Blade Runner

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Thanks Tatty that filled up the morning
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I don't. But I remember at every stage over the last few years they keep mentioning that "On the Edge of Blade Runner" is definitely going to be included, rights secured, blah-blah-blah. HERE is some info from the good ol' DigitalBits.com from last year, basically recounting what broke about the rights issues last May.




For more musing by Rutger, he recently published his memoir All Those Moments: Stories of Heroes, Villains, Replicants and Blade Runners (ISBN 9780061133893). I bought it the other day, though I haven't had a chance to even crack it open yet, much less read it.
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Interesting, though I'm not sure how much of an authority Rutger Hauer is on this I applaud the effort. One thing's for sure, the Blade Runner DVD could use a serious revamping.

If there's one thing I've noticed lately it's that we are officially a generation removed. I watched Blade Runner with a friend who had never seen it, and by the end all he had to say was "kind of creepy". I realized later that he was confused but didn't really want to admit it. And why wouldn't he be? The movie is no less confounding than it was when it screened, which incidentally was the sole purpose of adding the awful narration. My friend had simply missed out not only on the movie, but all the conversations about its meaning that many of us grew up with. Ambiguity for the sake of itself is generally a bad thing, but Blade Runner is a bit of a conundrum in that nothing can be added without ruining it.

To that end I think its source material deserves a mention here, "Do Androids Dream of Electic Sheep?" by Phillip K. Dick. For one thing it explains Blade Runner's backdrop a little better, most notably the off-world colony and the mechanical animals. It's kind of amusing actually because Dekkard is a bit of a schlepp who gets lured into the job hoping to collect the bounty and buy...an ostrich. From what I remember the near-extinction of animals is only touched upon but I think its reason is biological. By extension ecology becomes religion and degenerates into tawdry fashion, to the point where no home is complete without the presence of a "rescued" animal, even if it's a fake one. Dekkard's ultimate goal at the onset is to show up his neighbor. This shallow-mindedness is about all people have, as most have moved to the colonies. The only people left on Earth are the ones who can't afford to leave and the magnates that profit from them.

Ridley Scott added much of the theological stuff for the movie but the result is astounding. I'd love to see a full remastering on par with what was done to Akira and of course some extras to enlighten newcomers. The only thing about Blade Runner showing its age in my opinion is the soundtrack, but hearing it still stops me dead in my tracks. I'd also like to see some footage of the theatrical cut being dropped into the fiery pit of Mount Doom.



Blade Runner: Ultimate Collection



Australian retailer ezydvd.com may have previously revealed the first-ever disc specs for the forthcoming Blade Runner: Ultimate Collection.

The following is what will be included in the Region 4 release, however don’t be too surprised if Region 1 gets the same thing. The street date is planned for sometime in September. We’ll keep you posted.

Features include:

Disc 1 - The Final Cut (2007)

* Ridley Scott’s definitive new version of his science-fiction masterpiece includes added & extended scenes, added lines and new and cleaner special effects.

Disc 2 - 3 Complete Film Versions

* ‘82 U.S. Theatrical version
* ‘82 International Theatrical version
* ‘92 Director’s Cut

Disc 3 - “Dangerous Days: Making Blade Runner” Documentary

* Newly created documentary: Through interviews with the cast and crew, critics and colleagues, this feature-length documentary provides a mainstream-friendly yet meaningful in-depth look at Blade Runner’s literary genesis, its challenging production and controversial legacy. When all is said and done, this will be the definitive documentary on the film.

Disc 4 – Enhanced Content Bonus: (TBC)

* INCEPTION - Featurettes and galleries devoted to Philip K. Dick, the birth of Cyberpunk and adapting the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.

* PRE-PRODUCTION - Featurettes and galleries devoted to script development, conceptual design and abandoned sequences.

* PRODUCTION - Featurettes and galleries devoted to principal photography and locations.

* POST-PRODUCTION - Featurettes and galleries devoted to deleted scenes, music and visual effects.

* RELEASE - Featurettes and galleries devoted to marketing and reaction including Trailers, TV Spots and Promotional Featurettes

* LEGACY - Featurettes and galleries devoted to the film’s resurrection and impact.

