HOLY CRAP. RIDLEY SCOTT DIRECTING BLADE RUNNER SEQUEL.

Cool?  Nothing against Ridley, but between Prometheus and this, it feels like an artist trying desperately to recapture past success.

Better this than a remake.

The idea of doing an Alien prequel seemed pretty misguided (and still might turn out to be) but he at least seems to be making an honest attempt at doing something a bit different with it, which could bode well for this not being a complete disaster if he goes into it with a similar attitude. It's much shakier artistic ground than going back to Alien (a franchise that has nothing much left to lose) but I have to admit I'm intrigued.

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Originally Posted by Bluelouboyle 

I don't think we need it but if Scott's involved I'm curious.
And Deckard is NOT a replicant. It kills the themes of the movie and doesn't make any logical sense.

I'm with you on that front.  Sadly, Ridley is not...

Well, for the film itself it's up for debate. But in terms of what Ridley Scott intended, Deckard IS a replicant.

YES YES YES YES! Ridley Scott had to do this sequel or it was doomed for failure. Fucking hell yes.

I took a sci-fi class in college and we saw Blade Runner, and had to write an essay based on whether we thought Deckard was a replicant or not. My though always has been that he is. He takes so much abuse throughout the movie from the replicants, and he survives. All the other humans who they encounter die almost instantly. The realization at the end is just what Scott says. He's a replicant. Gaff knows it, Bryant knows it. He's just their replicant they send out. Then of course there's Gaff's haunting line. "It's too bad she won't live, but then again who does?"

Either way, Blade Runner is in my top films of all time list. I used to say it was 3 movies that vied for the number 1 spot, but then I added that one in. Of course I want a sequel directed by Ridley Scott. Ever since I saw my Dad's newly purchased widescreen vhs back in the early 90's, I've loved the film.

I... just don't know what to think about this just yet. If it happens, I think I may end up getting a sort of excitement I thought I was losing in my old age.

A story from the BR universe told by Ridley? It's just too fanboy 2am wishlist stuff for me to get my head around at this stage. I'll wait for further news.

...and yes Ridley wanted Deckard to be a replicant, but only because he liked the idea of it, not because it made any structural or thematic sense in the story - none of the screenwriters that had a hand in the storys creation ever intended Deckard to be a skinjob.

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Originally Posted by The Rain Dog 

I... just don't know what to think about this just yet. If it happens, I think I may end up getting a sort of excitement I thought I was losing in my old age.

 

A story from the BR universe told by Ridley? It's just too fanboy 2am wishlist stuff for me to get my head around at this stage. I'll wait for further news.

 

...and yes Ridley wanted Deckard to be a replicant, but only because he liked the idea of it, not because it made any structural or thematic sense in the story - none of the screenwriters that had a hand in the storys creation ever intended Deckard to be a skinjob.

My thoughts exactly, Rain Dog. In the context of PROMETHEUS, I just don't know what to make of Scott diving back into these cinematic worlds. Scott used to be my favorite film maker, and though I don't pick favorites, if I ranked my 10 most beloved films, BLADERUNNER would be on that list

Going to have to take a wait and see approach to this. I'll hold out hope it's something special, and not a great director grasping at past glories

PS Despite having seen the film dozens of times, I have not watched BLADERUNNER in nearly five years. I've been holding off, so that when I watch it again, it will be truly fresh and meaningful again. Also, I didn't want to watch it till I could see it in HD for the first time

Feeling like I should track down a copy of the HD DVD.. The time is right

Yep, same feelings as RD. Need more info, but I would be happy to see another film set in the same world, preferably (mostly)unrelated.

As long as it doesn't screw up the chances for Duncan Jones' Mute.

Both Prometheus, and potenially this, are penance projects, and man, I just can't see that as a good sign going in. This is what happens when you waste enough studio cash and wear out just enough good will. They make you go back to the well or kick you right off the fucking farm, and he knows it. Proceed with caution, filmgoers.

