Blade Runner (1982) Review

To celebrate the upcoming release of Blade Runner 2049, we take a look back on Ridley Scott’s original sci-fi classic. Blade Runner 2049 will be hitting theatres the 6th October, directed by the always brilliant Denis Villeneuve and starring Ryan Gosling, Jared Leto and Harrison Ford.

Released : September 9th 1982

Certificate : 15

Director : Ridley Scott

Cast : Harrison Ford, Sean Young, Rutger Hauer, Edward James Olmos, Daryl Hannah,  William Sanderson, Joe Turkel

Plot : Set on 2019 earth, robots with near human level of intelligence, called Replicants are used as a work force. When four of the most advanced models escape their work compound a Blade Runner, or Replicant Hunter, is sent to hunt them down.

Released just three years after Ridley Scott had cemented himself in the sci-fi genre with Alien in 1979, he returned to the genre for a much more thought provoking tale. While Alien showed how he could masterfully create new worlds with an authentic feel, in Blade Runner he showed how these sci-fi worlds had the capability of deeper meaning and reflection. Not only does the story of Blade Runner bring about deep questions, but literally the architecture of the world Scott create adds to and develops the themes. That’s one of the striking elements of Blade Runner, how the base storyline is a simple as Alien, but the setting, imagery, dialogue and sound all take this plot and help develop it into something more profound.

 

To refer to the simply nature of the plot, everything is laid out at the start in text form. Man creates intelligent life as a workforce, some rebelled, humans crush the rebels and ban these life forms from earth. Here the film opens up so many themes such as identity, morality, slavery, colonialism and social structure. Scott then creates a world which reflects these themes. It has been widely discussed how the social structural themes of the Replicants slavery in mirrored by the architecture of the city. The buildings that house the wealthy creators of the Replicants clearly look like a temples fit for a king. The inhabitants of this upper class society are white males and the interiors are all polished and neat, while the city life below it is multi-cultural, gritty and chaotic. A clear commentary on racial and social structure issues. The film is full of imagery such as this. A return to this series is so exciting as it promises a re-emergence of profound imagery that has been missing in the sci-fi genre recently. Denis Villeneuve has brilliantly attempted to bring back this importance of imagery to the genre with Arrival.

Which leads onto other aspects of Blade Runner. In Arrival while the imagery is sprawling and profound, Villeneuve always focuses on the human emotive aspects of the story. For Arrival that is the struggle of motherhood. Blade Runner also never fails to remain focused on the characters and their struggle, despite all of its morality and creationism themes. Blade Runner is a film that uses its simple narrative not only for deeper themes but aptly fleshes out the characters involved. Each main player in the film struggles with their identity, for example we see Harrison Ford’s Deckard identity as a Blade Runner fall apart as he questions the morality of his job. Scott is able to deal with the grand themes and the small personal struggles of the character seamlessly and in an even-handed way. It is the amalgamation of these large ideas and small character struggle which make Blade Runner amazing, and then there is the music.

The score of the film was created by legendary film composer Vangelis, whose work is too great to list. Probably most famous for his Oscar winning score for Chariots of Fire. The score for Blade Runner was created entirely in post-production as Vangelis created the sounds via initial viewing of each image and scene of the film. This layered a second vision onto the film, after Scott had finished, Vangelis applied his own interpretation via the music. The results is stunning and the music is an integral part of the experience. Throughout the film a distant dreamlike sound is created, in which distant echoes and drawn out notes are repeated. This distant the sounds create can be interpreted in many ways, firstly as a dream, or perhaps connoting how despite the futuristic setting many of the themes and issues are familiar to us. As well as this it acts to also reflect the characters emotions with great humanity. Just as Scott did, Vangelis was able to deal with the big themes and the characters equally.

Blade Runner works on so many levels. Visually stunning, rich with character drama and brewing with deeper themes and ideas. It’ll be a joy to return to this world next month, thirty five years after the original was released. The ability to juggle the big themes as well as the characters is something that Denis Villeneuve has proven he can do time and again, and his recent work in Arrival shows he’s more than capable in the sci-fi genre. Other reasons to be excited that the sequel will be treated with respect is the addition of Ryan Gosling and Jared Leto, as well as cinematographer legend Roger Deakins (The Shawshank Redemption, No Country for Old Men), and some of Villeneuve past co-workers such as editor Joe Walker (12 Years a Slave, Arrival) and composer Jóhann Jóhannsson (Sicario, The Theory of Everything).

Verdict : A film worthy of the title of sci-fi classic. A film which visual beauty is matched by its richness of story and imagery.

Verdict : 5/5

Quote : “All those moments will be lost, like tears, in rain.”

