Friday, February 2, 2007

"If you're not cop, you're little people."


I always enjoy the Friday movie quotes over at Nobody Move. Especially today since the quotations come from one of my favorite films Blade Runner. Although I respect the director's cut, I always had a soft spot for the original version with Harrison Ford's voice-over. Critics often claim Ford's voice-over is flat and lame and detracts from the film, but I always thought it contributed to the film's over all noiry goodness. During grad school, I spent most of my energies writing creatively, but the essay I wrote on Lacan and Blade Runner was one of the few papers that made me think I could cut it as a scholar. I'm also a fan of Phil Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, but there's just something visually stunning about the film that adds a creamy layer of enjoyment the novel doesn't offer.

A big thumbs up to John D. over at Nobody Move!

Speaking of P.K. Dick, I heard A Scanner Darkly sucked it big time. True?

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the link and the thumbs-up review, Victor. I agree with you on the voice-over, I thought it added to the movie. As for Ford's "flat" delivery, it seemed to me to be perfectly in character. Deckard had been killing for so long, his own empathy was all but gone (I wonder how a veteran Blade Runner would do on a Voight-Kampff test). In a way, the Blade Runners are themselves like replicants; human machines designed (trained) to do humanity's dirty work.

Of course, I may change my mind after I see the director's cut. But that remains to be seen.

Brian Lindenmuth said...

does that mean that you dont subscribe to the theory that Deckard IS a replicant?

Anonymous said...

...does that mean that you dont subscribe to the theory that Deckard IS a replicant?

It's possible, I suppose. But I find it more interesting to view him as a "real" human and to examine the psychological similarities he bears to the replicants.

Victor Gischler said...

John,

I think the film is ultimately more rich thematically if we see it as you've proposed.

But see the director's cut, and pay attention to the very quick unicorn dream sequence and I think you'll see what Brian's talkng about.

VG

Ray Banks said...

SCANNER DARKLY didn't suck at all. It was an extremely good adaptation of a dodgy and somewhat self-indulgent novel. Hey, you want a drug movie, you got a drug movie. The Rotoscope works, Reeves isn't annoying, and even though the best moments are in the first fifteen minutes (while there's a semblance of intrigue), it's certainly not a BAD movie. Christ, if it was, then I wish for more bad movies like it.

Least it had some modicum of balls.

Victor Gischler said...

Ray,

Hmmmmmmmm. You seem like the sort I want to trust about good movies. Yet the fellow who told me it sucked is the sort of fellow I trust too.

I'M CONFUSED!

VG

Neil said...

Ray,

You, sir, must have been just as high as the cartoons in that flick. It suuuuuucked. It was boring. The characters were not only flat as boards, but they'd been run over by steamrollers. The story made sense, even they tried hard to make sure it didn't, but it wasn't worth telling. You must've been dazzled by all the pretty colors. Awful damn dull. Lazy, I expected. It's Linkletter, after all. But I didn't *care* about any of them at all.

Still love ya, pal. But, shit. You're desperate for entertainment, ain't ya?

Ray Banks said...

I take it the fellow above is the one with all those crazy negative vibes.

Okay, here's the thing - it's a drug movie. I don't expect anything but flat characters in drug movies. Drug movies disguise any semblance of plot with the kind of cinematic flashbombs that probably went out of style with Godard. In this case, yes, it's Linklater, a man who I'm not sure has made a movie I actually like... (checks IMDB) Nope.

So, as it stands, it's the best movie he's made. And to be honest, perhaps I'm remembering it in a better light because we'd just sat through SNAKES ON A fucking PLANE.

Unknown said...

I'm with Ray. A SCANNER DARKLY did a nice job of capturing the trippy vibe of the later PKD novels.

Plus, if you watch it and squint, the rotoscoping goes away, and you can see the real actors beneath.

(Or maybe I was high.)

Neil said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Neil said...

(i misspelled shit)

Can't say it even appeals as a drug movie. Not much of a drug. Apparently, "Substance D" just makes you unwatchable.

D? You really liked it? Just for that, I'm going to now try to picture THE BLONDE all cartooned up like that.

Victor Gischler said...

I remeber telling Neil that I thought the animation overlay (or whatever you want to call it) would probably get tedious after 20 minutes. And I remember Neil saying "No way, it'll be cool" or words to that effect.

But then, I guess, Neil's objects had nothing to do with the visual effects.

Ray, I'm not sure "fine for a drug movie" is enough for me. I love Pink Floyde, but found THE WALL (the film) tiresome.

VG

Ray Banks said...

Then you shouldn't see it. I'm fine with drug movies, and I despise Floyd (go figure... maybe it's the rabid fanbase). If you like the book, you SHOULD see it.

Like I said, it's a faithful adaptation, as far as I know.

Allan Guthrie said...

Haven't seen A SCANNER DARKLY, but I do wonder about the premise of BLADE RUNNER, fine film that it is otherwise. I never did quite understand why Deckard was sent to kill the replicants when they were going to die anyway. Can one of you smart people enlighten me?

Unknown said...

What, you'd want a bunch of replicants loose in the meantime, Sunshine?

Victor Gischler said...

Looks like I'm going to have to see this thing and decide for myself.

As for why we shoudl kill replicants who are already scheduled to die ... well, standard dystopia paranoia demands such action. Just common sense.


VG

MysterLynch said...

I thought the voice-over was fine.

In regards to Darkly, it was ok. Not great, but not bad by any stretch.