Ed Fuentes

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles 2007: Sunday at the Jules Verne Adventure Film Festival, awards were given for space exploration both real and mythical, and for the restored look of a futuristic Downtown. Before the night's screening of Ridley Scott’s “Blade Runner: The Final Cut”, NASA garnered a Jules Verne Human and Historical Achievement award in honor of the organization's 50th Anniversary. Next, William Shatner was presented a Life Time Achievement Award by Patrick Stewart, and the two USS Enterprise captains were in rare form keeping the audience chuckling with innuendos of closeness. Shatner kept a sincere tone of thanks while showing that he's not afraid to make fun of his image.

Following that, team Blade Runner gathered on stage to receive the first “group” Lifetime Achievement Award. Ridley Scott joined the honors via a thank you message filmed in Morocco, where he’s directing “Body of Lies.” The message ended with Scott’s previously disclosed secret, told to a New York Times reporter back in September. “Yes. He’s a replicant.” A gasp rippled through the audience.

“Blade Runner: The Final Cut” was honored as the classic that it is, and the timing served well to promote the five-disc DVD being released December 18. The clunky opening narration by Harrison Ford isn't missed, and the futuristic Downtown with its neon signs, fog, rain, and -- dare I say it -- high density housing looks more ominous in the restored print.

The movie made the Bradbury Building iconic as a film location, so it seemed appropriate that the building was the site for a Warner Bros after party.

I had an invitation to join the after-party, but arrived to the Bradbury a little late. Once there, a young doorman with cold eyes dressed in a trench coat reported that Warner Bros “closed the doors” and no one else could get in. To paraphrase the opening titles of "Blade Runner," his job was to detect trespassers. My night at the Bradbury wasn’t executed, so I retired for the night.

The Jules Verne Adventure Film Festival continues Friday, Dec. 14, with Alien VS Predator Night. Saturday, Dec 15 is the premiere of John Woo’s “Appleseed: Ex-Machina” and a tribute to Stan Lee. Closing night is “Heroes-The Event”

Go early.