On this day in movie and book history - Blade Runner (1982)

Blade Runner

directed by Ridley Scott,

written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples,

based on the novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick,

was released in the United States on June 25, 1982.

Music by Vangelis.

Cast:

Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos, M. Emmet Walsh, Daryl Hannah, William Sanderson, Brion James, Joe Turkel, Joanna Cassidy, James Hong, Morgan Paull, Hy Pyke.

Recommended reading:

Blade Runner: The Inside Story

by Don Shay.

Published by Titan Books.
Published 2003.

ISBN-10: 1840232102
ISBN-13: 9781840232103
 
Description:

In 1982, to coincide with Blade Runner's original release, Cinefex, the respected magazine devoted to movie design and special effects devoted an entire, extended issue to Ridley Scott's sci-fi masterpiece. That issue has been out of print since then, but in constant demand – copies now sell on the collector's market for over $100. Titan Books is proud to bring this classic back into print, in a remastered hardcover edition.

Described as 'the single most comprehensive examination of Blade Runner's special effects', this must-have book contains scores of images not available elsewhere, as well as authoritative text, containing in-depth, exclusive interviews with director Ridley Scott and the legendary designer Syd Mead.

Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner,

by Paul M. Sammon (2017).

Revised & Updated Edition.

ISBN-10: 0062699466

ISBN-13: 978-0062699466

Description from back cover:

The ultimate guide to Ridley Scott’s transformative sci-fi classic Blade Runner.

Ridley Scott’s 2007 “Final Cut” confirmed the international film cognoscenti’s judgment: Blade Runner, based on Philip K. Dick’s brilliant and troubling science fiction masterpiece Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, is among the most visually dense, thematically challenging, and influential science fiction films ever made. Future Noir Revised & Updated Edition offers a deeper understanding of this cinematic phenomenon that is storytelling and visual filmmaking at its best. 

In this intensive, intimate, and anything-but-glamorous behind-the-scenes account, film insider and cinephile Paul M. Sammon explores how Ridley Scott purposefully used his creative genius to transform the work of science fiction’s most uncompromising author into a critical sensation and cult classic that would reinvent the genre. Sammon reveals how the making of the original Blade Runner was a seven-year odyssey that would test the stamina and the imagination of writers, producers, special effects wizards, and the most innovative art directors and set designers in the industry at the time it was made. This revised and expanded edition of Future Noir includes:

An overview of Blade Runner’s impact on moviemaking and its acknowledged significance in popular culture since the book’s original 1996 publication.

An exploration of the history of Blade Runner: The Final Cut and its theatrical release in 2007.

A look at its long-awaited sequel, Blade Runner 2049.

The longest interview Harrison Ford has ever granted about Blade Runner.

Exclusive new interviews with Rutger Hauer and Sean Young.

A fascinating look at the ever-shifting interface between commerce and art, illustrated with production photos and stills, Future Noir provides an eye-opening and enduring look at modern moviemaking, the business of Hollywood, and one of the greatest films of all time.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

by Philip K. Dick.

Filmed as Blade Runner (1982), directed by Ridley Scott.

ASIN: 0586036059

Published by Voyager.

First published 1968.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 0006482805

ISBN-13: 978-0586036051

Description:

21st Century Bounty Hunter.

Through the mean streets of a grim 21st century megalopolis, bounty hunter Rick Deckard stalked, searching out the renegade replicants who were his prey. But this assignment involved Nexus-6 targets and as a result Deckard quickly found himself involved in a nightmare kaleidoscope of violence and subterfuge – and the threat of death for the hunter rather than the hunted…

“A marvelous and complex book, simply written but leaving all kinds of resonance in the mind.” – Brian W. Aldiss.

On this day in television history - Blade Runner: Black Lotus (2022)

Blade Runner: Black Lotus

Season 1. Episode 10.

Episode entitled: Clair de Lune.

Released January 16, 2022.

Developed by Kenji Kamiyama, Shinji Aramaki.

Directed by Kenji Kamiyama, Shinji Aramaki.

Written by Brandon Auman, Margaret Dunlap, Eugene Son, Alex de Campi.

Based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick.

Opening theme: Feel You Now by Alessia Cara.

Music by Michael Hodges, Gerald Trottman.

Cast:

Jessica Henwick, Will Yun Lee, Alessia Cara, Wes Bentley, Josh Duhamel, Barkhad Abdi, Gregg Henry, Peyton List, Zehra Fazal, Chris Jai Alex, Shinshû Fuji, Takayuki Kinba, Takehito Koyasu, Taiten Kusunoki, Tony Nakajima, Akio Nojima, Yoshiko Sakakibara, Arisa Shida, Masane Tsukayama.

Recommended reading: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

 

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

by Philip K. Dick.

Filmed as Blade Runner (1982), directed by Ridley Scott.

ASIN: 0586036059

Published by Voyager.

First published 1968.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 0006482805

ISBN-13: 978-0586036051

 

Description:

21st Century Bounty Hunter.

Through the mean streets of a grim 21st century megalopolis, bounty hunter Rick Deckard stalked, searching out the renegade replicants who were his prey. But this assignment involved Nexus-6 targets and as a result Deckard quickly found himself involved in a nightmare kaleidoscope of violence and subterfuge – and the threat of death for the hunter rather than the hunted…

“A marvelous and complex book, simply written but leaving all kinds of resonance in the mind.” – Brian W. Aldiss.

On this day in television history - Blade Runner: Black Lotus (TV series & books):

Blade Runner: Black Lotus
Season 1. Episode 1.

