10 Deleted Scenes That Explain Confusing Sci-Fi Movie Moments

3. Why The Unicorn? (Blade Runner)

Independence Day
Warner Bros. Pictures

Blade Runner is a bit like that old joke about a broom - how many times can you change the handle and the brush head and it still be the same item?

In the case of Ridley Scott's 1982 masterpiece, seven different versions of the film exist, making it incredibly difficult to determine what the "real" cut of the movie is.

Is it the US theatrical release version? The international release version? The 1992 director's cut version? The 2007 final cut version? It's all just so confusing.

Fans of the original cut of the movie were always confused about the significance of the origami unicorn left to protagonist Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) by his fellow police officer Gaff (Edward James Olmos). Why did he do this? No idea.

Considering that the unicorn is present right at the end of the film and seemingly means something quite profound to Deckard, you'd think that the movie would have taken more time in explaining its significance.

Answers were finally found a decade later when The Director's Cut was released. Footage of Deckard dreaming of a unicorn was reinserted into the film, tying back to the origami in a much more satisfying way.

Contributor
Contributor

Jacob Simmons has a great many passions, including rock music, giving acclaimed films three-and-a-half stars, watching random clips from The Simpsons on YouTube at 3am, and writing about himself in the third person.