Blade Runner 2049

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  • #31
    Re: Blade Runner 2049

    Originally posted by nativeson View Post
    - Bees, forever a symbol in the public consciousness (for those who don't sleep under rocks) of our fragile environment, and teetering on the brink of extinction, SYMBOLIZE LIFE (duh!).
    Well... except for us who remember the movies about the killer bees, from the 70s.
    "I just couldn't live in a world without me."

    Comment


    • #32
      Re: Blade Runner 2049

      Originally posted by StoryWriter View Post
      Well... except for us who remember the movies about the killer bees, from the 70s.
      They make JalapeƱo honey, right?

      Comment


      • #33
        Re: Blade Runner 2049

        Originally posted by nativeson View Post
        - Reproduction was referred to as a miracle MANY times, so no: not intended.

        - ^^^^ Again, this ^^^^ So yes, if Tyrell couldn't figure it out (it's a "miracle,- remember?), stands to reason Rayon would have difficulty too

        - She's good, is Rayon's right hand, and likely has a crapload of clearances and corporate ($$$) respect, so not buyin' that.

        - Bees, forever a symbol in the public consciousness (for those who don't sleep under rocks) of our fragile environment, and teetering on the brink of extinction, SYMBOLIZE LIFE (duh!). Just as the "miracle- was repeated several times, So was the fact that Deckard's neck of the woods was highly irradiated (i.e., not likely life-sustaining. Hmmm, and replicants procreating, there's LIFE again. Wake up).

        - If I was hiding out in an irradiated wasteland in fear of my life, I'd probably also fight. Longer than ten minutes

        - Luv is nuts. We know that. But maybe I'll bite on that last one
        Yeah, so every head-scratching moment can be explained as "Hey, it's a miracle!"

        I don't find that compelling storytelling. To me it's like the writers just decided to put a bunch of improbable stuff in and just use the word miracle to cover it all up.

        Btw, the wiki page states that Rachael and other Nexus 7 replicants like her were fitted with experimental reproductive capabilities. That's fine, but Deckard definitely isn't a Nexus-7. So either this is a plothole, she was cheating on him with an N7, or Deckard is human.

        And even more questions abound:

        - Why isn't Deckard staying with the replicant freedom movement (for his and his child's protection)?

        - Why does Luv take only Deckard into custody and not K when her goal was to find the child and if she didn't suspect K was him, she would have at the very least taken him into custody too.

        - Why the need to send Deckard off-world? There are no torture facilities on Earth? Ludicrous. Luv seems like a pretty good torture device herself.

        The funniest thing is this movie is rated higher than the original on IMDb.

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        • #34
          Re: Blade Runner 2049

          Originally posted by nativeson View Post
          They make JalapeƱo honey, right?
          They were talking about them in the 70's. I guess it took them longer to get to the US than they expected. They kind of fizzled out, but for a while the scare mongers pretended they would essentially end civilization, as we knew it.

          I guess this is the stuff old codgers remember.

          -----------------------------------------

          Effort to Stop Killer Bees in Texas Is Short on Funds : Environment: Invasion began in earnest this spring, when federal money for eradication ran out. State lawmakers have not answered plea for aid.
          May 10, 1991|LIANNE HART | TIMES STAFF WRITER

          HOUSTON - Sixteen swarms of so-called "killer bees" have been found in southern Texas, but the state Senate, strapped for funds, is sitting on an emergency request for $197,000 to help track and destroy them.

          "These can be mean, ornery bees and they're establishing in Texas. The situation is a lot scarier today than we thought it would be," said John Thomas, an entomologist with the Texas Agricultural Extension Service.

          The aggressive, Africanized bees began migrating north from South America 30 years ago, and the first swarm reached Texas last October. But the invasion began in earnest with the spring "swarm season," which ends June 1.

          Apiary officials have set a line of 1,113 bee traps along the Texas-Mexico border. The papier-mache traps, shaped like upside down flower pots, hang from trees and are baited with a lemon-scented chemical. U.S. Department of Agriculture inspectors destroyed the first five swarms of killer bees drawn to the traps, then painstakingly searched each site for signs of more of the bees.

          Federal funds earmarked for the ground search ran out April 26, and agriculture officials turned to the state for help. But the prospects for state aid are limited as legislators in Austin struggle to meet a $4.6-billion budget shortfall.

          More than 2 million Africanized bees are believed bound for South Texas. The traps lure only one-fourth of the bees traveling through, Thomas said. Unchecked, the bees will probably continue north toward Houston, eventually spreading throughout the Southeast and West into California. Officials hope to control the spread of killer bees by maintaining quarantines in the nine border counties where the bees have been found.

