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The most captivating and complete high-def edition you'll hate upgrading to....
Warner / 117 Minutes / 1982 / Rated R / Street Date: October 23, 2012
It's the kind of thing that gives high-def a bad name. Enough fanboy geeks will pony up the $70 for this 30th Anniversary Edition of the esteemed Blade Runner to probably make a small profit for Warner Bros., but even if this presentation is a rehash of arguably the single most comprehensive home video release ever to hit the market, it's a rehash nonetheless. At this point, Blade Runner might just be the movie with the most home video editions ever, with multiple incarnations on LaserDisc, DVD, HD DVD, and now Blu-ray.
And yes, if you've never bought the film in high-def before, go with this release: the 'Workprint Cut' of the movie has been given an upgrade to lossless audio, and the Dangerous Days doc (and some other ancillary bonuses) also appears on Blu-ray Disc and not DVD - I suppose it's fair to say that the minimal sins that plagued the Complete Collector's Edition have been atoned for (except while the 'Workprint Cut' gets a lossless push, three of the five editions of the movie here are still saddled with lossy presentations - ARGH!).
This 30th Anniversary Edition marks what can be called a quintuple-dip - it's the fifth Blu-ray edition made available (this new edition comes in two incarnations). Blade Runner remains a stalwart sci-fi favorite, and the ability to access no fewer than five various cuts of the movie continues to be a cinephilic marvel, an opportunity to truly feel like you're sitting next to Ridley at the Movieola. Yet let's leave it at this: Blade Runner: 30th Anniversary Collector's Edition is a technical accomplishment, of course, but the consumer rage you'll feel toward it might negate its potential wonder.
Maybe the next eight high-def editions of the movie will ease those misgivings....