32 TODAY! See BLADERUNNER in six minutes, here!

Ridley Scott's landmark - and career-defining - film, was not a hit when it was originally released in 1982. Too slow and ponderous for the action blockbuster crowd, it suffered from bad word-of-mouth arising from film-goers who had been led to expect a gung-ho action movie in the wake of Star Wars, and Scott's previous hit, Alien. It wasn't until late-night re-runs on TV, that it slowly began to gather momentum and attract a fanbase. 

Things came to a head in 1990, when a 'workprint' of the film ( the original cut without the expository Raymond Chandler-style voiceover ) was accidentally released for a one-off cinema screening. The resultant positive response prompted the studio to re-release the 'director's cut', first on the arthouse cinema circuit, and then later on home video.

With its visually-arresting cinematography and art direction, and with a score by electronic music genius Vangelis, the film now rightly appears in all-time 'best movie' lists.

Below is a beautiful edit of some of the film's key scenes, cut to a soundtrack of New Order's Blue Monday, assembled from cover versions by Orgy, Zook, Cliff Martinez and Chemical Brothers. 

If you haven't seen the movie, this will very much whet your appetite, and if you have seen it, what better way to have a quick refresher of Scott's singular vision of the future?

Audio: LEE DM101
Visuals: THE REBORN IDENTITY. 

Play loud, and with headphones.

Note: Contains spoilers.

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Archive: BBC Radio 4, Summer 2014

The Two Georges ( biographical comedy drama based on Philip K Dick's life )

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