Los Angeles: November, 2019 -- a time where cars fly, off-world trips are possible and complex artificial intelligence beings walk the streets.
At least, so it is in Ridley Scott’s 1982 film “Blade Runner.” Based on the book “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” by Philip K. Dick, the film follows bounty hunter Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), hired to track down and destroy rogue bioengineered “replicants” whose quest for self-possession threatens human society. Through Scott’s lens, the iconic L.A. of palm trees and beaches becomes a dark, rain-drenched dystopia, with such classic landmarks as the Bradbury Building, Grand Central Market, the 2nd Street Tunnel and Union Station playing host to Scott’s melancholic world. Despite an initial flop at the box office,“Blade Runner” has gone on to become a classic in science fiction, as well as a pioneer in the futurist-noir genre that has influenced countless other films and television shows since.
In honor of the film’s cultural impact and that fated November 2019 date, FilmWeek hosted a screening of “Blade Runner” at the Ace Hotel on November 2nd, followed by a Q&A with our host, Larry Mantle, actress Joanna Cassidy and FilmWeek critic Wade Major.
Guests:
Joanna Cassidy, film and television actress who plays the replicant “Zhora” in “Blade Runner”; she tweets
Wade Major, film critic for KPCC and CineGods.com