mike@projection-booth.com mike@projection-booth.com

September 20, 2012

Special Report: Blade Runner (1982)

Special Guests: David Hyde, Paul M. Sammon, William Sanderson
Guest Co-Hosts: Josh Hadley

The Challenge: Say something about Ridley Scott's Blade Runner (1982) that hasn't been said before. Did we? YOU BE THE JUDGE. We talk about the various cuts, the voice over(s), the proposed sequel (or prequel) and play back listener feedback in this deluxe episode.

We're joined in the Projection Booth this week by our old friend Josh Hadley. Keep up with Josh at 1201Beyond.

Listen/Download Now:

Bonus: Art Director David L. Snyder

Music Mix:


Links:
Visit the official William Sanderson website
Get more Shiryu music
Buy Blade Runner on DVD
Buy David Hyde & Henri Wintz's Precious Artifacts: A Philip K. Dick Bibliography
Buy Paul M. Sammon's Future Noir
Visit the Paul Williams website
Read about the Uncanny Valley
Mitt Romney lives in the Uncanny Valley
Philip K Dick Fans website
Philip K Dick bibliography
Philip K Dick Film Festival
Philip K Dick Festival
Total Dick Head website
Learn more about Blade Runner Fan Edits
Listen to Ed Neumeier talk about his time on the Blade Runner set

Watch:


11 comments:

  1. The Foreign ViewerSep 23, 2012, 8:10:00 AM

    Ok, so the main question of this episode was weather or not you've shed some new light on this well known subject. I personally was somewhat disappointed. I mean, where the hell is part 2 of this special? You did a fantastic job within these 3 hours (flew by like it was only one) but there's enough themes you've skipped to fill at least 3 more. Here's a few examples...

    Gaff, one of the most mysterious characters in the whole history of science fiction was barely mentioned. I've always believed that he is the key to the "is he or is he not" dilemma. Gaff has no reason to be in the movie since he doesn't really do anything in terms of the plot, yet he and his origami are essential when it comes to understanding the ending. Is he just an old raggedy cynic with a soft spot for humans who fall prey to the ultimate illusion called love? Maybe he was reminded of a similar experience he had and gave up on (which possibly turned him into a street smart lifeless shadow he is now) or he simply sees Deckard's completely genuine feeling of love for a completely fake human as the ultimate irony of an emotionless world and at the same time the only comfort. On the other hand, is he instead a watcher from the distance making sure that the new improved more human than human Nexus model (Deckard) is working properly on his first test run? Or is he a psychic? A robot hunting robots? Or the angel of death in human form measuring the worth of the main character? Or Deckard's Virgil in the futuristic vision of personal Hell? If we dig even further into the character you could even (try to) argue that he might be just a figment of Deckard's broken mind - an embodiment of his tired cold dark cynical sub-conscience repulsed by the automaton world he lives in which is slowly but steadily driving him insane to the point that he even falls in love with something he undenyingly knows is a robot, a thing. Whoever Gaff really is, he still deserves a few minutes of focus on his character.

    You completely skip the "6 skinjobs" line. An intriguing little script gaffe or is it a cleverly placed clue? Even Scott himself played around with this goof in his versions.

    One of the most famous film soundtracks which influenced musicians yet to come and also one of the most controversial histories of production for any soundtrack out there. Not one word about the Scott - studio - Vangelis fight?

    Speaking of, what about them fights? I mean, there was so much tension and argument on the BR set that the main actor and the director won't even speak ever again, the film has x official versions and y fan versions (almost matching Highlander 2 in this department) and even the film's soundtrack has more than one official edition... And yet you can't see any of that anger on the screen (just as is the case with Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man). This was a great question to ask mr Williams.

    Rant (and praises) continued in the next post...

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  2. The Foreign ViewerSep 23, 2012, 8:12:00 AM

    Continued from above...

    I also don't get the interviews. I mean, all three choices where golden, but why not more? Mrs. Hannah didn't answer your calls? Joanna Cassidy? The legendary character actor - mr. James Hong? Joe Turkel? (possibly) Sean Young? The possibly most intriguing interviewee of them all - mr. E. J. Olmos? Anyone from the Syd Mead, Lawrence Paull and David Snyder art design trio? The forth-mentioned Vangelis? And I know you've already talked to Rutger and mr. Walsh on previous shows. Why not at least rerun the part where Rutger talks about the most legendary ad-libbed moment in the history of movie making? And you know what would be a true interview for the ages? The ultimate nerdgasm? Something no one has ever done (to my knowledge)? Alexis Rhee (the geisha in the commercial playing on the flying screen above the city). This commercial is the first thing we see in the movie and it is a perfect way to introduce us to the tone of this dark, dreary yet very intriguing futuristic world. I would love to hear her experiences with the casting and how it was explained to her who she's suppose to play in the movie. And don't even get me started with the inexcusable lack of interview with the late great mr. Brion James. I mean, come on. You can't even hire one lousy psychic for half an hour? And I'm sure mr. James is dying to talk to you about this. Just don't ask him about his mother.

    On a more serious note, the recent passing of Morgan Paull (BR Dave Holden) the only other person who had the honor (or disgrace if you accept Josh's slave trader view) of playing a blade runner should have been mentioned.

