Scrupulous
Banned
Not sure how many alien like films have done a better job for survival horror being a well made film that still holds up quite like alien well except the Thing. Even aliens is a hell of a lot different being an action movie.
Blade Runner's high praise...where does it come from?
- Thread starter shinobi602
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Not sure how many alien like films have done a better job for survival horror being a well made film that still holds up quite like alien well except the Thing. Even aliens is a hell of a lot different being an action movie.
Shpeshal Nick
aka Collingwood
Like many old movies, it doesn't hold up well. I watched it recently for the first time (I'm 35) and fuck me it's boring as bat shit.
I watched what I believe was the Director's cut. So so so boring.
I watched what I believe was the Director's cut. So so so boring.
Bobby Roberts
Banned
This isn't right, though. Many old movies "hold up" perfectly well.
poppabk
Cheeks Spread for Digital Only Future
Boring isn't much of a critique. I would find a Mozart concerto boring, but it says more about me than the quality of the music.
Snowman Prophet of Doom
Member
Not, uh, particularly better. Having the robot who fetishizes humanity hold a bird that he releases when he dies borders Poe's Law territory. Thankfully, the movie has numerous parts that are better than that, but it's emblematic of the bad parts of the movie strangely hailed as good by the more zealous parts of its fanbase.
shinobi602
Member
Rachel's intro didn't really grab me at all, no lol...I mean, I enjoyed the interaction but I wasn't hooked on it or anything. Nothing was "bad", most felt uninteresting, that's all. I've already said the atmosphere and setting is ace, as I love cyberpunk and seeing where it all began was great. I definitely give it props for that. Roy's scene at the end was neat but I didn't really...feel any attachment to him as a character. I felt bad for him given his situation and what he was, but that was it really.
Heh, nah, I'm an adult, I'm not judging it or comparing it to modern films. I look at it simply by its merits. I understand the context of its release and that it's not trying to be a bombastic sci-fi film, I just wanted to know if it's mostly the atmosphere and the artistic tone/setting that most people are affectionate towards, and it seems that's mostly the case.
Lol, I didn't dislike it goddamnit. I did like it, just seemingly not to the extent that many others felt.
Wasn't really arguing how good or bad it is, that's all subjective. Was merely pointing out that Roy had the bird in his hands for a while in the scene. You made it sound like Scott had inserted footage of some random flock of birds.
sir_kevith
Member
Theres no detail to any of his criticism. He needs to rewatch it. Put the iphones away and pay attention. Maybe read the plot synopsis on wikipedia beforehand and choose another cut to make things interesting. Ive seen it a few times and appreciate it more every time.
Bobby Roberts
Banned
If he already liked it on first view, he's a couple steps ahead of a lot of actual Blade Runner fans. So yeah - in like, a month or two (or six, whatever) he should throw in the film, maybe pick a different cut, maybe just rewatch the exact same one.
But if he liked it already (and he did) then that second viewing is probably gonna start working on him. And then we'll probably get a thread in a year where he's like "So, I used to not get why this movie was awesome, I even made a thread about it, but then I rewatched it, and guess what."
That kinda shit.
LQX
Member
IMO, Blade Runner is one of those movies you have to 100% vested in. You can't chew gum, can't surf on your computer, can't check phone messages. Your eyes have to be on screen at all times or it will lose you. Same thing if you are watching Apocalypse Now, Chinatown or even The Godfather for the fist time. I don't know what it is about those movies but they seem to loose a lot of people if they are not being very attentive, unlike some other movies where you can be doing 5 other things at once and not miss much.
sir_kevith
Member
And there is no substance to such rebuttals. You just say "well I liked it, so you must have not paid attention if you didn't".
That's a bit condescending under the best circumstances, but this is Blade Runner we're talking here, it's not exactly a super subtle film, especially with the narration.
I think it's very clear what it goes for in terms of style and theme.
And for the record, I don't think that being subtle automatically makes for a good film or that an unsubtle one is bad (in fact, I think that people tend to overrate subtlety, like, you don't want to beat people over the head with you message, but you want the audience to get it). I also think that any movie that requires you to read a wikipedia article in order to enjoy failed as film, especially if that film was made 20 years before wikipedia was created (though again, I really don't think that's required).
I watched it and found it boring, and didn't even get to the ending. Then I watched it again after some time had passed, and liked it a lot. I need to research it again.
