Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Actually, I haven't.
Son and I watched Blade Runner: the Director's Cut last night. I started off by mentioning to Son that it had been years since I'd seen the original. About 10 minutes in the shocking truth dawned on me; I have never seen this film in any of its incarnations.
the plot, I know. the characters, I recognise. the main themes, I can discuss. But the actual celluloid pictures; nope.
I lay awake for, oh at least 5 minutes last night, wondering what other experiences I'm deluding myself into thinking I must have had.
Diplomacy. I must have played Diplomacy, surely. All those conversations about it... But no, a look at the rules and the pieces convinced me that this never happened.
Have I read Dracula? Of course I've read Dracula. But have I? Or have I just watched films, seen documentaries, played the board game? I don't know any more.
I know I've never seen Forbidden Planet. But how about Planet of the Apes? I've certainly read the book, but have I seen the film? Or just the clips?
Maybe there are places I've never actually been to, music I'v never heard, all comfortably residing in that tick box of doneness. Maybe I think I've met people that I never have. Today my world is in tatters, or at least slightly frayed at one edge.
Blade Runner was very absorbing. Neither Son nor I subscribe to the replicant hypothesis but we had fun reading up on it on Wikipedia. It could have done with a llama though. I had of course (of course?) read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, at least once, back when I had the patience to cope with Philip K Dick.
the plot, I know. the characters, I recognise. the main themes, I can discuss. But the actual celluloid pictures; nope.
I lay awake for, oh at least 5 minutes last night, wondering what other experiences I'm deluding myself into thinking I must have had.
Diplomacy. I must have played Diplomacy, surely. All those conversations about it... But no, a look at the rules and the pieces convinced me that this never happened.
Have I read Dracula? Of course I've read Dracula. But have I? Or have I just watched films, seen documentaries, played the board game? I don't know any more.
I know I've never seen Forbidden Planet. But how about Planet of the Apes? I've certainly read the book, but have I seen the film? Or just the clips?
Maybe there are places I've never actually been to, music I'v never heard, all comfortably residing in that tick box of doneness. Maybe I think I've met people that I never have. Today my world is in tatters, or at least slightly frayed at one edge.
Blade Runner was very absorbing. Neither Son nor I subscribe to the replicant hypothesis but we had fun reading up on it on Wikipedia. It could have done with a llama though. I had of course (of course?) read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, at least once, back when I had the patience to cope with Philip K Dick.
# posted by Louise H @ 11:01 am 
Comments:
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I have sometimes claimed to have read books when I have really only seen the BBC classic serial adaptation; and freqently claimed to have read academic works when I have only read the write up in the Times Literary Supplement. But it is it possible that in some cases I have fooled even myself, and there are things I think I've read which I haven't?
You probably don't need to have read Dracula, even if you haven't; but you should certainly see Forbidden Planet, even if you have. The new movie of Scanner Darkly is depressing and confusing, and so I assume quite faithful to the book, which I have read, but can't remember.
I thought the definitive version of Blade Runner makes it explicit that Harrison Ford is a replicant, and that he shot first?
You probably don't need to have read Dracula, even if you haven't; but you should certainly see Forbidden Planet, even if you have. The new movie of Scanner Darkly is depressing and confusing, and so I assume quite faithful to the book, which I have read, but can't remember.
I thought the definitive version of Blade Runner makes it explicit that Harrison Ford is a replicant, and that he shot first?
I keep intending to see Forbidden Planet, which is on TV every other day, but like all things put off for long enough it now seems unappealing. I'm still suffering from Citizen Kane disappointment.
Explicit, I gather, means a 10 second daydream of a unicorn which then supposedly connects to the rather nice origami one at the end. I'd hate to try and brief Counsel on that sort of evidence. For a start, it would have to be a memory not a daydream, something that Wikipedia seems to miss. And given the rest of the odd symbolism in the film I'd be hesitant to insist that this particular bit is to be taken as literal and explicable (now that argument sounds familiar from somewhere).
Against that is the fact that nowhere in the film would it make sense either for plot reasons or in terms of what actually happens for him to be a replicant. (If a penchant for family photos counts I need to have serious words with my mother.)
Maybe I require a higher standard of proof than your average geek. 17 years as an investigator will do that.
LadyHawke tonight I think. Which I have definitely seen at least twice. But Son hasn't.
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Explicit, I gather, means a 10 second daydream of a unicorn which then supposedly connects to the rather nice origami one at the end. I'd hate to try and brief Counsel on that sort of evidence. For a start, it would have to be a memory not a daydream, something that Wikipedia seems to miss. And given the rest of the odd symbolism in the film I'd be hesitant to insist that this particular bit is to be taken as literal and explicable (now that argument sounds familiar from somewhere).
Against that is the fact that nowhere in the film would it make sense either for plot reasons or in terms of what actually happens for him to be a replicant. (If a penchant for family photos counts I need to have serious words with my mother.)
Maybe I require a higher standard of proof than your average geek. 17 years as an investigator will do that.
LadyHawke tonight I think. Which I have definitely seen at least twice. But Son hasn't.
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