          The killer bees are descendants of 26 African queen bees accidentally released from a Brazilian laboratory in 1957. As they migrated north, the African bees bred with European honeybees. The result: Africanized bees that, although smaller than the garden-variety honeybee, may chase their victims for a mile before descending en masse.

          Although Africanized bees have killed some 600 people in the Americas over the past 30 years, "killer bee" is a misnomer, said Elba Quintero, manager of the USDA's Africanized Honeybee Program in Harlingen, Tex. Like domestic honeybees, killer bees don't sting unless provoked. Her advice: "If you disturb a colony, go as fast as you can in a zigzag pattern into a house, car or body of water. You can outrun them."

          The greater threat is an economic one, she said. Killer bees, which take over the territory they infest, produce less honey than their European cousins. That could put at risk the nation's $150 million-a-year honey industry, and an estimated $5 billion to $10 billion worth of crops pollinated each year by honeybees.

          Thomas said this year's swarms constitute the scouting patrol. "By next spring we should see the bulk of the front passing through, a six-fold increase in the number of Africanized bees in Texas," he said.

          --------------------------------------------

          There were dire warnings and lots of movies made about how horrible these things were. I think eventually they interbred with American bees and calmed down.
          "I just couldn't live in a world without me."

          Comment


          • #35
            Re: Blade Runner 2049

            The last article was from the LA Times. This one is from the NY Times.

            --------------------------------------------------

            Killer Bees? They're No Joke in Texas
            By PETER APPLEBOME, Special to the New York Times
            Published: May 15, 1988

            HOUSTON, May 14— Three or four times a day, panicked residents here telephone local pest control agencies with a chilling message: the killer bees have arrived.

            They are referring to Africanized honeybees, an aggressive subspecies that has been heading inexorably northward since its accidental release in Brazil 31 years ago.

            Actually, the callers, misinformed, are overreacting to swarms of the ordinary Europeanized honeybee, introduced to North America by colonists three centuries ago. The nearest Africanized bees are still about 500 miles south of the Mexican border.

            But the calls are an indication that, while the killer bees may be the stuff elsewhere of old ''Saturday Night Live'' skits and supermarket tabloid headlines, they are no joke in Texas. With the first of them expected to reach the state's southern tip near Brownsville as early as the end of next year, they are drawing increased attention. Stars on the 6 O'Clock News

            Camera crews from local televison stations have taken to traveling to Central America, where they film harrowing scenes in which thousands of furiously buzzing bees mount attacks on any possible target. Mosquito control units here are now equipped with conversion units designed for bee infestation. A state task force is preparing a report on how to deal with the bees, amid some controversy and bickering about whether the state's preparation is adequate.

            All this marks the first stage of what is likely to be an extended and at times emotional planning process.

            ''Every place they've been, people have been schizophrenic about how to deal with them,'' said Orley R. Taylor Jr., a University of Kansas entomologist who is an expert on the Africanized bees. ''People don't know whether to arouse public concern or bury their head in the sand. What you end up with is some alarmists, some ostriches and some don't-knows.''

            The object of all the concern was brought to Brazil from Africa in 1956 as part of an effort to produce a hybrid bee well suited to tropical climates. A year later 26 queens and their swarms escaped, and the Africanized bees have been breeding and moving north at a rate of 200 to 300 miles a year ever since. Their numbers now? No one knows. Their Threat

            Experts say the bees pose a limited but real health threat and a serious though manageable threat to agriculture and the domestic bee industry.

            Though slightly smaller than the Europeanized bees, the Africanized bees are different enough in temperament to almost live up to their reputation for ferocity.

            They respond to perceived danger twice as fast as their Europeanized cousins, will chase victims three times as far and can take as long as half an hour to calm down. While an individual sting is no more venomous than that of a Europeanized bee, they attack in such large numbers that they can cause serious injury and even death. Estimates of deaths caused in the 31 years since the bees were imported to Brazil range from 300 all the way to 4,000.

            More worrisome is the threat to agriculture. The Africanized bees tend to dominate the Europeanized ones but are far less productive in honey production and pollination - honeybees in the United States are used to pollinate 90 crops worth $20 billion annually -and, because of their more aggressive nature, are far more costly for beekeepers to handle. Will State Be Ready? Officials planning the state's response to the problem say Texas will be ready when the bees arrive. Others are not so sure.

