just watched Blade Runner for the first time in years....blech!! (1 Viewer)

[Sean Patrick]

i've been revisiting old dvd's on my new tv/progressive scan setup - and mostly older dvd's have been holding up surprisingly well (although i've noticed that the level of fine detail is usually MUCH better these days)...

but man oh man, i was SO disappointed with how the Blade Runner dvd looks. It looks like a non-16:9 dvd scaled...i even have some non-16:9 dvd's that blow this disc out of the water! A very noisy, jittery transfer.

Bring on the special edition! FAST!!!

 

[Reagan]

Sean,

I haven't seen the Bladerunner DVD yet, but I know what you mean. I had the same thing happen with the original release of Unforgiven (which, like Bladerunner, was a 1997 DVD release - both are anamorphic if I remember correctly). I thought it looked great on my 27" SDTV, but when I got it going on a 16x9 480p setup three years later, I was shocked. It looked muddy. Thus, the remastered release of the DVD was a welcome addition.

-Reagan

 

[Greg Black]

Wow, and I thought that Blade Runner already looked bad on my 32" JVC D-Series. I better not upgrade to HDTV and prog. scan anytime soon.

 

[Dave H]

My set-up is interlaced - but ISF'd and 61" screen - and ALL of those early Warner releases look poor. The Unforgiven: SE was a big improvement and looks very good now. I look forward to a new Blade Runner (and just as much - a new Batman '89)

 

[Louis-Philippe]

Same feeling I had when I watched David Lynch's DUNE on my projector. DUNE is not 16x9 enhanced, but man does this transfer look bad.

I can't wait for the Blade Runner SE Ridley Scott talked about in Directors.

 

[JohnRice]

Yeah, Blade Runner really is a bad transfer. It was one of the discs I bought the day I got my first DVD player nearly five years ago and I have only watched it a couple times. In fact, once I started watching it and shut it off after about 20 minutes.

 

[Rob Tomlin]

It's pretty bad. It even has a fair amount of dirt and scratches, too many for a movie that isn't particularly old.

Will we ever get a new DVD release???

 

[Jack Briggs]

At the time, though, it was kind of nice to have this DVD. But a new edition with a completely new transfer is long overdue.

 

[Dave H]

At the time, though, it was kind of nice to have this DVD. But a new edition with a completely new transfer is long overdue.

I remember how good all of those early releases looked when I bought my first DVD player. I remember saying "Wow!" when seeing those displayed.
A few years later I consider them crap.

 

[Jack Briggs]

I once read a post here at HTF that referred to the current Blade Runner disc as "having that early DVD look."

You're right. What seemed so breathtakingly sharp and pristine in 1997 doesn't look too impressive today. DVD authoring has come a long way in five short years.

The wait for the super-duper special edition is almost epic, though. When the hell will there be an announcement?

 

[Declan]

Charlie de Lauzirika (spelt it right that time i hope
), where are you, any info.
Yeah the Blade runner DVD looks and sounds a tad ropey (understatement of the year i'm sure).
With any luck that truly excellent Mark Kermode doc (that was on Channel 4 over here in the UK during the year)will be on the SpEd.

 

[Edwin-S]

The "Blade Runner" disc may not be the best transfer when compared to present releases but I can still watch the film without complaining too much. If you want to see a bad anamorphic transfer that causes your eyes to bleed, try watching Royal Space Force (Wings of Honneamise). After watching RSF's garbage transfer, the "Blade Runner" transfer will look positively pristine.

 

[Dan M]

Whenever I watch one of my old, early release discs I simply tell myself: "Gee, this looks sooo much better than VHS."

This kinda helps a little.

 

[Glenn_Jn]

I agree with you all. I remember when I first got the DVD even though the quality of the print wasn't quite as good as the Criterion LD it had the advantage of being anamorphic. I guess I was happy but a little disappointed at the same time. But after seeing so many really good transfers of "older" films it became obvious that it needed a good reworking and some decent extras (GOD! even the menu screen only has the WB logo???). I even gave my old copy away in anticipation of the upcoming Special Edition. I decided I'm not going to watch it again until I get my hands on it.
I'm sure we will start to get the word soon. It has been in the works for some time now and the "rumors" about what we will be getting is mouthwatering to say the least. Although it is being overseen by Ridley himself, the previous WB restorations like One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest and the Kubrick stuff, reassure me that it will look and sound very good indeed.

 

[ScottFH]

Just wondering, since I don't remember ever seeing this mentioned previously:

Does anyone else remember the quite exceptional & spectacular trailer for "Blade Runner" which was shown in theaters prior to the film's original release?

I only saw this trailer once, but it made a real impression on me & the rest of the audience with whom I saw it - I recall that after this trailer ended, you could've heard a pin drop in the audience... it seemed to almost literally take everyone's breath away...

Anyway, it would be nice if this trailer was included in the upcoming SE.

Anyone else?

cheers,

Scott

 

[JonZ]

Funny how spoiled we've become.
I remember when DVDs first came out, Blade Runner and Unforgiven were considered very good transfers
I agree the newer discs look way better. Blade Runner is one of my favorites and Im dying for the newer SE too.