31 Mar 2006 |
100 years ago,
San Francisco was shaken by a major earthquake, although it
was the fires and other tragedies over the following days that
really took their toll. Rebecca Solnit writes in the L.A. Times
about the current celebrations (of rebirth rather than the
tragedy) and in her article hopes that the films of 20 years
ago, (including BR and Terminator), that looked to a post-apocalyptic
world show that the apocalypse happened and is now past and
we grew through it. Well, maybe I'm a little more pessimistic.
Those films are still set in our future and imply global apocalypse.
Perhaps the apocalypse will never happen. Perhaps it has already
started to happen all around us. And perhaps when the next
(overdue) big earthquake happens in SF, the whole city will
fall into the ocean. You can't rebuild a city when the land
it was built on isn't there any more... |
31 Mar 2006 |
What could
the description "Massive
Attack meet Blade Runner in Bombay" refer
to? Well, it refers to Mukul Deora's album 'Stray'. Mukul
himself, describes his music as, "Break
Beat Poetry".
Read more in Metrolife. |
28 Mar 2006 |
Gamespot interviews
Richard Dekkard about the music to go with the game 'Auto assault'.
His inspiration? "Mad Max meets Blade
Runner." He's a fan of both. No kidding...
Can we call you Rick? |
24 Mar 2006 |
Sir Ridley Scott
is one of the many taking up film projects that link in some
way to terrorism, Iraq, soldier's stories, etc. Monsters
and Critics looks
at the number of films now slated that unusually take up stories
related to a war that is still ongoing. With Bush ratings the
lowest ever and US polls now reaching anti-Iraq-war ratings
almost as high as the French polls before the war, it is unlikely
that these films will be particularly nice to the extreme far
right that is represented in the US government. The 50% change
in US public opinion, mixed with a traditionally less than
conservative Hollywood, is likely to produce a set of films
that can only help to push opinion further away from the Rumsfelds
of the world. So call your 'freedom fries' 'french fries' again
(a ludicrous change in the first place as "french fries" is
a name derived from the method of cutting vegetables into strips
(frenching) and not because they originated in France. Better
still, call them 'chips' as they are called in the UK, and
call US chips 'crisps'). Oh, and for a fascinating look at
the real world of international reporting in Iraq, here is
an article that has been reprinted in numerous premiere publications
around the world. It even has a Blade Runner reference... Here
are just a few options: Spiegel
Online, NYbooks, Salon, LewRockwell, Jihad
Unspun. When you use a sledgehammer to crack a nut,
you will break the shell, but you also smash the nut. |
24 Mar 2006 |
Paste has
an interview with Adam Rapp. Adam is stage director, playwright,
novelist and now indy film director. A name to watch for sure.
He lists his four favourite films, which include BR.
It is not the simple fact of that that leads me to mention
it; it is that his work is character-interaction based drama.
In an interview some years ago he said, "My
characters are always trying to find a home. My plays and novels
constantly involve people trying to find refuge in chaos. And
they're constantly trying to connect with people who are strangers." One can see in that the probable main reason he likes BR - disconnected
Replicants struggling to find life amongst the kipple. One
of the reasons BR has clawed its way from cult SF favourite
to international film classic is its immensely diverse appeal.
It isn't only masterful in one or two areas, but in a myriad
of ways that can appeal to a vast range of audiences in totally
different ways. |
24 Mar 2006 |
I would probably
not mention that filming starts in May on "Dark Honeymoon"
except for one interesting snippet of information - it stars
both Daryl Hannah and Sean Young! |
21 Mar 2006 |
Blade Runner
- terrific movie, wonderful game! Just ask Mark Ashton, working
on developing the game Freeworld
Online. Well Warcry did
ask him. When asked what his favorite video game of all time
is, he says, "Oh I'd have to say Blade
Runner - that was an amazing adventure game - fond memories
of it." And no surprise
what his favorite movie is, "Again I'd
have to say Blade Runner. I cant get enough of that movie.
I'ts an old movie, but if you haven't seen it before its amazing!" (Actually it is still amazing if you have seen it before...) |
21 Mar 2006 |
When you work
in a PKD world, it is really important not to lose your head!
