Blade Runner

Blade Runner is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott, depicting a dystopic Los Angeles in November 2019.

Influence

Initially avoided by North American audiences, Blade Runner was popular internationally and has become a cult classic.

Related Topics:
North America - Cult

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The film's popularity and cult status has made it popular to reference in other media. The television show Futurama has made multiple references to Blade Runner, and the shows Cutting It and Stargate SG-1 have used quotes from the film. Actor William Sanderson, who played Sebastian, voiced a similar character in the cartoon series '. In the action film The 6th Day, a virtual psychologist says, "You seem to be avoiding talking about your parents. Imagine, two turtles are walking through the desert..." Blade Runner is also the most musically sampled film of the 20th century.{{ref|brsample1}}

Related Topics:
Futurama - Cutting It - Stargate SG-1 - William Sanderson - The 6th Day - Psychologist - Sampled - 20th century

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The film's dark cyberpunk style and futuristic design have served as a benchmark and inspired many subsequent science fiction films, including Batman, Robocop, The Fifth Element, Ghost in the Shell, and The Matrix, as well as anime series such as Cowboy Bebop and Bubblegum Crisis and Dark Angel. Before shooting began on Batman Begins, director Christopher Nolan reportedly screened Blade Runner to the film's crew and told them, "This is how we're going to make Batman." Even the Star Wars prequels have paid homage to Blade Runner in their special effects sequences.{{ref|starwars}}

Related Topics:
Cyberpunk - Batman - Robocop - The Fifth Element - Ghost in the Shell - The Matrix - Anime - Cowboy Bebop - Bubblegum Crisis - Dark Angel - Batman Begins - Christopher Nolan - Star Wars

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:"Blade Runner is a unique film, incredible on every level. It is a prophetic and emotional tale that stands as one of the most original and intelligent science fiction films ever made." – Alex Ioshpe

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The film is often thought to have inspired William Gibson's Neuromancer http://www.brmovie.com/FAQs/BR_FAQ_BR_Influence.htm. Gibson has said in interviews that he was already writing Neuromancer when Blade Runner was released, and was actually inspired by the implied background of the film Alien.

Related Topics:
William Gibson - Neuromancer - Alien

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The film arguably marks the introduction of the cyberpunk genre into popular culture. Blade Runner continues to reflect modern trends and concerns, and an increasing number consider it one of the greatest science fiction films of all time.{{ref|panel}}{{ref|brviews}} The film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 1993 and is frequently used in university courses. Its memorable quotations and soundtrack have made it the most musically sampled film of the 20th century.{{ref|brsample}}

Related Topics:
Cyberpunk - United States - National Film Registry - 1993 - University - Sampled - 20th century

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:"Ridley Scott's film remains the defining vision of futuristic science fiction." – Steve Biodrowski

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Blade Runner also served to influence the cyberpunk role-playing game, Shadowrun, the seminal computer game System Shock and the Syndicate games.

Related Topics:
Cyberpunk - Role-playing game - Shadowrun - System Shock - Syndicate

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