Why the Blade Runner Special Edition DVD has not been released
 

The NY Times has named names on why the Blade Runner Special Edition 3-DVD set is on hold. It is their report, not mine.

They say, "The avidly awaited, definitive version of Ridley Scott's science-fiction classic, "Blade Runner," won't be out on DVD anytime soon for stranger reasons. When "Blade Runner" was being shot in the early 1980's, Bud Yorkin, a veteran television comedy producer, and Jerry Perenchio, now the C.E.O. of Univision, were the film's bond-completion guarantors. When the film went over budget, by contract they assumed ownership of the film. Paul Sammon wrote in his book "Future Noir: The Making of `Blade Runner' " that they hated the film, had bitter disputes with Mr. Scott and tried to take it away from him altogether.

The studio release, in 1982, contained superfluous narration and a tacked-on rosy ending. Mr. Scott removed both when he was allowed to make a "director's cut" in 1992, but it was, by his own account, a rush job.

Three years ago, Mr. Scott announced that he was working on a three-disc box set, which would offer all the versions of the film, including a new and polished director's cut with previously unseen footage and scads of bonus features. Then, at the end of 2001, Warner Brothers, which was planning to distribute the discs, pulled the plug. It did so, according to a producer who worked on the project, because Mr. Perenchio gave no sign that he would let them be released.

Mr. Perenchio, speaking through an assistant, had no comment on the situation. (Warner Brothers still sells the 1992 "director's cut," though the picture quality is mediocre.)"

It seems that Jerry Perenchio is being a jerk and doesn't want anyone to see the Blade Runner movie the way that it was meant to be seen.

I know there are quite a few Blade Runners on Frell Me Dead Forum and I think you might want a heads up on this.

The main NY Times article was not about Blade Runner, just this foot note, that is why I did not post the link to the original article, because you would have to weed throught the BS to find this foot note: http://www.brmovie.com/BR_News_2003A.htm

Well, that's frelled up. I really like that movie.

But now we know who is the problem and where to mail him at:

Jerry Perenchio
Univision Communications Inc
1999 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 3050
Los Angeles, CA 90067
phone: (310) 556-7676
fax: (310) 556-3568
http://www.univision.com

i always found it interesting that Ridley didn't like the voiceover narration because i think that's what cinches the film as a noir classic.

I liked the voice over... I didn't like the rosey and cheerful ending.

The director's cut of Blade Runner is probably my favourite movie of all time, honestly.

The original version with the voiceovers is bad, the voiceovers ruin the movie.

I liked the voiceovers from the standpoint that it helped the viewer understand more of what was going on and what Deckard?(spelling) was thinking. However, being that i've seen it more times than I can count and have the director's cut on DVD I find the voiceovers unneccesary. I also agree with Grinner about the ending of the original version as opposed to the director's cut. The ending of the directors cut leaves more to the imagination about their future. It may not neccesarily be the rosy and happy ending as depicted in the original theatrical release.

I looked up Univision Communications Inc and Perenchio is 72 years old. Can't he just get over it and let bygones be bygones?

Well now that I'm used to writing letters to network execs, I may have to give him a piece of my mind (politely and professionally of course).

Why do you think I posted this here in the first place, because you guys get things done. :aok:

Either WB will work out a deal with him or with his family after he dies of old age.

I too don't like the voiceovers. It looks like I'll have to keep watching my copy of The Director's Cut on VHS for a while. This sucks royally. Bladerunner is at the top of my scifi top lists. It brings me back to a time when the special effects didn't have to drive a scifi film and when Sean Young wasn't a psychopath.

The Director's Cut is already on DVD. The Theatrical Cuts (there are two) are not. The difference between the 2 theatrical cuts are IIRC that the US version was less violent, and had a different ending. The non-US theatrical version basically is the Director's Cut + voiceovers. I like the voiceovers... it's not noir w/o voiceovers... :)

I hate it when the theatrical versions of films are locked away from us for any reason. Blade Runner & the Original Star Wars Trilogy are the worst cases of this that I know of, for very different reasons. I even went to the trouble of making myself DVDs of these 4 films out of the LaserDisc versions I had... :)

Well if you want to get technical, the BR Movie released on DVD is called the 'International Cut' (info is found in the back of the Future Noir reference book), this new BR DVD movie is a new and remastered version of the movie.

The "rosy ending" was actually scenic outtakes from the movie "The Shining" with Jack Nicholson.

I'm PO'ed that the Director's Cut of "Dead Poets Society" still hasn't been released yet.

What happenes at the end of that version? Does Ethan Hawke's character die too? I might buy that version.