SCI FI PI

5 Disc Set

(also available in 2 Disc set in DVD and Blu-ray and a 5 Disc Ultimate Collector's Edition Set with origami unicorn, model spinner and more.)

This latest release of Blade Runner extends the debate on re-releases to its fullest extent - but ultimately, the question is, is it worth it?

For fans of the film (and it's generally included in any top five Sci Fi films of all time, this is a no-brainer.

Yes. Yes it is.



As opening shots go, Blade Runner has one of the best. Ever. Everrr.

The real question is whether to splurge for the extra fancy (and extra expensive) ultimate edition 5 disc set or just the 5 disc set. No true Blade Runner fan is going to miss their chance on getting their hands on the fabled San Diego workprint.

But what is this Final Cut all about? What’s it like? Is it that different?

Ultimately, it’s a digital upgrade combined with an editing upgrade, reflecting, so the official line goes, the closest result to Sir Ridley Scott' s original vision. It is similar to the Director’s Cut in that it has no voice over, but it is the digital clean up of sight and sound, the addition of extra or previously removed footage and the insertion of new special effects that make this special: not by themselves, but as a combined whole. The subtle and gradual combination of all these new elements makes for a subtle shift in tone - a shift from Sci Fi fave to a bona fide film masterpiece.



Ridley Scott discuss the final ‘tears in the rain’ scene just before dawn with an exhausted Harrison Ford.

For example - The Director’s Cut had previously inserted the famous unicorn dream sequence, which was famous for a: implying that Deckard was a replicant and b: having a wobbly horn. This new cut cleans up the wobble, so however naff you may consider the unicorn, the situation isn’t exacerbated by having a cardboard party hat wobbling about on its bonce.

For those terrified of the special effects upgrade, don’t be. There is no ‘Lucas effect’ of over-glorified shots jammed on top of your favourite scenes.




The subtle alterations to the film mean that it is just... better. Clarity of print means details like Gaff’s hat (behind Edward James Olmos’ head here) create a far richer experience.

For the most part, the CGI has been inserted into the backgrounds, giving the streetscapes of 2019 LA more depth and texture, and the flying traffic more resolution and complexity. Where previously models of buildings were confined to miniaturisation skills of 80’s era technicians, now CGI takes it to a whole new level, giving buildings a complexity (and a reality) that will take devotees of the film into a hitherto undreamed of level of ecstasy.



Haven’t seen that before! Introducing the Jason Vorhees Go Go Dancers. Sexy but... really creepy.

The inserted scenes are a part of general campaign to lengthen the cuts of the film, which, oddly (although most good editors will tell you this) actually shortens the feel of the film, by promoting a much better flow of story and image. Languid scenes hang more clearly, allowing the mind to fully comprehend the director's intention, and so, obviously, the narration becomes unnecessary.

Some shots that stick out (including odd hockey-masked gogo dancers) seem random, but on reflection, their inclusion ads to the story, rather than just the ‘new bits’.

The other real impact of re-inserted scenes is towards the end of the film, tilting the action towards the brutal, giving some real visceral horror to the final death scene of Pris, and to the ‘Roy Visits Tyrell Corp’ and ‘nail’ scenes with Roy Batty.



The Final Cut’s visual effects details are astonishing, especially on new high-def TVs.

Rather than give too much away of what occurs, let’s just say that the few moments in the previous cuts of the film where the more analytic and critical eye may have stopped and criticised logic or pacing or both, these few moments have been removed or changed, all for the better. The bad bits are out, the good bits are in, the sound is richer, the images are clearer, the colours are more superb and the filmic experience is a flow through a world that is terrifying in its similarity to our own and mesmerising in its iconic production design.

This Final Cut is a total success. The extras (and we are talking nine hours here), really are just gravy (awesome, all new gravy) for an experience that many can now firmly put as the number one film in Sci Fi.



Deckard prepares for another ‘retirement’.

Oh - and for the record - is Deckard a replicant?

Sir Ridley Scott says yes. Harrison Ford says no.

The enigma of an unanswered question is perhaps the truest, and most fitting response. So the official answer at Sci Fi will always be - maybe.

The Official DVD Contents List:

BLADE RUNNER: THE FINAL CUT SPECIAL EDITION (2-DISC)

Disc One
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 Director Ridley Scott
- Commentary by Executive Producer/ Co-Screenwriter Hampton Fancher and Co-
Screenwriter David Peoples; Producer Michael Deely and production executive

Katherine Haber
- Commentaries 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



Rutger Hauer’s ‘nail’ scenes are now longer and more brutal.

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.

BLADE RUNNER: COLLECTOR’S EDITION
AND ULTIMATE COLLECTOR’S EDITIONS (5-DISC)

The 5-Disc Editions includes everything from the 2-Disc Special Edition plus three additional versions of the film, as well as an ‘Enhancement Archive’ bonus disc of enhanced content that includes 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.

Disc Three
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.



Do glowing eyes mean we’re replicants? Maybe!

Disc Four
BONUS DISC – ‘Enhancement Archive’
- Featurette The Electric Dreamer: Author Philip K. Dick
- Featurette Sacrificial Sheep: The Novel vs. The Film
- Philip K. Dick: The Blade Runner Interviews (Audio)
- Featurette Signs of the Times: Graphic Design
- Featurette Fashion Forward: Wardrobe and Styling
- Screen Tests: Rachel and Pris
- Featurette The Light That Burns: Remembering Jordan Cronenweth
- Deleted and Alternate Scenes
- 1982 Promotional Featurettes
- Trailers and TV Spot
- Featurette Promoting Dystopia: Rendering the Poster Art
- Featurette Deck-A-Rep: The True Nature of Rick Deckard
- Featurette Nexus Generation: Fans & Filmmakers

Disc Five
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.

Also includes:
- Introduction by Ridley Scott
- Commentary by Paul M. Sammon, author of Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner
- Featurette All Our Variant Futures: From Workprint to Final Cut

BLADE RUNNER: ULTIMATE COLLECTOR'S EDITION (5-DISC)

The Ultimate Collector’s Edition will be presented in a unique 5-disc digi-package with handle which is a stylish version of Rick Deckard's own briefcase, in addition each briefcase will be individually numbered and in limited supply.
Included is a lenticular motion film clip from the original feature, miniature origami unicorn figurine, miniature replica spinner car, collector's photographs as well as a signed personal letter from Sir Ridley Scott.



If you want to go the extra mile and spend the extra penny – this is what you’ll get.