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BLADE RUNNER Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) |
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Archive-Name: movies/bladerunner-faq
Version: 2.4 (July 1995)
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BLADE RUNNER
Frequently Asked Questions
Copyright (C) 1992-1995 Murray Chapman
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Compiled by Murray Chapman (muzzle@cs.uq.oz.au), from sources too numerous to
mention. Thank-you one and all.
INTRODUCTION
------------
The movie "Blade Runner" is one of the Internet's most talked about movies.
In an attempt to stop the same questions being asked and answered every few
days or so, I present the Blade Runner FAQ.
******************************************************************************
A WWW version of this FAQ is now available:
http://www.uq.edu.au/~csmchapm/bladerunner/
******************************************************************************
This file will be posted monthly to: rec.arts.movies, alt.cult-movies,
rec.arts.sf.movies, rec.answers, and news.answers.
The follow-up field is set to rec.arts.movies.
This, and MANY other FAQs are available for anonymous FTP wherever
news.answers is archived, for example:
rtfm.mit.edu:/pub/usenet/news.answers/movies/bladerunner-faq
Marcos Contreras M. is translating this file into Spanish. Stay tuned for
details.
Kazushi Kimura has translated this file into Japanese. Contact him
(kimura@mri.co.jp) for details.
Marc-Berco Fuhr has volunteered to translate this file into German and
Danish. Contact him (fury@daimi.aau.dk) for details.
Suggestions welcome for all areas, especially those marked with [?]s.
This FAQ contains spoilers.
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CONTENTS
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1. What is Blade Runner?
2. What book is it based on?
3. Is the sound track available?
4. What are replicants?
5. Who/what is ?
6. I don't like the voice-overs/ending.
7. What are the different versions of Blade Runner?
8. Memorable Quotes
9. What is the significance of the unicorn?
10. What is the significance of the chess game?
11. Problems in Blade Runner
12. Trivia / What makes Blade Runner popular/special?
13. More questions/answers
14. Is Deckard a replicant?
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1. WHAT IS BLADE RUNNER?
Blade Runner (BR) is a science-fiction film starring Harrison Ford, Rutger
Hauer, Sean Young, and Daryl Hannah. Although it was a box-office failure,
it has become perhaps the definitive cult movie, and is one of the few films
which remain faithful to the ideals of 20th century science fiction
literature.
Blade Runner was directed by Ridley Scott, and features music by Vangelis.
Plot Synopsis
-------------
Opening crawl from the movie:
Early in the 21st Century, THE TYRELL
CORPORATION advanced Robot evolution
into the NEXUS phase -- a being virtually
identical to a human -- known as a replicant.
The NEXUS 6 Replicants were superior
in strength and agility, and at least equal
in intelligence, to the genetic engineers
who created them.
Replicants were used Off-world as
slave labor, in the hazardous exploration and
colonization of other planets.
After a bloody mutiny by a NEXUS 6
combat team in an Off-world colony,
Replicants were declared illegal
on earth -- under penalty of death.
Special police squads -- BLADE RUNNER
UNITS -- had orders to shoot to kill, upon
detection, any trespassing Replicants.
This was not called execution.
It was called retirement.
LOS ANGELES
NOVEMBER, 2019
A number of replicants have made it to Earth, and ex-Blade Runner Rick
Deckard (Harrison Ford) is coerced into tracking them down.
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2. WHAT BOOK IS IT BASED ON?
Blade Runner is LOOSELY based on a Philip K. Dick novel, "Do Androids Dream
of Electric Sheep" (DADoES). The least one can say about the film adaptation
is that it borrowed a number of concepts and characters from the book. Dick
also wrote the short story that "Total Recall" was based on, "We Can Remember
It For You, Wholesale". A recurring theme in Dick's work is the question of
personal and human identity. A question explored more in DADoES and "Total
Recall" than in Blade Runner is "what is reality?"
You are most likely to find DADoES in a second-hand bookstore. It has been
re-printed as: "Blade Runner (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?)."
