Original screen used panel props on eBay?

[Tyrell_corp]

Hi guys.

I've been lurking here for some time and thought it time to say hello!

I'm quite into original props and have been after a Blade Runner piece. Just wondered what some of you knowledgable people here thought of these rather interesting panels on eBay

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261108896553

Does anyone here own a 100% original one to compare them to?

[joberg]

TFS with us Tyrell Corp. First post with us so it's a welcome as well.
Now to come back to the task at hand: those tiles...
The one on the left is clearly not a screen used tile(if you look closely at the ones in the movie, you'll see that the deep groove should be on the top border of the tile and the small square should be now at the bottom left hand corner).
Usually, this is an easy tell for those kind of reproductions. Also, they were simply painted to look like "concrete" and were not covered with a flocking type of finish (maybe Gene could chime in...I think he has an original screen used one).
Now, the second one is slightly more interesting for the simple reason that the "top-groove-position-vs-small-square-position" is correct...but seems to be covered with a white-ish kind of flocking material(not good again)

I looked at another item on his E-Bay account and he's selling a supposedly grenade from the film Aliens(and a COA that anybody can reproduce). These were repro to death and that sends alarm bells!
I would check the seller's rep if I were you(easy to do so on the RPF) or send him an email asking for more details on those tiles

Good luck and don't hesitate to keep us posted

[Tyrell_corp]

Hi Joberg - cheers for replying.

Great observations, the one on the right does look fairly convincing, it would certainly be interesting to compare the construction method and material with the example Gene has to see if they match, are there any reference images of it anywhere?

[joberg]

According to Gene, the panels were vacu-formed. The production team made molds of the real concrete tiles at Ennis house in L.A. and from there a bunch of tiles(16"X16") were done.

[andy]

Yes. The one does look vintage and possibly close to one from the film. There are pics of another supposed screen used tile on screenused.com





I would look at screen caps as close as possible to see if you can find some tells, but depending on the authenticity of the SU one, they seem a bit different. The second one is not from the film for the reasons stated above. There seems to only be one tile, or style and orientation of tile they copied from the actual house and had vacuum formed. The actual house had the mirrored design layouts. Very interesting auction because the materials certainly looked aged.

Andy

[Tyrell_corp]

That tile from screen used above is wrong for a number of reasons, I think this tile is from the rocketeer (1991) it is totally different to the Blade Runner ones, in texture, construction and ultimately it's the wrong design. I'm certain that the one on the right in the eBay auction is original and screen used in Blade Runner.

Quite frankly it's absolutely ludicrous that anyone can think that the tile posted above from screen used is an original Blade Runner piece.

[joberg]

Again, the one from ScreenUsed is with the wrong deep groove position in situ to the small square
I haven't seen the Rocketeer from quite sometime, and I don't remember the direction the tiles were placed on the set, but they were a kind of off white in colour and texture...that's why, the right hand tile in the pic makes me believe that it's from the Rocketeer and not BR.

[Tyrell_corp]

[andy]

It certainly looks like the Screenused one is not from BR either. The tile design has been copied and used in so many productions it can be from any number of them as well as from someone who just wanted to make them for themselves. The only ways to really prove something is from a certain production is to match it up to screen shots as best as you can, and hopefully trace back ownership as part of provenance.

Andy

[joberg]

Just saw the Rocketeer: the Rocketeer one is the deep groove at the top and little square at the bottom right hand side!!
(Ebay white one: deep groove on the left of the tile and little square at the bottom right hand side and is in the right position for a BR tile)
Here's the pic of a BR tile, note the deep groove is on top and the little square is at the bottom left hand side...note that the small square inside is at the upper right corner.

















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[joberg]

Here's the same tile that we see on Ebay, I took a pic of the same tile as in the previous post, but now I just rotated the right corner to the left.

There! Now it's the same as the one on Ebay...but from there to say that it's from a screen used one from BR is a stretch

[Tyrell_corp]

In the Rocketeer screen grabs I found online the deep grove is on the right with the square in the bottom left, not the deep grove at the top as used in Blade Runner, have you got a grab, I haven't got the DVD

[joberg]

I just saw the Rocketeer again and the tile used is a mirror image of the first pic of my tile: deep groove on top and small square at the bottom right hand side...the one on Ebay is the right tile for BR, it's just on its side like the second pic of my tile
Maybe others could chime in and/or post a screen grab of that particular scene.

[jameth]

I have four from Kropserkel that I love but they are the mirror image of the ones in Blade Runner. Little square in lower right. Deep Groove on top. You can rotate them so the little square is on the left, in the correct BR position, but then the deep groove is on the right and it actually does not look as good as just having it with the groove on top and square on the right side.


My version is in the Ennis house I believe but no where in Blade Runner. I looked in the film hoping to spot a few. Every one is little square on left, deep groove on top.

Whoever bought this I think got screwed. In addition to the tile on the left clearly not being from Blade Runner they say both these come from Blade Runner and they also mention part of the film was done at the Ennis house. I don't believe that is correct either.


It also says these tiles were used at the Ennis house for filming.


"Screen Used" always kills me.
_________________
Tom

[joberg]

Deck's apt. was a set, nothing was filmed on location at Ennis House(same for the Rocketeer).
If you look outside/inside Ennis House, you'll see that FLLW designed only 2 tiles: one left and one right and then reversed, flipped, cut these to obtain the look he wanted throughout the house, that's why a lot of people are confused about the configuration and what can be obtained by just flipping from left or right the main design

[andy]

The exterior shots were done at the Ennis House. It has been used as film interiors though from Moon 44, Black Rain, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV series).

Andy

[joberg]

Exterior shot...says it all