Sprinting With Scissors

If, like me you are a massive geek (and chances are you are), then you love Sci-fi. This means you love Blade Runner and have been waiting for a good version of the film with decent extras since the creation of the DVD.

I got the Blade Runner boxset for Xmas. It's in a lovely metal tin an comes with 5 discs and 5 versions of the film, 3 commentaries and more extras than you can shake a stick at.

I have spent the past 2 days watching 4 versions of the film. I missed out the International Theatrical Cut.

The Theatrical Cut 1982

This version has the voice over and also the "happy ending". I have only seen this version twice. Once ages ago when I thought it was the directors and was very annoyed by the voice over and now just to remember it. I don't like this version as the voice over adds nothing and the ending bothers me. It just goes against the feel of the film.

The Directors Cut 1992

No voice over, and the real ending. This version also has the dream sequence, which to be honest has always confused me. This was the version I would tell people to watch as it had a better feel to it, and no bloody voice over.

Workprint 198(?)

This is the version that would have been shown to the test audience to see if the film was "marketable". So this is the version that confused the crap out of people. To be honest I REALLY liked it. Different music, kinda monk style singing, which was great. It does have a voice over, but only at the end on the roof, and it's longer than in the Theatrical version which I found odd. The only problem with this cut is that they haven't cleaned it up a lot. So you still have lots of too dark scenes where you can't really see whats happening, and sometimes it's grainy. But I loved this version.

Final Cut 2007

Yep, this is the one folks. It has everything. The footage has been cleaned brilliantly for a start. It has some of the Workprint soundtrack on it. There isn't really anything major that has been added, it's not the like Special Editions of Star Wars which added crap loads and make it look stupid. No all we have here, is a little bit extra on some scenes, for example when Deckard is talking to the Snake Maker the dialouge matches......for once. Also when the dove flies off at the end it flies off onto a decent backdrop, and not just a shot of looking up on an industrial site. There are better examples, but I don't want to post spoilers. Not yet anyway. There is only about 4 mins extra footage on this version, so there really isn't anything major that has been added.

It still has the dream sequence, which still confuses me.


If you are going to get the boxset, and I suggest you do, then you need to get the one with the workprint as that is a great version to have as well.



Major spoiler, Ridley Scott Explaining the dream. Cannot stress enough MAJOR SPOILER.


Still confuses me mind.