The title comes from Alan E. Nourse, who wrote a story called "The
Bladerunner". William S. Burroughs took the book and wrote "Bladerunner (A
Movie)" in 1979. Rights to the title only ("in perpetuity") were sold to
Ridley Scott. Similarities between Nourse's "The Bladerunner" and Scott's BR
are in name only. Nourse's title refers to people who deliver medical
instruments to outlaw doctors who can't obtain them legally. [Source: Locus,
September 1992: p. 76.] Scott thought the title made a good codename for
Deckard.
Some of the "visuals" were inspired by a story from Dan O'Bannon and Moebius
(Jean Giraud) called "The Long Tomorrow" in an issue of the French "Wonders
of the Universe" comic book series [see section 7]. The back of the comic
book says (translated from French):
"This comic-book also contains other famous stories,
like "The Long Tomorrow", which originally was thought
to be a parody, but ended up being more real, than what
it was meant to be a parody of: the classic American
detective-story. This story was later used as a visual
reference for the movie "Blade Runner".
Jean Giraud did the costume design for the Walt Disney movie "Tron", and Syd
Mead did the mechanical design.
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3. IS THE SOUND TRACK AVAILABLE?
In July 1994, Vangelis released the Official Blade Runner Soundtrack for
the first time. Vangelis' notes accompanying the album say:
"Most of the music contained in this album originates from recordings I made
in London in 1982, whilst working on the score for the film BLADE RUNNER.
Finding myself unable to release these recordings at the time, it is with
great pleasure that I am able to do so now. Some of the pieces contained
will be known to you from the Original Soundtrack of the film, whilst others
are appearing here for the first time. Looking back at RIDLEY SCOTT's
powerful and evocative pictures left me as stimulated as before, and made the
recompiling of this music, today, an enjoyable experience."
- VANGELIS Athens, April 1994
The Soundtrack:
BLADE RUNNER
VANGELIS
Warner Brothers 4509-96574-2
1. Main Titles (3.42)
2. Blush Response (5.47)
3. Wait for Me (5.27)
4. Rachel's Song (4.46)
5. Love Theme (4.56)
6. One More Kiss, Dear (3.58)
7. Blade Runner Blues (8.53)
8. Memories of Green (5.05)
9. Tales of the Future (4.46)
10. Damask Rose (2.32)
11. Blade Runner (End Titles) (4.40)
12. Tears in Rain (3.00)
The cover of the album is a closeup of the movie poster, showing Deckard,
Rachael, and the roof of police headquarters. There are various photos
inside, including a shot of Ridley Scott directing Harrison Ford.
Vangelis' decision to release the soundtrack might have been prompted by
a bootleg copy of the Blade Runner Soundtrack which appeared in select stores
a couple of days before Christmas 1993:
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: Blade Runner
Limited Edition of 2,000 (not licensed for public sale)
Off World Music, Ltd., no. OWM 9301
Compact Disc (ADD)
1. Ladd Company Logo (0:24), John Williams
2. Main Titles and Prologue (4:03) Vangelis
3. Los Angeles, November 2019 (1:46) Vangelis
4. Deckard Meets Rachael (1:29) Vangelis
5. Bicycle Riders [Harps of the Ancient Temples] (2:05) Gail Laughton
6. Memories of Green (5:39) Vangelis
7. Blade Runner Blues (10:19) Vangelis
8. Deckard's Dream (1:12) Vangelis
9. On the Trail of Nexus 6 (5:30) Vangelis
10. If I Didn't Care (3:03) Jack Lawrence [only used in workprint]
11. Love Theme (4:57) Vangelis
12. The Prodigal Son Brings Death (3:35) Vangelis
13. Dangerous Days (1:02) Vangelis
14. Wounded Animals (10:58) Vangelis
15. Tears in Rain (2:41) Vangelis
16. End Titles (7:24) Vangelis
17. One More Kiss Dear (4:00) Skelling and Vangelis [theatrical release]
18. Trailer and Alternate Main Titles (1:39) Robert Randles
Total disc time: 72:42
The bootleg CD includes an 8-page booklet containing 6 movie stills. Cover
art is from the British one-sheet movie poster that accompanied the 1982
release. The back cover is a color still from an aborted sequence in which
Leon's photo turns out to be a hologram that shows Batty's head turning
(Cinefex no. 9, July 1982). The inside back cover is a bird's eye view of
Deckard's spinner as he and Rachael escape the city (Official Blade Runner
Souvenir Magazine, 1982). Another photo possibly unfamiliar to many is
Deckard looking at Holden in a life-support machine (a similar photo appeared
in Video Watchdog, Nov-Dec 1993).
