In this new series, Anatomy of A Scene, Patrick and Jaime breakdown a scene in Blade Runner where Captain Bryant is explaining the mission to a very perplexed Rick Deckard. Patrick and Jaime have discussed this scene privately for a while in terms of its implication on the 'Deck-a-Rep' conversation and how it plays into the overall narrative in the film. As with so much in the world of Blade Runner, our conclusions and speculation add another layer in a world where so much of it seems intentionally ambiguous. We hope you enjoy and we'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas as well. Enjoy.
132 // Blade Runner and the Police State
The world of Blade Runner has had a consistent shroud of mystery over it since its release in 1982. From the rain-soaked streets to the neon signs illuminating the city, there is no corner that's not riddled with questions and shadow. Infiltrating this environment is the presence of a massive amount police. They're on every corner of seemingly every street. In this episode, Patrick & Jaime dive into discussing why the police have such a military-style presence and how that affects the world they inhabit. We hope you enjoy!
This is episode is our last recording of calendar 2022, capping off an incredible year. From all of us at Shoulder of Orion: The Blade Runner Podcast, we are wishing all of you a Happy New Year!
BONUS EPISODE: Frame Rate | Andor - A Roundtable Discussion
We are happy to release our coverage of the Disney+ series Andor as a bonus episode this holiday season. In this special roundtable, your hosts Jaime, Patrick, Christian, AndieGeekGirl, and special guest Micah Greene discuss what some of us agree is the best Star Wars product since the original trilogy. As always this was a lively and in-depth conversation that we hope you enjoy.
131 // 40 Years of Blade Runner With Film Historian Paul M. Sammon
It's been three years since we've had our friend and guest Paul M. Sammon on the show to talk about Blade Runner. To remedy that, Patrick & Jaime asked him back to discuss the 40 year legacy of Blade Runner, what it means to him, and the road ahead. This was a delightful interview and we hope you enjoy.
130 // Officer K Five Years Later
It's been five years since the release of Blade Runner 2049. In that time, it took us a while to dedicate an episode to Officer KD6.3-7. We were delighted to hear from a new listener about his resonance with K and what that means to him. Hearing from that listener inspired us to invite him on the show and jump back into the discussion. Please join Patrick, Jaime and James as they dive back into the world and the mind of K as we celebrate the anniversary of the release of Blade Runner 2049.
129 // The Blade Runner RPG: Interviewing Free League Co-Founder & CEO Tomas Härenstam
When Fria Ligan (Free League Publishing) released the Alien RPG back in 2019, it was a watershed moment in Alien fandom. Buzzing with drama and detail, this tabletop role playing game gave Alien fans a universe of new content to explore together.
So when it was announced early in 2022 that Free League was working on a Blade Runner RPG, fans around the world took to the internet to express their delight.
In today’s episode, Jaime and Patrick get a peek behind the curtain with Free League’s Co-founder and CEO Tomas Härenstam. Tomas is the Lead Game Designer on both the Blade Runner RPG and the Alien RPG, as well as Mutant: Year Zero (the origin of the acclaimed Year Zero engine driving both the Blade Runner and Alien games).
To stay up to date on all the awesome stuff Free League is putting out, head to freeleaguepublishing.com
128 // Five Years of Blade Runner 2049
October 3, 2022 marked five years since Blade Runner 2049 premiered at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles and changed the landscape of Blade Runner fandom forever.
In this roundtable retrospective, the SOO team looks back at those early days—of the film, but also of this very podcast!—while stopping to consider how 2049 resonates with us now, five years later.
Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/shoulderoforionitunes
127 // Charles de Lauzirika’s Commentary Track for Blade Runner: The Final Cut
In celebration of forty years of Blade Runner, Shoulder of Orion is thrilled and honored to present to you an exclusive commentary track for Blade Runner: The Final Cut by Charles de Lauzirika! As Restoration Producer for The Final Cut, Charles had a monumental task: to work with Ridley Scott, Warner Brothers, and a dedicated team of specialists to produce the definitive edition of one of the most influential films ever made.
Charles, who's also directed landmark documentary features like Dangerous Days: Making Blade Runner, is a friend of the show and a constant presence in Blade Runner fandom. Jaime, Patrick, and the whole Shoulder of Orion team are so grateful for Charles' time and energy—and so excited to share this exclusive commentary track with our listeners!
The commentary track starts after a brief intro. We'll give a clear countdown so you can press Play at the correct moment.
Happy forty years, everyone!
Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/shoulderoforionitunes
126 // Deck-a-Rep: Part One
In observance of forty years of Blade Runner—and in response to the many, many requests we've gotten over the years to discuss this—the Shoulder of Orion team is finally tackling The Big Question: is Deckard a Replicant?
In this kickoff show, Jaime and Patrick unpack some of the reasons this "debate" has gotten so complicated over the years. As we've gotten more editions of the movie, we've gotten more evidence (from Ridley Scott) that Deckard pretty clearly should be considered a Replicant—but we also have Harrison Ford and Hampton Fancher arguing against that idea, and an initial theatrical cut of the film (not to mention source novel) that runs with the assumption that he's human.
