Blade Runner

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Alright, I'm out to get this movie in both of its cuts. I figure the
Criterion version is probably the way to go for the "standard" release.
Which is the best version of the director's cut to get (if there is even a
choice in the matter).
 
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>Alright, I'm out to get this movie in both of its cuts. I figure the
>Criterion version is probably the way to go for the "standard" release.

The Criterion Edition contains the European cut, which is not quite the same as
the American Theatrical release. You'll need to buy the standard LD for that
version.

>Which is the best version of the director's cut to get (if there is even a
>choice in the matter).

There is only one "Director's Cut" of Blade Runner. It was avaliable as a LD
and is the only version avaliable on DVD. I reccomend the DVD version as the LD
contains no extra supplements and the DVD will have a superior picture.
However, this "Director's Cut" is not really what Ridley Scott wanted from the
re-cut (he was limited by heavy time constraints) and if the legal B.S. is ever
dealt with a new SE will be released to DVD.
 
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oneactor1@aol.com (Steve Grauman) wrote:

>> Alright, I'm out to get this movie in both of its cuts.
>> I figure the Criterion version is probably the way to
>> go for the "standard" release.
>
> The Criterion Edition contains the European cut, which is
> not quite the same as the American Theatrical release.

True, but the differences are insignificant, especially in
comparison to the so-called director's cut. For all practical
purposes, the Criterion edition can be considered the original
theatrical release version.

> You'll need to buy the standard LD for that version.

But, unfortunately, you won't get it in the proper aspect ratio.

>> Which is the best version of the director's cut to get (if
>> there is even a choice in the matter).
>
> There is only one "Director's Cut" of Blade Runner. It was
> avaliable as a LD and is the only version avaliable on DVD.

Not quite. There's also the option of the Japanese issue.
Joshua Zyber is the resident expert on BLADE RUNNER releases,
so I leave it to him to say whether the American or Japanese
release is better (I've never seen the Japanese release).

> I reccomend the DVD version as the LD contains no extra
> supplements and the DVD will have a superior picture.

I don't know about that. As I have the LD, I never picked
up the DVD, and I've seen enough negative comments about
the DVD to not be in any hurry to do so. It's one of the
earliest releases on DVD, and it supposedly shows.

-- jayembee
 
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jayembee wrote:
> Steve Grauman wrote:

>> I reccomend the DVD version [of the "Director's Cut"] as... [it] will
>> have a superior picture.
>
> I don't know about that. As I have the LD, I never picked up the DVD, and
> I've seen enough negative comments about the DVD to not be in any hurry
> to do so. It's one of the earliest releases on DVD, and it supposedly
> shows.

The DVD is certainly not on par with recent releases in terms of picture
quality, but I still think it's eminently watchable. And I definitely find
it to be superior in image quality to the US LD edition. Whether that's
owing to format differences or just to the new transfer, I can't say.

_Blade Runner_ was the first DVD I bought, and it was also my demonstration
title for the format, back when I was the only person I knew who'd adopted
it. I'd cue up the opening scene (specifically the close-up of the eye)
simultaneously on widescreen VHS/LD/DVD and flip between sources to show
the differences in picture quality. I managed to sell quite a few friends
on the DVD format that way. :)

(There's also the fact that the DVD doesn't have the aggravatingly-placed
disc/side breaks from the LD. Even more than the image quality difference,
that's the strongest reason I have for preferring the DVD.)

doug

--
"Your perfect lover's never there and if she was she wouldn't be..."
--Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians
 
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>But, unfortunately, you won't get it in the proper aspect ratio.
>

I'd forgotten about that. That's true - only the Criterion Edition has the
proper aspect ratio.

>Not quite. There's also the option of the Japanese issue.

I didn't realize the Japanese version was any different - content wise.

>I don't know about that. As I have the LD, I never picked
>up the DVD, and I've seen enough negative comments about
>the DVD to not be in any hurry to do so. It's one of the
>earliest releases on DVD, and it supposedly shows.

It most certainly does show. But nonetheless I found the image on the DVD to be
slightly superior to the earlier LD releases. And because the LD variant
offered no supplemental material that not on the DVD (when we're speaking fo
the "director's cut) I see no reason not to pick up the DVD. Unless of course
you get the LD for far cheaper.
 
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"jayembee" <jayembeeNoSpam@snurcher.com> wrote in message
news:d3aeee5b.0406090832.54fb6cb0@posting.google.com...
> > There is only one "Director's Cut" of Blade Runner. It was
> > avaliable as a LD and is the only version avaliable on DVD.
>
> Not quite. There's also the option of the Japanese issue.
> Joshua Zyber is the resident expert on BLADE RUNNER releases,
> so I leave it to him to say whether the American or Japanese
> release is better (I've never seen the Japanese release).

In terms of content, the American and Japanese "Director's Cut"
laserdiscs are the same cut of the film and neither has any supplements.
The Japanese disc is in CLV, which is a slight improvement as the CAV
American copy has a horrible side change. But the Japanese disc also has
subtitles in the lower letterbox bar and as I recall is noticeably
softer than the American disc.

> > I reccomend the DVD version as the LD contains no extra
> > supplements and the DVD will have a superior picture.
>
> I don't know about that. As I have the LD, I never picked
> up the DVD, and I've seen enough negative comments about
> the DVD to not be in any hurry to do so. It's one of the
> earliest releases on DVD, and it supposedly shows.

It's funny. I used to defend the DVD as the best-looking release of the
film back when I was watching on a smaller television. Since moving up
to a huge front projection screen, I discovered that this is one of
those rare cases where the larger your screen the worse the DVD looks in
comparison to the laserdisc. The compression quality of the DVD is very
poor, and just looks terrible on a big screen. On the other hand, the
laserdisc looks pretty solid on both size screens.

When watching now, I generally prefer the Criterion CAV as my disc of
choice, but I have to stop it when the elevators close!
 
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oneactor1@aol.com (Steve Grauman) wrote:

>> Not quite. There's also the option of the Japanese issue.
>
> I didn't realize the Japanese version was any different -
> content wise.

It didn't occur to me that we were only speaking of content.
At least, I wasn't. I didn't know one way or the other if
there was any difference in content, but I thought there
might be qualitative differences.

But no matter.

-- jayembee
 
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"Joshua Zyber" <jzyber@SPAMMERS-DROP-DEAD.mindspring.com> wrote:

> When watching now, I generally prefer the Criterion CAV
> as my disc of choice, but I have to stop it when the
> elevators close!

Same here. I'm one of those folks who prefers the original
release to the DC [1], though I also stop the movie in the
same spot.

I have the DC LD simply to have the alternate version around,
but I don't think I've watched it since maybe a couple of
years after it came out. Which is another reason why I haven't
bothered to buy the DVD.

[1] This should not be considered an invitation by anyone to
start Yet Another Debate on which version is better. I've
been through enough of them over the years, that I've no
desire to see another.

-- jayembee