They finally did it: the 25th anniversary re-release of Blade Runner is official (http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/arts/entertainment-bladerunner.html)! I can't wait to see it; the existing DVD transfer does not do the film justice.

You mean I have to buy yet another version? I own 3 all ready.

Great link!...on DVD in 1997, is being restored and remastered for a brief reissue in September. For free access to this article and more, you must be a registered member of NYTimes.com

Oh geez...finally! That is really awesome news!

Bladerunner is on my short list of all time favorite films.

I hope Warner puts this out on HD-DVD at the same time--I'd buy one of the HD-DVD players just for this one film.

[Bladerunner is also the film that sold me on the LaserDisc format all those years ago.... Criterion had the only "letterboxed" version of this film available in the US]

I hope it gets all kinds of goodies....sketches, stills, commentary track, interview with Ford and Scott...the whole nine yards.

At one time I had the Laserdisc of the director's cut. Then I held off and held off and held off. Then I started getting worried that the powers that be were going to wait until HD-DVD to release it. Looks like I can finally plop down my money for one.

At one time I had the Laserdisc of the director's cut.

I have that also, in addition to my prized Criterion version.

Warner picked the worst side breaks ever for the director's cut---right in the middle of the chase of Zora[Joanna Cassidy]--you have to flip the disc!

Well, this new remastered version should be a revelation to BR fans.

Blade Runner is and always has been one of my favorite films, and it's by one of my favorite directors (Ridley Scott) and it's (loosely) based off a book by my favorite author (Philip K. Dick).

I admit I'm a total Blade Runner fan-boy, and I will buy every version they ever put out of this movie. Ha-ha! I've been waiting for this one for a while--it was supposedly completed in 2001 but has been stuck in legal battles ever since.

:-)

"I'd buy one of the HD-DVD players just for this one film."

I'd be tempted as well. Throw ALIEN/ALIENS in there as well and I'd go for it. But I think those two are coming out on Blu-Ray?

Bladerunner still stands as one of the only movies to deal with genetic engineering in a way that feels real. I don't buy the typical giant Kimodo Dragons and the lot, but love slaves and super-soldiers...that I believe. I don't buy flying cars, but they were so cool!

And it's going to be a new director's cut too I heard. That's really exciting to me considering Scott's track record with director's cuts and the fact that this is one of the greatest movies ever made. I can't wait. I've put off buying the regular dir. cut dvd cuz of the lack of features and because I pretty much loathe snapper cases. I knew they'd put a proper version out sooner or later.

Looking forward to that edition. Fantastic film.

I had the delight of shooting in the Bradbury building (home to the toymaker character, the building with the wrought iron elevators) on a feature last year--it was exciting to create images in that legendary space.

(you can see a still from that portion of the shoot here (http://www.unifiedpictures.com/the_perfect_sleep/the_perfect_sleep.html), part of the slideshow on the home page. No trailer up there yet, unfortunately).

I love Blade Runner, but I think I'll pop in a Star Trek movie shortly.

(you can see a still from that portion of the shoot here (http://www.unifiedpictures.com/the_perfect_sleep/the_perfect_sleep.html), part of the slideshow on the home page. No trailer up there yet, unfortunately).

Some great lightening on a couple of those pictures, Charles, congratulations!

Pre-order your copy on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HC2LIK/sr=1-4/qid=1155727550/ref=sr_1_4/002-3435905-1519243). The interesting thing is that it's in stereo on one disc. Let's hope the information is wrong.

Ok, I'm not ashamed to admit I've never seen this movie.

lots of folks never seen this movie. it was in thearters for like a week (actually longer but it was not a box office hit).
Then they released the "directors" cut a ffew years ago, but that was only for like a week or so (i think it was days at the local cinema).

Other then that most vhs tapes of it are dead, and the original cut isn't rreleased on dvd.

i think thy pulled the dvd "directors" cut off shelfs, or they should have, it sorta blows

Ok, I'm not ashamed to admit I've never seen this movie.

If you can, you should really experience Bladerunner for the first time on the big screen and not on home video.

It makes a heck of an impression on you in that way.

My understanding is that the original version, and the Directors cut are very similar, but the studio put pressure on to make the film easier to understand and have a happier ending. The voiceover by Ford detracts from the movie, which is done well enough not to need a voiceover (I'd argue any movie that needs a voiceover has defeated the purpose of the film medium). In adding the happy joy green fields ending (using shots from another film I'm told), Scott broke the plot quite badly - it doesn't make sense, all the logical directions have been cauterized.

