Blade Runner, The Original

I rewatched BLADE RUNNER last night in a friend’s home-theater with a group of folks in their 20s and 30s. For some, it was their first time viewing the film.

I consider myself one of the lucky ones to have seen the original BLADE RUNNER on the big screen during its first weekend release. I was a young highschooler at the time, a huge sci-fi fan and living in Burbank, California. I remember my older brother and I driving west over the Hollywood Hills, as we did often in that era, to make sure we were getting the biggest bang for our buck. Our theater of choice that night was The Egyptian Theater on Hollywood Boulevard.

It’s not easy to describe to a new generation of filmgoers how important this film was at that time. Most folks in the film industry, especially directors point to BLADE RUNNER as ground-breaking. Ridley Scott made BLADE RUNNER after finishing the film, ALIEN. He also made it after his brother had died of cancer. The dark setting of BLADE RUNNER reflects a dark state of mind. Don’t expect cheerfulness here.

YET…you don’t have to be a filmmaker to appreciate BLADE RUNNER.

Here are 10 Reasons Every Sci-Fi Fan Ought to Watch BLADE RUNNER

Oh, and watch the FINAL CUT. 2007 version. There are seven versions of this film. Kind of crazy, I know.

1. Cult classics happen for a reason. Following its meh release in 1982, a slow-building respect, awe and cult following emerged.
2. BLADE RUNNER influenced the next generation of filmmakers, especially dystopian and sci-fi writers/directors.
3. This is a brilliant screenplay (especially once R.Scott took out the clunky voice-over narration), though many fans adore that version of the film.
4. Take pleasure in watching a young Harrison Ford perfectly embody the main character, Richard Deckard.
5. You like The Man in the High Castle? Philip K. Dick wrote that novel. BLADE RUNNER is an adaptation of his classic novela, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
6. You’re a Battlestar Galactica fan? Here is a chance to see Edward James Olmos (Captain Adama) in a role you would not expect.
7. Complicated villain. Rutger Hauer…what a performance!
   

   Hauer as Roy Batty

8. The sequel is excellent and makes a lot more sense if you watch the original first.
9. This is not a movie for the weak, nor is it for the mindless. You will have to think and process the experience after viewing.
10. Because of number 9, it’s a great film to see with a group of friends. At the very least, the post-film discussion won’t be boring.

To buy Dick’s novel, click this link Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep

If you want to totally nerd out on BLADE RUNNER, I recommend this very long and thorough article in Cinephilia & Beyond