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[PhoncipleBone]

Director: Ridley Scott
Writers: Hampton Fancher, David Peoples
Based upon the novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" by Philip K. Dick

Initially a commercial bomb and receiving mixed critical reaction, Blade Runner has endured as one of the defining works of science fiction in film.

Blade Runner is a 1982 American science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, and Sean Young. The screenplay, written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples, is loosely based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick.

The film depicts a dystopian Los Angeles in November 2019 in which genetically engineered organic robots called replicants—visually indistinguishable from adult humans—are manufactured by the powerful Tyrell Corporation as well as by other "mega–manufacturers" around the world. Their use on Earth is banned and replicants are exclusively used for dangerous, menial or leisure work on Earth's off-world colonies. Replicants who defy the ban and return to Earth are hunted down and "retired" by police special operatives known as "Blade Runners". The plot focuses on a brutal and cunning group of recently escaped replicants hiding in Los Angeles and the burnt out expert Blade Runner, Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), who reluctantly agrees to take on one more assignment to hunt them down.

Blade Runner initially polarized critics: some were displeased with the pacing, while others enjoyed its thematic complexity. The film performed poorly in North American theaters but has since become a cult film. The film has been hailed for its production design, depicting a "retrofitted" future, and remains a leading example of the neo-noir genre It brought the work of Philip K. Dick to the attention of Hollywood and several later films were based on his work. Ridley Scott regards Blade Runner as "probably" his most complete and personal film. In 1993 the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Production

Philip K Dick died before its release, yet did see a forty-minute test reel. The screenplay, by Hampton Fancher, attracted producer Michael Deeley (who secured several financing sources, later problematic when one delayed the release of the film's Special Edition) who convinced director Ridley Scott to create his first American film; Scott was unhappy with the script and had David Peoples rewrite it.
The title derives from Alan E. Nourse's novel The Bladerunner (1974), whose protagonist smuggles black-market surgical instruments. William S. Burroughs' wrote Bladerunner, A Movie a cinema treatment. Aside from the title, neither Nourse's novel nor Burroughs's treatment are relevant to the film. Screenwriter Fancher happened upon a copy of Bladerunner, A Movie whilst Scott searched for a commercial title for his film; Scott liked the title, obtained rights to it, but not to the novel; (Note: some editions of Burroughs' treatment-novel use the two-word spacing: Blade Runner.)

Blade Runner owes much to Fritz Lang's 1927 film Metropolis. Scott credits Edward Hopper's painting Nighthawks and the proto-cyberpunk short story comic "The Long Tomorrow" (by Dan O'Bannon, art by Moebius) as stylistic mood sources. Scott hired Syd Mead as conceptual artist, both were influenced by the French science fiction comic magazine Métal Hurlant (Heavy Metal), to which Moebius contributed. Moebius was offered pre-production of Blade Runner, he declined, to work on René Laloux's animated film [es Maîtres du temps — a decision Moebius later regretted. Lawrence G. Paull (production designer) and David Snyder (art director) realised Scott's and Mead's sketches. Jim Burns briefly worked designing the Spinner hovercars; Douglas Trumbull and Richard Yuricich supervised the special effects for the film.


Prior to principal photography, Paul M. Sammon was commissioned by Cinefantastique magazine to do a special article on the making of Blade Runner. His detailed observations and research later became the book Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner, which is also called the Blade Runner Bible by the cult following of the film. The book outlines not only the evolution of Blade Runner but the politics and difficulties on-set; particularly on Scott's expectations (coming from Britain) of his first American crew. Also, his directing style with actors created friction with the cast and likely contributed to Ford's subsequent reluctance to discuss the film.

Cast

Harrison Ford as Rick Deckard.
Coming off some success with Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, but still a year before Raiders of the Lost Ark was released, Ford was looking for a role with dramatic depth. After Steven Spielberg praised Ford and showed some Raiders rushes to Michael Deeley and Ridley Scott they got Ford onboard. Due to the initially poor reception of Blade Runner and friction with Scott, Ford has usually avoided discussing the film.

Rutger Hauer as Roy Batty.
Hauer gave a brief performance as the violent yet complex leader of replicants with nothing to lose.