The same thing happened with Apocalypse Now, actually. I tried to watch Apocalypse Now 3 times before it finally took. The first 3 times I didn't even finish it. The fourth time, I found the last 20+ minutes confusing and the ending unsatisfying. Then I watched it again (this time because I decided to write a paper on it) and I loved it.
Sometimes a movie gets in your head like a song. Like sometimes you hear a new song and hate it. But some time passes and you hear it again and this time it's familiar so instead of focusing on how different the song is, you can appreciate it for what it is. That's what happened to me with these movies.
The same thing happened with Apocalypse Now, actually. I tried to watch Apocalypse Now 3 times before it finally took. The first 3 times I didn't even finish it. The fourth time, I found the last 20+ minutes confusing and the ending unsatisfying. Then I watched it again (this time because I decided to write a paper on it) and I loved it.
Sometimes a movie gets in your head like a song. Like sometimes you hear a new song and hate it. But some time passes and you hear it again and this time it's familiar so instead of focusing on how different the song is, you can appreciate it for what it is. That's what happened to me with these movies.
Messofanego
Banned
You wouldn't love cyberpunk if it wasn't for Blade Runner.
sir_kevith
Member
I think critiques should be qualified is all. Saying a scene "didnt move me" or was "neat" is vague. There's a reason tears in the rain is an iconic scene and its not because it was "neat". Last time i watched on blu-ray i noticed a drop (or is it a tear?) roll down Deckard's face after Roy's death and the analogy and scene just came together perfectly for the first time for me.
I think Blade Runner is pretty slow and the plot isnt deep but the production, world, and themes are plenty deep. It's enough to make it a favorite of mine.
I recommend reading the plot synopsis because i did and was able to connect a lot of dots. GoT didnt really click with me until i was able to watch the intro and look at all the places on the map and place the events. Theres nothing wrong with supplementing a viewing with info and i think OP is preparing for that with this thread.
HiredN00bs
Banned
Thank you for turning me on to this channel.
RoninChaos
Member
I loved this movie but it is slow. I think if you go in expecting an action movie you'll be disappointed.
Wind's Howling
Member
Just like Fjordson said. This has absolutely nothing to do with nostalgia. It came out 6 years before I was even born and I absolutely adore this movie and I watch it twice every year.
eot
Banned
John Rabbit
Banned
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shinobi602
Member
Well sure, I don't deny that at all, and I've commended the atmosphere and artistic tone of the movie quite a lot
GeordieMark
Member
I didn't really enjoy it either. Saw the Director's Cut years ago and I also struggled to see what all the fuss was about, outside of the very cool setting and atmosphere.
Its one of those movies that I didn't like, not because it was a bad movie, but rather it just didn't appeal to me.
Its one of those movies that I didn't like, not because it was a bad movie, but rather it just didn't appeal to me.
Warm Machine
Member
I think it is the kind of movie that requires the viewer to have a mental romance with that atmosphere. If you know what it is like to be cold and wet, but feeling comfort wrapped in a blanket cradling a glass of scotch it is more the movie for you.
The whole film is like one big dark rainy poem. It builds a world and asks you to soak it up and live in it, finding comfort in tiny warm corners.
As a kid I found it hard to watch, it wasn't fast or exciting. It finally totally clicked when I was about 20 years old.
Being interested in film it was also made interesting because of the story of how the movie got made and the various cuts that existed of it. It was like a puzzle of footage that needed to be assembled and never was until more than 2 decades later.
The whole film is like one big dark rainy poem. It builds a world and asks you to soak it up and live in it, finding comfort in tiny warm corners.
As a kid I found it hard to watch, it wasn't fast or exciting. It finally totally clicked when I was about 20 years old.
Being interested in film it was also made interesting because of the story of how the movie got made and the various cuts that existed of it. It was like a puzzle of footage that needed to be assembled and never was until more than 2 decades later.
I've....read posts...you people wouldn't believe. Attack threads on fire off the shoulder of EvilLore; I watched Junior Members troll in the Blade Runner thread near the Tannhauser Gate...All those...posts...will be lost, in time, like tears in the rain....time...to die....
But seriously, folks, watch the documentary "Dangerous Days" and some of the short art direction features on the Blu Ray. It will completely put into perspective why this film is so great.
When I saw Citizen Kane for the first time I thought it was boring. I didn't realize, until watching/reading analysis on it, that it basically invented several key shots/filmic elements, as well as understanding all the historical elements behind the film. So, had I just watched and been done with it I would have assumed it's overrated garbage. But then I dug deeper and found that it seemed so bland because everything it created has continued to hold importance in the development of films today.
