Did you notice the shift in consensus over the years?
Like actually saw it happen?
shareI remember when this hit VHS in the UK (about 1983) in rental stores. I was only about 11 at the time (but was already a movie nut) and had seen pictures in 'Starburst' and other magazines. I used to be the one in the household that rented out the movies from my local shop (once or twice a week) so I rented this one out straight away. Being 11, I couldn't quite understand everything that was going on, but loved the visuals. My other family members were bored rigid by the movie (and to be fair, it wasn't the usual generic action drama or lurid horror release that we were used to watching at the time?) The film was (at the time) regarded as a flop. I think I may have caught it on TV a few years later (and started to understand it a bit more)
In 1989 (with the advent of more 'sell-thru' video releases) the movie celebrated a mini revival (of sorts) and As I was in art college, I noticed a lot of casual cinema-goers were now talking about this (presumably forgotten) movie (in terms of design, effects, etc) so I guess people had picked up on the fact that a lot of more popular movies were influenced by Blade Runner. I guess this renewed interest, lead to the 1991 Directors Cut (which is when. Most people really latched onto how great a movie this is) and the rest (they say) is history.
For what it's worth, I've always preferred the original release (with the 'voiceover') but appreciate the other edits and variants that have followed. I guess it was deemed too 'slow' and talky back in 1982 (the only sci-fi that people wanted back then, was E.T.) and despite the presence of Harrison Ford, it wasn't the typical blockbuster that (even then) he was usually associated with. I'm currently watching it right now (in anticipation of going to see the sequel at the cinema, this afternoon)