Play.com - Final Cut DVD shipped

The tin is really classy, I like it! It reminds me of a circuit board with the dots around the outer edges.

Congrats Nexuszix, I'm extremely envious of you right now.

First off, yeah it is a real tin and, to be honest, would rather have this than the US briefcase. (Besides, how the hell would you store that damned stupid briefcase anyway?!)

Secondly NO MAJOR SPOILERS!

Okay, I know US residents as gutted cos they gotta wait another two weeks...

... but, guys, you have no idea how absolutely worth it it is!!!

Now, there was talk about the non-inclusion of On the Edge of Blade Runner. I watched Edge on Sunday night and then Dangerous Days last night when my tin edition arrived. Days does exactly what Edge did - except this time it's done over a lovingly detailed three-and-a-half hours as opposed to one hour. So, yeah, Edge is thus rendered completely redundant and as such its exclusion it totally understandable. Also the outtakes and snippets sprinkled throughout the doc are mouth watering.

Days is on disc two, of course.

As for the Deleted and Alternative Scenes on disc 4: yeah, some nice little snippets here, but the vast majority of them consist of previously known scenes overlaid with alternate voice over. Know how a lot of us just HATE that v/o? Well, let's be honest, the v/o in the original theatrical cut is pretty sparse. But believe me - oh boy! - it could have been so much worse!! The alternate v/o given here is not only truly awful but almost wall-to-wall. Aaaarrgh!!!

There's more, tons and tons more I just haven't had time to go through yet: featurettes galore, including a wonderful one on how all the variant versions came about, from workprint to final cut.

Finally, what little I've listened to of Paul M. Sammon's audio commentary on the Workprint version makes it worth buying the 5 disc edition just to get that extra fifth disc with his comments on it.

Together with Vangelis's forthcoming 3-CD soundtrack release and Sammon's revised edition of Future Noir (now tentatively scheduled for January 2008) this season is a BR feast!

Thanks a lot for your first review of the box set.
It's really hard to wait until the postman will ring to my door to deliver this unvaluable treasure.
I'm really interested in watching the deleted scenes, specially those ones with Rachel inside the Deckard's apartment.
When you write that the vast majority of them consist of previously known scenes overlaid with alternate voice over, do you mean that they are scenes shooted from different angles, don't you?
I read somewhere that also the Dangerous Days documentary will show other deleted/alternative scenes together with backstage footage.

(Besides, how the hell would you store that damned stupid briefcase anyway?!)

I've seen this complaint before, and I don't quite understand it. You don't have to keep the DVDs inside the briefcase. Judging from the photos shown the DVDs are in digipak type package inside a cardboard sleeve (like the LOTR special editions) that could be stored on the shelf like any DVD set. After that, I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to find a place for the briefcase and collectibles. If you can't, you may want to clean up a little around the house

or ... just send me all the cases if you folks cant find the space for 'em!

i agree Merc - the digipak pictured with the briefcase set looks somewhat similar to the actual tin and will go nicely on my shelf. the briefcase will be the absolute coolest lunchbox ever. did he say lunchbox? Geek! i never had one as a kid so i will more than make up for it now (it worked for Michael Douglas in Falling Down!) and i dont even bring lunch. since everyone at the office already knows my 5-disc ultimate collection is ordered, they will try to steer clear of me in the upcoming weeks anyway. i can see it now in the office kitchen:

"remember the wires on the spinners?" 'No, whats a spinner?' "yeah - they took them out! isn't that great?" 'could you move, I just want my lunch...'

anyway, thanks for the initial review espergritblues. and thanks for no spoilers for those of us on this side of the puddle.

Besides, how the hell would you store that damned stupid briefcase anyway?!!

so you would store the Briefcase among other hundreds silly films? HA! no way man, you gotta keep it right next your bed (better, upon!), apart from the others and always at hand reach

First off, yeah it is a real tin and, to be honest, would rather have this than the US briefcase. (Besides, how the hell would you store that damned stupid briefcase anyway?!)

But you are not getting a metal spinner replica in your set right?

That spinner is worth $100 - $150 alone. I was going to purchase fan-made ones for years off ebay for those prices.

The metal briefcase is supposedly really sturdy.

And yea, the movies come in a normal LOTR-style DVD case that you throw on the shelf anyway.

I can't believe i have the Five disc tin and the two disc Bluray in my hands.
I am 51 years old and almost shaking with excitment. This is a great day and i don't care if people think i am completely nuts.

I can't believe i have the Five disc tin and the two disc Bluray in my hands.
I am 51 years old and almost shaking with excitment. This is a great day and i don't care if people think i am completely nuts.

