| 25 Sep 2004 |
In a review of 'Civic Spirit:
Changing the Course of Federal Design', a ten year review of
the U.S. government's 'Excellence in Architecture' program,
the International Herald Tribune goes further than simply tell
us about the exhibition. It focuses in what it impliess about
U.S. culture. The use of BR goes beyond a simple
description of shards of light entering a building to also carry
with it the "moody, 'Blade Runner'-like
vision of the future". Once again, BR used as evocative
adjective. |
| 24 Sep 2004 |
engadget
has a brief reminder of those two wonderful gadgets in Blade
Runner - the Voight Kampff machine and the Esper. |
| 23 Sep 2004 |
The
Seattle Times revisits the SF Museum. They also note upcoming
event, "The History of Science Fiction Film Series",
a screening of six landmark sci-fi films followed by discussion
with local authors and film critics, starts Oct. 8 with the
1951 classic "The Day The Earth Stood Still," and
includes "2001: A Space Odyssey," "Blade Runner"
and "The Matrix." |
| 23 Sep 2004 |
Starting production next year
is "Reaper". Being described as "stylish action-neo-noir"
and if you read the synopsis, you can see a resemblance to BR.
Written by Gary
Whitta. I asked Gary about the influence and he responded,
"Blade Runner wasn't a direct influence
but it probably was in some subconscious way because Deckard
is such a quintessential modern noir hero and it's one of my
favorite movies." So as expected with a prolific
creator in this genre, BR is part of his background knowledge
as it is with all of us. But keep an eye out for Reaper which
looks like it might turn out to be a really cool and original
film. |
| 22 Sep 2004 |
Stepping away from the nightmare
of laboratory built supersoldiers (see previous DARPA reference),
the reality of the future is that robotics and genetics will
continue and will be applied to humans. As one might expect
from Tech
Central Station, the Sky Captain and GitS 2 releases don't
prompt a simple film review column. No, these two are used as
a bouncing board for a look at the future of the world, of cloning
and robotics and the US and Japanese philosophical present and
economic futures. And I think, in this, the UK will follow Japan
and not the USA. |
| 21 Sep 2004 |
I mentioned Syd Mead's involvement
with Bahrain architecture some while ago. Now he's gone a step
further - Syd Mead Incorporated has signed exclusive regionwide
representation rights to Manama-based Vahid Associates according
to AMEinfo.
When Blade Runner's future look was visualized by someone who
is so directly involved in creating the look of the real world
in the future, it is not really surprising that BR's future
vision turned out to be so accurate! |
| 21 Sep 2004 |
So if we were going to guess
who in the real world might actually create replicants in the
future, who would it be? My guess would be DARPA. This
article refers to them and points to Tom's
Dispatch which has an in-depth look at the things they might
be up to - including bio-genetics applied to humans. |
| 21 Sep 2004 |
The debate on films using a
high proportion of CGI and Blue Screen versus mixing it in with
real props, models and people (as in BR) continues. Matt Zoller
Seitz in NYP
reviews Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow and contemplates
this very subject. |
| 20 Sep 2004 |
The reviews for GitS 2 are
below. But read
this for interview of Mamoru Oshii himself - some rather
interesting insights including how he feels about moviemakers
getting inspiration from other movies. Also check the Post. |
| 19 Sep 2004 |
Drew Struzan, "the last
of the great poster artists", is famous for many wonderful
posters including Blade Runner. Pasadena
Star News reports that he "will sign copies of 'The
Movie Poster Art of Drew Struzan' at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Vroman's
Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd." The article contains
an interview with Drew. |
| 16 Sep 2004 |
GitS 2: Innocence reviews.
If you're already a fan of the first Ghost in the Shell (and
why wouldn't you be?) then you'll probably want to see the second
one regardless of what any reviewer has to say. But with something
so closely linked to Blade Runner, cross-references abound.