            ''There's no way in the world we're going to be ready,'' said Darrell Lister, a Houston beekeeper and former president of the local beekeepers' association. ''I'm afraid we're going to have a panic that will devastate the bee industry. Everyone will be out with a spray can, and the only good bee will be a dead bee.''

            Few people doubt that the bees will make their way to Texas, but it is unclear in what numbers and exactly when. The United States Department of Agriculture and Mexican officials are collaborating on what is called a Bee Regulated Zone in southern Mexico. The aim is to flood the zone with Europeanized male bees to genetically dilute the Africanized bees.

            Even the optimists say that, although this may slow the bees, it will not stop them. Public Fear a Factor

            Most experts feel that the problem can be managed but that popular fears add an extra level of difficulty.

            ''The hardest thing to deal with is the interreaction between people in urban areas and the bees,'' said John G. Thomas, a Texas A&M entomologist. ''We dont't think the bees represent an enormous threat to human life, but we realize we're going to have some stinging incidents and probably a few deaths. We realize it will take just one for people to start questioning everything that's been done.''

            Mr. Thomas is a member of the Texas Africanized Honey Bee Advisory Committee, which is made up of representatives of 17 agencies involved with bees, agriculture or public health.

            The group has just completed a set of recommendations to submit to state officials. Most experts agree that the state needs a combination of education, studies of the existing bee population, programs to eradicate wild swarms, additional inspectors to make sure that beekeepers are replenishing their supply of queens with Europeanized bees to help weed out Africanized-dominated hybrids, and a concerted effort to try to keep the Africanized bees within the Lower Rio Grande Valley when they first arrive. Lack of Cash

            They are less sure where the money will come from. Mr. Thomas says experts here have sought funds from the state for the last 10 years for the study of Africanized bees. ''The people who make decisions have said they don't consider it a problem or don't expect them to get to the U.S.,'' Mr. Thomas said. ''Now people are beginning to think it may well be a problem, but what can you do with no dollars?''

            Officials say beekeeping technology is much more advanced here than in Central America, which gives some hope of controlling the Africanized bees by constantly adding Europeanized queens to beekeepers' colonies.

            But for those nervous about the Africanized bees' nasty disposition, Mr. Thomas does not offer entirely soothing words.

            ''I compare it to rattlesnakes,'' said Mr. Thomas, a native Texan. ''Where I grew up, it was not uncommon to see two or three rattlesnakes every week. You learned to wear boots when you went into the fields, and you knew you didn't play with them. People will learn the same lessons about these bees. You need to respect them and be aware of what they can do.''
            "I just couldn't live in a world without me."

            Comment


            • #36
              Re: Blade Runner 2049

              Originally posted by Goliath View Post
              Yeah, so every head-scratching moment can be explained as "Hey, it's a miracle!"

              I don't find that compelling storytelling. To me it's like the writers just decided to put a bunch of improbable stuff in and just use the word miracle to cover it all up.

              Btw, the wiki page states that Rachael and other Nexus 7 replicants like her were fitted with experimental reproductive capabilities. That's fine, but Deckard definitely isn't a Nexus-7. So either this is a plothole, she was cheating on him with an N7, or Deckard is human.

              And even more questions abound:

              - Why isn't Deckard staying with the replicant freedom movement (for his and his child's protection)?

              - Why does Luv take only Deckard into custody and not K when her goal was to find the child and if she didn't suspect K was him, she would have at the very least taken him into custody too.

              - Why the need to send Deckard off-world? There are no torture facilities on Earth? Ludicrous. Luv seems like a pretty good torture device herself.

              The funniest thing is this movie is rated higher than the original on IMDb.

              Rayon blatantly says he couldn’t figure out procreation, so that’s a dead horse.

              Deckard ALSO blatantly said why he didn’t stick around, so as not to draw heat.

              I don’t buy the K custody complaint. Painfully obvious to me that Deckard would have more info on the whereabouts of the child. Ultimately, he did not, but from an investigators POV it makes sense. And Luv is crazy

              I *DO* buy the off world bit. Look how much gubment’s in our bidness *now.* Rayon would definitely need offworld facilities for shady torture stuff.


              Every complaint I’ve seen (not just here) is nit-picky stuff of no substance. This film is a mystery and a character study, NOT an action, noir thriller like is predecessor. Slow, maybe, but that’s what it is. It’s a different type of story. Clearly, many people have a hard time processing that.

