This is an unusually good, 52 minute, BBC documentary from 2000 on one of the greatest science fiction films ever with interviews with the writers, stars and director. It includes a never before seen scene that wasn’t used in the final film.
On the surface, Blade Runner is an ultra-stylish cop chases bad guy film, but it’s under the surface where the real action occurs. A failure at the box office, it became the first hit on video which led the studios to realize there was a profitable market for their films in the home. It made me buy a laser disc player (remember those?) so I could have my own copy in widescreen.
Wow! Bladerunner was my first laser disc. $800 spent on a Laser player. Talk about first adopters!
Being a ham radio guy I recently dissasembled the player and sorted all its internal parts for the parts bin. I still have a bunch of discs. Those were the days……
Hal..
Interestingly, the story of the movie is pretty much the inversion of the original short story – in the movie, the androids turn out to be sympathetic, while in the book, they turn out to be not sympathetic. Both stories work excellently.
Philip K. Dick was one of the writers of the 60’s that transformed SciFi literature. It’s a thought piece, and wasn’t the space opera or bug movie most movie goers expected. Too much existentialism for most.
Blade Runner is my favorite science fiction movie, it was substantially changed from “Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep.” One of the ongoing controversies is Ford’s narration in the movie. Personally I like it, I think it adds to the film by giving it a classic hardboiled detective feel. It’s an interesting juxtoposition with the science fiction story.
I have a VHS copy, L.D. version (CLV – betcha can’t remember what that stands for) and a Warner Brothers Special Edition (directors cut DVD sans narration) in a black slip case from a few years ago with various collectibles included. None of those are for sale.
In every aspect – direction, lensing, editing, score, acting, script – I feel it was – not necessarily in any one area, but in the overall sum – superior to any previous SF film, and nigh on 25 years later, it remains my benchmark for the genre.
I feel it also proved Ridley Scott to be Stanley Kubrick’s equal in visuals, if not his better.
So Opineth The Ghoti
Blade Runner was one of the first SciFi films that represented what our near-future reality could become.(and in some cases we aren’t too far away from becoming)
People like movies to help them escape from reality, not depress them. Americans like happy endings and fake heros.
I loved the movie. Had to see it alone because I couldnt get anyone to see it with me. The movie came out before its time.
#4
CLV: Constant Linear Velocity
“Brainstorm” (Douglas Trumbull) was my first LD. Still have the machine and a pile of LDs – mostly Bogart – at the ready on the shelf.
Going to enjoy the interview. Thanks.
RBG
I’m glad to say i saw Blade Runner in the theatre, and when it was over we walked outside and it was raining… and i loved it.
And Deckard was NOT an android!
And Sean Young was gorgeous : )
“And Sean Young was gorgeous : )”
And this is why the “happy” ending was so necessary, and why all the critics (and even the director) are wrong: who in their right minds would want such a luscious creature not to go on and even have whatever happiness “she” would be capable of having? “Dishwasher”! Harrumph.
Sean Young, gorgrous, yes – but Daryl Hannah, w/ the airbrushed eyes was stunning…
#9 – but the question of whether/not Deckard was a replicant was left open to speculation – the ambiguity was deliberate… just enough hints that one couldn’t be quite sure one way or the other… my take on it, anyway