|
Blade Runner in the News |
| BR:SE 200? |
If you are wondering about the status of the
Blade Runner Special Edition DVD release or have questions relating
to it - please read the BR:SE
News Page before e-mailing me. |
| 20 Mar 2007 |
It seems that
Izzy Camilleri's latest fashion collection is blade-runneresque.
So says the Edmonton Journal. |
| 20 Mar 2007 |
"300" is
a wonderful spectacle. It doesn't matter what you think of
the story or the acting or the critics' views, go see it for
the spectacle - on as big a screen as you can. The L.A.
Times has a view on why you should just
go see it. BTW, when I went to see it, the cinema wasn't full
of "scruffy guys", it was actually mainly filled with young
couples. So take your girlfriend (or boyfriend) ... you'll
have a wonderful evening. |
| 19 Mar 2007 |
While I want
to try to avoid stupid US politics on this page, I can't ignore
the reuse of Ridley's 1984 "Big Brother" ad to parody Hilary
Clinton. The Independent has an article about it and here is
the YouTube
video. |
| 15 Mar 2007 |
This is another
tangential connection to Blade Runner, but when I ask you to
read "ALEVIATING YOUR TOXIC BODY BURDEN:
THE CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE EXPERIMENTS WITH "GREEN CHEMISTRY"." in
the California
Progress Report, I do so because this is exactly the sort
of thing that Philip K Dick was worried about. |
| 13 Mar 2007 |
Even people who
have no interest in fashion should still know who Dame Vivienne
Westwood is. The connection to BR is tenuous in this
story,
but I include it because I want to. |
| 11 Mar 2007 |
Jean Baudrillard
has died. At least I think he has. For those not familiar with
him, he theorized about us perceiving the depiction of reality
being more real than what it depicted. The simulacrum - a copy
- being preferred to real life. Or to put it another way, the
Replicant being "more human than human". Or perhaps
even more, the idea of living in The Matrix. I love the game
(or non-game) he played. If you have no idea what I'm on about,
please at least read this LA
Times article on the man. |
| 10 Mar 2007 |
The
Guardian has a quick review of novel "Being". "On going in for a routine endoscopy at his local hospital, he
discovers that what he feels and appears to be is not what
he actually is on the inside."
Similarities to BR are obvious. |
| 09 Mar 2007 |
What of the inspiration
of BR? No small thing to many people. Inspiration enough to
write in the same vein? Perhaps. The NY
Daily News highlights
where we might look for such inspiration. |
| 08 Mar 2007 |
Interesting
thought - what light fixtures do you think would work in
your apartment? Would you ever think about Blade Runner before
installing anything? How do these
lights work in your apartment/house? |
| 08 Mar 2007 |
The
Hollywood Reporter reports on the 25th annual Brussels
International Festival of Fantastic Film - 25 years after
the death of Philip K Dick, the festival's guest of honor
will be Syd Mead, the
industrial designer who influenced the look of sci-fi classics "Blade
Runner," "Aliens" and "Tron."
Official festival site. |
| 07 Mar 2007 |
"Robotic
age poses ethical dilemma - An ethical code to prevent humans
abusing robots, and vice versa, is being drawn up by South
Korea." Reported by the BBC,
South Korea is drawing up The Robot
Ethics Charter to cover
standards for users and manufactuers of robots. And so it
begins...
Follow-up analysis. |
| 03 Mar 2007 |
The festival's guest of honor will be Syd Mead, the industrial designer who influenced the look of sci-fi classics "Blade Runner," "Aliens" and "Tron.". |
| 01 Mar 2007 |
OC
Weekly review of
PKD's 'new' non-SF novel, Voices from
the Street. |
| 26 Feb 2007 |
At the Home
Theater Forum Live Chat with Warner Home Video, Warner had these comments
on the big Blade Runner SE release this year:
- "The Tyrell Corporation is furiously working away on a release to knock your socks off before the holiday season. The contents
are still being formulated. All the different iterations of
the film will be available, including the new FINAL CUT. We
think you'll be very pleased, and it will have been worth the
wait!"
- "Given all our activity around BLADE RUNNER, which is one
of our biggest, if not the biggest event of this year for our
group, we have discussed various ideas to maximize the large
catalog of Mr. Ford's films which we control."
- "There will be a lot more HD product announced (HD-DVD and
Blu Ray Disc) by us in the next few weeks. We hope you'll be
pleased. It is our intention to have the BLADE RUNNER releases
all contain the same content, regardless of format." |
| 25 Feb 2007 |
Even more obscure
reference of the week: "When I am finally done, Suzie, the
very nice make-up lady asks for my card and promises she'll
watch her boyfriend's DVD of Blade Runner so she can
learn to do Japanese robot eyes for me." "LAist Does Some Pre-Oscars
Schwag Haging". Okay... |
| 21 Feb 2007 |
Obscure reference
of the week is in this FiringSquad entry
on the current state of PC cooling and we're not talking just
fans: "Considering
thermal output has more than quadrupled, I am not surprised
so many current coolers resemble the cityscape of Blade Runner." |
| 20 Feb 2007 |
Is this The Future?
