Blade Runner: Final Cut

[bsu legato]

http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=65403

So, the long and the short of it is that there will be no less than 3 differernt editions, from a "bare bones" two-disc edition all the way up to a ginormous 5-disc set with fancy schmancy packaging. At the bare minimum, any so-called film enthusiast should buy the 4-disc Collectors Edition, containing the original domestic theatrical cut, the unrated international cut (the same cut that was available on VHS until the 1992 DC) and the not-quite Director's Cut (now with extra Unicorn flavor!) Personally, I'm splurging on the 5-disc set. The workprint cut is the absolute holy grail of Blade Runner fandom. Next to Scott's new cut of the film itself, that is.

[Keith]

Why even pretend, 5 disc is the only real option

[drifand]

Or they could put the whole lot on one Blue Ray

[JsARCLIGHT]

I'm definitely buying the Blu Ray set, but it sure won't fit onto one disc. If anything they'll keep them to five discs just to get a good wad of cash out of people... plus to keep the packaging as similar as possible. In all seriousness this is like going from famine to feast. I wonder how expensive these sets are going to be? Particularly the Blu Ray set... I'd imagine if the regular DVD set is like $80 then the BD set will be double.

What also makes me sad is that all we have had for this wonderful movie for the last like ten years has been this one single shitty legitimate DVD release that I have... with it's crappy clamshell cardboard case and it's wicked double sidedness. Its cheapness sickitates me. Where is that barf smiley? Admittedly I have like four other DVD versions, all bootlegs purchased off of eBay with the different cuts of the movie, but they are all home brew stuff with shoddy quality.

Just to be able to see that cityscape over the Vangellis score on my huge ass HDTV in 7.1 surround sound would make me forgive the past sins against this great movie.

[The Shade]

5 different versions of the film? Geez, this is putting Highlander 2 to shame (in more ways than one).

Edited July 26, 2007 by The Shade

[Warmaker]

Finally a better edition for Blade Runner. Can't wait to get the fat edition with the bells & whistles.

[Vermillion21]

Finally a better edition for Blade Runner. Can't wait to get the fat edition with the bells & whistles.

I can't wait to pick-up this DVD too!! Now I have to decide which 'version' ....

[EXO]

HALLELUIAH!

I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near Tannuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time like tears in rain. But I don't care... all I really want to see is the original theatrical release in full HD glory...

[Noriko Takaya]

Finally! I can now ditch that crappy Criterion laserdisc for a fresh version of the original cut.

[Mr March]

This has been in the wire for a long time. I've been following it for over a year, mostly thanks to The Digital Bits. It's finally nearing reality. At last an edition worthy of this great film.

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

Gawd, that's a whole lotta Blade Runner, but I think I'm gonna have to splurge on the 5 disc set.

[Lonely Soldier Boy]

Ok, I searched for an existing thread about this with the search engine and didn't find it, so I started my own and got locked down

Anyway, I posted a pic of the contents of all three versions there, so I thought I'd post it here as well I'll get the suitcase just for the little Spinner.

Edited August 1, 2007 by Lonely Soldier Boy

[JsARCLIGHT]

Ok, I searched for an existing thread about this with the search engine and didn't find it, so I started my own and got locked down

I'm not sure why your search didn't show this thread. Typing in "Blade Runner" in our forum search engine returns a ton of threads with this one being #2... then again this thread was still on page 1 of this section for me even before it got bumped up.

[Mr March]

It's really good to see that now with a special edition being released, they are doing it up big time. This has been a long time coming.

[Knight26]

I want this so much, but my wife would kill me if I got the suitcase, hmm, what to do, what to do...

[JsARCLIGHT]

Do like I used to do: Buy it, take it apart, smuggle it into the house in pieces, hide the stuff you know she'll freak out about and when she sees you with something simply say "Nooooooo I've had this for YEARS".

It also helps to hide things in your basement or attic inside the boxes of other things. I used to hide Macross toys in power tool boxes.

[Mr March]

It's like carrying on an affair behind your wife's back

The "other" woman is Milia in 1/60 scale

[Vermillion21]

How much is the 5-disc set suppose to retail for?

[Keith]

As much as the thought of having the 5th disc with workprint sounds cool, not sure I can justify the space for all that extra junk...hmm.

[Duke Togo]

Its on Amazon.com for 54 bucks. Retails for 74, I think. I think the case is silly and unnecessary, but I've been waiting for this for SO long, I don't care if it came in a sandwich bag.

[Mr March]

I hear ya! I think I may cave and get the uber-set with case as well

[promethuem5]

But will they brighten up the shots at all so you can actually see /anything/??

