Blade Runner (1982): Original "Happy Ending" Without Voiceover (video)

 

Those of us who first saw "Blade Runner" via the "International Cut" recall the end scene with Deckard and Rachel riding off into the sunset to a reprise of Vangelis' beautiful love theme.

While fond of this idyllic ending, I still found it to be marred by that version's clumsy, pedestrian attempt at a film noir voiceover which insisted on telling us what we were seeing ("Gaff had been there...and let her live").

Here, in all its splendor, is that scene without the needless voiceover.

 

Video by Porfle Popnecker. I neither own nor claim any rights to this material. Just having some fun with it. Thanks for watching!

 

 

 

Blade Runner (1982): Original "Happy Ending" Without Voiceover (video)

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM, INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE -- CD reviews by porfle

 

(Previously posted at time of CD's original release)

 

Among the outstanding film scores of master composer John Williams are his invaluable contributions to the Indiana Jones series. As director Steven Spielberg once said, "Sure, the whip, the hat, the jacket are part of the Indiana Jones iconography. But what really gives Indy his heart and spirit is John Williams' music."

Serving as highly convincing evidence of this comes three new CDs from Concord Records which contain the scores for RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM, and INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE. All are fully-remastered and augmented by previously-unreleased material, and each comes with an illustrated booklet with liner notes by Spielberg. Today I had the pleasure of listening to these CDs and would like to share my impressions of them with you.

The first thing I noticed is that, unlike many soundtrack recordings, these tracks are in the proper sequence as they appear in the movie. This is good because it helps the listener to better relive the movie in his or her mind while listening. The score for RAIDERS begins with that exotic, foreboding melody that accompanies the Paramount logo and our first view of the mysterious whip-wielding man in the fedora as he and his guide trudge through the jungle. The first four pieces--"In the Jungle", "The Idol Temple", "Escape From the Temple", and "Flight From Peru"--allow us to experience that entire opening sequence of the film in our minds. The rest of the score similarly serves as the backdrop to our own mental journey through the familiar story.

Most of this probably wouldn't appeal a whole lot to people who haven't seen the movies, because much of the music is very scene-specific, and is, in fact, almost what you might call "Mickey Mousing" (an often derogatory term used to describe music that parallels a film's action too closely). But John Williams is so good that even when he does this (as the never-sit-still nature of these movies often requires) it's still fully realized music that is exciting and intriguing to listen to.

"The Map Room: Dawn" builds dramatically to that breathtaking moment in which Indy pinpoints the location of the Ark. The sequence inside the Well of Souls and Indy's punishing fistfight on the flying wing are fast-moving tracks filled with musical variety. The longer, more cohesive pieces, such as the playful "Basket Game" or the robust "Desert Chase", are as stirring in their own right as an overture or a movement in a symphony and provide lengthy intervals of listening pleasure punctuated by moments of sheer grandeur.

While it's impossible for most of us to know exactly what images each passage of music is describing, there are those particular moments that stand out--the beam of light passing through Indy's staff and striking the map, Indy marching his horse down the mountain with grim determination in order to overtake the truck convoy, and the grand finale in which the terrifying power of the Ark is unleashed. These are the musical touchstones that bring our memories of the film to life and make the overall listening experience all the more rewarding.

This score never gets dull because it's just as kinetic and ever-changing as the movie's action. Williams uses the entire orchestra beautifully. Marion's theme is as romantic and exotic as ever, while the haunting "Ark" theme never ceases to elicit chills and evoke a strong feeling of ancient mysticism. And of course, Indy's theme ("Raiders March"), which we finally get to hear in all its glory at the end, is one of the most joyfully celebratory themes ever written for a movie character.

TEMPLE OF DOOM, as you might expect, begins on an entirely different note with a jaunty, Asian-flavored shuffle through Cole Porter's "Anything Goes", followed by a slow tension-building piece called "Indy Negotiates." Then it's off on another multi-track journey through non-stop action with "The Nightclub Brawl", "Fast Streets of Shanghai", "Map/Out of Fuel", and "Slalom on Mt. Humol", all frantic hyperkineticism filled with the familiar Williams touches, including frequent dashes of Indy's theme.

Then Short Round gets his own heroic theme worthy of an Arthurian knight, after which our journey toward the Temple of Doom begins. Again, much of the music is very scene-specific, but this time it often has a lush, orchestral openness that seems to describe vast panoramas of musical adventure ("The Scroll/To Pankot Palace"), with the occasional detour into romantic lyricism and frivolity ("Nocturnal Activities").

