All Things Considered, December 17, 2007 · Few modern American films have achieved the cult status enjoyed by Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner. But the picture’s path to film legend was anything but straight, with bitter disagreement between director Scott and Warner Brothers about the film’s original cut.
A flop when it premiered in 1982, Blade Runner stars Harrison Ford as Deckard, a cop who hunts renegade human-like androids — known as replicants — in a futuristic Los Angeles. It features a happy ending with a voiceover that explains how Deckard “gets the girl” — who is actually a replicant named Rachael.
Ten years later, in 1992, Ridley Scott released a director’s cut of the film, in which he dropped the happy ending forced on him by the studio in 1982.
And now, 25 years after the original release, the director gets the final say. He has re-cut the original film and brushed up the visuals and sound quality to create the picture he had always intended.
4 and 5 disk editions
Blade Runner (Five-Disc Ultimate Collector’s Edition)
Blade Runner (Four-Disc Collector’s Edition)
Both the four disc and five disc version have the one version that I have been waiting for on DVD and that is the original theatrical version with the Harison Ford voice over. The director did not like the voice over but I think it added to the noir feel of the movie. I also just want to see again what was actually in the theaters.
The five disc set has the final edition that is mentioned in the NPR article.
Mistake
Both the 4 disc and the 5 disc set have the final cut mentioned in the NPR piece. Previously I mentioned that the 5 disc set was the only one with this version. From reading the descriptions it seems that the 4 disc and the 5 disc set have the final version. At $20 the 4 disc version is a steal compared to the $50 for the 5 disc version.
5 disk edition
According to Amazon, the
five disk edition includes the workprint version. Which apparently according to many, is the most “radically different” version. For a good write up on the various versions (not including the “Final Cut”) I recommend “Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner”
Listen to the NPR piece
The audio version of the piece has significantly more information than the text. Click on the listen button on the top of the page after you follow the NPR link.
It is getting hard to care
I liked the original – not sure which version I have at home on DVD
But here in Oz the 5 disc box set is something like AUD70
Do I care that much? Not this week and maybe not this year.
Also I don’t have 10 hours to watch the movie repeatedly and compare and contrast – which sucks – but such is life.
http://quantumville.myminicity.com/
Official video on YouTube
Here is the official preview on YouTube for the new release: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXRl8kS3dBM