By Fred Topel | Image property of respective holders.
Blade Runner (Four-Disc Collector's Edition)
I didn't get the nifty briefcase edition of Blade Runner but they sent me the four disc set and the fifth disc separately, so that's cool. I just wanted to see the work print because it's really the last alternate version of Blade Runner yet to be seen. There were two theatrically available cuts, the director's cut and the Final Cut was released to theaters too. The work print was the real historical alternate.
DVD Review: Blade Runner Collector's Edition
As I often find with alternate versions, I still couldn't tell the difference. I've now seen every version of Blade Runner and the only way I know I'm watching a theatrical version is that it has voiceover.
So the work print has a few scattered shots that were later taken out. I only noticed the mask dancers because they're shown in Ridley Scott's introduction. It doesn't have the unicorn dream which everyone talks to much about, and there is one line of voiceover at Batty's death. Really, the most shocking alternates are the title cards with some crazy different font!
The work print holds up pretty well on an HDTV. It doesn't look like the Final Cut for sure, but it's not tattered or fuzzy. It just looks like a movie from 1982. So anyway, unless you're super obsessed with Blade Runner, I think the four versions in the collector's edition are just fine, though if you're paying, I guess having the briefcase on the shelf would be worth it.
The Blade Runner Collector's Editions are out on DVD now.
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