It was a quarter of a century ago that I first played on the
Internet, watched Blade Runner at the cinema, got my first
computer (to play games...). So this is certainly retrospectively
'a' future. When I created my first website back in 1995, I
excitedly subtitled it, "The
Future Is Now" - a statement which is ironically
very old. But it seemed like the future to me. Cynicism set
in and I switched to, "The Future
isn't what it used to be",
eventually (as cynicism was proved correct) to be replaced
by, "The Future
never was what it used to be." I could be positive
and say,
"The Future is what we make it" -
dream a good dream, plan how to make it come true and then
work hard *now* to create it. But my cynicism has hardened,
so my current observation is, "The
Future will be the same old shit, but with cooler toys." "I am George Jetson" is
an article in the NY
Observer looking at whatever happened
to The Future. |
| 15 Feb 2007 |
If one reviews
a noodle restaurant, then why not mention Blade Runner? However,
I include this Orange
County Weekly review not simply for the BR reference
- I just found it somewhat surreal. |
| 14 Feb 2007 |
Ever been interested
in owning the costumes made for your favourite movies? How
about then making a business out of them? That is what Stephen
Lane did with The Prop Store Of London. The
Sun reports on
what is both a hobby and a business. He has owned such outfits
as the red T-X suit (from T3) and Rachael's fur coat from
BR. |
| 11 Feb 2007 |
"True
global cities make you dream about the future" - headline on an LA
Times article about what differentiates the true global city
from the wannabes. Los Angeles has long since staked its claim
and Shanghai is well on the way. So how does one define which
city has made it? Interesting addition to perceptions is the
SF near-future view - like Blade Runner and Snow Crash set
in L.A. of course. And Neal Stephenson's sequel (The Diamond
Age) is set in and near Shanghai. (Since these, Neal has disappeared
into the present and the past, rather than future novels.)
More to the point, what cities do you think will be the global
centres of business and culture in ten years time? |
| 08 Feb 2007 |
GamePro
has an interview with Phil Wilson, producer for Real Time Worlds'
upcoming Xbox 360 game Crackdown. Asked about the "graphic-novel
style", Phil listed big influences of Matrix and
Blade Runner, with visual art style influenced by Blood: The
Last Vampire. |
| 29 Jan 2007 |
"While
pedestrians ambled to the lake above, dramatic openings would
bring shafts of natural light to cars racing below, "Blade
Runner"-style, in a noir vision that seems right out
of L.A." - yes it is another proposed cityscape
change as described in the Chicago Tribune. |
| 26 Jan 2007 |
Apart from the
assault of noise I mentioned some posts back, there is also
the increasing visual assault. The big BR-type screens in cities,
the big screen billboards along highways, the TV screens everywhere
we go. The
Huffington Post voices an opinion on this subject. |
| 26 Jan 2007 |
At IGN,
Casey Hudson, Project Director at BioWare talks about new future
combat game "Mass
Effect". 200 years in the future Commander Shepard fights the
ancient, intelligent machines. Interesting is that he wants
to capture the atmosphere we see in films like Alien, ST II
and Blade Runner, not just visually, but with the full orchestral
sound of such as Jerry Goldsmith and Vangelis. |
| 26 Jan 2007 |
In Blade Runner
there is Cityspeak. In Star Trek we have Klingon, etc. In LotR,
Tolkien created a whole set of languages, some of which make
it into the films. Tonight looks
at some other invented languages in films. |
| 26 Jan 2007 |
The
Ranger college
paper reports on a talk by Edward James Olmos at McAllister
Fine Arts Center. Sharing the message he has long promoted
(which I wholeheartedly share) - "We are all one race". (Would
that include Replicants, I wonder...) |
| 22 Jan 2007 |
The
New York Daily News extends a tentative hope that
we are finally getting more intelligent SF films being made,
not just the rare occurrence they've been for years. |
| 22 Jan 2007 |
CGI - sometimes
adding neatly to a creation and sometimes totally undermining
it. BR was made with great sets, models and mattes to create
the world of the future. James Cameron's next project will
use extensive "photo-realistic" CGI to create his future and
alien worlds. Will it be "seamless" or just artificial? PopMatters takes a look at CGI (or not). |
| 21 Jan 2007 |
The newest tallest
building - is it going up in Dubai or is it going up in Shanghai?
The
Observer checks out "Blade Runner:
The Cocktail Party" in an examination
of the super-rich in modern China. In stark contrast (in best
Cyberpunk way), the ground level BR-city comparison is made
by the L.A.
Times in a look at Tepito - the "barrio
bravo" of Mexico City. |
| 20 Jan 2007 |
Is the world
becoming too loud? Movies, city entertainment district,
bars, etc. Is the busy street scene in BR the sound of the
future, or indeed, the sound of now? The
Paramus Post turns up the volume. |
| 18 Jan 2007 |
Newest tallest
building going up? The latest review of what is happening in
21st Century Dubai in USA
Today. |
| 12 Jan 2007 |
Many hold up
the BR L.A. 2019 as dystopian vision and talk of avoiding letting
our own cities become like that, even though (or perhaps because)
many are already well on their way. In the BR OV, the much
maligned "Happy Ending" has Deckard and Rachael driving into
a Shining land of forests and fresh air. And yet... are they
really driving to a happier place? Does closer inspection of
the city actually show lots of busy people out and about enjoying
life? Taffey's Snakepit Bar is certainly a happening place.
Would Tyrell or JF really want to leave the city? Is it really
dystopia at all or simply a not-utopia? It is easy to find
the negative in any big city, but not everyone would be happier
elsewhere. Seattlepi has an article that warns of the perils
of moving away from the city - think twice about that dystopian
vision. |
| 11 Jan 2007 |
You are probably
aware of Children of Men - the
Science Fiction film directed by Alfonso Cuarón and
starring Clive Owen, Julianne Moore and Michael Caine. The
Nashville Scene has an interview with Alfonso wherein he
expresses views on the film, filmmaking and migration, particularly
in the USA. Also mentions (again) that Blade Runner is a great
film, but Children of Men is very much not about the big city,
futuristic cars and hi-tech. That is not to say the influence
of BR isn't there in more subtle ways. |
| 08 Jan 2007 |
No surprise to
hear lots of HD DVD talk at the Consumer Electronics Show in
Las Vegas, including announcements of hundreds of films being
released in this format in 2007. It was confirmed that Blade
Runner would be one of them, but no specific release date
was given. |
| 21 Dec 2006 |
"Robots
could demand legal rights - Robots could one day demand the
same citizen's rights as humans, according to a study by
the British government." So says the BBC. Yes indeed, "The
paper which addresses Robo-rights, titled Utopian dream or
rise of the machines? examines the developments in artificial
intelligence and how this may impact on law and politics.
