Sammon, who has worked as a creative force on over 100 films and TV shows, was actually present on the set of “Blade Runner” and can speak to the turbulent nature of the filming process. Aside from drawing from personal experience, Sammon interviewed multiple figures involved in the film, including Scott.
For those unfamiliar with the film, “Blade Runner,” starring Harrison Ford, is set in a dystopian future Los Angeles of 2019. The film revolves around the hunt for a fugitive group of bio-engineered replicants by a burnt-out cop.
Due to the unique production design and themes surrounding a dystopian future, “Blade Runner” is considered to be one of the most influential science fiction films of all time.
“‘Blade Runner’ is prescient in terms of its forecasting of things like street poverty, overpopulation, pollution, climate, destruction, crumbling infrastructures and complete corruption,” Sammon said. “And, frankly, a lot of those themes were already in science fiction films up to that point, but they had never been blended in such a way. Then, of course, you put this distinct and unique production design in the mix, which really had never been seen before. Ridley and his team managed to create this incredibly believable, futuristic environment that was just overwhelmingly stuffed with minute details, both architectural and social.”
Several versions of the film have been released since the 1982 original. As previously stated, the Dixie Twin screening is the Final Cut version, released in 2007, which Scott curated from start to finish.
Throughout the years, similar to other cult classics of its caliber, “Blade Runner” has been rediscovered by new generations of film buffs who have learned to appreciate the legacy of the film and what it has meant to the industry as a whole.
“It’s an interesting phenomenon because I think what happens with “Blade Runner” (and continues to perpetuate its longevity) is the fact that it is rediscovered generationally,” Sammon said. “It seems that many people find it in their late teens, 20s or 30s. It’s kind of a combination of an oral and digital tradition.”
The “Blade Runner” expert also has some advice for those heading to the Dixie Twin to see the film for the first time.
“I would say to turn off your analytical mind, and just go with the flow of the imagery and the mood,” Sammon said. “Realize this is more of a European approach to filmmaking and that everything is connected, although there are some wonderful ambiguities, particularly as to the true nature of Rick Deckard. Just luxuriate in this amazing mounting of one of the most strikingly detailed futures ever put on screen. Just immerse yourself in it.”
The evening will be moderated by local filmmaker and writer Mathew Klickstein. Though no plans have been confirmed as of yet, Klickstein hopes to produce similar Q&A film events in the future.
The special screening of “Blade Runner” will cost $10 per adult (ages 13 and up) and $5 per child between the ages of five and 12. The event is free to those ages four and under. One guest will have a chance to win a free copy of “Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner.”
The Dixie Twin Drive-In’s gates open at 8 p.m. The Q&A with Sammon begins at 9 p.m. with a screening of the movie to follow.
More information about the special screening of “Blade Runner” can be found by visiting the Dixie Twin Drive-In’s website or Facebook page.
HOW TO GO
What: “Blade Runner:” The Final Cut
Where: Dixie Twin Drive-In, 6201 N. Dixie Dr., Dayton
When: Tuesday, May 25. Gates open at 8 p.m. and the virtual Q&A with Paul M. Sammon begins at 9 p.m. with a screening of the movie immediately afterward.
Cost: Adults (13 and up): $10; children (ages: 5-12): $5; and children (ages: 4 and under): free
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