Let us know how the Blu-Ray looks. I am sure it is mind-blowing!!!

Let us know how the Blu-Ray looks. I am sure it is mind-blowing!!!

Will do, i have a couple of cold beers in the fridge, boy am i looking forward to this.
I know i have already seen it in Venice but i think my sound system is better than the one that was put in for the Premiere. I watched the remastered version the other day and that is like 100% better than the original DVD. I think i am about to be blown away

Merc wrote:

I've seen this complaint before, and I don't quite understand it. You don't have to keep the DVDs inside the briefcase. I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to find a place for the briefcase and collectibles.

That's exactly my point!

You take the digipak out, put it on your shelf... and then shove the briefcase in a cupboard or loft and forgot about it. Or at best - maybe - look at it once in a blue moon. As for the collectibles; guys, come on, it's the discs we all want - to hell with the toys

(Incidentally, the UK digipak is the exact same as the one in the US briefcase, difference being the UK version comes in a tin instead of a briefcase. And, yeah okay, it doesn't have the spinner and foil unicorn but, eh, like I said it's the discs I want not some silly little props I would only ever look at once.)

Mr.Origami wrote:

When you write that the vast majority of them consist of previously known scenes overlaid with alternate voice over, do you mean that they are scenes shooted from different angles, don't you?

Sorry, no. The scenes are virtually identical to those seen in the finished movie, difference being that they either begin a little sooner or end later, these longer edits being a result (it would seem) of accommodating the alternate voice over. So, for instance, the camera will linger longer on facical expressions. Gaff and Deckard visiting Leon's apartment is extended throughout, again this would appear to be as a result of trying to accommodate the v/o.

Not that I'm knocking it: the extra footage of Batty visiting Tyrell and of Rachel in Deckard's apartment are a pleasure to behold (we're all familiar with the Holden hospial bed scene from "On the Edge of Blade Runner" and, yep, it's just as hammy looking as you remember - thank the good Lord that wasn't included in the Final Cut!)

As for scenes, Mr.Origami, shot from different angles - nope, can't say as I noticed, only that the scenes were markedly longer.

As for outtakes and backstage footage in the Dangerous Days doc - oh yes! And you're gonna love it...

the briefcase will be the absolute coolest lunchbox ever. did he say lunchbox? Geek!

You rang?

That is an inspired idea. Blade Runner O-Bento!!! So you can carry your "four pieces, two, two...and noodles" to go with you. That would be a cool project...find little boxes that are just right to fit into the briefcase, and so on. Sounds like I will have some work to do once my box set arrives.

However, if I mod it...I'll have to get another one to keep in a pristine state...why did you put this idea into my head, Photek? Why????

sorry MsGeek, but i knew it was just a matter of time before someone made the suggestion! and of course ... i wanted to be able to revel in MY time! but seriously, i remember that scene in "Falling Down" where Douglas' character finally opens his briefcase and we see nothing more than a sandwich and an apple. to borrow from the Guiness fellas - "Brilliant!"

but kudos to you MsGeek. as to the bento add-on, that is all yours! as much as i love my bento lunches here in lovely Monterey, i never conceived of that. thats why i entertained starting to bring my own lunch after so many years of taking out. i shall have to make a bento-like divider grid for the Haliburton as to accommodate my spring rolls, miso soup, and futomaki rolls! thank YOU for the great idea!

As for scenes, Mr.Origami, shot from different angles - nope, can't say as I noticed, only that the scenes were markedly longer.

There are actually quite a lot of alternate shots, angles and framings within the Deleted and Alternate Scenes, I assure you. And it's not just a matter of extending scenes for length or for the alternate voice-over. They're extended to show additional bits of business and character moments you've never seen before.

i shall have to make a bento-like divider grid for the Haliburton as to accommodate my spring rolls, miso soup, and futomaki rolls! thank YOU for the great idea!

Actually my idea was finding color-coordinated little boxes to attach inside the briefcase somehow, boxes which could be taken out of the briefcase for washing them after use. However, now that I think of it, there would be a slight problem with attaching them. It will make the whole thing a pain to clean. So I'm going to have to find a set that will fit closely inside the briefcase but not attach. With individual lids that again would not preclude latching the thing.

I'm lucky in that Little Tokyo is a subway ride away...there's a great little place called Marukai 98 which is sort of a 99 Cent Only store with Japanese goodies. Lots of kitchen gadgets, household items, and yes, lots of Bento containers of varying size. There's also a similar place in the Mitsuwa Shopping Center...oops, it's called Little Tokyo Shopping Center now.

Yes. I DO live in the City of Blade Runner! Sugoi neh!