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Topic:
Pass the Voight-Kampff Test -- **The Blade Runner Thread**
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VadersLaMent
Registered:
Apr '02
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Date Posted:
12/10/07 2:59pm
Subject:
RE: Pass the Voight-Kampff Test -- **The Blade Runner Thread**
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What's new in Blade Runner: The Final Cut?
A few words changed, some violence put back in, Zhora's death reshot, some scenes extended, some cut down, visuals and sound enhanced, and so on.
A couple of things this reviewer misses:
That’s not to say that it’s flawless. Detectives in the future, for example, appear to lack some basic common sense: when Bryant shows Deckard profiles of the Nexus 6 replicants, it’s clear they know exactly what they all look like. So why didn’t Holden, whom we see in an early scene giving a Voight-Kamff test to Leon, already know that Leon was a replicant? Didn’t anyone give him the mug shots?
Exactly. You answered your own question.
Equally, if Deckard really is a Nexus 7 created to work as an exterminator, why is he lacking the strength of the inferior Nexus 6 models he is chasing? He seems to spend a large part of the film being bashed to a pulp.
"More human that human", according to Tyrell. Therefore things like super strength go out the window.
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Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic--Arthur C. Clarke
Any sufficiently advanced extraterrestrial intelligence is indistinguishable from God--Michael Shermer
I am officially Awesome.
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Koohii
Title: Games: RPG d6 GM
Registered:
May '03
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Date Posted:
12/11/07 4:40pm
Subject:
RE: Pass the Voight-Kampff Test -- **The Blade Runner Thread**
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Anyone else like the Total Recall 2070 series?
Kinda a mix of BladeRunner and Total Recall into a semi-coherent whole.
Heck, the pilot episode is good, and as a general rule, pilot episodes are the weakest episode of a series (at least the first season).
But that's just me.
I seldom like a show right off the bat, but this one worked for me.
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Create happy mediums: Free prozac to all psychics & Jedi
I'm met 6yo adults and 36yo children
Still working toward Ni-Kyu Go Ju Ryu
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Leto II
Registered:
Jan '00
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Date Posted:
12/19/07 7:24pm
Subject:
RE: Pass the Voight-Kampff Test -- **The Blade Runner Thread**
- Date Edited:
12/19/07 8:29pm (1 edits total)
Edited By:
Leto II
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The following is a bit long, but bear with me, as this comes from the new love in my life (not counting my S.O.), and is kinda off-the-cuff and extemporaneous:
So I ordered my Blu-Ray briefcase from Amazon in August, selected one-day shipping, was thrilled that it shipped out Monday, but annoyed to see that it had a scheduled delivery date of Wednesday. Against perhaps my better judgment, I stopped at Best Buy on the way home from work yesterday and just bought a briefcase, figuring I could return the other one to Amazon.
It was absolutely, completely worth it. Watched the Workprint version last night, the "All Our Variant Futures" documentary, and the deleted/alternate scenes, and finally a little of the Paul Sammon commentary on the workprint before I finally had to concede that my body required sleep. This is without a doubt the release of the year, from what little I've been able to watch of this so far. My deepest appreciation and congratulations go to Charlie de Lauzirika and everyone else who worked on this set, from the people who researched and restored elements, all the way to the people in Warner Bros. Legal who had to clear everything; they all had their work cut out for them, and delivered big-time.
It's really something when you can be reading about a DVD release for months before it comes out, know exactly what's on it, and still be blown away. This isn't just a home run; it's a grand slam.
Quite frankly, this may be the greatest special edition ever produced. I don't mean to say that as a fanboy (which I probably am anyway), but just objectively looking at all of the content on it, it's hard to think of any single release that matches it, especially when one considers the interesting and problematic history of this film. Even the best sets that I can think of have something or other that make them not as good as this set. Think of the Extended Editions of The Lord of the Rings -- amazing sets, but they lack the theatrical versions of the films, as well as the special features from the theatrical DVDs. The Ultimate Set of Superman that came out last year was also amazing, but lacked the extended television cuts of the first two films, as well as a commentary for Superman Returns, a workprint version of Superman IV, etc. Or the Fantasia set, one of my all-time favorites, that unfortunately lacks the original Deems Taylor narration from the original film, as well as the shorter version that had been known to audiences for years, and probably should have been included anyhow.
That's not to knock any of those sets, which are fantastic and among the best of the best. Rather, that's to point out just how good this new Blade Runner set is. Every version of the film. A huge three-and-a-half-hour-long documentary. Deleted scenes assembled as a watchable, stand-alone quasi-feature in its own right. Commentaries. All sorts of featurettes. Unbelievable what they were able to put together. And that doesn't even include "The Final Cut" itself, which wasn't originally getting a theatrical run, and was just being made for this DVD.