According to the booklet, Scott contacted several composers in case the score
by Vangelis didn't work out. His ultimate decision to supplement the film with
other source music led to a contractual dispute with the composer. As a
result, Vangelis refused to release the soundtrack album. Notes on the various
pieces were interesting like the fact that the Love Theme and Rachael's
piano playing are a variation on Chopin's 13th Nocturne. (The love theme used
in the workprint is not included in this album.) The music for several
pieces is heard complete for the first time and will prove fascinating
listening for fans of the film, particularly nos. 9, 12, 13, and 14. Those
familiar with the Warner Bros. New American Orchestra CD [see below] will also
appreciate that Blade Runner Blues is more than twice as long on this CD.
The producer (Christopher L. Shimata-Dominguez) displays a sense of humor
with his name and Off World Music label. He also warns that unauthorized
"replication" is a violation of applicable laws. The quality of the disc
is quite good but the price tag may be a bit daunting; while not for public
sale a contribution of US$34.95 was sufficient to obtain a copy of this
individually numbered limited edition.
[I don't have this album and I don't know where to get it. Any questions
about it will be ignored.]
A record album called "Blade Runner" (WEA 1982) is available but it is NOT
the actual movie soundtrack, rather it is an orchestral arrangement of the
soundtrack performed by the New American Orchestra. It contains the
following tracks:
Love Theme (4:12)
Main Title (5:01)
One More Kiss, Dear (4:00)
Memories Of Green (4:50)
End Title (4:17)
Blade Runner Blues (4:38)
Farewell (3:10)
Love Theme (4:12)
Vangelis released an album called "Themes" in 1992, which contains the
following music from the movie soundtrack:
End Titles from "BLADERUNNER" (4:57)
Love Theme from "BLADERUNNER" (4:55)
Memories of Green (5:42)
"Memories of Green" was originally released on Vangelis' album "See You
Later". Scott used the orchestrated version of "Memories of Green" in his
film "Someone to Watch Over Me".
Vangelis also wrote the score for "Antarctica", which includes tracks very
similar to those used in Blade Runner. His 1979 album "VANGELIS: Opera
Sauvage" also contains tracks similar to those in Blade Runner.
The Japanese vocals associated with the Blimp are from:
"Japan: Traditional Vocal and Instrumental Music, Shakuhachi,
Biwa, Koto, Shamisen" [compact disc]
Performed by Ensemble Nipponia, 1976
Electra Asylum Nonesuch Records/Warner Communications Inc.
The lyrics tell of the tragic and utter destruction of one Japanese clan by
another.
Gail Laughton's "Harps of the Ancient Temples" is used as the bicyclists pass
by Leon and Batty on their way to Chew's Eye World. This album is listed in
old CD catalogs on the Laurel label, cat #111.
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4. WHAT ARE REPLICANTS?
The following definition appears in the BR script and the Marvel Comics
adaptation of the film, and the Denver/Dallas sneak preview:
_android_ (an'droid) n, Gk. humanoid automation. more at
robot./ 1. early version utilized for work too
boring, dangerous or unpleasant for humans.
2. second generation bio-engineered. Electronic
relay units and positronic brains. Used in space
to explore inhospitable environments. 3. third
generation synthogenetic. REPLICANT, constructed
of skin/flesh culture. Selected enogenic transfer
conversion. Capable of self perpetuating thought.
Paraphysical abilities. Developed for emigration
program.
