Blade Runner - What am I Missing?

[SteyrAUG]

Almost everything I just posted nearly verbatim.

Blade Runner is such a movie.

Get out of my head Will.

[Straight Shooter]

I saw it in theater when it came out- I think it is one of 3 movies Ive walked out on..at the time I thought it sucked BADLY.
Have watched it a couple times since...generally I like it better overall but there are parts I just dont like, the scenes with the doll/toy maker for one.
I know Im not sophisticated enough, especially back when it first came out...but Id watch it again I guess for free, anyway.

[WillBrink]

So the first thing is it came out in that magic period post Star Wars (1977) and pre CGI and as a result the special effects were astonishing without being cartoonish.

The second thing is it's an interesting blend of East / West directed by Ridley Scott and produced by Run Run Shaw which gives it it's very unique perspective.

Speaking of which, underrated from Scott was Black Rain (1989), which I enjoyed. It's not a perfect film, but I enjoyed it, especially the east/west thing that you could see/feel the Blade Runner influence on some of the visuals.

[SteyrAUG]

I saw it in theater when it came out- I think it is one of 3 movies Ive walked out on..at the time I thought it sucked BADLY.
Have watched it a couple times since...generally I like it better overall but there are parts I just dont like, the scenes with the doll/toy maker for one.
I know Im not sophisticated enough, especially back when it first came out...but Id watch it again I guess for free, anyway.

Probably the weakest part of the film. The "toy friends" couldn't be too fake looking because Sebastion worked for Tyrell. But that was another weakness, given that Sebastion designed the mind for Nexus 6 serious and was sophisticated enough to be a chess opponent for Tyrell, he shouldn't have been played so easily. But yeah, midgets in makeup were one of the weakest images in the film.

[SteyrAUG]

Speaking of which, underrated from Scott was Black Rain (1989), which I enjoyed. It's not a perfect film, but I enjoyed it, especially the east/west thing that you could see/feel the Blade Runner influence on some of the visuals.

If you liked Black Rain, you need to see "The Yakuza" (1974) which is a far superior East West film (even though I liked Black Rain) and also stars Ken Takakura but partnered up with Robert Mitchum. It is one of the most accurate depictions of Yakuza and their unique "cosa nostra" traditions and it probably has the most accurate depictions of Japanese swordsmanship in any film. That's a bold statement, but it is probably still true. Makes everything shown in The Last Samurai to be over choreographed nonsense that it is.

[militarymoron]

I saw Blade Runner in the theater when it came out in 1982, and it rivaled Star Wars as one of my favourite sci-fi movies ever. To me, it was 'groundbreaking'. It was so different from Star Wars, and I really loved the visuals. Just like Star Wars, it had a 'used universe' look to it; things were worn, used, dirty etc, not Buck Rogers shiny and new. I liked the movie so much I actually visited the Bradbury building which was the one used for Sebastian's apartment. Blade Runner inspired another favourite of mine Ghost in the Shell, which was another ground-breaking anime movie when it came out in 1995/6 that also inspired others.

It's not for everyone though - my wife doesn't like it, and my son got bored (he's younger). I've watched and rewatched all the versions (I think) and I haven't tired of it yet.

[Jellybean]

The "catch" with the first Bladerunner, is that you need to watch the "directors cut". Not the theatrical, or try to catch it on TV or something.
Then it will make sense.
The 2049 movie, you just need to sit down, alone, on some quiet night, with no wife/kids/phone/work to pester you and all the time in the world on your hands, and just let it happen. One of those movies you can't watch with an 'expectation' of something happening, you just have to let it unfurl itself at its own pace. But it will also make a bit more sense if you watch the original Bladerunner first (although, probably not back to back... )

If you really still can't stand it/don't get it, then wait a while, and watch it/them again. If you still don't get it/hate it, then it is what is is. Roll on and enjoy the other movies you like.
I like both the bladerunner movies - do I think the first one is the best sci-fi movie ever? lol, no. Obviously Interstellar is the best scifi movie ever.
But I think I like them more for the more "grimdark" atmosphere/story elements, and also the cyberpunk world, than the cinematography, even though I know a quality 80s film when I see it...
Also, I dweeb on sic-fi, so I guess I'm more predisposed to like them than perhaps some other folks?

I mean, I've watched a pile of other movies that people I knew were apeshit over, and I was just like... um...okay??? What did I miss? Sometimes a film will never click. Sometimes it just takes that one unplanned viewing at 3Am for your brain to go "ohhhhh....THATS what this is about..."

If you really want to drive yourself mad, hunt down "Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy" and watch it. I DEFY you to make sense of that movie.
Then come back and watch Bladerunner and marvel at how suddenly you'll be like "oh, this is amazing!"

Also, as MM pointed out, do yourself a favor, and watch Ghost In The Shell.
The OG anime, NOT the live-action rehash (although ScarJo wasn't *quite* as bad in the role as some people said).
Yes, it's an anime - I know some people get weird about that, but you won't care if you put that aside and just watch it. Seriously.
Also covers very similar human/robot dilemmas like the bladerunner movies do.

[militarymoron]

If you really want to drive yourself mad, hunt down "Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy" and watch it. I DEFY you to make sense of that movie.

I loved the Douglas Adams books in my teenage years. The movie, not so much. Even after all these years, I'll still answer some random questions with '42. The answer is 42'.

[SteyrAUG]

FYI, the Directors Cut is currently on NF. I happened to watch it a week or so ago.

Interesting that so many wives don't like it. It really had something for everyone and if they can get past the "sci fi" barrier I know a LOT of females (wives / gfs) who consider it one of their favorite movies. Problem is they all thinks it's another Star Wars / Star Trek and they generally hate that shit.

Back in 82 I took a gf to see and and since it had Harrison Ford she was willing to watch it. She caught me off guard when she asked if we could come back next weekend and watch it again since she didn't pay close attention to everything at first. That was a first for me. But I found over the years that if they actually watched it, an astonishing number of females love that film.

[flenna]

I am surprised no one mentioned that Blade Runner has one of the most defining, if not one of the best, monologues in cinema. To me it brought it all together and made the movie.