A sacrilege against 'Blade Runner'

Satori1977 · Dec 29, 2008

Love Blade Runner. Had a hard time watching it when I was younger (I just didn't get it, and thought it was boring). But now I appreciate it. I loved the dark future world. For the time it was made in, I loved it was great. Plus Harrison Ford, c'mon.

2001 is a hard one to get through, but worth it IMO.

Alien? How could someone not like Alien?? The second one was pretty awesome too. After that, I got bored.

Satori1977 · Dec 29, 2008

kuwisdelu said:
If you want a surprisingly good adaption of a Philip K. Dick novel, I thought A Scanner Darkly was excellent.

One of the reasons I love AW...always giving me cool new book and movie ideas. I think I have heard of this, but never seen it. Added it to my netflix queue. Thanks

Perks · Dec 29, 2008

Holy crap. Now, I LOVE 'Alien'. How tricky is this thread?

Tiger · Dec 29, 2008

I became a Ridley Scot fan after Blade Runner. Weird thing is that I never put it together that one of the reasons I liked the film was my taste for noire...

TrickyFiction · Dec 29, 2008

Perks said:
How tricky is this thread?

So, so tricky.

maestrowork · Dec 29, 2008

The next thing you know, someone's gonna say they hate Star Wars and Planet of the Apes.

The end of civilization, I tell ya.

Satori1977 · Dec 30, 2008

Planet of the Apes I can do without. Watched them once, and that is enough for me. Loved Star Wars (the last three), the newer ones, meh. But I couldn't call myself a sci-fi geek if I didn't love Star Wars.

Shadow_Ferret · Dec 30, 2008

Satori1977 said:
Alien? How could someone not like Alien??

Easily. It hasn't aged well in my opinion. That computer room with all the flashing lights is just laughable. And honestly, the beginning is just so long and booorrrring. Look, I was geeked when this movie was popular. I even have a Nostromo ball cap. I just don't think it's held up very well.

And just to clarify, Alien is more monster movie than sci-fi.

TychoBrahe · Dec 30, 2008

Recently I watched Blade Runner with a friend who'd never seen it before, and it does have the virtue of being slow enough that you can discuss the movie while it's going on and not miss anything.

Anyway, my friend noticed right off something that had never quite clicked with me: if you insist on viewing SF movies through the good/evil lens, then Harrison Ford isn't the hero, he's the villain. Rutger Hauer is the hero, and it's really the story of Ford's redemption through the example of Hauer's heroic sacrifice.

It does make the movie more enjoyable (in a tragic kind of way) once you accept that you're supposed to be rooting for the Replicants, and not the cop. Maybe everyone else already realized that, and I'm just slow.

Meerkat · Dec 30, 2008

I find it interesting that several of you have made comparisons between this film and 2001. I think that both directors had in mind that it was essential to the feel of each film to capture and reflect our plodding motions, our dependable lack of introspection or playfulness. In fact, it was the non-human entities in both films who went on to demonstrate both characteristics.

dclary · Dec 30, 2008

Shadow_Ferret said:
Easily. It hasn't aged well in my opinion. That computer room with all the flashing lights is just laughable. And honestly, the beginning is just so long and booorrrring. Look, I was geeked when this movie was popular. I even have a Nostromo ball cap. I just don't think it's held up very well.

And just to clarify, Alien is more monster movie than sci-fi.

As a monster movie, it's a great monster movie. As sci-fi, it's great sci-fi, but yeah... the ship designs are 70s ship designs.

I saw it recently and didn't think it'd aged that bad. Ferret needs to imagine that that computer room is really just the server room... a big room full of servers with all their flashing lights. That's still pretty much what a computer room looks like today. All that's truly changed is the user interfaces, and you can overlook green screens and flat text.

Writer2011 · Jan 6, 2009

This is like one of may ALL time favorite movies. I like the directors cut (no voice over) and the ending to me is much better. I bought the 4-disc special edition that's got all four versions last fall.

While a little slow, it's a very interesting movie...and for those who have seen it..what do you think about Dekker? Is he or isn't he?

MissLadyRae · Jan 7, 2009

rugcat said:
I think Phillip K. Dick's books were all about ideas, dystopian futures, and paranoia in general. He wasn't particularly interested in character, imo -- his characters were only there to hang the philosophical ideas and the invented world on. That's not necesssairy a bad thing -- I read practically all his books back when they came out as Ace Double Novels -- remember those? (Youngsters need not answer)

So it's no surprise Blade Runner, staying true to that vision, also stayed true to the lack of empathy for the character.

I see why it's a cult film, but it never grabbed the way it does some.

Ironical (Tm Will and Grace) in a story about distinguishing humans from androids using an empathy test, I imagine.

Satori1977 said:
Love Blade Runner. Had a hard time watching it when I was younger (I just didn't get it, and thought it was boring). But now I appreciate it. I loved the dark future world. For the time it was made in, I loved it was great. Plus Harrison Ford, c'mon.

2001 is a hard one to get through, but worth it IMO.

Alien? How could someone not like Alien?? The second one was pretty awesome too. After that, I got bored.

Co-sign. 2001 messes me up in a weird way with it's ending in that room. Something unsettling about how it's filmed or the idea that is rather creepy.

Alien and Aliens are both cinematic gold. Too bad the series didn't continue after that. Nope, no more movies in the series, still waiting for Scott or Cameron to pick it up. (That's my story and I'm sticking to it :tongue

)

sabo10 · Jan 7, 2009

I love Blade Runner. I saw it when I was much younger (I'm not sure I was legally allowed to be in the cinema at the time) and it was incredible. This was an all-night cult film showing and they showed the director's cut, which made all the difference. I can't stand the voice-over version -- it really does make that much of a difference to the movie.

One of the defining moments of the film for me is the view of the city while Vangelis' soundtrack plays. Oh, and the final speech as the "last" replicant dies.

I can remember sitting in the cinema after it finished going, "Wow. That was Blade Runner? I understand the hype."

KTC · Jan 7, 2009

I was unimpressed when it first came out and unimpressed when I sat through it years later for misguided nostalgic reasons. I actually found it quite horrible.

MattW · Jan 10, 2009

I love the movie for the visuals and setting. I cannot stand the characters.

MRevelle83 · Jan 10, 2009

I liked Blade Runner.

But perhaps it was because Ridley Scott released the Director's Cut? And, you know, started the whole "Deckard is a replicant" angle. Unanswered questioned always get to me.

A sacrilege against 'Blade Runner'

Satori1977

Listening to the Voices In My Head

Satori1977

Listening to the Voices In My Head

Perks

delicate #!&@*#! flower

Tiger

AKA: "Gums of Steel"

TrickyFiction

Who?

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray

Satori1977

Listening to the Voices In My Head

Shadow_Ferret

Court Jester

TychoBrahe

Wannabe Mad Scientist

Meerkat

Claims the loan was a gift

dclary

Unabashed Mercenary

Writer2011

MissLadyRae

I vaahnt to suck your blaahd

sabo10

KTC

Stand in the Place Where You Live

MattW

Company Man

MRevelle83

Complication