A "Blade Runner" Experience Like No Other

Last night I had a movie going experience for the first time in my life. I have seen the original "Blade Runner" dozens of times. It is one of the best movies ever made and it happens to be one of my favorites. I find new things to enjoy with each new watch. I grow to like it even more as I get older. It is truly a masterpiece. And I have seen every version of the movie that has been made available. But last night it was a totally new, totally different viewing.

A while back I saw that a local venue was going to show the movie on a humongous screen in 4k Ultra. That would have been enough for me to go, but this showing also had a live band playing the score of the movie as it was playing. I've heard of this before, but I've never been privy to a screening. My wife a few years back saw "The Muppet Christmas Carol" with a choir and orchestra, which she loved. But this was different. This was not a choir or an orchestra. This was a band playing along with the movie. They had three keyboard players. There was a person who played guitar and bass. They had two electric violin players. There was a person playing an electric harp. They had one singer and a person playing a humongous drum. And they played the score of "Blade Runner", which is more of an electronic, new wave type score. It was akin to something that Daft Punk would do nowadays. It was kind of like their score to the second "Tron" movie Disney did years ago.

This showing was cool as hell though. I didn't really know what to expect when I went into the venue. It was playing at The Factory here in Saint Louis, which is a decent sized spot. I got second row seats, and when I walked in, there were probably about 200 to 300 people. That is definitely the biggest crowd I have been with to watch a movie. I do wish I got seats a few rows back, I had to tilt my head up to watch the movie, but that's neither here nor there. I was also surprised to see the diversity in age at this movie. Most people were my age, or just a little bit older. But there were some younger kids, it was an 18 and over show. There were some people in their 20's, but there were also people who are my folks' age, and that made me happy. That means this movie has continued to gain fans year after year. The greatness of "Blade Runner" knows no age limits. That's dope. I love the movie, so that was no surprise to me that it still holds up incredibly well. It is a classic. But having that band added such a nice extra incentive to watching this movie. From the opening credits to the end credits, the band was on it. They hit every beat. When the drums needed to come in, they came in with a literal bang. The keyboards, probably the most essential part of the score, were banging. The players were on it, they had the right tone and effects and it was amazing to listen to. The violins added to the eeriness of the movie and the score. The electric harp was one of the cooler live instruments I have ever heard. The lady who sang the parts that needed singing had a beautiful voice and hit all the right notes. And the bassist/guitar player added the little extra that those instruments add to this movie's score. There were times when I knew that drums were coming, but they were so much louder that it made me jump in my seat. I made my way out of the venue in the middle of the rolling of the end credits and I could clearly hear the music outside while walking to my car.

This was a very wonderful way to see this movie. It was new and unique and interesting. I will for sure be going to more and more of these type showings, as long as they aren't wildly expensive. I highly recommend seeing a movie you love in this fashion. It adds a whole lot that I didn't even know was possible. This is a memory I will hold for the longest time. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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