Blade Runner gets props

Well, it's been a long time coming but it's nice to see it happening. My favourite film, Blade Runner, is going to be re-released! A 2-disc Director's Cut DVD this year, a theatrical release (!!) of a brand new cut next year, and a multi-disc DVD set later that year.

I still remember the first time I saw the film. I was 13 years old...too young to legally WATCH the film, never mind "get" or appreciate it. I was up at a cottage with a friend of mine and we rented it because he wanted to see it. I remember seeing previews for it and thinking it looked really boring. I protested, but my friend was insistent. I relinquished, as we also rented "Enter The Ninja" (a steaming pile of monkey shit in comparison).

As soon as the film started, I was captivated by the music. Then the picture faded up to the iconic industrial cityscape that comprises the first shot. As the film progressed, revealing more and more of Ridley Scott's futuristic Los Angeles, there was no room for disbelief. I was watching a pan-and-scan VHS tape on a small television, but it didn't matter. Somehow, Ridley Scott had created a time machine and whisked a film crew into the future to shoot L.A. in the year 2019. And I was watching the results. It certainly didn't hurt that the story was fascinating and full of subtext.

I found Blade Runner mesmerizing, intelligent, beautifully shot, and, at times, frightening. I still remember being on the edge of my seat during the climactic pursuit at the end. And it was realistic: Harrison Ford often played characters that didn't emerge from confrontations unscathed, but in Blade Runner he got his ASS KICKED every time he went up against a replicant. Sometimes, he was lucky just to survive an encounter.

Anyway, I remember returning home and asking adults about the film. In 1985, many people hadn't seen it, and most of those who had had been unimpressed. My Dad, who loved Alien (and introduced me to it), didn't think that much of it. People thought it was a bore. It was obvious that this opinion went beyond my relatively small sample population. After all, it had TANKED at the box office, taking in less than HALF of its production budget during its initial theatrical release. But I loved it and couldn't understand the overwhelming negative reaction.

In 1992, I was pleasantly surprised that the film was going to be re-released in theatres in a new Director's Cut, and on VHS in widescreen, which was a HUGE deal for me. This was a sign that more people were beginning to see what I saw. And that I would be able to see more, as the film was being released from its pan-and-scan shackles.

And now, it's going to be celebrated all over again on its 25th anniversary. Ironically, now I worry that the impact of the film's unique look has been somewhat diluted. After all, the style and cinematography of Blade Runner have been copied so many times, some people don't understand why it's considered groundbreaking.

Sure, Blade Runner has its problems. I'll even tell you what some of them are!

Firstly, why is Deckard surprised that replicants have returned to Earth? Didn't the LAPD create a whole special police unit just to track down and "retire" such escaped replicants? He was working there, became burned out, and quit!

Secondly, this film should be set closer to 2119. There's no way we'll have colonized distant (or even near) planets and started inhabiting them by 2019. And the technology to create replicants and flying cars (spinners)? That's WAY off, especially considering the replicants are the next phase of "robot evolution". We haven't even seen domestic robots on a large scale yet! They must have known that even in 1982 when they made the film, but kept it to a nearer timeframe so as not to alienate the audience. Admittedly tricky business in this type of sci-fi. After all, you've got to be set far enough in the future for these technologies to exist, but not so far that the world becomes abstract and your audience can't relate to it.

All in all, though, I love the movie and am thrilled about the treatment that it's finally getting. There's a guilty pleasure in being a champion of a movie that was ahead of its time and a lot of people didn't understand or appreciate. But I'll see you all in line next year, and we can talk about it then!