Episode 158
Blade Runner
Sun, 2017-Oct-08 01:21 UTC
Length - 4:01
Direct Link
Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day where we read the summary of a popular Wikipedia page every day.
With 272,840 views on Saturday, 07 October 2017 our article of the day is Blade Runner.
Blade Runner is a 1982 American neo-noir science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos. The script was written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples, and is a loose adaptation of the 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick. Set in a dystopian Los Angeles in 2019, the story depicts a future in which synthetic humans known as replicants are bioengineered by the powerful Tyrell Corporation to work on off-world colonies. When a fugitive group of replicants led by Roy Batty (Hauer) escape back to Earth, burnt-out LA cop Rick Deckard (Ford) reluctantly accepts one last assignment to hunt them down. During his investigations, Deckard meets Rachael (Young), an advanced replicant who causes him to question his mission.
Blade Runner initially underperformed in North American theaters, and polarized critics; some praised its thematic complexity and visuals, while others were displeased with its unconventional pacing and plot. However, it has subsequently become an acclaimed cult film, and is now regarded by many critics as one of the all-time best science fiction movies. Hailed for its production design depicting a "retrofitted" future, Blade Runner remains a leading example of neo-noir cinema, and has been highly influential on many subsequent science fiction films, video games, anime, and television series. The film's soundtrack, composed by Vangelis, was critically acclaimed, and was nominated in 1983 for a BAFTA and Golden Globe as best original score.
The film brought the work of Philip K. Dick to the attention of Hollywood, and several later films were based on his work. Ridley Scott regards Blade Runner as "probably" his most complete and personal film. In the year after its release, the film won the prestigious Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, and in 1993 it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress, being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Seven versions of the film have been constructed as a result of controversial changes made at the request of studio executives. A director's cut was released in 1992 after a strong response to test screenings of a workprint. This, in conjunction with the film's popularity as a video rental, made it one of the first movies to be released on DVD—albeit a basic production with mediocre video and audio quality. In 2007, Warner Bros. released The Final Cut, a 25th-anniversary digitally remastered version, the only one over which Scott retained complete editorial and artistic control. This version was shown in selected theaters and subsequently released on DVD, HD DVD, and Blu-ray.
A sequel, Blade Runner 2049, was released in October 2017.
This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:21 UTC on Sunday, 08 October 2017.
For the full current version of the article, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blade_Runner.
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