Blade Runner (Tears-in-the-rain-R,-not-Oscar-Pistorius-R)
Jimster
Cruffiton.etsy.com 6,955 Posts
To all my hommies in the field of nerd-out Sci Fi, which is the definitive cut?
It's going to be movie night tomorrow and my #1 son wants to see it. I know there is a voice-overless-one. And one without the happy ending. And one without bells. I think there is an N-bomb, but he can deal. I am going to hit the torretz ce soir, anyone express a preference?
It's going to be movie night tomorrow and my #1 son wants to see it. I know there is a voice-overless-one. And one without the happy ending. And one without bells. I think there is an N-bomb, but he can deal. I am going to hit the torretz ce soir, anyone express a preference?
Comments
Because I swear I've seen a cut where you just see Batty's grimacing mug and hear off-camera cracking and screaming and I was somehow disappointed.
BTW I'd opt for the latter this time as #1 son may find it a bit, y'know... Gory.
TBH, most of the differences between the Director's Cut and Final Cut are cosmetic tidying up by Scott and CGI improvements on the original effects (improvements rather than additions so no extended alien musical numbers etc).
If Son No 1 has never seen it then either the DC or FC should do though he may be more open to the lack of wobbly effects in FC.
For those of the nerdy persuasion, the feature length doc they made about the making of Blade Runner is eye opening, God knows how they even managed to finish the film.
The Final Cut is the best one, although the Director's Cut is a massive improvement on the original theatrical cut for me. I hated it when it came out. I was a huge fan of the book, and thought the movie de-emphasised many of the most intriguing aspects of it at the expense of making it into a futuristic gumshoe movie.
That said, the Dangerous Days making-of documentary that's featured in the Final Cut boxset is fascinating in itself, and made me go back to the o.g. version for the first time in decades. I still don't like it, but I've softened in my hostility towards it. In any event, I think I have a better idea of what Scott was trying to do and who/what he was trying to accommodate in the process. In every possible respect, one of the greatest sci-fi movies ever.
Seven different versions of Blade Runner have been shown. The original workprint version (1982, 113 minutes) was shown for audience test previews in Denver and Dallas in March 1982. Negative responses to the test previews led to the modifications resulting in the U.S. theatrical version.[134][135] The original version was also shown as a director's cut without Scott's approval at the Los Angeles Fairfax Theater in May 1990, at an AMPAS showing in April 1991, and in September and October 1991 at the Los Angeles NuArt Theater and the San Francisco Castro Theater.[136] Positive responses pushed the studio to approve work on an official director's cut.[137] It was re-released with the 5-disc Ultimate Edition in 2007. A San Diego Sneak Preview was shown only once, in May 1982, and was almost identical to the Domestic Cut but contained three extra scenes.[138]
The releases seen by most cinema audiences were: the U.S. theatrical version (1982, 116 minutes), known as the original version or Domestic Cut, released on Betamax and VHS in 1983 and Laserdisc in 1987; the International Cut (1982, 117 minutes), also known as the "Criterion Edition" or "uncut version", which included more violent action scenes than the U.S. version. Although initially unavailable in the U.S., and distributed in Europe and Asia via theatrical and local Warner Home Video Laserdisc releases, it was later released on VHS and Criterion Collection Laserdisc in North America, and re-released in 1992 as a "10th Anniversary Edition".[139]
The U.S. broadcast version (1986, 114 minutes) was the U.S. theatrical version edited by CBS to tone down the violence, profanity, and nudity to meet broadcasting restrictions.[140]
The Ridley Scott-approved (1991, 116 minutes) Director's Cut was prompted by the unauthorized 1990/1991 workprint theatrical release. This Director's Cut was made available on VHS and Laserdisc in 1993, and on DVD in 1997. Significant changes from the theatrical version include: the removal of Deckard's voice-over; re-insertion of a unicorn sequence; and removal of the studio-imposed happy ending. Scott provided extensive notes and consultation to Warner Bros. through film preservationist Michael Arick, who was put in charge of creating the Director's Cut.[141]
Ridley Scott's The Final Cut (2007, 117 minutes), or the "25th Anniversary Edition", was released by Warner Bros. theatrically on October 5, 2007, and subsequently released on DVD, HD DVD, and Blu-ray Disc in December 2007.[9] This is the only version over which Ridley Scott had complete artistic control, as he was not directly in charge of the Director's Cut.[141] In conjunction with the Final Cut cinema release, extensive documentary and other materials were produced for the DVD releases which culminated in a five-disc "Ultimate Collector's Edition" release by Charles de Lauzirika.[8]
Was discussing how films like this, with the concept of implanted memories, Turtle Recull, Dem Matrix, Inception, challenge the concept of what is Rilly Rill with #1 son last night. He's 9.
Kids are great.
I havent heard the voice-over in a looooong time. Maybe since HBO in the 80's.
Its not that bad especially with the inner voice detective Noir steez. But I'd still prefer the voice-over-less version.
This has been teh summer of movies for the yoots in the house. Terminator 1 y 2, Matrix, Total Recall, District 9, Prometheus, Die Hard, Lethal Weapon etc. ("and the award for 'Questionable Parenting 2012 goes to...") It was a big eye opener on a lotta levels. Son #1 dug em all.
I just found out he recorded Blade Runner on the DVR (not sure what version). Time to revisit. I haven't watched it in years.
I'm pretty sure "What version of Blade Runner do you prefer?" is question #47 on the latest version of the Voight-Kampff test.
I don't think any version of the movie is even close to what I see in my head when I read the book, but this is pretty much the case for almost any adapted PKD novel or short story that I've read.
Is the comic adaptation of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? worth tracking down?
This film and Alien were a breath of fresh air for a young man raised up on Star Trek, Star Wars and many many lessor works.
Great you are sharing with the next generation.
http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/12/28/blade-runner-sketchbook-syd-mead-ridley-scott/
Deckard: "I was quit before I came in here, I'm twice as quit now."
Bryant: "Come on, you're either cops or little people".
Deckard: "Oh, alright then. I wasn't feeling that sushi anyway..."
I mean, a 180 in one sentence. No carrot or stick required.
"IS IT BECAUSE HE IS, LIKE, A REPLICA (sic), DOE? IS IIIIT????"
I chalk it up to the "little people" comment.
Apparently the distinction is enough for an ex-cop to realize their are some "privileges" staying cool with the Blue Code.