Do Androids Dream of The Vigilarium?
by FEMAELSTROM, HSM team writer
In 1982, a motion picture came out that was not a critical or box office success as the movie studio that produced it, had hoped. It starred Harrison Ford as a police officer that chases down androids also known as ‘replicants’ in a futuristic Los Angeles.
The movie, Blade Runner, and it’s release to video a few years later with it’s view of a dystpoic Los Angeles in the (not far from now) year of 2019 has influenced so many movies, t.v. shows, comics and video games that one would need many hands to count the places that Blade Runner has touched the creative process.
For me personally, Blade Runner touches a nerve that I love, and I have never been able to put a finger on it, but it is my favorite movie, without equal. Sir Ridley Scott’s creation has been through a few reworkings over the years at his own hands, in the effort of presenting his director’s view. The last of these presentations is indeed a masterpiece in science fiction dystopia.
An empty Vigilarium, art waiting to be made.
The mood of the whole movie is rain soaked and moody, all in the night with flickering neon and the clutter of a world that is vastly over populated. Some elements of the movie are very different from Phillip K. Dick’s original novel “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?“, but there are some elements that the book and movie share that are extraordinary.
On another personal note, I have had the luxury of actually visiting one of the prime locations of the second half of the movie as well as a minor location from an early scene. The minor location is the Los Angeles Union Station that served as the police headquarters. The larger set is the beautiful Bradbury building that sits at 304 South Broadway, in Los Angeles, and served in pivotal scenes towards the end of the movie. Across the street sits the million dollar theater, another visual location.
The movie’s locations covers other famous Los Angeles landmarks, among them is the Ennis-Brown house, designed by world famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright, which serves as Rick Deckard’s (Harrison Ford’s) home.
My “Blade Runner” interior.
The interior of the house is a dark and claustrophobic place, with shades of furniture peering out of corners, with the notables of his bed and piano. It looks like a place that is old and decorated, though hidden in the many layers of the night that encompass the entire movie. I have always loved his house for the cramped and close feeling it projects.
Thanks to the folks at Square Enix, they have let me create my own version of Rick Deckard’s apartment for a mere $4.99.
It took what is perhaps my favorite place in all my list of estates: “Eden’s Primarch: Vigilarium” from Final Fantasy on Home to achieve this dream. The Place is small in comparison to many others in Home, but it is very ornate. To the left and right of the entrance are two alcoves that are lit in a soft blue neon, and the rest of the apartment is dark, which contrasts the bright clouded sky that is viewed out of the wall sized window. I am not a player in the Final Fantasy games, so I cannot tell what form of racing is going on, but in the air are small racing vehicles that zip by at very fast speeds.
I took the time to fill the house with all 100 possible items. To the left, in the darker of the blue light alcoves is the bedroom. The light here is more prominent and made more stunning by a contrast with the light I used in this part. The opposite alcove is also blue, but I used the VEEMEE black colored kitchen to section that off and give it it’s own flavor. In what is portioned out as the living room, I used the brown furniture from the Waterfall Terrace to make the effect of the older more worn furniture more bold. Using the dark of the atmosphere and the floor, this place makes that furniture really look right at home.
Another view at why I love this place.
One thing to note is that the Vigilarium is set only at day time, and does not reflect a dystopic world that would be projected outside a “Blade Runner” styled estate. Since it is a Final Fantasy realm, it reflects the mood of the games, and in itself is a great place, as I have seen it from other friends decorated differently.
The real element here that made me love this place is that when I was done and I considered the place complete, it was not an exact replica of the house from the movie, but instead strongly inspired by it.
A side note to this story. I decorated this place and thought that my avatar looked best dressed in the clothing I got from “Deus Ex: Human Revolution“, which chiefly is a really futuristic and stylish dark long coat, with a dark undershirt. I used that with the gloves from the same store and some various black pants and shoes to complete the image. After having the avatar ready and done, I came to find in some research, that the creators of “Deus Ex Human Revolution” were inspired by Blade Runner.
The other place that I own that rings with the flavor of Blade Runner is The Rapture Metro Home. This place is definitely a very dystopic place with water dripping in from the outside BioShock world. This place has a lot of ‘baked in’ furniture, but with the right pieces in your own storage, you can match it and really step up the dystopic, Blade Runner-esque look.
I think that it is great that in Home, we can replicate some places that we may love from the real world, like Paris, Japan or Greece, and many real world estates have real styled furniture that accompanies them. Then there are the fictional estates. The space stations, the tree houses and the eateries. These places give us a freedom to decorate however we want, and we are only restricted by the items we own. When a place like Eden’s Primarch: Vigilarium comes along, it really allows a person to decorate it as they want, as for me, I used the influence of my favorite movie, to make this my favorite estate.
Now if there was just official licensed clothes and gear, I could drool myself into a stupor as I fantasize of that fictional world of Los Angeles, 2019. I hope androids do dream of the Vigilarium; I know I do.
May 9th, 2013 by FEMAELSTROM | 3 comments
FEMAELSTROM came to Home in June 2011 and never wanted to leave, even at weekly maintenance when he usually gets booted. The sand box environment appeals to the explorer in him and often is out and about as he ‘geeks’ out dressed like some sort of sci-fi character, while he people watches in popular public spaces. An artist and writer, FEMAELSTROM loves making friends and meeting people. He loves sci-fi and decorating Home estates and loves to respond “here” when people ask “where are you from?” in public places.
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I work hard on the headline for my articles, but this one has everything I’ve done up until now beat!
Blade Runner is a favorite movie of mine as well, and have made many friends sit through it, who didn’t share my love of it. lol Also, the Vigilarium is a great space, it just might be the best view in Home, and for those who played FF-XIII it has even more meaning.
Great article Strom!
Ya know Ted, I work so hard on the titles, I have even made whole articles from just a title. I am proud of this one and thank you. I knew I loved this movie when I sat through the double feature of Blade Runner/RockyIII just to watch Blade Runner again, basically I sat in the theater for 7 hours. Yeah I love it.Thanks Ted.
Excellent association.
One of the most fascinating scenes for me was his digitally reconstructing that room from its photographed reflection—looked like it was posed for Vermeer.
Have you ever considered the Visari Throne Room as a setting for your ideas?