Sean Young as Rachael.
The picture of female "perfection" at 22 years old, Young still counts Blade Runner among her favorite films, despite friction with Ford and Scott as a result of her inexperience and young age.

Edward James Olmos as Gaff.
Olmos used his diverse ethnic background to help create the Cityspeak his character uses in the film. This helps, along with his cane, to create mystery around a character whose exact role isn't clarified while he observes and comments (through his origami) on Deckard.

Daryl Hannah as Pris.
Hannah managed to bring out the dangerous innocence of a replicant in love with Roy Batty[/QUOTE]


Influence

Initially avoided by North American audiences, Blade Runner was popular internationally and has become a cult classic. The film's popularity and cult status has made it popular to reference in other media. The television show Futurama has made multiple references to Blade Runner, and the shows Cutting It and Stargate SG-1 have used quotes from the film. Actor William Sanderson, who played Sebastian, voiced a similar character in the cartoon series Batman: The Animated Series. In the action film The 6th Day, a virtual psychologist says, "You seem to be avoiding talking about your parents. Imagine, two turtles are walking through the desert..."
It is also notable that Blade Runner's opening frames feature a tight close-up on a human eye; both Strange Days and Minority Report start with similar shots.

The film's dark cyberpunk style and futuristic design have served as a benchmark and inspired many subsequent science fiction films and television programs, including Batman (1989), RoboCop, The Fifth Element, Ghost in the Shell, Dark Angel and The Matrix. It has also influenced animes, including Akira, Armitage III, Cowboy Bebop and Bubblegum Crisis. Before shooting began on Batman Begins, director Christopher Nolan reportedly screened Blade Runner to the film's crew and told them, "This is how we're going to make Batman." Even the Star Wars prequels have paid homage to Blade Runner in their special effects sequences.

"Blade Runner is a unique film, incredible on every level. It is a prophetic and emotional tale that stands as one of the most original and intelligent science fiction films ever made." – Alex Ioshpe
The film is often thought to have inspired William Gibson's Neuromancer.Template:Ref Gibson has said in interviews that he was already writing Neuromancer when Blade Runner was released, and was actually inspired by the implied background of the film Alien. The film arguably marks the introduction of the cyberpunk genre into popular culture. Blade Runner continues to reflect modern trends and concerns, and an increasing number consider it one of the greatest science fiction films of all time.Template:RefTemplate:Ref The film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 1993 and is frequently used in university courses. Its memorable quotations and soundtrack have made it the most musically sampled film of the 20th century.
"Ridley Scott's film remains the defining vision of futuristic science fiction." – Steve Biodrowski
Blade Runner also served to influence the cyberpunk role-playing game, Shadowrun, the seminal computer game System Shock and the Syndicate games.
Iron Maidens' album "Somewhere in Time" features artwork influenced by the city scenes in the movie.

The song "More Human Than Human" by White Zombie, found on their 1995 album "Astro Creep:2000" is a direct reference to the film, which was a favorite of Rob Zombie's at the time. The song's title as the tagline of the Tyrell Corporation is obvious. Near the end of the song, the lyrics "I am the nexus one, I want more life, fucker, I ain't done" are inspired by Roy Batty's conversation with Eldon Tyrell.

The Fear Factory album Demanufacture features a song entitled "Replica" which was influenced by the film.

The Different Versions

Seven different versions of Blade Runner have been shown, but the best known are the International Cut, the Director's Cut and the Final Cut:

Original workprint version (1982, 113 minutes) shown to audience test previews in Denver and Dallas in March 1982. It was also seen in 1990 and 1991 in Los Angeles and San Francisco as a Director's Cut without the approval of director Ridley Scott. Negative responses to the test previews led to the modifications resulting in the US theatrical version, while positive response to the showings in 1990 and 1991 pushed the studio to approve work on an official director's cut. It was re-released as a 5-disc Ultimate Edition in 2007.
A San Diego Sneak Preview shown only once in May 1982, which was almost identical to the Domestic Cut with three extra scenes.

The US theatrical version (1982, 116 minutes), known as the original version or Domestic Cut. This version was released on Betamax and VHS in 1983. This version remained unreleased on DVD until 2007 when it was released as part of the five-disc Ultimate Edition.

