OFF-WORLD NEWS: 2019

Saturday, November 30, 2019

OFF-WORLD NEWS November, 2019

Our Twentieth Anniversary

Keeping You Up-To-Date on All Things Blade Runner

Incept

OFF-WORLD NEWS started out as a newsletter back in 1999 as a part of the Blade Runner fansite BladeZone created by Gerry Kissell. It was sent via email every month -- or more -- as news rolled in about anything Blade Runner-related. When signing up with OFF-WORLD NEWS, you were alerted of special events happening around the globe that pertained to Blade Runner; such as screenings, interviews, tours, and news items. And you were also alerted when there were any new articles posted on the BladeZone website.

At its inception, there was a team of Blade Runner fans who worked on the OFF-WORLD NEWS. In addition to its creator, and News and PR Manager, Gerry Kissell, there were; News Manager, Aaron Brinkley; Analysis Editor, Tor Inge Skaar; Proof Editor, Shirley LeVasseur. And later in 2001, News Manager, Richard Gunn.

Morphology

In 2007, I revived the then inactive OFF-WORLD NEWS. [By that time, any site updates and Blade Runner-related news and events were posted on their main page under the heading, 'BladeZone News and Features', as they continue to do to this day.] I changed the format and moved it over to the Yahoo! Groups. Email alerts could still be sent, but it was also a place on the web where all the news could be aggregated, stored, and viewed at one's leisure without necessarily having to subscribe via email. In 2009, OFF-WORLD NEWS joined the twittersphere! Then, in 2010, the OFF-WORLD NEWS transitioned over to the blogosphere, where it currently resides, retiring the Yahoo! Group. Not only was the format more palatable on the blog, but it enabled you to subscribe via email, RSS, or Google Friend Connect (until Google retired the latter in 2016). And then, to begin 2012, OFF-WORLD NEWS found a home on Google+ to share the news with fellow googlers (until Google, yet again, retired that social network in early 2019).

One of the features I developed for the blog was what I called the 'OFF-WORLD News Digest'. In it, I included (usually new) material, and official Blade Runner-related news, followed by articles, art, music, fanfiction, poetry, videos, podcasts, and miscellaneous. Any breaking news or special articles I continued to feature on its own. But, in recent years, I primarily followed the news digest format.

I've seen things...

The OFF-WORLD NEWS has featured some amazing work over the years. I'm still blown away by how much talent and creativity the Blade Runner fandom has. This movie has been rendered in the visual arts; in painting, sculpting, computer animation, architectural designs, and even fashion design. There has been BR-inspired music, live theatre productions, dance recitals, and home video productions. And fans across the web have kept the story of 'Rick Deckard and Company' alive in fanfiction. The discussions -- first documented in early fanzines from the '80s, and web forums online in the '90s, to Facebook groups presently -- continues to grow and develop to this day.

And fans have re-created many of the props seen in the movie, such as the Voight-Kampff machine, the Blaster, unicorn origami, and models of the Spinner, and action figures. [Not to mention sought-after items, like Deckard's Scotch whiskey glass; and made-up objects, like "The Snake Pit" matchbook, and vid-phon card.] And we mustn't forget the blimp-inspired props and art.

There are simply too many highlights to mention that have been featured in the OFF-WORLD NEWS over the years. From talks of a sequel to the infamous Director's Cut. The release of Paul Sammon's "Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner". Westwood's Blade Runner computer game. The arduous journey putting together The Final Cut. Not to mention the beautiful art, music, articles, fan films, and fanfiction that came out of the Blade Runner fandom.

Enhance

Below is the earliest OFF-WORLD NEWS that I have. It was from October 5, 1999. I am afraid that the email account that I used at the time is no longer active. So, I no longer have access to them. I just happened to have this one hard copy (click on image to enhance).

Rich Gunn happened to have some of OFF-WORLD NEWS archived and was kind enough to share them. They are from February 11, 2001 - December 30, 2002, from his time as News Manager. HERE is a link to view the pdf files.

