issue 27 // volume 42

  

arts // no. 9

Image via www.slashfilm.com

‘Blade Runner’: a retrospective

> The future is noir

Cazzy Lewchuk
Staff Writer

 

lade Runner, originally

released in 1982, is a unique,
artistic blend of the science
fiction and neo-noir genres.
Directed by Ridley Scott and
starring tough-guy Harrison
Ford, it is considered by many
to be one of the greatest science
fiction films of all time. Based
on Philip K. Dick’s lesser-known
novel Do Androids Dream of
Electric Sheep?, it combines
a neo-noir mystery plot with
a dystopian futuristic style.

The story is set in Los

far-off year of 2019. The world
is dystopian with cyberpunk
overtones—flying cars, space
colonies, and sentient robots
are common. Such robots,
indistinguishable from humans,
are called replicants. After

an uprising on an off-planet
colony, replicants are declared
illegal on Earth, under penalty
of death. Police units known as
“blade runners” are tasked with
tracking down and executing
illegal replicants. One such
retired runner, Deckard, has
been called back to action to
hunt six rogue replicants who
murdered their colony masters.
In typical film noir fashion,

things get morally complicated
with a female replicant—and
Deckard’s own identity may not
be all that it seems to be, either.

A total of seven different
versions of Blade Runner have
been released. While the majority
of the plot and footage is the
same, several key differences have
led to debate over the “correct”
and best version. The original
theatrical version has Deckard’s
narrations throughout the film
explaining the plot, including an
explanation at the end changing
a major character’s fate—and
in the process, giving the movie
a much happier ending.

Ten years later, a “Director’s

Cut” was introduced that
removed the happy ending, all
other narrations, and includes
a dream sequence that adds a
major factor to the plot. The
“Final Cut,” issued in 2007,
includes an extended version of
the dream, several additional
violent shots, and most
significantly, an all-new film
transfer. This edition is widely
considered the best, primarily
due to the reissue making
the film even more gorgeous,
colourful, and aesthetically
beautiful than ever before.
While the plot moves slowly
in some areas, Blade Runner
continues to be one of the

finest science fiction detective
stories ever produced. Its legacy
increased the status of both
Ridley Scott and Harrison Ford
as legendary stars, as well as set
a new precedent for what many
science fiction films could be.
A sequel, set decades after
the first movie, is currently
scheduled for release on
January 12, 2018. Harrison
Ford will be reprising his role,
and the film will co-star Ryan
Gosling and Robin Wright.
Denis Villeneuve is set to
direct, the original screenwriter
Hampton Fancher will pen the
script, and Ridley Scott will be
returning in a producer role.

Angeles in the (at the time)

Feel the rhythms and energy of nature

> Amelia Douglas Gallery to open new art exhibit in April

Cheryl Minns
Contributor

 

his April, the Amelia Douglas

Gallery will feature Kelowna artist
Madelyn Hamilton’s nature-inspired
artwork in the Rhythms and Energy of
Nature exhibit. The vibrant, textural art
depicts nature in a stylized way, inviting
viewers to explore each piece in detail.

The exhibit opens on April 21 with
a reception at 4:30 p.m. in the gallery,
which is located on the fourth floor of the
Douglas College New Westminster campus.
Hamilton will present a talk about her
work on April 22 at 10 a.m. in the gallery.

Hamilton spoke with the Other Press
regarding her work in the exhibit.

How would you describe your artwork?
You don’t stand back when you look
at my work, you have to investigate it and
you have to look in very closely because
there’s a lot to be seen. I work on wood
panels with high texture. The edges on
my pieces are not always straight edges. I
shape them myself and I cut them with a
saw. They’re not radical; they’re softer, more
organic edges, and they’re very popular. I
also embed objects that I’ve found on the

street, because I believe this surface of ete ge it oa Laue gf co
earth is about people and nature trying : : a a ’ a,
to live together. There is a lot of texture in i : ied a” A

my work that comes from various things _. ea

that I’ve put on it. Sometimes there is
pastel work over top of it. There could

be a blend of acrylic and maybe oil and
anything that I’ve glued onto that surface.
It is semi-abstract work, so you can look at
it and put your own interpretation on it.

Where do you find inspiration
for your artwork?

My ideas have been expanded over
many types of subjects, but for quite a long
while now I’ve just been nature-based. The
reason for that is I have a big love for the
outdoors and I live on a wilderness ravine
edge. I have bears on my back steps. There’s
a creek a quarter-mile down. It’s densely
forested and wild animals live there. So
it’s definitely an influence on what I do.

  

For more information on Hamilton
and her artwork, check out her
website at MadelynHamilton.com
Rhythms and Energy of Nature will
run until June u in the Amelia Douglas
Gallery on the fourth floor of the Douglas
College New Westminster campus.

Photo by Cheryl Minns