinephile’s visual essay examining a canon of films that dared dream beyond the threshold of the real, So Unreal will be released on Blu-ray September 16 via Altered Innocence.
It explores the 20-year span between 1981 and 2001 as cinematic depictions of ‘future shock’ technologies such as artificial intelligence, cyberspace, and virtual reality grew in both frequency and complexity, providing an an outlet for humanity’s intertwined anxieties, fears, and fantasies about the brave new frontiers looming ahead.
Narrated by Blondie icon Debbie Harry, director Amanda Kramer (Please Baby Please) mines the substance and subtext of cyber-minded landmarks like Tron, Videodrome, Brainstorm, Terminator 2, Tetsuo, The Lawnmower Man, Hackers, The Matrix, and dozens more.
The disc also includes Silk, Benjamin Shearn’s 2013 documentary on 100% Silk, the record label behind much of the music in So Unreal.
Special features:
- Audio commentary by writer-produce-director Amanda Kramer, writer Britt Brown, editor-producer Benjamin Shearn, and executive producer Brian Miller
- Isolated music and sound design track
- Silk – 2013 feature-length documentary
- 2024 Rotterdam Film Festival conversation with Debbie Harry and Amanda Kramer
- Trailer
- Teaser
- Booklet with an essay by executive producer Brian Miller, comprehensive So Unreal filmography, and soundtrack listing
Mapping the subcurrents of euphoria and dystopia simmering in the cinematic subconscious of the end of the 20th century, the documentary bridges nostalgia and prophecy, remixing cult classics and mainstream hits into an electrifying fever dream of analog dread and digital longing.
So Unreal began its festival run at Fantastic Fest 2023 and went on to play the likes of International Film Festival Rotterdam, Brookln Horror Film Festival, and more.
