What's new

The official BLADE RUNNER SE thread. (Check out page 8 and #790.) (1 Viewer)

Robert Holloway

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Jun 30, 1997
Messages
135
Some how -

every time I watch Blade Runner I lose the plot half way through and find myself running to the fridge for help.

I dunno, seen it a hundred times and it's always the same

Rob

:)
 

Rob Tomlin

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2000
Messages
4,506
It amazes me how Blade Runner and the upcoming (eventually) DVD cannot be discussed without immediately reverting to people talking about the contents of the movie itself instead of the DVD!
Just release the damn thing! :)
 

Micah Cohen

Screenwriter
Joined
Jun 8, 2000
Messages
1,161
@#X!*&$@ !
I CAN NOT BELIEVE THAT THIS -- THE ULTIMATE DVD -- IS BEING DELAYED AGAIN! ARG, THIS IS SO FURSHLUGINGER FRUSTRATING!
I AM BEATING MY HEAD AGAINST MY KEYBOARD! RELEASE SOMEDAMNTHING, WILL YOU PLEASE, RIDLEY?!
:angry:
MC
 

Jack Briggs

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 3, 1999
Messages
16,805
Whew, Micah, my ears are ringing! :)
Yeah, of course we're reverting to a discussion about the film itself--the thing's that polarizing. Somehow, Blade Runner is a great film in spite of itself.
Just wish this SE would get released. (Seth: Go ahead and get the current version. Why wait any longer? It will tide you over until the SE arrives--apparently, sometime, before the decade is out.)
 
Joined
May 25, 2000
Messages
268
Real Name
Charles de Lauzirika
Randy: I wish I could give you a full update and timeline, but it's just an ongoing process to make sure that it's done "right," and that most fans will be happy.

To everyone: Ridley is not the one behind any perceived "delay." If it were up to him, you'd be getting everything you wanted, and in a timely manner. Unfortunately, he doesn't own the film.

Jack mentioned that this has become "tiring." I agree. And so has the notion that state-of-the-art restorations of mishandled 20 year-old films and meaningful supplements can be cranked out at the drop of a fanboy's hat. And believe me, I say that as hardcore BR geek myself...someone who has been dreaming about this special edition since even before the advent of DVD.

In the meantime...have a better one.
 

Patrick Larkin

Screenwriter
Joined
May 8, 2001
Messages
1,759
Unfortunately, the "fanboys" don't care about legal issues, who's-getting-paid issues, or even "this is such a pain in the ass and so time consuming to restore" issues.

"Fanboys" want the films.

I really don't care either way. I'm satisfied with the DC.

I really cared about The Godfather, Citizen Kane, and 2001: A Space Odyssey. They managed to get them out in a reasonable timeframe.
 

Michael Reuben

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Feb 12, 1998
Messages
21,763
Real Name
Michael Reuben
since even before the advent of DVD
One of the things we former LD guys had to learn from the era of LD special editions -- where delays of a year weren't uncommon, and sometimes stretched into two or three -- was the virtue of patience. ;)
M.
 

Heinz W

Second Unit
Joined
Jan 5, 2001
Messages
415
Hey, I know exquisite transfers and mountains of supplements can't be "cranked out at the drop of a fanboys hat", but after about three postponements or so it DOES become tiresome. If you told me in 1999 or 2000 that this set wouldn't arrive until 2003 then fine; no problem. But being strung along for three years becomes irksome.
I'm also well aware that no official announcement was made, yet most of the better DVD sites are fairly reliable with their release info and if they report on possible release timeframes, especially regarding a high profile release like this, I tend to believe them to a certain extent.
I thought releasing The Day the Earth Stood Still in 2001, that films 50th anniversary, would have been cool. But I'm just estatic that it didn't because now we'll get a superior product, and I'll always prefer that of course. :)
Charlie, thanks for responding and do let us know if you hear anything about this delay and keep up the excellent work!
BTW:
Deckard ain't no Replicant, and he ain't no human either. He's the first hybrid Replicant/Human damnit! :D
 

oscar_merkx

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2002
Messages
7,626
Question for Charlie
The R2 website R2-dvd.org has a rumoured release date of november 18 here in the UK through Warner Brothers. Would it be that there different legal issues that prevent it from being released in region whie there is no problem in another region.
Oscar Merkx:)
 

Randy Torres

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Aug 28, 2000
Messages
73
Mick,

Since Deckard is the one having the Unicorn dream wouldn't it stand to reason that when scott say's that he's a replicant
that he means Deckard is a replicant
. just my thought.
 

