Synopsis:

This creates a more focused and streamlined version of BLADE RUNNER by removing any extraneous material. For all those, who always felt the original(s) ran far too long and moved far too slowly.

Intentions:

To remove any extraneous material and create a more focused and streamlined narrative. I’ve always felt the original(s) ran far to long and moved far too slowly.

Change List:

- Overall made pacing tightening changes to all scenes in order to change the languid slow pace of the dialog and scenes. Removed any scene or shot that didn’t directly contribute to moving the story along – with specific focus on the plot and drive of the narrative instead of character or atmospheric enhancers. This included almost all the transition scenes. Highlights: – Cut opening and changed score music (substituted End Titles score that has some rhythm and pace) in order to create a more exciting opening that more quickly kick-starts the film. – Fun frankenstein shot: Leon’s VK scene; created a new shot with picture from Leon standing in front of Holden (that part of opening boom shot cut), using wildline dialog of Leon saying “Sure,” in response to Holden saying, “Reaction time is a factor…” Needed a cutaway from Holden to be able to skip the opening non-VK preamble and cut right to the testing. You can’t tell that Leon isn’t sitting down. And in the original shot he never says anything, but does slightly nod his head and move his mouth, so dropping in the dialog worked like a charm. – Re-arranged sequences in order to show the parallel actions within the film. For example, Deckard brings Rachel up an elevator into his apartment while Sebastian does the same with Pris. Also, Deckard and Batty both deal with hand issues and pain in parallel in the end sequence. Also re-arranged sequences to make more narrative sense/flow. So now when Roy interrogates Chu and finds out about Sebastian, the next scene is Sebastian arriving at his house and discovering Pris. – Removed the entire photo-enhancement scene. I never understood the motivation for this. It’s interminably long and not very pertinent. Deckard already knows what Zhora looks like (from the video in his meeting with Bryant). He should have copious photos and documentation on all the replicants. The tattoo is no disguise and even when he finds her he verifies using the snake scale. The detective work that enables him to find her is the snake scale, not the photo. When he interviews the snake merchant, it’s impossible to really hear who he says bought the snake – so one could easily assume he said Zhora. So cutting right to him staking out her room backstage makes sense. – Removed Deckard calling Rachel and seeing her after the Zhora kill. None of this made sense to me and the reveal of her shooting Leon seems far more shocking if we haven’t seen her, but only heard from Bryant that she’s gone awol. Why would Deckard call her to come to a bar while he’s in the middle of hunting dangerous replicants that have slaughtered 23 people? And it’s the future, but no one has a cell-phone? He uses a video payphone! – Added chase music score to the Zhora chase, and repeated the same music when Roy chases Deckard in the end game. I liked the poetry of the same motif that originally represented him as the hunter being turned around. Plus I felt both scenes could use more energy. – Occasionally added extra thunder sound fx to help underscore a scene or sell a transition. – Removed the repeated voice-over of Gaff saying “To bad she won’t live,” when Deckard stares at the origami unicorn at the end.

Additional Notes:

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