WEBSTER'S DICTIONARY
New International (2012)
Replicants are manufactured organisms designed to carry out work too boring,
dangerous, or distasteful for humans. The "NEXUS 6" replicants are nearly
indistinguishable from humans. (In one draft of the script Bryant tells
Deckard they did an autopsy on the replicant that was fried trying to break
into the Tyrell Corp. and didn't even know it was a replicant until two hours
into the procedure.)
Replicants presumably differ from humans in one important factor: they are
lacking in empathy. In BR, the replicants' eyes glow (even those of an
artificial owl), however Ridley Scott has stressed that this is merely a
cinematic technique, and the glow can't be seen by the characters in the
story, only by the audience.
The manufacturers noticed that replicants had eccentricities because they
were emotionally immature. Rachael was a prototype replicant with
experimental memory implants, designed to provide a cushion for her emotions.
Consequently, she was unaware that she was a replicant.
NEXUS 6 replicants have an in-built fail-safe mechanism, namely a four year
lifespan.
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5. WHO/WHAT IS ?
"BLADE RUNNER" GLOSSARY (from the 1982 Presskit)
------------------------------------------------
BLADE RUNNER -- The nickname given to those police detectives who are
specially trained in the use of the Voight-Kampff machine and whose specific
function is to track down and eliminate any replicants that manage to escape
into human society and attempt to pass as real human beings. The official
name of the Blade Runner division is Rep-Detect.
REPLICANT -- A genetically engineered creature composed entirely of organic
substance. Animal replicants (animoids) were developed first for use as pets
and beasts of burden after most real animals became extinct. Later, humanoid
replicants were created for military purposes and for the exploration and
colonization of space. The Tyrell Corp. recently introduced the Nexus 6, the
supreme replicant -- much stronger and faster than, and virtually
indistinguishable from, real human beings. Earth law forbids replicants on
the planet, except in the huge industrial complex where they are created.
The law does not consider replicants human and therefore accords them no
rights nor protection.
ESPER -- A high-density computer with a very powerful three- dimensional
resolution capacity and a cryogenic cooling system. The police cars and
Deckard's apartment contain small models which can be channeled into the
large one at police headquarters. This big apparatus is a well-worn, retro-
fitted part of the furniture. Among many functions, the Esper can analyze
and enlarge photos, enabling investigators to search a room without being
there.
[The January 1995 issue of NASA Tech Briefs includes a description of an
Esper-like machine called Omniview.]
VOIGHT-KAMPFF MACHINE -- A very advanced form of lie detector that measures
contractions of the iris muscle and the presence of invisible airborne
particles emitted from the body. The bellows were designed for the latter
function and give the machine the menacing air of a sinister insect. The VK
is used primarily by blade runners to determine if a suspect is truly human
by measuring the degree of his empathic response through carefully worded
questions and statements.
SPINNER -- The generic term for all flying cars in use around the year 2020.
Only specially authorized people and police are licensed to operate these
remarkable vehicles, which are capable of street driving, vertical lift-off,
hovering and high-speed cruising. The Spinner is powered by three engines --
conventional internal combustion, jet and anti-gravity.
[Syd Mead explained in subsequent articles that the concept was actually one
of internal lift like that used in vertical take-off aircraft today--NOT
anti-gravity, ed.]
Behind the Scenes
-----------------
RIDLEY SCOTT: Director. A veteran television commercial maker, Scott
consistently makes quality movies. His feature-film credits include: The
Duellists, Alien, Blade Runner, Someone to Watch Over Me, Legend, Black Rain,
Thelma and Louise, 1492. Ridley Scott also directed the first ever Macintosh
television advertisement (the "hammer thrower") which first aired during the
Superbowl in January 1984. Ridley's brother Tony is also a director, and his
film credits include Top Gun, Days of Thunder, The Hunger, True Romance, and
The Last Boyscout.
