BLADE RUNNER (1982) Poster Art

Posters and Fan Art for BLADE RUNNER (1982)

Video - The Making of BLADE RUNNER (1982)

This is an excellent but brief look at the creation of this box office bomb/science fiction classic. The number of cast and crew interviewed onscreen is impressive including some who have since passed away. I find the behind the scenes footage to be fascinating as well as the info about the never filmed reveal of Tyrell's true nature. 

The Bloody Pit #177 - STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN (1982)

Mark Maddox and I return to the Star Trek feature films! This time we tackle the big one – the one that kept the franchise alive – STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN (1982). It’s an important film for Trek fans and also an important part of the astonishing list of genre releases from that year. We briefly discuss the other films from 1982 to demonstrate the pivotal nature of the cinema of that time and its long-term effect on the genre. For this episode we assume you have some knowledge of the film and spoilers are in every corner of every deck. You have been warned.

 

We each relate our personal history with the film starting with theatrical viewings and then we dig into the details that make this one a classic. The selection of Nicholas Meyer as director is pointed to as the choice that probably guaranteed the project’s success with his melding of the various script ideas into a cohesive whole. The cast is discussed with Shatner, Nimoy, Kelley and Montalban singled out for praise for their excellent performances. Mark recounts his discouraging encounter with an odd form of homophobia when seeing the film for the first time and we compare the first film’s special effects to the smaller budgeted sequel. The story’s commentary on aging comes under scrutiny as both of us think about the changes in ourselves since this film came out. We ain’t getting any younger, that’s for sure!

 

If you have any comments about Star Trek thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to send them. We’ll be back in a few weeks to continue this journey with Kirk and the gang and we hope you’ll join us. 

CONAN THE BARBARIAN (1982) Poster Art

Japanese Poster Art for Carpenter's THE THING (1982)

Plus, this very cool snowglobe! 

Happy Birthday, Roy!

1982 - Year of Summer Awesome!

I turned fourteen in 1982 and was just becoming a movie fanatic so the stunning films of that year made a major impression on me. I'm not going to say things used to be better than they are now at the multiplex but when you look at these offerings it is hard to think of a year in which more exciting adventure science fiction hit the screen.

What I Read in August

HUNTER FROM THE WOODS by Robert McCammon (excellent set of short stories revolving around one interesting character)

LOCKE & KEY vol. 1-4 (fantastic horror comic book series by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez)

BABY MOLL by John Farris (uneven but good Hard Case Crime novel)

Granny and the Hole by Derek Koch (solid zombie short story)

THE KINKS ARE THE VILLAGE GREEN PRESERVATION SOCIETY (33 1/3 series) by Andy Miller

FAHRENHEIT 451 by Ray Bradbury

FUTURE NOIR: The Making of BLADE RUNNER by Paul Sammon

A bizarrely mixed grouping of books for last month. The comic book series LOCKE & KEY is riveting stuff- well written, creepy and extraordinarily beautiful to look at it is one of the best horror comics of recent vintage. I can hardly wait to read volume five whenever I can get my hands on it.

HUNTER FROM THE WOODS is a very good collection of tales that covers several years in the life of a British secret agent who also happens to be a werewolf. This character was the focus of the 1989 novel THE WOLF'S HOUR and even though I've not read that book I completely enjoyed this one. I have seen used copies of the older book on the shelf at my favorite used book store so I think I'll have to pick it up soon. McCammon continues to be a writer I love returning to so that I can slowly run through his back catalog. I've yet to be disappointed and there are so many titles I haven't read yet just calling to me. Exciting!

I rarely reread a book but last month I refreshed my memory on two separate ones. I'm a huge fan of Bradbury and his recent passing has had me thinking about his work. I hadn't read any of his classics for years but because I had to buy a copy of FARENHEIT 451 for the teenager to have for his summer reading project I couldn't resist the temptation. Besides, the teenager never made it past the first 25 pages so somebody had to make use of the sucker! It was just sitting there, smiling at me! Predictably, I loved it probably more than I did when I first read it decades ago. I had forgotten how easy it is to get lost in Bradbury's poetic prose and find yourself wrapped in ideas that seem to blossom in every direction. His work always inspires me to look at the world in new ways and refuse to accept my first impression of a person or event. Was he the most humanistic of our fantasy writers? The biggest shock of the book was that I had completely forgotten the entire ending of the story! When it went apocalyptic I was stunned but strangely satisfied that such a sterile, empty society had destroyed itself. This book and its message seems more relevant with each passing year.

I also reread Paul Sammon's excellent overview of the creation of BLADE RUNNER. BR is a film I spent years obsessed with and, although my fervor has cooled over the past decade or so, I am still fascinated with it both as cinema and as a massively difficult creative project. This pass through the incredibly entertaining and compulsively readable book sent me to the Blu-Ray shelf to finally watch the previously hard to find Work Print of the film. I must say I'm glad I went back to this book and recommend it to anyone interested in BLADE RUNNER.

BLADE RUNNER (1982) poster art