Give Blade Runner a chance. If not re-watching the film itself (perhaps a different cut?) watch/read some of the analysis around it. If you still can't find merit in the film, then I hate you...I mean uh...we can agree to disagree.
But seriously, folks, watch the documentary "Dangerous Days" and some of the short art direction features on the Blu Ray. It will completely put into perspective why this film is so great.
When I saw Citizen Kane for the first time I thought it was boring. I didn't realize, until watching/reading analysis on it, that it basically invented several key shots/filmic elements, as well as understanding all the historical elements behind the film. So, had I just watched and been done with it I would have assumed it's overrated garbage. But then I dug deeper and found that it seemed so bland because everything it created has continued to hold importance in the development of films today.
Give Blade Runner a chance. If not re-watching the film itself (perhaps a different cut?) watch/read some of the analysis around it. If you still can't find merit in the film, then I hate you...I mean uh...we can agree to disagree.
This was a pretty good watch, thank you!
Also feeling the need to rewatch this now. It's been a few months lol.
Lol. A great number of people and probably most people on GAF who love it were born years after the movie released and certainly weren't old enough to appreciate any serious film for more than a decade after. Movie released in 82, I was born in 84, and finally saw the film in full when I was 22 years old.
That was the original "Director's Cut" and it still blew my mind. Nostalgia? That's just fucking silly.
Liquidsnake
Banned
The use of shadows in this movie are of legend.
Definitely not happened to me too. Took me years to figure out what it was.
That's not it. Its not that people are "Not getting it". We get it. We understood it. The problem was this:
Spot on. Watching Blade Runner twice (I saw two versions) was a little meh for me because I have seen those concepts touched on, attempted and treaded a thousand times over various forms of entertainment. I finally realized that its likely that I just missed it for its time, and there's no way to go back to see the film before so many other things were influenced by it.
Bobby Roberts
Banned
I didn't argue that he "didn't get it." I argued that more of it is going to work on him.
He said he liked it. He enjoyed it. He just doesn't understand why people like it to the extent they do. To which I said "watch it again."
Like I said earlier in the thread (don't know if you actually read it - the post you're quoting is from the first page, I think) he's already way ahead of a LOT of fans of the film in that he actually liked his first viewing. A lot of people didn't. And it's not because they didn't get it, either. It's not a hard movie to understand. But it presents itself differently from how it ends up actually working in a lot of cases, which is why I made the distinction between what it does as a film, and what people tend to think it's trying to do on first viewing.
I don't think it's simply a matter of copycats having dry-mined it, although that argument can be made, sure. A lot of people end up really enjoying it regardless of the 1982 context. I'd suggest most people only really appreciate that context AFTER they've already been won over by the film. And considering most people I've come across didn't enjoy the film on first watch, and didn't have that first watch until long after it's initial release, I'm not sure how much that 1982 cultural context really matters, ultimately.
But has anyone really done cyberpunk as well since then? I mean it's subjective, but when I see something influenced by Blade Runner (and I see it constantly in various mediums) all I can usually think of is how Ridley Scott and company did it better.
Also, I wasn't even alive when it was released and didn't see it until around 2003-2004, so I don't think you had to be around in 1982 in order to fully appreciate it.
Muffdraul
Member
I can't say I'm ever surprised when someone says "I finally experienced this certain thing that has been the object of praise and hype for literally decades, and frankly I was underwhelmed." To me it's always more about your expectations than the thing itself.
I saw Blade Runner when it came out, I was 13. My hype had reached fever pitch just from reading preview articles in Starlog ("new movie from the dude who made Alien!") and I have to be honest, I felt let down at the time. But from what I can recall it was mostly because I thought it was going to have more action, I thought it was really slow and boring. (Did I mention I was 13 and wanted everything to be balls to the wall at all times?) I did like the eye candy of course. But I didn't really come to truly appreciate it until a few years later, when I was more able to think about the philosophical aspects. It was pretty fucking influential and I can see how it would seem like old hat to someone seeing it now. At the time, there was nothing else like it. Tron and Blade Runner were both 1982 bleeding edge visual effects extravaganzas, but in both cases audiences as a whole didn't give a shit because the visuals weren't enough to win them over.