MICHAEL DEELEY: Producer. Academy Award winner for producing "The Deer
Hunter"
SYD MEAD: Visual Futurist. Syd Mead suggested the term "visual futurist"
over his credit in the movie. (As he is not a union/guild member, he could
not use credits such as "creative designer".) He has been co-sponsoring an
International Student Design Competition with Sony since 1989. Some of his
works are:
California Pavilion, Seville Expo (1992)
Future Terminal, for Japan Railways East (1990)
Club Car, for Japan Railways East (1990)
Dr. Jeekans [This is futuristic cafe/video arcade in Tokyo.] (1990)
Office for the Future, for Okamura Furniture Co, Japan (1989)
Club House (Tokyo Bayside Project) (1989)
Tron Computer (1988)
San Rio Theatre (1987)
Office of the Future, for GE (1985)
Terraforming (video game)
Civilization (video game)
LAWRENCE G. PAULL: Production Designer. Holds degrees in Architecture and
City Planning, his feature-film credits include: Blue Collar, Which Way Is
Up?, and The Star Spangled Girl.
VANGELIS (Evangelos Papathanassiou): Greek Composer. He has written numerous
movie scores, perhaps the most famous being for "Chariots of Fire". Also
wrote some of the music for the TV series "Cosmos". Prior to writing movie
scores, Vangelis was the keyboard player of the band "Aphrodite's Child".
Vangelis also wrote the score for Scott's 1992 film: "1492".
HAMPTON FANCHER, DAVID PEOPLES: Screenplay writers. Peoples wrote Clint
Eastwood's "Unforgiven", and Stephen Frear's "Hero".
JORDAN CRONENWETH: Cinematographer. Altered States, Best Friends (1982),
Cutter's Way, Final Analysis, Gable and Lombard, Gardens of Stone, Just
Between Friends, The Nickel Ride, Peggy Sue Got Married (AAN), Play It As
It Lays, Rolling Thunder, State of Grace, Stop Making Sense.
DOUGLAS TRUMBULL: Special Effects. 2001: A Space Odyssey, Close Encounters
of the Third Kind, Brainstorm (also directed).
On Screen
---------
DECKARD (Harrison Ford): Ex-Blade Runner.
DR ELDON TYRELL (Joe Turkel): Owns the Tyrell Corp. and manufactures
replicants. Extremely intelligent, designed the NEXUS 6 brain.
RACHAEL (Sean Young): Experimental NEXUS 6 replicant. Works for Tyrell and
has his niece's memories.
ROY BATTY (Rutger Hauer): Leader of the renegade replicants.
INCEPT DATE: 8 Jan, 2016
FUNCTION: Combat, Colonization Defense Prog
PHYS: A MENT: A
PRIS (Daryl Hannah): Replicant, (Bryant: "Yer standard pleasure model")
INCEPT DATE: 14 Feb, 2016
FUNCTION: Military/leisure
PHYS: A MENT: B
ZHORA (Joanna Cassidy): Replicant.
INCEPT DATE: 12 June, 2016
FUNCTION: Retrained (9 Feb, 2018) Polit. Homicide
PHYS: A MENT: B
LEON KOWALSKI (Brion James): Replicant.
INCEPT DATE: 10 April, 2017
FUNC: Combat/loader (Nuc. Fiss.)
PHYS: A MENT: C
J.F. SEBASTIAN (William Sanderson): Genetic designer for the Tyrell
Corporation. Still on Earth because of progeria, a premature geriatricism
(Methuselah's Syndrome). A grand-master in chess (according to one script)
but has defeated Tyrell only once.
H. BRYANT (M. Emmett Walsh): Inspector of the police force, Deckard's former
boss.
GAFF (Edward James Olmos): A member of the police force. A sartorial dandy
bucking for promotion; makes origami.
HOLDEN (Morgan Paull): Blade Runner, shot by Leon and put on life support.
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6. I DON'T LIKE THE VOICE-OVERS/ENDING.
Ridley Scott made BR in a style called "film noir". Film noir is a
"hardboiled detective" style of story-telling. Perhaps the most famous
example is the Humphrey Bogart movie "The Maltese Falcon" (directed by John
Huston). A trademark of film noir is the voice-overs by the detective,
explaining what he is thinking/doing at the time.
Ridley Scott filmed BR *without* the voice-overs, but due to its poor
reception at a sneak previews, the studio insisted that the voice-overs be
added. Ridley Scott said in an interview on American television that in film
noir, voice-overs sometimes work, and sometimes don't, and they didn't work
in BR.
