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

[willyTass]

looks like excessive contrast to me.

HD-DVD version here I come

 

[Etrigan]

What are you guys complaining about? The new disc (by the screen caps) looks light-years better, even if the older disc has almost as much overall detail:
http://www.top40addict.com/BLADERUNN...?1157513654218
Look at the scene with the candles in Tyrell's room. The old disc is riddled with artifacts and EE which completely destroys all semblence of film. The new disc is natural and very film-like.
And the new disc *does* show more detail. It's jus the EE in the old disc made it look "sharp" without actual detail. Look at Rachel's lower lip in that close-up. The old disc is the one that looks air-brushed. The new disc shows much more detail in the folds of her skin.
I'll try to give this one a review once I get to see it on the projector if HERB doesn't plan to do it.

Yes, but a remastered edition after all this time merited a much better transfer. Nobody wants EE, obviously, but this presentation is not the best that can be done in terms of sharpness by a long shot, thus the complaining. It looks blurry to my eyes even in a screencap, so I can only imagine what it will look like projected on a wall-sized screen. Had I seen these framegrabs beforehand, I would have waited until 2007. I guess you can blame Criterion for raising expectations when it comes down to remastering films on dvd...

 

[Haggai]

A couple of those screen-caps surprised me a bit, since I thought the new disc looked terrific on my 48" widescreen TV last night. Although I'd never seen the original DVD, so I don't have much of a reference. I hadn't seen the movie since some VHS viewing from at least 6 or 7 years ago.

 

[Chuck Mayer]

Would you believe I'd never seen BR?
Me either But it felt like it last night, because it had been quite a few years since I had seen it, like Haggai. I had circled the DVD a few times, but always remembered many fans complaints. I was certain that a film like BR would get it's due. So I waited, waited, waited, and didn't watch the thing. Interesting, it felt like my first viewing of Blade Runner, simply because I am not the filmgoer now I was when I first saw it. It was an action movie to me back in the day, and Ridley Scott was just a name. Everyone told me how important it was (yawn). So I wanted real distance from my last viewing (which still had the narration, I believe) to my new one. So it had been years.
The DVD looked pretty good. Not great, but certainly better than it's looked since it was on film. Definitely better than the screencaps of the 1997 version. No frills (though I can't wait for those), just presentation. I am glad I waited until this release.
As for the film itself, seen with fresh eyes What can I say? It's a masterpiece, made all the more extraordinary because of it's release year. I find it difficult to encapsulate why a seemingly cold and bleak film is so moving; it envelopes the viewer in it's world, so much so that the filmmaking seams drift away. It creates and maintains a tone and visual purity almost unmatched in cinema history...all in service of very meaningful questions.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

FYI, for fellow New Englanders, Newbury Comics has the new disc onsale for $9.99. I believe the new anamorphic Brazil is going for $19.99 on the single and $49.99 for the three disc set.

 

[Shawn.F]

Josh,
After yesterday, I am imposing a self-ban on Newbury Comics until my bank account recovers: Brazil (3-disc), Seven Samurai, Blade Runner and Gojira.

 

[AlexCremers]

I find it difficult to encapsulate why a seemingly cold and bleak film is so moving; it envelopes the viewer in it's world, so much so that the filmmaking seams drift away. It creates and maintains a tone and visual purity almost unmatched in cinema history...all in service of very meaningful questions.

More and more I'm convinced that the score is one of the key players responsible for the moving depth of Blade Runner. Vangelis has drenched the film in a bath of melancholy and sadness, even the departure of a spinner is accompanied by wonder and beauty. The chemistry between Scott's futurism and Vangelis' synthetical blues made this film better than it should've been.
Alex

 

[Aaron Reynolds]

The chemistry between Scott's futurism and Vangelis' synthetical blues made this film better than it should've been.

I think you've hit the nail on the head -- this film has atmosphere to spare (a Ridley Scott trademark), and it's so strong photographically and musically that its many other flaws are glossed over. And those sets... what I would give to be able to walk on them...

 

[Chuck Mayer]

More and more I'm convinced that the score is one of the key players responsible for the moving depth of Blade Runner. Vangelis has drenched the film in a bath of melancholy and sadness, even the departure of a spinner is accompanied by wonder and beauty. The chemistry between Scott's futurism and Vangelis' synthetical blues made this film better than it should've been.

I didn't mention the score, and I should have. I agree that the two components working together achieve something beyond their individual contributions. Both are uniquely compelling (I love the score), but taken together make that indescribable mood.
I would not say they make the film better than it should've been. They make it all it is

 

[Aaron Silverman]

I was too young to watch Han Solo be a dick to people.

People. . .or replicants?!?!?!

 

[DaViD Boulet]

I love the CD soundtrack but it irks me that they overlayed dialogue from the movie into the music.

GRRR.

More and more I'm convinced that the score is one of the key players responsible for the moving depth of Blade Runner. Vangelis has drenched the film in a bath of melancholy and sadness, even the departure of a spinner is accompanied by wonder and beauty. The chemistry between Scott's futurism and Vangelis' synthetical blues made this film better than it should've been.

beautifully written.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

what I would give to be able to walk on them...

Too bad you weren't with us at the first HTF meet in LA!
(Granted, the Warner backlot wasn't *exactly* as it was when BR was filmed. . .)

 

[Shawn.F]

I'd give anything for a proper (music only) CD release of the Vangelis score.
Of course, the 25th Anniversary *is* next year....

 

[Dave Mack]

With the original opening cue would be great as it's not on the current cd.
David, did you get it yet? Are you gonna do a speical review? looking forward to your 2 cents.

 

[Robin_B]

Don't judge this DVD by the screencaps I posted as they seldom do a film justice. They should just be used as a comparison. Take it from a longtime BR fan the film has never NEVER looked this good on home systems. I can understand those that want to wait for the HD version for that extra definition but sorry I couldn't wait that long. I haven't watched BR since I first bought the old DVD back in 97 (the first DVD I ever bought) I was so dissapoited with it I couldn't bring myself to watch it again. Now I feel like someone who has been held under water for 10 minutes and has finally come up for air.

 

[Frank@N]

Setting aside that this release offers literally nothing but the film, the transfer is almost stunningly good.

I could see this hitting HD-DVD in a heartbeat.

However, I do think that WB missed the boat by opting to make this release almost disposable.

No one wants to be bothered with reviewing it and retailers aren't displaying or advertising it.

Expected this release would be in the 'new release' section on Tuesday (ie a big deal), but it was quietly buried in the catalog area.

If this release doesn't sell or the Final Cut doesn't move tickets, the big boxset might be scaled back (ie Superman).

 

[Chuck Mayer]

I think the decision was made to not dilute the big release next year. Hence the quiet rollout which we all know about (as geeks) but flies under the radar of a wider audience.

Then next year, they can make a big deal out of it with no confusion on the part of casually interested viewers.

I can't wait to see this on the big screen.

 

[mike kaminski]

Well, they will have had to make a re-issue anyway since the last printing run is now sold out. And the new transfer is already made for the 2007 set and just sitting there. So really, it costs them nothing to simply sub in the new transfer for the old one, and geeks like us will jump all over for it. So its win-win.

 

[Mike Wadkins]

Was just about to order this then I thought, is it 100% the new transfer ? and not just a re-encode

 

[Dave Mack]

new transfer