Wired. |
19 Mar 2006 |
The
Sunday Times (UK) has an interview with
Harrison Ford. It is mostly about his personal life and while
I am not so interested in the lives of actors beyond the
projects they work on and insights into the making of
films, it is very unusual for HF to open up at all, so I
thought I'd include the link. |
16 Mar 2006 |
When a filmmaker
travels to many different cities looking for "urban art" and
the people who create it, it is worth noting when he says his
favourite city is São Paulo - as he describes it, "it's
like the Blade Runner of the tropics." Read
the interview with
Pablo Aravena. |
11 Mar 2006 |
Parts of Tokyo
have long since been equated with elements of BR L.A. 2019,
with good reason. Here is the first story that I've seen that
looks at the next phase. This is post-modernist in today's
world. Cyberpunk working into today's reality. Neo-Tokyo in
pieces is the real thing. The
Washington Post shows us a world that is
partly generated by other cultures and is already seeping back
into those nations. Question: Do you want to be on the inside
or the outside? You need to decide now, because if you want
to be on the inside, you better start making some money! p.s.
there is no middle in the future - you're either in or out.
p.p.s. I'll be inside. |
10 Mar 2006 |
Here is the latest
in my "arcane references to BR" that link the film
to a subect you just would never dream of. In this
case, a
review of the book, "BEHIND THE CURTAIN:
Travels in Eastern European Football" by Jonathan
Wilson. The link is to quote, "I’ve
seen things you people wouldn't believe." You start to understand
the reference when talking about things like, "Later,
as a journalist for onefootball.com, he travelled through the
region and found that writing football articles involving “match-fixing,
prostitutes and assassination” was more interesting than
banal transfer speculation." Quite. |
08 Mar 2006 |
"“Tarkovsky
meets the Wachowski brothers” is how producer Konstantin
Ernst describes Night Watch, the
fantasy epic that is the highest-grossing Russian film of all
time (by a factor of eight, no less)." So comments
Artvoice.
Do you really need me to suggest that if a film is so far and
away the most popular film of all time of a country that maybe
you should give it a watch? It is the first in a trilogy about
the fight between the forces of light and dark and although this
review is not much, it should give you some taste for the film. |
07 Mar 2006 |
Speaking of Eddie
and BG, here is a report on THE CREATORS AND CAST OF BATTLESTAR
GALACTICA speaking out. Of note: "DAVID EICK: We used Eddie because
of BLADE RUNNER. We were really influenced by Phillip K.
Dick’s writing, especially the sinister elements of
the future. QUESTION: Would each of the actors tell how they came to
be a part of the series? EDWARD JAMES OLMOS: The first two
pages of the script were the most prolific I had ever read.
The mission statement on the front was so beautifully written.
They were moving in a direction that had not been opened
before. The writers went into the type of world created by
BLADE RUNNER, which had never been gone into before. The
script was breathtaking when I dove in."
Filmforce add to this: "As far as
casting the show, Moore said he rarely thinks of specific
actors while writing roles, but that, "In all honesty,
the only role I had a specific actor in mind for on the
show was Mary McDonnell for Laura Roslin." As for
Olmos, Eick explained, "We used
Eddie as our archetype for reasons that are pretty clear
to anyone that has seen Blade
Runner. We were really strongly influenced by a
lot of the elements of that film, as well as the Philip K.
Dick story. And we just kept talking about how sinister Eddie's
character was in that and so that persona started taking
route. It's very unusual, because you never get these people
when you start using them as archetype's and so it still
strikes me now, I'll think, 'Oh my god, I can't believe we
actually got those two!'" As Eick was relating this
story, Olmos, sitting right next to him, slowly removed a
piece of paper from his pocket and looked menacingly at Eick
as he began to fold it, to the great delight of the many Blade
Runner fans in the audience who applauded the reference.
Olmos explained how wary he was of joining the project, noting, "I
had no intention of ever being in a sci-fi anything!" He
said that what really got him hooked was a two-page introduction
attached to the script."
