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Contribution from Mr. Insanity / Don Kurtz

Marilyn has cited Philip K. Dick as an inspiration and has stated that the movie Blade Runner had a substantial impact on him when he saw it as a kid. Many parallels can be drawn between this movie and various facets of Marilyn's work (particularly the Triptych) and persona, so much so that it deserves to be examined. Aesthetically speaking, the most obvious homage to Blade Runner is Manson's emulation of Daryl Hannah's makeup.

o Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?' is the original title of the book. Since the movie, Blade Runner is often used as the title while 'Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?' is used as a sub-title. In the directors cut of Blade Runner, Ridley Scott added a sequence in which Rick Deckard dreams of a unicorn. It basically answered the question set forth by the original title of the book. Androids don't dream of electric sheep, they dream of unicorns. Rick Deckard was an android created for the sole purpose of retiring androids. A large part of Antichrist Superstar was inspired by dreams and the triptych in general has to do with manipulation, alienation and feelings of not fitting in and being used.

The setting of the movie is that of a dark, bleak, futuristic America. You get the feeling that wealthy folk have colonized in space while the poor and meek have inherited the earth. Take note in the triptych that Holy Wood is inhabited by the wealthy, glamorous stars and 'important' people while The Valley Of Death is where the nobodies are forced to reside ("I can tell you what they say in space, that our earth is too grey."). It is also interesting to note that Mechanical Animals documents Adams acceptance into Holy Wood, and the album contains many references of space.

Another interesting aside is that the movie takes place in LA, in the year 2019. LA is where Manson moved to when writing Mechanical Animals, and he cited the city as an inspiration for the album.

You can also draw parallels between the replicants in Blade Runner and Mechanical Animals. Part of the story behind Mechanical Animals is that of a world where people have rendered themselves next to useless through technology. Their only saving grace is that robots cannot duplicate the human soul ("Norm life baby. I'm just a sample of a soul. Made to look just like a human being."). Replicants are humanoids ("You are posthuman and hardwired") created as slave labor ("I'm not a slave to a god that doesn't exist, I'm not a slave to a world that doesn't give a shit.") to colonize space. They are created with a fixed lifespan of 4 years ("When you want it, it goes away too fast") ("Lifelike and poseable. Hopeless and disposable."). They are seemingly human in every way; they even have emotions and memories of a life that never existed ("Sell us ersatz. Dressed up and real fake. Anything to belong.") ("I'm the new, I'm the new, new model. I've got nothing inside."). They were declared illegal after a bloody mutiny occured in space. Any replicant found is to be retired. A small group of them escape in space and go back to earth on a mission to find their maker, and ultimately a way to prolong their life past the inevitable 4 years.

Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) is a blade runner. He hunts and retires runaway replicants. During his quest to find said replicants he inadvertently falls in love with Rachael (Sean Young), a replicant. ("Now I found you, it's almost too late. And this earth seems obliviating.") ("You were my mechanical bride [Ralph Nadar nod notwithstanding] You were phenobarbidoll".). She only suspects that she might be a replicant until Deckard clarifies that she, in fact, is. She is well aware of the plight that she is now faced with ("A maniqueen of depression. With the face of a dead star.")

A character named Roy is the leader of the replicants. Here is an excerpt from Roy's meeting with Tyrell, his maker...

The maker couldn't repair what he made ("There is no cure for what is killing me"), so Roy killed him. ("I'm on my way down now, I'd like to take you with me."... Marilyn Manson in 'The Minute of Decay') ("When the spirit is so digital the body acts this way."... Marilyn Manson in 'Disassociative')

Here is an excerpt from when Leon (a replicant) tries to kill Deckard in an obvious attempt to save his own life...

"I can never get out of here. I don't want to just float in fear. A dead astronaut in space."... Marilyn Manson in 'Disassociative'.