The paper says a "monumental shift" could occur
if robots develop to the point where they can reproduce,
improve themselves or develop artificial intelligence.
The research suggests that at some point in the next 20
to 50 years robots could be granted rights." |
| 20 Dec 2006 |
A Back
Stage interview with Edward James Olmos
and Mary McDonnell about Battlestar Galactica: The most interesting
comment made by Eddie on why he chose to do BG was, "There
was a story that drew me in, especially with the mindset that
one has after 9/11. You had a whole different perspective on
the end of the world, that whole philosophy. What [Galactica
executive producer Ronald D. Moore] did before you read the
piece, he put three pages at the beginning. It was like a mission
statement, kind of. It told you a little bit about how it was
going to be shot. The script was very powerful. It was completely
different. It was very much in the realm of Blade Runner, rather
than in the realm of the kind of Star Wars, Star Trek opera
that I was used to seeing in the genre, that had really permeated
the genre since the early '70s. So when I talked to Ron and
[executive producer David Eick], we talked about Blade Runner,
and I said, "There was a door that was opened there that
nobody ever walked in. Everybody walked through the door of
Star Wars, but nobody walked through the door of Blade Runner." I
said, "If you really want to do that, then I'm game to
join up, but I'm going to be very honest: The first four-eyed
creature I see, I'll faint. I will faint on camera, and I will
be off the show." I just didn't want to go that route.
I didn't want to act against those kind of situations; I didn't
have the time to do that. So we went into this with a 9/11
perspective and mindset with a very strong understanding of
Blade Runner." |
| 01 Dec 2006 |
Flexible displays
- how close are they in the real world? Not far away actually.
Check out this Electronics
Weekly report for more. There are numerous alternatives. |
| 29 Nov 2006 |
Wired reports
that The Fountain has not done
very well in its opening box office receipts. This is such
bad news for serious SF film fans as it only discourages the
people with the money from financing films like this. The article
laments the whole situation and ponders if some of the most
famous of SF films of the past, like Blade Runner, would even
get the green light these days. |
| 28 Nov 2006 |
AP reports that
"Library of America to issue volume of Philip K. Dick". PKD
is to be canonized, of course for his work, but also recognizing
Blade Runner's 25th Aniversary and Final Cut next year. Read
article in USA
Today for example. |
| 21 Nov 2006 |
"Five
Most Memorable Action Movies" - this list at IGN is: Star Wars, Blade Runner,
Nikita, The Matrix and Enter the Dragon. All good films to
watch, though of course I don't agree they're the best five.
Oh BTW, LFN at five seasons is hardly a "short-lived" TV series
- it is obviously different to a single film, but definitely
worth looking into (I own it all on DVD). |
| 21 Nov 2006 |
Crave has
an interesting list - the "Top Ten
Girl Geeks".
The title could perhaps be improved as the list ranges
from women who made history through the popular to the downright
inane. The list includes Daryl Hannah (for more than just being
in BR), but I'm sure geeks everywhere will have something to
say about some of the choices. |
| 18 Nov 2006 |
Henry Porter
writes in The
Observer of his film (with director Neil Ferguson)
called Suspect Nation. It is about the increased surveillance
on us in the last five years, the connected computer databases
of our personal data (our lives) and the lack of government
knowledge of what they are actually doing and the security
needed to protect their systems. Porter ends by having an RFID
chip injected into his arm - easily cloned by his tech friend
simply by scanning it - just like passports, driving licences,
etc. Does the Blade Runner World have this technology installed
and perhaps it is so easy to override, it isno use in catching
criminals, terrorists or Replicants? Only the innocent end
up in the system. |
| 12 Oct 2006 |
If you happen
to be in Tokyo on December 12th, pay a visit to the Omotesando
section of Shibuyaku. Because that is where you will see the
Kyosho Athlete Humanoid Cup - a series of races between robots.
Specifically Manoi AT01-model robots produced by hobby robot
manufacturer Kyosho. According to the Mainichi
News, the 40cm (16") tall
biped robots have to 'sprint' along a 5m (16') course. A fast
time would be 20 seconds, so still a long way to go to be "More
Human than Human" though taking the first steps... Check out
the excellent film at YouTube of
these robots being put through their paces. |
| 12 Oct 2006 |
"Now
in Theaters Everywhere: A Celebration of a Certain Kind of Blockbuster is
a new book by Kenneth Turan about a type of smart studio
movie which, Turan argues, is increasingly under economic
threat of extinction." Lynn Neary interviews Turan
on National
Public Radio (just over 5 minutes) about his views.
Notable first example of how difficult it is to get this sort
of movie made is the now-classic Blade Runner - sadly Turan says
things have got progressively more difficult since then to make
the large budget intelligent movie. |
| 10 Oct 2006 |
Rutger Hauer's
recent life has been filmed as "Blond, Blue Eyes".
Reuters reports on the film by Simone de Vries. |
| 09 Oct 2006 |
What of Science
Fiction in Arabic literature? It seems this is a problem. Achmed
A. W. Khammas discusses the issue in Telepolis. |
| 08 Oct 2006 |
Can transferring
your (legally purchased) version of Blade Runner onto your
hand-held movie player prove to be a criminal offense? According
to the NY
Times, these people in France seem to think so.. |
| 08 Oct 2006 |
A noodle bar
is still a noodle bar wherever you are - even atop a Japanese
ski resort.The
Observer talks about skiing Japanese style. |
| 06 Oct 2006 |
Ridley Scott
talks and Times
Online has his story. There is lots to read,
but short as it is, the Blade Runner section is most fascinating! |
| 06 Oct 2006 |
TripmasterMonkey provides a timeline of Asians in Sci-Fi. I can understand the
sarcasm. I can also appreciate that BR is head and shoulders
way up there, not just because Deckard chooses to eat noodles,
but lets face it, Chew is quite obviously a brilliant genetic
engineer and thus an inspiration rather than simple stereotype.
