Blade Runner; which version?

Morning All,

Over the last few weeks my son has been watching Minority Report as part of his English class which led us onto a conversation about Blade Runner. We were going to watch it over the weekend but its not on Netflix so I thought I would go out and grab a copy instead.

Whats considered the best non Blue Ray version?

Thanks

There’s a remastered, Ridley Scotted version called the “Final Cut” or some such twaddle. That’s probably your best bet.

Ah, here.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Versions_of_Blade_Runner

Get the Final Cut although the original version with the film noir voiceover does have its charm.

If you do have a BD player get the BD version as even though it was shot in 1982 the effects have stood the test of time and it looks great in high def.

And,

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blade-Runner-Final-2-Disc-Special/dp/B000G8NPWQ

Three of your English pounds, bargain.

<heresy>
None of them, read a copy of ‘Do androids dream of electric sheep’ and think how good is could have been as a film
</heresy>

If you do have a BD player get the BD version as even though it was shot in 1982 the effects have stood the test of time and it looks great in high def.

+1 Easily the best looking BD in my (small) collection.

For someone watching it for the first time I suggest you go either original or first directors cut. My wife saw the final cut first, hated it, then ended up seeing the first director’s cut and quite liked it. I get the feeling the final cut is better if you’ve already seen one of the other versions.

I’d probably hang out til the JJ Abrams reboot.

Am I alone in preferring the cinema release to any of the director’s cuts?

The Original version, with the voice over, the big question is way more ambiguous

Am I alone in preferring the cinema release to any of the director’s cuts?

Nope. I’m with you there. Like Apocolypse Now Redux, the Directors Cut is just a Directors oversized Ego telling him that his version has to be much better than anything the studio would put out because he’s a genius.

For ‘better’ just read ‘longer’

None of them, read a copy of ‘Do androids dream of electric sheep’ and think how good is could have been as a film

Read it after watching the film and its a snorefest. Bladerunner is a good example of a film being much better than the book on which its based.

When you went to watch it on release at the cinema in 1980-something, and had it on VHS; any version without the voiceover is lacking the finishing touch.

And you will be doing the dialogue in your head anyway.

Voiceover version is the best from my perspective too.
However I may be a philistine as I didn’t miss Tom Bombadil in LOTR either…

I prefer the original version as well.

I also like the novel mainly because it introduces much more ambiguity about Deckard, although I like Philip K Dick anyway. (Was tempted to write that I like Dick but I’m too childish.. 😆 ) There’s no real need to read the book first – the film easily stands on it’s own and is justifiably a classic.

IIRC the voice over was added to make it more accessible after pre release audience feedback. I like the style of the voice over with its 50s detective throwback, but think the versions without it are more betterer

I like both the first cinema version, saw it when first released, and Ridley’s final Directors Cut, which clarifies a few things, removes some ambiguity.
Similar in a way to which version of Zelazney’s Damnation Alley is preferred; the original short story, or the later novel: both have their charms, and can be enjoyed for different reasons.
Also Arthur C Clark’s The City And The Stars/Against The Fall Of Night is the same, one a re-write of the original novella; got both, read both many times, enjoy them both.

The Directors Cut – it contains an important scene lasting all but twelve seconds, but is hugely significant. The ending is tidied up.

Original cinema release +1

Always bugs me in the director cut **** is replaced with father….

Stuff yer 12 second clip… 😉

I thought the whole father/f***** thing was supposed to sound like a meld of the two words, as though Batty can’t decide which he is, or both…

metalheart,

Up yours 😛

Cool thanks for that guys 🙂

I did’nt realise the voice over had been taken out on more recent versions.

On the 5 disc set do you have the original as well as the final edition?

stayhigh,

Your son might want to have a read of Future Noir – The Making of Blade Runner by Paul M. Sammon – great book.

I’ll check it out.

He’s just finished reading Ready Player One which he really enjoyed, undecided as to whether get him D.A.D.O.E.S. or maybe some William Gibson/John Courtenay Grimwood to get into next.

I like the voiceover too.
And I’m not sure the paper unicorn adds much – I quite liked the ambiguity in the cinema release.

I thought it was the dream sequence that contained the unicorn that was added to later versions? The origami one was always in it, wasn’t it?

Yeah, of course your right.
I’ve not watched it since binning the video either!

fell asleep last time I watched it (way past my bedtime) 😳

Another vote here for the original version with narrative.

You’re a day early, unless you’re in Australia or something.

Also, there’s a far more important birthday today. Mine. (-:

Happy birthday! 😀

Fair point cougar.

So how’s your mum? Mrs……, oh I do forget, do remind me…

🙂

Good to see so many supporters of the original. I thought it was just me.