Time to Die

Unlike its humble beginning -- the Nexus-1 series of this newsletter, if you will -- there was no team working on this generation of OFF-WORLD NEWS. There was only one -- me. The research, review, and assembly took a lot of time and effort. I am proud of the work I have done with this blog; presented an informative news digest, and shared all the amazing creativity of fellow Blade Runner fans to the readership of this blog. However, it has come to the point where I need to focus my thoughts and energy on other things. Besides, sharing any Blade Runner-related news and all the creative outpouring from its fandom, which has increased immensely since the original Blade Runner movie -- thanks in part to Blade Runner 2049 (its sequel), Blade Runner 2019 (comic book series), and the upcoming Blade Runner — Black Lotus (anime series) -- has become redundant. For example, information spreads very quickly via Facebook. It has gotten so bad that things are posted over many Blade Runner fan groups, so that, if you're a member of a number of these groups, you get multiple postings on your timeline of the same thing! A lot of repetitiveness and recirculation all around. Even if there were others involved with this blog now, you'd still have this problem. Thus making this endeavour a waste of effort, IMHO.

I am thrilled and honoured to say that the OFF-WORLD NEWS was mentioned in Paul M. Sammon's revised & updated edition of "Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner". It is available in stores and online now. For more information about the book, go to the Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner Facebook page.

Blade Runner will always be a part of my life. Still, to this day, I have a Blade Runner desktop theme on my computer (as it shall remain, as long as we have computers). I will continue to listen to the Vangelis album, and periodically watch the movie. I may even be heard using one of the memorable lines from the movie (or the Westwood computer game) from time to time. And I will continue to admire the items in my Blade Runner collection.

This OFF-WORLD NEWS blog will remain here as long as Blogger remains online. And it is also available at the Internet Archive WayBack Machine.

It's all been truly amazing. And I am glad to have been a part of it.

"Have a better one!"

~ C.A. Chicoine (A.K.A. Kipple)

‘Blade Runner’ Production Designer Lawrence Paull Dies at 81

Lawrence G. Paull, the art and production designer whose striking and memorable movie worlds came to life in iconic films like Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner and Robert Zemeckis’ Back to the Future, has passed away at the age of 81.

Mr. Paull, whose Blade Runner set design earned him an Academy Award nomination alongside David L. Snyder and Linda DeScenna, died Sunday, Nov. 10 in La Jolla, California.

It was Paull’s Oscar-nominated work on Blade Runner that perhaps left the most lasting influence by expanding filmmakers’ concepts of what science fiction could look like on the big screen. In an earlier interview quoted by THR, Paull recalled how Scott gave him free license to help craft a set that tapped his creative impulses — and he ran with it.

“Ridley really knew how to appeal to the art department, he was very wise about it. What he would say, up in the art department: 'If you build it, I'll shoot it.' And who could resist the temptation of that?” said Paull, via the report. “Because we've all suffered, making films with gigantic sets, and beautiful sets, and all that is shown are talking heads. And that was disappointing. But because [Ridley] was an art director, he knew he could hook us with that bait. And he did it — if we built it, he shot it.”

In a statement to THR, Scott doffed his hat to “Larry’s” outsized contribution helping adapt author Philip K. Dick’s dystopian vision of a futuristic Los Angeles for the big screen, saying he was “always struck by [Paull's] staunch and faithful support of the strange plan for the unique world of Blade Runner…Between Syd [Mead's, visual futurist on the film] and myself and Larry, it was a challenging, monumental task for him and against all odds — the proof is in his work in the film. So I guess we won. My hat comes off for him.”

Paull continued to teach his craft in the early 2000s after retiring from the production side of the film industry, creating and teaching a new curriculum at Chapman University aimed at graduate fine arts students in production design, according to the report. He also served as a guest speaker at Harvard, USC, UCLA, Catholic University of America, and the University of Arizona — his Architecture alma mater.

[Source: SySyWire.com]

Our hearts and thoughts go out to his family and friends.