He makes eyes y'know. |
| 06 Oct 2006 |
Every now and
then, I like to bring you someone using the Blade
Runneresque adjective in so absurd
a way as it just becomes funny. Today, it is Newsday.com using
it to describe Jessica Simpson's character in inane comedy
"Employee of the Month". In this case, I don't actually get
the connection at all. Ah well, file it under 'irrelevant'
and move on, I guess. |
| 04 Oct 2006 |
Anyone interested
in the future designs, the artwork and the futurist views of
Syd Mead should definitely check out this article in the Pasadena
Weekly. |
| 02 Oct 2006 |
I haven't seen
this film yet and am in no hurry to do so. 'A
Good Year' stars Russell Crowe directed by Ridley Scott.
The review at Bloomberg.com (some
of the film was shot at Bloomberg offices in London), suggests
that the film is somewhat self-indulgent of Scott, filming
Provence in France, where he has a residence. Even Ridley himself
admits to it being an excuse to film there. The sad thing is,
I can picture this film as made in the French style and it
would be wonderful. Every country has their own particular
signature style of film and a director from another country
can rarely come close to duplicating that. It is regularly
true of Hollywood trying to recreate cult British TV shows
on film and failing miserably. It is also true of an English
director, love him though I do, trying to create a French film.
Just doesn't work. And Crowe? How can he possibly successfully
create this English/French character? |
| 30 Sep 2006 |
Maybe it is because
I haven't had any decent Indian food recently, but this article
made me salivate. The picture alone makes me hungry for a Biryani.
And makes me miss England where international cuisine
is vastly more available and much higher quality than in the
US Midwest where I currently exist. Oh, the article (in The
Australian - Travel section this time) - it says, "THE old
Indian city of Hyderabad feels as if it were built for the
future; prophetic, perhaps, because these days it's starting
to look like a science fiction vision far stranger than the
familiar fantasies of Blade Runner." |
| 30 Sep 2006 |
It seems that
short films are not what they used to be. The
Australian (Arts section) laments
the demise of narrative in short films and how that translates
to big movies. Pointed to are a trio of Cinema 16 DVDs of short
films - mostly created a long time ago by directors who are
now household names - like Ridley Scott for example and his
"Boy and Bicycle" which was made almost half a century
ago (actually I thought it was mid-60s, but hey, I'm only an
expert so what do I know...). |
| 28 Sep 2006 |
The future keeps
marching on and advertising takes advantage. Now in some cities,
taxi cabs carry a visual advertising display atop the roof
that changes the theme of advertising depending on location
(financial district, urban, suburban, etc.) Wireless communication,
bright visual digital displays, GPS - The Very Intelligent
Display is truly affordable 21st Century technology being applied
in our streets. Article. |
| 28 Sep 2006 |
What will the
city of the future look like? In 1982, "the future" was
the 21st Century, so almost a quarter century later, we are
living in what was the "near future" back then .
Self-evidently, what was dreamed of 50 years ago is now the
future 50 years hence. And while many of you reading this were
not born 50 years ago, some were, and I would guess the majority
of you are at least 25. So, 'that' future has arrived and
what? Oil consumption higher than ever, especially in a greedy
USA. Peak World oil production predicted even by oil companies
themselves to be within 15 years (and some predict much sooner.
So what of the city's transformation from back then to now
to the future? James
Howard Kunstler has
a pessimistic view. |
| 28 Sep 2006 |
Although many
reviewers have drawn Blade Runner as an obvious influence on
Renaissance, it is still nice that the creator has directly
acknowledged the influence as reported in this straight.com article. |
| 22 Sep 2006 |
If you want to
know a little more about the Renaissance movie, then I suggest
you read this IGN interview
with its creator, Christian Volckman. |
| 22 Sep 2006 |
I think the subject
of the last article is quite fascinating, but to truly get
all the way to the Edge, you need the urban Rooftop Cinema
where you can watch such wonderful films as Blade Runner while
sitting on your city rooftop quaffing wine. The
Age tells us of "The
new cinema, which will screen films via a digital projector,
will seat 200 viewers in deckchairs on synthetic grass, and
offer some of Melbourne's best views". This phenomenon
is spreading across Metopolises around the world. Sounds great
to me! |
| 22 Sep 2006 |
When is an umbrella
not just an umbrella? Of course BR fans will immediately start
thinking of umbrellas that light up, but that just isn't offbeat
enough. I'm out at the Edge and what I see are people turning
the umbrella into a mechanism to display their photos. Portable
telephone/mp3 player/camera not enough for you? Perhaps you
need an Umbrella
Photo Browser. |
| 20 Sep 2006 |
Forbes.com interviews
Colin Angle, co-creator/SEO of iRobot (creators of Roomba and
Scooba and more), about the realities of current commercial
robots and the immediate future of robotics in real life. Includes
a link to 25 seminal moments in robotics history. |
| 19 Sep 2006 |
Ronald D. Moore,
inspired by the Original Star Trek Series and writer for latter
day ST series, as well as Battlestar Galactica, puts forward
his inpiration of the positive ST-type future as opposed to
the dystopian BR-type future. His characters, in the footsteps
of Kirk, acknowledge the failings of humanity, but eternally
strive to rise above them. Article in the Herald
Tribune. |
| 18 Sep 2006 |
The Comic
Book Bin reviews the new "Eight Way Bandits". Set in
the very near future in a Cyberpunk type world, Bounyoy Pfau,
aka 'Boy', is genetically engineered to be superior in strength,
speed, intelligence, etc. than the men who engineered him...