Where does that leave us? And, perhaps more importantly: does it matter? Does the film hold up to multiple interpretations of the truth?
We don't come up with many answers to these questions, but we do our best to at least get the conversation started. More to come!
Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/shoulderoforionitunes
125 // We're back, and we're ready to celebrate 40 years of Blade Runner!
The team is back from a summer of traveling, and we're ready to celebrate forty years of Blade Runner with some great content. Join Jaime and Patrick for this minisode detailing some of those plans—and some ways YOU can get involved!
Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/shoulderoforionitunes
Special Presentation: Frame Rate // Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
Please enjoy this Patreon episode while we return from summer break and resume regular Shoulder of Orion content in the coming weeks. For more like this, head to bladerunnerpodcast.com/support and join our Patreon!
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Everything Everywhere All at Once is a movie exploding with life. The second feature from the dynamic Daniels duo, EEAaO is another grand slam effort from A24—one that asks enormous questions and finds comfort in the tiniest, most important answers.
On this installment of Frame Rate, Jaime and Patrick try to break down a little bit of how that works, and how this unique and unforgettable film speaks to them.
Thanks as always for your support!!
Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/shoulderoforionitunes
124 // Artificial Intelligence Part Three: JOI & Rachael
In this final entry in our Artificial Intelligence series, Patrick and Jaime are joined by contributing hosts Micah Greene and Peter from the Midwest. It's been a few years since we've hosted an episode diving into Joi and Rachael. What better way to end this series than a discussion around what might be arguably the most endearing and incendiary characters found in both Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049? Join us for an intense and in-depth discussion.
Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/shoulderoforionitunes
123 // Future Tech: The Baseline Test Machine
In this episode, Jaime and Patrick come together to discuss the Baseline Test Machine as seen in Blade Runner 2049. How relevant is the baseline test? How close are we as a society to using this kind of technology? Are we using early versions of it right now? We tackle these questions and more in what was a very satisfying episode to record. We hope you enjoy!
122 // Future Tech: Discussing the Voight-Kampff Test Machine
In this episode, Patrick and Jaime sit down to discuss the Voight-Kampff test machine, its implications on the state of humanity and its place in science fiction lore. We hope you enjoy this passionate and in-depth discussion.
121 // Artificial Intelligence Part Two: The A.I. of Alien & Blade Runner
In this episode, hosts Patrick, and Jaime are joined by contributing host Peter from the midwest to discuss artificial intelligence as featured in Alien and Blade Runner. This is a bit of a crossover episode as we explore why the kinds of A.I. exists in both of these worlds and what's really behind the need for such technology. This was a fascinating and complicated discussion. We hope you enjoy!
120 // Artificial Intelligence: Part One
Artificial Intelligence has long been a hotly debated topic. What are the implications of a society augmented by A.I.? What is A.I.? Will A.I. save humanity from itself, or will it destroy it? In this episode, Jaime & Patrick tackle the question of A.I. and how its iterated in our real lives and on film. This is part one of a series of discussions as we lead into the 40th anniversary of Blade Runner.
119 // Vangelis: A Memoriam
In this episode, Patrick, Peter and Jaime come together to discuss the death of Vangelis. From his score for Chariots of Fire, to Blade Runner, and 1492: Conquest of Paradise, Vangelis has held his own, creating musical tapestries that have kept their own orbit from the moment he began making music. Join us as we talk about the legacy of Vangelis, and the space he leaves behind.
118 // Visions of the Future: Part Two
We'd like to thank all of our listeners and supporters during this short break. We are pleased to present to you a follow up to Visions of the Future with this part two installment. In this episode, Patrick, Peter and Jaime dive further into what a future could look like through the lens of Blade Runner and our current world. Will the lack of empathy lead to our destruction? Join us and take part in the discussion!
Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/shoulderoforionitunes
117 // Visions of the Future: A Shoulder of Orion Roundtable
Art by Sad Mead
What were your first thoughts about what the future would look like? Was there a film or a show that captured that? In this episode, the full hosting team of Shoulder of comes together to talk about the idea of futurism as iterated in film and tv, and what it means to each of us, and how it's changed over the years. We hope you enjoy this episode, as much as we enjoyed recording it.
116 // Therefore I Am: Discussing Pris
Daryl Hannah's portrayal of Pris in Blade Runner has inspired countless works of tribute art, contemporary runway fashion, and killer cosplays. But beyond her cyberpunk/clown aesthetic and gymnastic combat skills lies a complicated, nuanced character.
In this episode, Jaime and Patrick discuss Pris as a prism for issues like enslavement, otherism, and manipulation. They also talk about how Pris sets up wonderful horror beats in Blade Runner, and how she ends up tricking not only Sebastian and Deckard but the audience itself.
Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/shoulderoforionitunes