How many times have you seen Blade Runner? In the late 80s I would have confidently answered in the double digits. A quarter-century later I'd rather account for the number of times I've stepped in the same river. There are so many versions, and so many different media in which to view these versions, and I'm such a wash at math that I don't think I could construct the necessary algorithm to provide an accurate answer.
Jonathan Rosenbaum tackles the Blade Runner issue, along with several others that hadn't occurred to me, in his quest to help the home-style critics and film historians among us, here.
3 comments:
You know, I've never gotten around to seeing Blade Runner. I saw it in the video store, but always passed it by. My impression was that it was just a bad science fiction movie that was trying to rip off the popularity of Harrison Ford and Star Wars back in the early 80s. It sounds like you're a big fan though, maybe I should check it out after all.
J - well, it's joined the list of films I've seen too many times, so I should probably qualify my love for it. But its visual impact in 1982 couldn't possibly be overstated. It's also a gas to see newcomers Rutger Hauer, Darryl Hannah and Sean Young quite justifiably glorying in their youth. Its SF quotient is entirely in the eye of the beholder, but having seen so many of the crappy films that followed Star Wars like so much flotsam, it's safe to say Blade Runner stood head and shoulders over the lot of them.
Ditto on repetitive watchings, although WP, you've got me there by a wide margin. I'd have to only use one hand to count the number. Make sure that the lights are out, the volume up, you're wearing a raincoat or poncho (Blade Runner has got to be the soggiest movie ever), and have various open boxes of steaming Chinese food around.
Then, jump into the movie with both feet.
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