He is "owned" by the megacorp that created him. And he is
the Bounty Hunter. Of course it rapidly gets more convoluted,
but sounds like the sort of thing some of you BR fans might
like. |
| 18 Sep 2006 |
This
article is titled 'Blade Runner' due
to it's association with helicopters. I include it as inspiration
for the real world where if you believe in a dream and are
prepared to work at it, you can make the dream come to life.
This is real life... |
| 18 Sep 2006 |
Oh, I can't resist
telling you about this. It is only vaguely related to BR, but
is just so fascinating. Apparently,
there is a certain area of New York (the East River Waterfront)
that is absolutely ripe for a certain real estate developer
to "redevelop". Problem
arises when certain people voice their opinion that certain
buildings should be preserved for "heritage". Oh,
but strangely, said buildings end up on fire and burning to
the ground. How unfortunate! Of course heritage protectors
can't protect a hole in the ground, so redevelopment is now
free to continue. And of course redevelopment entrepreneur
Mr Guttman had nothing to do with any arson. So says his lawyer
Israel Goldberg. You just can't make this up. Monty Python
or Not the Nine o' Clock News Or Saturday Night Live would
just die for material like this! |
| 09 Sep 2006 |
How do the street
vendors in BR speak? Well apparently the same way they speak
in Singapore. The Daily
Atorian has an article about Indonesia,
Riau and Singapore. |
| 09 Sep 2006 |
You've seen his
posters. He is the ultimate film poster creator. John Alvin
- read about him in the Washington
Post. |
| 05 Sep 2006 |
Syd Mead is well
known to BR fans. Here he contributes to an art exhibition
of the future. The Crewest Gallery in L.A. has an exhibition called “The Hidden Futures” which 'explores the
possibilities of tomorrow'. On 9 Sep - 8 Oct. |
| 05 Sep 2006 |
So what exactly
is the effect of the internet or any other 'future' technology
on our lives? Tyee
Books reviews the book "Future Hype" by
Bob Seidensticker which takes a somewhat cynical view of current
developments in technology. Are we really progressing as fast
as we think we are? Well, tell you what I think - you wouldn't
be reading what I think if it weren't for the internet. Nor
would you be able to read this book review unless you happened
to be a subscriber and quite frankly, I will always
read Wired magazine first. |
| 29 Aug 2006 |
I've mentioned
it before and now I'm mentioning it again, because you need
to know. The New Zealand Scoop makes
a strong recommendation for the animated movie 'Reniassance'.
See Renaissance
official site. |
| 29 Aug 2006 |
'Blond,
Blue Eyes' - Rutger Hauer of course! Or, more precisely, a documentary
covering two years of his life. He is the most internationally
famous Dutch actor of all time and you've probably seen him
in numerous movies, so this insight into his life should be
quite interesting. Filmed by Simone de Vries, according to
Expatica it will be shown at the Netherlands film festival
on 4th October. |
| 25 Aug 2006 |
Is this new "designer
garage" really like something out of Blade Runner? Commissioned
by Citroën, it will cost you £112,330. Made of light-transmitting
concrete and other high-tech stuff nobody needs, you can switch
between 'pride or hide modes'. Or you could make a decision
before you build your garage whether you want your car to be
hidden, (buy concrete walls), or if you want it to be seen,
(buy glass walls), ... and save yourself £100,000 (or
buy yourself a couple more cars). And if you have that sort
of money and want a terrace, you really don't need to make
it on top of your garage... Read the article at ... umm... findaproperty.com (Yeah,
I know, essential reading for the Cyberpunk futurist...) |
| 24 Aug 2006 |
What
can films such as "Blade Runner," "Eternal
Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and "Super Size
Me" teach us about the ethical,
social and legal implications of bioethics? This question
will be asked by Arizona State University's Bioethics, Policy
and Law Program. This examination of biotechnology will show
several excellent films during the course, including BR.
I mention it not just for the inherent interest, but because
the films are free and open to the public. Read
more. |
| 21 Aug 2006 |
Digital 04 Studios
will be hosting a new Digital Art Conference in Montreal on
September 23/24. Syd Mead will be one of the guest speakers.
bytesector
article. |
| 18 Aug 2006 |
Full
Metal Apache: Transactions Between Cyberpunk Japan and Avant-Pop
America - By Takayuki Tatsumi (wow,
glad I can copy/paste that!) The
Daily Yomiuri Online reviews this book - an examination
of postmodern culture, subculture and literary/filmic Oriental/Occidental
recombination. Who is influenced by whom? In a world where
we are constantly reinventing ourselves and others, country
borders have little to do with the new world culture. Or to
cite an obvious example: BRmovie.com is an international website
reporting on an article in Japan's largest English language
newspaper reviewing a book by a Japanese university professor
about East-West cross-culturalism? I think I'm turning Japanese,
I really think so... |
| 14 Aug 2006 |
Popular
Science discusses "The Fembot Mystique".
Why are we fascinated with the likes of Pris, Maria or any
Number 6 (e.g. from Battlestar Galactica or Tripping the
Rift, (but not The Prisoner!))? I shall refrain from suggesting
an answer, or why I want a Nexus 6 pleasure model for myself... |
| 11 Aug 2006 |
A film of cult
British SF show "The Prisoner"? According to Coming
Soon, it
is to be written by Janet and David Peoples, (David was second
scriptwriter for BR and together with his wife, they wrote
Twelve Monkeys). Potential director is Chris Nolan, who
is currently working on the sequel to Batman Begins - The Dark
Knight. I'm wary. Hollywoodized movies of cult British TV shows
are some of the most utterly crap movies ever made, because
they usually lose the very essence of what made the show popular
(on both sides of the Atlantic) in the first place. (e.g. The
Avengers, The Saint, Thunderbirds, HHGG...) And with The Prisoner,
part of what appeals is numerous episodes to tell the tale.