Jeff Kleist

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Dec 4, 1999
Messages
11,266
A release date will be coming when Charlie is finished, and he and Ridley are happy with it

Given the greatness that is Legend UE, I'm happy to wait for it if that's the result. I believe Charlie has expressed their desire to include all 3 versions of the movie in the set
 

Jay Sylvester

Supporting Actor
Joined
Jan 27, 2002
Messages
521
The mystery surrounding Deckard hasn't been a mystery for some time now. Ridley Scott revealed the truth a while ago in an interview for a British TV documentary.

For those who are dying to know:

Deckard is a replicant.
 

Jo_C

Second Unit
Joined
Oct 20, 2001
Messages
347
I can conject here that the delay has something to do with who owns the rights to the film.

Not to offend Charlie (who did a wonderful job on the LEGEND DVD), but here's what I know...

The film was released by the Ladd Company through WB, and until its initial video release had distribution rights. Embassy Pictures had a financial stake in the film, and originally held the video rights. Embassy eventually released the international version on cassette and the domestic theatrical cut on LaserDisc. Embassy also held the television rights (which were passed onto Columbia Pictures Television when Embassy's TV division was sold to Coca-Cola, the then-owners of Columbia).

When the director's cut was released in 1992 or so, WB bought back the rights to "Blade Runner", but only the rights to the director's cut. WB got full rights including television and home video.

Meanwhile, as we all know, Embassy consolidated into separate companies over the years, with the theatrical division becoming Nelson Entertainment (its library eventually passing from owner to owner--DeLaurentiis, ParaFrance Communication, and finally to its current partial owner, StudioCanal) and, as I just mentioned, the TV division becoming ELP Communications (as part of Coca-Cola, and currently part of Sony Pictures Entertainment).

It is quite possible that all other versions of "Blade Runner" (including the two seminal original 1982 theatrical versions) could now be owned by MGM and StudioCanal, which is why the original theatrical versions haven't been seen in years (although WB did make available the U.S. cut to television for a short time to the Sci-Fi Channel).

If that's so, then if the legalities change, we could see a "special edition" of "Blade Runner" on DVD soon via either MGM Home Entertainment or Anchor Bay Entertainment (both have home video output deals with StudioCanal).

A 3-DVD set would be nice, as it would contain SIX versions of the film (three on each disc via seamless branching--Disc A containing the upcoming "special edition" re-edit, the San Diego Preview, and a later rough cut; Disc B containing the International Theatrical version, the U.S. theatrical version, and the 1992 director's cut; and Disc C containing the BBC "making-of" documentary, supplements, trailers, outtakes, etc.)

Hope I'm making sense of all this...
 

Blu

Screenwriter
Joined
Oct 6, 2001
Messages
1,360
I sure wish they would get on the ball and get this set out!

With the exception of Star Wars I want this one more than any other I think!
 

Brendon

Second Unit
Joined
Jun 15, 1999
Messages
257
David,

It would seem that Karen has expressed the same sentiment a number of us hold. Whilst I'm confident that Ridley Scott & company will be trying to get the very best disc out possible (Legend, Alien etc), it seems sad that other people involved in the film continue to have bad feeling towards it.

Harrison Ford rarely speaks of it, and was tellingly absent for Mark Kermode's documentary "On The Edge Of Blade Runner".

Have the problems that "(Found Vangelis) unable to release these recordings at the time" resurfaced ? (Quote from CD liner notes from Blade Runner - Vangelis).

There was also a sad rumour that contractual issues of some sort that precluded Sean Young from taking part in the documentary. Could this be part of the issue ? Royalties from the new cut of the film or supplimentary material ?

Like Karen and BR fanatics around the world, I do hope that whatever problems are holding this one back are resolved soon. Interest in the film is as strong and passionate as ever, barring it's initial release!

For those who haven't yet done so, I heartily recommend Paul M. Sammon's book Future Noir: The Making Of Blade Runner. Aside from being a nigh on definitive guide to the films conception, production, release and ongoing life, it makes for a fantastic account as to how films get made. Or nearly not.

Cheers,

Brendon
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Latest Articles

Forum statistics

Threads
356,710
Messages
5,121,107
Members
144,146
Latest member
SaladinNagasawa
Recent bookmarks
1
Top