Blade Runner

[Mark_Stevenson]

Got this for Christmas.

Oooooooh it's good. There's currently a knife-fight on my DVD shelf between this and the Alien Quadrilogy box to see who's top dog.

Will post fuller thoughts when I've had a chance to wade through some more. Anyone else got this long-awaited little gem?

Mx

[Andy Turnbull]

I haven't got it yet, but it will be one of the january dvd purchases when I feel up to shopping.

Andy

[The Doctor]

I thought about it but ultimately declined. I think Blade Runner is one of those films that only works for me in a cinema context.

-Ralph

[Philip Ayres]

At £17 something from Play it was a must buy

[The Doctor]

Picked up the supah ultimate tin edition from HMV from £6. Got my monies worth already from the 3hour+ docu on disc 3 and just finished watching the 2007 cut of the film. Stonking stuff. One of those films I hated when it was on telly in the 80's with that crappy voice-over until I saw the 1992 re-edit on the big screen and was blown away by it.

Really quite thought provoking.

I'd pay good money to see it on a cinema screen again though. It does lose a lot on the small screen, though is still quite good.

-Ralph

[Dave]

One of my top two films.

Funny thing is when I first saw it (TV broadcast of the 1992 directors cut), I wasn't that keen. But then a few weeks later I kept remembering bits I liked and the more I thought about it, the more I realised that actually I liked quite a lot of it, maybe all of it...
Luckily I still had my taped-off-TV edition so watched it again and absolutely loved it. I upgraded to a proper VHS tape (in glorous widescreen). At some point I saw the theatrical cut, I forget when but I was horrified.

I upgraded to DVD at the first opportunity. I know that first DVD release comes under critiscm but it was an improvement on the video. I actually got that first DVD a second time when they did one of those fancy boxs (with the script, lobby cards, film cell) and then waited and waited for the extra-packed multiple-version release.

And that is an absolute bargin that HMV have there. I got the tin when it was first released and there's some great extras. Aside from the main doc, the deleted scenes package is worth a watch and the bit on making the final cut and... well there's lots of good stuff across those five discs actually.

Very impressed with the final cut which adds a few things missing from the '92 version and a bit of polish. It's now my cut-of-choice but I'm glad the other versions are on there (especially the work print) for reference or if I feel like something a bit different.
And the other versions aren't just slapped on Laser Disc rips (a la Star Wars) so if someone does prefer one of the other cuts they've at least got a decent version to watch.

[Deleted]

As odd as it may seem from a fan of 80's media I haven't seen this film. It is doubly strange in that I enjoyed Ridley Scott's other masterpiece but have never bothered to watch this one.

[legios]

Jun 5, 2010 16:55:44 GMT @zudobug said:

As odd as it may seem from a fan of 80's media I haven't seen this film. It is doubly strange in that I enjoyed Ridley Scott's other masterpiece but have never bothered to watch this one.

You are referring of course to The Duelists? :-)
(Not that the latter isn't a superb film too in its own way).

The Big Box of Bladerunner does look like an impressive collection and an absolute steal at six squid. I haven't had a chance to watch any of the stuff in there as yet but I am rather looking forward to it. I've wanted to see the Workprint ever since reading about it in Paul M Sammon's book Future Noir so I'd have been prepared to pay £6 for that alone. But the fact that there is such a comprehensive documentary on the set, as well a fairly complete archive of the various versions means that this is a set I am going to want to savour.

Karl

[Deleted]

Jun 9, 2010 21:52:44 GMT legios said:

You are referring of course to The Duelists? :-)
(Not that the latter isn't a superb film too in its own way).

I assume you were joking there because I was actually referring to Alien unless of course Ridley Scott has made better films besides the Alien and Bladerunner films that have also slipped me by.

[legios]

Jun 10, 2010 10:13:32 GMT @zudobug said:

I assume you were joking there because I was actually referring to Alien

I knew that, hence the smiley face.

unless of course Ridley Scott has made better films besides the Alien and Bladerunner films that have also slipped me by.

I'm not sure whether The Duelists is worse than Alien or equivalent, comparing a haunted house film and a historical drama is a difficult thing to do. Comparing across genres makes for complications in determining better or worse.

As to Ridley Scott's wider output. I wouldn't say that they are better but in strictly technical terms I would have to say that I feel that Black Hawk Down and Gladiator are probably as good within their own genres as Alien and Blade Runner are in theirs.

Karl

[Stomski]

Man, I bought it recently from HMV.com for £5. It's the same content, but without the original metal tin. So yeah, if you want the fancy tin, best get to a real store as the tin on hmv.com is £28!

[The Doctor]

There's a heck of a lot to get through on the set. Watched the feature on the 2007 cut and part of the workprint with the commentary. Interesting stuff, just not had a chance to watch the rest o fit.

-Ralph

[Shockprowl]

Bladerunner is one of the best films of all time. And the non-voice over version blew my socks off as well when I first saw it.

[panderson]

I have the Final Cut box set and love every version - have a soft spot for the voice over version and would like to splice the diff versions into my own cut one day lol
ALSO - when it first was shown on telly I have a vague memory of a scene on the transport ship/prison ship before they came to earth where the break out but find no mention of it anywhere on any of the cut I SWEAR I saw it, but never seen it again. Same as I saw a German version of Highlander 2 back when you could flick the sky channels to shows all over the world where the end saw MacCloud go all sparkly lke he joined the force
I was NOT high on either occasion

[bertie]

If it's a film done in the 'noir' style then surely it should have a voiceover?

Ells Bells.

[Shockprowl]

Jul 14, 2010 20:54:39 GMT panderson said:

I was NOT high on either occasion

Yeah right. Calling number 6, your time is up!


(I've no idea what that's suppose to mean, I'm drinking a fine Merlot and listening to 80s pop on Youtube...)

[legios]

Jul 14, 2010 20:54:39 GMT panderson said:

ALSO - when it first was shown on telly I have a vague memory of a scene on the transport ship/prison ship before they came to earth where the break out but find no mention of it anywhere on any of the cut I SWEAR I saw it, but never seen it again.

It is possible that this is a constructed memory. There have been rumours of many scenes that were cut from the script before shooting started, such as a scene in an incinerator on an off world colony during the replicants original escape and it may be that these have been interpolated into your recollection of the film.

.... Either that or it is an implanted memory.... Tell me, how did you do last time you took a Reflex Arc or Voight-Kampf? :-)

Jul 14, 2010 22:04:57 GMT bertie said:

If it's a film done in the 'noir' style then surely it should have a voiceover?

Not necessarily. Some of the best known films in the Noir style do have v/o, but it is not an essential part of the genre. Nor by any means as important as the way of using light in the frame.

Karl

[The Doctor]

Blade Runner is currently on the BBC iPlayer:

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00plcmt/Blade_Runner/

-Ralph