Randy810

As with LOTR I will purchase each and every edition of BLADE RUNNER.
I do not usually double dip, but this is my all time favorite movie.
I am a sucker for pre 1940 movies, but BLADE RUNNER is in a special place in my heart.

big sigh

BuddyRevell

Here's hoping that Leon will still shoot first!

Joe Molotov

Leon: "Let me tell you something about my mother...she gave me this walkie-talkie for my 18th birthday."

Holden: "You had no mother....DIE REPLICANT SCUM!!!!!!" *fires 20 shots*

Leon: *fires a laser from the walkie-talkie*

Leon: "Good thing I had this fitted with a stun-beam, so he'll only be unconscious for a few hours, and not in fact dead."

Numes

Slightly off topic... Is there any more information on where the theatrical release will be? I know they say "limited release". How limited? I may have to visit my buddy in Chicago for this one.

digitalfreaknyc

Enh. Who knows?

NY, Chicago, L.A., Boston, DC?

I guess we'll have to wait and see. I'm assuming it will be even more limited than the Director's Cut was.

Cadmium

Has there been any more information about the DVD releases? I'm looking forward to this.

89981

^ yea, has there been any new updates?

digitalfreaknyc

Random guess?
it would've been posted here already :P

Also, with the way WB has been with HD DVD announcements, we should know a good FOUR days before it comes out.

Seashellz

God, I can remember the absolute anticipation and AWE of seeing this opening night, 70MM in a great theater, so many years ago.
The booms of the opening credits music, (as with ALIEN), subtly spoke of a masterwork about to unfold, and I was hooked, right then and there.
It was not your ususal Hollywood pablum.
And a stunned feeling of witnessing absolute brilliance washed over me as we walked out of the theater.
As with ALIEN, (also seen opening night, 70MM) none of us could really talk much for a while, the film had such an overwhelming and profound effect on us.

I remember they both played for several months exclusively at the same theaters-something unheard of in todays-opening wide-2 week grind of a film(if its lucky) and then six months later on DVD.

I am one who still prefers the VO'd so-called 'happy ending' or Theatrical Cut/
I think the "sudden revelation" in 1992, that it was REALLY what Scott had wanted may have been a marketing ploy to sell the 'Directors Cut'.

I know that Warner had to somehow sell it, as they had no rights to the Theatrical...what to do, what to do...? Lets change it a little and call it a Directors Cut!-It'll sell like hotcakes!
I say this because before and after release, in 1982, I read/bought/scavanged or tried to read/buy/scavange EVERY scrap of info I could find on the film, I was so enamored with it, and I recall reading nothing about a 'forced version'- with narration, happy endings etc, and that kind of stuff ALWAYS leaks out, in all the sordid details in the various media, fanzines, interviews, etc.

--
At any rate, my dream BR set would consist of:

Disc 1: The Theatrical/European version-the differences are so small, that seamless branching could handle the minute of added violence etc, onto one disc.

Disc 2. The infamous Workprint (which by chance and dumb luck, I also was able to see, when it was shipped here to Seattle from Warners Vaults in 1996(?) by sheer accident.

Disc 3. The 'OK, this time for sure-no-honestly, we REALLY mean it-no kidding!'-Directors Cut (2004)

Since this is supposedly the REAL thing this time-I see no reason to include the 1992 cut-others may disagree.

Disc 4. The extras-the whole shebang, with whipped cream on top.

also included, pehaps a limited edition booklet, all in some kind of a deluxe case ala the Oct 2005 HITCHCOCK Collection.

bboisvert

I'm fine with a deluxe case, but not one "ala the Hitchcock Collection". That case blew goats.

Seashellz

yeah-youre right.
I meant in the sense of 'Deluxe' -showing proper respect-which it was-just poorly implemented.

bboisvert

Gotcha. That's an idea I can get behind.

Filmmaker

I believe the exact opposite, and for me, the only evidence necessary is Deckard's absurd deux ex machina pronouncement, "Hey, kids, guess what? Turns out my android hasn't been designed to die like the others. How do I know this? Oh, why ask why? What's that? Why would Rachel be excepted from this design element? Oh, who cares? The point is, it's [i]convenient[i], so now Rachel and I can live happily ever after. This all fits with the tone of the movie and sophistication of the script so far, doesn't it?" To me, it just reeks of tacked-on-by-the-studioness.

jonjj7

Didn't Deckard say that Tyrell told him that she diidn't have a termination date? I would assume she would be excepted because Tyrell can do whatever he wants. Anyhow, yeah, the happy ending was the only part of the theatrical cut I don't like. I will agree it feels out of place. Although I did like the last lines: "I didn't know how long we had together. Who does?"

james2025a

Well i actually agree with some sentiments of other talkbackers here. I still like the Original version with the voice over probably more than any other version. If you were able to splice that together with the additional violence from the European cut it would be superb. I don't even mind the happy ending. It always makes me want to watch my copy of the Shining seeing all those nice vistas that were not used from the film. I am looking forward to seeing a lot of the extras they include. The Mark Kermode documentary produced for Channel 4 was excellent. I also have on the European cut of the movie a long documentary on the designs for the film by Syd Mead. This goes on for about an hour. Be interesting to see if they include that as well. I will continue to buy and watch each version they release of this movie. I just hope that i get another chance to see it at a local cinema. Little chance of that in San Juan though. The last time i saw it was when they had the Directors Cut playing as part of the Leeds film festival when i lived in the UK. Great stuff.

milo bloom

I enjoy the voiceover version too, I've got the Criterion LD of that, and the WB LD of the DC, and I watch the VO the version the most often.

As for the happy ending, that would have been the perfect place for the sequel to pick up. Gaff was only giving them a sporting chance, and is after them in the woods.

Tom Woodward

The artwork for Blade Runner: The Director's Cut is now up here

Joe Molotov

Same boxart as the original, and completely bare-bones I see. That's good. That makes the decision to wait until the Ultimate Edition next year that much easier.

milo bloom

I seem to recall initially reading that the first release would contain extras not in the big box set, I guess it's good that's changed. As you said, an easier decision to wait for the mega-set.

soop

Dolby 2.0 Stereo?!?!

WTF?!!?

Doughboy

And I'll bet the transfer was made from an old laserdisc master. Oh wait, wrong sci-fi flick.


On a more serious note, this looks identical to the previous DVD. It does say "remastered for improved home presentation", but with nothing else included(not even a 5.1 track), I can wait another year for the box set.

BuddyRevell

But wasn't this version supposed to be at least remastered?


**edit** Uhh derrrr.

Says so right on the back cover.

Giles

so, the 70mm blowup didn't have split surroundtracks?

canaryfarmer

2.0 Stereo is kind of a shame....I assume it's entirely too early to say whether this would be upgraded for the later set?

milo bloom

If I was a betting man, I'd say only the new "Final Cut" being done by Ridley will have 5.1 sound. The rest will likely just get whatever 2.0 stereo/surround tracks they have laying around.