Thursday, October 18, 2007

Blade Runner

Update:
leviathud said...
Just wondering, can HD versions run on regular dvd players and televisions? Or do I need to wait until I get my house completly HD'd?

eolake said...
Generally they can't. It's a completely new format with many more bits per disc.
But I think a few releases contain both an HD edition and a regular DVD edition, perhaps on opposite sides of one disk. (If I were publishers, I would do this on all releases, it surely would improve sales.)

I just found this HD info page on Amazon.

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Hey, "Blade Runner" is soon available in HD. If ever there was a movie which begs for high definition viewing...

Here are some less likely candidates, which nevertheless are coming out in HD-DVD: "Abba the Movie", "Leaving Las Vegas", and "Clerks 2". Geez. :)

A good candidate, though, and also coming, is "Pan's Labyrinth", which I watched recently on DVD. It is a visually stunning fantasy movie for adults, in Spanish. Take note, though, when I say "for adults". It really is. It is so violent that it makes "The Passion Of The Christ" look like Winnie The Poo. OK, not really, from what I hear, The Passion still reigns supreme in the violence area. But Pan is really gruesome.

Also coming out in HD: "Darkman". If you think you've seen bad superhero films, you ain't seen nothing yet. When I saw it in the cinema back in the day, there were laughs where the producers really would not have wanted them. It was so embarrassing. I don't get why this film is not buried deep.
... Update: Ah, it was made by Sam Raimi, who has made good movies since. That explains it.

Update: talking about Blade Runner, look at this edition, geez.

Update: OK, I had not even noticed that the HD version I have ordered is also this "final cut" version. It is getting very good reviews.

15 comments:

  1. I liked Darkman, but not because I thought it was good. :)

    It's too bad I won't be able to see the HD Blade Runner, as that is one of my all-time favourites.

    I haven't seen any of the others you mentioned. I really have to get that HD thing going.

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  2. Blade Runner sure would be nice to see on HD. The others too.

    I haven't been following this, is there anything new on the HD DVD vs. Blu-ray format war?

    Eo, do you have both players, or how have you resolved this?

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  3. I only have HD-DVD. When I bought it, it had not really dawned on me that most films only come in one of the formats.

    The war is not solved yet. And I hear sales of HD disks (both kinds) are miniscule. Maybe for the same reason.

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  4. People are afraid of wasting their money. They want to see who the clear winner will be. Probably especially the Betamax suckers of the 80s. ;-)

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  5. sigh. My betamax still records better than the 5 VHSs I've had to buy since.

    If Im not mistaken, the newly edited edition of Blade Runner is supposed to have a limited theatrical release sometime this month.

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  6. There's no doubt Beta was better. It's too bad it couldn't have won, but in hindsight it didn't have a chance.

    Even the early VHS players were ridiculous expensive.

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  7. eolake said:
    "Update: talking about Blade Runner, look at this edition, geez."

    Yeah, I don't think I like it that much!

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  8. I do. I really like it just that much. All that for 54$? If Im not mistaken that was close to the price of just one of the Lord Of the Rings Special Edition movies?
    And its got its own suitcase!

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  9. Well, if it has a suitcase! :)

    But seriously, I'd like to see the documentaries. If this set had included an HD version...

    I've actually read the book Future Noir.

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  10. Just wondering, can HD versions run on regular dvd players and televisions? Or do I need to wait until I get my house completly HD'd?

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  11. Generally they can't. It's a completely new format. I think some releases contain both an HD edition and a regular DVD edition, perhaps on opposite sides of one disk. (If I were publishers, I would do this on all discs, it would improve sales.)

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  12. It'll take time, just like the DVD, the CD, and all other format changes. At first, it's very costly, then it slowly becomes more affordable and widespread, and THEN the real profits are made.

    POLICE SQUAD!
    In color (where available)

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  13. I'm not sure what Police Squad has to do with the price of fish. But it's good. I bought it last year on DVD.
    Though the films were even better. (Naked Gun.)

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  14. Norbert, you have a little something on your chin.

    I agree with Pascal, the first Are you Being Served was B&W but still credited BBC Colour at the end?!?

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  15. Just a pun on a personal memory of mine: I recall my frustration as a kid, when Woody Woodpecker cartoons were announced, "in color", and on my B&W TV I saw none of them colors. At first I thought: "What a crock!"

    I was born a decade before color TV became everywhere, including in my home. That something on my chin? It's a long white beard. Norbert? mumblemumble... Who's Norbert? Speak up, son!

    Police Squad made a reference to this in their opening joke, which this discussion reminded me of.

    The babysitter to the small children: "This story happened a very long time ago. Even before there were any laptops, cell phones and DVDs."

    The times, they are accelerating. As if running from a psycho with a big blade?...

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