Tuesday, June 5, 2007

On The Edge of Blade Runner

I am currently quite busy working on some longer PKD projects including a review of the Library of America release and the transcription of my interview with the volume's editor Jonathan Lethem. In the meantime please to enjoy this documentary "On The Edge of Blade Runner" which is scheduled to be packaged with the Blade Runner: The Ultimate Collection box set due out later this year.

Click here to see a slightly larger video
Perhaps once you've watched the documentary you'll be interested in reading the 1980 version of the screenplay featuring this first glimpse of Rick Deckard:

EXT. DESERT - NIGHT 3

The horizon marked by a thin copper line that maybe
the end, of the beginning of a day.

The train that follows, cuts through the night at 400
miles an hour.

INT. TRAIN - NIGHT 4

No clickitty-clack of track-bound noise, it's a long,
insulated Pullman of contoured seats and low-keyed
lighting, coloured to soothe,and empty, except for
the passenger half way down.

His eyes closed, head rested against the glass. Ten
years ago, DECKARD might have been an athlete, a
track man or a welter-weight. The body looks it, but
the face has seen some time -- not all of it good.

INT. TRAIN - REFRESHMENT DISPENSER - NIGHT 5

Deckard comes down the aisle, slips a coin into the
mechanism, receives a beer and returns to his seat.

INT. TRAIN - NIGHT 6

Tired of the program, he takes off the headset and
drops it next to three empty beer bottles and a
sandwich wrapper, adjusts his position and winds up
staring at his reflection in the window. Runs a
hand over his face, it could use a shave. He leans
closer and peers through the glass.

Out there in the black a sign flashes past: SAN
ANGELES, THREE MINUTES.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Is that Hampton Fancher's script? Dangerous Days, on the Final Cut, is a really good comprehensive documentary.