Fanspot
Apartment of J. F. Sebastian
I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe.
Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion.
I watched C-beams glitter in the darkness at Tan Hauser Gate.
All those moments will be lost in time like tears in rain.
Time to die.
Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer)
At the crossroads of the neo-noir thriller and the cyberpunk universe, Blade Runner required a lot of adjustments from Ridley Scott’s team. When the shooting starts, on March 9, 1981, the director invests for the first time the Warner studios in Burbank. It is there that an entire street is made up to look like a city of Los Angeles projected into the future.
Of particular importance in the script is the apartment where J.F. Sebastian (William Sanderson) lives, the geneticist to whom the replicant Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer) approaches in an attempt to extend his lifespan. After all, this is where the ultimate confrontation between Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) and Roy Batty takes place. A final duel in which the android declaims his monologue. A scene now ranked among the most important in science fiction, partly improvised by Rutger Hauer.
The Bradbury Building is chosen because of its beautiful courtyard. At the time, in the early 1980s, the building, although already classified by the city, was faded. Nevertheless, it suits the plastic requirements of the film and on the screen, the contrast between the neo-Renaissance architecture and the futuristic elements is of the most beautiful effect. Ridley Scott also operated the Pan American Building, located across from the Bradbury. This is where Pris (Daryl Hannah) spies on Rick Deckard when he visits J.F. Sebastian. Two key places where the passage of time has not been enough to attenuate the strength of the evocations of Blade Runner.
A free adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?,
Blade Runner had a difficult production before being released in the United States in June 1982. This is Ridley Scott’s first Hollywood film. Rather lukewarmly received by the critics, it becomes cult with the years. Denis Villeneuve directed a belated sequel, Blade Runner 2049, in 2017.
Blade Runner knowsseven different versions. The shortest one lasts 111 minutes and the longest longest 117.
Bradbury Building
Built in 1893 in the Renaissance Revival style, the Bradbury Building has graced popular culture many times.
If the red brick and terra cotta facade impresses at first glance, it is thanks to its interior that the Bradbury Building became famous. At the end of a corridor, the central courtyard is surrounded by five floors, made of pink and yellow bricks, and decorated with wrought iron, Italian marble, Mexican tiles and various waxed woodworks. The skylight makes the colors dance within this unique decor, often compared to the interior of a cathedral. The building is named after its first owner and was designed by a self-taught architect.
The Fantrippers Buying Board
Cult! movies: 100 mythical places of cinema [French Edition]
Since the dawn of cinema, films have invaded the world and highlighted sometimes unexpected places. Every film location has its secrets. The latter are sometimes as exciting as the feature films themselves.
Did you know that the cemetery where the final duel of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly was built from scratch and that no body lies there? Or that the bus ofInto The Wild has been moved to discourage fans from spending the night there? From the story of the construction of The Bridge on the River Kwai to the incredible encounter during the shooting of the last scene ofIndiana Jones and the Last Crusadeembark on an exciting world tour with the greatest stars of the seventh art. Shiver in the real haunted house ofAmityville and discover the terrifying anecdotes of the making ofApocalypse Now in the Philippines. Visit the building of Blade Runner before stopping at Hogwarts and finally landing in Jurassic Parkin the middle of the Hawaiian archipelago. What if we also took you behind the scenes of the making of the Hobbits’ village of Lord of the Rings ?
Produced by a team of pop-culture specialists and enhanced by numerous anecdotes, Cult! movies tells the secrets of the places that made the history of cinema.
Content quality
Interest for fans
Value for money
Discover all the places Blade Runner on our map
By Gilles Rolland
Passionné de cinéma, de rock and roll, de séries TV et de littérature. Rédacteur de presse et auteur des livres Le Heavy Metal au cinéma, Paroles de fans Guns N' Roses, Paroles de fans Rammstein et Welcome to my Jungle : 100 albums rock et autres anecdotes dépareillées. Adore également voyager à la recherche des lieux les plus emblématiques de la pop culture.