[[Editor's Note: Sorry for the delay in reporting this.]]

Rutger Hauer, 'Blade Runner' Actor, Dies at 75

Rutger Hauer, the rugged Dutch actor who starred as renegade replicant leader Roy Batty in Ridley Scott's 1982 sci-fi classic Blade Runner, died on July 19, 2019. He was 75.

He really made a name for himself with his turn as Batty and the character's "Tears in the Rain" speech — which he improvised — in the original Blade Runner.

"Rutger read that speech and then went on with a couple of lines about memories in the rain," co-screenwriter David Webb Peoples told THR in 2017. "And then he looked at me like a naughty little boy, like he was checking to see if the writer was going to be upset. I didn't let on that I was upset, but at the time, I was a little upset and threatened by it.

"Later, seeing the movie, that was a brilliant contribution of Rutger's, that line about tears in the rain. It is absolutely beautiful."

The late Philip K. Dick, whose novel, "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?", served as the basis for the film, called the actor "the perfect Batty — cold, Aryan, flawless."

[Source: THR]

Rutger Hauer's unforgettable screen presence, instantly memorable voice, and dedication to each and every role he played left a mark on cinema, and sci-fi cinema in particular, that will never be forgotten. As news of his death spread, Hauer's many fans and collaborators began paying tribute to his work and legacy as both an actor and a human being. This LINK brings you to the SyFyWire article featuring some of these tributes.

Below is an excerpt from Vangelis' Blade Runner Trilogy, 25th Anniversary album, the track titled, "No Expectation Boulevard", that features Rutger Hauer reciting his famous last lines from the movie Blade Runner, in his native Dutch.

Rutger Hauer will be sadly missed. He has left a lasting legacy for present and future cinephiles to discover and enjoy. Our hearts and thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Monday, June 10, 2019

OFF-WORLD NEWS DIGEST | VOL. IX, No. 8

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

In the news ...

The First 5 Pages of Blade Runner 2019 #1 – Like Tears In Rain…

Titan Comics is the proud licensee of Blade Runner and is publishing an in-canon sequel to the original Blade Runner movie, written by the screenwriter of the recent movie sequel. And Bleeding Cool has the first five pages of the first issue to share. Including the story of the Blade Runner of 2019, her friends, colleagues – and enemies.

BLADE RUNNER 2019 #1 (MR)

(W) Michael Green, Mike Johnson (A) Andres Guinaldo (CA) Artgerm

In the neo-noir city of Los Angeles, 2019, Ash, a veteran blade runner, is grappling with a new case: a billionaire’s wife and child, apparently kidnapped by Replicants for dark purposes… An all-new ongoing comic series from the pen of Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Michael Green (Blade Runner 2049, Logan, American Gods), with longtime co-writer Mike Johnson (Batman/Superman, Supergirl, Star Trek), illustrated by Andres Guinaldo (Justice League Dark, Captain America). The first comic to tell original, in-canon stories set in the Blade Runner universe! In Shops: Jul 17, 2019 SRP: $3.99

More images HERE.

Now for some articles, art, music, videos, podcasts, and a bit of miscellaneous.

Articles:

Art:

"Blade Runner", by Tomer Hanuka

Music:

Videos:

Podcasts:

Miscellaneous:

Blade Runner 2049 : the game (Re-edit version) by Pixel Jeff from r/bladerunner

Replicant Prop Hunter is always on the hunt for the most screen-accurate Blade Runner props. See website HERE.
Hunting Replicants with the 2019 LayerOne badge

If anyone has comments, feedback, or questions, please feel free to post them in the Comment section below. And remember to follow @OffWorldNews on Twitter to receive these and other Blade Runner related news items as it comes in.

"Have a better one!"

~Kipple
(C.A. Chicoine)

Sunday, April 28, 2019

OFF-WORLD NEWS DIGEST | VOL. IX, No. 7

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

In the news ...

Blade Runner film editor, Terry Rawlings, has died. The sad news was reported last week that legendary editor Terry Rawlings has passed away. The movie editor, best known for “Chariots of Fire” and “Blade Runner,” died at his home.