|
06 Mar 2006 |
Edward James
Olmos is well known to us as Gaff in BR and after years of
other successful acting roles has come to SciFi prominence
again in his role as Adama in BG. In Real Life though, he is
also very well known for his work in helping and gaining recognition
for Hispanic people. So, it is no surprise that he is the
Director of the film 'Walkout' - the "True
Story of Seminal Moment in Hispanic Civil Rights History in
the U.S." A film
set in the late 60's where rampant racism was still prevalent
in so-called "The Land of the Free". Read about it at Yahoo. |
06 Mar 2006 |
Chevon Hicks
is building his rep - he created the on-line game for
New Line's 'Running Scared' (unfortunately only available to
people who can prove age with US identity which fucking sucks),
but why do I care to mention him? Well in this
interview he says his favorite
film of all time is Blade Runner and in fact challenges anyone
to a "quote-off". Okay dude, anytime anyplace, I accept. I
am Mr Blade Runner so let's get it on! |
06 Mar 2006 |
The 'Blade Runner'
of horror? A horror film that has a slow initial reaction,
but becomes significant over time as people slowly realise
how brilliant it is? Well that is what is written about 'Lost
Souls' at blogcritics.com. You judge for yourself. |
04 Mar 2006 |
"You say
'Geek' like there's something wrong with that." - I have
no problem with being an ubergeek and so it shouldn't shock
you that of course I've seen the film, "Free Enterprise" where
Robert and Mark meet Will Shatner in a book shop and he turns
out to be nothing like Captain Kirk. As the review in DVD
Times says, it helps if you are the sort
of person who knows the
differences between the Theatrical and Director's
Cuts of Blade Runner, because that is
the sort of person this film is likely to appeal to the most,
except it really is much more than that. So, the extended edition
is now out on DVD. Well, okay, even I am not going to suggest
you run out to buy it, but do look out for the film and give
it a watch - it is quite amusing. BTW, I am way past 30 and
there really is a Sanctuary... |
04 Mar 2006 |
Another car has
arrived with a cabin like something out of BR... According
to Edmunds.com, the Geneva show has revealed the new concept
car from Inovo Design. Called the Lirica, it does indeed use
visual displays for the driver that look somewhat like a BR
spinner's. |
04 Mar 2006 |
The Oscar thingy
is about to happen and as usual, I don't care, (though I admit
I hope Philip Seymour Hoffman gets one), so this Guardian article
is good for talking about L.A. and film from the real film
pespective, i.e. parts of L.A. you've seen in the movies. |
03 Mar 2006 |
I will include
this for completeness even though I disagree with the PoV quite
considerably. The
Australian talks of PKD and his "false prophecy
of doom" . While I may not be as pessimistic as PKD, I
think the author (Stephen Matchett) of this article is looking
through rose-coloured spectacles. Perhaps he does struggle
with Dick's novels - that is his problem. Post apocalypse is
not just the nuclear threat (which, quite frankly has not yet
disappeared). The environment is being screwed up by us at
a rapid rate and that is what PKD was really on about. Dick
didn't dislike technology as such, but warned against becoming
slave to it. Anyone who has seen the imposition of the "Patriot
Act" in the
USA knows that individual civil liberties are indeed under
threat and reflected around the world. As for ignoring the
fact that the real rulers of the world are the large corporations
and their influence, well, I must get me some of those rose-coloured
glasses myself! |
02 Mar 2006 |
William Gibson
used the term "sprawl" in Neuromancer to describe the never-ending
city. Where life in some areas simply turns to kipple, it
could describe the city in Blade Runner. and increasingly
can be seen as a real description of today, especially in
the USA. I am currently living in an area where distinct
towns are slowly merging together as buildings get thrown
up on what was not long ago farmland, so this
article on
sprawl interested me. |
27 Feb 2006 |
Dose lists
some Oscars oversights and snubs. Of course BR is right up
there - one of the greatest films ever made and Oscar people
just didn't get it. I will never know why Ghandi got best
sets for some tents in the desert when Blade Runner created
the quintessential city of the future. |
27 Feb 2006 |
A week and
a half ago, I was looking for some BR-inspired women's fashion
more interesting than hats. Well, this is
the best I've come up with so far. |
26 Feb 2006 |
So, if robots
really do try to take over, how shall we defeat them? Well,
a quick glance through what roboticists are currently working
on might help. That is pretty much how Daniel Wilson came
up with the content for his book, "How to Survive a
Robot Uprising". Obviously a humourous book, it nonetheless
draws on the real cybernetic research of today. Reviewed
by SFGate. |
24 Feb 2006 |
Unreal Tournament
2007. Gamespot has
some screenshots of the BladeRunner-esque city in the game.
