digitalfreaknyc

From the latest Total Film:

Total Film: We've heard talk of a definitive Blade Runner DVD for years. What's the latest news?

Ridley Scott: They're going to re-release it next year in a digital reconstruction and get the original stems from Vangelis, so we're going to have all the original tracks. Then we're going to celebrate 25 years - can you believe it? - and from that will come the best DVD.

Total Film: What version are we going to see on it?

Ridley Scott: It's going to be the Director's Cut. There will be none of that flying off into the landscape at the end - living happily ever after and all that bollocks, because it's always bothered me, that, I thought, if you've got landscape out there like that, why live in that horrible city?

Egon's Ghost

So the problems with Perenchio have disappeared? Maybe he was disappeared.

In a way, I'm a bit disappointed that we don't get the international cut that was available on home video for so many years.

I sure hope this really sees the light of day.

astrochimp

oh well

digitalfreaknyc

Not me. I'd never watch it again.

Argentoholic

Great news. You guys can keep your cold fish.

bboisvert

... And the value of the Criterion laserdisc rises even higher.

Josh Z

Warner has always held the rights to the 1992 "Director's Cut", and that is what they will be reissuing. Perenchio is preventing them from releasing the 1982 theatrical cut or from assembling any new cut of the movie (which is what Scott wanted to do).

djtoell

Warners has a license for the 1992 Director's Cut through Perenchio/Yorkin. When the film went overbudget, full ownership passed to Perenchio and Yorkin. Any version of the film has to be licensed through them.

Anyway, when Scott says "It's going to be the Director's Cut," it doesn't necessarily mean the 1992 release. He doesn't specify either way, but he could just as easily be using that name to refer to his own revised final cut.

DJ

digitalfreaknyc

Good. I'm about to sell mine

Egon's Ghost

That would be cool, as apparently he came across some lost footage when he was working on the definitive DVD a couple of years ago. Of course, the 1992 release isn't really the director's cut, as he wasn't involved in it.

I was hoping to be able to see Terrell's eyes go squish.

Josh Z

He was involved with it and gave final approval. It just wasn't the ideal cut that he wanted at the time.

Egon's Ghost

Well, as I understand from Paul Sammon's book, and it's been awhile, Scott didn't put it together, and didn't have approval, but you may be right. I remember an interview in the book with Sammon and Scott said, "it's not my cut, but it's close enough."

Josh Z

It's also been a while since I read it, but as I recall there were two restoration projects going on simultaneously. One was being worked on using the International cut of the film (with the extra snippets of violence) as a base and the other using the American theatrical cut. Scott was actively involved with the former, while the studio commissioned the latter. The one using the American cut was more likely to meet the studio's deadline and come in on budget, so Scott said, "As long as you can put the unicorn scene in, and remove the voiceover and happy ending, that's close enough". They did and he gave his approval.

Someone can correct me if I'm misremembering.

naitram

Would like the original to replace my shoddy copy, but a new cut by Scott would make me happy regardless.

TomOpus

I have the book (signed by Paul ) and looked to see if I could find the exact quote. I think this is it:

Scott agrees with Arick's reservations. "The so-called Director's Cut isn't, really. But it's close. And at least I got my unicorn."