The International Cut (1982, 117 minutes) also known as the "Criterion Edition" or uncut version, included more violent action scenes than the US theatrical version. Although initially unavailable in the US and distributed in Europe and Asia via theatrical and local Warner Home Video laserdisc releases, it was later released on VHS and Criterion Collection laserdisc in North America, and re-released in 1992 as a "10th Anniversary Edition". Home Box Office broadcast this version to U.S. audiences in the 1980s and 1990s.

The US broadcast version (1986, 114 minutes), the US theatrical version edited for violence, profanity and nudity by CBS to meet broadcast restrictions.

The Ridley Scott-approved Director's Cut (1992, 116 minutes); prompted by the unauthorized 1990–1991 workprint theatrical release and made available on VHS and laserdisc in 1993, and on DVD in 1997. Significant changes from the theatrical version include: removal of Deckard's voice-over, insertion of a unicorn sequence and removal of the epilogue scene showing Rachel and Deckard in an airship over green, mountainous landscapes. Ridley did provide extensive notes and consultation to Warner Bros. through film preservationist Michael Arick who was put in charge of creating the Director's Cut.

Ridley Scott's Final Cut (2007, 117 minutes), or the "25th Anniversary Edition", released by Warner Bros. theatrically on October 5, 2007 and subsequently released on DVD, HD DVD, and Blu-ray in December 2007 (UK December 3; US December 18). This is the only version over which Ridley Scott had complete artistic control as the Director's Cut was rushed and he was not directly in charge.[7] In conjunction with the Final Cut, extensive documentary and other materials were produced for the home video releases culminating in a five-disc "Ultimate Collector's Edition" release by Charles de Lauzirika.

In addition, the 2007 documentary Dangerous Days: The Making of Blade Runner includes references to a nearly four-hour-long "early cut" that was only shown to studio personnel.

Blu Ray Release

Released in December 2007 to celebrate the 25th Anniversary, the Blade Runner set remains a high water mark for both A/V quality, special features, and how to properly restore classic films for new mediums.

We've got the Blu-ray Disc edition, and I can tell you that the video quality is, in a word, spectacular. Contrast is superb, with deep, detailed blacks. Colors are lush and accurate. There's very light to moderate grain visible, with breathtaking clarity, texture and detail. You can see how the effects footage benefitted from 6K scanning - these shots have just simply never looked better. Best of all, there isn't a speck or scratch to be seen anywhere. The Dolby TrueHD audio is also a significant improvement over the already great DVD sound. The soundfield is smooth and wide, and the score just sounds stunning in high-resolution. The low-end here will rattle your windows if you're not careful. What a treat!

Whichever version you choose, Disc One offers no less than three excellent, full-length audio commentary tracks. The first features director Ridley Scott himself, as he discusses the idea behind many of the different scenes, the symbolism, things he was trying to convey, the differences between the various versions of the film. There's plenty here about the production but better still there's lots related to the story and concepts as well. It's a great track. I should note here that this disc also features an optional video introduction to The Final Cut by Scott, which you can select from the main menu. The DVD menus themselves are animated with sounds effects, and are designed to look like Deckard's photo-analysis machine. Occasionally, as you wait, a bit of the Vangelis score will play for atmosphere. The menus are tasteful - nice without hitting you over the head. The high-def versions feature the usual pop-up menus allowing you to select the various options. There are 36 chapters.

The second commentary track features co-screenwriters Hampton Fancher (also an executive producer) and David Peoples, along with producer Michael Deeley and production executive Katherine Haber. This is a really fascinating track. The combination of Fancher and Peoples is fun to listen to, but they're an eclectic pair. The obviously discuss substantial elements of story and script, which is a treat to listen to. Deeley and Haber focus much more on the mechanics and business sides of the production effort, as you might expect. They're interesting to listen to, but the writers are better.

