Blade Runner: Where to begin?

[DL 44 Blaster]

It took me a few viewings to like Blade Runner, now I simply love it. The soundtrack is just compelling and fantastic and suits the mood of the movie perfectly. It's best to watch it alone and in a darkened room as mentioned.

Which version does HDNet keep showing? I think it's the directors cut. It's the one I have on my DVR. I had to erase it to make room a month ago, but it was on Thursday night and I have it on my DVR again.

Oh, and I've never been crazy about Deckard being a replicant :unsure Unicorns pfft.

 

[Dave Ward]

I can't stand the theatrical cut. The way that the narration undermines Harrison Fords acting is almost funny. That said, I've no idea which version of the re-cuts to recommend.

 

[Nwerke]

Dave, the legend is that Harrison did the narration badly because he was so disgusted at having to do it at all.

I would say go with the theatrical version then the Final Cut. Cessna put it perfectly; if you go that way there's more to discover. Avoid the (1993?) "Director's Cut" as it's choppy and imperfect, IMO.

Watching the Final Cut on a friend's projection set recently was a total revelation. All those beautiful, smooth new edits! And the subtle FX fixes. Oh just wow, like seeing it for the first time.

Robstyle, were you one of those people who gave the ****ty feedback at the Texas focus group screening? :lol I'm kidding - just your comment read a lot like the descriptions of what those audience members had to say.

 

[Hovito loincloth]

Watch the theatre version (which I still love as I saw it '82 when I was 16) then you can build from there. It's not a Michael Bay explosion-arse-fest so stick with it.

 

[Mola Rob]

I agree with what Cessna said 100% even the part about being fifteen and being blown away by it. It has been one of my favorite movies since I first saw it in '82.

Oh and Deckard was dreaming about unicorns because he just watched Legend.

 

[phase pistol]

Definitive version is "Final Cut". No voiceover. Deckard IS a replicant.

You can prefer another version if you want of course. You'd just be wrong, is all.

Karl

 

[Dave Ward]

Are people joshing when they say Deckard isn't a replicant? Ridley Scott has gone on record saying he most certainly is.:thumbsup

 

[blip]

......

 

[MooCriket]

Are people joshing when they say Deckard isn't a replicant? Ridley Scott has gone on record saying he most certainly is.:thumbsup

Ridley was joking. It is a little known fact that Ridley is secretly in love with all things unicorn. Once he was done with using his considerable wealth to hunt down all remaining unicorns, he turned his attention to collecting all things unicorn, which explains why he had to add that silly little dream.

He is alittle obsessive. His house is full of them, which is fine and all...but the carpet, wallpaper, and unicorn toilet...a tad much. Just a tad.

 

[Dave Ward]

Ridley was joking. It is a little known fact that Ridley is secretly in love with all things unicorn. Once he was done with using his considerable wealth to hunt down all remaining unicorns, he turned his attention to collecting all things unicorn, which explains why he had to add that silly little dream.

He is alittle obsessive. His house is full of them, which is fine and all...but the carpet, wallpaper, and unicorn toilet...a tad much. Just a tad.

I honestly wish I could do a good vocal impersonation of Ridley Scott. I'm English and have a pretty deep voice so it's a case of "so near and yet so far". I do think the trick is to end every other statement with an aggressive little "right?"

 

[blip]

......

 

[tullfan81]

I guess I have some shopping to do. I've only seen the theatrical version. My wife is gonna love how u spend the next few nights...thanks guys!

 

[Colin Droidmilk]

About the voice-over. I hope I would've understood the film without it back in '82. Otherwise Scott was a knob who needed studio execs to teach him how to pee in a pot when it came to making coherent films. I honestly find it hard to believe that people of reasonable intelligence and attention span would've ALL just sat there utterly clueless as to what was going on. And so much of the narration is utterly lame and pointless; how hard is it to reflect for oneself on what Batty may have been thinking when he saved Deckard at the end? And Deckard can only guess, so he doesn't even tell us anything anyway. I mean, come on.

 

[androidandy]

If you plan on watching the movie only once, and never again, watch the 'Final Cut', not the 'Directors Cut'. It is the purest, cleanest, and best edited of the bunch. However if you are having a hard time following it, and are not drawn in at first, maybe watching the 'European Theatrical cut' would be a good start. The voice over dates the movie badly, and even can be cheesy enough to make you snicker, but many of the slowest parts in the movie were slow to give time for the VO explanations. They give Deckard at least some amount of personality instead of the almost pure coldness he shows without it. Thus the original "Deck a Rep" discussions even with the VO. Honestly I think you should go into the movie thinking he is human, and even if you decide he isn't it really doesn't matter. I can watch the movie both ways, and it will change the movie experience each time. Probably one of the reasons why it became a cult classic, because it got people to watch it multiple times, which is where you will discover the depth of the film, and how well it holds up to multiple viewings.

