Warner Home Video
Review by Gary W. Tooze
Video
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.4:1
Audio
English: Dolby TrueHD mix on the HD DVD,
English (Dolby Digital 5.1), DUB: French (Dolby Digital 5.1) on disc 3
and 5.
Subtitles (FINAL CUT)
English SDH, French, 3 Asian (Korean, Chinese, Japanese), Portuguese, Spanish, none
English SDH, French and Spanish on disc 3 and 5.
Supplements:
Disc One
(in HIGH DEFINITION!)
RIDLEY SCOTT'S ALL-NEW "FINAL CUT" VERSION OF THE FILM
Restored and remastered with added & extended scenes, added lines, new
and cleaner special effects and all new 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio. Also
includes:
Commentary by Ridley Scott
Commentary by executive producer/co-screenwriter Hampton Fancher and
co-screenwriter David Peoples; producer Michael Deely and production
executive Katherine Haber
Commentary by visual futurist Syd Mead; production designer Lawrence G.
Paull, art director David L. Snyder and special photographic effects
supervisors Douglas Trumbull, Richard Yuricich and David Dryer
Disc Two
DOCUMENTARY DANGEROUS DAYS: MAKING BLADE RUNNER
A feature-length authoritative documentary revealing all the elements
that shaped this hugely influential cinema landmark. Cast, crew, critics
and colleagues give a behind-the-scenes, in-depth look at the film --
from its literary roots and inception through casting, production,
visuals and special effects to its controversial legacy and place in
Hollywood history.
Disc Three (in HIGH DEFINITION!)
1982 THEATRICAL VERSION
This is the version that introduced U.S. movie-going audiences to a
revolutionary film with a new and excitingly provocative vision of the
near-future. It contains Deckard/Harrison Ford's character narration and
has Deckard and Rachel's (Sean Young) "happy ending" escape scene.
1982 INTERNATIONAL VERSION
Also used on U.S. home video, laserdisc and cable releases up to 1992.
This version is not rated, and contains some extended action scenes in
contrast to the Theatrical Version.
1992 DIRECTOR'S CUT
The Director's Cut omits Deckard's voiceover narration and removes the
"happy ending" finale. It adds the famously-controversial "unicorn"
sequence, a vision that Deckard has which suggests that he, too, may be
a replicant.
Disc Four
BONUS DISC - "Enhancement Archive": 90 minutes of deleted footage and
rare or never-before-seen items in featurettes and galleries that cover
the film's amazing history, production teams, special effects, impact on
society, promotional trailers, TV spots, and much more.
Featurette "The Electric Dreamer: Remembering Philip K. Dick"
Featurette "Sacrificial Sheep: The Novel vs. The Film"
Philip K. Dick: The Blade Runner Interviews (audio)
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep Cover Gallery (images)
The Art of Blade Runner (image galleries)
Featurette "Signs of the Times: Graphic Design"
Featurette "Fashion Forward: Wardrobe & Styling"
Screen Tests: Rachel & Pris
Featurette "The Light That Burns: Remembering Jordan Cronenweth"
Unit photography gallery
Deleted and alternate scenes
1982 promotional featurettes
Trailers and TV spots
Featurette "Promoting Dystopia: Rendering the Poster Art"
Marketing and merchandise gallery (images)
Featurette "Deck-A-Rep: The True Nature of Rick Deckard"
Featurette "--Nexus Generation: Fans & Filmmakers"
Disc
Five
(in HIGH DEFINITION!)
WORKPRINT VERSION
This rare version of the film is considered by some to be the most
radically different of all the Blade Runner cuts. It includes an altered
opening scene, no Deckard narration until the final scenes, no "unicorn"
sequence, no Deckard/Rachel "happy ending," altered lines between Batty
(Rutger Hauer) and his creator Tyrell (Joe Turkell), alternate music and
much more. It has a SCott intro and a full commentray by
Released: December 18th, 2007
Case - Custom: Replica of Deckard's own briefcase, individually numbered and in limited supply. Included is a lenticular motion film clip from the original feature
(in lucite), miniature origami
unicorn figurine, a miniature replica spinner car, and
eight collector's
photographs.