The final commentary includes legendary futurist Syd Mead, production designer Lawrence G. Paull, art director David L. Snyder and special effects supervisors Douglas Trumbull, Richard Yuricich and David Dryer. This is a great track for diehard fans - particularly those who are interested in the nitty-gritty design and technical aspects of the film. They obviously get deep into the creation of the effects, the miniatures, the props and the physical world of the film. They also comments on the new effects work as well, which is fun to hear, as these guys were actually involved and/or hand input in the new effects process.

The five disc version seems to be getting tougher to find, but is not yet out of print. If you need a reason to go Blu (if you havent yet), this is the film to do it with.

 

[Noirulus]

Still my favorite sci-fi movie. The last scene with Rutger Hauer and his improvised Tears in Rain speech was simply incredible. Need to buy the blu-ray!

 

[ZeroRay]

The design and special effects still blow my mind.

 

[coldvein]

one of my friends has had my bluray forever. and we haven't really spoken in a couple months. bitch better have my shit.

 

[Tacitus_]

Probably the film that influenced my development. Such an awesome film.

 

[watershed]

Love this film and am happy to own the awesome bluray release.

 

[PhoncipleBone]

Still my favorite sci-fi movie. The last scene with Rutger Hauer and his improvised Tears in Rain speech was simply incredible. Need to buy the blu-ray!

Immediately! If the AV quality being tip top wasn't enough, The Dangerous Days documentary on the 5 disc set is insane.

I was fortunate enough to live near a theater that got The Final Cut shown there in early 2008. It was breathtaking seeing the new restoration on a huge screen.

 

[-Kees-]

Love it. I can put it on and get completely lost in it.

*On a side note it blows my mind that Blade Runner and The Thing, 2 of my favorite movies ever and which were both under appreciated at the time of their release, came out on the same day, June 25th.

 

[SecretMoblin]

Amazing film; what I remember most are those remarkable backdrops. The dark city, the dull neon lights, the angular buildings.

It's a damn shame so many different versions of the film exist. It's always nice to see what was left out during editing, but to me it also prevents a singular version of the film from becoming a "defining" piece of work.

Edit: Adding some images.

 

[PhoncipleBone]

Love it. I can put it on and get completely lost in it.

*On a side note it blows my mind that Blade Runner and The Thing, 2 of my favorite movies ever and which were both under appreciated at the time of their release, came out on the same day, June 25th.

And both were not huge successes upon first release, but are considered to be masterpieces now.

Amazing film; what I remember most are those remarkable backdrops. The dark city, the dull neon lights, the angular buildings.

It's a damn shame so many different versions of the film exist. It's always nice to see what was left out during editing, but to me it also prevents a singular version of the film from becoming a "defining" piece of work.

I would say the Final Cut should be the one to see. Although, the original cut with narration does have its fans.

 

[hateradio]

It made me fall in love with HF all over again.



Also, Zomby. <3

 

[MattKeil]

Anyone interested in this film at all needs to read Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner. A really great and thorough documenting of the creation of the movie from pre-pre-pre-production to the Director's Cut version from the '90s. Fascinating stuff.

 

[PhoncipleBone]

Anyone interested in this film at all needs to read Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner. A really great and thorough documenting of the creation of the movie from pre-pre-pre-production to the Director's Cut version from the '90s. Fascinating stuff.

Seconded.

 

[DiscoJer]

Ack, how can you mention Fear Factory, but not Paul Oakenfold's use of the soundtrack in his legendary goa mix?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goa_Mix

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFeLMFUWmWo

 

[Dilly]

The first person who I mention Blade Runner to and doesn't think it's the vampiremovie with Wesley Snipes will be my best friend.

 

[ACESmkII]

Easily one of my favorite films. I still remember the first time watching it and being so blown away by the FX.

 

[roosters93]

The first person who I mention Blade Runner to and doesn't think it's the vampiremovie with Wesley Snipes will be my best friend.

This is equal parts hilarious and sad.

 

[Helmholtz]

Saw it for the second time two weeks ago. It's really good, one of my favorite sci-fi movies up there with Gattaca. I've only ever seen the final cut, and I like that version a lot.

 

[Noirulus]

Immediately! If the AV quality being tip top wasn't enough, The Dangerous Days documentary on the 5 disc set is insane.

I was fortunate enough to live near a theater that got The Final Cut shown there in early 2008. It was breathtaking seeing the new restoration on a huge screen.

Yeah, I plan on it. I'll rewatch it in all its glory with my friends this time.

Spoiler

Hopefully they don't fall asleep like they did for Gattaca. Needless to say, they have shit taste in film

 

[SlipperySlope]

I just watched the movie for the first time today. It was the Final Cut version. Good movie, but I found the first half a bit on the slow side.

It seems like it takes a long time for him to finally kill one, then it just lets loose and they start dropping like flies. Went from drama to action movie pretty quick and late. Odd.

 

[squidyj]

My favourite film.

 

[Dilly]

This is equal parts hilarious and sad.

It sure is.

 

[MrPliskin]

The HD transfer of this floors me every time I watch it.

 

[Suairyu]

My favourite film of all time, now that the final cut has perfected it. Immaculate work.

Also people should stop spreading the "tears in the rain is improvised" meme. Different sources give different accounts (and in the case of Rutger he gives many, conflicting accounts) but they all agree it was made up before the shoot.

In Dangerous Days, Rutger claims he improvised it during a script reading, not the shoot. In Future Noir, claims are made that he approached Ridley with his revised ideas for that speech and Ridley say yes. I'm fairly sure Fancher claimed that Rutger approached him instead.

Edit - seriously guys, Final Cut is THE definitive cut. None of the flaws, all of the strengths. Maybe someone might prefer the original if they're a fan of badly acted voice overs, but Final Cut is everything that film should have been years ago, with the modern addition of digital tweaking.

 

[- J - D -]

Oh my god, has it been 5 years since the 25th Anniversary? It just felt like yesterday that I bought the 25th Anniversary Blu-ray LE back in 2007.

Fuck, am I getting old now?

 

[lush]

Just watched the theatrical version off of Netflix with a friend that hadn't yet seen it here a week or so ago. Wasn't as good as the Final Cut. Still an absolutely gorgeous movie. Would like to pick up the five disc Blu Ray at some point but it's not on Amazon.

 

[Replicant]

We're better than humans for sure.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

Blade Runner is proof that physical effects will always be better than CGI effects.

We're better than humans for sure.

Until you die because of the abbreviated lifespan you were designed with.

The HD transfer of this floors me every time I watch it.

The restoration of Blade Runner done for The Final Cut is probably the best film restoration I have ever seen. It looks like it was filmed last year, not 30 years ago.

 

[Sibylus]

I watched it for the first time last year, but the impression it made was striking. The aesthetic and mood, the lines, the music, and the ending, I was enraptured in every respect. The friends who watched with me were sticklers for the Final Cut, and I've no compulsion to watch anything but.

 

[Jangaroo]

Just watched the theatrical version off of Netflix with a friend that hadn't yet seen it here a week or so ago. Wasn't as good as the Final Cut. Still an absolutely gorgeous movie. Would like to pick up the five disc Blu Ray at some point but it's not on Amazon.

There are copies still being sold at a decent price on Amazon. They're from third party sellers though so you won't get Amazon Prime. Might want to get them quick because Amazon most likely don't have any more copies in their warehouses and you know third party sellers are gonna spike the prices if it goes OOP soon.

 

[Suairyu]

Replicant might be a Nexus 7, like Ridley thought Deckard might be. He will probably outlive us all :/

 

[lush]

There are copies still being sold at a decent price on Amazon. They're from third party sellers though so you won't get Amazon Prime. Might want to get them quick because Amazon most likely don't have any more copies in their warehouses and you know third party sellers are gonna spike the prices if it goes OOP soon.

Looks like they have it on Overstock. Never used that before though.

 

[Fritz]

This is one of my favourites since childhood and I believe the movie that had the greatest effect on my preferences in tv and film in general. It's so dense, it really pushed my expectations for everything to come.

I also want to mention the great score by Vangelis.

And a confession: I also loved Deckard's voice-over!

 

[PhoncipleBone]

Just watched the theatrical version off of Netflix with a friend that hadn't yet seen it here a week or so ago. Wasn't as good as the Final Cut. Still an absolutely gorgeous movie. Would like to pick up the five disc Blu Ray at some point but it's not on Amazon.