Can it be done effectively in two hours? I guess we'll just
have to wait and see. |
| 08 Aug 2006 |
I mentioned a
week ago that Bill Pullman was being hailed as a
bit of a Dick. Now Paul Giamatti is apparently also going to
play Philip K. Dick. "Also" because we're talking about another PKD
movie, that is, a movie about PKD rather than an adaptation
of one of his stories. As my mother would have said, "It never
rains, but it pours." |
| 04 Aug 2006 |
Sir Ridley Scott
was in charge of creation of the definitive future city of
L.A. 2019 and apartments of a few of the characters in Blade
Runner. He supervised creation of the most magical of forests
in Legend. So what about his own house? Well, perhaps he really
needs to rely on set designers...
The
Evening Standard reports on an interior designer's view
of exactly what is wrong with Ridley's own digs. |
| 04 Aug 2006 |
Apparently, according
to EURweb,
Mariah Carey will have lots of costume changes in each performance
of her new tour, starting with a "Blade Runer look" - apparently
a B&W R&B superhero... Okaaay..... |
| 31 Jul 2006 |
Cinema
Blend, Movieweb and
Dark
Horizons report on the Production Weekly story that Bill
Pullman may have been been given the role of Philip K. Dick
in "Panasonic".
It will be a fictional film, but based on the writings and
imagined worlds of PKD.
Update: Now confirmed. |
| 30 Jul 2006 |
Don't be surprised
when you visit Mawu Village in Beijing's Tongzhou District
and see a 1.8 metre (5'11") tall robot pulling a rickshaw.
This is the 25th robot creation of Wu Yulu who is a farmer
and creates robots just for fun. Read the China
Daily story
to find out about this interesting character. |
| 29 Jul 2006 |
I've probably
mentioned "Second Life" in the past few months. Well. Now I'm
mentioning it again! Until you get a virtual life in addition
to your real one, you are only existing. Timesonline takes
a look at the rapidly expanding Second
Life. Is it Blade Runner?
Well, it can be anything you make it. So go make it. |
| 28 Jul 2006 |
I suspect that
most of the regular readers here are at the very least open-minded
about scientific advancemenents and the people who discover
and create them. Blade Runner is one of many films that takes
things to an extreme and sees what happens. Not human cloning
as such, but creation of robot slaves from human DNA is only
one step away. Like most films of this nature, the scientist
behind it all is shown to be doing something that ultimately
is "morally bad", (even though it starts with the
best of intentions).
No wonder the general populace has an apprehensive view of
scientists and what they do. Brian J. Roseberg writes for the Harvard
Crimson Opinion page of The
Misunderstood Scientist and why The
modern myth must be debunked. |
| 27 Jul 2006 |
In today's world,
does having a fanatical knowledge about films really have a
place? Well, I've devoted a quite large website (with the help
of many others' contributions) to just one film, so I think
you can guess my answer! Even many of the film scholars or
self-created critics would acknowledge that the fan interested
in the minutiae of the film, the making of the film, etc. has
an important place. Indeed, I suspect that two groups are actually
two sides of the same coin. So, where do the fine details come
from? One great source is the magazines devoted to film. PopMatters takes
a look at these, especially in the horror genre, but ends up
the first of two articles with a look at Cinefantastique. An
excellent source for film detail in the 70's and 80's, the
mags contain wonderfully in-depth information about Blade Runner.
The assignment to cover BR went to Paul M. Sammon which eventually
led him to write the book "Future Noir", widely referred to
by BR fans as "The BR Bible". Can we have too much information
about a film? ... No. |
| 23 Jul 2006 |
Film versus TV?
I strongly support both. No need to pretend one is "better"
than the other. Film is powerful, but TV has more scope and
much more time to build stories and characters. This is the
view expounded by The
Age - and how the best filmmakers really
should also make TV - and I quite agree. Take, for example,
the Scott Free produced "Numb3rs" - I am personally delighted
the show even exists, let alone is quite enjoyable. I am sufficiently
the math-whiz myself that I can appreciate it beyond the drama
and even criticize at that level, but still appreciate the
fact that I am watching a good detective show that incorporates
advanced mathematical theories into practical applications
to help solve crimes. Where else but TV? And who else but some
talented people willing to push past the soap operas and "reality"
TV dross? |
| 21 Jul 2006 |
So, I was watching
Stargate SG-1, as I still do, and they're still infusing it
with humour and references their audience will relate to.
Such as the reference to the "Knights who say 'Ni'" for Python
fans. Then when Vala (from another planet, but human) is studying
for a psych evaluation (so she can give the "right" answers)
reads off the computer, "You're in a desert. You look
down and see a tortoise lying on its back, its belly baking
in the hot sun and you're not helping. Why is that?" The
answer she comes up with for not helping is that she is also
a tortoise... |
| 20 Jul 2006 |
Watch out for
animated film "Renaissance", set in Paris, 2054 - some are
saying like Metropolis and Blade Runner. It has voice stars
Daniel Craig (the new James Bond) and Ian Holm (one of my all-time
fave actors - Alien, Brazil, Fifth Element, LotR amongst many
others). Check the official
site. |
| 18 Jul 2006 |
What do the
experts think are the Top 25 "must-see" films of all time?
Well who cares as long as BR is on the list! The Radio Times
"expert", Andrew Collins, is responsible for the
"Film Buff's Guide", according to The
Mirror, also reported in The
Scotsman. An interesting
selection - have you seen them all (probably not), some very
deservely on the list and definitely the odd film there that
I would strongly challenge. |
| 16 Jul 2006 |
sonicstate points
us to a collection of videos about Vangelis. Definitely worth
a look as genius musician Vangelis tends to steer away from
public view. Find out more about him and his music, (which
goes far beyond the soundtrack for BR). |
| 15 Jul 2006 |
"A
documentary, "Visual
Futurist: The Art and Life of Syd Mead," will debut in
Los Angeles next Sunday." Syd is the futurist behind
much of the look of Blade Runner and his visions have inspired
far beyond that. Last Monday, he was awarded a special commendation
at the National Design Awards, honoring his influence on how
others design for the future. The ceremony was held at the
White House. The Washington
Post takes a quick look at his visions
with comments by Syd on what he really thinks about them. I found
a trailer for
the film and that led me to this.
