Wednesday, December 31, 2014

OFF-WORLD NEWS DIGEST | VOL. IV, No. 3

Welcome to another edition of the OFF-WORLD NEWS Digest.





In the news ...


In regards to the Blade Runner sequel, as most of us already know, Harrison Ford and Ridley Scott have buried the hatchet, Scott, along with Hampton Fancher and Michael Green, have written the story, and the script is now completed -- “It’s written and it’s damn good,” Scott says. In late November (2014), Ridley Scott decided that he wouldn't direct the sequel. At the same time, Harrison Ford signs on to the sequel, reprising his role as Rick Deckard. Then, a week later, Ridley Scott revealed that he might still direct the sequel despite recently ruling himself out of the gig. Additionally, Ridley Scott said that Harrison Ford said that the Blade Runner 2 script is the best thing he's ever read. As more is revealed, we'll pass the information along.


BAFTA honored 'Alien,' 'Blade Runner' Editor Terry Rawlings this month (December 2014).


Debbie Harry regrets turning down a role in Sir Ridley Scott's 1982 blockbuster Blade Runner. The Blondie star was the first choice to play rebellious humanoid Pris in the sci-fi classic, but she was forced to give up the part following pressure from her record label, who wanted her to focus on a solo music career. Daryl Hannah eventually landed the part, and Harry admits she's lamented the decision ever since. She tells Britain's Event magazine, "My record company didn't want me to take time out to do a movie. I shouldn't have listened to them."


Now for some articles, art, music, videos, a podcast, and some miscellaneous !



Articles: 





  • Replicants, Unite! by Barry Evans
  • Book vs Film: 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?' vs 'Blade Runner' by Cath Murphy
  • Book Review – Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Part I, the Simulated-Real Dichotomy by Erin Perry
  • Review – Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Part II, the Human / Inhuman Dichotomy by Erin Perry
  • Review – Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Part III, Mercerism by Erin Perry
  • Japanese androids take us closer to 'Blade Runner' future
  • The Paintings That Inspired The Movies -- How art classics informed film
  • 15 Essential Director’s Cuts That Cast the Originals in a New Light
  • Never-Before-Seen Alternate Movie Posters for E.T., Jurassic Park, The Goonies, etc. 
  • 8 ADAPTATIONS THAT MASSIVELY DEVIATE FROM THE BOOKS
  • Have You Ever Wondered How Replicants Are Made in Blade Runner? by Annalee Newitz
  • Economic study suggests we're heading for a Blade Runner future by Annalee Newitz
  • Interiors and Blade Runner, by Mehruss Jon Ahi and Armen Karaoghlanian
  • It's all in the details: these miniatures changed movies -- An ode to the golden days of special effects, from 'Batman' to 'The Fifth Element' by Thomas Houston
  • PHILIP K. DICK ON SEX BETWEEN HUMANS AND ANDROIDS by Paul Gallagher
  • 17 Older Special Effects That Still Look Amazing by Kevin P. Sullivan 
  • Ridley's Key: The Forgotten Influence of Joseph Losey in Blade Runner by Vincent Joseph Noto
  • 12 "Futuristic" Worlds Where Everybody Uses Obsolete Technology by Diana Biller
  • Even more signs that fan fiction is driving our industry by Drew McWeeny 


    • Art:
    Raid71's Blade Runner Inspired "Don't Walk" Print Release Information







    Music:





    Videos:





  • Video with brief article: Adam Savage Talks About His Obsession With Recreating Movie Props by Kyle Vanhemert 












    • A video essay from #tic104's Steven Hartzell about AI with clips from Blade Runner, and more.
    tic Future Artificial Intelligence from Steven Hartzell on Vimeo.



    android dreams from Samuel Cockedey on Vimeo.






    WHAT IS NOIR? w/ Peter Labuza from The Critical Press on Vimeo.



    Podcast:




    Miscellaneous: 





  • El Rey Network Gives Viewers a Chance to Experience Ridley Scott's Masterpiece "Blade Runner" in Spanish. Accompanied by Custom Language Tutorials
  • SOASTA Survey: 73% of Americans Have Never Heard of Internet of Things When Americans were asked which SciFi story most accurately reflects the promise of the next wave of technology.
  • The Blade Runner Blaster Replica You’ve Always Wanted by GEEK GIRL DIVA
  • Book-> The Art of John Alvin by Andrea Alvin 
  • What if 'Blade Runner' Starred Bogart? Check Out These Great Imaginary Movie Posters 
  • Book-> Postmodern Metanarratives: Blade Runner and Literature in the Age of Image by Décio Torres Cruz 
  • A scientist's favourite film? 2001: A Space Odyssey: Poll reveals academics' favourite sci-fi movies of all time 
  • Vuelve a escuchar 'Blade Runner', la última ficción sonora de RNE, con Antonio de la Torre -- Listen and download the mastered version of the new sonic fiction RNE, Blade Runner. The radio adaptation has been produced by Alfonso Latorre under the direction of Benigno Moreno, and performed by Mayca Aguilera and Miguel Angel Coleto. Download by clicking HERE.  
  • Quiz-> Which Classic 80s Flick Should You Be In?
  • Blade Runner's Police Spinner gets an Adorable makeover for the Japanese release of the Final Cut.

