I was one of those people that were so excited about the breakthrough in Virtual Reality with the Oculus headset. I ended up at various VR events to experience being in the middle of a computer monitor. It was a rush to wear the goggles and see a whale swim up to me in a deep blue sea. I flew up to Toronto for a VR convention and got David Cronenberg’s VR experience in my head. I conceived two VR projects, produced test versions and sought partners to develop them fully. VR seemed to be a gateway into a future. Except so far, the future hasn’t shown up for VR. While neither of my projects found funding; I’ve yet to see them ripped off by other companies. People weren’t ready to move beyond staring at their smart phone to feel a part of the computer world. They didn’t need to go inside the monitor. They preferred to zone out reality around them. So Unreal explores visions of the future from the ’80s and ’90s while the technology was growing rapidly.
Director Amanda Kramer has created a full-length video essay about future technology from the visions of few decades back. What did those “old” movies say about where we are now and what is ahead for us? The first big movie explored is rightfully The Matrix. We are reminded how the movie sets the unreality upcoming by making the Warner Logo green. The most daring part of the film is to let us know that “God is not a deity, but a code.” The movie is divided into sections. The arrival of hackers first portrays them as the agents of chaos. We get both tales of how they started for real at M.I.T. to how Hollywood viewed them in numerous films including the James Bond flick Goldeneye. Were they going to doom us to being slaves to computer systems or destroy the massive oligarch conglomerates that control the web? The “good” news is that we’re living in that now. Want to guess who is winning?
William Gibson’s Neuromancer novel comes up in the section about virtual reality. Hollywood is seen as embracing VR for its promise of limitless. Albert Pyun’s Arcade gets a lot of attention even though the low budget film didn’t get that much notice in 1993. Same with Nirvana (the movie, not the band) that starred Christopher Lambert (The Highlander). There’s a part on carnality using computer assistance from VHS tapes to VR decadence that includes other attachments to the computer system. Now they’re making AI encounters that involve no human interactions on the other side of the screen. Finally, there is the technological nightmare when the computers decide that humans are holding them back. This is when The Terminator arrives.
What’s great is that while the film opens with The Matrix, Amanda Kramer features films that were box office hits, flops and obscure VHS releases. Among the movies featured are Tron, Electric Dreams, Brainstorm, D.A.R.Y.L., Weird Science, Max Headroom, War Games, Sneakers, The Net, Hackers, Masterminds, Enemy of the State, Virtuosity, Lawnmower Man, Strange Days, Tetsuo: The Iron Man, Mind Warp, The Thirteenth Floor, David Cronenberg’s Existenz, and naturally Videodrome. This is a great mix of visions and budgets.
Getting Debbie Harry to read Amanda Kramer and Britt Brown’s script is a divine choice. She was rather futuristic when her band Blondie emerged from the CBGB punk scene in the ’70s. She became an icon of new technology gone weird in David Cronenberg’s Videodrome. When the Amiga home computer was introduced, Debbie Harry worked with Andy Warhol to show off the art capablities. (I’ve included that video at the end of the review). Debbie Harry has the voice you’d want to hear from your talking computer system. She reads the script in a way that makes it feel less like an academic exercise and more of a conspiracy that you must be aware that’s really happening.
My quirky favorite moment is the documentary mentioning Will Powers for their early computer graphics videos that ran on MTV. Who was that? This was a techno concept by photographer Lynn Goldsmith. She collaborated with Steve Winwood, Sting, Nile Rodgers, Todd Rundgren, Carly Simon and Tom Bailey of the Thompson Twins to create a futuristic sound in 1983. Goldsmith only put out one album as Will Powers. That was the band’s future.
So Unreal is a combination of nostalgia and dread at what we’ve become in the last few decades. Sure you’ll get a warm buzz seeing clips of movies you might not have thought about in years. You might reach for your phone in the middle of the film and check to see if they’re streaming somewhere. But who else will know you are looking for the D.A.R.Y.L.? Think of how every “major” company now is tied into a web-based fortune. The social media companies are mining your life for their riches. Is your life really approving as you get more attached to your devices? Do you have panic attacks if you go to the grocery store and accidentally leave your phone at home? Are you more connected or are you the connection? Hackers declared “Hack The World,” but the “kids” watching that film have gotten rich hacking you. Amanda Kramer brings up these techno topics through the voice of Debbie Harry. So Unreal reminds us that these weren’t just movies; we’re stuck in them now.
The Video 1.78:1 anamorphic. The movie is fully made up of clips from all over. There are news videos, promotional videos, movie clips, The Audio is DTS-HD MA 2.0 Stereo. You’ll heard Debbie Harry’s narration over a pumping synth soundtrack.
Audio Commentary featuring Writer/Producer/Director Amanda Kramer, Writer Britt Brown, Editor/Producer Benjamin Shearn and Executive Producer Brian Miller has them breaking down how they collected all the footage. There are over 800 visual clips used in the documentary. Amanda Kramer talks about what inspired this project.
A conversation between Debbie Harry and Amanda Kramer (63:15) filmed live at the 2024 Rotterdam Film Festival. Kramer has a great relationship with the festival. The moderator is excited to introduce Debbie Harry. They discuss how Harry and Kramer worked long distance in the recording of the narration. Debbie Harry is very critical of her voice. There’s quite a bit of Blondie talk including the band’s video “album” of Eat To The Beat on VHS.
SILK (92:21) is a documentary about the 100% Silk, the record label putting on a European tour with four of their acts. These seem to be at small clubs and house parties that have to worry about the cops showing up because the music is too loud. These are electronic acts so it’s not just drum roadies checking the mics. “Do I have signal” one performer uses to test the microphone. This is not usual band on stage at arenas concert film. Amanada Kramer directed the film. The label is part of the soundtrack for So Unreal.
A booklet includes writing by Executive Producer Brian Miller, a comprehensive list of the films featured, and the soundtrack breakdown.
Isolated Music and Sound Design Track lets you enjoy the visuals and the movies without the narration. It’s perfect to run on your TV during those kinds of parties.
Official Trailer (1:35) + Teaser (0:11) talks about how much technology controls of our lives.
Altered Innocence presents So Unreal. Directed by Amanda Kramer. Screenplay by Amanda Kramer and Britt Brown. Featuring Debbie Harry. Running Time: 98 minutes. Rating: Unrated. Release Date: September 16, 2025.
