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It has to be Blade Runner, not only due to the obvious visual and mood influence on much of the Science Fiction cinema that followed it, including Spielberg's A.I., but also as being one of those rare films that becomes an argument starter. Any two people seeing Blade Runner will have different opinions about it, from what version to watch, how to interpret the ending, and which ending is true, about who is and isn't a replicant, and what kind of replicant they are. The discussion around it transcends plot points and goes into the art of film-making and the author's authority over his work, in a much more interesting way than say discussing Lucas' Star Wars Special Editions. Scott's changes alter the whole plot and meaning of the film by simply intercutting a unicorn dream or cutting the voice-over. It's a film that transcends the screen to become endless topic of discussion on not only cinema but also storytelling.
E.T. is also nice. His finger lights up... YAY!
Frankly, if both of these movies disappeared I wouldn't lose any sleep. Hell, I'd never give them another thought. But if I have to choose, my no-brainer answer is Blade Runner. E.T. puts me into a diabetic coma - that is when it's not irritating me with Spielberg's typical misbehaving children. Not to mention it's predictable, by-the-numbers tropes he includes. Case in point, while seeing this in the theater for the first time, as E.T. boards the ship at the end, I turned to my friend and said "The only thing missing from this movie is a rainbow." What should appear next? I left the movie angry. Never a good sign. Spielberg is overrated.
Without Blade Runner, the greatest loss is it's visual style and cinematography. It is a reference for neon cinematography.
With ET, you not only lose the veritable dictionary of visual techniques that is any Spielberg movie, you lose a compelling story led by some of the best child actor performances ever recorded.
One of those is rarer than the other. I have to go with E.T.
As much as I love Blade Runner, I have to go with E.T. on this one. Blade Runner may have a more beautiful visionary world on display, but if it were to go away I could find plenty of other great "heady" sci-fi films to fill the void. 2001, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Close Encounters, Matrix, Metropolis and last year's Arrival all come immediately to mind. However, I'd have a much harder time replacing E.T.'s perfect combination of laughter, sadness, thrills, wonder, and scares that are well tuned for audiences of almost every age. And as much as I think the Vangelis score is a perfect fit for what Blade Runner provides visually, if i was given a choice to pop something into my stereo at home or in the car, I'd grab John Williams score for E.T. every time.
There should be no question about which version of Blade Runner you should watch, you must watch the Final Cut from 2007, the only one Ridley Scott had full control over.
And as much as I love E.T. if I could watch only one of them it would definitely be Blade Runner.
Olivier
Okay, so first:it must be made clear that the Final Cut is the version of Blade Runner to watch and even Ridley Scott says it is his preferred version.
That said, having rewatched the film recently (I've seen all 4 or 5 versions), I can say, as worthy of respect as it is, Blade Runner is overrated.
I vote E.T. all the way. The score. The final scene. The quotable dialogue. Most especially this poll is like deciding between voting with your heart (E.T.) or your mind (BR). Blade Runner is certainly intelligent and visually influential, but I am never remotely as emotionally engaged with Deckard and the Replicants as I am with Eliot and E.T. I vote with my heart.
E.T. is a great, iconic, culturally significant movie that I loved as a kid (I cried, of course I cried). But Blade Runner (even if some feel it is over-rated) has such a power to it. Most of that power comes from the visuals, the score, the mood which for me makes it a thing of beauty. Sure, I have the 4-disc dvd set so I can watch each version, the movie poster hanging on my wall, different versions of the soundtrack on vinyl (including a beautiful picture disc that came out on this years Record Store Day) and various t-shirts that reference the movie. A little obsessive, sure, but I can dive into this movie and live there and not need to come up for air.
I am shocked Blade Runner is winning so easily. Hell, we don't even know which version they are voting for. (Query - does losing the theatrical version leave open the possibility of seeing the Director's Cut?) Except for mood, the movie suffers somewhat from the Ridley Scott philosophical meanderings. E.T., however, well that's pure entertainment, together with anxiety and wonder. Who cares if it is, in essence, a kids' movie? It is a Pantheon worthy kids' movie. It is iconic. And if I need to live without a movie for the rest of my life, I'll lose the downer and keep the Heart Light.
Is it ok to say these are too vastly overrated films ?
Still, it's pretty clearly Blade Runner, which, despite a bore of a plot that clearly points out at the end that we would have been much better off following the villain than a checked-out Harrison Ford, at least has that great mood thanks to the Vangelis score and iconic production design.
This is perhaps one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make. Both films are very dear to me. Ultimately, I went with Blade Runner. While I do think ET is a transcendent film, I know much of my love for it is all wrapped up in childhood nostalgia.