from the brief discussion of bladerunner in the film quiz thread, chris:
I think there are four versions released (5, 4, 3 and 2 discs respectively). This was the only version that gave me the new cut (no doubt containing 17 seconds of new material) plus the old director’s cut. Truthfully, I just wanted ‘Bladerunner’ on DVD so I can throw out my old video version. I’ve always liked the movie (a lot) but I found myself teaching a bit of it this past semester, so I thought it would be useful to have it on DVD.
can someone explain to me why so many smart critics (and reynolds as well) slam this movie? i don’t think it is as good as i thought it was when i saw it as a teenager but does it really deserve to be reviled as it so often is, or just faintly praised? here, for instance, is stephen metcalf on the new dvd set, on slate. he has very positive things to say about the film’s stunning visuals and atmospherics, but the review is framed more in terms of the film’s mythos and is finally dismissive. okay, so there are some lame narrative moments–but isn’t this on many levels a visionary film that has had a gigantic impact on its genre?