One of my pop-culture admissions is that I’ve never been a huge fan of Blade Runner. I’ve only seen the director’s cut, but it’s generally considered the best version of the film, and I’ve seen it twice, but it’s never really done it for me. I like Ridley Scott, I love sci-fi, and I appreciate a lot of the things the film does, but for whatever reason, I’ve just never particularly cared for it.
All the same, I was pretty excited to hear they were finally making a sequel. I really do think the concept of Blade Runner is interesting and the world that Ridley Scott created is one I’m happy to spend more time in. Im also a big fan of Denis Villeneuve.
It is a visually stunning piece of cinema. They’ve expanded the world of Blade Runner in fascinating ways. I liked the story of Blade Runner 2049 quite a lot, but I didn’t love the film. Still, I’m very much interested in revisiting both films again. Maybe played back to back they will reveal something that’s always been missing for me. Or maybe I’ll just get a four-hour visual feast.
Either way I’m happy to make Blade Runner 2049 my pick of the week.
Also out this week that looks interesting:
Happy Death Day: A girl named Tree must relive the same day over and over again until she figures out who is trying to kill her and why. Sounds like a horror version of Groundhog’s Day.
I, Daniel Blake (Criterion Collection): Drama following a 59-year-old man as he tries to navigate the British welfare system after he is taken ill with heart disease.
Better Call Saul: Season 3: Who knew a series based upon Breaking Bad’s most ridiculously fun character could be so heart-breakingly good?
Loving Vincent: Biopic of the great artist Vincent Van Gogh that was painstakingly made by having 124 artists paint over 62,000 frames of film in the style of the artist. Word is the story isn’t all that interesting but that its absolutely gorgeous to look at. [Read David Wangberg’s review]
The Snowman: Michael Fassbender, Rebecca Ferguson, Chloe Sevigny, Val Kilmer, and J.K. Simmons star in this thriller based upon the book by Jo Nesbo. All of those names got me excited and the trailer looked decent, but the reviews have done nothing but make unrelenting fun of it.
