From: mleeper@optonline.net   
      
   June 25 is the fortieth anniversary of the initial release of   
   Ridley Scott's BLADE RUNNER.  Given that it is forty years old   
   there will likely be SPOILERS!  BLADE RUNNER is notorious for the   
   number of versions of it.  I will be discussing the first one I saw   
   (the U.S. theatrical version).  There is also an international   
   theatrical version, a U.S. television version, the "Director's   
   Cut", and the "Final Cut".   
      
   The film has been connected with Warner Brothers, which is   
   interesting because Warner Brothers does not have a real history of   
   major science fiction movies (THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS, THEM!   
   and SOYLENT GREEN are probably the best known).   
      
   Due to an actors' strike during pre-production, Ridley Scott and   
   his art department had a long time to develop the look of this film   
   and they worked wonders--the art direction is exquisite.  Scott and   
   his cinematographer Jordan Cronenworth go overboard in trying to   
   capture the film noir texture of this world.  (Everything except   
   the final scenes take place at night, which allows for very   
   dramatic lighting effects, but makes one wonder exactly how much   
   time has passed and whether the earth has stopped rotating.)   
      
   Scott also gives us a truly multi-ethnic, polyglot future with many   
   different cultures blending into each other.  But he also seems to   
   revel in unpleasant images--viewer be warned.   
      
   Rutger Hauer's make-up resembles a well-known illustration from   
   Olaf Stapledon's ODD JOHN.  (The film THIS ISLAND EARTH borrowed   
   the same makeup look for its aliens.)   
      
   Deckard seems to find that every clue leads him to the next   
   location, which just coincidentally leads to the clue after that,   
   much as in MOONRAKER.   
      
   One thing which always bothered me was the twisting of Deckard's   
   neck, which  as shown would break his neck.  Perhaps this is the   
   basis of the belief that Deckard is a replicant.   
      
   Rating: low +2 (-4 to +4)   
      
   Film Credits:   
      
      
   What others are saying:   
      
      
   --   
   Mark R. Leeper   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)