Blade Runner: Four-Disc Collector's Edition

Review by Steve Rogers

Production Year: 1982
DVD Release Date: December 18, 2007
Studio: Warner Home Video
Director: Ridley Scott
Cast: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos
Genre: Science Fiction
MPAA Rating: R

To say that Warner Home Video’s multi-version release of Blade Runner is the DVD event of the year is restating the obvious. But I’ll restate it anyway. Director Ridley Scott and DVD Producer Charles de Lauzirika have concocted a special edition package for Scott’s enigmatic sci-fi masterpiece that sets a new standard by which these releases will be measured. It features the latest (and apparently final) version of this much tinkered with film called “The Final Cut”. With Scott’s imprimatur bestowed upon it, this newest version of Blade Runner must now be deemed the definitive one, and deservedly so. With the digital restoration process supervised by Scott himself, Blade Runner now boasts picture and sound quality that enhances the viewing experience of the film to such a degree as to render all previous home video versions obsolete. I’m not going to detail al the changes and edits that have been made for they are subtle and most casual fans of the film would hardly notice them. But suffice it to say that if you have not yet seen this Final Cut, when you do you will feel as if you are seeing Blade Runner for the first time.

But what of the movie itself. Scott’s interpretation of visionary sci-fi writer Philip K. Dick’s novel “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep” was a bust upon its initial release in 1982. Harrison Ford was fresh off his star-making turn as Indiana Jones and audiences looking for the razzamatazz of Indy or Star Wars’ Han Solo were slightly dumbfounded by Ford’s Rick Deckard, a surly, washed-up detective who grumbled and stumbled through most of the movie. The plot, loosely based on the novel and set in 2019, had Deckard assigned to hunt down and kill a quartet of high octane androids, or replicants as Blade Runner calls them, who had mutinied in an off-world colony, killed humans, and returned to Earth, specifically the streets of Los Angeles. The movie contained philosophical musings on the nature of existence and what it is to be human, and featured an off-center film noir backdrop that further garbled the situation. Looking back it is easy to see how this film missed the commercial mark in the summer of E.T.

But the real star of the show, and what undoubtedly kept Blade Runner in the collective consciousness of fan, was the movie’s futuristic visual stylings. Scott had created a dystopian urban environment unlike any that had ever been committed to celluloid. The 2019 version of L.A. was grimy, polluted, and a claustrophobic nightmare, with constant rainfall pelting a bizarre ethnic hodgepodge of citizens who seemed caught in a chaotic hustle and flow. But damned if the whole thing wasn’t stunningly gorgeous. Giant animated billboards filled the sides of skyscrapers with geisha girls hawking sundry products, while mechanized blimps floated above the dirty streets advertising a new life in the off world colonies. Above it all flying police cars, or “spinners”, whizzed by. All of this took place in a nighttime landscape lit by glaring neon signs and omnipresent searchlights flitting every which way. This was future shock come to life and we were in it. The film’s cult status grew throughout the 80s and peaked with the release of Scott’s Director’s Cut in 1992. Truer to Scott’s original vision, this version removed a clunky voice-over narration by Ford, and inserted a key scene and a downbeat ending that suggested ambiguity with regard to Deckard’s status as a human. The result was a better film and upped the ante for Blade Runner’s claim to classic status.

And now, 15 years later, with Blade Runner firmly ensconced in the lore of sci-fi masterpieces, Scott has finished the job. It’s all there in the Final Cut, its influential production and art design and special effects as mesmerizing as ever. Even the supporting performances seem stronger, particularly that of Rutger Hauer as the uber replicant Roy Batty. I’ve not been a huge fan of Scott’s films, but have always appreciated the strong visuals that he has consistently brought to the screen in each of his films. Blade Runner is his most stunning visual achievement, countered wonderfully by an elegant, ironic story of man vs. machine. It’s understandable how such a legion of fans have immersed themselves in the movie and responded to its hypnotic lure. Hell never looked this good.

Video Quality

Forget the techspeak. Just sit back and marvel at this absolutely gorgeous video transfer. Blade Runner is a very dark movie—literally—with its nourish elements, constant nighttime settings, and shadowy, cavernous interiors. So I was interested to see how the restoration job for the Final Cut would tackle this challenge. It’s safe to say it is a resounding success. This digitally remastered and restored version has imbued the film with a pristine clarity that brings Scott’s images to life in a whole new way and enhances the film’s dense production design enormously. Everything is visible now, except for a few select image miscues that Scott has either rectified or deleted. The opening shot of the movie is a fine example of Scott’s sure restoration hand. As the camera closes in on the bleak, nighttime landscape of Los Angeles, the tops of giant buildings bellow huge fireballs of industrial waste high into the air. The disc’s new digital enhancement of the fireballs simply adds fuel to the fire of this spectacular “Hades” shot, as spinners streak by from all directions. Likewise, the effect of cinematographer Jordan Cronenweth’s fabulous lighting during close-up scenes in the movie offers a virtual clinic on moody cinematography. Sean Young looks stunning as she is interviewed by Deckard. The entire color spectrum of the film is rendered beautifully with no signs of any distortion or grain.