Or is it simply streets with Neon signs? What exactly makes
it BResque I wonder? |
22 Feb 2006 |
Once again this
month I find myself annoyed at a car review using a too-easy
reference to Blade Runner. The Honda Civic Si is reviewed by
the LA
Times. Does it belong in Blade Runner? No. Does it have
'an instrument panel out of "Blade Runner."'? Well,
there is a picture - it has a centre visual display, but the
whole dash is not a display showing a graphic illustration
of the buildings you're flying between. And I bet it doesn't
say "PURGE" when you take off. Okay that is really the Nostromo,
but let's not quibble. The dash does not look like it belongs
in a Spinner. |
21 Feb 2006 |
If I didn't already
put you off actually going to the cinema to see Firewall rather
than wait for it to be on TV, then read this review. |
21 Feb 2006 |
Votoms is partly
inspired by BR. Well, of course it is. |
19 Feb 2006 |
"No
Snow Job By This Blade Runner" - nothing to do with
BR-the-film, but a story that I can relate to in my current
snow-shovelling location. Sometimes, the little things make
such a difference. |
18 Feb 2006 |
The Palm
Beach Post mentions the book 'L.A. Noir'. Although it
is basically about the history of Film Noir, it cannot of
course exist without talking about the Future Noir of Blade
Runner. |
17 Feb 2006 |
Why go to Seattle?
The same reason to go to Turin of course - to see the Blade
Runner stuff at the SF museum! The Brisbane Courier-Mail offers
some other reasons to visit Seattle, but I know what would
be top of my itinerary! |
17 Feb 2006 |
When it comes
to women's fashions, I am quite considerably more interested
in lingerie than hats. But if it is a designer's hats that
are inspired by Blade Runner, then hats are what I must report.
See Vogue (and check the photos). In the meantime, I'll continue
scouring the Victoria's Secret catalogue to see if anything
in there is BR inspired... |
17 Feb 2006 |
Mary Hopkin has
been lured out of retirement to sing with Dolly Parton in a
reworking of her 1968 song, 'Those Were The Days'. The BBC is an excellent source of news, but the one thing not mentioned
in this article and the reason I am mentioning it here - Mary
Hopkin sang "Rachel's Song" on the BR soundtrack. |
16 Feb 2006 |
Boston's
weekly dig previews the 31st annual Boston Sci-Fi Film
festival. Although the main features all seem to be films
already on DVD, it is still good to see some of these things
on a big screen. as well as the more obscure stuff. Interesting
comment in remembering the past was, 'In
1983—one year
after Blade Runner was
released in theatres, only to become a box-office flop—the
fest showcased Ridley Scott's masterpiece, noting in
their program guide: "See it with the right audience
this time."' So true!
|
15 Feb 2006 |
There are lots
of reasons to take a trip to Italy besides the Winter Olympics.
One of Turin's main features, the Mole Antonelliana, was once
the tallest brick building in the world. But even more interesting
is what is inside - the Museo Nazionale
del Cinema -
I'm sure you don't need to speak Italian to figure out what
that is. In there you can ride a bicycle with E.T. or strut
the street with KeaNeo in The Matrix or with HF in Blade Runner.
If you ever visit Turin, then don't forget to look in the Mole!
Article. |
15 Feb 2006 |
One of the questions
one asks after seeing a film like Blade Runner is, "When
exactly are we going to get flying cars?" Of course on
a site like this, the subject crops up every year. Reported
in the Boston
Globe, here are some people who are really serious about
creating the world's first commercial airplane/automobile.
Of course creating a flying car isn't really the issue. The
real issue is creating the billions of dollars worth of infrastructure
to manage people flying the things. And handling the mess when
cars crash and fall out of the sky. Which is why this project
is more correctly called a "driveable airplane" -
it is actually going to be an aeroplane you drive home from
the airport runway rather than a car any old Joe can fly off
their driveway. In the USA, where simply driving to the next
interesting place on the map can take many excrutiatingly boring
hours, I can certainly see the appeal, but I don't think I'll
be buying one anytime soon. Check their website. |
13 Feb 2006 |
You probably
already know that the next PKD movie to hit screens is "A
Scanner Darkly", being released in the USA this Summer.
The film style, (used in his previous film), is also being
used in commercials.
Also fascinating is the technology rush associated with films
like this. According to this press
release, Amp'd Mobile subscribers
will get to see the trailer now, before it is released in cinemas
or on the Web. |
13 Feb 2006 |
Ever wonder about
the "Blade Runner" stories I don't mention? The top
two non-BR BR categories are about boats and skaters. There
is a Blade Runner boat that is quite the speedboat. One of
them broke the round-Britain record. With the Winter Olympics
in the news, the references to "Blade Runner" skaters,
usually limited to ice hockey articles, has increased substantially.
