Blade Runner is the first sci fi movie I can remember feeling blown away by.
I watched the Star Wars trilogy a lot as a kid, but it was just always around for me to watch whenever because we had the VHS tapes. I can't remember a time when I hadn't seen Star Wars yet.
The first time I saw Blade Runner all the way through was a few years ago, during my original half-assed attempt to watch the movies in the book.
From the opening shot (below), the movie is just jaw-dropping. The art direction and music are perfect for creating this futuristic mashed-up version of Los Angeles. The whole thing is even more jaw-dropping when you find out that all the special effects were done in camera!
Ridley Scott proved himself to be a genre mix-master here, as he takes a noir film vibe and transplants it into a futuristic setting (2019--not so far off, now!). Throw in some heavy symbolism, and you've got yourself a sci fi epic. Except it was a flop when it came out in 1982.....
This is one of those special movies that has risen through the ranks of well-regarded films over the years. Time has served it well.
I watched the "Final Cut," which has no voiceover, includes the dream sequence, and does not have the original ending the studio tacked on. If you don't know what I'm talking about....get a copy of this movie immediately!!
Here is the opening scene, one of the best in film history:
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