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‘Blade Runner’ at 40

esquire.com

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Re: ‘Blade Runner’ at 40

#351

Post by mdp2021 »

walrus01 wrote: post #165
nico wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is also the failed attempt of Jodorowsky to make a Dune movie: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jodorowsky's_Dune https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dune_(novel)#Early_stalled_a... The documentary is pretty fascinating. Jodorowsky managed to put together a stellar team, among them H.R. Giger, Dalí and the script writer who would later write Alien.

> Jodorowsky I recently got a copy of this and could only come to the conclusion that they were doing a lot of drugs in the 1970s: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Holy_Mountain_(1973_film)

He deplored with disgust that he sometimes had to work with "junkies" - so, they were frequent.

Re: ‘Blade Runner’ at 40

#352

Post by elevaet »

croes wrote: post #293
jacobolus wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is also a film that most people probably have to watch 2–3 times to really understand the whole plot (much less notice all of the symbolism, etc.). The first time, a bunch is quite confusing.

Which cut?

I always liked the Director's cut best

Re: ‘Blade Runner’ at 40

#353

Post by 2OEH8eoCRo0 »

modeless wrote: post #131
2OEH8eoCRo0 wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it still holds up. Very few films are as bold and original today. Everything is CGI focus group contrived garbage now. What good recent scifi comes close? Dune? Bladerunner 2049?

Does it have to look dystopian to count? I enjoyed "Her" and thought it was bold and original, in a different way.

I thought that Her was great. Still sticks with me.

Re: ‘Blade Runner’ at 40

#354

Post by TremendousJudge »

jahnu wrote: post #314
majormajor wrote: post #268

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even without leaving Scott, Alien seems to have been at least as visually influential as Blade Runner. Plus of course Star Wars and Star Trek... Blade Runner is fairly distinctive even today (outside of Cyberpunk, most other post-82 sci fi that I can think of is definitely more influenced by other things) which IMO is a sign that it isn't as universally influential as other 70s/80s sci-fi films. Off the top of my hea…

And of course Alien got a few things from Dark Star https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Star_(film) https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/looking-back-at-john-carpen...

And from Jodorowsky's Dune, where O'Bannon also worked

Re: ‘Blade Runner’ at 40

#355

Post by elevaet »

gravelc wrote: post #239
HorizonXP wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have to ask then, what films do you like better than Interstellar?

Arrival, BR2042, Dune Pt 1. I’m beginning to see a pattern here.

I'm with you. Arrival is an absolute classic. BR2042 needed some suspension of disbelief IMHO, but it was as good as you could hope for in a BR sequel. Dune pt. 1 ... it's one of the greatest sci-fi movies ever made.

Re: ‘Blade Runner’ at 40

#356

Post by fractallyte »

craz8 wrote: post #310
crispyambulance wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, Isao Tomita and Tangerine Dream come to mind. Contemporaries of Vangelis (the composer of the soundtrack of Blade Runner) from the 70's. Very similar vibe. Jean Michel Jarre as well, though he had more of a beat. I like Morton Subotnick and the seminal album "Silver Apples of the Moon" it's more out there and experimental but it definitely it had a similar texture.

I saw Jarre live in the London Docklands in 1988 - I was a poor student that lived within walking distance (Woolwich) The rain gave it an ambiance that worked, and the location was abandoned industrial location - now redeveloped The difference between London in the mid 80s to now is stark, but it’s not quite fully Bladerunner

I was in that, on stage! :-)

I remember every detail... even the smell of the diesel generators. And the very-wet synthesizers (it was pouring with rain!), and - carefully edited out of the videos - the different tracks that veered out of sync, seemingly heading for disaster...

Re: ‘Blade Runner’ at 40

#357

Post by PedroBatista »

cmrdporcupine wrote: post #280
aresant wrote: post #23

The visual language Bladerunner invented has virtually defined SciFi for the past 40 years. If you enjoy it's worth digging into the work Syd Mead - the film's concept artist - created: https://www.flickr.com/photos/x-ray_delta_one/5642443624/in/... https://www.flickr.com/photos/x-ray_delta_one/5642443252/in/... https://www.flickr.com/photos/x-ray_delta_one/5641873923/in/... https://www.flickr.com/photos/x-ray_delta_…

I tried to impress my 11 year old with the opening sequence; flames belching over LA, Vangelis, etc. -- which I've always found aesthetically stunning. He was not impressed. This made me sad.

The Kinks, Michael Jackson’s music sound “ok” and familiar today. That’s the price of success and being “trend setting”.

Re: ‘Blade Runner’ at 40

#358

Post by Gunax »

JSavageOne wrote: post #183
duxup wrote: post #19

I hated that movie the first to I saw it. I was bored with it. Now I love it. I really enjoy how much time they spend establishing the atmosphere and characters. It all feels very real and has depth. I loath the speedy sci fi that tries to touch on atmosphere and then hurries along with their paper characters and so on. So much sci fi I encounter now feels little more than a long trailer with no idea how to end.

I've tried to watch the movie multiple times, always get bored in the beginning and abort early. Once tried to watching with a friend and we were both bored fairly quickly. To be fair I don't watch movies / TV shows often because I have a low attention span for this stuff, but this is a movie I really wanted to like because I love the genre, but it's too slow paced for me. I do know that pacing was generally slower i…

It's a boring movie. It's not a very good plot (and even has some weird coincidental plot holes).

But I think it's well regarded because of the world building, set design, costumes, and music.

Re: ‘Blade Runner’ at 40

#359

Post by ncmncm »

d0mine wrote: post #332
ncmncm wrote: post #259

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Mocking itself was its whole point.

It _appears_ to mock itself, so it wouldn't be blamed for fascist's propaganda while being essentially a recrutement tool for US military.

Maybe you don't know very much about Paul Verhoeven.

Re: ‘Blade Runner’ at 40

#360

Post by sandworm101 »

nico wrote: post #91
aresant wrote: post #23

The visual language Bladerunner invented has virtually defined SciFi for the past 40 years. If you enjoy it's worth digging into the work Syd Mead - the film's concept artist - created: https://www.flickr.com/photos/x-ray_delta_one/5642443624/in/... https://www.flickr.com/photos/x-ray_delta_one/5642443252/in/... https://www.flickr.com/photos/x-ray_delta_one/5641873923/in/... https://www.flickr.com/photos/x-ray_delta_…

There is also the failed attempt of Jodorowsky to make a Dune movie: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jodorowsky's_Dune https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dune_(novel)#Early_stalled_a... The documentary is pretty fascinating. Jodorowsky managed to put together a stellar team, among them H.R. Giger, Dalí and the script writer who would later write Alien.

Dune is unmakable. Always will be. It is the definitive book that is too big for the screen. The story and themes are too vast. Adaptations can be good, be entertaining, but every one is a shallow attempt at the impossible.
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