Blade Runner

Alternate titles : None

Tagline : "Man Made his Match...Now it's his problem!"

Harrison Ford stars in a distinctly un-Star Wars like role in this bleak dysotopian vision of the future, as a former police officer who is pressed back into service to help catch a group of fugitive androids, known as replicants, who have infiltrated Earth.

Designed to look and behave like humans for use as slave labour in off-world colonies, replicants are considered too dangerous for use on Earth as the authorities fear they may be coming self aware, so its down to special police officers, known as Blade Runners, to seek out and destroy any that get past Earth security.

But this particular group, lead by a highly intelligent replicant named Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer) are not just your standard bunch of robots on the run. Seems they're on Earth because they're after something at the production plant they were designed in. But why would robots be interested in technical specs and why give a robot a mere four year lifespan?

Directed by Ridley Scott, this was one of the first sci-fi films to really portray the future as anything but bright and cheerful, with the futuristic city of Los Angeles resembling a giant industrial complex, with overcrowded streets and the air choked with pollution.

Co-starring Joanna Cassidy and Sean Young, along with character actor Brion James and Daryll Hannah in one of her first screen roles, this is an extremely dark, gritty sci-fi action/thriller, which sci-fi fans should thoroughly enjoy. If you've read Philip K Dick's original novel, "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep", but haven't seen this yet (and if not, then why not?) then you should do so at once.

Overall Marks : 6/10.

Terrifying Trivia

• Although based on the Philip K Dick novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" the film actually takes its title from a novel by Alan Nourse.
• The crew often referred to the film as "Blood Runner" as they were so strained by the director's shooting schedule. Several cast and crew members wore T-shirts saying "Will Rogers never met Ridley Scott" (a reference to actor Will Roger's famous statement that he never met anyone he didn't like).
• An alternate intro was rumoured to exist, in which Deckard arrives at a remote farmhouse, shoots the occupant, then breaks off the persons lower jaw, revealing the logo "Property of the Tyrell Corporation", showing the person was in fact a replicant. Though storyboards where drawn up, the scene was never actually filmed. However, a similar scene based on this was filmed for the sequel "Blade Runner 2049", which was released in 2017.
• There are many differences between the original novel and the film. Some of the more notable being the original novel was set in 1992 (which was changed to 2021 in later reprints), whereas the film takes place in 2019. The term "replicant" was not used in the original novel, instead they were reffered to as "Andy's" which was short for android and the Tyrell corporation was the Rosen corporation, and Rachael (who is a company exec in this) was part of the Rosen family.
• The original theatrical version had voiceovers by Deckard (Harrison Ford) during certain scenes, which were added after test audiences said they didn't understand what was happening. These were removed again from the directors cut version that came out during the early 90's, which also added a scene showing him dreaming about a unicorn and removed the final scene showing him and Rachael driving off together.
• In the scene where Deckard is fighting with Pris in Sebastian's apartment, they went through so many retakes that the female stunt double wore herself out and couldn't finish filming. A heavily made up male stunt double was subsequently hired to complete the scenes, but these were not used in the film as he didn't look anything like her (even with all the make up).
• The scene where Deckard grabs onto a protruding girder after failing to jump onto the next rooftop was not scripted, the stuntman failed to make the jump, so grabbed onto the nearest object to stop him falling. They liked it so much they kept it in the film (they also made him reshoot it 3 times for good measure).
• At least 2 stuntmen injured themselves doubling for Rutger Haur for the scene where he jumps onto the next rooftop. In the end, Rutger suggested if they move the sets slightly closer he could do the jump himself, which they did and he managed the jump in one take
• Some early drafts of the script ended with Deckard shooting Sean Young's character, Rachael, as they knew that other Blade Runner's would come for her and she'd rather be killed by someone she knew.
• Certain scenes were trimmed for an R-rating in the US, these included a bloodier take of Batty gouging Tyrell's eyes, Pris lifting Deckard up by his nostrils when she beats him up. Deckard shooting Pris a third time with a longer shot of her lurching around the floor screaming, and actually seeing Roy pushing the nail right into his hand. The director also shortened the end scene of Deckard and Rachael driving off into the sunset. These scenes were re-instated for an unrated video release in the US and many European theatrical versions were of the unrated print.
  
• The UK theatrical version was of the unrated international print, as was the original video release. However, following the introduction Video Recordings Act in 1984, Warner replaced it with the cut R-rated version. The directors cut version released in the 90's used the scenes from the cut down R-rated version, rather than the gorier unrated print.
  
• There was an additional scene filmed, but ultimately not used, showing Deckard visiting Holden (the detective shot by Leon at the beginning) in hospital, where Holden tells him "It's all over, it's a wipe-out, they're almost us". This was shown on a UK documentary about the film on Channel 4 and is included on the 2007 5-disc DVD set.
  
• The director released an Ultimate Final Cut on DVD in 2007, this was essentially the directors cut but with the extra violence from the uncut international unrated print and some new scenes and extra dialogue that had only previously been seen in a workprint version, that had been doing the rounds at film festivals.
  

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