East
Bay Express, Chicago
Tribune, Daily
Californian, ign.com,
Seattle
pi, Washington
Post, Seattle
Times, Animation
World. |
| 14 Sep 2004 |
The use of "Blade Runner"
as shorthand for "future dystopian hell" is now common
practice. In this USA
Today story, it is used as comparative to Mayberry RFD (a
US 60s family sitcom representing a happy, safe world). In this
world of viruses, adware, malware and spyware, it really is
best if you don't leave the doors of your computer open and
unlocked. As my brother-in-law was asking me just this week
about what he needed to protect the family computer against
the funny stuff going on, I thought I'd create a page here for
anyone who would like a straightforward page of advice: Protect
your computer. |
| 10 Sep 2004 |
The essence of Blade Runner
provides both warning and prediction, sometimes almost without
trying. In the real world, it is not just in trying to create
robots just like humans that science focuses upon, but also
on improving ourselves and our environment in completely new
ways. Such is the subject matter of BetterHumans
where George Dvorsky, prompted by the recent Guardian poll where
60 scientists had the excellent taste to choose Blade Runner
best sci-fi film, explores the film in depth, with some interesting
links embedded. |
| 09 Sep 2004 |
I suppose with the anniversary
of 9/11 approaching, I should put some story with some connection
here. I've chosen just the one, which has a reference to the
"Blade Runner ambiance" of New York and reflects really
on the pleasures of New York from the POV of a visiting businessman,
which is how I mainly know the city. This is in Business
Direct Weekly from Michigan. |
| 07 Sep 2004 |
Ridley and Tony Scott are teaming
with US Sci Fi Channel to exec produce a couple of remakes of
classics. According to Zap2it,
both films will be remade as four hour miniseries - the first
is a remake of Crichton's Andromeda Strain. The original being
an excellent procedural SF drama. The other is The Thing. Not
sure what more can be done with it now, but I'm sure they'll
come up with something, together with modern cultural references. |
| 04 Sep 2004 |
"Crash course 101: sci-fi
dystopia on film" an article in Boston.com,
reviews a brief history of a range of a certain type of SF film
starting from a look at a DC of THX 1138. [8 Sep] THX 1138 also
reviewed by comingsoon.net
who suggest its influence on later films like Blade Runner,
Dark City, etc. - something I completely disagree is the case,
but I don't have enough space here to rant on about it. |
| 01 Sep 2004 |
With the design of vehicles
for Blade Runner being done by Syd Mead who envisioned future
vehicle design for the automotive industry as his day job, it
was inevitable that real life vehicle design would start catching
up with the designs of BR. And so when we have a new train/coach
concept that could run on rail and road and looks like it comes
straight out of the film, why not call it the 'Blade Runner'.
Check it out in the Oldham
Advertiser. |
| 30 Aug 2004 |
Mark Thomas is an accomplished
designer of "wearable art" - the individually created,
top end of fashion clothing. And according to the Alameda
Times-Star, he "began his fashion
career in Hollywood costume design, working on the sci-fi fantasy
'Blade Runner' among other projects. That led him to think of
clothing as 'functional art'."
|
| 29 Aug 2004 |
"An Alchemy of Mind :
The Marvel and Mystery of the Brain" is a book by Diane
Ackerman. In it she wriites of the stuff going on in our heads,
such as memories, which have their Blade Runner reference within
a few paragraphs of the first
chapter. Check it out at Amazon. |
| 29 Aug 2004 |
Not so often mentioned as actors
and director is what some of the BR crew have been getting up
to since. So nice to see Richard Yuricich mentioned in a DVD
Talk review. As Visual Effects Supervisor on Resident Evil,
he participates in the commentary on the DVD Deluxe Edition. |
| 29 Aug 2004 |
Ben Rayner in the Toronto
Star imparts 30 piercing insights gleaned from his almost
30 years of life. One of these is to watch
Blade Runner at least once a year. What a perceptive
fellow! |
| 27 Aug 2004 |
If you can get to Rehoboth
Beach (Delaware) on Saturday, Aug. 28, then you might be able
to go to the film society screening of BR. It is being hosted
by Dr. Barbara Novak, professor of psychiatry at the Georgetown
University School of Medicine who sounds like she may have some
interesting insights into the film. See Delmarvanow
for details. |
| 27 Aug 2004 |
Blade Runner, like many of
the top near-future, Earth-based SF films, presents a somewhat
dystopian vision. While there are all too many reasons to think
that these films are not actually being particularly pessimistic
in outlook, we should make an effort to squeeze in some optimism.
