mcourter
Jamesg, I'd like to observe that the source novel bore little resemblance to the film, outside of a character named Decker. One of the few instances in which I think the film is far superior to the novel. Dick had lots of great ideas, but I never thought he was a particularly good writer. Disjointed to the point of being scarcely coherent at times. Probably from being so high all the time.

 
Strange little coincidence - I was an avid sci-fi reader in my teens, loved Brian Aldiss, John Wyndham, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury and a few others. I had quite a collection of paperbacks but for the life of me, I can't remember what happened to them.
 
Last week I was rummaging about in one of those kitchen drawers that somehow collects random 'stuff' and found my dog eared copy of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. No idea why that one is still here when all the others have disappeared.

Maybe that particular drawer is a tunnel to the Twilight Zone? 

i thought it was good (not great like the first) and was a bit too long, maybe if it was shorter it might come across better... but i do need to watch it again

bitflipper
That was a very interesting interview, RS, thanks. Impressive that Hans finished his contribution in just 10 days. I'll be cutting him a lot more slack from now on regarding 2049 and it's occasionally phoned-in musical feel. Interestingly,  Zimmer actually considered bringing Vangelis in on the project but decided to just use his synth instead.

You're welcome.
 
It's too bad Vangelis wasn't a part of this. I've heard conflicting reports that he both loved and loathed his work on Blade Runner. Hell, I would have been happy if they pulled in a few of the elder synth masters such as Wendy Carlos, but had no idea what she's up to these days. Her website hasn't been updated in a long time. There's not a lot of that initial crowd left unfortunately.

I saw it earlier today. After having read this thread I was listening for distortion. At the very beginning it sounded distorted but the rest was ok. I guess it was just a buzz that was part of the soundtrack. It was clear and I could hear the dialog fine. It was too loud in places.
 
The movie was pretty good. Not a favorite as, IMHO, it was drawn out more than needed. Some scenes were entirely too long just to make what I would call a trance effect or trying to make the scene seem more ethereal or something. Hypnotic or boring may be some other adjectives.
 
Not really impressed by the music.
 
Sean Young is holding her age well or there were some good makeup effects or both.

There is a very big distorted sound as part of the soundtrack but when I heard it, the sound system for me was super clean with everything else clean and even the distorted sound sounded fine to me. 
 
Yes there is a lack of music in parts.  Quite a lot of sound design going on I would say with more snippets of music here and there.  Other times the music is just textural and adds to the sound design.  I get the feeling maybe too many composers were involved and it lacks a little direction.  It is a style of modern cinematic mixing, music and sound design. I think it gets unnecessarily loud too.  The effects can be overwhelming compared to the rest of the soundtrack. 
 
In the original the music was more present and there is much more of it.  It conveys a strong feeling too.  The music is more involved with the film.  I am going to see the new one again and maybe listen to the music more.  Also I am keen to watch the original as well at home on a great sound system and revisit that.  

Took my youngest son (22) to see it last Wednesday. We rented the original over the weekend so he would be primed, but it was not how I remembered it. I swear when I saw it in the theaters that there was some sequence with Deckard waiting for some dude, who asked him if he wanted soup. There was a pot on the stove, but Deckard "retires" the guy. Of course, that's the whole K & Sappor Morton scene in 2049, but it wasn't in the version of the original we rented.
 
Anyway, loved them both. Way different than the book they're based on, but that is another discussion.
 
 

stickman393
... 
You have to remember that not even Vangelis sounds like Vangelis anymore.
...

Weird thing to say, I thought.
 
So you are not allowed to grow out from the person you were some 30 years ago, and have to reinvent yourself by copying? ... sorry ... that is only true for Eric Clapton, and some musicos in this board, but not for a real composer of music, with so many soundtracks to his name that you can't make a good listing (hint ... neither can I!) ... and an OSCAR in his closet.
 
I do not think, that Vangelis thought that the director would make a good and sensitive film like the original ... I really don't. If you see how his music was used in the two best known films (Blade Runner and Chariots of Fire), you will know right away that the director of the current film is not a music person at all ... he's a director of the fan-fare of the day complete with idiosyncratic effects and crowd pleasing moments so that the film can bring home some good bacon, and make sure that the beacan can not get a single mention in this thread! (I took care of that!!!!)
 
And unlike the original, the script for this one was not as romantic and pleasing as the original ... which appealed to us in a sort of youthful fascinating dreaming way ... your own hopes and dreams ... but in this latest version, it's like its over ... and what is left of that dream is encapsulated and probably will die the second that door opens. Or the father will kill it wanting to hug it and love it! How pathetic of an idea that is ... and sick! And while it maybe be sadomasochistic in its view of science fiction, in many ways it is much more of a vision of a Hollywood idea of "entertainment", than anything else ... and making it look like it is important and has a theme, that is human and all that ... something you can do by taking and aiming a piss anywhere. Just ask a child, in a movie that was banned for it ... (Fellini's Intervista ... just watch that opening!!!!!).
 
I now call this "pseudo-sci-fi" ... or a Hollyweird version of such. 
 
If this is all that "science fiction" can produce nowadays, you and I would be gone and never read any of it EVER again ... c'mon ... all the great sci-fi writers that inspired us ... have you forgot them?

There are no less than seven versions of the original movie floating around, so it's quite likely the version you rented was not the theatrical release.
 
Mainly, they differ in the ending. The original happy ending was put in against the director's wishes, so when he had the chance to make a director's cut he changed the ending. And that was an improvement, IMO, because it clearly suggests that Deckart is a replicant. That explains why, in the sequel, he's hiding out in the wastelands.

bitflipper
There are no less than seven versions of the original movie floating around, so it's quite likely the version you rented was not the theatrical release.
 
Mainly, they differ in the ending. The original happy ending was put in against the director's wishes, so when he had the chance to make a director's cut he changed the ending. And that was an improvement, IMO, because it clearly suggests that Deckart is a replicant. That explains why, in the sequel, he's hiding out in the wastelands.

I caught the original on the big screen when it came out ... and immediately went out and got the soundtrack from the film, because I recognized a few other things in there, like the subtle use of the late Demis Roussos's voice and such ... and the way the music was issued in the film ... it was a sheer symphony of emotions, color, visuals and music ... and this new version did not have any of those 4 together at all ... and I'm not sure that the director and producers even had a clue ... what it was all about, instead of creating an imaginary something to make you think that you are missing a point ... 
 
The last person/society that did that to a group of people, was a Fascist Government in the country that my father left to become a full fledged writer and scholar, because in his own country he could not do it!
 
Take your choice, or poison. But fake crap, is not my idea of food that you need for your senses! You really think that Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, Mr. Grok and others ... would have written that kind of crap that 2049 put together?
 
You would have never EVER bothered to read it! (I could really be more cynical about this ... no one reads anything anymore, anyway ... and it also happens in these threads and boards! No one, nowadays will even bother reading a book ... wtf ... what a waste of words and letters!