This thread is dedicated to compiling a list of many of the changes made to the Blade Runner final cut. Feel
free to add any pics or notes to this thread and I'll add it to the message. I'll start all the ones I know of.
The Opening Crawl:
For the Final Cut, the opening crawl has been slightly enlarged; not a major change but a change nonetheless.
Original:
Final Cut:
Spinner fix #1:
At the beginning, the spinner flying towards the screen always unconvincingly appeared out of thin air,
but in the new Final Cut it can be seen at the very beginning of the scene gradually getting closer to us.
Original:
Final Cut:
Spinner fix #2:
At the beginning, when the spinner flies by from the right of the screen, the flames could be seen through the
ship due to the overlaying effects used at the time. That has been corrected.
Original:
Final Cut:
The Eye:
The eye shot now features movement including a twitching eye lid and dilating iris. Hard to tell from the
pictures but when you see it live it's really neat.
Original:
Final Cut:
Shortened shot:
The lingering shot of Deckard has been shortened, this was originally there because there was a narration.
Spinner Wires Removed:
All the shots of spinners where you can see the support wires have been fixed; all the wires have been digitally removed.
Original:
Final Cut:
Original:
Final Cut:
Original:
Final Cut:
1 or 2?:
Bryant now correctly states 2 replicants got fried trying to escape.
Leon Info:
Bryant speaks more about Leon during the moment when the screen has Leon's information posted. This was in the Workprint
Radio Chatter:
More radio chatter has been added to the scenes when Deckard is with Gaff in the spinner.
The Tyrell Building #1:
The small towers on top of the building have been modified for HD.
It was confirmed by Charles de Lauzirika that this is a change and not just due to the HD scan.
Original:
Final Cut:
The Tyrell Building #2:
When Gaff's spinner descends to the building, the city can be seen in the distance. This now matches the first shot.
Original:
Final Cut:
Voice added:
When Deckard and Gaff are let into Leon's apartment the man opening the door for them now says "Kowalski."
Roy in the Phone Booth:
One of the biggest changes involved the scene in which Roy is introduced in the phone booth. Originally this
shot of Roy was stolen from the confrontation scene between Roy and Tyrell, hence the finger on his shoulder.
The colour and background didn't match but now it has been fixed with fantastic and truly convincing results.
One of my favorite changes just because it looks so perfect.
Original:
Final Cut:
Original:
Final Cut:
The Unicorn Re-edited:
For the Final Cut, the unicorn scene has been re-edited and results in what was originally intended by Scott.
I'll never be able to go back to the DC version as this new edited scene is fantastic.
Also, apparently some digital tools were used to slightly stabilize the wobbling unicorn horn.
The Esper Photo:
The Esper enhanced photo of Zhora now has been fixed with the assistance of Joanna Cassidy.
Original:
Final Cut:
Serial Number corrected:
The serial number written on the snake scale has been altered to match what the woman says.
Original:
Final Cut:
Extended shot:
When Deckard leaves the woman observing the serial number, there is an extended panning long shot of him
leaving, it really makes the cut work better.
Audio synced:
This is another much needed fix. When Deckard has a chat with Abdul, the dialog was always completely
out of sync. Now Ben Ford helped in fixing this with fantastic results. How Charlie was able to make Harrison
Ford's head stay straight and not tilt until the last few frames of the scene is beyond me; amazing work done by the restoration team!
Original:
Final Cut:
New scene:
A new shot featuring dancers wearing hockey masks occurs before Deckard enters the club to find Zhora.
Echoed Voice:
When Deckard yells, "Move! Get out of the way!" before he fires at Zhora, the yell is slightly echoed making it
seem he is truly in the location, quite effective actually.
Improved Gun shots:
The gun shots from Deckard's blaster also sound much more powerful in all the scenes of the movie especially
when he retires Zhora.
Zhora's Death:
Many fans already know about this change so i won't go into too many details but basically Joanna Cassidy
re-shot the death scene on a green screen and her head was digitally added to cover the obvious stunt
double shot back in 1982. This is one of the biggest changes to the film and the results are absolutely perfect.
Original:
Final Cut:
Original:
Final Cut:
Make-up removed:
Originally the movie had Deckard fighting Leon before killing Zhora and meeting Bryant but then it was
moved to after those said scenes. Unfortunately, Ford had make-up during those scenes implying he already
fought Leon. Now it has been removed for the scenes leading up to the fight. The good thing is; you can't
even tell it was there.
Original:
Final Cut:
"I want more life...":
This somewhat controversial change occurs during the scene when Roy Batty meets with his creator, Tyrell.
In all other versions he says "I want more life fucker." But in this new Final Cut he says "I want more life father."
Extended Violence:
The extended moments of violence during the death of Tyrell and Pris has been added back into the Final Cut.
These moments originally appeared in the International version of the film.
Camera Crew Shadows:
During the finale the camera crews' shadows were seen on the wall behind Deckard and for the Final Cut the
shadows have been removed digitally
Original:
Final Cut:
Matte Lines and Shot Reverse:
All the visible Matte lines on the Matte Paintings have been removed and colour corrected to match.
Also, this shot when Deckard breaks through the window has been flipped to match later shots.
Original:
Final Cut:
TDK Sign:
This shot slightly shows the TDK sign later visible behind Roy during his death. The problem is that the
sign first shown is neon red and later on is not. So it has been digitally corrected to match the look of
the sign later on.
Original:
Final Cut:
The Dove:
The shot of the Dove flying into the sky has been corrected to match the surroundings. Finally this shot works.
Original:
Final Cut:
The End Credits:
The end credits have been modified to feature those involved in this awesome restoration. Also, a
new cast member has been added which finally solves a mystery.
Original:
Final Cut:
