Blade Runner (1982)
R | | Sci-Fi, Thriller | 25 June 1982 (USA)
[usr 4.0]
[These are the show notes I use while recording the Filmsack podcast with Scott Johnson, Randy Jordan and Brian Ibbott.]
Listen here: filmsack.com | Discuss here : reddit.com/r/filmsack
“Alright then, I guess you guys are just going to make out like a couple of horny Replicants right in front of my lonely single existence. Soooo I’m just going to go make some breakfast with Mini Kaiser and Napoleon Bear. Say, how do you guys like your eggs? Over crazy? How about boiled in a beaker? Mmmm…sciency….NAPOLEON BEAR..NO..STOP TOUCHING YOURSELF THERE…BAD BEAR…Coo Coo….Cooo Coo”
IMDB
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083658
Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blade_Runner
YouTube Clips
Twitter: Blade Runner (1982) – You were made as well as we could make you.
Review
Two Versions/One Thought: Theatrical Release & Final Cut.
Blade Runner (Theatrical Release/Netflix)
An 80s homage to the Film Noir Detective stories from the 40s and starring, one of my favorite action stars from any era, Harrison Ford. A slow, sometimes uncomfortable, SciFi “thrill” ride from Ridley Scott loosely based on the Phillip K Dick story “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.”
My first experience with Blade Runner was as bite sized chunks that I would catch while channel flipping TV on Saturday afternoons. My memories of this movie were mostly of the part with the half naked lady in the transparent rain coat getting blasted. Cause, half naked lady was half naked.
When I was in college I revisited Blade Runner on video tape and consumed the whole thing in one sitting. I remember the movie being a 3 hour epic with confusing themes and weird dialogue.
Fast forward 20 something years, I’m a lot older and a lot more sophisticated; I drink coffee and have adult conversations. I watch Blade Runner on Netflix and/or Blu-ray and can choose from 3 versions of the film. So I picked 2.
To my surprise the movie was just under 2 hours in length for all versions; Not the epic I had remembered. In the theatrical version I discovered the confusing themes were due to some poorly added voice over dialogue that muddled any vision Ridley Scott may have envisioned. In all versions, the weird dialogue was still weird but it was mostly contained to just the Replicants. Which could be explained away by saying the Replicants weren’t quite human and to boot they are off worlders who have seen a lot of crap and could have a skewed perspective due those experiences. After all, these Replicants are seeking to question their makers.
Overall, this is a visually beautiful film in all of it’s versions. It has managed to hold up to visual scrutiny 30+ years after it’s creation. That is an amazing feat!
My final call, Blade Runner is and always has been a slow ride with beautiful visuals, some weird dialogue and keeps you wonder “what’s your point Ridley Scott?”
Blade Runner (Final Cut/Blu-Ray)
Mostly the same with 100% less voice over narration by Harrison Ford and 30% more eye squashing by Rutger Hauer. You wouldn’t think those 2 elements could make or break a movie. But it does.
The Final Cut version did not include the “Then she walked into my life …” narration, which was a common theme found in some of the most memorable films from 40s detective noir era. In this case, the theme only serves to remove all the mystery from the characters and in the end makes for a much different and less interesting film.
This is the version you should watch!
Show Notes:
One moment please while I render this company’s tree logo on my green monochrome screen from 1982. Blzzz…Blzzz…Blzzz…would you also like me to print you out a hard copy on my Okidata Dot Matrix printer? Sir Run Run indeed.
Loving the music thus far.
Vangelis!
Time to read the movie!
Not execution but called retirement. Remember that word. Retirement…it seems important. also, the word Replicant is in red. As in the blood letting. As in sacrifice. As in Lamb….as in I’m just implying Christ.
LA, November 2019
This place be burning some fossil fuels.
The Eye.
The Pyramid building
Ceiling fans, smoking, intense lighting…Yep…we got some Noir
I already had an IQ test this year…
SciFi face your creation across from a table.
Leon is a jerk…why would he flip a tortoise over onto it’s back in the desert.
Hey…Leon shot first.
Off World
Koss Headphones…They still exist in 2019
So are we in China Town? or is LA now China Town? Or is this Japanese Town? Did we know the difference in 1982?
News papers in 2019
Voice Over! This is not only SciFi Film Noir..it’s SciFi Detective Voice Over Noir!
You BraydRunna
Police 995
I love gritty scifi tech.
Giant Japanese Lady Face selling me shit on the side of a building.
Flying cars…this movie is 72 percent flying cars.
It’s always hot in Film Noir…so much sweating, smoking and fans.
Skin-jobs…
In case you didn’t understand the discrimination against Replicants…the word skin-job is offensive as the N word…cause Replicants are slaves.
I was quit when I came in here…and I’m twice as quit now.
Edward J. Almos just made an origami chicken…what is he saying…Deckard is a chicken?
The screening room.
Son. You got a panty on your head.
Roy Batty! He’s cray cray…
Zhora…Off world kick-murder squad…what the hell is that!
A Pleasure model
Setup…emotional response is coming.
A 4 year lifespan. Nature will fine a way.
Why is Almos wearing a world war 2 flying ace helmet..always.
Hey!! you can see the sun from up here in my pyramid.
There is your 40s looking dame.
Deckard has a very black and white view on Replicants at this point.
What kind of glasses are those? Quad-Focals? If you were looking for a fashion statement you failed.
This movie is very much about the eyes…So far no one has glasses except for Tyrell…and he has some crazy ass glasses.
Cat-Skin wallet!! Don’t mind if I do
She’s a stone cold Replicant.
So…boiled dog….that’s the last question…that’s the deal breaker?
“How can it not know what it is…” There is a hint.
More human than to human.
That tub is nasty!
Almos is always creating little totems.
Atari! in 2019…sure…why not
Rutger!!
So sweaty
Men…Police….Men.
Hey..where are you kids heading to on your bikes? Are you in a gang?
Hey!! It’s our favorite…James Hong! Huh!
Don’t pull on my durn tubes!!
You not come here…Illegal.
William Blake sorta quote.
I do eyes…just eyes.
Look at those cat whiskers James Hong
Why is Brion James putting eyes all over me…literally.
Did they kill Hong? Is that implied?
I’ll tell you about my mother…she was gun…pew pew pew.
Future cars are all Pacers. Well the non flying kind anyway.
Deckard 97!
Voice controlled stuff is common in 2019
I notice there are no cell phones in the future..from 82
Memories and photos are important. They are what make us human?
…and a 100 baby spiders came out…and ate her..
Art – requires Intention and Interpretation.
Misdirection is important in creating a compelling story.
Just gonna cover myself up with some trash.
She’s like every cat I have surprised.
Where are your brothers Daryl and Daryl?
Daryl Hannah’s haircut is the scariest thing in this movie
“Plenty of room for everybody…”
I was wrong…JF’s Kaiser and Napoleon Bear are way more scary.
You sure got a lot of photos for someone who is not a Replicant.
Enhancing Leon’s photo is like seeing a dude’s penis in the reflection of an item you are buying on Ebay.
Not fish! Snake Scale…head on over to Alibaba Town.
Taffey Lewis…All the time pal…
Public VidPhon’s are grody
You ain’t gonna get no proper lady down in your
Miss Salome! Worst stripper name ever…wait…did they just imply that people don’t have sex anymore and Miss Salome was using the snake in an immoral way?
I love Harrison Fords nerdy government man impression. Little dirty holes!
Most animals are not real. We done really screwed up the environment.
Kick Murder Squad implies that these lady Replicants use kicking followed by the murdering.
Eyes are always watching.
Good to see the Hari Krishnas as still around
Cross Now…Cross Now…Cross Now…Don’t Walk…Don’t Walk…
That is one serious pistol
Noooo….not my window display!
I remember this was the first scene I ever saw from Blade Runner. I was flipping channels and Harrison Ford was shooting some lady running through glass windows…
Move on. Move on. Move on.
Painful to live in fear.
Nothing is more painful than having an itch you can never scratch. I’ve stubbed my pinky toe on the edge of a coffee table before…that is much worse.
Deckard is often comparing himself to Replicants. Misdirection to keep you wonder if he is a replicant…but really it’s to make you ask…how similar are we really without beating you over the head with it.
Deckard…you ever take that test yourself?
Nope…passed out drunk.
Ahhh yeah…take down that hair you up tight Replicant!
Deckard dreams music…and unicorns.
That reach back when she walks away from Deckard..that is an awesome shot.
So passionate…do they show passion like this in movies anymore…or is it too close to abuse now? Is he going to punch her…or kiss her.
Japanese Richola Commericial
You look like an inverted skunk…and now the implied cray cray coo-coo clock.
What type of mouth gear does JF have on his Napoleon? Why does it have the shakes. JF…your Napoleon is begging you to kill it with it’s eyes. Gurgle Gurlge…kill me please.
Daryl is 25! It’s glandular
JF lives in a house of crazy
I like to boil eggs in a beaker…hope you like your eggs scienced!
Wow…that was offensive Rutger…”we so glad you found us”
I am in a serious state of decrepitude myself
Time to meet the creator.
Setting up the rules for why Replicants only live 4 years.
You were made as well as we could make you.
Rutger Howard will make out with anything! Kiss of death.
Excuse me while I crush your skull. Ohh…there was much more eye gauging in the Final Cut version.
Come back here JF…I got something to show you!
Ok…so Roy is killing the creators.
“Have a better one…” I need that on a shirt.
Pretty sure that is what’s Tony Cox stripping Deckard’s car. I wonder how many Ewoks were in this movie
Another flying blimp movie. The future is full of ’em
I want a laughing doll…that just laughs all day…
I thought Pris was the love doll…not part of the kick murder squad.
I genuinely felt afraid of Daryl Hannah in this movie…the flopping scene was just creepy as creep can be.
Replicants can jump through the walls!
Little man. That is the second time he has been referred to as the little man.
Ouch…breaking some durn fingers.
The hunter has become the hunted
He has on the war paint.
Now he is tapping into his primal rage…he is the wolf….
Flys…flys…everywhere. You are in a chicken coup Deckard…and the wolf is coming. That is what Gaff predicted you would be.
Roy is shutting down…no problem…a little tetanus will fix that.
You better get it up!! Run…
Why is Roy doing the counting poem? Six, Seven go to hell or heaven.
Roy wants Deckard to fight for his life. To live in fear…to understand what’s it like for a Replicant?
That’s what Roy and Leon both ask him.
Why did Roy get naked during the chase?
Fans and lights…it’s the Noir way.
Rutger is so tan here…his white hair makes it even more so. In a world with no sun…he really looks other worldly.
The bells are tolling. Must be near the end..
….where the hell did you get that dove from Roy?
A slave lives in fear…so we are slaves to our creator because we fear death? only getting rid of fear are we no longer slaves? Probably reading too much into that.
…like tears in the rain…those moments will be lost…unless you take a photo! We Replicants love photos!
Let the dove go.
So..the nail was a sign that he was going to become a martyr
You’ve done a man’s job sir!
Gaff left the Unicorn in the hall! How does he know what Deckard dreams? Is he a mutant. Can he see beyond…is Deckard full of Gaff’s memories and Deckard is a Replicant?
We have lost our humanity and it has taken the Replicants sacrifice to show us how to have empathy again.