"(A)n extensive voice-over was added to help people relate to Harrison Ford's
character and make following the plot easier. (A)fter a draft by novelist-
screenwriter Darryl Ponicsan was discarded, a TV veteran named Roland Kibbee
got the job. As finally written, the voice-over met with universal scorn
from the filmmakers, mostly for what Scott characterized as its 'Irving the
Explainer' quality.... It sounded so tinny and ersatz that, in a curious bit
of film folklore, many members of the team believe to this day that Harrison
Ford, consciously or not, did an uninspired reading of it in the hopes it
wouldn't be used. And when co-writers Fancher and Peoples, now friends, saw
it together, they were so afraid the other had written it that they refrained
from any negative comments until months later." [Source: Los Angeles Times
Magazine, September 13, 1992.]
The ending of the film was also changed by the studio. Scott wanted to end
the film with Deckard and Rachael getting into the elevator, but the studio
decided that the film needed a happier, less ambiguous ending. The aerial
shots used in the 1982 theatrical release were outtakes from Stanley Kubrik's
"The Shining" (which, coincidentally, featured Joe Turkel).
In September 1992, Warner Bros. released "The Director's Cut" of Blade Runner
(BRDC), which eliminated the voice-overs and the happy ending.
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7. WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF BLADE RUNNER?
- US Denver/Dallas Sneak Preview/Workprint (1982)
- US San Diego Sneak Preview (1982)
- US Theatrical Release (1982)
- European Theatrical Release (1982)
- The Director's Cut (BRDC) (1992)
The Video Watchdog article which claims there are seven different versions
is discussed in section 13.
Hampton Fancher did several drafts of the screenplay. These drafts concluded
with Deckard taking Rachael out of the city, letting her see nature for the
first time, and then, because she doesn't want to be caught by the police,
shooting her in the snow. David Peoples was brought in to polish the script,
and Ridley Scott asked him to include more detective work. Peoples worked on
the humanity of Deckard's adversaries. His daughter mentioned the biological
term "replicate", which led to "replicant". Peoples also told Scott that the
screenplay was virtually perfect before he worked on it. [Source: Los Angeles
Times Magazine, September 13, 1992: p. 20.]
The rumours of a three-hour version of BR are just that: rumours. No version
of the script could be made into a film of that length. Mary was cut before
any of her scenes were filmed.
Contracts under the terms of the Hollywood Director's Guild usually allow 6
weeks for the director to assemble a cut of the film without studio
interference as he would like it to be seen. This "director's cut" is fully
edited and has a synchhronized sound track. This cut is usually not color
corrected or density corrected and may not even have the final music and
effects tracks. In more recent times the term "Director's Cut" has taken on a
popular meaning that implies a polished final cut of the film that the
director has complete artistic control over. BRDC fits the latter
definition. The now legendary "workprint" seen at the Nuart and Castro
theaters, fits the former.
US Denver/Dallas Sneak Preview/Workprint--70mm (113 min):
--------------------------------------------------------
- Webster's 2012 definition of a replicant used in lieu of opening crawl
- voiceovers deleted except at Batty's death
- Bryant says TWO replicants were fried running through an electric field
- conversation between snake-maker and Deckard is different and matches their
lips
- includes shot of nearly nude dancers in hockey masks outside Taffey's bar
- Batty says, "I want more life, father."
- Pris lifts Deckard up by his nostrils when she beats him up
- different voiceover used after Batty's death
- ends with the elevator doors closing
- shorter than other versions
This version was shown at the Fairfax Theater in 1990 and UCLA's Los Angeles
Perspectives multimedia festival in 1991. This was also the print shown at
a London sneak preview in March of 1982. A 35mm reduction of this version
was later shown at the Nuart and Castro Theaters in 1991. There were rumours
that THIS version was the original director's cut, but the official 1992
Director's Cut is not the same.