The film will be shown at the Dances
With Films Festival. This
year the festival runs July 21- 27 at the Laemmle's FAIRFAX 3.
Syd Mead will be there for a Q & A on July 23rd, 12:30 p.m.
showing. |
| 14 Jul 2006 |
abc
news has
a great summary (from PC Magazine) of all those gadgets and
technologies predicted in Science Fiction and where they
are in the real world of 2006. Article by David Gerrold,
SF author, who inflicted us with Star Trek's "The Trouble
with Tribbles" (amongst many other things). Don't you just
wish you could have one of those portable communication devices
from those old SF films - you know, you could walk around
a city with one and communicate with another person walking
around the city? Well, I got my first cellphone over 10 years
ago. Sometimes SF predicts the future, sometimes it inspires
people to create the future! |
| 13 Jul 2006 |
Instead of suggesting
you look at one of the reviews for "A Scanner Darkly",
(a few of which are good, some are factual and many make you
realise that any tosser can get a job as a movie reviewer
somewhere ...), I have something infinitely better: Well, actually IGN has
it - the first 24 minutes of the film for free viewing on the
internet. If you are not sure if you want to see the film,
then watch this. The plot of the film deepens further on in
the film, but you can at least identify if you will find it
watchable. There are also interview clips available here. |
| 06 Jul 2006 |
One of the many
influences BR has is on the fashion world. Even haute couture,
as The
Telegraph + 2 reports
of Galliano's latest collection for Dior, ("on Planet
Botticelli"). The Telegraph articles don't
have the relevant pictures - a better idea of what they look
like can be found at
Style.com -
I've set the link to page 3 of the collection which is where
the Pris-a-like models are. |
| 03 Jul 2006 |
So, Film Four
is finally going free. Whoopty doo... When I was living in
the UK, I sure as hell didn't think they were worth 7 quid
a month! So, they're celebrating by showing their 50 top films,
according to BrandRepublic, who point out their blindingly
obvious omissions. Notably Blade Runner, which never fails
to make the Top 20 of EVERY British film survey for many years.
No wonder Film Four have had to go free when they are so totally
out of touch with the tastes of the British public! |
| 28 Jun 2006 |
So, does the
Maxwell Street Sunday market in Chicago look somewhat like
the market in BR? Michael
Nagrant sees the similarity. And
the fact he's looking for an eyeball taco... makes one wonder
what Chew might have done with his reject eyes... served on
noodles perhaps, ("Two is enough!") |
| 27 Jun 2006 |
With the approaching
release of "A Scanner Darkly", just thought I'd mention that
PKD's head is still missing... IHT |
| 25 Jun 2006 |
If you would
like to know a little more about who this Jerry Perenchio guy
actually is and why he might make the decisions he does, <restrain
self from saying anything I can get sued for...>,
then you should read this in-depth Miami
Herald article about
the extremely successful multi-billionaire. I would like to
be super-wealthy too, but I have to wonder, surely there comes
a point where you just don't need to drive the hardest deal
you can and maybe think you could also make some people happy?
28 June update: Univision has now been sold for $12.3bn, at
least $1bn goes to Jerry (who already has a few). |
| 23 Jun 2006 |
While I expect
very soon everyone will have reviews up of "A Scanner
Darkly",
(and of course I, for one, will ignore the mainstream reviewers
who I expect to throw in a load of vague/arty references to
justify their not actually understanding the film), fishbowlLA looks
at the marketing of the film, particularly the pack of goodies
sent out. Which word would you display on your black wristband?
I think I'll opt for "DESPAIR" right now... |
| 22 Jun 2006 |
"The Surrogates"
is a comic book set in 2054 where many people live through
android surrogates out in the world while they stay at home,
connected via data feed. The android's looks are chosen
so that the person driving them can appear to the world how
they want. With techo-terrorism, a tough cop and a quasi-religious
leader, there is plenty of good SF material here. It isn't
pulp SF though as the story goes deeper into speculative fiction.
You might already be looking for the BR or even the DADoeS
comparisons. The review at the comicbook
bin likens the visual
style to that of the cinematography in BR. Eye-catching visuals
set a tone and mood as backdrop to character driven examination
of near-future human identity and existence. |
| 21 Jun 2006 |
The London underground
is set to take one step closer to the look of Blade Runner
and Minority Report from the start of next year. The BBC reports
that following the LCD screens already installed at the
sides of escalators, there will now be full colour, high def
"posters" projected on wallscreens opposite platforms.
Remotely controlled images means absolutely any image can be
projected, including sports results. There will be a few per
platform, interspersed between regular paper posters. It is
not completely new and not the first city to do this, BUT,
this is the perfect example of the 21st century being grafted
into 20th and even 19th century architecture. We've always
had retrofitting, but BR is the movie that truly recognised
that the future isn't all new. Which of course is how the future
has always been! |
| 20 Jun 2006 |
The new Guthrie
Theater complex in Minneapolis is opening this Sunday. The
architecture and interior spaces are such that I really wouldn't
be surprised to see it used in some or other SF film in the not
too distant future. As the MSP
City Pages says, "The
lobby inside the front door, for instance, reminded me at first
look like one of the big stark corporate spaces in 'Blade Runner'." |
| 11 Jun 2006 |
Where has
Daryl Hannah been most of the last 20 days? Well, up a Walnut
tree actually. Protesting against a "significant" farm
being replaced by a warehouse. The
Guardian reports on she
and many other Hollywood celebs trying to save this Los Angeles
patchwork of hundreds of small farming plots.
