More Special Edition news

The following was found while I browsed thru the alt.fan.blade-runner newsgroup. According to this then the lost hospital scene will continue to be lost. I do hope that they have both The Directors Cut and The Original Release in this special edition set.

>> Forum: alt.fan.blade-runner
>> Thread: Back to Business. Scott on BR DVD
>> Message 1 of 3
>> Subject: Back to Business. Scott on BR DVD
>> Date: 02/04/2001
>> Author: pod
From the March issue of Total Film…….
TF: You’ve embraced DVD with commentaries on Alien and Gladiator. What about one for Blade Runner
RS: It’s funny, I was in a slum area of Rabat recently and saw Blade Runner. It gets everywhere. I am aware that Blade Runner has been reprinted, and that there is no commentary. But I have now done the commentary and it’s about to be released, as a double box-set. There have been rumours about vast payment for my commentary, but I did it free of charge. Not a penny. I did it as a service to the film, because it’s healthy for the film business.
TF: Will there be any new cuts of the film, including the hospital visit?
RS: The hospital visit was not worth it. I revisited it and I took it out. Where we have it now with my cut, is right. The only puzzling question is when they drive off happy at the end, which I still think is bloody silly.


Source: The alt.fan.blade-runner newsgroup.

How much of Blade Runner has come true?

One of the mailinglist members sent me this, BBC News Online has an article that tells us just how near the future of Blade Runner we really are. With the technology we have today, including the capabilities to produce DNA cloned animals we are getting there. This article might get some of us thinking that we already have gone to far, this webmaster belives that there is no stopping technology and our advancements when it comes to modern science.
Quote from the article:

Although set in 2019, the film deals with issues and problems familiar to us today, says Ed Lawrenson from Sight and Sound magazine. “Blade Runner was always a film that is very much about ‘now’. It shows a future that can be recognised by people, because it is based on trends that we can see around us.”

How very true.. I suggest that you read this article, you can find it here. Thanks to Textpert Alert for sending me information on the article.

Source: BBC News |UK| Thanks to Textpert Alert for sending me the info.

Deckard Action Figure

While browsing the web I found this cool thing. It’s an Deckard action figure. A company named Pacifit Collection has the Deckard action figure in stock and this is what the Pacifit Collection’s webpage said about the action figure.
1:6 Blade Runner By Sol Models. Scale : 1/6
This exquisitely detailed figurine depicting Blade Runner character from the hit movie starring Harrison Ford. This excellent figure is ready to be made the centerpiece of any collection. Whether a long time enthusiast looking for something to make your collection complete or just starting out this piece will give you a lot of enjoyment. This is a kitset made from high quality soft vinyl.
The action figure costs $29.80 and if you’re interested in getting one then this page is where you want to go. Information about the Pacific Collection can be found on their homepage.

Source: Pacific Collection

New Blade Runner Book

A new fictional Blade Runner book by K W Jetter is now released. The title is “Eye and the talon”, this is the third Blade Runner book written by K W Jetter and the fourth book in the Blade Runner series. For more information on “Eye and the talon” check out Amazon.co.uk which has this title in stock, You can click here to find information on “Eye and the talon” at Amazon.co.uk
Source: Blade Zone, Amazon.co.uk

Source: Blade Zone, Amazon.co.uk

On the Blade Runner Documentury

I’ve finally posted “A look at On the edge of Blade Runner – The Blade Runner Documentury”, which I’ve written, there you can find most of the subjects that the Blade Runner documentury “On the edge Of Blade Runner” which aired on Channel 4 in Britain in July contains. I’ve also written a little review, you can find it all here.
I would also give say thanks to Trevor King in UK for being kind and taping and sending me the documentury. Thanks Trevor !!
Source: Trevor King (Thanks again for giving me access to the documentury)

The upcomming Blade Runner "Special Edition"

