Blade Runner

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

Production

Philip K. Dick died before its release, yet did see a forty-minute test reel. The screenplay, by Hampton Fancher, attracted producer Michael Deeley (who secured several financing sources, later problematic when one delayed the realease of the film's Special Edition) who convinced director Ridley Scott to create his first American film; Scott was unhappy with the script and had David Peoples rewrite it.

Related Topics:
Philip K. Dick - Screenplay - Hampton Fancher - Michael Deeley - Ridley Scott - David Peoples

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The title derives from Alan E. Nourse's novel The Bladerunner (1974), whose protagonist smuggles black-market surgical instruments; William S. Burroughs' wrote Bladerunner, A Movie a cinema treatment; aside from the title, neither Nourse's novel nor Burroughs's treatment are relevant to the film. Screenwriter Fancher happened upon a copy of Bladerunner, A Movie whilst Scott searched for a commercial title for his film; Scott liked the title, obtained rights to it, but not to the novel; (Note: some editions of Burroughs' treatment-novel use the two-word spacing: Blade Runner.)

Related Topics:
Alan E. Nourse - Protagonist - Surgical - William S. Burroughs - Bladerunner, A Movie

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Blade Runner owes much to Fritz Lang's Metropolis.{{ref|bfi}} Scott credits Edward Hopper's painting Nighthawks and the proto-cyberpunk short story comic "The Long Tomorrow" (by Dan O'Bannon, art by Moebius) as stylistic mood sources. Scott hired Syd Mead as conceptual artist, both were influenced by the French science fiction comic magazine Métal Hurlant (Heavy Metal), to which Moebius contributed.{{ref|brbible1}}; Moebius was offered pre-production of Blade Runner, he declined, to work on René Laloux's animated film Les Maîtres du temps ? a decision Moebius later regretted.{{ref|moebius}} Lawrence G. Paull (production designer) and David Snyder (art director) realised Scott's and Mead's sketches. Jim Burns briefly worked designing the Spinner hovercars; Douglas Trumbull and Richard Yuricich supervised the special effects for the film.

Related Topics:
Fritz Lang - Metropolis - Edward Hopper - Cyberpunk - The Long Tomorrow - Dan O'Bannon - Moebius - Syd Mead - Métal Hurlant - Heavy Metal - René Laloux - Les Maîtres du temps - Lawrence G. Paull - David Snyder - Jim Burns - Spinner - Douglas Trumbull - Richard Yuricich - Special effects

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Prior to principal photography, Paul M. Sammon was commissioned by Cinefantastique magazine to do a special article on the making of Blade Runner. His detailed observations and research later became the book ', which is also called the Blade Runner Bible by the cult following of the film. The book outlines not only the evolution of Blade Runner but the politics and difficulties on-set; particularly on Scott's expectations (coming from Britain) of his first American crew. Also, his directing style with actors created friction with the cast and likely contributed to Ford's subsequent reluctance to discuss the film.

Related Topics:
Principal photography - Paul M. Sammon - Cinefantastique

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