Some questions on Blade Runner to replace those in the Critical Reader for Weeks 6-7!!

1. How has Blade Runner been received critically since its 1982 release?

2. How many versions of the film are there, when, and what are the differences?

3. Blade Runner is a highly complex movie has been described as a 'palimpsest' of clues and layers that rewards repeated viewing.

In particular, it is full of visual and written clues and references (often ironic) that help us in 'reading' it, but they are easy to miss. Here are some references that you can Google. Follow the clues:

- Zhora (snake dancing replicant) and Leon are staying a hotel called the Yukon at 1187 Hunterwasser St. What significance does the name Yukon have? (clue: frontier. colony). What is the significance of the name Hundertwasser? (clue: architecture, irony, dystopia)

- When Deckard goes to the Snake Pit nightclub in Chintown, Zhora (unseen) performs a dance called 'Miss Salome and the Snake.' What does this reference? (clue: Bible, John the Baptist).

- Not long after Roy arrives at Sebastian's apartment (after he kisses Priss and before he plays chess), he toys with the broken-half of a Barbie doll. In what way might this be allegorical?

- In the climactic scene in which Roy (uncomfortably for many viewers) kisses his 'father', Tyrell, what does the kiss represent? (clue: New Testament, Judas)

- Sebastian's apartment is located in the Bradbury building. How is this significant (clue: SF author Something Wicked this Way Comes).

- Much of the film is set in 21st century LA's Chinatown. How is this iconic? (clue: film noir, Polanski, femme fatale).

4. What did you think of the film? Does following these kinds of clues affect your appreciation of the movie?

I am now going to answer the first question of this week's final questions. It says: "How has Blade Runner been received critically since its 1982 release?

This is my answer: I couldn't find an answer to this in the Critical Reader so I searched in the K Drive for the lecturer's power points; because I remember the lecture we had for Blade Runner somewhere after we watched the movie. This is what I found:

"Blade Runner (1982) *The most critically acclaimed of these film adaptations was Ridely Scott's Blade Runner (1982)...Blade Runner is considered a classic of neo-noir' and cyberpunk (mountfort, 2008).

I'm not entirely sure if we're supposed to reference to power points or not. Anyways. Blade Runner as the quote has just mentioned - it is considered as a classic of neo-noir and cyberpunk movie. Though I'm not a fond of sci-fi movies, I found Blade Runner really interesting in the sense it is not hard core sci-fi like Star Wars.

I don't know...what do you guys think?

Question 4

At first, I thought the film was just another fantasy movie packed with gadgets and innovative creations of means of transportation and of course, action packed. But after analysing the clues which were embedded in the film, I really appreciate and admire the skilful techniques of the film writer. How they had inserted all these references to the main idea of a novel; the style of an eccentric architect; the New Testament in the Bible and the frontier location of a city on the other side of the world from New Zealand. What do you guys think? I might watch it again and this time I will definitely look out for all the clues in the film.