The website The Digital Bits which is focused in delivering the latest news on DVD releases has an interview with Charles de Lauzirika, whom is supervising the DVD section at Scott Free, Charles is now working on the “Gladiator” and “Legend” DVD’s (Both Special Editions). Charles is also currently working on next years release of “Blade Runner – Special Edition”.
The interview contains a lot of good reading, most of the interview is focused on the upcomming Special Edition that’s supposed to be released sometime 2001 (Only on DVD). Currently their prime objective is to restore the film and creating an archival negative. Mike Arrick who was in charge of creating the Directors Cut in 1992 is now, together with Warner Bros working on doing a “final restoration”.
Charles says in the interview that: “Everything else will follow in the wake of that effort. Blade Runner is arguably Ridley’s signature film, so everything about it has to be done right, both the restoration and the DVD.”
One thing that Charles says may be on the Special Edition DVD is the documentury “On The Edge of Blade Runner”, which brought some never before seen footage from Blade Runner, as well as interviews with cast, crew and even Phillip K. Dick. Obviously their where more Blade Runner documenturies in the making the same time as “On The Edge of Blade Runner” where made, but “On The Edge of Blade Runner” is currently only one which is official. There might also be an commentary track (Also one of the good things with the space you have on a DVD, being able to have both the ordinary movie dialog or listen to another track in which you watch the movie but with the director guiding you thru every scene, which is like watching the movie together with the man behind the movie).
When it comes to extra footage and “never before seen” scenes being added their is still very much work to be done. The, by now famous “Hospital Scene” with Deckard and Holden has been screened by Mike Arrick, Charles de Lauzirika and Ridley Scott but that scene together with other scenes that didn’t make it into any of the official versions do need alot of work if they will make it into the new special edition.
Charles continues saying: (Quoted directly from the interview) “It’s not just a matter of dropping these bits back into the film and calling it a day. Mike still has to do some significant picture and sound restoration before we can even begin to talk about adding footage back in. And, to be honest, I’m not even sure if any of that footage will actually make it back into the film, or if it would be presented separately as deleted scenes on the DVD. Just because extra footage exists doesn’t mean that it should automatically get added into the film… I mean, some of those scenes were cut out for a reason. And there are still a lot of obstacles to overcome. Going back to what I mentioned about the creative, legal and technical challenges of producing for DVD, Blade Runner is a tangled web of all three. But I hope it all works out for the best because the film, and the fans, deserve it.”
If you want to know more, head on over to The digital bits and the interview which contains more information on what’s cooking. All I can say is that I think we’re in for a real treat when the DVD is done, for everyone who is thinking of getting a DVD player.. Here’s the top reason: The Special Editon of Blade Runner.
Source: The Digital Bits – A Chat with DVD Producer Charles de Lauzirika.
Thanks to Sean Milliff for telling me about the interview.

More Future Noir

Blade Runner site “2019: Off World (Blade Runner Page)” has been updated, and what an update. The book “Future Noir – The making of Blade Runner” is more or less a bible for us Blade Runner fan’s. and now you can find the “lost chapters” from Paul M.Sammon’s amazing book. Sadly, Paul had to re-edit the book shortly before it was published. All of this editing ended up with 300 pages being edited out. Now, Paul together with the Blade Runner site “2019: Off World (Blade Runner Page)” will publish some of the stuff that had to be edited out.
For now, you can find one of the missing chapters “CHAPTER VIII – The Crew” which has been added. Hopefully more will be up soon. So head on over to 2019: Off World (Blade Runner Page) and read the lost chapters from Future Noir.
Hopefully a new version of “Future Noir – The making of Blade Runner” will be published in 2002, on the 20th anniversary of Blade Runner’s original release. But for those of you who cannor wait, visit 2019: Off World (Blade Runner Page) now.
Source: 2019: Off World (Blade Runner Page)

Blade Runner movie art

One of the greatest artists when it comes to doing movie posters is Drew Struzan. He is the man behind many movie posters and much movie artwork. He is also the creator of one of the most well known Blade Runner paintings shown below (His art was supposed to be used when advertising the Blade Runner movie, strangely they where never used). Not to long ago Bladezone reported of a second painting which has some small alternations from the most common one (The common one to the left, the “new” one to the right).
Now hopefully his artwork will be used for the comming new version of Blade Runner (For more information on the new version, check out the Old Blade Runner news section, info on this can be found at the bottom of the page). Sources say that the cover of this version could look something like the pictures below.

Some of Drew Struzan’s Blade Runner artwork.

Above image are thumbnails, click on any of them to see a larger version of them. For more movie art, check out Drew Struzan’s web site