When the Directors Cut was released the voiceover was stripped, that dreadfully wrong end was binned and things were put back largely the way they were, I don't know how much extra editing went on, its a very good film very well directed. Ridley did not leave the film hanging, as some rumors suggested, by simply cutting off the ending that didn't work, its a complete work only without it.

The best part about the film though is when you add the clues together there are subtle little arrows pointing to a second part to the plot and suddenly it all fits together like a jigsaw.... Thats the point you realise its one of the best films of all time, and it stands up to an amazing amount of analysis. Analyse most other sci-fi and you just find plot holes. Virtually every other scifi film Ive ever seen has to completely explain its entire plot (In case 1 person didn't get it) as they don't have the level of detail to fill 90mins leaving things obscured. Like a comedy that knows it has too few jokes to risk the audience missing one.

The very end of the directors cut, they walk into the elevator, turn round, the doors close to darkness and... credits to the theme by Vangelis. That for me is just perfect.

I'm not fond of 2.35:1 (or wider) transfers onto DVD, so I may give this release a miss. Warner Bros have promised a high def release which I will want for certain. My worry is currently that the new cut might be the only version on Blu-Ray/HD-DVD and that Ridley Scott might be tempted to mess with my favorite end sequence of all time.

The best part about the film though is when you add the clues together there are subtle little arrows pointing to a second part to the plot and suddenly it all fits together like a jigsaw.... Thats the point you realise its one of the best films of all time, and it stands up to an amazing amount of analysis. Analyse most other sci-fi and you just find plot holes. Virtually every other scifi film Ive ever seen has to completely explain its entire plot (In case 1 person didn't get it) as they don't have the level of detail to fill 90mins leaving things obscured. Like a comedy that knows it has too few jokes to risk the audience missing one.

Wow... you really said it! However, as film-makers, let us put ourselves in the producer's shoes once in a while. Audiences are used to happy endings; the poor fellow was merely worried the film was going to tank. It did. We will never know whether it would have fared better without the "fix" which, I believe, was in response to a test screening...

Okay, this is an old post, but I was just reading in Wikipedia that they "updated" the special effects. Anybody know if this is really true? I'm not a fan of all the tinkering they've done with Star Wars and E.T., but if they've gone and messed with this one it's a serious blow to film history. I think Blade Runner's greatest achievement is that it was first film to have truly modern looking special effects — and they did it somehow with oldschool technology. It never looks dated. Ever. If future generations can only view this movie with a bunch digital crap piled on there it will be truly sad and diminishes what the filmmakers originally accomplished.

I don't know, but the remastered DVD is already released, so someone should be able to find out.

Any news on this? My copy is worn and needs to be replaced.

There was a remastered version that came out several months ago, but a new DVD box set w/ extras is slated to hit the stores in January, I think, so I'd hold off.

Like I said, you can already by the no-frills copy--I saw it at BestBuy. The multi-disc editions are slated for release in 2007 (two of them, I believe), with BR and HD-DVD to follow, no doubt.

Thanks guys.

BTW David I love your work.

I just saw the poster for the Polish brothers new film, was there any talk about your involvment in the project? -- just jumped over to IMDB and there was my answer!! Congrats. did you keep a journal on this one?

The posts on the Astronaut Farmer shoot are scattered in this general area:

http://www.cinematography.com/forum2004/index.php?showforum=56&prune_day=100&sort_by=Z-A&sort_key=last_post&topicfilter=all&st=90

There will also be an American Cinematographer and ICG Magazine article on the movie in February when the movie gets released.

You can see a trailer here:
http://comingsoon.net/films.php?id=15857
http://theastronautfarmermovie.warnerbros.com/

I saw Blade Runner twice on consecutive days when it came out originally. Please, please, please let's have the original theatrical version on DVD. (If it already is, please let me know. I already have the earlier Director's Cut release on DVD).

By far the top of my list of movies...ever.

And I have a connection with it. I pay someone to keep my lawn tidy and his company is called The Blade Runner. I thought it was just a clever name. But, it turns out his dad is William Sanderson (the actor who played Sebastian).

I was in Best Buy a couple weeks ago and they had the re-mastered version on sale for $6.99. Just looking at the box it didn't appear that this version was any different than the older one which I already had, so even though that was a great price I passed it by. Is the only difference the quality of the transfer? I never noticed any real problems with the older disc myself...

Read the customers' reviews of the remastered DVD down at the bottom of this page:

http://www.amazon.com/Blade-Runner-Directors-Remastered-Limited/dp/B000HC2LIK/ref=imdbpov_dvd_0/105-2707533-1572409