Blade Runner: 30th Anniversary Collector's Edition

Harrison Ford is Rick Deckard, a Blade Runner who prowls the steel and microchip jungle of 21st Century Los Angeles in a disturbing vision of the future. Deckard's assignment is to stalk genetically made criminal replicants and wipe them out. Their crime: wanting to be human. Loosely based on the Philip K. Dick novel Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? (Tricia Spears)

Housed inside a book filled with production art and sketches, special features on Disc One include The Final Cut (2007) with an introduction by Director Ridley Scott; commentary by Scott; commentary by Executive Producer/Co-Screenwriter Hampton Fancher, Co-Screenwriter David Peoples, Producer Michael Deeley, and Production Executive Katherine Haber; commentary by Visual Futurist Syd Mean, Production Designer Lawrence G. Paull, Art Director David L. Snyder, and Special Photographic Effects Supervisors Douglas Trumbull, Richard Yuricich, and David Dryer. Disc Two includes the 1982 U.S. Theatrical Cut, the 1982 International Theatrical Cut, and the 1992 Director's Cut of the film. Disc Three includes the rare Workprint version of the film (HD 01:50:05) with an introduction by Ridley Scott and optional commentary by Future Noir Author Paul M. Sammon, a stills gallery, the making-of documentary Dangerous Days: Making Blade Runner (SD 03:34:25), All Our Variant Futures: From Workprint To Final Cut (SD 28:33), and an Access featurette (SD 29:33).

Last reviewed in Issue 128 in the 25th Anniversary Ultimate Collectors Edition on DVD, this new 1080p VC-1 Blu-ray Disc collection features "Blade Runner: The Final Cut" with an aspect ratio of 2.40:1 with a transfer supervised by Director Ridley Scott. This is an artistic cinematic experience with noticeably better resolution and deep, solid black levels. The black levels, as well as the shadow delineation, are key for this film, which has many dark scenes and should be viewed in a blackened room using a display with excellent native contrast performance. Colors are bold and vibrant, really popping from the screen with warmth and richness, and contrast is very nicely rendered. The picture has an impressively dimensional look to it. There are times where the image can look overly soft, but overall resolution is excellent with fine detail evidenced. This is the best that "Blade Runner" has ever looked on home media and is sure to be cherished by fans of the cinematic classic. (Gary Reber)

The remastered Dolby® TrueHD 5.1-channel soundtrack is spectacular, with nicely placed phantom images around the room and a good use of each channel, to create a detailed dimensional soundfield. While Vangelis' haunting and mood-induced synthesizer score provides effective surround, there are times when the surround channels are not used effectively, but the front stage is so broad and deep, it can go unnoticed that the surround channels do not have a signal sent to them. Deep below 25 Hz bass in the .1 LFE channels provides foundational support and enhanced impact in various segments. Pans from the front of the room to the rear are crafted brilliantly, with a completely seamless transition between the two stages. Dialogue intelligibility is excellent, spatial integration is excellent, and Foley effects are perfectly executed. This is a terrific, intensely engaging holosonic® soundtrack experience that really connects emotionally to communicate the futurist story. (Gary Reber)