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Video: Blade Runner starring the iPod shuffle and Kindle 2
You've probably heard the text-to-speech capabilities of the Amazon Kindle 2 and iPod shuffle by now. But you probably haven't heard them act out Leon's VK test from Blade Runner. Check the newest nerd-legend after the break, then come back and tell us about your mothers.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Halcyon Company planning games based on Philip K Dick novels
Fans of trippy, intelligent science fiction are likely well aware of the works of Philip K. Dick. This prolific powerhouse has released over 40 novels and 120 short stories throughout his illustrious career, many of which made their way to the silver screen (including "Total Recall", "Blade Runner", and the ever-confusing "A Scanner Darkly"). This plentiful font of sci-fi volumes was recently tapped by the procurers of the "Terminator" franchise, The Halcyon Company, who plan on publishing two games based on Dick's work following the release of their current project, Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins.We've got high hopes for any games based on the incredible narratives of this cyberpunk scribe, though Halcyon's blank game development resumé fills us with an appropriate amount of trepidation. We urge the fledgling publisher to follow the example set by EA's 1997 point-and-click adaptation of "Blade Runner", and to shy away from including sequences featuring a poorly rendered version of California's governor being repeatedly kicked in the penis by mutant dwarves.
Keepin' it real fake, part CXIII: the Blade Runner MP4 player doesn't make calls, retire Replicants
Like peanut butter and jelly, oil and vinegar, and Benny and Joon, some things just go together. If you thought the words "Blade Runner" and the industrial design of the RAZR were always "meant to be," your day has finally come. Enter the Blade Runner MP4 player -- the PMP that looks like a phone, but acts like far, far, far less. The device has lots of familiar media player features, but let's be honest: all the information you need about this baby is up in that photo above. Own the magic today for $49.99.[Via Crave]
Movie Gadget Friday and Blade Runner return!
Ariel Waldman contributes Movie Gadget Friday, where she highlights the lovable and lame gadgets from the world of cinema. To warmly welcome back an old Engadget classic, Movie Gadget Friday, we figured it might also be best to take a second look at a staff favorite also recently revived. Three years ago we analyzed the dystopian sci-fi sexiness of the Voight-Kampff and Esper machines, but just as we watched Blade Runner: The Final Cut again for the first time (now on remastered DVD, HD-DVD, and Blu-ray), we're taking a deeper look at a few more of the film's off-the-beaten-path devices. Vid-Ph?nPacific Bell's video phone network, which uses massive, junky, old-school CRTs to transmit calls from just about any location, be it Deckard's car or the local bar. A call costs $1.25, and is sure to make drunk dials of the future just that much more horrifying. Vid-Ph?ns do not have embedded Voight-Kampff machines, so they can be considered fairly safe to use for confidential chats between replicants. More after the break.
Blade Runner Blu-ray Complete Edition arriving with botched Workprint disc?
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
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.
Blu-ray movie releases for the week of Dec. 16
Wow, what can this be? Yet another week with several great Blu-ray releases? Apparently so as we're treated to one of Harrison Ford's greatest movies, Shakira in HD and the Governator. What more can you ask for? Blade Runner: Complete Collector's Edition Blade Runner: Ultimate Collector's Edition Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines Shakira: Oral Fixation Tour That's Entertainment: The Complete Collection The Simpsons Movie Underdog While we'll happily pass on Underdog and That's Entertainment, The Simpsons Movie is definitely a must-buy. But if this week's releases aren't enough, you might be interested in the Fox and MGM buy one, get one free deal that's currently going on at Amazon. There are some pretty decent deals to be had.
Harry Potter, Blade Runner coming to Blu-ray and HD DVD in Q4
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 4: Do toy helicopters dream of electric cars?
Interactive Toys is launching the fourth revision of their Blade Runner indoor R/C helicopter -- cleverly dubbed the Blade Runner 4 -- newly enhanced with software upgrades, an increased range of over 10 meters (that's about 33 feet for the metrically challenged) and most importantly, two new tail mounted rotors for better precision. It's also more durable, to better handle the inevitable crashes when you get your hands on it this summer for $100.
'Blade Runner' Coming to Blu-ray and HD DVD
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.