Episode entitled: City of Angels.

Released November 14, 2021.

Developed by Kenji Kamiyama, Shinji Aramaki.

Directed by Kenji Kamiyama, Shinji Aramaki.

Written by Brandon Auman, Margaret Dunlap, Eugene Son, Alex de Campi.

Based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick.

Opening theme: Feel You Now by Alessia Cara.

Music by Michael Hodges, Gerald Trottman.

Cast:

Jessica Henwick, Will Yun Lee, Wes Bentley, Barkhad Abdi, Charles Halford, Elias Toufexis, Jason Spisak, Zehra Fazal, Anna Vocino, Shinshû Fuji, Takayuki Kinba, Takehito Koyasu, Tony Nakajima, Arisa Shida.

 

Blade Runner: Black Lotus
Season 1. Episode 2.

Episode entitled: All We Are Not.

Released November 14, 2021.

Developed by Kenji Kamiyama, Shinji Aramaki.

Directed by Kenji Kamiyama, Shinji Aramaki.

Written by Brandon Auman, Margaret Dunlap, Eugene Son, Alex de Campi.

Based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick.

Opening theme: Feel You Now by Alessia Cara.

Music by Michael Hodges, Gerald Trottman.

Cast:

Jessica Henwick, Will Yun Lee, Brian Cox, Wes Bentley, Barkhad Abdi, Samira Wiley, Gregg Henry, Ray Chase, Sunil Malhotra, Jim Pirri, Laura Post, Jason Spisak, Stephen Root, Shinshû Fuji, Takaya Hashi, Takako Honda, Takayuki Kinba, Takehito Koyasu, Tony Nakajima, Arisa Shida, Masane Tsukayama, Kazuki Yao, Hôchû Ôtsuka.

Recommended reading:

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

by Philip K. Dick.

Filmed as Blade Runner (1982), directed by Ridley Scott.

ASIN: 0586036059

Published by Voyager.
First published 1968.
Paperback.

ISBN-10: 0006482805
ISBN-13: 978-0586036051

Description:

21st Century Bounty Hunter.

Through the mean streets of a grim 21st century megalopolis, bounty hunter Rick Deckard stalked, searching out the renegade replicants who were his prey. But this assignment involved Nexus-6 targets and as a result Deckard quickly found himself involved in a nightmare kaleidoscope of violence and subterfuge – and the threat of death for the hunter rather than the hunted…

“A marvelous and complex book, simply written but leaving all kinds of resonance in the mind.” – Brian W. Aldiss.
 

The Art of Blade Runner: Black Lotus

by Roland Kelts.

Published by Titan Books.
Published 2022.

ISBN-10: 1789097142
ISBN-13: 978-1789097146

Description:

The Art of Blade Runner: Black Lotus is a study and celebration of the artwork that went into making the first ever Blade Runner animated series. Concept art, sketchwork, pre-viz, animation tests, final frames and more, are paired alongside interviews with the masterminds behind the show to give fans the full story of Black Lotus.

Respected co-directors Shinji Aramaki and Kenji Kamiyama provide an exclusive, in-depth interview that explores their relationship with the Blade Runner universe, and their intimate analyses of and inspiration behind the characters. Alcon producers describe the creative journey, that spans many years prior, behind what they envisioned for the story, how Black Lotus would fit in the wider Blade Runner narrative, and who they wanted the protagonist to be. The writers explain how they conceptualised the characters and the voice actors share their personal journeys and light-hearted anecdotes on how they brought those characters to life. 

The lighting and animation team also share how they captured Blade Runner’s cyberpunk visual and auditory palette in a new medium for the franchise: anime.

Written by Japanamerica author Roland Kelts, this book is illustrated to the brim with concept art that is beautifully vivid and presented in a gallery format throughout the book; organised chronologically by character, location, and event as they are introduced in the show. Readers will be able to breeze through this companion guide as they watch the show for a deeper, richer, and more personal viewing experience. At the back of the book, you’ll find never-before-seen sketches of the Black Out short films that accompanied Blade Runner 2049.

Blade Runner Black Lotus: Leaving L.A.

by Nancy Collins.

Illustrated by Enid Balam and Marco Lesko.

Published by Titan Comics.
Published 2023.

ISBN-10: 1787737381
ISBN-13: 978-1787737389

Description:

[An] enjoyable spin-off in the Blade Runner universe. Fans who can’t get enough antics of rebel androids will appreciate this unexpectedly colorful trip back into the film’s conceits. – Publishers Weekly.

Black Lotus offers plenty of potential and compelling characters to start this journey as a fun ride. – Set The Tape.

It’s a post apocalyptic thriller at its finest. – Get Your Comic On.

A Cowboy Western feel, and Collins expertly establishes the supporting cast with distinctive voices and clear motivations. – Comical Opinions.

If you liked the anime, and are itching to see where the story goes from there, check out Blade Runner: Black Lotus. – Comics Beat.

Based on the all-new acclaimed Anime series: Black Lotus.

This officially sanctioned graphic novel heralds an all-new saga in the Blade Runner franchise, one whose ramifications will ripple throughout the Blade Runner universe.

Set in the year 2032, Blade Runner: Black Lotus features an all-new cast of characters and introduces Nia Wallace, heir to the Tyrell empire and future creator of the JOI hologram and the Replicant Love, as seen in the smash hit 2017 movie Blade Runner 2049, directed by Denis Villeneuve.

Revealing a world of Blade Runner not previously explored, this all-new graphic novel collects together the four-issue mini-series and features a new type of Replicant, not seen before – the deadly Nexus 9.