Adapted by the extraordinarily monikered Christ Zois from William Gibson’s short story, New Rose Hotel is an action movie that trades adventure for an abstruse dialogue. Events unfold off-stage or through discrete technology (scientist Hiroshi never speaks and is only seen via video monitor), forcing the conclusion that Ferrara's picture is less SF, more a love story told by an indecisive man.

Remarkably, Zois and Ferrara add scarcely anything to Gibson's dialogue-free original, sensibly ditching the flashback but otherwise bleeding his narrative dry. Its sense of place - despite leaping across continents - is extraordinary on what looks to be meagre means. Imagine Cronenberg or a budget Blade Runner.

It's very much the film of the story, but equally, shot through with sufficient sleaze and high-minded oddity to never be anything less than the product of its director. Which allows us to say this is more Dangerous Game than The Blackout (Zois' last Ferrara gig). Ken Kelch shoots it, Schoolly D's score is particularly impressive and it's riddled with intriguing casting decisions: Annabella Sciorra as a madam, cameos from musicians John Lurie and Ryuichi Sakamoto. One for the fans, then, but none the less intriguing for all that.