Make no mistake about it, Ridley Scott’s early, pre-2000s career is littered with enduring classics and hidden gems. Blade Runner, to this day, remains one of the greatest science fiction films ever made. Thelma and Louise remains an immensely enjoyable, girl power-fuelled joyride that holds up so well it’s perhaps more impactful now than it was at the time of release. And 1977’s The Duellists (Scott’s directorial debut) remains a well crafted and considered film.

To experience Ridley Scott as his peak though, we must travel all the way back to 1982. Following the release of Alien and Blade Runner in quick succession, Scott had not only established himself as one of Britain’s best filmmakers, he’d claimed his place as the premier director within the science fiction genre. Alien, quite rightly, is regarded as a masterpiece hybrid of sci-fi and horror. And Blade Runner, one of my favourite films, is without a doubt one of the greatest, pure science fiction movies ever conceived. Continue reading →