7. The Local Cinema Has A Connection To Blade Runner
Warner BrosWhen I was a teenager I would go the Tyneside Cinema on Pilgrim Street. I saw many films there, from The Godfather to Reservoir Dogs, where I distinctly remember staggering to the toilets after the infamous 'Stuck In The Middle With You' sequence. But I was totally unaware of its connection to the director of one of the most influential sci-fi pictures of all time. Local businessman Dixon Scott designed the building, which opened in 1937. That name may not mean much to you, but you might just be aware of his great nephew Ridley. He put Harrison Ford through his paces on the mean streets of Los Angeles 2019 back in 1982 with Blade Runner. Just as the director was hailed for his vision of the future, so his uncle made an impression with the cinema's exotic art deco stylings. It's also worth mentioning the other movie-helming nephew Tony, who launched Tom Cruise onto the world stage in Top Gun and went on to great success in Hollywood.
I am a journalist and comedian who enjoys American movies of the 70s, Amicus horror compendiums, Doctor Who, Twin Peaks, Naomi Watts and sitting down. My short fiction has been published as part of the Iris Wildthyme range from Obverse Books.
