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.
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.
