Black Rain.....Why all the Blade Runner references?

If the internet was around back in the day early 1989 style, Black Rain would probably have been labled a Blade Runner prequel. At the time i remember vague associations mainly focused on the obvious such as all the Kenji, night scenes and lighting and left it at that, apart from talking about it with a few friends then moved on, thats all you could do back then.

Watching Black Rain again recently just highlighted how many direct references both visually and with some aspects of the storyline there are. Was SRS just being cheeky at the time? The only reason i can think of why he would put in so many references was that the main critisism of Blade Runner was that the detective in the story didnt detect a lot maybe.

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I see what you mean

 

Wow never would have made the connection between the 2 flicks. I guess I'll have to watch Black Rain again.

 

Fascinated me at the time, more so now with the net being what it is, would have lit any like forum up at the time had they existed. Was SRS asked about it at the time?

 

Just when i thought ive overrated the internet, found a little behind the scenes video that has some great stuff in it and some sad surprises for me. No light shed on the BR thing though.

peachlost's Channel - YouTube

 

Ummmm.......GEORGE LUCAS.

 

LOL I am sure he will be responsible for the Black Rain Special Edition now with Police Spinners and lightsabers CGed in and "a few new surprises" like Michael Douglas talking to Jabba...

 

:lol
If he does i will hold it against him forever and spew my venom across the world for an indefinate period.:rolleyes

Dont tell me all the BR mafia are in the witness protection program, anyone?

 

Interesting similarities, even has the Ennis house motifs on the walls.

I saw both movies together as a double feature at the UC Berkeley.

 

Nice double feature to catch though i bet you wanted to stand with the sun on your face for a little bit afterward.

Did you remember anything written at the time about why they are so similar?

 

Very cool. Thanks for posting this. It has been a long time since I have watched this film, and seeing how I love Blade Runner I'm going to see what I can find watching it this time with this knowledge

 

:thumbsupNice, let me know what you think after youve checked it out again.

 

Black Rain is one of my favorite movies. Extremely under rated.
I've always noticed SIMILARITIES to Blade Runner, but never considered them to be REFERENCES. I always thought that was just Ridley's style. Just my opinion.









The Romans just didnt have neon, lol.

 

Just bought it on BluRay thanks to Mr. Webber's thread here lol

 

Twenty years ago i would have agreed with you but now i see the same shot set ups, camera sweeps, scenery and even sub text that goes well beyond some candles. The fact that this was made only eight years after Blade Runner also makes me curious to SRS`s motivations. But there is the possibility there is nothing in it and thats why its been under the radar for so long.

 

Maybe it's just how he envisions things Oriental.

 

Could be. Scott did say in the you tube vid that the first thing that struck him about the location was how clean everything was, may have inspired him to put the audience back in the BR universe only this time a clean one.

Was thinking last night how similar even the two main charcters are. Nick is a detective who is pretty much fed up with the job, is to all intents an alcoholic and his wife has left him. And although simplistic, Sato`s and Battys coats and attitudes seem to be standard Scott issue.

Whatever the reasons behind Scotts intentional "marrying" of these two films i give much kudos to him for actually pulling it off. Both films are superb and i can think of no other example of this happening anywhere else in filmdom, especialy two films made in the same decade from the same director. It certainly will make my first viewing of Prometheus all the more worthwhile and interesting if thats possible.

 

Just ordered Black Rain on Blu-Ray from Amazon, I can't wait to see it.

 

I had to upgrade to the HD as well, the dvd has terrible quality. Wish i was getting a cut:lol

EDIT What was the release date of the BR Directors Cut? This could have been the greatest
manufactued pre hype for a re release in history.

 

I've recommended Black Rain a few times on these boards. Its kinda like Red Heat with a dash of Blade Runner.

 

Hah, yeah, I have no idea how I never heard of this film until recently, glad I finally did though.

The BR Director's Cut was released in 1992, if I'm not mistaken.

 

AH, 1992 puts down that theory.

Also, Scott went deliberately out of his way to shoot an entire scene in the actual Ennis House, these are not the actions of a man who wasnt trying to make some sort of point. Was he just sticking it up the Blade Runner Partnership for their hard fisted control over the rights perhaps.

 

I finally sat down and watched Black Rain last night, and I really enjoyed it. I definitely noticed the similarities to Blade Runner, including the fact that a scene is shot in Deckard's appartment, which I realized is also Neville Sinclaire's living room in The Rocketeer. But yeah, great movie, totally a treat.

I was a bit dissapointed with the quality of the Blu-ray though, they didn't do a very good job with the transfer. :/

 

I like Ridley's "Someone To Watch Over Me" a lot too.

 

Mr Creepy revisiting his awesome snake scale replica recently reminded me of the most obvious reference to the other BR. Apart from the note burning scene, also the key moment of detective work in both films.

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Also, the first scene after Sato escapes from the plane, the bus driving through the streets, has the same Geisha song playing out of loudspeakers in the background as when we first see see the blimp in Blade Runner.