In the history of sci-fi movies. few are as beloved or, in some ways, controversial as Blade Runner. But that’s What We’re Watching this week.
When the film debuted in 1982 it found limited commercial and minimal critical praise. In the years sense, appreciation for the film has grown immensely with audiences around the world now embracing it as a sci-fi/noir classic. It’s so popular, in fact, it spawned a sequel thirty years later: 2017’s Blade Runner: 2049.
It’s also had, to date, seven different versions over the years as well. Crazy, right? We prefer the Director’s Cut, by the way.
It’s hard to remember exactly how many times we’ve watched the tale of Rick Deckard, Blade Runner, as he hurts humanoid replicants, led by Rutger Hauer’s Roy Batty, in dystopian Los Angeles of 2019. Yes, the movie takes place in the “future” year 2019.
Remember, the film originally came out in 1982, so 2019 seemed far into the future when they were making it. So much so it imagined a time when we’d have flying cars, endless rain, replicants to do our bidding and a rewarding trip to the off world colonies to look forward to.
Even though the film didn’t get a lot about the future correct, at least not yet, it still manages to entertain and provide a spectacular look at what life in the “future” might be like. Plus, it’s technically innovative, beautifully scored and boasts a great cast doing some of their finest work. And, it just looks cool.
Here’s the original trailer for Blade Runner, as well as the one for the sequel, Blade Runner: 2049. The original Blade Runner stars Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Daryl Hannah, Brion James, Edward James Olmos and the great M. Emmet Walsh. It’s written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples and directed by Ridley Scott.
Have you seen Blade Runner? Do you love it as much as we do? Let us know in the comments or hit us up on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. Happy Watching!
Enemy Mine (1985) is one of those great, lost treasures of sci-fi from the mid 1980s. The film stars Dennis Quaid as a fighter jock who becomes marooned on a distant planet with an alien being known as a Drac, a humanoid, reptilian creature who perceive humans as a threat since humans have begun colonizing the far reaches of space.
Quaid’s narration opens up the film and explains that by the late twenty first century, humans put aside their differences and worked together to begin colonizing outer space in search of worlds and resources. The Drac race had colonized the universe a thousand years prior to man’s arrival and went to war to preserve their claim in the galaxy. During a surprise attack launched by the Dracs, pilot Will Davidge (Quaid) and his shipmate crash-land on the planet Fyrine IV, a hunk of rock in outer space that has a breathable atmosphere.
Davidge’s partner Joey (Lance Kerwin) dies due to internal injuries and Davidge is left all alone. After Davidge buries his friend, he looks off into the distance and sees smoke from the crashed Drac ship that was responsible for him being marooned. Davidge sets off to find the ship and to kill its pilot if it isn’t already dead.
This week is a different kind of war movie, because it’s a war movie on the home front which mirrors the actions and feelings of what the country was going through during the latter half of the Vietnam War. Southern Comfort (1981) is a psychological thriller from acclaimed director Walter Hill (The Warriors, The Long Riders, 48 Hours, Streets of Fire, Geronimo: An American Legend.)
The film centers around a squad of nine National Guardsmen who are on weekend maneuvers in the Louisiana bayous in 1973. The film stars an assortment of fantastic character actors ranging from Powers Boothe (Cpl Hardin), Keith Carradine (Pfc. Spencer), T.K. Carter (Pfc. Cribbs), Peter Coyote (Ssgt. Poole), Brion James (Cajun trapper), Sonny Landham (Cajun hunter), Lewis Smith (Pfc. Stuckey), and Fred Ward (Cpl. Reece).
As the squad of men descend deep into the swamp, Cpl. Hardin (Boothe) and Pfc. Spencer (Carradine) quickly become pals and are the only two level headed individuals in this motley crew of weekend warriors. Hardin is a recent transfer from the Texas Guard who is trying to finish his stint so he can return to civilian life. He has total lack of respect for the Army and for those in charge such as Ssgt. Poole (Coyote) and Sgt. Casper (Les Lannom).
As the film progresses, the squad commandeers a few Cajun canoes in order to make their way to the other side of the swamp. In doing so they seal their fate with a bunch of Cajuns who retaliate due to their canoes being stolen, and after Pfc. Stuckey (as a prank), scares them by opening fire with his M-60 machine gun which is loaded with blanks. Terrified, the Cajuns shoot back killing Ssgt. Cribbs. The men quickly become paranoid as to their fate and have only a few precious live rounds to do battle with the Cajuns who use their knowledge of the terrain to their advantage.
