BladeZone: The Online Blade Runner Fan Club

THE BLADE RUNNER EXPERIENCE - A BOOK BY WALLFLOWER PRESS -REVIEW BY GARY CARDEN

Every now and then, a new type of Blade Runner collectable graces my screen. This book however, goes top of my prize list for originality. Not only does the author Will Brooker go into great depths of the film itself, but it also goes far beyond the film and text, that the film shows on face value.

I have to confess, the first thing I did when I ripped open the parcel was to take out the book and scan through for pictures, and, if you do the same, you will also be as disappointed as I was. With a fresh cup of tea in hand, I lay down on my sofa, and can honestly say it was the first book that I had read since I left school, some 20 years ago. It`s not that I`m illiterate, it`s just that I do not get any value from reading books, novels etc. I will however read PC shopper from cover to cover, because it has the information inside that I `want` to read about, and that's what made my cup of tea go cold. From the moment that I read the contents and editors note, I knew that I was in for a reading marathon. It explored a subject that I knew and wanted to read about, and also a subject that I was keen to read up on. It is structured and placed in sections for easy reading and reference. The sections are as follows :-

Each section has a couple of subsections, and has more than extensive understanding and explanation from a variety of related subjects. I`ve always been a film aficionado, and therefore read with great enthusiasm, the related article on the BR:SE. This has an insight as to how others really feel about the film, rather than just reading the gripe that is to be found on on-line forums. Within this section (FANS) there are more than a handful of references to Bladezone.com, BRmovie.com and BR-insight.com, identifying the various connections between them.

There is of course far more information in the book than I tell you here, everything from the set, the location, the actors and the role models they portray, PK Dick, romance, pathology and in search of Blade Runners femme fetal. This book will have something for everyone and anybody who reads it, be it a fan or a researcher will come away with something new.

Here is a few words from Natalie Bear, at wallflower press, who is the press and publicity officer -

Wallflower Press is an independent publishing house specialising in Cinema and the Moving Image. We are devoted to the publication of the highest-quality popular and academic literature in Film, Television and Media Studies as well as related areas of the visual arts, and publish over twenty-five books each year.

Recent additions to our list include: The Matrix Trilogy: Cyberpunk Reloaded and The Lure of the Vampire: Gender, Fiction and Fandom from Bram Stoker to Buffy; new titles from our Shorts Cuts series, The New Hollywood: From Bonnie and Clyde to Star Wars and Film Noir: From Berlin to Sin City; as well as The Cinema of France, the latest title in our 24 Frames series, providing comprehensive overviews of national and regional cinemas from all over the world.

There are numerous other books ranging from the history, theory and social significance of Cinema and Television to the relatively new vistas of New Digital Media; from genre studies to area studies; from documentary production to artists’ film and video; and from industrial and technical manuals to the very best in Film and Media Criticism.

More information on all our books, including sample chapters, full contents lists and author information can be found at www.wallflowerpress.co.uk.

If you would like to join our mailing list and receive information about our books, as well as special offers and events, please email [email protected].