              Those people just need to be honest and SAY it: I don’t like 2049 because it’s not like the first film

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              • #37
                Re: Blade Runner 2049

                The original Blade Runner isn't going to look quite as dramatic come November 2019. After that date passes you'll watch the opening of Blade Runner - the cool wide shot of the Tyrell Corporation building - and then you'll look at 'real life' Los Angeles and think "man, LA looks like nothing like Blade Runner!"

                Originally posted by entlassen View Post

                "Blade Runner's screenplay by Hampton Fancher and David Webb Peoples has Deckard's voiceover and the ending with him and Rachel driving into the countryside.."
                I think it was an inspired decision to change the ending. Removing the countyside scene results in a darker ending which is more in keeping with the overall tone of the movie.
                Last edited by moviefan; 11-08-2017, 06:39 AM.

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                • #38
                  Re: Blade Runner 2049

                  Liked it a lot. Bit long in places. A couple of bits that don't make sense. Also, like all of Denis' films, the world felt kinda empty/isolated. I think that's his style. His characters tend to be isolated and disconnected from the world.

                  Overall, one of my faves for this year.

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                  • #39
                    Re: Blade Runner 2049

                    Late to the party. Watched it on DVD. No local movie theater. Prefer to watch it at home anyway. More comfortable and better snacks. Can pause it for toilet breaks, too!

                    Wow what a disappointment. Yes, I rate the original Blade Runner movie highly, it's a great Sci-Fi flick. Am I comparing the new with the old? Probably. Even if I wasn't: Wow what a disappointment.

                    What an ugly, bleak, grubby and uninspiring look this movie has. This is the future? Keep it! Original Blade Runner had fabulous lighting and mood. This had nothing I wanted to see. Every scene looked like sh!t. The DVD cover (and the movie posters) had more color and life than the film ever contained.

                    The ending was weak and totally unsatisfying.

                    Frankly I didn't care much that Deckard found his long-lost daughter. The lead character just died outside and they don't give a damn. What now? What will they do?

                    What the hell? The psychotic CEO who delights in brutally murdering the living, feeling replicants he creates doesn't get any kind of comeuppance for his gross actions. I expected the free replicants to storm his HQ and put a violent end to his madness. Nothing like this happens. This would have been satisfying and given better closure. This is the action climax that should have been written, before the father/daughter denouement.

                    Ryan Gosling's a good actor but to my mind he had to equal or better original Blade Runner's Harrison Ford's charismatic performance, and that just did not happen.

                    Soundtrack complaints: man, that was pretty dull. Yeah some chords and effects echoed original Blade Runner for nostalgia's sake, but overall it had nothing I'd want to listen to again, being honest. Certainly nothing like this: https://youtu.be/OP63BRzKmB0

                    On my 42" TV the tiny, blurry titles (of which there were many, including the opening "explain everything" intro) were ridiculously unreadable. Maybe they were okay in a movie theater, no thought for home viewers.

                    I seriously doubt if I'll ever open the DVD case and watch this movie again. For comparison, I watched the original Blade Runner movie so often the VHS tape's quality became impaired.
                    Last edited by dpaterso; 02-24-2021, 11:47 AM. Reason: YouTube link dead, new link inserted

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                    • #40
                      Re: Blade Runner 2049

                      I've just watched this on TV. It has a few flashes of quality, but mosty it's laughable, pretentious, self-indulgent, nonsensical, tedious, dreary, vapid, hackneyed and lore-breaking. Fans of this emperor's new clothes must enjoy hairy old bollocks.

                      It's a shame that David Webb Peoples didn't get to write the sequel, and Neill Blomkamp or Duncan Jones didn't get to direct it.

                      Well, at least I now know not to waste the price of a ticket on Denis Villeneuve's (first) Dune.
                      Know this: I'm a lazy amateur, so trust not a word what I write.
                      "The ugly can be beautiful. The pretty, never." ~ Oscar Wilde

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                      • #41
                        Re: Blade Runner 2049

                        I also did not gel with this film. I'm usually able to finish any kind of movie, even ones I dislike, but I couldn't get all the way through it. I put in an hour, and during a long and uninspired monologue by Leto, I quit.

                        After a promising first scene, it felt like it was going nowhere fast.

                        The cinematography was great, however.

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                        • #42
                          Re: Blade Runner 2049

                          I loved it. Have seen it several times. Reading the script now. Will definitely see it several times more-- cinematically gorgeous.
                          "Arguing that you don't care about the right to privacy b/c you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don't care about free speech because you have nothing to say." -- Edward Snowden

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