Blade Runner: Director's Cut and Final Cut SEs

[Via_Chicago]

"I want more life, FUCKER," has been changed to a limp, "I want more life, FATHER" (I kid you not).

When I read about the line, I thought of "Father" as in the "Creator", "God",etc. right along with the "meet your maker" line. Not in a "dad", the old man, "pops" sorta way. But it could be sarcastic somewhat too... curious that Ridley now prefers this line for some reason.

I know for many years, restoring the film to the "workprint version" (but cleaning that up and with the finished Vangelis score) was thought to be the ideal thing to do, or to hope for at least.

Now he's strayed from that quite a bit, but maybe that was his initial blueprint still for shaping this cut. Maybe that's why the father line is in it?

Maybe, just maybe, Ridley Scott doesn't know what the fuck he's doing. And maybe, just maybe, that's why the film is so great. "I want more cuts, fucker."

[bluesea]

It could be argued that artistically, this so called director's ultimate edition is ten years too late.

[HerrSchreck]

Goddammit I agree! (Sounds of shit being thrown angrily around apt)

We're talking about NOSFERATU, right?

[Antoine Doinel]

Saw The Final Cut tonight and I noticed there were several instances where the voice overdubs were really distracting and obvious. Has this been true in the other versions?

[Alonzo the Armless]

I recall it being obvious where Deckard interrogates the guy who sold the snakes.

[Steven H]

Whatever the "real" line is, "I want more life, fucker" is one of my favorite film lines ever of all time times infinity. I hope Ridley Scott doesn't poop in my cornflakes.

[Mr Buttle]

I just tramped all the way over the bridge from Halifax and across the frozen wastes of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, to catch Blade Runner: The Final Cut, which is playing for a week at a brand new multiplex in a soulless retail park. Total audience number: 4.

It's amazing how the film doesn't date. Only Joanna Cassidy's haircut screams '1982'. The rest of it could have been made last week. I liked most of the changes: the reshot 'crashing through the glass' scene was more dramatic, regardless of the 'stunt double' issue. "I want more life, father" is less badass, but thematically more interesting - yay for themes! The 'unicorn scene' was more powerful too, as Deckard seems to be actually seeing it, rather than the unicorn simply being spliced into the scene. Also, I noticed a unicorn statuette in J.F. Sebastian's apartment - was that always there?!

Only change I didn't like was the dove flying into the nighttime skyscraper backdrop. I liked the blue sky it flew into previously. Who cares if it's unrealistic, you need a bit of blue sky at the end of Blade Runner.

One disappointment was that the screening was advertised as a 'digital presentation', but it didn't look any different from standard projection; the picture was very grainy and occasionally a bit blurry, so if this is the future I'm not getting too excited about it.

[Forrest Taft]

I got this set yesterday, and so far I've seen The Final Cut, Dangerous Days, the deleted scenes, and about half of the featurettes on disc 4. Great stuff. Gaffs line "I spit on metaphysics, Sir" is the best thing I've heard on a DVD extra since David Lynch said "Geat Fucking Real!".

[Chull]

I just tramped all the way over the bridge from Halifax and across the frozen wastes of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, to catch Blade Runner: The Final Cut, which is playing for a week at a brand new multiplex in a soulless retail park. Total audience number: 4.

Yeesh, you didn't go during the storm did you? Not that there were many more than that when I went (about 25-30.) I thought the picture looked fantastic. Sure, there was grain, but you're not going to eliminate that from the film simply because it was projected digitally.

As for the changes, it's been awhile since I saw it, so I have to admit I didn't notice a single difference. Great to see it in the theatre again, though. Can't wait to get the box, so I can watch the VO version.

[THX1378]

Forgot to post this over the weekend, but here from the The Digital Bits is the first in depth review of the dvd.

[patrick]

Excellent review, now I'm practically foaming at the mouth for this set - Christmas can't come fast enough.

I was surprised to see that Best Buy is getting the 5-disc version without the briefcase, I definitely want all the crap that comes with the "Ultimate Collector's Edition" but it's nice that Warner Bros. made it available in a less space-consuming size.