As long as he is diving back into his late 70s early 80s hey day, I'd love to see him take another crack at an APPLE commercial, as his work for APPLE shared a great deal of the BLADERUNNER look and feel 

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Originally Posted by JacknifeJohnny 

Both Prometheus, and potenially this, are penance projects, and man, I just can't see that as a good sign going in. This is what happens when you waste enough studio cash and wear out just enough good will. They make you go back to the well or kick you right off the fucking farm, and he knows it. Proceed with caution, filmgoers.

 

 

 

I want to see the glass half full and look at it as Ridley rounding out the twilight of his career returning to some of his favorite genre and thematic wheelhouses to round things out. The guys gonna drop dead on a movie set, it may as well be one he feels represents - or at the very least symbolises - some of his best work.

Yes!  The chances of a sequel to BLACK RAIN just went up.

Considering the last person to go back to the Blade Runner well gave us Soldier, I'm gonna go with cautiously optimistic.

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Originally Posted by Bluelouboyle 

I don't think we need it but if Scott's involved I'm curious.
And Deckard is NOT a replicant. It kills the themes of the movie and doesn't make any logical sense.

This forever.  Ridley Scott is wrong, period.  He's a great filmmaker and Blade Runner is without peer but he's wrong about this.  If I could wake PKD up just long enough for him to talk to Ridley about it, I would. 

I just keep thinking "Anything to stave off that Monopoly movie."

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Originally Posted by User_32 

Better this than a remake.

Apparently the rights that Alcon bought DO NOT include remake rights, so we would have dodged that bullet regardless.

Anyways, I thought this was a done deal already................both in terms of Ridley's involvement and it being his follow-up to Prometheus.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JacknifeJohnny 

Both Prometheus, and potenially this, are penance projects, and man, I just can't see that as a good sign going in. This is what happens when you waste enough studio cash and wear out just enough good will. They make you go back to the well or kick you right off the fucking farm, and he knows it. Proceed with caution, filmgoers.

I'm not so sure it's quite that simple. Scott's a pretty powerful guy, he's a prolific producer and is always has a million potential projects on the go. Supposedly Fox twisted his arm into doing the Alien prequel, which Scott was only producing at first, by not making it unless he directed. But if he didn't hold a degree of clout with them I doubt they'd have let him make the uncommercial move of taking the Alien brand name off the thing, and I doubt he'd be destitute if he'd done something else instead.

For all the jokes about Ridley sequelizing his back catalogue in order, I don't know if I need a Legend 2 exactly but I have to say I'd really like to see him have another crack at a fantasy movie.

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Originally Posted by S.D. Bob Plissken 

Apparently the rights that Alcon bought DO NOT include remake rights, so we would have dodged that bullet regardless.

 

 

Anyways, I thought this was a done deal already................both in terms of Ridley's involvement and it being his follow-up to Prometheus.

 

Nominally The Thing prequel wasn't a remake but the sequence of events (and the similarity of several particular events) certainly made it look like one.

I think they'd have more sense than to not do that here though.

Mind you, one of the weirdest cinema experiences I had was seeing "Sunshine", as that was practically a beat for beat remake of "Event Horizon", so much so that they could have called it "Event Horizon II: Towards the Sun This Time". I like to keep telling myself that it was just a bizarre co-incidence and that if someone had pointed the extent of the similarities out, they would have made changes because that is the only explanation that makes sense to me.

Hasn't he talked about this before, and called it Metropolis? I'm all for a movie set in that same world, especially if we get a dash of cyberpunk thrown in, but I don't want to know what happened to Deckard or Rachel.

Maybe an appearance by the Olmos...

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Originally Posted by Shan 

Nominally The Thing prequel wasn't a remake but the sequence of events (and the similarity of several particular events) certainly made it look like one.

 

I think they'd have more sense than to not do that here though.

 

Mind you, one of the weirdest cinema experiences I had was seeing "Sunshine", as that was practically a beat for beat remake of "Event Horizon", so much so that they could have called it "Event Horizon II: Towards the Sun This Time". I like to keep telling myself that it was just a bizarre co-incidence and that if someone had pointed the extent of the similarities out, they would have made changes because that is the only explanation that makes sense to me.

