![Blade Runner: The Final Cut (4K Ultra HD) [4K UHD]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91R070GrmoL._AC_UL160_SR160,160_.jpg)
This is a fantastic book and reference tool, and a must-have for any hard-core
Blade Runner
(BR) fanatic. It's packed with names, places, dates, fascinating factoids throughout, a trivia cornucopia. But, you've gotta be a serious BR fan to stick with author Paul Sammon all the way through this densely detailed, thorough, and clearly personally meaningful work. The book does have one major flaw: Sammon's failure to prove his subtitle promise that Blade Runner is the most influential sci-fi film of all time.
The book reads easily and well, Sammon's style informal. He writes as one BR fan to another, a great approach. The production details are thorough, insightful, and wonderful to read, 441 pages in 18 chapters, with nine appendices containing interviews, production details, the cast list, etc. Sammon is a total BR devotee, I compliment and commend him on his achievement and the recognition of those who worked so hard to make BR.
There is vast information throughout from all members of the cast and crew, all of them supportive of Sammon's effort to tell their story. There is surprisingly liberal information from the movie's principals, Ridley Scott, Harrison Ford, Sean Young, Michael Deeley, Syd Mead, Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. One disappointment is the absence of direct input and comment from the soundtrack maestro,
Vangelis
. Sammon nevertheless gives him thorough justice.
Wonderful esoteric tidbits abound through the book, such as the revelation that the original lead was not Harrison Ford, but Dustin Hoffman. Edward James Olmos provides great background on his preparation for his role as Gaff and his detailed construction of his Cityspeak dialog (most of it sadly unused). We learn of fantastic special effects scenes never realized, and that in the background in one of the aerial city shots is a painted Millennium Falcon model. We learn that the process of creating this movie was a years-long, highly personal effort, first by Hampton Fancher to secure rights and create a screenplay, then later by Ridley Scott and other members of the team who continued to craft the film even after they were fired by the production company. It is a story of dedication to craft and art from a group of artists looking to raise diverse artistic, social, moral, and ethical issues with this genre-transcending film. I often was reminded of
Hearts of Darkness
, the story of Francis Ford Coppola's unending dedication to and struggles making
Apocalypse Now
.
Highlighted superbly in the book is the true key to BR's success, Ridley Scott's intense attention to detail, his relentless questioning of the larger context and physical placement of the story. For example, Scott insisted on instructions painted on the futuristic parking meters in the street scenes. Absolutely illegible in the finished film, this sort of detail nonetheless set a compelling, even subconscious tone for the set and those who worked within it.
Particularly entertaining is Chapter 8, the scene by scene account of the shoot, with comment from the actors, producers, specialists, crew, and Scott. Also very useful for the true BR fanatic are the appendices listing all of the various BR versions, their formats, availability, and catalog information. Sammon does the same for the various soundtracks and musical compositions heard throughout the film, even the music and lyrics from the advertisements sported on the ad-blimps. Especially enjoyable is Appendix C's detailed list of "blunders," a compendium of the film's both obvious and subtle continuity errors, dubbing flaws, and inserted footage.
There are dozens of illustrations throughout the book, and Sammon gives due credit to BR's still photographer for the hundreds of stills that BR fans know and collect. The main problem is that the ONLY color photos in the entire book are on the front and back covers. The B/W photos in the book are small, grainy, poorly reproduced, and do not reflect Sammon's praise. These sorry photos do not allow the reader, who hasn't seen many of these never-before-published stills and production drawings, to revel in the details.
Sammon is overly obsessed with cataloging ALL of the different versions of the film, and detailing the most minute differences. We have chapter after repetitive chapter discussing the differences between the Workprint, the pre-release revisions, the theatrical release, the various video, broadcast, and satellite releases, as well as the competing director's cuts. The fascinating core tale of the political, economic, and artistic fights over all of these versions of the film is lost as Sammon loses track and focuses too closely on the details of the different versions, obsessing to the point of irrelevance on miniscule details. For the BR fanatic this is invaluable, but for most readers this makes the narrative tedious and repetitive, given this technical information is available in Appendix B.
Sammon's promised discussion of BR's influence on sci-fi film is absent. His subtitle, "The Fascinating Story Behind the...Most Influential SF Film Ever Made" promises a discussion of BR's influence on filmdom. His discussion is poorly introduced, disorganized, and sorrowfully weak on supporting facts and testimonials, leading ultimately to the conclusion that BR simply is NOT the most influential sci-fi film of all time. In fact, the paltry six-page discussion of BR's influence is one of the most shallow, most poorly researched and organized parts of the entire book. Nowhere in the book does he cite any filmmaker, actor, editor, producer, or special effects artist describing BR as an influence. Sammon's strength and enthusiasm clearly lie in the film's production details.
This book is an invaluable acquisition for any die-hard BR fan, and a great memoir for any student of filmmaking. It's not for the casual BR or film fan; it's a cult book, just as Blade Runner is a cult film. Disappointingly, Sammon fails to deliver a crucial element of his work, a thorough and convincing discussion of BR's influence on cinema and its place in greater filmdom.
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Join or create book clubs
Choose books together
Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. Learn more
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle Cloud Reader.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Flip to back Flip to front
Follow the Author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.
Frequently bought together
$58.77
Get it as soon as Thursday, Oct 20
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Choose items to buy together.
Customers who viewed this item also viewed
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
Customer reviews
goes straight through all facts and shines brilliance on this mythical best sci fi film ever made.
Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2020
An amazing tome about Blade Runner (1982), the best sci fi film ever made written by someone with justifiable knowledge and worthiness as he himself is in the movie business, and a media journalist who had visited the movie's set numerous times while under production. Paul k Sammon, then writer for Cinefantastique amongst other high brow movie magazines from the early 1980s, takes us on a direct voyage into the atmospheric poetic noir and existential future film from its earliest conception as a novel through to its development as a script and of course in order, a scene by scene making of account. When not using his own material (interviews etc) he cites from various media sources to fill in the gaps. His prose is never overly witty and requiring a dictionary...this pro writer digs up ghosts from the movie's past with exclusive interviews with actors, directors and producers to tell the story of the film. Subjects also tackled are the press screenings, the differences of all the cuts out there, the psychology of the film (including the moods of the actors and crew) and special effects rundown details. This is the definitive edition of Future Noir, large yet a page turner. Everything you want to know from laser disc edition differences to what was stewing in the mind of ace director Ridley Scott on set and in retrospection. And never does the boom come across as some fanatics salivatory attempt at over glorifying his/her subject. For the non hard-core fan of the film, it is still a passionately detailed well written book about how a film is conceived, made, then marketed and its impact on society. Something for everyone.
Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2020
Images in this review
Top reviews from other countries
Mr Bigsby
One of The Best "Making Of...." Books I've Read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 11, 2018
Michalis Theo
A must read for Blade Runner and sci-fi fans and a very interesting book about the film making process for all cinephiles
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 27, 2018Richard
For the affectionado of the movie.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 19, 2017Barry Lees
Bible for "Blade Runner" anoraks
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 22, 2011
Nick Deckard
Fantastic read - as long as you are a fan!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 8, 2009