With all of the bonus material here, it's easy to forget how awesome it is that there's a "Final Cut" version in and of itself. PLUS all of the other versions out there, so there truly isn't any revisionism here, no attempt to replace the earlier versions of the film or to wipe them from our memories. If you prefer either of the 1982 original theatrical releases, they're there, and better looking than they've ever been on any home video format. (I noticed that the four-disc set was only $25 at Best Buy, which is an amazing price to get "The Final Cut," the older 1992 "Director's Cut," and the original theatricals with the narration, so you can't even complain that you're being forced to spend an arm and a leg if the 1982 version is your preferred cut. Classy all the way.)
Incidentally, I've just gotten a notification from the UPS website that my delivery from Amazon that was scheduled for today will not happen because of some shipping error, or some other bull****. So I definitely don't regret buying one at Best Buy now, as I wouldn't have had it tonight anyway.
The real point I'm trying to make, and probably could have done a better job of doing, is that for me at least, this is *the* release of 2007, and one of the best special editions ever produced. They opened up the vaults and gave us just about everything they could have. I might not be as impressed by that in and of itself for some other films, but considering all of the legal issues that have surrounded this film since the beginning, it's practically a miracle just to have anything, and I definitely take that into account in my opinion of the set.
(I think the most recent James Bond releases had the potential to be among the great special editions, for instance, but that it ends up being an "almost, but not quite" affair...had those features been provided for Blade Runner, I would have been ecstatic, but since James Bond hasn't had the sort of legal nightmare that Blade Runner has had, they had no excuse not to have done better.)
Also, I like that with the briefcase set, Warners are essentially saying, "This has everything, and you won't need to hold on to your earlier edition of the film, or buy something else that's already been out, to have everything." If you want everything for Lord of the Rings, you have to buy what? -- three different versions, now? That counts for a lot with me.
Like I said, it's all a matter of taste and preference, and for me, this Blade Runner briefcase set gives me everything I could have ever hoped for and much more. (OK, Vangelis chose not to be involved, and the music is very important to the film, but is it fair for me to knock the set for that when it comes with so much? I don't think so. Frankly, it was stupid and shortsighted for Vangelis not to be interested in appearing on it, but I'm not going to hold that against Charlie or Warners or the set.)
Stellar, stellar work.
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"Pronouncing the first 'r' in 'February' is like making a homemade seaQuest DSV uniform -- it's a crime
against breeding, taste, intelligence, and humanity itself; and very few people appreciate the effort."
-- Lore Fitzgerald Sjoberg
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jamesvader
Registered:
Mar '02
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Date Posted:
12/23/07 10:58am
Subject:
RE: Pass the Voight-Kampff Test -- **The Blade Runner Thread**
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Well, unbeknownst to me there was already a thread here in regard to the film. I posted a new thread with regard to the
5-Disc Collection and it was locked. It was late when I posted it and I very whatever reason didn't make the Voight-Kampff connection. I suggest the title be swicthed around to say: " Blade Runner": Pass the Voight Kampff Test, for fuddie duddies like me LOL!
So, for all itents and purposes (per the mod) here is my post, copied and pasted. It clearly doesn't flow with all your previous posts, but here it is anyway:
BEGIN ORIGINAL POST
Late friday afternoon I was finishing off some last minute Christmas shopping at Border's, and I stumbled upon Blade Runner: The Final Cut, Five-Disc Ultimate Collector's Edition. I totally forgot that it was officially released on Tueday, due to the fact I was home sick with a bad cold/flu all week.
It is very cool. The Final Cut looks and sounds freaking phenomenal. The low end frequencies are clear yet warm, almost pure in analog terms. It also comes with 3 previous versions (Original U.S. cut 1982, Intenational Cut 1982 and 1992's Directors Cut)each one Digitally restored and remastered to 5.1 specifications. Plus, an entire disc dedicated to the Making of, and another disc showcasing an Ultra-Rare, Pre-Release Workprint. Additionally, a rare art folio of Syd Mead's pre-pro artwork, a mini-replica of the Spinner, Unicorn and a cool "motion film clip" encased in a clear plastic. I am totally stoked on this! I totally yearn for a true and legit Sci-Fi Renaissance after watching this.......
Here are some pics:
The insanely gorgeous Nexus Six, Rachel.....
END ORIGINAL POST
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"Your Focus Determines Your Reality" http://thecommander.typepad.com/ Updated (About me section) 12-22-07
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VadersLaMent
Registered:
Apr '02
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Date Posted:
12/23/07 1:58pm
Subject:
RE: Pass the Voight-Kampff Test -- **The Blade Runner Thread**
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It's cool that the briefcase holds a Spinner.
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Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic--Arthur C. Clarke
Any sufficiently advanced extraterrestrial intelligence is indistinguishable from God--Michael Shermer
I am officially Awesome.
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Darth-Stryphe
Title: In time you will call me Saga Manager!
Registered:
Apr '01
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Date Posted:
1/9 3:17pm
Subject:
RE: Pass the Voight-Kampff Test -- **The Blade Runner Thread**
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I'm wondering, can anyone point me to a list of all the differences between the five versions (FC, DE, TE, International-TE, and WP)?
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