 

I'm a big SUNSHINE supporter, and I enjoy what works in EVENT HORIZON (much of it is very very scary), but I don't really see the similarity between the two except to say that at one point both films involve stuff set on a spaceship assumed lost. The drive of the narrative, the structure, ETC, all otherwise seems pretty different to me
 

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Originally Posted by Shan 

Nominally The Thing prequel wasn't a remake but the sequence of events (and the similarity of several particular events) certainly made it look like one.

 

I think they'd have more sense than to not do that here though.

 

Mind you, one of the weirdest cinema experiences I had was seeing "Sunshine", as that was practically a beat for beat remake of "Event Horizon", so much so that they could have called it "Event Horizon II: Towards the Sun This Time". I like to keep telling myself that it was just a bizarre co-incidence and that if someone had pointed the extent of the similarities out, they would have made changes because that is the only explanation that makes sense to me.

 

Not wanting to derail the thread but I almost want to ask if you've even seen both movies. I'm a fan of the first hour of Sunshine. The 3rd act shits the bed but for some lowish budget Sci-fi the first couple of acts are class. And I hate to agree with the Princess, but I fail to see the similarity with Event Horizon apart from they both take place in space on long space ships with a crazy person. That could be short synopsis for half of the Sci-Fi out there.

Put me in the 'cautiously optimistic' category too, leaning slightly more towards caution than optimism. I love Scott, but he's always been decidedly mercurial when it comes to storytelling. He's a master visualist, great with actors, but for every Alien or Blade Runner there's a G.I. Jane or Robin Hood. His films are either genius from top to bottom or impeccable displays of visual and performance direction that fail to resonate on a story level. Going back to those classic sci-fi wells (Curious he's once again following up an Alien film with Blade Runner) all I can do is hope that it's 'Good Ridley' who's showing up for work here.

 I don't think that Deckard is a replicant. When he fought the replicants hand to hand, he always got his ass kicked. He was lucky every time he killed one. He also couldn't make the building to building jump that Roy did effortlessly.

Only replicants that are designed to be super strong are super strong.  A replicant designed to think it's human would only be given human level strength and ablities.

Pris was a pleasure model and she beat the hell out of Deckard.

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Originally Posted by Fafhrd 

Only replicants that are designed to be super strong are super strong.  A replicant designed to think it's human would only be given human level strength and ablities.

Which is odd since it's hunting androids.

I think the whole idea is that both Rachael and Deckard are the next level of replicant:  a Nexus 7.  They are pretty much perfect android copies of humans.  Almost clones really.  I also wonder if they really do have the lifespan limitation that the others did.  I kind of doubt it.  I suspect they lived into the elderly stage of life.

Also, count me in as wanting to see Ridley tackle the fantasy genre again.  I don't want Legend 2, but I would love to see him play in a similar world in the near future.  A full-on sword & sorcery flick by Scott would be fantastic.

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Originally Posted by Chaz 

Pris was a pleasure model and she beat the hell out of Deckard.

Actually, they all beat the hell out of Deckard. He got lucky that Rachel shot Leon as he was beating Deckard up, Zhora was doing an excellent job of strangling him when she inexplicably ran off instead of finishing him off, Pris was beating the hell out of him and could have probably finished him if she hadn't decided to go and take an extra big run up to Gymkata him to death and Roy at the end ... well we know how that ended.

Why exactly did he get the job again?

(edit: Read your posts further back after I posted. I've got to remember to read first then post once and for all, which I still keep forgetting to do.)

If Tyrell had a replicant secretary who didn't know she was a replicant, I see no reason Tyrell couldn't have given Deckard's boss a Nexus 7 BLADERUNNER for tracking down his strays, complete with implanted memories. It seems like he'd want he'd want a replicant out there tracking replicants, not least of all because what human cop would want to go up against one?

