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Blade Runner: Final Cut


Greg1138

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*rumour alert*

http://elsew.com/data/latest.htm

Although final confirmation has yet to come in on this, fans will be glad to hear rumors within the music industry are buzzing frantically about Vangelis' upcoming Blade Runner related release.

It was late in June when word first broke Vangelis had been composing music for a new album related to Blade Runner, but it wasn't yet clear in which way this would be released. Here finally are some details, according to some very excited insiders.

The new release will be a deluxe set, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Blade Runner movie. Described as a three CD package titled "Blade Runner Trilogy", the set is said to start with the Blade Runner soundtrack as we know it from the official 1994 release. The second disk would present both music from the film not previously released on LP or CD (the notorious bootlegs excepted), as well as music made for the movie at the time, which was neither used nor released in any shape or form. Finally, the third disk would be Vangelis' expected new album, inspired by and thematically linked to Blade Runner.

Personally, I think a lot of people were dreaming about unreleased music from the film finally appearing on CD, while others dreamt of Vangelis returning to the dark melancholic moods played on synthesizers that peeked on the popular Blade Runner soundtrack, by creating new music in the same vein, but I've never heard anyone who dared to openly dream about both of these at the same time... With early word being strongly positive about the results, this could be the answer to what literally everyone has been longing for.

Confirmation and more details expected soon... Expectations are that "Blade Runner Trilogy" will be released in December. Time to start writing those Christmas wish lists...

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I just read it at FSM. Wow, a 3-disc set release! And since Elsewhere seems to believe in it (they have their insiders), it's no longer just a rumour.

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Time Out London confirms the 23 November release but it doesn't say where. I like this quote though:

"One of the handful of timeless movies from an artistically poor decade, Blade Runner speaks to deep issues of personality crisis and phoniness; of course, it’s set in Los Angeles."

You can watch the CD cover and pre-order at play.com:

The Blade Runner Trilogy 3-CD set

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  • 2 weeks later...

I also highly recommend seeing a digital print on a big screen. I never understood before when people praised the look of it- on the DVDs I've seen, it generally just looks dark.

I'm sure the DVD set will be quite impressive....but I have a hard time taking Travers word for it. He used to be a serious critic. Now he seems intent on using buzz words and summing everything up by it's coolness factor.

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I'm sure the DVD set will be quite impressive....but I have a hard time taking Travers word for it. He used to be a serious critic. Now he seems intent on using buzz words and summing everything up by it's coolness factor.

First Ebert and now Travers, Morlock? Strange that all your heros are now fallen angels!

Anyways, so far all the reviewers are drooling over this, not just Travers. Today I bought my Toshiba HD-DVD player (3rd generation). Now all I need is a big HD screen!

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  • 3 weeks later...

Just got this from Amazon. WHat an incredible waste of money.

They had a perfect opportunity to release a PROPER set. I'm still sticking to my bootleg. Nothing has come close to the Gongo release.

Hell, there's music in the documentaries that STILL hasn't seen a release. It's just a tease. :lol::( :(

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Those bootlegs have ambience sounds from the film over them. But I agree, Vangelis' Blade Runner Trilogy is disappointing. I don't even recognize 80% of what's on disc 2. And where's the main theme?

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Those bootlegs have ambience sounds from the film over them. But I agree, Vangelis' Blade Runner Trilogy is disappointing. I don't even recognize 80% of what's on disc 2. And where's the main theme?

Not the Gongo one. It's from the original session tapes.

Yup...most of the 2nd disc is BS. The only track I recognized was the "fight" track...and that was edited.

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The Gongo release supposed to be quite similar to the Off World release (which I have) and thus exhibiting the same inferior sound quality. It's also very incomplete.

Alex

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The set reeked of cheap money-grubbing. Any release that has a 'concept' CD is just a way to get more money. The only way to offer more music is to do a real expanded issue.

