At first I thought it was some ingenious fan posting the Rutger Hauer speech posing as a trailer but it revealed itself within a matter of seconds to being a different kind of trailer where many of the key players were talking heads about their experience in short clips with the great Vangelis end credits theme. My interest soared greatly. The ace of it all was Edward James Olmos getting to his brief clip and finishing with the line, "Did you get Harrison?" and within the final notes of the theme Harrison Ford present day popped up on the screen and declared, "It was....it was a BITCH!!!" and the title Dangerous Days (an early title for BR) came up next for it was a trailer for a documentary on the making of Blade Runner to be included in a new DVD of the film with the date Fall 2007. I couldn't have been more excited and wanted to track its progress in every way.
A few weeks passed and San Diego's Comic-Con made the official announcement of its release, not to mention a panel that included Ridley Scott, Joanna Cassidy, Sean Young, James Hong, Joe Turkel and producer of the upcoming set, Charles De Lauzirika, who subsequently had an assist in the form of a signature on a petition I had started some years back that successfully made a necessary correction on an Oscar winning film on DVD. I didn't get to attend the event but seeing clips from it made me regret not making it. Alas, there was more hopes in the air as not only was the DVD set going to be coming out covering most of the different versions of the film but a Final Cut of Blade Runner had made its way to other countries, with one stop at the Venice Film Festival giving it a long standing ovation. It would also be making its way in digital limited release in October. One of its big stops along the way before that was the New York Film Festival and even though a few roadblocks came along the way, I managed to confirm my status to see this Final Cut in late September.
I went through all my old Starlogs and even had a copy of the original 2 comics that Marvel put out at the time of its release to remind me what the feeling was like ahead of the original in 1982. September made its way quicker than I thought and I was treated to a panel early that day from some experts who had their take on the film. It got even more interesting when the focus went to some of the creative forces with the film in attendance with co-producer and screenwriter Hampton Fancher, Art Direction Oscar nominees Laurence G Paull and David L. Snyder , Philip K. Dick's daughter Isa and Charles. Both sides defended their takes and it made for an entertaining panel. In between it all, I introduced myself to Charles being that I couldn't thank him enough for being part of my petition and that I was thrilled that Blade Runner was in the best hands on DVD singing the praises to a gentleman that was part of the studio. I ended our brief chat telling Charles that I was going to see later what everyone in Venice stood up for and shaking hands, and he was glad to hear I was going to be in attendance. At first, I thought Ridley was going to be part of the panel, although that answer would come to me later that night at the screening of the Final Cut where the same bunch appeared from the morning to introduce the film. according to Charles, Ridley was in the midst of filming outside the country and couldn't make it but sent his best. I've never seen a film in the setting of a jazz hall but this was where my first look at this new cut was about to happen in a matter of seconds. The lights lowered and the Ladd Company theme made its way on the clearest I've ever seen. I always wondered if this was the first instance of the logo being in black being that for many of its movies, it had a white background. Then the acoustics made the loud THUD with the first credits and Vangelis' score.
Everything in me settled in like the eyes getting watery, the lump in my throat and the excitement to see after the opening credits were done and the scroll was complete. Then it all came back to me again and it never looked better. The vision, the involvement were all there and everyone in this filled theater were hooked. If there were any changes, I didn't take note of it being that the entire package was solid as a rock and there wasn't enough time to figure out every one. Then as the end credits started a light shined upon the Blade Runner bunch which all loudly applauded for. After Vangelis' score ended and the lights turned back up, all joined for a Q&A afterwards in which a link to the star played a key part.
It seemed that there was one scene that was badly looped at the time of the original film that never got corrected and it took the son of Harrison Ford to give an assist. With scar on chin and movement of the lips, Ben Ford helped to correct that error which was hardly noticable to me. As many say with life, you learn something new every day. It was also revealed at both the panel and the screening that Philip K. Dick only got to see dailies from the film and was impressed with what he had seen but sadly never got to see the finished film. Other thoughts came across here and there and it made for a good post screening chat. When everything was over it took time for every patron to get down to the floor including myself. I was in for a nice surprise when I landed at the lobby from the elevator.
On my way exiting, the Blade Runner bunch were right outside and me thinking of the first thing to say to all was going through many directions in my mind. Then I felt the easiest thing for me to do is shake hands with all and commend them for being part of one of my favorite films despite it being a struggle for a few of them involved. I started with Charles and he immediately asked me what I thought. I noted that it was amazing and he even asked if I noticed any changes. I noted to him that I hate to nitpick but the movie never looked better. I see and hear many put great stuff under a microscope and I didn't want to do that now. I even noted to another studio rep that I had 2 briefcases on pre-order (the biggest edition to the new release). Isa Dick noted my decent size bag of Starlogs and I just managed to show her a key pic from one of them. It had a full article about the film at the time but one key piece was a pic of her father and Ridley Scott. Suddenly, everyone got a glance including Hampton Fancher whos pic was in the same article as well minus his present day glasses. He noted that he looked so young then. Finally, I got around to thanking everyone and mentioned to the team of Paull and Snyder that the model of the Tyrell Corporation at the Astoria Museum of the Moving Image I bow to at every moment when I go there. I was thrilled for the night, wished everyone well and gave word to the studio rep for coverage when my briefcases arrived.
