"Time...to die..."

Blade Runner: The Ultimate Collector's Edition. (A) Movie: (B+)

Yep, it's the biggest, bestest version of Ridley Scott's flawed masterpiece available to the home viewer. The only improvement I can get now is if I get the Blu-Ray version. Firstly, it comes in a faux-steel case resembling the Voight-Kamphf carrying case. Next, you've got the five DVD discs, containing not just the Final Cut, but the previous three versions released on video. And! the rare workprint version seen only by preview audiences in Denver in 1981. Cool beans, if you're a 'Blade Runner' nerd, like me. You've also got some tchokes, like a plastic unicorn, a toy spinner, some postcards of designer Syd Mead's work, and an 'animated' film cel. The transfers are the clearest and crispest I've ever seen. Case in point, up until now, I had no idea Decker recognized Zhora by a snake tattoo on her neck during his time with the Esper. (I had assummed it was a shadow...) And an embarrassment of supplements and commentaries on the various discs. In fact, I'm kinda surprised they didn't interview the catering staff.

As for the Final Cut, while I'm not a big fan of 'Director's Cuts' on the whole, I find Ridley Scott's versions tend to err on the side of the angels. (Like his 'director's cut' of "Kingdom of Heaven", for instance.) They've cleaned up a couple of scenes, where they digitally replace Joanna Cassidy's head and upper torso during her character's death, and use Harrison Ford's son's lower head to sync up dialogue when Decker is questioning the snake merchant. My feelings on that is that it's Scott's movie, not mine, and if he wants to fix stuff that I didn't see a real problem with in the beginning, such is his right.

Now, the movie itself. Well, I recall being fourteen when I got to see it on pay-tv and being blown away. The visuals are so rich and detailed, the whole world so thought out and precise, that it understandably became the basis for an entire sub-genre of sci-fi, the 'Cyberpunk' look. The scene with Deckard and Rachel where he forces himself on her is one of the sexiest scenes in film history. The characters are so unique, and the setting so original, that when you stop to consider the story itself, its 'film noir' roots actually take away from the movie a bit. (It's a detective story where there isn't a hell of a lot of detecting...) I'd put myself on the side of the people who don't like Ford's voice-overs.

Still in all, it's a essential addition to anygeek's library.

(Bonus Feature! In 1998, Paul M. Sammon interviewed Terri Schaub, a caterer for Lights-Coffee-Action!, a craft services company operating out of Los Angeles at the time! Here's a brief excerpt...

Sammon: So what's your most common recollection of the 'Blade Runner' set?

Schaub: Well, it was a night shoot, those are always rough on everyone. You have to totally rearrange your schedule.

Sammon: Mm. What were the principal cast members like?

Schaub: Well, I recall Sean Young was a big fan of our cherry blintzs. Harrison Ford, everyone called him 'Harry', had the tuna salad sandwiches, mostly.

Sammon: Any odd requests from the cast or crew?

Schaub: Ah. Well, Rutger Hauer, being Dutch, was a quite a fan of those salted licorice treats they have. It was a bit of a struggle tracking those down at that time, I can tell you...

...and so on...)