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BladeRunner posts

UK film critic doesn't understand using HDTV to watch old movies, why kids are on his lawn

by Richard Lawler posted Jul 16th 2009 at 6:51PM


Another day, another ignorant article about high definition. This time it's Peter Bradshaw, film critic for Guardian.co.uk, claiming Humphrey Bogart would have any cameraman approximating a "high definition" effect thrown off the set. Blatantly ignoring the fact that movies of that era were made on 35mm film with more resolution than even 1080p Blu-ray can display, Bradshaw claims that instead of a HDTV, viewers would be better off with a standard definition projector and DVDs. This is all in response to a recent Sky ad campaign (check out the video with Sir Anthony Hopkins dropping in Rutger Hauer's Blade Runner monologue after the break, plus the original) promoting the broadcaster's new HD transfers, allowing home viewing of many older films in quality that would be impossible unless you'd seen it the first week in theaters, and with sound that likely surpasses anything available at the time. What someone should explain to Mr. Bradshaw and so many others with this misconception is that HDTV allows us to see the movie closer to the way it was meant to be seen when it was originally mastered, with all the detail that was present. Provided a high quality transfer, there's plenty of reasons to catch old flicks in a new format, so spread the word.

Continue reading UK film critic doesn't understand using HDTV to watch old movies, why kids are on his lawn

Blade Runner Blu-ray Complete Edition arriving with botched Workprint disc?

by Darren Murph posted Dec 20th 2007 at 12:19AM


Although we just heard that the five-disc Complete Collector's Edition of Blade Runner was a solid buy for HD DVD aficionados, things aren't going so well for those hoping to enjoy the same experience on Blu-ray. Granted, we're sure the actual image / audio quality is up to snuff on the BD version, but in a mishap similar to that seen with the latest Harry Potter box set, some BD packages are apparently arriving with duplicated discs. More speficially, a growing number of individuals are claiming that their Disc 5 (correctly labeled as the rare Workprint edition) is actually a copy of Disc 1 (the Final Cut iteration). A surefire way to check is to see if your Disc 5 has a Dolby TrueHD track on it -- if so, you've received a mislabeled disc. Of course, considering the general unavailability of the Blu-ray set, simply exchanging these may prove difficult. We'll keep you posted if an official announcement is divulged.

[Via Blu-ray]

Blade Runner HD DVD box set gets reviewed

by Darren Murph posted Dec 19th 2007 at 6:39PM


Blade Runner fanatics have been waiting for this five-disc collector's edition for a long, long time, and thankfully, the wait is finally over. 'Course, we're fairly confident the BR faithful will be snapping this one up regardless, but for those sitting squarely on the fence, BlogCritics has went ahead and given the HD DVD set a once over. Irrespective of your opinion on the actual storyline, the scenery throughout the film was said to be "stunning," and moreover, it reportedly exhibits "one of the greatest restoration jobs you'll ever see." Granted, only the latest cut of the movie was so "lovingly redone," so we're warned to prepare for subpar quality when viewing the theatrical cut and workprint version. On the audio side, the Dolby TrueHD mix managed to impress, and while the package is chock-full of extras, it should be noted that two of the five discs (holding the three-hour documentary and an array of featurettes) are actually standard DVDs. All in all, this one sounds like a surefire winner for fans of the original, but make sure you give the full review a glance before deciding either way.

Harry Potter, Blade Runner coming to Blu-ray and HD DVD in Q4

by Richard Lawler posted Jul 18th 2007 at 2:01PM

More news from the Home Media Expo, as Warner Home Video made it a point to show off its upcoming deluxe box sets, few more widely anticipated than the high definition releases of Harry Potter and Blade Runner. Fans of the Harry Potter series can get all five films, on Blu-ray or HD DVD along with "exclusive memorabilia", at a price of $149.99, a $30 premium over the standard DVD set. Blade Runner is getting a five disc DVD re-release that will also hit Blu-ray and HD DVD, but no word on prices for the HD editions or special features. According to VideoBusiness both should debut sometime in the fourth quarter, it appears that Total HD or not Warner is taking advantage of its support for both formats by releasing its heavy hitters sooner, rather than later.

'Blade Runner' Coming to Blu-ray and HD DVD

by Matt Burns posted May 30th 2006 at 9:08AM

Talk about a great film for high-def! Warner Bros. is going to re-release the '92 Blade Runner: The Director's Cut for a short four month run. The next year however, they are going to celebrate the films 25th anniversary with a box set of the original '82 version, the '92 directors cut and tons of extras. The great news is that Warner Bros. currently supports both Blu-ray and HD DVD and has plans to bring these titles out on both of 'em. There is going to be more details to follow so we will keep you up to date.




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