TheBoost said:
The original creative vision includes "originally I didn't envision the film being so sloppy with atrocious ADR, slow-mo close ups of stunt people instead of actors, and numerous contiunity errors." His original vision aparently also included 21st century digital special effects. How prophetic he was.
Almost all of the problems in the first theatrical release of Blade Runner can be traced to studio interference and mismanagement that put pressure on the schedule forcing shortcuts to be taken. The film was creatively and technically compromised by external forces. The film was "revisionist" even before it was finished. If you prefer that version, great, just remember what you're enjoying is not a film by Ridley Scott. Its a film by "Cynical studio stockholders".
We can thank underground screenings of the workprint version for raising awareness of the studio's meddling and suppression of Scott's vision, leading to the studio itself to issue the so-called "Director's Cut" of 1992 even though Scott was never personally involved in its creation.
To Scott's credit he left in many of the most famous continuity mistakes (at least, ones that didn't affect the logic of the narrative) in the Final Cut on purpose as they'd become part of the lore of the film.
It is a pity that this sort of thing simply wouln't work with Star Wars in this day and age - there's going to be no similar forcing Lucas's hand due to undergound screenings as these are extremely rare, mainly because copyright holders have vastly greater powers to confiscate personal property (i.e. privately owned 35mm prints) and to prosecute offenders. there is also a tendency to let him get away with it because it was all "his decision". The public is just willfully ignorant these days and actually supports restriction of their liberties. Empire and Jedi won't get much help either because I imagine a sizeable portion of the fan base and almost all of the general public thinks those films were directed by George Lucas as well. If he was to be honest he'd take Kershner and Marquand's names off the SE versions because they're all George Lucas films now. In any case, I bet Kershner and Marquand were denied legal final cut rights by Lucas. Incredible behavior from a man who once criticised this exact same behavior in the studio system and which behavior made him decide to go independent.
To Ridley Scott's credit he left in many of the most famous continuity mistakes in Blade Runner (at least, ones that didn't affect the logic of the narrative) in the Final Cut on purpose as they'd become part of the lore of the film.
As for digital effects, well, there's only one almost 100% new shot in The Final Cut and even this still retains some of the original elements. Recompositing footage digitally is not "redoing" anything and I will repeat this as often as is necessary. A computer is just a tool. Its achieving exactly the same thing as an optical printer but with infinitely more control and precision.
I can see some of you lump Scott in exactly the same camp as Lucas - as rapacious revisionists with no respect for history, but this is just completely wrong and misguided.