Pirates Ahoy!

[Damien Lloyd]

[quote=Damien Lloyd]My favourite film ever is Blade Runner.

The Final (or Director's) Cut, I hope.... :top:

Actually I don't have a favourite version. I got the Final Cut boxset with all of the versions included on the day it was released. I've watched the final cut a few times and it's excellent, I like the way they got Harrison Fords son into the studio to film his mouth and fix the scene in Abdul Ben-Hassan's shop. Watching the workprint was fun too.

I grew up with the original European version (with extra violence and the cheesy talkover). I love that version, I'm obviously the only person I know who likes the cheesy talk over. The continuous narrative makes the film like a "Mike Hammer in Space" movie. I accept that it dumbs down the films narrative, removes the clues that Deckard is a replicant, and the add on ending (which used scenes borrowed from the cutting room floor of "The Shining") detracts from the whole feel of the movie. But with it's faults I still love it. The '97 directors cut I also love. I was obviously a lot older when I watched it and therefore able to appreciate the significance of the dream sequence, and the shorter (better) ending leaves you with a sense of apprehension as you worry about the future of these two illegal replicants as thier journey for freedom begins.

The Final Cut is obviously the best version. The scenes have been fixed, the visual effects tweaked, the sound and picture bought bang up to date and the film restored to be viewed as originally intended. But sometimes I want to hear the lines "Sushi, that's what my ex-wife called me. Cold Fish".

I used to teach a film studies course and whenever I started on genres I always began with Blade Runner and worked backwards. (starting with films from the 1930's never worked with a class of high school children, you have to teach the skills needed to appreciate all forms of cinema first).

Oh and when my daughter was born... I named her Rachael