[THX1378]

Digital Bits got ahold of Warners and they said that the Best Buy version is the briefcase version. Best Buy just posted the the art for the digpack thats inside the briefcase. So no exclusive, you still have to buy the briefcase to get the 5 disc version.

[Gigi M.]

Does anyone know if the Blu Ray and HDDVD packaging inside the brifcase edition is the same as the SD DVD? I mean the digipack inside the case. Many thanks...

[colinr0380]

DVD Beaver review of the four disc set.

[solaris72]

I love this poster from the Beaver review:



It looks like it's a poster for Blade Runner: The Musical.

[bluesea]

^ Mad Magazine...

[flyonthewall2983]

Stunt jump breakdown.

[dx23]

Has anyone seen the standard or blu-ray Ultimate Edition with briefcase at a local B&M? I can't find them anywhere!

[patrick]

Has anyone seen the standard or blu-ray Ultimate Edition with briefcase at a local B&M? I can't find them anywhere!

Warner Bros. is supposedly having the same distribution problems with this that they've had with all their big boxset releases (Kubrick, Harry Potter) recently. For what it's worth, my boss said that our local Best Buy had 2 briefcases but no high-def copies (with or without the case) and Target had the regular HD-DVD version but no Blu-Ray or Ultimate Editions. I wonder if the relative size of the briefcase is causing retailers to hold off on stocking them?

I haven't gotten to look inside the Ultimate Edition yet (I'm waiting until I get mine for Christmas) but from the bits of the regular 4-disc edition that I watched it's a fantastic set. However, from the response I'm seeing on other boards it seems like Warner Bros have actually given people too many options and made them confused about what they're purchasing (although I feel like it should be easy enough for anyone willing to do 5 minutes or less of reading).

[THX1378]

I got the HD Briefcase set today since my Best Buy only had that version for the Case sets *they didn't get any Blue Ray case sets*. When I got mine people started asking me what the difference in the sets were, since Best Buy has the 2 disc Final Cut, 4 disc ultimate, and 5 disc case sets. I got one of my co-workers for Christmas the 4 disc set since all he really cared about was having the final cut, doc, and theatrical versions of the film.
I haven't watched the Final Cut yet, since I'm waiting for tomorrow night when my friends can come over and enjoy seeing it with me, but I did start to watch the doc. So far it's of the best extras/making of docs that I've seen about a film. I think that this has a lot to do with the fact that Charles de Lauzirika directed it. And from reading Future Noir and knowing what I know, this is at last the definitive doc about Blade Runner.

[denti alligator]

The briefcase HD is $60 more expensive and yet it has the same five discs. What does one get for those $60?

[Mr Sausage]

The briefcase HD is $60 more expensive and yet it has the same five discs. What does one get for those $60?

A bunch of superfluous crap inside plus another disc with the workprint cut of the film. They go over what's in each version in the digital bits link posted earlier on this page.

[Doug Cummings]

I agree that it's largely a dream set for fans, but I have to admit getting tired of similarly-structured featurettes comprised of (sometimes random) talking heads. There is no literature included with the release, and they apparently ran out of room, so they didn't include the promised art galleries and such. Personally I would've appreciated a bit more critical insight and OOP material over production trivia and fan coverage, not to mention things like the almost embarassing lenticular photo thingy.

A very fine release, but clearly tilted in favor of BR fandom over other aspects of the film's legacy.

[denti alligator]

The briefcase HD is $60 more expensive and yet it has the same five discs. What does one get for those $60?

A bunch of superfluous crap inside plus another disc with the workprint cut of the film. They go over what's in each version in the digital bits link posted earlier on this page.

Both versions have the workprint. Both versions have 5 discs. $60 for "a bunch of superfluous crap" seems heavy.

[atcolomb]

I bought the standard dvd briefcase from Borders at $47 plus tax and it's ok. I think it should have been more inside it like a book or the CD soundtrack. I wonder how many they will make or is it a limited edition?