Most importantly, you have to be in the right mindset to watch the film to begin with. If you have a ton of stuff on your mind and are in need of adrenal stimulus, your mind will wander away from the film. Even when I first saw the movie it bored me as a teen, it took time before I would allow myself to be enveloped into its world and really experience fully the effect of the film. The slow pacing will really allow you to explore the world and settings. I know some people that prefer to watch it with "Enhancers", but just clearing your mind before hand is usually enough, but if not a glass of scotch works well to get you in the mood as well.

So my advice would be if you can't get into the film at first, watch one of the theatrical cuts. If you think you are ready, and would like to experience the film as it is in its best form, Watch the 'Final Cut'. The DC is pretty much moot now.

Andy

 

[CessnaDriver]

Are people joshing when they say Deckard isn't a replicant? Ridley Scott has gone on record saying he most certainly is.:thumbsup

Ford knew nothing of it, the book certainly did not have him as one.
When Ford's eyes glow, he said he screwed up and missed his mark. A mistake.


Scott isn't a god over the source material in my view. Blade Runner was the product of many chefs, including the actors, many changes from the book, but I'm going to go tot he source material and call foul on Scott. Of course he didn't start saying this stuff until many many years later.

It's fine to hint at it, because one of the themes is what is human, but to insist he is, Scott was just pushing too hard to insist on that.

It wipes out the whole film for me. Makes it utterly meaningless.

Deckard was becoming less human doing that job, that is as far as I will go with it. He was becoming a replicant inside, there needs to be that awakening for him.


People obsessed about animals in the book. Dreaming of animals and Gaff making little foil ones would not be unusual, as the unicorn represents a fantasy dream and Deckards nod at the end was not one of OMG! I'm replicant.
It was one of recognition that Gaff was saying chase your fantasy, I won't stop you, but it ain't real.

 

[CB2001]

Honestly, the "Final Cut" that Ridley Scott signed off on is almost the same as the "Director's Cut" to me, except that the color balance in some scenes had been changed, some scenes shortened up, and Roy calls Tyrell "father" instead of "f*#ker." So, I say "The Directors Cut", because it includes a lot more than the Theatrical cut or the "Final Cut."

 

[micdavis]

I saw a sneak preview here in San Diego (Harrison was in the audience). It was a work print and the music was the music from Planet of the Apes. It ruined the viewing for me. Watching Deckard chase down replicants while hearing the chase music from POTA, just didn't work.

Watch the theatrical release.

And Deckard is a replicant. So there.

 

[CessnaDriver]

Honestly, the "Final Cut" that Ridley Scott signed off on is almost the same as the "Director's Cut" to me, except that the color balance in some scenes had been changed, some scenes shortened up, and Roy calls Tyrell "father" instead of "f*#ker." So, I say "The Directors Cut", because it includes a lot more than the Theatrical cut or the "Final Cut."

Changing the father/****er line was very sad to see.

I love the original line far better.

 

[androidandy]

For the record, Rick's humanity or replicantness, is questioned throughout "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep". I can't even say that in the end he proves himself to be human. The big difference from the book is that none of the replicants showed real humanity as they do in the movie. Ridley saw the replicants as superhumans and even related to them, as PK Dick saw them as anti-human, but something humans can turn into.

Andy

 

[Nexus6]

Most importantly, you have to be in the right mindset to watch the film to begin with. If you have a ton of stuff on your mind and are in need of adrenal stimulus, your mind will wander away from the film. Even when I first saw the movie it bored me as a teen, it took time before I would allow myself to be enveloped into its world and really experience fully the effect of the film. The slow pacing will really allow you to explore the world and settings. I know some people that prefer to watch it with "Enhancers", but just clearing your mind before hand is usually enough, but if not a glass of scotch works well to get you in the mood as well.

First of all, ^THIS^ is important. It's not an action film, so going in expecting ZOMGEXPLOSIONZ & NON-STOP ACTION will get you bored quick. It's more of a detective story; you just soak it in.

My recommendation is to watch the THEATRICAL cut first. It provides some detail that the others don't. Then, take the info gleaned from that version & watch the FINAL cut.



And Deckard is a replicant.


And FWIW, I personally believe ALL the active duty Blade Runners are replicants. :ninja