US San Diego Sneak Preview (115 min):
------------------------------------
- shows Batty making a telephone call to see if Chew is there
- shows Deckard reloading his weapon after firing at Batty
- Deckard and Rachael ride into the sunset
[Source: Video Watchdog no. 20, November-December 1993.]
European Theatrical Release/Criterion Laserdisc/Videocassette (117 min):
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
- Batty sticks his thumbs in Tyrell's eyes, which bleed copiously.
- Pris lifts Deckard up by his nostrils when she beats him up.
- Deckard shoots Pris a third time.
- more of Pris kicking and screaming when she is shot by Deckard.
- shows Roy actually pushing the nail through his hand
- Deckard and Rachael ride into the sunset
The added violence makes this version about 15 seconds longer than the US
theatrical release. The 10th Anniversary video edition is the same as this
release.
The Director's Cut (BRDC) (117 min):
----------------------------------
- voice-overs completely eliminated
- added dialog from blimp to cover missing voice-over while Deckard waits
for a seat at the noodle bar.
- 12-second unicorn scene added when Deckard plays the piano
- happy ending deleted (movie ends with elevator doors closing)
- extra violence seen on videocassette deleted
- digital soundtrack was remixed for BRDC.
Cable TV [? min]:
----------------
When BR first appeared on American cable TV, there was an additional line of
dialog when Bryant gives Deckard the description, names, and addresses of
Tyrell and Sebastian over the radio. In the cable TV version, Bryant adds
"...and check 'em out" after he says "I want you to go down there."
[This is an as-yet unconfirmed rumour. Anyone who has a tape of the original
premiere release on cable, could you PLEASE contact me?]
VIDEOTAPE (117 min):
-------------------
All video tapes before January 1993 are the "Not Rated" version and contain
the extra violence in the Euro-release that's not seen in the 117 minute
American theatrical release.
On January 22, 1993 BRDC became available on video tape in Japan: widescreen
VHS HiFi at a price of 3800 Yen. It was released in the US on May 19, 1993
with a suggested Retail Price $US39.98.
LASERDISC:
---------
In the NTSC markets (M/NTSC 3.58 525/60: US and Japan), there have been up to
seven versions of Blade Runner continuously available on laserdisc for the
last several years.
Blade Runner: The Director's Cut (1992):
* Warner Home Video 12682, $50, CAV, letterboxed (true aspect ratio 2.41:1),
4 sides, digital stereo, CX/analog stereo, Pioneer pressing, no supplements.
* Warner Home Video Japan NJL-12682, 5,000 Yen, CLV, letterboxed (true aspect
ratio 2.41:1), digital stereo, Japanese subtitles, Pioneer pressing, no
supplements. (From same video master as the domestic WB-12682.)
1982 European Cut/US home video:
* Criterion Collection CC1120L, $90, CAV, letterboxed (true aspect ratio
2.50:1), 4 sides, digital stereo, CX/analog stereo, 3M pressing, extensive
still-frame supplements.
* Criterion Collection CC1169L, $50, CLV, letterboxed (true aspect ratio
2.50:1), 2 sides, digital stereo, CX/analog stereo, Pioneer pressing, no
supplements.
* Embassy/Nelson Ent., 13806, $35, CLV, pan&scan (true aspect ratio 1.24:1),
2 sides, CX/analog stereo, Pioneer pressing, no digital sound, no
supplements.
* Warner Home Video Japan NJL-20008, 12,500 Yen, CAV, letterboxed (true
aspect ratio 2.50:1), 4 sides, digital stereo, subtitled in Japanese, Pioneer
pressing. (Mastered from the Criterion Collection CC1120L but omits some of
the English supplemental material.)
* (Japanese) 08JL-70008, 7,400 Yen, CLV, pan&scan (probably identical to the
Embassy laserdisc), 2 sides, digital stereo, subtitle/dubbing unknown,
pressing unknown.
Note that Embassy and Nelson Entertainment LDs although marked as the NR
(not-rated) Euro-release are actually the same as the 1982 US theatrical
release and NOT the Embassy NTSC VHS videotape. The 1982 Workprint is not
available on laserdisc or video tape.
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