At this point the movie is off and running again, and so is Williams as he gives his orchestra quite a workout. The extended sequence inside the temple itself yields a number of exciting and often downright dissonant tracks ("Children in Chains", "The Temple of Doom", "Short Round Escapes", "Saving Willie") filled with pounding drums and the occasional chanting vocal chorus. In "Short Round Helps", Indy's theme bursts through the darkness for a welcome return, but is quickly pulled back into the maelstrom again. If you don't know quite what's going on in the story at any given time, just imagine Indy, Short Round, and Willie in big trouble and that really creepy bad guy and his minions trying to kill them, and the music will do the rest.

What I was waiting for mainly was "The Mine Car Chase." That's what I remember most about this movie, and the score here, as expected, is a mad dash of intensity that doesn't let up for a moment. (I can imagine the musicians all falling out of their chairs after the last note.) "Water", "Sword Trick", and "The Broken Bridge/British Relief" bring the action to a climax in similar style, finally giving way to the triumphant fadeout and another stirring end credits rendition of the "Raiders March", this time sprinkled with various TEMPLE OF DOOM-related themes. Overall, it's a difficult, almost exhausting score to listen to--the most nightmarish of Indy's adventures--but I found the experience rather invigorating and cathartic.

LAST CRUSADE has my favorite opening of all--a near 12-minute piece called "Indy's Very First Adventure" which starts out in a slow but inviting manner, builds ever so gradually, and finally blossoms into an exciting, delightfully humorous, and fairly self-contained composition that moves briskly and ends with a fanfare version of Indy's theme. I can see Williams conducting this at some formal event, like maybe the ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new Piggly Wiggly or something.

There must not have been much music for awhile after that, because we skip directly to "The Boat Scene", "X Marks the Spot", and "Ah, Rats!!!" (if you've seen the movie you'll no doubt recall those particular scenes) which continue the uncommonly lush orchestration of the opening piece. This sound will continue throughout the entire score, making it perhaps the most genuinely listenable of the three. There's a richness to the orchestrations and an abundance of melody that are almost intoxicating, at times given a religious-epic tone by the stately "Grail" theme which appears intermittently, and a noticeable lack of the harsh dissonance found throughout TEMPLE OF DOOM.

The score continues in this vein as Indy and his dad make their way into Austria and battle the Nazis. I have no idea just what's going on throughout much of this, but there's a lot of tension-building stuff mixed with passages of pure romanticism and the occasional action stings, all of which are a distinct pleasure to listen to. "Scherzo For Motorcycle and Orchestra" is especially invigorating and enjoyable, and is a great example of how much fun Williams seems to be having with this entire score.

"On the Tank" and "Belly of the Steel Beast" are just what they sound like--it's the action centerpiece of the film and the music drives it forward like a powerful engine. It's like classical music that's been working out at Gold's Gym every day for a few years. Then we proceed into "The Canyon of the Crescent Moon" to meet "The Keeper of the Grail", wherein the music takes on a solemn yet richly substantive elegance (with that "Grail" theme finally kicking in full-force) until the rip-roaring "Finale & End Credits." This reprise of the "Raiders March" and its recap of various themes from the film seems more joyous and triumphant than ever.

After a while I stopped keeping up with the track titles and just let the music carry me along. Even the most scene-specific passages seem to flow as though the composer were simply writing the grandest music he could think of for his own amusement, and it's never less than effortlessly entertaining on its own. I think Williams really improved a lot in the years between the first Indy film and this one--if it weren't for the sentimental attachment I have to RAIDERS and the feelings its music evokes in me, this score would easily be my favorite of the three. Maybe it is anyway.

I'll definitely be keeping these three Indiana Jones CDs handy for frequent background listening. Each has its own feel and its own strengths, perfect for whatever mood I may happen to be in at the time, and each is a splendid example of motion picture scoring at its absolute finest.