The DVDs are housed in standard double thick
HD-DVD/Blu-ray cases (see image below).
36 Chapters
The Film:
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One of the most visually influential science fiction films ever made, Blade Runner has a history as labyrinthine as any of its futuristic film noir sets. A fascinatingly contemplative detective story about a world-weary android-killer and his renegade prey, it has attracted a sizeable cult audience and retains a unique place in cinema.
Los Angeles, year 2019. Cynical ex-cop Deckard (Harrison Ford) is a retired
assassin of rogue androids (called "replicants"). His former boss, Bryant
(M. Emmet Walsh), presses him into service: he is to kill a group of
physically superior replicants that are on the loose after escaping from an
"off-world" colony. Deckard visits the Tyrell Corporation, where he
encounters mogul Eldon Tyrell (Joseph Turkel) and his assistant, Rachael
(Sean Young). Tyrell informs Deckard that Rachael is a new breed of
replicant--implanted with memories, she believes herself to be human. Bent
on speaking to Tyrell in order to find out what their "termination dates"
are, two of the replicants--Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer) and Pris (Daryl
Hannah)--insinuate themselves into the home of geneticist J.F. Sebastian
(William Sanderson), who created the replicant design for Tyrell. In the
meantime, two more of the replicants have been disposed of and Deckard has
become romantically obsessed with Rachael.
A critical and commercial flop in its initial, 116-minute domestic release,
Blade Runner has been shown in numerous versions in the years since. Most
notable are the original theatrical cut, an "unrated version" (featuring
additional violent footage) prepared for home-video release, and director
Ridley Scott's official "director's cut," which offered some key variations
on the original theatrical version of the film. Whatever the version, and
for all its stylistic achievements and excesses, this "future noir" contains
performances as stunning as its look: Ford's pained, taciturn Deckard; Hauer's doomed, dangerous, tragic Batty; Sanderson's naive yet knowing
Sebastian; and Young's icily cool yet terrified Rachael. The moody musical
score evokes classic noir without sinking into caricature, and the
pre-computer-animation special effects seem more lifelike than their
sometimes sterile-looking counterparts in films made a decade later.
Excerpt from TV Guide located HERE
****
Presentation Comments:
Argggg... sometimes reviewers can't be choosers. I knew the moment I opened the box on this mini "Deckard" briefcase that I would hate it. And I do - right down to the lucite encased lenticular motion film clip with the 'Made in China' sticker on it. Why would anyone want a cheap aluminum unicorn? (also, btw, with mini sticker 'Made in China'). I have given the spinner car to my boys to play with - the only positive (although it's already broken). But I LOVE the high-definition print of Blade Runner FINAL CUT. I can finally get a sense of what it looked like in the recent theatrical showings. The futuristic cityscapes are truly AWESOME! So before I get into the details - BIG thumbs up for one of the many HD editions of this film, but a bigger thumbs down for the accoutrements of this package (gimmicky trinket nonsense).
A huge plus the three archival versions (all on disc 3) and the 'Workprint' are in HD! (VC-1 encodes)
Gary Tooze
Package (for HD - Blu-ray should be duplicate)
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Video:
Short answer - THE FINAL CUT looks fabulous. I can now see what the 4K resolution was meant for. The expansively lit city atmospheres are jaw-dropping. Colors are vivid and their scattered nature throughout the film only intensifies them. It still exports the bluish/green hue we noted in both the 2-disc (COMPARED HERE) and 4-disc (REVIEWED HERE) versions of the FINAL CUT. The 'cooler' look is not as prevalent in my opinion. As previously noted with hi-def - colors are bright and darker scenes can be very dark with subtly lit to highlight the contrasts. There is some minimal noise but the visuals can be overwhelming enough to forgive some weaknesses. It is obviously, not as sharp as many modern productions but I'll assume this is reporting the best it can do to the improved resolution.
