"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe."

[greygirlbeast]

Yesterday, I did a very respectable 1,522 words on "The Crimson Alphabet," managing to get from F to H (futanari, gallery, hive, and inhuman). F was the best of the four. Today, I'll do J through M and finish the first half for Sirenia Digest #25.

Afterwards, Spooky made spaghetti for dinner, and then we went out into the cold and the dark to see Blade Runner: The Final Cut at the Plaza on Ponce. Thing is, I'm probably one of the biggest damn Blade Runner geeks on the planet. I've long since lost count of how many times I've seen previous incarnations of the film, but would not be surprised if it were close to two hundred. It's one of those films I love so much I can recite it in my sleep. I was there on opening night on June 25th 1982. I was 18 years old; that particular theatre (Eastwood Twin at Eastwood Mall) was long ago torn down. I was there in 1994 when the "director's cut" was released (this time I saw it in a theatre in Athens, GA), and I thought, Yes, finally, they've put it back together (though, in truth, it was a rush job that Scott wasn't happy with). I've gone through a VHS of the film and two DVDs. All of this is just to say that I was very excited about seeing the "final cut" last night, more than twenty-five years after its initial release. And I was not disappointed. More than anything, this is a cleaner, tidier cut, not so much narratively different film from the 1994 release as cinematographically different. Some really annoying shots have been fixed. The best example, offhand, is when Roy Batty releases the white dove, and we get the shot of it flying away. Before, it was always this ugly, muddy blue shot that never made much sense, like we were seeing a shot that didn't really belong in the film. Now, we see the dove rising up towards the lights of the city skyline. The only thing I found jarring was one of Batty's lines during his confrontation with Tyrrell. In the previous two cuts I've seen, he says "I want more life, fucker." It sounds like he's about to say father, but changes his mind. In the "final cut," he says "father," instead. It's a somewhat inexplicable change and absolutely the only one I disagreed with. Overall, it's a gorgeous cut, and the sound (even at the Plaza, which does not have the best sound system in town) is crisp and possessed of more depth than I ever before noticed. It was just about the best way I could have imagined spending dratted Xmas Eve (short of getting that modest harem of nubile young Asian cyborgs with tentacle implants in just the right places that I mentioned a several days ago). I even took a few photos to mark the day:









Waiting for the curtain to rise.



But that's about it for yesterday. The next four letters of the alphabet await, as does coffee.

Comments

[chris-walsh.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you got to see that cut on the big screen. I did, too (http://chris-walsh.livejournal.com/412092.html), and it knocked me out again. I remember when I saw the so-called "director's cut" in 1992 and I half-expected a voice to say "Pay attention; there will be a quiz!" (I was still a student at the time.)

Show that alphabet who's boss, and thank you for continuing that story. I really liked "The Black Alphabet"; I was glad to see your funnier side come out in some of those story's letters.

[mellawyrden.livejournal.com]

I'll be heartbroken to hear "fucker" changed to "father". That dialogue between Tyrell and Roy is my favourite. "Father" changes Roy's stance entirely in the power equation playing out between them.

[stardustgirl.livejournal.com]

Did Hubero enjoy his spaghetti? Spooky told me of his dining adventures.

I intend to venture Outside sometime this week to take in Sweeney Todd. My movie budget is miniscule, hence only one film, Last month it was Beowulf (3d IMAX). I hope Blade Runner hangs around until January.

[jtglover.livejournal.com]

I've only seen Blade Runner once, and I think I was too young to appreciate it very much. I've been pondering how best to take in (what everybody says is) the best SF film ever. Don't know if I'll get to it in the theaters or not, but I think I'll give this cut a try...

Also, I'm looking forward to more details about your appearance in MD when you have them. I don't know for sure if I would be able to make it (if any portion of it is even open to the public)... but I'm still looking forward to hearing more about it. If nothing else, perhaps they'll transcribe or record some portion of things.

[sfmarty.livejournal.com]

I have Blade Runner marked down for the 1L30 show today. Very excited.

[laudre.livejournal.com]

Did you mean futanari?

[wolven.livejournal.com]

And thank you for Daughter of Hounds. More than anything else, because of everything else, thank you.

[frankenspam.livejournal.com]

Man, that is awesome--I love Blade Runner so, so much. I'm glad you got to see it on the big screen--it came out the year I was born, so I definitely didn't get to see it on the big screen. I really hope they show it in Seattle. :)

[carnell.livejournal.com]

Have you seen this yet:

http://www.amazon.com/Blade-Runner-Five-Disc-Ultimate-Collectors/dp/B000K15VSA/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1198651418&sr=8-1

Or this:

http://www.amazon.com/Blade-Runner-Trilogy-Anniversary-Amazon-com/dp/B000Z0OX9O/ref=pd_bbs_sr_7?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1198651418&sr=8-7

C got them for me for Xmas.
It's pretty nice.