[JsARCLIGHT]

Well it is a noir movie, and a hallmark of noir is stark contrasts and dark shots. But Blade Runner has a lot of color and detail to it if you look close. The regular DVD has a pretty average picture quality but there's a lot of detail in the movie as it is. I got the urge and watched it a few days back. My normal Blade Runner DVD played back upscaled to 1080 in my PS3 looks pretty darned good for as poor of a picture transfer as the DVD has. You can make out textures, hues, color shifts and patterns... all sorts of stuff in the framed shots. They are blurry and jaggy and there is a good degree of grain in the blacks, but there is a lot of detail there.

The movie has a remarkable level of texture and complexity to it. I personally can't wait for a high def version so I can see all that stuff in a crisp, clear and hopefully grain free format.

[Hoptimus]

Its on Amazon.com for 54 bucks. Retails for 74, I think. I think the case is silly and unnecessary, but I've been waiting for this for SO long, I don't care if it came in a sandwich bag.

Same here Duke. LOL!

[The Shade]

Its on Amazon.com for 54 bucks. Retails for 74, I think. I think the case is silly and unnecessary, but I've been waiting for this for SO long, I don't care if it came in a sandwich bag.

You want mayo with that?

With 5 different version of the film, surely there will be something for everyone. But, I'm really curious to see what Ridley Scott's final cut will really be and if (do not read if you do not want a really major potential spoiler revealed)

he will have Deckard be a human or a replicant

[JsARCLIGHT]

Scott answered that question in an interview a long time ago if I remember correctly. I think the correct question would be if he sticks to his original answer or will he "change his mind"?

[The Shade]

Scott answered that question in an interview a long time ago if I remember correctly. I think the correct question would be if he sticks to his original answer or will he "change his mind"?

That's what I'm wondering. Will he change his mind or not.

[Vermillion21]

On Amazon, the 5-disc set is $54, while the 4-disc set is $25 ... I think I may get the 4-disc set.

I'll save myself $29, cause I don't need the 'workprint version', the oragami unicorn replica, the toy spinner, the replica pics, nor the letter from Ridley Scott.

[bsu legato]

Here's a new INTERVIEW to further whet your collective appetites. This DVD is going to rock.

[Duke Togo]

On Amazon, the 5-disc set is $54, while the 4-disc set is $25 ... I think I may get the 4-disc set.

I'll save myself $29, cause I don't need the 'workprint version', the oragami unicorn replica, the toy spinner, the replica pics, nor the letter from Ridley Scott.

Then you miss out on the Holy Grail for Blade Runner fans, the "work print".

[Akilae]

Well it is a noir movie, and a hallmark of noir is stark contrasts and dark shots. But Blade Runner has a lot of color and detail to it if you look close. The regular DVD has a pretty average picture quality but there's a lot of detail in the movie as it is. I got the urge and watched it a few days back. My normal Blade Runner DVD played back upscaled to 1080 in my PS3 looks pretty darned good for as poor of a picture transfer as the DVD has. You can make out textures, hues, color shifts and patterns... all sorts of stuff in the framed shots. They are blurry and jaggy and there is a good degree of grain in the blacks, but there is a lot of detail there.

The movie has a remarkable level of texture and complexity to it. I personally can't wait for a high def version so I can see all that stuff in a crisp, clear and hopefully grain free format.

For me the problem isn't that the movie is dark. As said, it's a noir film, it's a given. The problem is that most any type of LCD based screens (or monitors in my case...) can't display that many levels of black, resulting in big black blobs. This happened to Blade Runner on my monitor, as well as Dark City.

[Vermillion21]

Then you miss out on the Holy Grail for Blade Runner fans, the "work print".

Pardon my ignorance ... can you tell me what's so important about it?

[Lonely Soldier Boy]

I'm not sure why your search didn't show this thread. Typing in "Blade Runner" in our forum search engine returns a ton of threads with this one being #2... then again this thread was still on page 1 of this section for me even before it got bumped up.

Don't worry Js, I'm not complaining (with all the excitement, I probably miswrote "Blade Runner" when I did the search). I was just stating that I did made a search before starting a new thread. I laughed a lot at your closing post, by the way

[Mercurial Morpheus]

DC, Theatrical, International, and workprint? Plus a new cut altogether? I don't really rebuy things, but I'm definately grabbing this. I only have the DC.

Edited August 3, 2007 by Mercurial Morpheus

[Keith]

I'm actually pretty torn on my decision here. While I do have PS3 that works as a BR player, I'm still not sold on the format....decisions...