Disc 2 -
3.5 hour Documentary is in SD and is exactly the same as in both the 2-disc (COMPARED HERE) and 4-disc (REVIEWED HERE).
Disc 3 - three versions on one high-definition disc (1080 - VC-1 encode). I can't really tell too much about the quality of the versions. On the SD they were seamlessly branched and therefore all shared the same color scheme and transfer qualities. On the HD none look different from each other from what I can judge. The image quality does appear stronger than SD and it's great to have these versions available in high resolution. They offer 5.1 and 2.0 English tracks and a French DUB as well as optional English (CC), French or Spanish subtitles.
Disc 4 - "Enhancement Archive" is in SD and is the exact same disc from the 4-disc Collector's Edition (REVIEWED HERE).
Disc 5 - is the "Workprint" IN HD (1080 - VC-1 encode) is a kind of initial test-run treatise. It has a 45 second intro by Scott and a full commentary by Paul M. Sammon (author of Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner").
It represents a rare version of the film considered by some to be the most radically different of all the Blade Runner cuts. It includes an altered opening scene, no Deckard narration until the final scenes, no "unicorn" sequence, no Deckard/Rachel "happy ending," altered lines between Batty (Rutger Hauer) and his creator Tyrell (Joe Turkell), alternate music and much more. It looks weak and as reported by Scott's intro is the lesser of the 4 versions available in this package, although it has had some 'restoration'.
NOTE: It has only 34 chapters (instead of 36) and is about 2.25:1 aspect ratio (where the others are 2.4).
Screen Captures FINAL CUT in high-definition
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Audio:
Both sport a Dolby TrueHD mix, a big improvement over the SD 5.1. The film's track with Vangelis score and subtle background interferences are that much more separated. I think this is the exact type of film that benefits most from an enhanced audio track. I have no complaints. Dialogue on the FINAL CUT is supported by English SDH, French, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese and Spanish subtitles. On the 'Archival' and 'Workprint' we have English SDH, French or Spanish options.
Extras:
See Full list above. The FINAL CUT on disc one has three optional commentaries (for those that can't get enough!). I've finished all three (Scott's, executive producer/co-screenwriter Hampton Fancher and co-screenwriter David Peoples; producer Michael Deely and production executive Katherine Haber and finally one by visual futurist Syd Mead; production designer Lawrence G. Paull, art director David L. Snyder and special photographic effects supervisors Douglas Trumbull, Richard Yuricich and David Dryerand). I found them enjoyable but would also have preferred an academic-type look at the film (perhaps Paul Sammon alone). The closest that it came to was the writer's input (Fancher and Peoples) on commentary 2. The third was unique in that it had multiple inputs - which is always refreshing to hear different viewpoints and anecdotal episodes. I think these 'discussions' will be good for those very keen on the film and even those with just a passing interest after they have seen the FINAL CUT
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Disc 3 (Archival versions) each have a short Scott intro (about 40 seconds).
Disc 5 ('Workprint') has another 45 second Scott intro and an enjoyable commentary by Paul M. Sammon (author of Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner"). He impresses with his extensive knowledge and reports some fantastically minute details. I wish he had done one on the archival(s) or the FINAL CUT. He appears relegated to this but his dialogue is impressive.
Menus (HD FINAL CUT)
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Archival menu (disc 3)
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'Workprint' (disc 5)
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Noise evident
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Menu's - Disc 5
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BOTTOM LINE:
This is a fairly simple decision now - this is a film that extensively benefits from the high-definition transfer (whether in Blu-ray or HD) and audio bump. Don't get any high hopes about the cheapo Deckard case or useless toys - get the 5-disc hi-def versions:
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T
he extras are more than any fan could have hoped and for $27 this 5-disc set in hi-def is a terrific deal and a great reason to buy a new format player this Holiday season. Prepare to be overwhelmed!NOTE: We understand image quality (duplicate VC-1 encode) and content are exactly the same on both HD and Blu-ray editions.