So, I'll bring to your attention an unusual art event. While
only a few of us may be able to attend the event in person,
one of the main artists has invited people to write in with
visions of a realistic, but positive future. Read the East
Bay report - the prompting questionnaire is at the bottom
should you wish to participate. |
| 27 Aug 2004 |
It is interesting how some
things are either obscure or well known depending on what group
of people you're talking to. Mention Donnie Darko to some people
and they look blank. But mention it to BR fans and not only
do most seem to have seen it and enjoyed it, many own the DVD
and want to discuss the ideas in the film. So what new questions
will the Director's Cut throw up? Like the BR DC, will it change
the viewing of the film for some? See what the Boston
Globe has to say about it. |
| 25 Aug 2004 |
It isn't easy linking Britney
Spears to Blade Runner (and I'm not sure why I want to), but
linked they are, via the direction by Joseph Kahn of her 'Toxic'
video. The "Blade Runner" look of the futuristic city
Britney rides through on a motorcycle is quite specifically
a tribute by Kahn to our favourite film. It must be true because
MTV
says so. |
| 25 Aug 2004 |
Probably worth watching simply
because it stars Jet Li, at least one
reviewer considers "Hero" to be similar to Blade
Runner in respect of it being immediately almost one of the
best films ever seen. |
| 25 Aug 2004 |
The
Guardian conducted a poll which turned into a story that
has spread very widely very quickly: "Scientists
vote Blade Runner best sci-fi film of all time".
Obviously 'scientists' know what they're talking about! "Ridley
Scott's Blade Runner is the favourite science fiction film of
scientists, according to a poll for the Guardian. Second and
third places went to Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey
and the first two films of the original Star Wars trilogy."
This is reported elsewhere in the Toronto
Star, The
Age (Australia), News24.com
(South Africa), Digital
Spy (UK), MegaStar.co.uk
(UK), Reuters
(obviously). and then The
Guardian tops itself by presenting the Top Ten SF films
and then The
Guardian tops itself again by discussing this. Of course
it is also mentioned by the BBC
(VOTE!!!), Globetechnology,
The
Mercury News, CHOI
(French Canadian), CBS,
MSNBC,
CNN,
Space.com,
The
Straits Times (Singapore), Slashdot
(natch), Seattle
pi and even reported in the Gulf
(who needs war when you can watch good films?) In another part
of the Guardian
survey, the SF authors are rated, (PKD is fourth). List
of the scientists polled.
|
| 25 Aug 2004 |
Why Spielberg could never have
made Blade Runner is highlighted in this Times
review of his latest effort. He is the sort of person who would
put in the happy, sloppy green trees ending to Blade Runner
- the first thing Scott wanted removed in the DC. |
| 24 Aug 2004 |
On tonight on US PBS TV is
a programme on The Hidden Art of Hollywood,
which apparently is a documentary about the art of production
designers. Included is an interview with Lawrence G. Paull,
who designed for Blade Runner. |
| 24 Aug 2004 |
Comic
Book Resources reports on Greg Horm, comic book illustrator.
For one of his latest projects, for Daredevil, (involving Spiderman),
he refers to his inspiration for the rooftop scene being BR. |
| 24 Aug 2004 |
"Basic
black: Hard-edged noir returns as latest fashion in fiction"
entitles an article by Christopher Cox in the Boston
Herald. Film keeps returning to the Noirish look, though
it does get updated. The 'Future Noir' look of Blade Runner
set new standards for neo Noir, but itself was referential to
original Noir. As fashion moves on, it seems some elements not
only remain classic, but are essential to the new classics.
(I'll get my coat...) |
| 18 Aug 2004 |
Elsewhere in the world of busy
BR actors, M. Emmet Walsh is to appear on stage at the Lyttelton
Theatre (National Theatre in London). According to Playbill,
the production is of Sam Shepherd's 'Buried Child' and also
stars Lauren Ambrose. |
| 17 Aug 2004 |
And talking of Zhora (see previous
article), or rather, actress Joanna Cassidy, look who has just
popped up on my long range scanner! In the third episode of
the fourth season of Enterprise
which has just finished shooting, Joanna is playing T'Les -
mother of T'Pol. Cool. I can see the family resemblance - good
choice. |
| 10 Aug 2004 |
So, if you were to pick the
sexiest lady in Blade Runner, who would you choose? What if
the question was "Who is the sexiest sci-fi babe in movies?"