    •
    "Do you like our owl?"
    via Sean Young's Facebook page


    And remember to follow @OffWorldNews on Twitter to receive these and other Blade Runner related news items, (including movie showings, specials, and more not featured in this newsletter), as it comes in. 

     As we welcome the new year, we embark on our 19th year as a newsletter -- keeping you up to date on all things Blade Runner. 

     Happy New Year, and always remember, "Have a better one!"


    ~ Kipple



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    Sunday, November 30, 2014

    The Mystery Of Blade Runner

    by Mark Kermode

    Blade Runner - The Final Cut is about to get a big screen release by the BFI. Why does this movie continue to fascinate and intrigue audiences?


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    Sunday, June 15, 2014

    OFF-WORLD NEWS DIGEST | VOL. IV, No. 2

    Welcome to another edition of the OFF-WORLD NEWS Digest.



    In the news ...




    In July's edition (301) of Empire Magazine, be sure to catch Geoff Hutchins' collection of Blade Runner products, original props and one-off memorabilia for the film. He wrote in the Propsummit Blade Runner Community Forum, "It was a shame that not all the screen used items were available, as they were requested by the Düsseldorf Movie Museum to be part of their Blade Runner / Metropolis exhibition that runs until August this year. They have got the Tyrell miniature office, elevator, VK manual, brass etchings and ground view cityscape as well as scripts, storyboards and dyelines."




    I've been asked what ever happened to the BRMovie website. It had been offline. So I asked around and even posted the question at the alt.fan.blade-runner Facebook page. But no one had the answer. I only found out recently that he had died this last February. Known as Netrunner, (and BRMovie at BladeZone's Off-world Forums where he'd stop in from time to time), he left a fantastic website behind. And he will be missed. However, the Internet Archives' Wayback Machine has archived BRMovie. It may be viewed HERE.




    Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
    by Philip K. Dick
    Episode 1 of 2

    BBC Radio 4 has produced a radio program featuring James Purefoy as the voice of Rick Deckard and Jessica Raine as the voice of Rachael Rosen.

    AVAILABILITY:7 DAYS LEFT TO LISTEN
    Duration: 58 minutes
    First broadcast: Sunday 15 June 2014
    Dramatised by Jonathan Holloway

    Philip K. Dick's cult sci-fi novel inspired the film Blade Runner. Set in a world devastated by nuclear war, a San Francisco bounty hunter is on a mission to retire a group of rogue androids. James Purefoy and Jessica Raine star in this new adaptation.

    In post-war 1992 androids are becoming indistinguishable from human beings, even in their capacity to love, and bounty hunter Rick Deckard is tasked with locating and retiring a rogue group of escaped androids who have fled a life of slavery and returned to Earth.

    Directed by Sasha Yevtushenko.

    You may listen to the first episode HERE for the next seven days.

    My brief take on this episode is as follows. It is an interesting amalgamation of the book and movie Blade Runner. It's narrated like a hard-boiled detective story. Some of the lines just as corny and bad as the ones with the voice-over in the theatrical release. However, it makes some interesting modifications to the story, such as the Rosen Association only having a manufacturing license to sell androids on Mars only. The names remain the same as in the book. However, the program follows more closely to the movie. Iran Deckard, Rick Deckard's wife featured in the book, is not in this production. She has, like in the movie, run off to Mars with another man. And rather than Deckard being interested in an ostrich to replace his electric sheep, he is interested in purchasing a monkey. Don't know where that came from. And Christmas is mentioned a few times. There is no mention of the holiday in either the book or the movie. There is no mention of Mercerism. And there is no Buster Friendly. And J.R, Isadore has been reduced to having a cameo working, not at an artificial animal hospital, but at a garbage facility. And rather than Luba Luft being an opera singer, here she is a jazz singer. The hovercar, in the movie referred to as a Spinner, is called a prowler. But, with those changes (and others not covered here) aside, I still found it an entertaining listen. I'd recommend it to my fellow Blade Runner and DADoES enthusiasts. Stay tuned for the second half of the production next week, June 22, 2014.



