Blade Runner (1982)

It rained this past Friday night when a friend and I went to see Blade Runner - The Final Cut at The Ziegfeld.

To say it's made a meaningful impression on my entertainment tastes is putting it mildly. I think I first saw it when I was ten, when it seemed to air every weekend at my best friend's house on Showtime or HBO. We'd pile pillows on the floor, pull a blanket up to our necks and be whisked away to another world. This would become a double-feature ritual when we discovered Alien.

Years later, a VHS copy would become a permanent fixture in my VCR during teen parties when we'd mute the volume, keep the Blade Runner running, as we listened to mix tapes (Peter Murphy, Siouxsie, Joy Division, Smiths, Nine Inch Nails, etc.) Then in 1992, and an apartment of my own behind The Hi-Pointe Theatre, I saw the re-release with my then boyfriend.

I was excited, of course, to see the movie on the screen again. But, it'd been fifteen years since I saw it last... I grew increasingly happy as we ate dinner, picked up our tickets, bought popcorn, and sat in our seats. Then the red curtains pulled away for the screen and I held my breath.

I may love it more now than at any other time. The restoration is incredible, the print is gorgeous and the 'fixes' are a nice and loving attention to detail that's made it that much richer. Despite having seen it more times than I can count, I'm still moved. The moral values of the themes remain thoughtful, insightful, and relevant-- slavery, corporatism, and technology. (However, with some years behind me, I find myself somewhat disturbed by the romantic relationship of Deckard and Rachel, but I need to digest that one a bit more.)

In any case, I'm so very glad to have seen it, it's a grand version and an important film.

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NOTE: These Blade Runner sketches here were done in grey marker and brush pen. I've recently been posting sketches on the subject of films as an art exercise. They are meant to be done quickly and are done in ink only.