According to Ananova,
a poll for Film Review magazine ended with Zhora from Blade
Runner getting 7th place overall. Well, she is the sexy snake
dancer wearing not much more than sequins who then takes a shower
and gets dressed in little more. 3rd was the T-X (who arrives
naked), 2nd was Leeloo who is wrapped in a few surgical bandages
and then changes clothes on camera, twice. And top is ultimate
Sci-Fi Babe of all time and an obvious winner - Barbarella (who
... well you must know.) Yes, it is rather vacuous stuff for
summer heated brains, but hey, Blade Runner makes it into yet
another Top Ten... |
| 02 Aug 2004 |
Code 46 - a film, (not about
robots!), set in a dystopian future where cloning and gene splicing
are widespread, but intimate relations with someone with similar
genetics is forbidden by a totalitarian state (Code 46 violation).
Although to a large extent that is mainly the background to
the story. It is also about a lot more and a lot less and may
appeal to BR fans. Possibly one of those films that succeeds
on atmosphere and detail and improves with repeat viewing. Some
of its heritage is clear, as The
Village Voice points out - it "feels
like Blade Runner on meds." Also check out ComingSoon.net
|
| 29 Jul 2004 |
Okay, one last I, Robot review
(in The
Guardian) because it goes into so much more depth and background. |
| 28 Jul 2004 |
"The Philosopher at the
End of the Universe: Philosophy Explained Through Science Fiction
Films" is a book. It is written by Mark Rowlands and reviewed
by Howard
Price. Of course Blade Runner features - apparently at the
end when the author gets right down to the core of it all in
"Death and the Meaning of Life". Sound like a fun
and interesting read, but be careful or, like the reviewer,
you might actually learn something. |
| 28 Jul 2004 |
Those of you who have delved
into the locations where Blade
Runner was filmed will certainly know that Deckard's apartment
building exterior was filmed at the Ennis-Brown House in L.A.
- designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The interior
of Deckard's apartment was created in a studio, but fully inspired
by the same design. But did you know that you can visit not
just this house, but a couple of others designed by Wright as
well - all in one day. This
article tells you how, and also gives plenty of detail on
the houses. |
| 25 Jul 2004 |
Pris is a "pleasure model",
so eventually a comparison to her had to crop up in a review
of a porn movie. The movie is "Domina 3", reviewed
at DVD
Talk. I don't suggest you actually read the review (and
if you do, be prepared for graphic description), I'm just including
it because it's a first. |
| 25 Jul 2004 |
A curious, but nevertheless
strangely interesting article
by movie critic Michael Wilmington on the magic of SF to the
12-year-old. Perhaps that is a magic age to start getting interested
in SF, but why stop there? Maybe I am still mentally 12 (though
I can barely remember that long ago). And what of my 6-year-old
daughter who doesn't at present even differentitate between
SF and non-SF? If SF is the limitless fiction of ideas, why
do so many reporters still express surprise at any SF that is
popular? Don't they get that half the Top Twenty best/favourite
films ever seem to be SF or that most bookstores have a huge
section for SF? This really is not just the preserve of some
children and a few geeks. It is something that interests a huge
swathe of the population of the world. |
| 23 Jul 2004 |
So, according to The
Comic Wire, the Wachowski brothers (or brother an sister...)
actually turned up to Comic-Con to talk about the next comic
step after Matrix: Revolutions and Larry even dared to suggest
that like Blade Runner, their third Matrix thingy might actually
be recognized as a great film later. Yeah, right. |
| 23 Jul 2004 |
Let's move on to architecture.
The
Guardian has an article about 20th Century architect Louis
Kahn. The article points to a (very short) list of films where
architecture 'comes to life'. It isn't easy to do, because As
Kahn Jr says, "one of the biggest no-nos in filming architecture
is panning, because that's just moving the camera. People don't
pan ... they move through space.
|
| 22 Jul 2004 |
James P. Pinkerton offers his
(reasonable) opinion at Newsday.com
on why, despite the warnings of SF, robot technology will be
accepted and needed by society - or is that accepted because
of a perception that robots will fulfil society's needs? |
| 20 Jul 2004 |
Heard of the anime Malice@Doll?
Well I hadn't until I read this FilmCritic.com
review. It appears to have been inspired in part by Blade Runner.