 

It (2017) Review

The Goonies on Elm Street

Released : September 8th 2017

Certificate : 15

Director : Andrés Muschietti

Cast : Jaeden Lieberher, Finn Wolfhard, Sophia Lillis, Jack Dylan Grazer, Wyatt Oleff, Chosen Jacobs,  Bill Skarsgård

Plot : Set in the 1980’s in a little town called Derry, a group of six children, who refer to themselves as ‘The Losers’ Club’, are terrorised by a shape-shifting monster called Pennywise ‘The Dancing Clown.

In keeping with the legend of It, twenty seven years on from the original mini-series, we have the return of The Losers’ Club and Pennywise. Directed by Andrés Muschietti whose only previous experience is the moderate successful horror flick Mama, the story of Stephen Kings It has been redone and updated. This film tells the story of what is commonly referred to as Chapter 1, while the book doesn’t make such a clean distinction, in which the characters face Pennywise for the first time as children. An actor yet to become as well-known as his brothers and father, Bill Skarsgård, plays the evil clown.

As scary as the clown might seem on paper and how horrific the story sounds, this film is far more a horror-adventure rather than a straight up horror. The quest that the children go on to defeat the demon is much more alike The Goonies and Super 8 than any horror flick. The film bleeds the nostalgia for the other 80’s set children adventures, much in the same vain as Stranger Things. This atmosphere and the coming of age aspect of the story brings real warmth to a film that holds no punches when it comes to the darker monster elements. The opening scene of the film is of course the iconic scene from the book and miniseries of Pennywise meeting Georgie while he races his paper boat. From this opening scene it is instantly clear that this is a more brutal and faithful adaption of the source material than the miniseries. Audience that were hoping for clever, suspenseful and inventive scares may be disappointed by the blunt and unrelenting use of ghost and ghouls in this film.

The abundance of monsters is in-keeping with Andrés Muschietti previous film Mama. The horror sequences become so frequent that at times they become slightly trivial, but after a point the quality of the scares and the thrilling pace they add to the film wins you over. With a run time of two hours and fifteen minute’s there is barely a moment to breathe, giving the film a brilliantly relentless pace. Certain set horror pieces, such as a confrontation with Pennywise halfway through, is visually brilliant and really is the stuff of high quality creature-feature work. The CGI that is worked into and around Pennywise is handled very well to create a clown that looks just real enough. But what shines through is how Muschietti deals with the other half of the tale, surrounding the kid’s drama and their development which is the real success of the film.

The cast are across the board good with the standouts of The Losers’ Club being lead Jaeden Lieberher, who is fast becoming a child star, and Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard who really elevates the film with his comedic talent. As for Bill Skarsgård work, it is as good if not better than Tim Curry’s work with the character. While Curry’s performance was more calm and collected, ironically, Skarsgard makes the character noticeable more manic. The vocals in particular give the character a more unhinged and insane vibe, making him fair less comical and ironic than Curry’s rendition. This is matched well with the CGI decision to have his eyes just off kilter from one another.

It is a million miles better than the miniseries and falls among the better Stephen King adaptions. While the horror aspects are more thrilling and exciting than they are actually unsettling, there are plenty of moments to gasp at. What makes It one of the stronger Stephen King adaptions is that it’s as much about the characters as it is about the monsters. Effective in many areas, from laughter, excitement and character development, this is the better side of mainstream horror films.

Verdict : Both The Losers’ Club and Pennywise are brilliantly brought to life in this fast paced horror adventure which is big on characters and scares.

Verdict : 4/5

Quote : “If you’ll come with me, you’ll float too.”

Top 5 Stephen King Adaptations

To celebrate the release of the new It adaptation, here is our take on the best films to grace the screens based on Stephen King’s work. The miniseries that first adapted King’s tale of The Losers Club is nowhere close to making the cut, with Tim Curry being the only redeeming feature in the three-hour long bore. The films on this list aren’t earning a spot for how faithfully they keep to the source material, but for how they stand alone as great films. So, films that drastically altered elements of King’s work are still contenders. As for hopes for the new It venture, a great King adaptation understands that there are more to his stories than the monsters in them, and attempt to explore the deeper themes of the material. Shockingly out of the following list only one King adaptation has earned an Academy Award.

#5 – The Mist (2007)

By no means the best crafted of the Stephen King films or the most thought provoking, but a lot of fun and earns a spot for one key reason, the ending. The climax of the film is much darker than King’s original but is still superb and among some of the most striking climax to any film. The ending only works due to the fact you are invested in the characters by this point. To add to this, it has some great creature features and explores the psychology of the situation well.

#4 – Misery (1990)

At number four, the Oscar winner of the group, as Kathy Bates earned her Best Actress award for a brilliant performance in this film. One of the most memorable King horror films while being the least violent. The film creates tension and character drama beautifully in a very confined set. Directed by Rob Reiner in the middle of a great streak of films including When Harry Met Sally… and The Princess Bride. While Kathy Bates is amazingly unhinged, the work of co-star James Caan shouldn’t be overlooked.