Not to mention other icy sports like sledding. And enjoyable
as those activities surely are, no, I won't be mentioning them
again. Just thought I'd share that with you. |
13 Feb 2006 |
I like Wired
and this article on
night vision technology being developed by Mercedes and BMW
is quite interesting. I'm just not sure why the author anticipated
that seeing ahead in the dark on a monitor would invoke something
like a "Blade Runner experience".
It seems unsurprising to me that it didn't. Did he expect it
would seem like he was flying or something? I love that BR
has slipped so far into our culture, but sometimes it is just
too easy a metaphor to use. Anyway, the tech is still interesting
and pursued in America and Japan as well, but so far not with
great commercial success. |
11 Feb 2006 |
Sometimes the
subject of the news is weird, sometimes it is just weird where
you find it. Apparently the PKD robot has gone missing. It
disappeared last month. And where am I finding this article?
In the Sci-tech section of aljazeera.net -
not one of my regular sources of Blade Runner information!
But a good article nonetheless. Or read about it in The
Age. |
10 Feb 2006 |
Good interview
in the Toronto
Star with Harrison Ford including this about
Blade Runner:
The question: "One
of the films you made that was initially a failure with critics
and audience alike has since come to be considered a classic
of its kind. Tell me about Blade Runner. I know
you've said you had real difficulty making the film and working
with director Ridley Scott, but have your feelings about the
film changed over the years as its reputation has grown?"
The answer: "I
don't dislike the film. I think it's a really interesting,
moody kind of movie. And the experience, although it was somewhat
difficult, because it was 50 nights of shooting on the backlot
of Burbank, and it had a lot of rain and Ridley and I didn't
agree on everything all the way through, was a little difficult.
But it was a wonderful experience and I have since made peace
with it. And with Ridley."
|
08 Feb 2006 |
Now
Playing Magazine tells us that The Flash TV series (early 90's) is now on DVD.
Who played his Dad? M. Emmet Walsh - our very own Captain Bryant
(and incidentally who is still getting good parts). |
08 Feb 2006 |
Portland (in
Oregon as I recall, and if you don't know where Oregon is ...
well quite frankly who cares) - but you might if you're interested
in sex, because apparently they have a lot of sex-related stuff
- according to this article on Willamette
Week's website. The
relevant part: "...to most people
the idea of a collection of metal parts, pistons and rubber
that can bring a woman to orgasm countless crazy-making times
still sounds like something out of a porn version of Blade
Runner." I wonder. I think I
need to do some field testing to see if that is actually correct...
By the way, the porn version of Blade Runner is I.K.U. - actually
claiming to be a sequel of sorts, but arty porn really. I'll
write a review one day, but I got so bored watching it, I fell
asleep. |
08 Feb 2006 |
Prompted by reviews
of Harrison Ford's latest film "Firewall", I looked up his
recent movies and realized I've only seen 3 of the films he's
made in the last ten years, all on TV and two of them only
because my wife wanted to see them. He seems to see himself
as popcorn blockbuster man and will go through the motions
just like we've seen too many times now. He certainly was better
- Blade Runner being one of several highlights, but where now?
When Indiana Jones 4 finally gets made, he'll be old enough
to play his own grandfather and hopefully it will be his fit
granddaughter doing all the action scenes. Here is an example
review of
Firewall that makes me think I'll wait until its on the telly. |
08 Feb 2006 |
Dubai has long
since picked up its comparison to Blade Runner L.A. but I figured
it could do with another mention. This Financial
Express article is
about the global housing bubble and likens the boom around
Dubai being transformed into a "futuristic
playground of glitz, glamour and Blade Runner fantasy."
|
02 Feb 2006 |
Robot toys are
now commonly available. One of the bigger and very recognisable
ones is Robosapiens. Its creator is Mark Tilden. (Of course
another Blade Runner fan.) Read a great interview with him
at you-review. |
02 Feb 2006 |
I would guess
that the average reader of this site realises that the future
is closer than most people think. For instance, RFID chips
being implanted under the skin is not new technology and is
now not even uncommon when it comes to pets. But what about
people? Some are already implanted. People are already taking
those first steps to being cyborgs, not simply with things
like pacemakers or spectacles, which make one cyborg by strict
definition only, but instead with actual computer chips designed
to enhance us. Read The
NY Times article for how this is not even the
future any more. It is now. |
01 Feb 2006 |
If you're anywhere
near London from 11-19 February, then make your way to the
Dray Walk Gallery where there is a show of future concept cars.