See also destroy-all-monsters.com
and DVDmaniacs.net
|
| 18 Jul 2004 |
Stephen Whitty of the Star
Ledger (on nj.com)
has an interesting tour through the history of robots in film
and the way they are presented. It singles out Blade Runner
as the point where robots took on the moral dimension and a
step change from the evil machine: "The
robots don't spare us because they're weaker than we are. They
spare us because they're better." And thus they
make the leap from villains to heroes of our films. The BBC
has a similar idea, but does little more than list the films
and their robots. |
| 15 Jul 2004 |
This USA
Today article delves well beyond the I, Robot review into
an examination of Hollywood and Science Fiction films in general.
Of course, you and I know there is little made since 1982 that
can compare with Blade Runner, but it is interesting to see
it written in such a wide-audience newspaper. I'm not quite
sure they hit one point though - Hollywood churns out SF movies
because people love them, but Hollywood execs have no idea exactly
WHY people love them (for the same reason there is a huge SF
section in most bookshops!) I don't believe they really are
so "hard to do well" - the problem is the people in
charge impose what they think should be in the films, but they
are the ones who haven't got a clue about real SF. One of the
reasons I, Robot isn't classic SF is summed up by its star,
"It's more than science fiction;
it's a beautiful little art film wrapped in a big action movie,"
says Smith, 35. No...actually, being an art film wrapped
in a big action movie makes it LESS than good Science Fiction,
Will. (And why do we need to know his age..?) So should we call
this movie 'I, Blockbuster' or 'Sigh, Robot'? |
| 14 Jul 2004 |
MSNBC
has an extensive and most interesting article on a book that
looks fascinating, called "Digital People: From Bionic
Humans to Androids" by Sidney Perkowitz, (professor of
physics at Emory University). Check it out at Amazon (US
or UK
) |
| 14 Jul 2004 |
While I don't want to list
loads of I, Robot reviews, I will certainly include such as
the NC
Times, who compare it to BR in this way, "Too
many bang-bang fireworks in the last third of the film gnaw
at any tension built, though, and 'I, Robot'becomes more concerned
with its visual wows than its storytelling techniques. For reference
on how it's done properly, see 'Blade Runner,' where such synergy
is masterful." Too right! |
| 14 Jul 2004 |
Storm in a candlestick? City
planning, financial profits and science fiction nightmares like
Blade Runner? It is all about a stadium at Candlestick Point,
as reported in The
(SF) Examiner. |
| 14 Jul 2004 |
In an article called 'Sacrificing
Isaac', The
East Bay Express pretty much sums up the reviews on I, Robot
which some might describe as "a feature length cartoon
commercial based on the title of an Isaac Asimov book". |
| 13 Jul 2004 |
Sir Ridley's latest project
this year has been "Kingdom of Heaven". Box
Office Prophets has an article on it that starts off in
glowing appreciation of Scott, but then turns a little cynical.
Could this win an Oscar for best pic? Probably not. But then
who really cares anyway? |
| 13 Jul 2004 |
The name "Blade Runner"
symbolises many things, but sometimes it is just plain abused.
Given the society represented in the film, with people smoking
pipes (of what?) and being based on a novel by PKD who experimented
with many drugs, it must be being used in a negative way when
"the law" used the name for their operation to pull
up a load of pot plants. Perhaps they should put their efforts
into stopping the really harmful drugs like Cocaine and Heroin
instead of messing with mild drugs like Marijuana that are little
different to alcohol and tobacco. It happened in North
Carolina. |
| 11 Jul 2004 |
East
Valley Tribune (Arizona) has an article going a little wider
than just an I. Robot review and with comments from Gregory
Benford (one of my favourite authors). It points out that in
BR, the replicants often seemed to have more passion for life
than the humans. |
| 01 Jul 2004 |
 Remember
Rutger Hauer as the iconic image of Guinness commercials back
in the 80's? Many of you probably won't, but for all those who
do look back on them fondly, you'll be interested to know that
he has been asked to reprise the role as part of Guinness Extra
Cold self-referincing ad campaign, (i.e. "cold" takes
on classic Guinness ads). Check
the ad out yourself. (If you need to go through the Guinness
site's front door, you may need to check England for his ad.) |
