MOVIE NEWS – Ridley Scott knows firsthand what it’s like to see one of his films flop at the box office, be dismissed by critics, and later achieve cult status. Among such films is Blade Runner, widely regarded as one of the greatest sci-fi masterpieces of Scott’s career—a testament to how a movie’s fate often lies beyond its creators’ control.
In a recent discussion hosted by The Hollywood Reporter, Scott opened up about the challenges Blade Runner faced upon release and shared how a stroke of luck a decade later helped revive the film. He recalled the harsh criticism from Pauline Kael in The New Yorker, which he described as “bordering on industrial sabotage.”
“She published this in the very posh New Yorker magazine, and it felt like an attack on the film even before it had a chance. I was furious. I wrote to the editor, saying, ‘If you despise me so much, just ignore my work.’ They never replied. But then, 10 years later, it was rediscovered at the Santa Monica Film Festival. They called Warner Bros. for a copy, and the studio couldn’t even find the negative. They sent over a version without the voiceover, featuring some Vangelis and Jerry Goldsmith music—and it reignited interest in the movie. That’s Hollywood’s madness for you.”
Blade Runner: A Timeless Sci-Fi Icon Resurrected by Chance
Pauline Kael’s July 1982 review harshly criticized Blade Runner. She wrote:
“It’s a thriller without tension; it seems to have fallen victim to its own elaborate use of hardware and visuals. Somewhere along the way, the story must have been deemed irrelevant. Maybe Vangelis’s bombastic, sultry score convinced them the audience wouldn’t notice the missing pieces. Instead, the music overpowers Scott’s imagery, stomping on it until it’s buried.”
Despite its initial reception, Blade Runner has since seen numerous re-releases, including the definitive Blade Runner: The Final Cut. This 117-minute version, which features previously unseen scenes and alternate cuts, currently holds a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Though the film grossed just $41 million against a $30 million budget in 1982, its legacy has flourished with the release of Blade Runner 2049 in 2017 and an upcoming Amazon series, Blade Runner 2099, currently in development. Scott’s film remains a powerful example of how great works can withstand the test of time.
Source: MovieWeb
