Am I the only one who feel trapped in "The Emperor's New Clothes"? As the '92 version showed, even without the tacked-on narration and "Shining" outtakes, "Blade Runner" remains somewhat disjointed and unconvincing. Can spruced-up special effects change that? And how many different versions do we really need?

In the pre-92 version Blade Runner (taped off late night TV) was one of the profound cinematic experiences of my early teens, and I suspect I'm not the only one. Strangely, unlike a lot of youthful filmic passions it seems to have retained its power, and I now watch it twice a year with my students, and it never fails to astonish me. The students however generally find it a bit slow...Whatever you might think of it as a movie, its influence is staggering. Any film (or anime) that has tried to do 'cities of the future' has borrowed freely from its design and atmosphere, and no one has surpassed it. For that alone, they have earned the right to bring out all the versions they like.

Boucher's LA Times piece is quite good, coming at the film from many angles, especially that of the actors involved. Yes, watching BR today, it may seem a bit slow, but as so many point out, its influences are everywhere. I can't think of many other movies that have had this continung impact. Even that originally-released version, with its faults, was amazing. And learning now that Rutger Hauer actualy wrote his death scene speech makes me appreciate this sadly overlooked and underused actor even more.