Triple Feature at Lincoln Center
Film at Lincoln Center Presents Blade Runner (The Final Cut), Dune: Part I, Blade Runner 2049
By Jason Godbey
This weekend I had the opportunity to attend a few of the features included in Film at Lincoln Center’s Denis Villeneuve film series: Blade Runner (The Final Cut), Blade Runner 2049, and Dune Part I. All the films in the series were made or curated by Villeneuve, and they did not disappoint.
Of course, I’d seen all three films before. I’ve been a Blade Runner fan for years, but this was my first time seeing Blade Runner (The Final Cut) and Dune Part I on the big screen. I’d seen the Blade Runner sequel when it was released back in 2017, but that seems like decades ago considering all that’s happened in the world since then.
Blade Runner (The Final Cut)
Seeing Ridley’s Scott’s preferred cut of Blade Runner on the big screen at the Walter Reade Theater is an experience to be cherished. I’d seen the film on DVD countless times, but that’s not really seeing it. Being in a theater with nearly 300 people and hearing that Vangelis score in surround sound along with the stunning visuals is nothing short of awe-inspiring.
Blade Runner is one of those special movies that’s built a cult following over the years, and it’s easy to see why. It redefined the sci-fi genre, and its influence has seen in countless films. Looking at it now, it’s hard to believe it was released in 1982.
Blade Runner 2049
Set 30 years after the original, Villeneuve’s sequel to Blade Runner is a masterpiece that somehow manages to continue the story and elevate the original material. Like its predecessor, 2049 is filled with astonishing, jaw-dropping visuals. The cinematography, art direction, design, and visual effects are stunning and filled with love for Blade Runner and the universe it created.
I was gobsmacked when I it saw it for the first time in 2017, and I was equally stunned seeing it again on the big screen. Along with the visual elements, the amazing sound design and score draw you into the world of 2049. It’s simply mesmerizing.
Dune: Part One
We first reviewed Dune back in 2021 when it was simultaneously released in theaters and on the Max streaming platform. The covid pandemic was still raging back then, and I, like many others, wasn’t going to the movies. Instead I watched it at home.
Now having seen it in the theater, I finally feel like I’ve experienced the movie as intended, and my impressions of it have changed. Seeing it on television is just not the same. This is a film that must be seen in a theater on the biggest screen you can find in order for its impact to be felt.
Dune: Part Two is coming to theaters on March 1st. If you’re a fan of Dune and want to get the full experience, find a screening of Dune: Part One before you see Part Two. It will make a difference. As part of our screening, we got to see a scene from Part Two, the scene where Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet) rides a sand worm for the first time. Dune: Part Two promises more action and adventure, and this scene delivered on that promise.
Originally published at http://behindtherabbitproductions.wordpress.com on February 27, 2024.