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The set reeked of cheap money-grubbing. Any release that has a 'concept' CD is just a way to get more money. The only way to offer more music is to do a real expanded issue.

Strange, I can't tell those things by scent alone. I really had to hear the content before I could make a judgement. The second CD expands on the first CD, only I think I would've done a better job. It's a strange selection. Anyways, it's still an interesting release, certainly for someone who hasn't bought the first CD. After all, the Trilogy CD offers 3 CDs for the price of one.

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I'm sure it has certain value to fans of the score....but generally, any CD release that has a special concept CD in it, generally means filler material for a package, to make it attractive to people who already have the material. Basic double-dipping.

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Not entirely true because there's 2 CDs with unreleased music. Not alone is that a bonus for any BR fan but it must be very appealing to Vangelis fans too (certainly CD 3). I heard the demand is pretty high. Stores aren't getting enough copies. Still, if I was in charge, this release would've been handled differently.

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If only they'd drop the damn dialogue on disc one.

I find this dialogue fits very well with the music, especially because it's mostly during brooding and not melodic parts. I adore the score, but I am not eager to buy the 3cd package - I'm fine with the original.

And I watched the Final Cut on dvd, but I find it dufficult to name differences between this and previous cuts (except certain upgrades in visual quality)

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And I watched the Final Cut on dvd, but I find it dufficult to name differences between this and previous cuts ...

That was the point, even though there are several hundred differences. Everything had to be unobstrusive and seamless.

Alex

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I was under the impression that, except for the significantly better print, not all that much is different between the last two versions (DC and FC).

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The Final Cut is not something to get excited over. It's not going to convince anyone that doesn't like the film based on previous versions that it's any better.

It's nice to have it on DVD with the 4 other versions. Hopefully another film maker (whose films were significantly altered by CG) is paying attention to this release and to Close Encounters.

Neil

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The Final Cut is not something to get excited over. It's not going to convince anyone that doesn't like the film based on previous versions that it's any better.

The film remains the same even though they did hundreds of changes and fixes. That they did everything with so much respect for the original is something to get excited about. A certain bearded film maker should take a lesson from this.

Alex

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The Gongo release supposed to be quite similar to the Off World release (which I have) and thus exhibiting the same inferior sound quality. It's also very incomplete.

Alex

Complete or incomplete, it's still the closest thing to a "real" soundtrack that's been released.

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  • 6 months later...
Well, it is a pretty bichin' set.

The picture quality of the standard version looked pretty impressive. Of course, HD is much more detailed.

Here's a report of a special screening of Blade Runner for the Paul's Brain Trust. It's covers a Q&A and a WB Studio Backlot Tour with Ridley Scott.

Report Special Screening Final Cut

Read what Scott has to say about the Alien franchise and whether Deckard is a rep or not.

Alex

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  • 6 years later...

Interesting read, even if if the author is what I'd call 'slow on the uptake'.

I think a shorter way of putting all that stuff he wrote would be this: there's shades of grey to the characters in the piece. Job done.

Lee - assumed the Batty as a sympathetic character reading etc etc was common accepted knowledge.

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The main problem I have is that I don't care about any of the characters. Visually stunning film with barely enough story to justify its length containing no one particularly interesting.

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I don't care about them either. So what.

I don't think empathy was on the agenda much when they wrote these industrialised hominoid shadows. They're not supposed to be recognisable or relatable people, that's the whole point.

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I interpreted Deckard spitting at Roy as a final act of defiance rather than a deliberate personal insult; Roy in turn is amused, and says, "Kinship!' as he grabs Deckard's wrist. Defiant till the end

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Yes, and because earlier Batty broke his finger and kicked fuck out of him.

I mean, Marcus Brody felt compelled to spit in the faces of his aggravators just because he'd been detained by them for a few hours.

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The main problem I have is that I don't care about any of the characters. Visually stunning film with barely enough story to justify its length containing no one particularly interesting.

Which movie do you prefer? Alien or Aliens?

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