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Originally Posted by Bluelouboyle 

But Deckard is obviously much weaker and slower than Batty and his friends. Why make an replicant hunter inferior to the replicants he is hunting?

As another chewer pointed out, he was a nexus 7 designed to think he was human. Super human strength would break the illusion

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Originally Posted by Princess Kate 

 

As another chewer pointed out, he was a nexus 7 designed to think he was human. Super human strength would break the illusion

But why bother with the illusion in the first place?  Say you're the head of Tyrell Corp.  You have super strong, empathy-less killing machines on the loose, and you have access to equally strong, empathy-less killing machines that you can presumably program to believe anything you want.

So why, then, do you send a weaker model that believes it's human after them?  Not to mention concocting an elaborate false history for that model, setting him up in a pretty sick apartment, and somehow convincing local law enforcement to go along with your whole scheme.  Also, you decide make him a self loathing, depressed alcoholic getting over a failed marriage, just for kicks.

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Originally Posted by ScottieFerguson 

But why bother with the illusion in the first place?  Say you're the head of Tyrell Corp.  You have super strong, empathy-less killing machines on the loose, and you have access to equally strong, empathy-less killing machines that you can presumably program to believe anything you want.

 

So why, then, do you send a weaker model that believes it's human after them?  Not to mention concocting an elaborate false history for that model, setting him up in a pretty sick apartment, and somehow convincing local law enforcement to go along with your whole scheme.  Also, you decide make him a self loathing, depressed alcoholic getting over a failed marriage, just for kicks.

Why bother with the illusion? If he knew he was a replicant, he might not want to kill his own kind. Local law enforcement would welcome the chance to send a "cop" out to catch these things that they didn't have to worry about dying, since he wasn't real. The knowing smirk on Deckard's boss' face seals it for me. As for alcoholism ETC, couldn't he get depressed by his job? As for bad memories, Rachel had those too. Remember her brother playing doctor, ETC?

EDIT also I'd imagine mega corporations like Tyrell basically own the cops, and could have them  do whatever they want 

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Originally Posted by Shan 

 

 

 

Why exactly did he get the job again?

 

(edit: Read your posts further back after I posted. I've got to remember to read first then post once and for all, which I still keep forgetting to do.)

Deckard was good at the detective work in finding them.

But you could have him believe literally anything you want.  You could have him just be a mindless killing machine.  Hell, you could have him think he's human, but that he fell in a vat of toxic waste and now has super strength.  Honestly, that's no less retarded than the whole scheme they apparently did hatch if we're to believe he's a Nexus 7.

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Originally Posted by Chaz 

Deckard was good at the detective work in finding them.

 

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Originally Posted by ScottieFerguson 

But you could have him believe literally anything you want.  You could have him just be a mindless killing machine.  Hell, you could have him think he's human, but that he fell in a vat of toxic waste and now has super strength.  Honestly, that's no less retarded than the whole scheme they apparently did hatch if we're to believe he's a Nexus 7.

Why did Tyrell make a replicant secretary with memories of childhood abuse? Apparently that's his MO. Deckard's having a lousy life in order to make him pour himself into his job makes sense to me in that context

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Originally Posted by Chaz 

Pris was a pleasure model and she beat the hell out of Deckard.

Pris was a pleasure model for offworld military bases.  I kind of figure being able to handle the rough stuff would come with the design spec for that job.

I've always viewed this as a Kobayashi Maru situation. There is no answer, and that's fine. Isn't the fun in the debating? 

The audience is provided so little background on Deckard himself, or how the Bladerunner system works, or even how Replicant regulation works (surely there would be more escapes, and therefore more need for entire Bladerunner squads rather than pairs of burned out detectives), that anything is possible.

Tyrell likes to play chess. He's obviously fascinated by the Voight-Kampff test. Why is it so unreasonable that he would, in reaction to Leon's infiltration of the Tyrell Corporation, put a Nexus-7 out there on the case? By studying its reactions he can fine-tune the next model.

As for the whole debate about Deckard's strength, he scales the side of a building with broken fingers.