Alby ^_^

Question 2

I found this from Wikipedia, feel free to have a read and comment on it. ^_^

Alby

Seven different versions of Blade Runner exist, but the most well-known are the International Cut (1982) and the Director's Cut (1992):[1]
1. Original workprint version (1982, 113 minutes) shown to audience test previews in Denver, Dallas and London in March 1982. It was also seen in 1990 and 1991 in Los Angeles and San Francisco as a Director's Cut without Scott's approval. Negative responses to the test previews led to the modifications resulting in the U.S. theatrical version.[2] while positive response to the showings in 1990 and 1991 pushed the studio to approve work on an official director's cut. It was re-released with the 5-disc Ultimate Edition in 2007.
2. A San Diego Sneak Preview shown only once in May 1982, which was identical to the Domestic Cut with three extra scenes.
3. The U.S. theatrical version (1982, 115 minutes), known as the original version or Domestic Cut, released on VHS in 1983 and re-released in 1992 as a "10th Anniversary Edition."
4. The International Cut (1982, 117 minutes) also known as the "Criterion Edition" or uncut version, included more violent action scenes than the U.S. theatrical version. Although initially censored in the U.S. and available in European and Asian theatrical and local Warner Home Video LD releases, it was later released on VHS by Embassy Home Entertainment in the mid-1980s and Criterion Collection Laserdisc in North America.
5. The U.S. broadcast version (1986, 86 minutes), the U.S. theatrical version edited for profanity and nudity by CBS to meet broadcast restrictions.
6. The Ridley Scott-approved (1992, 117 minutes) Director's Cut; prompted by the unauthorized 1990-1 workprint theatrical release and made available on VHS in 1994 (1993 in Japan), on Laserdisc in 1995 and on DVD in 1997.
7. Ridley Scott's Final Cut (2007, 117 minutes), or the "25th Anniversary Edition", released by Warner Bros. theatrically on October 5, 2007 and subsequently released on DVD, HD DVD, and Blu-ray in December 2007 (U.K. Dec. 3; U.S. Dec. 18).[3] This is the only version over which Ridley Scott had complete artistic control; the Director's Cut was rushed and he was not directly involved. In conjunction with the Final Cut, extensive documentary and other materials were produced for the home video releases culminating in a five-disc "Ultimate Collector's Edition" release by Charles de Lauzirika.[4]
Differences
The Final Cut contains the following differences (in order of appearance) from the 1992 Director's Cut:
1. The color timing has been noticably altered to give the film a more greenish tint.
2. The fireballs in the opening refinery shot are correctly synchronized with the associated light play on the smokestacks. Some of these had been off-sync in earlier versions.
3. The shot of Deckard waiting to eat at the White Dragon has been shortened, its editing reminiscent of the workprint version of the shot. This was done due to the removal of the voiceover.
4. Smoke has been added behind the cook when he serves Deckard.
5. The cables lifting Gaff's police spinner are no longer plainly visible. (Cables were also removed from another shot of a spinner late in the film, just before Deckard enters Sebastian's apartment building.)
6. In addition to English the voices on police radio during Gaff's and Deckard's flight to the police headquarters can be heard speaking German and Japanese.
7. As Deckard enters Bryant's office, Bryant's statement "I've got four skinjobs walking the streets" is no longer obviously a spliced-in re-recording.
8. Bryant's line "One of them got fried running through an electrical field" is changed to "Two of them..." to remove the numerical inconsistency later on.
9. Bryant adds a new line about Leon being able to lift 400 pound atomic loads all day and night. This is from the work print.
10. When Gaff and Deckard first appear at Leon's apartment, the landlord now says "Kowalski", another small bit originally from the workprint.
11. A background behind Batty when he is first introduced speaking to Leon has been changed. As the shot was taken from a later scene, this has now been corrected to appear as if Batty is actually in the phone booth as Leon finds him.
12. Deckard's conversation with the snake merchant Abdul Ben Hassan has been altered so that the dialogue is no longer out of sync; Ford's son, Ben, lip-synched the spoken dialog and his mouth was digitally placed over his father's.
13. A shot of the busy crowds in the streets was restored. Immediately after that, a shot of two strippers wearing hockey goalie masks was restored. Finally, there's a shot of Deckard talking to another police officer just prior to Deckard entering the Snake Pit. These three shots had previously appeared in slightly different form in the workprint version.
14. The original full-length version of the unicorn dream has been restored. This is a much different version than the one that appeared in the Director's Cut, and has never been in any version seen by the public prior to this one. Deckard is shown to be awake, previously he was asleep or nearly asleep.
15. During Deckard's pursuit of Zhora, Joanna Cassidy's face has been digitally superimposed over that of the stunt double, Lee Pulford. This scene was re-filmed specifically for the Final Cut. Although great effort had been undertaken to replace the stunt double face with Cassidy's, the tan-colored protective suit Pulford wore to protect against glass cuts is still visible.
16. A scar on Deckard's face after his "retirement" of Zhora has been removed. Originally, the scene in which Deckard meets Bryant after retiring Zhora was to take place after his encounter with Leon, explaining the scar. This was done prior to the removal of the "sixth replicant," creating a continuity error. Due to the re-ordering, the scar was always present before Deckard had actually gotten it.
17. When Batty confronts Tyrell, he says, "I want more life, father." (from the workprint version, an alternate take intended for but never used in television broadcasts of the film), as opposed to the original line "I want more life, fucker." The line also has a noticeably deeper tonal quality than the previous versions.
18. After killing Tyrell, Batty says "I'm sorry Sebastian. Come. Come." when in the original he merely approached the frightened Sebastian. This is also from the workprint.
19. All the violent scenes in the International Cut (Tyrell's death, the confrontation between Deckard and Pris and the nail through Batty's bleeding hand) that were deleted in the U.S. theatrical release and Director's Cut are restored to the Final Cut.
20. After Batty releases the dove, it now flies up into a dark rainy sky instead of a blue sky.

Wikipedia (2008). Article: Versions of Blade Runner. Retrieved September 8th
from:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Versions_of_Blade_Runner

question4: response to alby...

Before watching the movie in class while we were introduced to the movie, I thought it was a typical sci fi movie with all the laser swords with people in white suits and have you.