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM, INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE -- CD reviews by porfle

Prop Store News: Original INDIANA JONES Memorabilia To Be Auctioned In Hollywood

 

ORIGINAL INDIANA JONES MEMORABILIA TO BE AUCTIONED IN HOLLYWOOD


Original Harrison Ford “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” signature fedora, is among other original “Indiana Jones” props & memorabilia, to go under the hammer in upcoming Los Angeles auction

Harrison Ford’s signature Indiana Jones fedora from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) is estimated to sell for between $150,000 – $250,000 (£105,900– 176,600) as part of Prop Store’s Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction on Tuesday 29th June, Wednesday 30th June and Thursday 1st July 2021, featuring a collection of film memorabilia worth over $6.1 million (£4.4 million)

    A production-used clapperboard from Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) is estimated to sell for between $10,000 – 15,000 (£7,000 – 10,600)

    Over 1,300 unique and original items to be made available to bidders in one of the world’s largest live auctions of film and television memorabilia

    Bids can be placed online from anywhere in the world or by phone

Brandon Alinger, Prop Store COO, commented on the upcoming auction:"We love all things Indiana Jones-related here at Prop Store, but the character’s signature fedora is easily one of the most iconic pieces we’ve ever dealt with. The fedora was custom-made for Ford to wear in Temple of Doom and even features the character’s initials, “IJ,” in gold on the inner band. This is just one of the pieces in our collection of Indiana Jones items that we have in this year’s live auction."

 
Above: Indiana Jones' (Harrison Ford) Fedora from INDIANA JONES & THE TEMPLE OF DOOM (1984) est: $150,000 – 250,000 (£105,900– 176,600)

 

Notable items to be sold at the Prop Store auction (with estimated sale prices) include:

 
    Indiana Jones' (Harrison Ford) Fedora from INDIANA JONES & THE TEMPLE OF DOOM (1984) est: $150,000 – 250,000 (£105,900– 176,600)
    Production-Used Clapperboard from RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981) est: $10,000 – 15,000 (£7,000 – 10,600)
    Hand-Painted Leo Leibelman "Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeology" Painting from INDIANA JONES SERIES (1981 - 2008) est: $7,000 – 9,000 (£4,900 – 6,300)
    Screen-Matched Hovitos Poison Dart from RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981) est: $4,000 – 6,000 (£2,800 – 4,200)
    "Snake Surprise" Snake from INDIANA JONES & THE TEMPLE OF DOOM (1984) est: $4,000 – 6,000 (£2,800 – 4,200)
    Production-Made "Venice Library" Grail Diary Page from INDIANA JONES & THE LAST CRUSADE (1989) est: $2,000 – 3,000 (£1,400 – 2,100)
    Harrison Ford-Signed Rolled One-Sheet from RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981) est: $2,000 – 3,000 (£1,400 – 2,100)
    Prototype Sankara Stone from INDIANA JONES & THE TEMPLE OF DOOM (1984) est: $1,500 – 2,500 (£1,000 – 1,700)
    Set of Production-Used Mine Chase and Additional Storyboards from INDIANA JONES & THE TEMPLE OF DOOM (1984) est: $1,500 – 2,500 (£1,000 – 1,700)
    Set of Production-Used Storyboards from INDIANA JONES & THE TEMPLE OF DOOM (1984) est: $1,500 – 2,500 (£1,000 – 1,700)
    Pankot Palace Banquet Beetle from INDIANA JONES & THE TEMPLE OF DOOM (1984) est: $1,500 – 2,500 (£1,000 – 1,700)
    Peruvian Temple Arrow from RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981) est: $1,500 – 2,500 (£1,000 – 1,700)
    Harrison Ford and Karen Allen-Signed Italian Due Fogli from RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981) est: $1,500 – 2,500 (£1,000 – 1,700)
    Thuggee Sword from INDIANA JONES & THE TEMPLE OF DOOM (1984) est: $1,500 – 2,500 (£1,000 – 1,700)
    Indiana Jones' (Harrison Ford) Stunt Webley Revolver from INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL (2008) est: $1,200 – 1,600 (£800 – 1,100)
    Indiana Jones's (Harrison Ford) "Pull To Inflate" Liferaft Tag from INDIANA JONES & THE TEMPLE OF DOOM (1984) est: $1,000 – 1,500 (£700 - 1,000)

  

Left to Right Above: Production-Used Clapperboard from RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981) est: $10,000 – 15,000 (£7,000 – 10,600); Indiana Jones' (Harrison Ford) Stunt Webley Revolver from INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL (2008) est: $1,200 – 1,600 (£800 – 1,100); Production-Made "Venice Library" Grail Diary Page from INDIANA JONES & THE LAST CRUSADE (1989) est: $2,000 – 3,000 (£1,400 – 2,100); Hand-Painted Leo Leibelman "Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeology" Painting from INDIANA JONES SERIES (1981 - 2008) est: $7,000 – 9,000 (£4,900 – 6,300); Prototype Sankara Stone from INDIANA JONES & THE TEMPLE OF DOOM (1984) est: $1,500 – 2,500 (£1,000 – 1,700); "Snake Surprise" Snake from INDIANA JONES & THE TEMPLE OF DOOM (1984) est: $4,000 – 6,000 (£2,800 – 4,200)

 

Online bidding is now open at www.propstore.com/liveauction. The auction will be broadcast live over three days on Tuesday June 29th, Wednesday June 30th and Thursday July 1st, 2021 from 10:00 am PDT.