Disc 5 - Work Print Version & Enhanced Content

* Including the rarely seen Work Print version and potentially the 52 min. Channel Four (UK) documentary which was the first serious documentary created for the film.

Additionally, the set will come packaged in a limited “Blade Runner” briefcase holding the five-disc digipack with foil-enhanced and embossed slipcase. The goodies inside will include a lenticular motion image from the original feature, a collectible model spinner, an origami unicorn, a collection of photographs and a letter from Ridley Scott.

Source: Davis DVD



The Adventure Starts Here!
jrs, that's some good background on the source material there. We get only a hint of the animal situation when Joanna Cassidy's character says she can't afford a real snake. And I assumed the ostriches I saw running the streets were fake then too.

But we get no idea why a real snake would cost more ... so I was left to assume it was for the same reason artificially flavored foods are (amazingly) cheaper than foods flavored with the real thing. You just assume that, whatever it is, it's so bad that a technological advance like a realistic techno-snake costs less than the real thing.

I would have liked some of that background in the movie, but I can also see why Scott didn't put it in. Still, it makes the whole Cassidy scene just a tad perplexing and intriguing because of the contextless things she says.



A system of cells interlinked
They also touch on it when Rachel and Deck talk about the owl. It does get brought up multiple times.
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The Adventure Starts Here!
Aha, yes, the owl. I wasn't putting two and two together there.

I'm bummed. The book of PKD stories I have doesn't have Electric Sheep in it. Maybe I'll just read The Minority Report instead.





Well if you or anybody else are interested, the Modern Library just released Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? along with The Man in the High Castle, The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch and Ubik in a single hardcover volume. Four of his best, for sure. The introduction to the collection is by Jonathan Letham (Motherless Brooklyn, Fortress of Solitude).



A system of cells interlinked
Also check out Valis, which is totally mind bending and pretty steeeerange.... I read it this past year, and it was quite memorable.



Also check out Valis, which is totally mind bending and pretty steeeerange.... I read it this past year, and it was quite memorable.
Oh man, that is my favorite trilogy ever. I highly recommend it.



The Adventure Starts Here!
Lethem also did the intro for the collection I have (called, strangely enough, Selected Stories of Philip K. Dick). It has a bunch of stuff in it, but not what I want to be reading. Thanks for the lead on the other volume. I may have to buy it since our local library probably won't get it for ages!



I finally had the time to watch The Final Cut (DVD).

I'm probably risking my neck here but does somebody else think that this is a fairly dull movie? Harrison does not convince and the plot is very simple.

I do understand why this is considered a classic. The effects are astonishing. You barely see any better ones nowadays...
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In the director's final version Ridley Scott comments his vision was medieval future Hong Kong and the eyeball represents Orwellian Big Brother universe ran by no more than two or three corporations like Tyrell. He specifically mentions probably in the future the first who inherit the chaotic future events it's a mixture of both Japanese and Chinese people.
Of course, every director wants to believe in his own ingenuity without saying clearly from where they borrow things. He did some comments trying to underrate Avatar made by Cameron, a Canadian director who did an Alien sequence touching Ridley Scott's apple of his eye. They have their human envy and jealous like everyone else.
In this case the original idea came from Metropolis and the Japanese place of pleasure we see in that movie, a name taken for a Japanese restricted area for prostitutes during 17th Century as I said somewhere else.
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He mentions the neo-Egyptian pillars and we know in Metropolis the beast machine called Moloch like an ancient minotaurus from Canaan turns into an Egyptian sphinx.



When he talks about the lights of the film he says there's something irritating for him to talk about certain "kind of governing systems" like beacons not spinning inwards. He stops talking about this and he knows how everything will end up. He wanted sounds for light scenes.



Finished here. It's been fun.
What?

Anyway....very cool alternate trailer for BR:

Awesome video. Blade Runner is my all-time favorite film, as is yours I see.



The People's Republic of Clogher
So you recommend it as a laxative?
A pretty industrial one as well. I wonder what happened to that machine which dug the Channel Tunnel?
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