Blade Runner 2049

[riggerrob 643]

Did you enjoy the first Blade Runner film?
Did you enjoy Blade Runner 2049?

I enjoyed both Blade Runner films and several of Phillip K. Dick's novels. Like most of PKD's stories, BR 2049 has plenty of plot twists, surprises and quirks. IOW PKD holds my attention because he challenges me to become a better reader/viewer.
BR 2049 is one of the few films that left me exhausted, disoriented and mildly confused. IOW it is one of the few films worth watching a second time. Only "Das Boat" evinced similar emotions.
BR 2049's art director and set designer did an Oscar-worthy job of creating a post-apocalypse world inhabited by humans and robots. Several characters cannot distinguish between the two species.
BR 2049 picks up the original story line after the original. Original Blade Runner Harrison Ford helps move the second half of the plot along. Ryan Gosling portrays a newer BR well.
At almost 3 hours long, the film challenges the audience to stay awake and keep track of obscure clues Ryan G digs up (as in got his hands dirty) from the first scene, but he struggles for most of the rest of the movie to understand those clues. The audience struggles too. I solved the mystery an hour before RG, but the audience needed to follow RG along his path to understand the clues. The final scene still surprised me!
A literary critic could find several parallels with modern dilemmas: pollution, Chernobl, Fukashima, global warning, North Korea launching EMPs, the nature of body implants, slavery, the broadening gap between rich and poor, big data, Big Brother, 24/7 surveillance, separation of work and leisure time, dependence on electronic gadgets, medical technology advancing faster than theology, etc.

In conclusion: Blade Runner 2049 is the best movie of the year. Go see it.

[ryoder 1,590]

I loved the original BR, and own the DVD.

But I don't go to theaters, and even if I did, I would not sit through a 3hr film w/o a break.

I will be seeing it as soon as I can watch it at home where I have full control over the pause button, and the audio level.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[MikeJD 0]

I enjoyed both movies, although I must have watched the original (in its various edits) at least a dozen times and I've only seen Blade Runner 2049 once. I'll look forward to watching it again, but given the price of cinema tickets these days I'll probably wait for the download.

The length of the new movie didn't bother me - I enjoyed the fact that it took its time and allowed me to soak up the atmosphere, and it didn't feel like nearly three hours to me. I did glance at my girlfriend a few times to make sure she was still awake, and she was, which is saying something given her propensity for falling asleep even during films that are half this length.

Aside from the lead actors, there's an unusual number of strong female roles, and Dave Bautista does a great job in a small part - what a surprising talent he's turned out to be!

Also, cinematographer Roger Deakins (The Shawshank Redemption, No Country for Old Men, Sicario, etc. etc) has been waiting a very long time for his Oscar, and he must surely win for this.

[Remster 30]

Bring a catheter. It's worth it.

Remster

[ryoder 1,590]

Interesting video comparing versions of the original BR: http://digg.com/video/which-blade-runner-cut

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[ryoder 1,590]

A friend just sent me this bit of trivia;
Name the actor in the hat who is standing on the left of the principal character in this BR short:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ9Os8cP_gg&t=3m9s

If you give up, here is the story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXQUObfBXYk

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[pterodactyl1986 0]

Due to the amount of great booby votes, I will have to search for this on my firestick

[Bob_Church 7]

I like PKD's books and short stories, and I like most of the movies credited to them, but with the exception of "A Scanner Darkly" I don't see any resemblance. It's worse than the Bond movies.
"A Scanner Darkly" seems like a movie based on the book with some big changes, but the others don't seem related at all.

[jakee 1,489]

I don't think there is any way to make a faithful live action movie of a PKD book!

I haven't read much of his work, and this might be controversial, but I see him as an author who had phenomenal ideas but wasn't any good at narrative. Seems like every book of his I've read the protagonist was simply along for the ride and didn't even care if he lived or died. Tough to make a movie out of that.

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[quade 4]

Liked both.

The only things either have to do with PKD is the inspiration. Neither is a faithful representation of the PKD story.

That said, both are in my opinion amazing works of science fiction. They take real-world issues and wrap them in a possible science-based future. In my opinion, that IS what good science fiction always does. It's the difference, in my mind between Star Trek and Star Wars. Star Trek, science fiction. Star Wars, space fantasy.

Regardless of box office, BR2049 will go down as a worthy sequel.

I thought they freakin' NAILED it.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[Bob_Church 7]

jakee

I don't think there is any way to make a faithful live action movie of a PKD book!

I haven't read much of his work, and this might be controversial, but I see him as an author who had phenomenal ideas but wasn't any good at narrative. Seems like every book of his I've read the protagonist was simply along for the ride and didn't even care if he lived or died. Tough to make a movie out of that.

But it's not like Starship Troopers, where you have to wait for the technology to catch up (and still screwed it up) it's like they're reading different books and didn't notice. Its been awhile since I read Sheep, but has PKD ever used the term Blade Runner in a story?