Social Media:

Facebook: @PropStore                          

Twitter: @propstore_com  

Instagram: prop_store                             

YouTube: thepropstore

 

About Prop Store

Prop Store sells original movie props and costumes and related memorabilia, regularly hosting live and online prop and costume auctions. Operating since 1998, Prop Store founder Stephen Lane’s love for movies led him to begin hunting for the same props and costumes that were used to create his favourite films. He found that he could not only provide collectors with access to their most coveted pieces, but also establish archival standards for a new, pop-culture hybrid of fine art and memorabilia collecting – prop art. Prop Store handles prop disposal, sale, archive and auction services to production companies and distributors as well as fixed price item sale on its website, www.propstore.com

Prop Store News: Original INDIANA JONES Memorabilia To Be Auctioned In Hollywood

BLADE RUNNER: THE FINAL CUT -- Mini Review by Porfle

Just watched BLADE RUNNER: THE FINAL CUT. It was good watching this classic again, but I didn't see that much difference in this version.

There's a slightly longer unicorn-dream sequence, a couple of extra dancers at Taffey Lewis' club, and some other odds and ends.

The best thing was when Roy tells Tyrell upon their first meeting, "I want more life...Father." (You can almost imagine Boris Karloff's Monster confronting Colin Clive as Dr. Frankenstein here.)

 

 

 I'm glad the Final Cut includes that version of the line, as the word "Father" makes it infinitely more meaningful than the needless vulgarity used in other versions.

Oddly enough, I prefer the old DVD's less crystal-clear and somewhat murkier image, which I think is more in line with the film noir ambience.

On the whole, I feel as though I pretty much just bought the same movie again.

 

 

BLADE RUNNER: THE FINAL CUT -- Mini Review by Porfle

Porfle's Trivia Quiz #19: "BLADE RUNNER" (1982)

Harrison Ford plays Rick Deckard, the reluctant replicant hunter...

...in Ridley Scott's science fiction masterpiece.

Question: How many shrimps (with noodles) does Deckard order?

A. Two
B. Three
C. Four
D. Five
E. Six

Question: What are Pris' first words to J.F. Sebastian?

A. "I'm lost"
B. "I'm hungry"
C. "I'm cold"
D. "I'm scared"
E. "I'm lonely"

Question: What does Deckard claim to be searching for in Zhora's dressing room?

A. Drugs
B. Holes
C. Electronic bugs
D. Pinhole camera
E. Weapons

Question: Roy says that all his memories will be lost like "tears in ---"?

A. Heaven
B. The sea
C. A whirlwind
D. Rain
E. Space

Question: Deckard finds what kind of origami figure at the end?

A. Human
B. Chicken
C. Unicorn
D. Gryphon
E. Angel


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it. Thanks for watching!

Porfle's Trivia Quiz #19: "BLADE RUNNER" (1982)

"ARMSTRONG" -- Harrison Ford Stars in Dramatic Neil Armstrong Documentary -- See Trailer HERE!

"ARMSTRONG"

RELEASE DATE: July 12th, 2019 (In Theatres & VOD)

Harrison Ford Stars in Dramatic Neil Armstrong Documentary
 

Synopsis: ARMSTRONG is a dramatic and emotional documentary that features never-before-seen family home-movie footage, along with still and moving images that chronicle Neil Armstrong’s incredible life.

With the support of the Armstrong family, including his two sons Rick and Mark, the film details his near-death experiences as a fighter pilot in Korea, his test pilot days, the drama and excitement of the Gemini 8 and Apollo 11 missions, and the challenges that followed his extraordinary fame.

The film will launch into theaters and on demand July 12th to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the first moon landings.

WATCH THE TRAILER



Director: David Fairehead
Genre: Documentary; Biography; STEM

"ARMSTRONG" -- Harrison Ford Stars in Dramatic Neil Armstrong Documentary -- See Trailer HERE!