If you couldn't make it to Comic Con 2007 in San Diego for the festivities surrounding the newly- announced extended cut of Blade Runner, Cinema Retro takes you there courtesy of producer and writer Paul Jilbert.
In 1982, everything I thought science fiction films and
films should be went out the window after my first viewing of Blade Runner. I was numb as I walked out of the Madonna Theater
in San Luis Obispo, CA. It was evening and the rain was pouring
down as the words of Rutger Hauer’s Roy
Batty echoed in my head “Like tears in rain†I looked at the other audience
members from the show. I saw expressions of amazement and total confusion. What
had we all experienced? A masterpiece…the memories and emotions of seeing the
film for the first time will stay with me forever. A month later I directed and
photographed (35mm widescreen) my first local television commercial for a
Ferrari dealership in San Luis Obispo.
I shot all the exteriors at sunset and dusk. I filmed the models at local neon
sign company to capture the noir look. I would never shoot the same boring, flat
cable TV lighting method again. I am currently producing and shooting commercials
in Southern California and when my co-workers
ask me why I shoot some of my commercials at late day and evenings with blue
backlight, neon colors, and long lenses I say politely, “Shut up and go home
and put Blade Runner on your bloody
cue and watch it!†(Just kidding Rob and Meg!)
Comic-Con San Diego
July 2007. I am standing with the press pool next to the 25 year anniversary Blade Runner DVD panel with director
Ridley Scott and cast members Joanna Cassidy, Sean Young, James Hong, Joe
Turkel and visual futurist Syd Mead. A trailer for the newly produced Dangerous Days documentary (the making
of Blade Runner) is shown to crowd of
over 4,000 fans. The final scene is of Harrison Ford simply saying “It was a
bitch†as he describes his experience making the film. The crowd goes wild. It
is Ford’s first interview about making the film. The panel took questions from fans, James
Hong spoke first: “I don’t what I’m doing here, I just make eyes!†Sean Young
was dressed exactly as her character Rachel, simply stunning. A clip was shown
of Joanna Cassidy’s re-shot scene of being killed by Deckard as she falls
through glass replacing the oh- so- obvious stunt double from the original
film. She looked fantastic. On Saturday,
Warner Brothers’ publicity marched 12 replicants dressed as Pris, Roy Batty,
and Zhora into the convention halls so that fans could pose for pictures with
them. The photos are published on http://bladerunnerthemovie.warnerbros.com/Â
The site also has the trailer for the Dangerous
Days documentary for viewing. The mega 5 disc DVD comes out in December
2007. It was the full circle for me, my favorite director of my favorite film
standing right next to me. God bless Comic-con and Warner Brothers. Blade Runner’s original poster artist
John Alvin as created a new version of his poster art as a fine art print
available at www.chuckjonesgallery.com
Paul Jilbert is
commercial producer,writer, editor and photographer for local and regional
television commercials in Southern California.
He is currently completing a documentary on famed illustrator Robert McGinnis
who has painted icon movie poster art for the 1960’s James Bond Connery films
as well as Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Barbarella. Visit website: www.theillustratorstv.com