In truth I could not wait for the following week at the Ziegfeld where it had a two week run along with the Landmark on the west coast. I already had my ticket for my friend got them in advance. That friend being Danny who was with me at the Museum seven years earlier and I told him to really prepare yourself for this experience. I took this like the way Quentin Tarantino went to see a film as he mentioned on an episode of Charlie Rose, which was this. He would see the film first day first show on his own, and later on he would see the same movie again with friends so he would have the one viewing to himself and the reactive one to pick up on things not picked up the second time and the experience amongst friends. A lot was caught up with, and along with his cousin Christian and others, we were seated at the exact place we were when Revenge of the Sith opened which was a few rows from the front which was comfortable enough without worrying about stretching the neck too much. It also didn't hurt that I had a Blade Runner shirt under my trenchcoat and among a lot of fun banter, the dim of the lights came but slightly for one preview came before the film.
It was all of our first look at Tim Burton's next big screen entry, a musical known as Sweeney Todd and it did cause some excitement amongst the packed crowd. After all two minutes of razors and Johnny Depp, there was a slight hush and applause gathered just at the site of the Ladd logo. With this second viewing, I did something I have never done until now.
It seemed during the panel at the fest, one of the Blade Runner creative team had noted how much product placement was around. With this in mind, I wanted to spot how much signage around that future I could spot. i found at least fourteen (e-mail me if you spotted others). I also noted that through this and Alien, Scott made great use of a sound of a heartbeat. One thing, however, was common with me at both screenings and that is this.
The scene in which Rachel questions whether Deckard would come after her if she left the city is one that hits me a lot. First, it's my confirmation that Deckard is a replicant especially when he responds after saying no to her query, "but someone would.." It might have been unintentional with the way the red in the eye glowed but one was hinted out of focus with our main character of the common optical appearance.
Second, with the pics around the piano I always felt in theory that these were pics left over from other Replicants that Deckard retired in the past as a Blade Runner.
Finally, and most of all, theres the tension of the scene where Deckard wants to make the next move, she starts to make her way out and when Deckard slams that door beating Rachel to it, I felt the feeling of not letting this one get away no matter what. All combined with the great Vangelis cue along with the pretty piano made for a scene that gets me every time. Nevertheless, I've always felt that this captured the investigative process the best no matter where the setting was and by the time it was all over, all of us contemplated catching this film one more time at least. There was even applause to the Final Cut credits. The conversation amongst friends got to volumes in the lobby that at one point, one individual thought I was the resident Blade Runner expert right down to the shirt.
As we were leaving, the line stretched and surveys were being handed out. I had only one request on this survey that was summed up in three simple words: HOLD IT OVER. It seemed to me two weeks was not enough for this film and my thought ended up being correct after the figures came in from that weekend from the 2 theaters it opened in. The per screen average was big enough that after the two weeks finished at the Ziegfeld, it was held over but not in the same building as it moved to the Empire on 42nd Street.
One week after that, it returned to the Ziegfeld on weekends at midnight and it seemed fitting during that week that another theater was added in the New York area and once more, it was noted that all around the country the film was expanding week by week. I couldn't have been more thrilled for all involved. With each week since the Ziegfeld, I wanted to give this film one more spin on the big screen and even though my schedule and Danny's might be too busy to catch together one last time, we can experience seperately. Time was on my side on a Friday where I treated myself at the Empire to a triple feature to one movie that was a week old, one movie worth going back to and one new movie that just came out.
While Ridley's new entry American Gangster started everything off and the Coen Bros. No Country For Old Men fit at the end, it was only more fitting both in enthusiasm and in time that Blade Runner would be the in between day where the films ranked from very good to excellent. With this screening came a common thread for all three and that is the comfort of a pin drop audience throughout the entire film.
The Ziegfeld and the New York Film Festival had reactive moments around the right times (Batty's reaction to Sebastian's toys and Deckard's encounter with Zhora) but with this viewing, the crowd was smaller, the screening was in the daytime. The involvement with viewer and film remained, and one new thought came to finish off my third viewing of the film.
Many film experts say a true noir story is shot in black and white. Two movies however were great exceptions to this rule. If Chinatown was a film that captured the period without looking like a seventies film of its time, Blade Runner was one that furthered the possibility that it could've been effectively shot monochromatically but in color and in any setting, a multi color palette couldn't have done it any other way. These also represented three times where I didn't have the original ending intact and it was just as effective.
When even the smallest hint of curiosity comes to you about something, it doesn't hurt to take the trip intrigued where it might take you and Blade Runner on the big screen has been one hell of a trip. Now onto the briefcases (review of Ultimate Collectors Edition to come in 2008)...THE END
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