I wasn't even looking for these clues, but I will...once I get to watch it again. Now I have to go look for the dvd...hehe

Hey Alby,

with the second question, I tried not to look at the wikipedia site for this. But you have and it's similar to what I was looking at. From the powerpoint of week six that says week seven (from the K drive) there are six other film versoins besides 'Blade Runner' itself in 1982. And you just named all the directors I was about to put up! GO ALBY!

The film set in Chinatown in the 21st century is ironic as DR Paul said, because we are in the 21st century and Chinatown doesnt look like how it is in the film.

It is more likely to be a film noir.

The words 'film noir' is a term used in cinematography to describe films in low key black and white like Hollywood stylish dramas...anyways, as we saw on the the film, Chinatown was depicted as a dark dull looking - almost just black and white with a Hollywood drama.

I reckon 'Blade Runner' was depicted in this way because they wanted to emphasize the fact that it is a dark film and it has a lot of dark things going on in the area. People see Chinatown as a pleasant area to live in with a unique taste of culture in the middle of Hollywood. But really...

correct me if I'm wrong please?

Hi Annie,

I reckon another possible reason why the film, Blade Runner, was set in Chinatown is that people always have this fascination about it. Chinatown is always portrayed as a place with mysterious Chinese martial art masters disgusted as ‘normal people’ and also little Chinese herbal shops filled with exotic but magical potions and lotions which can cure any untreatable illness by western medicines. So the film writer is trying to create a sense of black attractiveness by setting the film in Chinatown.

Alby ^_^

hey alby,

That's true! A lot of people go visit Hollywood but also want to visit Chinatown because of like what you said, how they fantasize it.

The part I don't get is when you said that "Chinese martial art masters disgusted as ‘normal people’"...was the word disgusted supposed to be the word 'disguised?'

Hey Guys

Unfortunately I didn’t watch the movie, but interesting comments from Annie and Alby. Keep it up.

Anyway since I didn’t watch the movie, I thought I should answer some question from week 5 which looks at Anime I.

Q) Is anime a genre or a media?

First of all, there’s a possibility that both genre and media are both quite similar and both a kind a related. As you all know a genre is a type of style of art or literature and a media is a type of medium that communicates to people e.g. television and etc. But in my own opinion Anime is short for Animation therefore I think it’s come s from a visual environment rather then from a written grenre. Never the less from reading Napier, S. (2005) Chapter1 Why Anime? An anime is the terms for Japanese, Graphic, novel and cartoon. A very “popular culture” that is the most growing culture in Japan. According to Napier, He describes Anime as “Japanese cartoons”.
And because of its popularity, America has adapted this new culture which he uses the term as “Sub” culture.

Q) Is it a branch of a film or another mode?

Anime could be both, but it depends on how people look at it don’t you think?...
I think anime is another approach to visual cartoon with technical challenges never seen or done before. I think it’s a different style that must be considered in the film industry because there are some things that an anime can achieve that a film can’t. According to Napier (2005), he describe that in, 1997 Princess Mononoke also Spirited Away and Laputa has became the highest grossing animated film in Japan. Animation in the area of cinematography leads to film which makes it just as a part of film.



Q) According to Lent (2000), what place does animation occupy in Asian Societies?

Anime has penetrated in Korea and as well as Taiwan but the influences are not as convincing as it is in the west like in United Kingdom and all over in Europe.
America of cause has become a part of this phenomenon culture.

Well what do you guys think???? Some areas of those questions I didn’t fully cover but please feel free to comment on what ever…

Hey Guys

I didn’t watch the whole movie to understand the plot and theme of this movie but did some research and found some interesting information.

I would agree Annie.
Blade Runner it’s not as interesting as Star wars but it does capture some interesting points though.
I notice that Blade has influence films like Matrix and Terminator I, II, and III.

Hey Guys
Just to remind you all that I didn’t watch the whole movie but ill try my best to comment on some of the questions.

Q) How has Blade Runner been received critically since its 1982 release?
Since the release of Blade Runner the film didn’t receive any thumps up from the critics at all. The film performed “Poorly” in Northern America. This Science Fiction movie isn’t a hit in the box office. I did though watch some part of the ending part of the film, and first thought that came to my head was WHAT THE… the film is quiet an imagination. But some audience do enjoy the mixture that this film has featured.

2. How many versions of the film are there, when, and what are the differences?

Blade Runner directed by Ridley Scott is a science-fiction film starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Daryl Hannah. Although it was a box-office failure, it has become perhaps the definitive cult movie, and is one of the few films which remain faithful to the ideals of 20th century science fiction literature.