The Guild announced the news on Twitter that the Oscar-nominated editor had passed away.

They wrote, “It is with very great sadness that the Guild of British Film and Television Editors reports the death of Terry Rawlings, film editor extraordinaire, this morning- 23rd April 2019.”

Rawlings worked in the film industry for over 50 years. During that time, he was extremely successful and even received an Oscar nomination for his hard work. The nomination was for “Chariots of Fire” from 1981. Other impressive movies he worked on were “Alien 3,” “GoldenEye,” and “Watership Down.”

Many have taken to social media to mourn the loss. Among them, filmmaker Charles de Lauzirika wrote, “I’m saddened by the passing of editor extraordinaire Terry Rawlings. An honour to have him share his memories in my docs on Alien, Alien 3 and Blade Runner, he was also an invaluable advisor on Legend: Director’s Cut and Alien 3: Assembly Cut. A little known fact, he was the dubbing editor on Ken Russell’s The Devils. What a career, what a life. Godspeed, sir.”

RIP Terry Rawlings.

Terry Rawlings (1933-2019)

Now for some art, music, videos, podcasts, and a bit of miscellaneous.

Art:

Almost Human.#bladerunner #laurendaigle pic.twitter.com/P3Vlhpg7pA
— Aaron Minier (@aaronminier) April 15, 2019

Music:

Videos:

Podcasts:

Episode 25: Blade Runner

Episode 26: Blade Runner 2049

Miscellaneous:

Yeah ... you'll wish you'd thought of this.

Video 1 of 7: 24th scale Fujimi Spinner & Miniature Universe building diorama. pic.twitter.com/2TjeBv0tOF
— Small Wonder Models (@SmallWonderMark) 1 April 2019

If anyone has comments, feedback, or questions, please feel free to post them in the Comment section below. And if you'd like to contribute, or recommend Blade Runner-related art, music, video, podcast, or article, you may do so at Kipple@KippleZone.com.

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.

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 (regularly updated)! And, for Blade Runner fanfiction, be sure to visit KippleZone.

"Have a better one!"

~Kipple

(C.A. Chicoine)

Friday, March 29, 2019

OFF-WORLD NEWS DIGEST | VOL. IX, No. 6

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

In the news ...

Vangelis trades synthesizers for piano and finds life after the film score Vangelis was interviewed by the Los Angeles Times for the release of his album “Nocturne,” a departure from the bank of synthesizers that normally surrounds the composer. It’s a collection of new works for mostly solo piano, with a little synthy accompaniment here and there. You can read the article HERE.

Today is Vangelis's birthday!

Please join us in wishing him a very Happy Birthday!

Syd Meads's Neo-noir Art Shines in Second Cover for Titan's Blade Runner 2019 | Some of the most energizing news emerging from Comics Land last year was the thrilling announcement of a brand new Blade Runner series courtesy of London-based Titan Comics

Blade Runner 2019 #1's first provocative cover by Stanley "Artgerm" Lau was unveiled two weeks ago and now SYFY WIRE has the exclusive reveal of the second cover for the upcoming summer title and it's a beautiful neon-drenched tribute to the stellar work of Blade Runner's legendary concept artist, Syd Mead. More HERE.

Credit: Titan Comics

Now for some articles, art, videos, podcasts, and a bit of miscellaneous.

Articles:

Blade Runner Soundtrack: Vangelis
Cyberpunk fiction predicted our dystopia, but it might offer a way out
Cosplay in America: Rachael

Photo: Rulison Photography

Art:

Deckard -- made from the text of the screenplay for "Blade Runner", by Robotic Ewe.

by Axel Medellin

Roy Batty from Blade Runner. Drew this last year. Have a great day. #fanart #bladerunner2049 #drawingoftheday #sketching @bladerunner #Illustrations #art #design pic.twitter.com/BzB2TglYSg
— Ryan Vogler (@RyanVogler) March 7, 2019