[Bob_Church 7]

I have a theory about this. There are few, very few, things that haven't already been written about or even had movies made about. You spend 120 million on a movie and some guy pops up with a short story that you've never heard of, let alone read and sues you and it costs way too much time and money even if you win. (much like being a DZO)
So, I wonder if the PKD estate thought about this and cashed in on it. You've got the green light to make this movie but you're reminded to make the PKD connection. You contact the estate and for a fee they give you permission to say "based on a PKD novel....".
Now you're good. people won't even think to sue you because well, it says right there it's based on.....
Well, it's a possibility.

[ryoder 1,590]

Bob_Church

Its been awhile since I read Sheep, but has PKD ever used the term Blade Runner in a story?

No.
The title "Blade Runner" had nothing to do with PKD: https://www.theverge.com/2017/10/4/16416082/blade-runner-name-backstory-ridley-scott-william-burroughs-alan-nourse

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[quade 4]

Bob_Church

I have a theory about this. There are few, very few, things that haven't already been written about or even had movies made about. You spend 120 million on a movie and some guy pops up with a short story that you've never heard of, let alone read and sues you and it costs way too much time and money even if you win. (much like being a DZO)
So, I wonder if the PKD estate thought about this and cashed in on it. You've got the green light to make this movie but you're reminded to make the PKD connection. You contact the estate and for a fee they give you permission to say "based on a PKD novel....".
Now you're good. people won't even think to sue you because well, it says right there it's based on.....
Well, it's a possibility.

Except this is not how Hollywood works, and by Hollywood I mean the seven major motion picture companies that make up the MPAA. Fly by night stuff is what it is and sometimes blatantly just rips off stuff, but the majors figured out a bajillion years ago it's way better (cheaper) to do everything they can to clear stuff with authors and make deals well before production is greenlit than ever have to deal with controversy over ownership of product.

On studio lots, there are literally buildings filled with lawyers that do nothing but work on clearances of all sorts. You pretty much can't take a dump without checking first with legal.

Further, studios aren't even in charge of writing credits. That's a function of the Writers Guild as credit in films is part of the union agreement regarding residual payments.

The original story by PKD "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" was absolutely the inspiration for and credited by the Writers Guild for "Blade Runner."

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[Bob_Church 7]

Iago

***I loved the original BR, and own the DVD.

But I don't go to theaters, and even if I did, I would not sit through a 3hr film w/o a break.

I will be seeing it as soon as I can watch it at home where I have full control over the pause button, and the audio level.

I tell you, we really need a return of the intermission for long movies. I spent the last hour of Lord of the Rings with my legs crossed because I was in the middle of the aisle.

3.5 hours?! JHC potty break, please!

And ushers. Those people who would walk around with a flashlight and whack loudmouths upside the head with it if they didn't shut the hell up.

[quade 4]

Bob_Church

And ushers. Those people who would walk around with a flashlight and whack loudmouths upside the head with it if they didn't shut the hell up.

You just need to go to a better class of theater. Either that or demand the theater management BE better.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[Bob_Church 7]

quade

***And ushers. Those people who would walk around with a flashlight and whack loudmouths upside the head with it if they didn't shut the hell up.

You just need to go to a better class of theater. Either that or demand the theater management BE better.

A couple of problems with that. One is that I'd rather watch the movie that I paid for than go find some management. And at our local theater management is three kids at the counter.

[Bob_Church 7]

ryoder

A friend just sent me this bit of trivia;
Name the actor in the hat who is standing on the left of the principal character in this BR short:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ9Os8cP_gg&t=3m9s

If you give up, here is the story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXQUObfBXYk

Isn't that William Macy? Ok, I'll look at the answer now.

Nope, not even close.

[quade 4]

Bob_Church

******And ushers. Those people who would walk around with a flashlight and whack loudmouths upside the head with it if they didn't shut the hell up.

You just need to go to a better class of theater. Either that or demand the theater management BE better.

A couple of problems with that. One is that I'd rather watch the movie that I paid for than go find some management. And at our local theater management is three kids at the counter.

I guarantee the three minimum wage workers report to somebody.

There's no law that says you can't contact that person at your leisure. Hell, make a phone call tomorrow and ask to talk to the owner. Tell him you'd love to visit more often, but every time you do the place is filled with loudmouth assholes. Tell him, you've been warning people to NOT go to his theater until he cleans up the shenanigans.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[Bob_Church 7]

ryoder

I loved the original BR, and own the DVD.

But I don't go to theaters, and even if I did, I would not sit through a 3hr film w/o a break.

I will be seeing it as soon as I can watch it at home where I have full control over the pause button, and the audio level.

I just watched it at home, and it's very good. I do regret not seeing it in a good theater now. And I suspect the higher quality sound would improve things nearly as much as the big screen.