Click the link I provided in the OP. It links to Amazon that has many resellers with it still in stock.

 

[lush]

This is one of my favourites since childhood and I believe the movie that had the greatest effect on my preferences in tv and film in general. It's so dense, it really pushed my expectations for everything to come.

I also want to mention the great score by Vangelis.

And a confession: I also loved Deckard's voice-over!

I love how obvious it is listening to the voice-over that Ford hated it.

 

[adam.chance]

This is my favorite movie of all time. I just love it. I read "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" last month and I also loved it.

I don't know if there is any one thing about this story that I could point to. Everything is so beautiful.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

Replicant might be a Nexus 7, like Ridley thought Deckard might be. He will probably outlive us all :/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083658/trivia

Director Ridley Scott and actor Harrison Ford had disagreements about the script almost from the very start. Ford hated the voiceover which Scott was proposing and he was against the idea that Deckard may be a replicant, feeling it undercut the human story of Deckard discovering his lost humanity (Rutger Hauer agreed completely with Ford on this point). According to Ford, Ridley Scott and he agreed prior to shooting that Deckard was not a replicant, but then Scott went and shot it to imply he could be, which disappointed both Ford and Hauer.

For those curious, the movie Soldier contains references to Blade Runner. Some people like to claim it occurs in the same universe as Blade Runner, but it isn't a good enough movie where most would allow it to be.

 

[krypt0nian]

My fave film of all time, and a personal test to see if a person has great taste or not.

The Final Cut, along with My Bloody Valentine - Loveless are the closest things I have to church.

 

[Tokubetsu]

Still amazing.

 

[PhoncipleBone]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083658/trivia


For those curious, the movie Soldier contains references to Blade Runner. Some people like to claim it occurs in the same universe as Blade Runner, but it isn't a good enough movie where most would allow it to be.

Soldier was also written by David Webb Peoples. Could have been a fantastic film, but sadly it had Paul WS Anderson at the helm.

With Blade Runner it is a film that you have to see many times for it all to sink in. The first viewing is very slow and tedious, yet beautiful. It just kind of feels like it plods along then gets really fast at the end. But on each viewing you pick up more and more and the utter brilliance of it all just magnifies.

And on a geekier note, I ordered one of these off of ThinkGeek months ago:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/gear/d163/?srp=1

 

[A.KU.MU]

My favorite film of all time and the music... fantastic.

 

[ShdwDrake]

Going to best buy to go get it on Blu Ray.


I've never seen this movie.

 

[Verano]

overrated however I can see the huge influence it has on filmmakers/artists/etc.

 

[krypt0nian]

Going to best buy to go get it on Blu Ray.


I've never seen this movie.

I envy people who get to experience BR for the first time.

Keep your eyes open for it to run in your local art house on the big screen. It will change everything.

 

[PhoncipleBone]

Going to best buy to go get it on Blu Ray.


I've never seen this movie.

I showed it to two friends tonight that had never seen it either. Sadly, one is a film major and sees nearly everything. We were watching Total Recall last week and I was in shock when he said he never saw Blade Runner. He said it was his "dirty secret" that he was ashamed of.

Of course, my wife and I blew his mind tonight by showing it on Blu to him.

 

[lush]

Click the link I provided in the OP. It links to Amazon that has many resellers with it still in stock.

Just ordered.

Guess I'll finally get to check out the Director's Cut and International Version, along with the documentary. Stoked.

Would love to see this on the big screen at some point.

 

[BlueTsunami]

We seriously need another laid back Hard SciFi noir. It seems like Blade Runner is the perfect storm of visuals, music and scenario. Maybe it'll take Ridley returning to this world to get what I want.

 

[Always-honest]

Amazing and my god Sean was beatifullll

 

[Tacitus_]

Blade Runner is proof that physical effects will always be better than CGI effects.

Oh would you please keep this bullshit ouf of this thread. Blade Runner worked just fine with physical effects because only the flying car sections really needed special effects.

 

[krypt0nian]

Oh would you please keep this bullshit ouf of this thread. Blade Runner worked just fine with physical effects because only the flying car sections really needed special effects.

So you think the spinner was the only practical effect. huh.