I saw Blade Runner when it came out, I was 13. My hype had reached fever pitch just from reading preview articles in Starlog ("new movie from the dude who made Alien!") and I have to be honest, I felt let down at the time. But from what I can recall it was mostly because I thought it was going to have more action, I thought it was really slow and boring. (Did I mention I was 13 and wanted everything to be balls to the wall at all times?) I did like the eye candy of course. But I didn't really come to truly appreciate it until a few years later, when I was more able to think about the philosophical aspects. It was pretty fucking influential and I can see how it would seem like old hat to someone seeing it now. At the time, there was nothing else like it. Tron and Blade Runner were both 1982 bleeding edge visual effects extravaganzas, but in both cases audiences as a whole didn't give a shit because the visuals weren't enough to win them over.
TheGreatDirector
Banned
Blade Runner really needs a black and white edition. If there's one thing I like about this film it's the use of light.
Bobby Roberts
Banned
I'm pretty sure some fan-editor's got that version up somewhere. I remember hearing about it before.
(it's not as easy as it seems to make something black & white. You can't just desaturate the image - a lot of care has to be taken to adjust the contrast levels accordingly. The Mad Max: Fury Road thing was cool - but I got the sense most of the work on that was done trying to cut out the dialog, as opposed to fine-tuning the imagery)
Thats more or less straight up bullshit, especially in the case of Citizen Kane. Movies which stand the test of time generally do so for reasons beyond "Hey it sure has nice looking special effects!"
DeathoftheEndless
Crashing this plane... with no survivors!
I've been meaning to watch it again. I didn't like it the first time, but that was years ago.
Secret Fawful
Member
Was it trite for movies of the time, though? If so, please point me to other movies who had done such things beforehand, or better. This isn't specifically to defend the scene, I just want to know. Or do you mean trite in comparison to all the written fiction out there that had done it a million times before?
Muffdraul
Member
It's really bullshit in this case. Blade Runner built up no inertia when it came out, it flopped. It had only a small core group of fans and it several years to get the ball rolling on VHS.
Outside of art direction and cinematography I don't think Blade Runner is that good of a film.
I had to study this film in high school so its not like I am not aware of the themes. I just don't think it explores those themes in an interesting or substantial way.
And as others have said it is a bit 80s cheese when it is trying to be an important philosophical film.
I wanted to like Blade Runner, I love slow sci-fi films like 2001, La Jette, Solaris, Stalker, but I just don't think it lives up to its reputation.
I had to study this film in high school so its not like I am not aware of the themes. I just don't think it explores those themes in an interesting or substantial way.
And as others have said it is a bit 80s cheese when it is trying to be an important philosophical film.
I wanted to like Blade Runner, I love slow sci-fi films like 2001, La Jette, Solaris, Stalker, but I just don't think it lives up to its reputation.
Blade Runner is one of those films I really respect but I just don't like it all that much. Watched the original, directors cut and the final cut more than once but it just doesn't do anything for me at all, I want to like it but I just don't. I do love Rutger Hauer though, amazing actor.
Liquidsnake
Banned
Its ok, the very first time I saw this, I was too young. I didn't appreciate it. I thought it was supposed to be this great Sci Fi action movie.
When I watched in again in my late 20's, It clicked. I think I was more mature, and had exposed myself to great cinema.
I regard it as the best film ever made, but that's just my opinion. The final cut is just so amazing.
When I watched in again in my late 20's, It clicked. I think I was more mature, and had exposed myself to great cinema.
I regard it as the best film ever made, but that's just my opinion. The final cut is just so amazing.
I think that the dichotomy between 'style' (art direction, cinematography) and substance (the narrative or well plot because the setting is part of the narrative?) is not as clearly defined as people make it out to be. The mood and atmosphere a film creates is essential to the emotional experience. I guess evaluating a film purely on the basis of an emotional experience is reductive but it's the way I tend to look at films.
family_guy
Member
Just bought the Final Cut this past weekend. Got bored midway through the movie so I stopped and tried again the next day. By the time it was over I thought something was wrong with my disc because that couldn't have been the ending. Felt like the movie needed another 15-30 minutes of content. I guess I can praise it from an artistic perspective but I didn't really enjoy it.
Project 2501
Member
It's really good, maybe from there.
Freedom = $1.05
Banned
Between this and neuromancer just about anything you've ever enjoyed that's cyberpunk owes it to those two works. Akira, Final Fantasy VII, Snatcher. blade runner was as influential for cyberpunk as The Road Warrior was for the post apocalyptic wasteland.
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