Audio Quality

The remastered Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track is a triumph, and probably the best I have heard on my home theater system. Surround effects are distinct and highly effective. The flying spinners seemingly zoom right by you, veering off into space as they race past the camera. Voice levels are clear and up front, and other atmospheric effects, such as the ever present rain showers, soak up the soundstage enveloping you in this future world as great surround sound should do. The discreet range of audio effects has been perfectly constructed and complements the story wonderfully. My only complaint, and it’s a minor one, would be the synth-heavy Vangelis soundtrack, which though indelibly linked with this movie, has not aged well. It’s too darn 80s and probably could have been replaced. But that would have been too much for any purist and most fans are likely fine with it as it is.

Special Features

Awesome. Totally awesome. The special features contained on this four-disc edition present an almost encyclopedic archive of the film’s entire existence. All together they total near 20 hours and that’s as much as you’ll ever need to appreciate any feature film.

Disc 1 includes three separate audio commentaries for the Final Cut. The first features Scott solo and it’s the best of the bunch with detailed observations on every aspect of the movie’s production. Sir Ridley isn’t the most humble of directors I’ve heard on a commentary but his bravado is well earned for this effort. Scott also adds an introduction to the film. The second commentary teams screenwriters Hampton Fancher and David Peoples with producer Michael Deeley and production executive Katherine Haber. The two screenwriters’ jovial banter adds some zest to this track, while the producers’ commentary is slightly redundant if you’ve already seen the mammoth making of documentary on Disc 2. The third commentary features six members of the special effects team including the legendary Douglass Trumbull and visual futurist (basically the guy who cooked this whole brew up along with Scott) Syd Mead. As expected, there comments consist almost exclusively of technical info and tidbits, much of which will be of interest to hardcore fans only.

Disc 2 contains the aforementioned “Dangerous Days”, a 3 and1/2-hour tutorial on all things Blade Runner that trumps every making of doc ever produced with its sheer volume of minutia. This thing is so gigantic it actually gets its own trailer as a special feature. Included are interviews and comments from virtually everybody of any relevance to this film. They even interview key grips. But I will say that it is absolutely fascinating and held my attention from start to finish. Who knew that Dustin Hoffman was slated to play Deckard (maybe they could have called it “Blademan”). The complete story is covered here from the movie’s genesis through its problematic initial release to its ultimate cult status. Talking heads include directors Frank Darabont and Guillermo del Toro. They even interview an actress who didn’t get Daryl Hannah’s role.

Disc 3 provides three alternate versions of Blade Runner, each with a Scott introduction. While the differences among them are slight, the viewer is given the chance to experience and compare the voice-over technique in the U.S. and International theatrical versions vs. no narration in the 1992 Director’s Cut. Or skip the violence of the International and Director’s Cut for the slightly tamer U.S theatrical edition. The quality of these versions, from a seamless branching cut, seems almost identical to that of the Final Cut, with only slight drop-offs in picture quality. Not just for completists, this section of the package is really essential for an understanding of the film’s history, and there are those who prefer the original version.

Disc 4 is labeled the Enhancement Archive and it’s essentially additional special features—a lot of them. It’s neatly divided into three sections dealing with various stages in the film’s lifespan. The first, Inception, chronicles the journey from novel to film and includes both video and audio interviews with Philip K. Dick. The famed novelist’s literary achievements are given an appreciative overview, and I found this portion to be especially satisfying and illuminating. My only quibble was an apparent defect in the disc that did not allow me to enable the Play All function of the audio interviews. The Fabrication section looks primarily at design aspects of the film, including a featurette on the unique costuming, a tribute to Jordan Cronenweth, and “Signs of the Times”, which highlights the incredibly detailed work that went into creating the various futuristic logos, police badges, street signs, and even fictional magazine covers for 2019. There’s a collection of deleted and alternate scenes containing a lot of additional voice-overs by Harrison Ford, most of them downright hokey and thankfully never used. And there are screen tests for two excellent actresses who didn’t make the cut. The whole thing wraps up in Longevity with featurettes that examine the questions surrounding Deckard’s ambiguous humanity, spotlight the poster artists, and, in the featurette “Nexus Generation”, venture into Blade Runner geekdom with obsessive fans and admirers of the film. These include Darabont, who plays with his cherished miniature spinner on his desk. A couple of vintage featurettes, trailers and TV spots round things out. You simply can’t ask for any more.

Summary

It should be obvious by now that the release of Blade Runner, in seven different editions, was the DVD event of 2007. With outstanding picture and sound quality, voluminous special features and a thoughtful and thorough approach to its subject matter, this release simply can’t be beat. Warner Home Video is to be commended for producing three distinct versions to satisfy the varying tastes (and pocketbooks) of individual viewers. While the four-disc edition offers probably the best value at its price point, those fans looking for a more streamlined package will be well served by the two-disc version which offers the audio commentaries and “Dangerous Days”. And of course at the upper end of the scale, the five-disc Ultimate Collector’s Edition adds the requisite bells and whistles along with yet another version of the movie (this one a workprint) with commentary and an additional featurette. Simply put, Blade Runner is a tour de force of DVD production.