#3 – The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

One of the few works of King to contain no supernatural elements and to be a strip down drama. Few people are aware that this is a King adaptation, a yet it is one of the most celebrated films of all time. It happens to be the highest rated film on IMDB with a score of 9.2/10, lying equal with The Godfather. Why this film above all others is held with such high regard is a mystery. Some reasons that stand out are how it deals with the themes of friendship and hope with such precision and realism.

#2 – The Green Mile (1999)

Breaking into the two films that I believe to be better than ‘the best film of all time’, The Green Mile. Another work of that explores prison life, but here King brings in those supernatural elements. A unique work that many may find too long and sentimental. But the stunning performances across the board, especially from the late Michael Clarke Duncan, and the heart wrenching nature of the film makes it truly memorable. So brutal and moving in parts it’s hard to watch, but worth the pain.

#1 – The Shining (1980)

A conventional choice for first place, as the partnership of the ‘King’ of Horror and one of the masters of cinema, Kubrick, created a true classic. A film that has been studied for years since its release and is mentioned in the same breath as other horror masterpieces such as Psycho and The Exorcists. There is so much here to discuss, but co-screenwriter Diane Johnson summarised the film well, stating when making the film that “It must be plausible, use no cheap tricks, have no holes in the plot, no failures of motivation… it must be completely scary”.

 

Logan Lucky Review

Back To Basics For Soderbergh

Released : August 25th 2017

Certificate : 12A

Director : Steven Soderbergh

Cast : Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Daniel Craig, Riley Keough

Plot : Two veteran brothers living in West Virginia, who are locally known to be cursed, fall on hard times. They decided to rob the Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina.

SPOILER WARNING – Review contains allusions to the ending of the film.

After stating four years ago upon the release of Side Effects that he would be retiring from film-making due to the ‘horrific’ way the industry treats directors, Soderbergh returns with another heist comedy. Other complaints that the director had about the industry revolved around how commercially driven the industry has become and how this effected creative freedom. Knowing these facts when watching the film, changes the experience. The way two outsiders try to take on the big corporation, elements of the ending, and the overall quirky creative nature of the film, all makes sense given the directors stated attitudes.

The review tag line which has been most widely circulated is ‘its Coen’s meets Oceans’, and atmospherically it is clear to see why. If a direct film comparison could be made, it would be Barton Fink, due to the way both films are statements about the issues of film making, although Barton Fink does so much more explicitly. Logan Lucky does it as follows. The film isn’t very marketable on paper, the protagonists are unusual and outsiders, the humour isn’t mainstream and is often subtle, and the ending of the film has a definite statement about large corporations and their morality. These features make total sense when you consider Soderbergh complaints about the industry, that it’s become too mainstream, money obsessed, and lacking creativity. So, it appears he made a film that addressed these issues in a very subtle way. To push back in a small way against the film industry, he refuses to use conventional heroic handsome main characters, he doesn’t stay to the ‘accepted’ style of modern comedy, and he ends the film with a middle finger to corporations.

On top of this, the film is distributed by Soderbergh own private company (ensuring creative freedom) and the writer behind the film is a Rebecca Blunt, who is widely believed to be a pseudonym. Enough on the underlying messages of the film, does it function as an entertaining comedy heist. Absolutely. Whoever wrote the film, the script is brilliant. Combining character driven humour and situational comedy and topping it off with a huge amount of deep South American caricatures. Making this a clever and quirky comedy. This style won’t suit all mainstream audiences, as it isn’t as obvious and loud as other comedies out now, such as The Hitman’s Bodyguard. However, there’s definitely enough good laughs here for it to find an audience (or even become a cult hit). As for flaws in the script, the dramatic and emotional tones that come in towards the end aren’t very impactful. Also the overall structure and path of the film isn’t surprising and does stick very much to the Oceans formula.

As for the cast, all actors are relishing the roles very much. Many of the characters are larger than life, and many are clear caricatures. Due to the writing, Adam Driver and Daniel Craig will be the roles remembered from this film, as they are simply given more humour dialogue than Channing Tatum. Having said that, both Driver and Craig are brilliant in this film, being able to be believably portray their eccentric mannerisms and ticks which helps the humour land. These features make this one of the most quotable films recently, for all the right reasons. Seth MacFarlane accent and character can be forgiven. There is also the welcome addition of supporting roles from Hilary Swank and Sebastian Stan.

There’s plenty to really love here. While the film does follow the old Oceans formula very much, it is self-aware in this manner, with a standout line from a reporter in the film being ‘their calling it Oceans 7/11’. With great characters and great laughs this film will have you smiling on the way out of the theatre. Hopefully the success of this film will convince Soderbergh to put off that retirement a little longer.

Verdict : Despite Kermode saying the film is just high quality throw away fun, there are signs here that suggest a deeper meaning about the film industry. A great return for Soderbergh.

Verdict : 4/5

Quote : ‘Did you just say cauliflower to me?’