    Now for some articles, art, music, video, and some miscellaneous !



    Articles: 


    Art:

    Blade Runner 3/4 by Bob Heatly

    Blade Runner by Matt Ferguson 

    by James W. Cain



    Music:








    Video:





    Miscellaneous: 





    And remember to follow @OffWorldNews on Twitter to receive these and other Blade Runner related news items, (including movie showings, specials, and more not featured in this newsletter), as it comes in. 

    Have a better one!


    ~ Kipple
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    Sunday, June 1, 2014

    OFF-WORLD NEWS DIGEST | VOL. IV, No. 1

    Welcome to another edition of the OFF-WORLD NEWS Digest.



    In the news ...



    Harrison Ford Officially Offered 'Blade Runner' Sequel 


    Alcon Entertainment has made an official offer to Harrison Ford, asking him to reprise his role as Deckard in the new Blade Runner movie.  "We believe that Hampton Fancher and Michael Green have crafted with Ridley Scott an extraordinary sequel to one of the greatest films of all time. We would be honored, and we are hopeful, that Harrison will be part of our project." -Alcon co-founders and co-CEO's Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson.

    Back in April (2014), during a Reddit AMA, Harrison Ford said he would like to work with Ridley Scott again on a future Blade Runner movie. "I'm quite curious and excited about seeing a new script for Blade Runner if in fact the opportunity would exist to do another, if it's a good script I would be very anxious to work with Ridley Scott again, he's a very talented and passionate filmmaker. And I think it would be very interesting to revisit the character."

    Not much else is known about the project apart from the involvement of screenwriters Hampton Fancher (co-writer of the 1982 adaptation) and Michael Green and that the story will take place several decades after the conclusion of the 1982 original. Read the entire article HERE.






    Moments Lost: A Blade Runner Tribute


    In an article posted at Gizmodo, its title says that This Blade Runner Art Show Will Hold You Over Until the Sequel. On display starting at 7PM on May 31st at the Bottleneck Gallery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Moments Lost will feature a brand new, beautifully composed extension to the classic Blade Runner soundtrack accompanied by a selection of art work. Read the full article HERE.






    Philosophy and Blade Runner 

    by Timothy Shanahan





    Philosophy and Blade Runner is the first book to explore a full range of philosophical issues in the classic science fiction film Blade Runner, directed by Ridley Scott. Through critical examination of the film's distinctive treatment of perennial philosophical issues including human nature, personhood, identity, consciousness, free will, morality, God, death, time, and the meaning of life, the distinctive philosophy of Blade Runner is explored and assessed. The result is an engaging philosophical exploration of the greatest science fiction film of all time and a unique contribution to the philosophy of film that invites readers to ponder questions of universal human significance: Where did I come from? Where am I going? How long have I got?

    Timothy Shanahan is Professor of Philosophy at Loyola Marymount University, USA. He is the author of Reason and Insight (2003), The Evolution of Darwinism (2004), Philosophy 9/11 (2005), The Provisional Irish Republican Army and the Morality of Terrorism (2009), and over two dozen articles in scholarly journals.

    When I asked the author what it was that made him write this book, he replied, "What made me want to devote 4 1/2 years of my life to writing this book? I guess the short answer is that I was simply blown away by this movie in a way in which I've never been affected by another movie (with the possible exception of Enter the Dragon, but that was when I was a youth). I was struck by the fact that the film was so incredibly philosophically rich, and while folks seemed to recognize that it is "a philosophical movie" in some vague sense, I felt that there was far more to it than anyone had really identified and explained. So I set about mining some of the film's philosophical riches. Writing the book became a vehicle for me to figure out for myself and then to share with others what I think I saw in the film. I'm glad that I did it."

     You can purchase the book at Amazon or directly from the publisher, Palgrave Macmillan.



    Now for some articles, art, music, and videos!



    Articles: 



    Art:  


    Source: http://www.liveforfilms.com/2014/05/28/cool-art-blade-runner-2/



    BLADE RUNNER GRAPHIC MOVIE POSTER BY ALAIN BOSSUYT
    Source: Redbubble


    Source Etsy





    Music:
    Watch This Beautiful Tribute To “Blade Runner” With A Musical Score By Sigur Rós




    Videos:










    And remember to follow @OffWorldNews on Twitter to receive these and other Blade Runner related news items, (including movie showings, specials, and more not featured in this newsletter), as it comes in. 

    Have a better one!


    ~ Kipple
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