‘Blade Runner’ drives me Batty

OK, so I didn’t get to see the “director’s cut” of “Blade Runner” tonight. Instead, I got to see the “final cut,” as several knowledgeable film fans pointed out at the Magic Lantern screening. One of those was Marvin Smith, the Eastern Washington University professor who presented the movie and led the post-screening discussion.

Smith and I were two of maybe 90 fans who showed by to see one of the best sci-fi films ever made. Again on the big screen. The event was the final chapter of this fall’s SpIFF-sponsored Professor’s Series , a program that screens classic films and pairs them with audiences discussions. Some of the past films include “Jules and Jim,” “2001: A Space Odyssey” and “Shane” (which I presented).

I had a few reactions to “Blade Runner.” One, the acting performances remain nothing special - except, that is, for Rutger Hauer as the Replicant Roy Batty (appropriate surname, Roy). Two, the visual effects that Douglas Trumbull and his crew created surpass anything put together by today’s legion of CG artists.

And, three, the production design (by Lawrence G. Paul) and art direction (by David L. Snyder) make Scott’s vision of 2019 Los Angeles look so real you can almost smell the noodles and feel the acid rain.

I ike this Professor’s Series. Word is that SpIFF and the Lantern are going to continue it in January. That’s great news.

Below : Rutger Hauer as Roy Batty in “Blade Runner.”