Just in case anyone here is interested in this sort of thing, there will be a screening of the new “final cut” of Blade Runner at the Shrine Auditorium here in LA on December 9th. More details and ticket information can be found here. I’ve only seen the movie once, several years ago, so I’m going.
In a nutshell, this is apparently the 25-year anniversary of the movie’s release, and they’ve done some additional editing to the director’s cut to clean up certain special effects and other minor tweaking.
I honestly have no idea if anyone cares, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to mention it.
Well, I’m interested. Won’t be able to make the screening though.
I’ve seen both the original version and the director’s cut at different times, and I couldn’t begin to tell you which is which (which has the unicorn dream? which has narration?).
I remember enjoying both of them, and I’d liked to someday own copies of each version (as I do with Star Wars). Been a long time since I watched the movie, I’ll have to try and rent it (maybe even both, if it’s possible).
Say, anyone here ever read the K.W. Jeter “sequel” books? I couldn’t get into Blade Runner 2: Edge of Human, but I really enjoyed Blade Runner: Replicant Night and would strongly recommend it. I’ve read the handful of Phillip K. Dick stories the movie drew inspiration from, but couldn’t really tell you anything about them (honestly don’t remember them well).
As someone who has slept through various incarnations of Blade Runner multiple times on VHS, I have to say that I really like this cut. I saw it a couple of weeks ago (or maybe last week?) at The Music Box in Chicago. Medium-ish screen and mono, unfortunately, but I was still impressed.
It finally has a story that I found both easy to follow and compelling. The new effects look great - in particular the pyramid shaped building and the scenes with Whatsername going through the plate glass are much, much better than they used to be. But the new effects aren’t TOO good or too flashy - they meld nicely with the old footage.
There’s no narration in this one, and there is some unicorn stuff, but I don’t remember the other versions well enough to tell you if the dream stuff was trimmed or expanded or left alone.
I wish someone would do a faithful adaptation of “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”. When I read it, at first I was annoyed that it was so different from the movie, but as I got into it I realized what a great novel it is. Plus, I liked the idea of a lead codpiece.
Mercerism isn’t mentioned in the original or director’s cuts. Neither are small animal repairmen. I much doubt they’ll wedge a reference into the final cut.
How about a stage version, where the audience is encouraged to throw rocks at the actor?
I haven’t seen the final cut yet, but it’s more than just a clean-up of the so-called “Director’s Cut” with which director Ridley Scott was not involved. Scott edited the “Final Cut” one per his intention, so it represents a true director’s vision (although it is not what is referred to in trade as a “director’s cut”).
However, I’m not as impressed with Scott’s stated vision and think that his intrepretation of Deckard as being another replicant as being muddy detracts from why I take as the underlying theme of Blade Runner, that being that natural human or “manufactured” replicant, all share the same hopes, dreams, fears, desire for connection and basis, and unacceptance of our inevitable mortality. Roy is clearly a “prodigal son”, questioning his purpose and sacrifice, and destroying him when he finds out that his personal existance is meaningless.
It also makes no sense. Deckard is clearly physically weaker and less capable than the replicants, even the dumbest of them. His “retirements” are mostly luck rather than skill, and in the end, it is the programmed mortality that kills Roy, and only Roy’s desire not to die alone that saves Deckard. If Deckard is a replicant, he’s an particluarly defective model.
And while I do like the nihilistic ending of the “Director’s Cut” and “Final Cut”, count me in as liking the noirish atmosphere the voice-over brings to the film. It’s not continuous or overwhelming, and the final speech–“All he’d wanted was the same answers the rest of us want. Where do I come from? Where am I going? How long have I got? All I could do is sit there and watch him die.”–is essential to what I interpret as the central theme of the film (but again, not in concurrence with Scott’s vision, whatever that is).
I like the European cinematic cut the best. The enhancements seem unnecessary and defacements of what is a classic film. The rarely seen workprint version is interesting as a curiosity, but not worth repeated viewing.
No, I tried Blade Runner 2: Edge of Human but could not get into it. Glad to hear that it’s not just me. I’ll hunt up the other one.
I was really impressed by Jeter’s Dr. Adder–although it’s got seriously twisted sex & violence. And enjoyed Infernal Devices–slightly less twisted & maybe the first Steampunk novel.
It also completely fails the horse-laugh test. Apparently letting loose a replicant is a death sentence or something. Why would this corporation go through the rigamarole of making a new replicant, getting special “detective memories” and skills, plug them into the rep? Just in the hope that this thingy would somehow be able to solve the case? Why would they care? The replicants on earth weren’t really Tyrell’s problem. Why would they take the (legal) risk? It’s not like this hasn’t happened before, and there’s no indication that anyone cares all that much for public relations in Blade Runner.
It contains the 1982 Theatrical version; 1982 International version; 1992 Director’s Cut; and the Workprint version. Loads of special features. Can’t wait to get it!
But if this was Scott’s original vision, why didn’t he tell Harrison Ford, who claims Scott never said Deckard was a replicant during filming.
And then the whole “missing replicant” thing is pointless because there’s a deleted scene explaining who the missing replicant is, and it ain’t Deckard.
I’m new to the dispute, but if Deckard’s not a replicant, then WTF was the unicorn dream and origami unicorn about? Feel free to simply link to one of the 8 gazillion websites that I’m sure are dedicated to this debate; I don’t mean to hijack the thread.
I believe I’m going to have to piss away a few dollars on that. One wonders, though, why they didn’t include a replica of Deckard’s gun as part of the swag. The Blade Runner blaster has been the object of an unbelievable amount of obsessing by fans. There are whole websites out there devoted to the (re)construction of the prop gun.
I already ordered the case version i cant wait for it’s arrival
I would think it (the blaster) would raise the price beyond what everyone except the most obsessive fan would pay for it.