Update: 15 Jun. Daryl was arrested
as expected. The L.A.Times does
a larger piece on the issue and her involvement in this and
other environmental issues. Daryl hasn't stopped acting yet
though - she'll be filming in Italy this time next month. |
| 09 Jun 2006 |
Probably ought
to mention the film "Natural City" which is popularly being
referred to as "the Korean Blade Runner". It certainly has
many of the same elements, though no doubt presented completely
differently. Korean SF, in the BR style - definitely worth
a couple of hours of any regular visitor to this site. |
| 09 Jun 2006 |
William Sanderson
is also interviewed by Delaware
Online where he offers a view
on the two types of actors - those like Harrison Ford, and
those like him - the "journeymen" who take whatever roles they
can. All I can say is thank goodness for the journeymen - that
is surely what I would be if I took up acting! And, after all,
aren't they the ones who end up being more interesting? |
| 08 Jun 2006 |
TVguide interviews
William Sandereson, mostly about Deadwood. They finish with
the question, "As someone who was in Blade Runner [as
lonely genius J.F. Sebastian], what was your take on the whole
director's cut/narration-versus-no narration debate?".
His rather non-committal answer, "I didn't get it. Because
I'm a fan of Ridley Scott, I want to say to a degree "leave
him alone." Ridley told me himself, "I couldn't get through
the book [Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?]." [Laughs]
I was just happy not to be cut out!" |
| 08 Jun 2006 |
Should you
read the book, "Sci-Phi - Philosophy from Socrates to Schwarzenegger" by
Mark Rowlands? Well, this blogcritic recommends that if you
are inclined towards philosophy as exposed in Science Fiction,
(Sci-Phi), you probably will find it interesting. If you find
yourself watching films like Blade Runner and asking yourself,
"What is real", "What does it mean to be Human", "What is
death", etc . then maybe it is for you. |
| 07 Jun 2006 |
"The
Olympics do not turn a Blade Runner megalopolis into a ghost
town." But the World Cup does (except in the
USA, but even there it is getting noticed, and every single
game will be televised live.) Yes, it is time for the biggest
sporting event on the planet. BR fans are not the most obvious
soccer fans, so here is an alternative viewpoint in the Guardian.
The last World Cup Final (in
2002) was watched by fully one quarter of the entire population
of the world. A few more years and it will be the 2018 World
Cup. Will Deckard watch? What about Roy out in space? I know
this is a long way from being a sports site, but let me give
my predictions anyway. It is being held in Europe, so it
is almost certainly going to be won by a European team. Will
they be defeating Brazil or Argentina - well actually I don't
think those two are good enough this time and it will
be an all-European final. So who? I'm English so I'd love
England to be there - it's their best chance for years,
but I have to admit, I don't think I'll be watching them
in the final. The host nation has won one third of the World
Cups, so Germany has a chance, but even Germans would be
happy if they reached even the quarter finals. Other outside
chances are Sweden, Holland and Portugal, but probably not.
I'll take my choices from Italy, Spain, Czech Republic or
France. But then, what do I know?
Update: Turns out the World Cup
is the one sports event I have a clue about - Italy beat
France in the final and Germany take third place against
a @#$% Portugal team. |
| 07 Jun 2006 |
Netflix and the
time-space continuum. Glenn McDonald reports at popmatters of
the strange world of unlimited DVD rental by mail and catching
up on the back history of classic film. Why Harrison Ford should
be limited to movies starring Han Solo, Indiana Ford and Rick
Deckard. Why watching multiple time-travel films can screw
with your mind and why you really should have watched Annie
Hall back in 1977 (and maybe you still can...). |
| 06 Jun 2006 |
Giant corporate
signs on the sides of buildings? Very Blade Runner. Now very
Raleigh as reported by The
News & Observer. |
| 06 Jun 2006 |
Flesh
and Machines - MIT robotic scientist Rodney Brooks foresees
a future mercifully free of robot-inflicted terror. Boston's
Weekly Dig looks at
Rodney's views of the future of robotics and the influence
on human evolution. Interestingly promotes the view I have
long-since proposed, that by the time the robots are sufficiently
evolved to challenge us, we will have enhanced ourselves so
much with the same technology that we will be the robots. |
| 14 Apr 2006 |
The
CalTrade Report has an interesting bio and update on
Paul Moller, who many of you reading this will know is an
engineer who has been working for decades to make the flying
car a reality. Interesting addition for me is that Boeing's
research arm is looking not just at flying cars themselves,
but what it would take to create an airway control system
that could handle thousands of flying cars. |
| 11 Apr 2006 |
LAist mentions
an interesting looking debate: If
you want a dose of smartness on Saturday, what could be better
than the Science
Matters panel on The Science and Ethics of Reproductive Cloning
at the California Science Center? If
you can't make it, but live in L.A., then according to the official site, it will be broadcast
later this month on LA36 (check site for times). The
site also has further web links for those interested. |
| 07 Apr 2006 |
Retro in the
future? Of course that sums up Blade Runner, but it also describes
our now. The
Toronto Star looks further into technologies
that some still cling to and why that really isn't such a bad
thing. |
| 07 Apr 2006 |
So who would
describe Tokyo thus: "You feel like Forrest
Gump in Blade
Runner."? Well Robin Williams would, at Premiere. |
| 05 Apr 2006 |
Do robots have
souls? So asks Joseph Wilson in Now
Toronto. How is the Western
view different to the Japanese view? Shouldn't robots be seen
as friendly? Depends on whether or not they take over? |
| 03 Apr 2006 |
Do Androids Dream
of Electric Sheep? How about you?. Cnet brings
attention to "Electric
Sheep", the company. The name from the obvious source,
but what their business? Creating virtual places in a virtual
world. In 'Second
Life' to be precise, and they have some major
corporate clients. Don't miss the
special screen
saver offshoot. All sounds very "Snow Crash" to me. |
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