Robert Rodriguez Bitchslaps 'Blade Runner'

Perhaps he was feeling the love of his hometown crowd in Austin or perhaps he's never seen the director's cut, but Robert Rodriguez kicked a little sand in the face of Blade Runner at South by Southwest while setting up his new movie Nerverackers. The Sin City director confirmed that he'll start filming his futuristic sci-fi flick in June, and there are more than a few comparisons you could make between its plot summary and Blade Runner. But to put Blade Runner down in the process? Why? Cinema Blend quotes Rodriguez as saying, "I used to say it was, it’s kind of like Blade Runner, but that was Blade Walker. This is Blade Runner.” No offense, Bob, but Ridley Scott has directed, oh, a handful of classics and you really haven't. I mean, Sin City is damn cool, but where's your Alien or, hell, even your Blade Runner? Maybe he can pull it off and maybe Nerverackers is going to be brilliant, but now I suddenly want him to fall flat on his face. I mean, that's a pretty bold statement by a guy whose career has been really, really spotty.

Comments

[Joey-Elijah]

total. sacrilege.

[Alex]

I dislike Robert Rodriguez so much for this. Is he not the man that made "Spy Kids" and that Sharkboy and Lavagirl thing? Tsk tsk.

[Anybody]

Maybe it's just me but it seems kind of like a harmless joke no? I'd like to hear the audio vs. read the quote to get some kind of context... maybe he's just talking about how his will be more action driven or something, while Blade Runner is largely contemplative with a few action scenes sporadically.

I'm not a huge fan of Rodriguez but you have to respect the fact that he directs, shoots, edits and scores most of his work himself. People jump all over him as being a 'hack' which I don't get. The criticisms in the initial article are fair though, Sin City and Planet Terror would be his high points and although super cool, masterpieces they are not. But I do think people might be reading too much into this comment and degrading the guy's talent an awful lot. (Yes he made Spy KIds but did them because he wanted to make a film that his young kids could actually watch)

[Jeffrey Hardy]

I am less interested in swinging at Rodriguez, as I liked Sin City a lot, but I also feel Blade Runner is a classic. I think he was probably making a comic kind of "press-friendly" comparison, but he should not be making comparisons to things that just may really out-class his endeavor. It has just the effect we see here. He probably felt a little straitjacketed, and took an unwise course to deflect, but the boyish exuberance isn't doing him well here. He should just make his movie and not try to one-up a true classic, even if he thinks he's in a Comic-Con type of crowd that will go for the brashness of it (if even they would).

Otherwise, I generally admire that he takes a lot on, and tries to come in on a picture with a lot on his shoulders, showing folks it can be done in a lot of ways that Old Hollywood thinks is beneath them. More power to his spirit.
Jeffrey Hardy

[Leo]

im looking forward to this, and why do people look at him bad for Spy Kids and Shark Boy, i mean, those movies made it pretty good, and there isnt a child , boy or girl, that doesnt like these movies, my kids love them all and thats what it was made for kids. RR is good, considering he is his own director, camera man, cinematographer, and so on. dont hate , he isnt slapping Blade Runner, he is just saying his will be action packed more than blade runner was, stop being BITCHES, and enjoy the movies... BITCHES!!!!!!