    Since this show was advertised and hyped as the Biggest, Baddest, Best BR event in history (of the show), I was hoping for short analysis of every minor character as well, but I guess I'm just being an overt nerd now.

    Not to bust your bobbles too much, here's a couple of commendations as well. I love the whole show but these are the highlights for me...
    Bringing Josh in on the show? Well played, sirs, well played indeed. Kudos for the interview with J.F. Sebas... I mean, mr. Sanderson. It made my skin crawl. Not only does he sound exactly like his character but he's also as nice, awkward, modest and clever as his character. The two BIG omissions on your part though, were the two most obvious questions - how did he like working with the two automatons (the creepy dolls, not the skinjobs) and as a final question: Who would win in a game of chess, him or Turkel?
    btw
    How 'bout you add his website to the list of links up there? I know it'd be hard to do, but if the will is there...
    Paul Williams was awesome and I can't wait for the Troopers show. There's one missing question you had to ask him: How did they come up with the borrowed title Blade Runner which makes zero sense in the context of the movie, yet works perfectly.
    Your post-interviews discussion was also very fun end often enlightening.

    To be concluded (damn, this is a long post)...

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  3. The Foreign ViewerSep 23, 2012, 8:12:00 AM

    In conclusion...

    LOVE the Projection Booth (not every episode, but most). Big fan (and no, not the De Niro kind, so no, I won't kill for you, sorry and I'm way too lazy to stalk you, so, sorry again). I discovered your show when Josh once plugged his guest starring on the Visitor episode and I've been coming back ever since (so, no, the Visitor episode was not a waste of your time). You rock, Mike (that mob bookie look really works for you) and I commend your choice to replace the Nexus 5 co-host Justine with the more human than human Rob. I'd love his taste in movies and his excellent arguments if I didn't know he was a filthy, stinkin', job-stealing skinjob. Btw, do they make Nexus 6 fembots yet?
    Anyway, take care, keep up the great work (we may not have Mercer boxes, but who needs 'em with shows like yours and Josh's around) and do make that Blade Runner Show Part Deux at some point (in the undying words of The Governator: "You can do it" and if you can't just take some steroids).

    P.S.
    Not one Terry Gilliam movie yet? Really? Not one? Get on that, seriously!

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  4. Thanks for the in-depth reply! Glad to hear your thoughts. Our link to Mr. Sanderson's website is the first one under "Links". If you're like me, you may have glanced right past it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Foreign ViewerSep 23, 2012, 4:30:00 PM

      AHA! I totally put that there just to check if you're... uh... too lazy to... hmmm... to read your own fan mail, that's right!

      Yeah, sorry about that blatant omission on my part. Some viewer, huh...

      Delete
    2. The Foreign ViewerSep 23, 2012, 7:08:00 PM

      And omission no. 2: Whenever I wrote Williams, I meant mr. Sammon.

      Delete
    3. Hey Foreign Viewer,

      You bring up some great points. The key for us making this show was to do talk about some things that haven't been talked to death elsewhere. Also, the idea was to not repeat the information you can get from great things like the "Dangerous Days" documentary (4+ hours) on the DVD box set.

      Our idea was to give people chance to feed back and also talk more about Philip K. Dick since the show was scheduled to be released as the PKD festival was taking place in San Francisco.

      Could we have added more to the show? Sure! You always can. But, I'm happy with what they have put together. I believe it's a fun, interesting listen. I also learned some new things and I'm a huge fan of the film. But, at the same time, I learned a lot more about PKD that I didn't know and his attitude about the film, his writing and his life. That is worth the time.

      As for Terry Gilliam, I've got some ideas on what we can do. Much like "Blade Runner", "Brazil" is a big favorite of mine and I know that film quite well. Also, like "Blade Runner", there has been a lot said about that film as well. So, we'll see what we can do. But, I'd say - keep your eyes & ears here!

      Thanks for taking the time to listen and share your thoughts!

      CHEERS!

      Rob St. Mary
      co-host of "The Projection Booth"

      Delete
  5. Hey, no worries. I do that kind of thing all the time.

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  6. Yo brewskies! Found ya!

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  7. It's another sprawling Projection Booth epic on the sprawling Ridley Scott epic, Blade Runner. And it amazes me that people are STILL discussing the voice-over in the original theatrical version versus the so-called Director's Cut.

    Personally, I lost track of all the various cuts but as I saw this many times in the theatre upon its original release, the 'voice-over' version remains my favourite.

    I saw Douglas Trumball present the film a while back at the Lightbox where he conducted a terrific presentation on the visual effects. I forget what cut we were watching (possibly, #43) but however you slice it, Blade Runner is a 'flawed' masterpiece in the sense that every version seems to suffer from pacing issues to varying degrees.

    Maybe they need to go back one more time and put together a final mix - a 'best of' from all the other cuts? (Or maybe they don't?)

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  8. I loved this conversation. I loved all the trash talk of Prometheus (even though I enjoyed it) as well as the random bashing of Joss Whedon. Rob should just have his own show where just talks about Bunuel. Lol.

    ReplyDelete