"The Road Ahead" looks to be showing some fascinating vehicles
of the future, including the winners of a design competition.
It will come as no surprise to BR fans that Syd Mead, designer
of the vehicles in Blade Runner, has won his place there. Check C4
News. |
31 Jan 2006 |
According to
the SJ
Mercury, the 16th annual
Cinequest Film
Festival will be held in San Jose, March 1-12. This year they
are giving their Maverick Spirit award to Edward James Olmos
(who played Gaff in BR and many other great roles in other
movies, not to mention Adama in the latest Battlestar Galactica!)
Note: If you register (free) with Cinequest, you can watch
all sorts of film clips, including previous Maverick award
winners. Try for instance the 25 minute "afternoon with David
and Janet Peoples". |
31 Jan 2006 |
Memories... As
a BR fan, you must surely have pondered one of the film's most
fascinating themes - memories, false memories, created memories.
But I wonder if you have pondered the nature of memories as
much as John Mulligan. He wrote a play called "Black" now being
made into a film, inspired by his obsession with memories,
which was in turn inspired by Blade Runner and DADoES. The
"Black" of the title is a drug that 15 minutes after it is
taken wipes the previous 30 minutes of memories, but more than
that, creates new memories to fill that 30 minutes. Definitely
another level on how much we can trust our own memories. Oops,
almost forgot to put a link to the story...
|
31 Jan 2006 |
"She Wants
Revenge"
are a music group from L.A. that seem to be doing rather well.
mp3.com have
an in-depth interview with singer Justin Warfield. The interview
can also be streamed and you can even listen to tha album (as
I'm doing now) as that is also available for free streaming.
The feeling they were looking for was inspired by listening
to the Vangelis BR score and Giorgio Moroder and Tangerine
Dream soundtracks amongst others. (And sounds to me some of
Green Day in there as well.) So, intelligent, but cinematic
and not just a set of songs. Also reviewed and interviewed
at The
Pitch. |
30 Jan 2006 |
I just found
this interview with
married co-authors Barb & JC
Hendee. They talk about their work and about Dhampirs
(children of vampires) and who they would like to play the
characters if the stories become films (which wouldn't surprise
me in the least). And who to direct such a film - well they
suggest the director of Blade Runner and Legend might be a
good choice. Incidentally, if you haven't seen the DC of Legend,
do give it a watch. What Ridley did for the future city in
BR, he did for the magical forest in Legend - the most beautiful
and full of wonder that I've ever seen (and I've seen most
of them!). |
28 Jan 2006 |
The team creating the "Mass
Effect" SF game trilogy for the Xbox 360 are evidently aiming
high. According to Casey Hudson of Bioware, talking to SCI
FI Wire, the team have looked to the best of SF films,
like Blade Runner for inspiration. To see the cinematic realism
of the game, check out the trailer at the official
site. |
27 Jan 2006 |
The BBC has
an article on "Mapping out the future of transport" reporting
on visions of travel in Britain in 2055. Whose vision? Well,
a government thinktank actually. This isn't so much a prediction
as a set of possibilities. Where we end up in 2055 depends
on steps we start taking now. One of those possible futures
is the "Blade Runner" scenario of "Perpetual Motion" - a future
of 24/7 public transport and individual cars (that drive themelves)
as you pass huge advertising screens. The question is, will
the government actually pay any attention? |
27 Jan 2006 |
Mars rovers. For me, quite
a fascinating subject, but I suspect not everyone's cup of
tea. There is an IMAX film about them you know - again, something
I might actually go and see, but I don't blame you if you're
not interested. But do check out this review - clearly the
people at the San
Francisco Chronicle don't quite know what
to make of it and write quite the most bizarre documentary
film review I've seen for a while! |
27 Jan 2006 |
It is, perhaps, an odd place
to learn this - in the Borehamwood
& Elstree Times, but worthy
of direct quoting. "Great news to hear
that next month veteran editor and local resident Terry Rawlings
is to receive a lifetime achievement award from the American
Film Editors' Organisation." Terry edited Blade Runner (and Alien and
Legend and many non-Scott films). |
25 Jan 2006 |
If you scan through the extended
credits list of BR on this website, you will find the uncredited
model maker Michael McMillen. Heads up from The
Santa Clara - check out the artist's
work in miniature dioramas at the de
Sassiest Museum at Santa
Clara University. |
24 Jan 2006 |
I don't think I've mentioned
Boston being compared to Blade Runner before, so here you go:
Boston's Weekly Dig thinks a part of Boston is BladeRunneresque. |
23 Jan 2006 |
Michael Arick has done a lot
of restoration work on Blade Runner and I'm sure we'll be seeing
his efforts in the not too distant future. But of course that
is not the only thing he has worked on. In 1972/3, Liza Minnelli
was at her peak, not just the year of Cabaret, but also a special
concert - the first made specifically for network TV and one
filmed in 16mm. Michael has restored and remixed the show.
