OFF-WORLD NEWS: October 2017

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

In the news ...

Sony Pictures is receiving backlash for releasing a self-censored cut of Denis Villeneuve’s “Blade Runner 2049” in Turkey. The studio allegedly removed all nudity from the movie. But the studio’s decision to self-censor the film based on what it believed to be respectful to Turkish culture has upset the country’s film community. More HERE.

The tie-in VR experience Blade Runner 2049: Memory Lab puts the player in the role of a replicant who is having their memories examined. In the world of Blade Runner, replicants have implanted memories, the nature of which are strictly controlled by the companies that create them. In Blade Runner 2049: Memory Lab, however, something has gone awry in the player’s memories, leading to the uncovering of a dark conspiracy. Blade Runner 2049: Memory Lab will be available for Oculus Rift on 19th October, and Samsung Gear VR on 26th October, 2017.

Jared Leto performed the part of Niander Wallace. This character is a genius inventor and entrepreneur, a blind man with the vision to save humankind who then looks past humanity to invent a new kind of replicant, the android line that once nearly destroyed humanity. Wallace is ruthless in the pursuit of technology he claims is crucial to mankind’s future, rendering himself both potential savior and antagonist. Leto, in addition to a working actor and musician, is also a prominent tech investor, and was thus prone to feeling empathy for the character.

"I don’t think he’s really that bad a guy," the 45-year-old Oscar winner told SYFY WIRE. "He's ruthless, he's ambitious, he's determined, he's highly intelligent, he's really powerful. So you can look at the titans of industry, from Dale Carnegie to the Rockefellers to Steve Jobs to the Dalai Lama. He does have this spiritual sense to him. He clearly has an opinion, an idea of what needs to be done in order to save humanity. He's not afraid to take the steps that are necessary in order to make his vision come to life." More HERE.

As Blade Runner 2049 opened in theaters, Visual Effects Hall of Fame Inductees were honored, including alums from the original 1982 film Blade Runner; concept artist Syd Mead, VFX supervisor Douglas Trumbull, and the late matte painter Matthew Yuricich. More HERE.

“Blade Runner 2049” may have topped the box office this weekend, but the numbers weren’t convincing. Despite playing on over 4000 screens in North America, the film could only manage $31 million in ticket sales, a rather disappointing return for a movie that cost $150 million. The returns are even harder to accept given the nearly unanimous praise for Denis Villeneuve‘s bold and unique sci-fi film, and the studio admits they were slightly surprised by how things shook out. More HERE.

Warner Bros.’ marketing for the film has been one of the key reasons people think the film missed the mark at the box office. Trailers and clips for the movie kept all plot specifics hidden out of fear of spoilers (Warner Bros. had said that even just saying the plot of the film would count as a spoiler), which ended up failing to create interest among the key demographic of non-“Blade Runner” fans. According to PostTrack, 65% of the film’s audience was made up of males and a whopping 77% was moviegoers over the age of 25, meaning the film failed to breakout of its core fan base. Villeneuve supports Warner Bros.’ decision, however, and he ultimately requested the movie not be screened at any fall film festivals so that spoilers could be preserved. Villeneuve even requested for K’s identity as a replicant or a human to be left out of all reviews. More HERE.

This week, most of the talk surrounding “Blade Runner 2049” has been about its disappointing box office returns, raising questions about its marketing strategy, and the impact it might’ve had on the final numbers. Lost in the discussion has been the film’s artistry. No matter where you might stand on the movie, Denis Villeneuve‘s film looks magnificent, and that’s thanks to the outstanding work by Roger Deakins. There is already Oscar chatter brewing for the cinematographer’s exceptional efforts on the picture, but if you to experience it as he intended, you’ll have to put those 3D glasses down. “We shot the film in 2D and in a widescreen format,” Deakins wrote in the forums of his website, “…I oversaw the timing of all the versions of ‘BR2049’ including the HDR version. | My preferred version is the standard 2D widescreen version. A problem I have with some viewing systems is their use of silvered screens. The image projected on a silvered screen lacks saturation as well as density as it falls off from a hot spot in the center of vision,” he added. More HERE.

There has been an enormous amount of articles, podcasts, and reviews on Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049 since the release of BR2049, from all over the world. Below are just a sample of what I've come across -- mostly in English.

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

Articles:

Art:

By Glen Hanson http://www.glenhanson.com/

By Jemio Drawings

Videos:

Podcasts:

Comedy Film Nerds: Spoiler Ep 66 - Blade Runner 2049
Film Junk Podcast: Episode #631- Blade Runner 2049

Music:

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. And be sure to visit KippleZone's Pinterest page for more Blade Runner images and videos; from behind-the-scenes photos to fan art, figures, and props!

"Have a better one!"

~Kipple

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

Photo by Dan Winters

In the news ...

Blade Runner: The Final Cut has been making its rounds in theatres around the globe in anticipation of the sequel.
We are just days away from the release of Blade Runner 2049 in cinemas worldwide, set for October 6th. Below are some worthwhile interviews, articles, and discussions on the subject.
Denis Villeneuve Explains Composer Jóhann Jóhannsson’s Exit From ‘Blade Runner 2049’. “The thing I will say is that making movies is a laboratory. It’s an artistic process,” Villeneuve said. More HERE.
Blade Runner 2049 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | Limited Edition & Numbered 2-CD Set | Only 2,049 copies of this edition exist! More HERE.
Harrison Ford visited Google NYC to discuss "Blade Runner 2049" which marks a return to his role of Rick Deckard from one of his most iconic films, the 1982 sci-fi hit "Blade Runner". Moderated by Kevin Vlk.

Director Denis Villeneuve joins DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis to talk about his upcoming film, Blade Runner 2049.

Below is a new and highly-anticipated animated short which serves as a prologue for the upcoming feature film Blade Runner 2049.

Adam Savage has seen Blade Runner 2049, and he's been given permission to review the film without giving away any plot details. We're joined by fellow replica prop builder and Blade Runner obsessive Mark Dubeau to talk about the importance of the original film, anticipation among fans, and get Adam's spoiler-free impressions of the long-awaited sequel!