Referring to Question number two, I found that there a numerous version of this film. Fisrt of all 1) US sneak preview, (1982, very limited release in 1991) 2) US theatrical release (1982). 3) European/LD/10th Anniversary cut (more violence). 4) Director's Cut (BRDC) released in (1992)
Ridley Scott re-released the sneak preview for the selection at the film festivals in 1991. There were rumours that that version that Scott released was his cut, but that did not appear until 1992.
According to Wikipedia, it is said that Hampton Fancher did eight drafts of the screenplay. These drafts concluded with Deckard taking Rachael out of the city, letting her see nature for the first time, and then, because she has only a few days to live, shooting her in the snow. David Peoples was brought in to polish the script, and Ridley Scott was said to make the scrip have more clues. Peoples worked on the humanity of Deckard's adversaries, and in fact his daughter mentioned the biological term "replicate", which led to "replicant". Peoples also told that Scott made the screenplay virtually perfect before he worked on it.
This all that I’ve found, but I think that Alby did a better job of finding all the information. Not sure if these are all the information to cover question two.

let me know what you guys think...

4. I thought the same as everyone else pretty much, "jusst another boring sci fi movie with robots and stuff".And it kinda was just that, personally I;m not a big sci fi fan myself so I didnt really enjoy the movie. Although I think it would be interesting to compare the different versions of the movie that were made, just to see maybe why they made them so different if you get what i mean??haha

1. According to Wikipedia, when Blade Runner was released in 1982 the pace of the movie was criticised by most critics which led it to being a Box Office failure. It's failure could also be because on the day it was released, other sci fi movies were being released such as Star Trek and E.T which was a big hit dominating the Box Office.

Hey Bessi

Yeah i totally with you on that one.

Im not much of a fan myself, but i do have to say i find the story line interesting though.

I do agree with you, the critics are the main reason why Blade runner were not a big hit on the box office.

Well, it's lucky that Dr Paul chose the movie Blade Runner for us to view, because if it was another movie that we enjoyed, we wouldn't be having a discussion as such as this one. Though it did have some rather odd characters with really odd wardrobe, like the rubber Jacket that Zhora had chucked on before she was chased by Deckard, or was that just a raincoat? And also the bikini like outfit she [Zhora] decided to put on after her shower.

They have some interesting names as well eg: Zhora, Voight-Kampff, Taffy etc...you get the idea.

-AnNiE:)

Hey Annie i agree,

Some of the custome identifies the personailty of each character like the wired tight swimming siut that lady was wearing before she got shot. ahahahaah Too funny. Wired make-up as well. That shows what is expected in si-fic i guess.

im going to answer the second question..

Not less than 6 version were published:

1-The Domestic Cut-Opened nationwide in 1,290 theaters on June 25th, 1982

2-The Director's Cut - Released on September 11, 1992 to fifty-eight theaters around the U.S. and later on video, laser disc & most recently on DVD.

3-The Workprint - Shown the night of March 5, 1982 at the Continental Theater in Denver & also shown the following evening, March 6, at the Northpark Cinema in Dallas. Resurfaced in 1990 at the Fairfax Theater in Los Angeles, during a spring classic film festival. It was also shown in 1991 at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences theater, at an event called the UCLA Los Angeles Perspectives Film Festival, plus shown at the NuArt in L.A. and the Castro Theater in San Francisco that same year.

4-The San Diego Sneak Preview - Shown the night of May 8th, 1982 at the Cinema 21 Theater in San Diego, CA.


5-The International Cut - Shown outside the U.S. in 1982 and later released on video and laser disc.

6-The Broadcast Version - First aired on February 8, 1986 on the CBS television network and occasionally pops up on local TV stations.

7-DVD Collector's Set (limited edition) - It's not really a different version, but a package for collectors that includes the movie and some gadgets.

8-10th anniversary - Released in 1992 for the 10th anniversary from the bo

Hi Bessie, Erica & Annie,

To Annie, you’re absolutely right the word was supposed to be ‘disguised’ not disgusted...oops & thanks for pointing that out. And now to Bessie & Erica, I am with you guys, not a huge sci-fi fan myself but as Annie said: “Dr Paul chose the movie Blade Runner for us to view, because if it was another movie that we enjoyed, we wouldn't be having a discussion as such as this one...” the film has certainly created an interesting forum for us to discuss on our blog and so far we are all seem to be contributing quite a lot. Let’s keep up the good work, my friends & good luck with the fanfic & the essay following.

Alby ^_^

hey guys i am agree with you all about the movie. I personally dont like the scine fictions is well and to be honest it wasnt interesting to me but i do think it would be good movie for sic fic fans.