If you have any interest in musical theatre, look out for Liza
with a "Z". Read the history at Film
Stew. |
22 Jan 2006 |
So, have you been to the Science
Fiction museum in Seattle yet? Well, I haven't and most of
you haven't, but surely there is somebody out there
who can give a personal report to us BR fans. I can put links
to reviews in news journals, like this one in The
Columbian,
which gives us all those good reasons why we would like to
visit, but it would be nice if somebody could give a personal
report, preferably with pictures, just for people to read
on this website. |
20 Jan 2006 |
"On paper
this sounded enticing. In 2002, UNKLE's James Lavelle and
Richard File furiously spliced together an eclectic collection
of club tracks, new edits and remixes for three-CD mix album
Do Androids Dream of Electronic Beats? The prospect of the
duo applying this approach to film seemed exciting." But according to the Sydney
Morning Herald,
it is ultimately disappointing. If I'm going to listen to Blade
Runner music and dialogue clips, I think I'll stick to my Vangelis
album. |
14 Jan 2006 |
Filmcritic.com likens the
visual impact of watching Tristan & Isolde to watching Blade
Runner for the first time. Does Kevin Reynolds have that directorial
sense of visual depth? Would that be why the Scott brothers
produced this film? (Actually Ridley Scott has long been associated
with this project - so do we now herald the newer director?)
But more to the point, what is it actually like to see Blade
Runner for the first time? Those of us who saw it in 1982 are
now grasping at fading memories of the experience. And to see
it in 2006 for the first time is undoubtedly quite different
as it is now 'just around the corner future' rather than 'near
future' and is replicated all around us in many ways. And is
the first time really the best viewing? So many people have
written of not falling in love with BR on the first viewing,
but instead, after multiple viewings (although of course some
got hooked first time). Finally, do we really remember the
first time or is that memory actually 'enhanced' by those later
viewings? |
09 Jan 2006 |
"Replicants
were used Off-world as
slave labor, in the hazardous exploration and
colonization of other planets."
Replicants. Robonauts. Hmmm.... "Robonauts: The next generation of space
explorers will look -- and act -- more like people than probes." So Boston.com reports
on the next generation of space robots. One step closer... |
09 Jan 2006 |
Here is one interview
you absolutely have to read. Green
Cine have an in-depth interview
with Douglas Trumbull. He is the wonderful mind behind the
visual effects in Blade Runner. Also the Director of Silent
Running and Brainstorm and creator of effects (like the light
sequence) in 2001, Star Trek, The Andromeda Strain and Close
Encounters (instead of Star Wars). He should have been one
of the great SF direcors in my opinion, but had real bad luck
getting there and studio issues. |
06 Jan 2006 |
Indiana University South Bend
are doing something quite wonderful.
"History, art, fashion, science:
The Mutable Body - IUSB events focus on changeable nature of
humanity." This isn't
only a quick look at the changing human body, but a theme for
the year on how "the body changes,
mutates or is artificially altered". Plus evolution
of the human. Central book choice for this theme is PKD's Do
Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. There are many public lectures
related to this theme and many are related to themes in Blade
Runner. So, if you are anywhere nearby, you may well want to
check your diaries. South
Bend Tribune story. On the University website, start with
The
Mutable Body course page, then check out the One
Book, One Campus page which has an examination of DADoES. |
05 Jan 2006 |
So, it is 2006 and days are
passing with little Blade Runner interest, so why not mention
the Blade Runner hybrid truck. I reported on this ages ago,
but here is a refreshed version if you missed the previous.
gizmag.
And gizmag also
has a look at another Blade Runner influenced design by Honda
designed for "party animals". Of course the
basic concept of transporting people who are dancing in the
back is immensely stupid as at the first sharp stop, the destination
will have to change to the nearest hospital... |