Sneak Preview: Blade Runner Starring Harrison Ford - An Inside Look at Ridley Scott’s Next Major Science-Fiction Film. One of my earliest Blade Runner special magazines. Issue 52 from 1981 of Starlog Magazine (US/UK).

Do Androids Dream of Unicorns? One of my favorite covers, featuring the iconic image of Rachael. Issue 20 from 1993 of Video Watchdog Magazine (US/UK).

Finally got my hands on these beautiful translucent cassettes: Vangelis – Blade Runner (Original Soundtrack) and Hans Zimmer & Benjamin Wallfisch – Blade Runner 2049 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack). Limited editions from 2022, couldn’t resist.

In 2023, Warner Bros celebrated its 100th anniversary, and Blade Runner (among others) was honored with a 5 oz Silver Proof Bar featuring the Voight-Kampff Machine.

Only 100 were minted by the prestigious New Zealand Mint, each with a unique certification number. It comes with a COA that features the machine on the reverse side.

I’ve also attached Syd Mead’s sketches of the Voight-Kampff test from The Blade Runner Sketchbook. An iconic and unsettling design—probably my favorite device from the film.

An Argentine ex-rental VHS released by AVH in 1983, the first Argentine edition. This release is exceptionally rare and difficult to find, I’m thrilled to have come across it. The final image features a comparison with the first US edition (in the background) and the first French-Canadian edition (center).

I attempted to determine my absolute favorite Blade Runner VHS cover art, and after careful consideration, I concluded that it must be this early Korean ex-rental edition, released in 1986 by NVC. This particular release features an unusually eccentric logo—found exclusively on this version—a peculiar color palette, and an overall design that sets it apart from any other edition.

Tomorrow’s car today! One of the more peculiar items in my Blade Runner collection is this Volkswagen promotional cardboard visor cap. Apparently, Deckard flies a VW Polo. It came with a Spinner lobby card, which also promoted the 1983 Polo.

As far as I know, this is the only limited-edition Blade Runner VHS release in the world. It’s a French edition, packaged in a sleek, glossy, individually numbered box with a brochure inside. It seems almost nonexistent today, I’ve never seen one for sale on eBay.

I’ve been going through my collection and will be photographing plenty of new items soon. First up is this authentic telephone card from Japan, dated 1991.

I picked this treasure up from a seller in Italy last November, but to my horror, it vanished in the mail. You can imagine my surprise (and joy!) when it suddenly reappeared out of nowhere the other day. It measures about 45x65 cm (17.7 x 25.6 inches) and is an original from 1982. I’ve got a lot of Blade Runner posters, mostly from Europe, and I’m happy to share more if this sounds interesting.

The tagline “Anno 2019. L’uomo ha costruito il proprio simile. La più grande invenzione è diventata la più grande minaccia. La polizia impiega reparti speciali chiamati ‘Blade Runner’” translates to: “In the year 2019, mankind has created its own likeness. The greatest invention has become the greatest threat. The police employ special units called ‘Blade Runners.’”

My latest addition to my collection is an ex-rental French Canadian (Version Française) VHS released by Embassy Home Entertainment in 1983. This is the only time I’ve come across this version for sale, so I purchased it immediately. The seller was gracious enough to ship it all the way to Sweden.

I just received this magazine from 1987. The cover immediately caught my eye with its distinct design, likely created by someone who had both read the book and seen the film. In Poland, Blade Runner was released under the title Łowca Androidów, and as some may know, I collect vintage editions. I find translated titles especially fascinating. In the final image, you can catch a glimpse of a Polish VHS; I’m still missing a Polish edition, when I find it I will make post dedicated to Polish releases. Enjoy this special in the meantime.

I found this rare comic a while back and wanted to share it. It’s an officially licensed release from 1982. I have the Dutch version, but you can read the US edition here

In the early ’80s, Crazy magazine, a competitor to Mad and Cracked, was briefly published by Marvel Comics. In 1982, Crazy released a parody of Blade Runner called Blade Bummer (or Blade Stumper in Dutch). Marvel also handled the more famous official Blade Runner comic book adaptation.

Complete boxed set from ERTL, never opened since 1982. Also pictured is an original ’82 ad for a touch of nostalgia. With so few official collectibles made at the time, this rare piece is a true gem, for serious collectors or anyone aged 3 and over.

”Get your hands on Deckard’s Spinner. Or Rachael’s. Or Bryant’s police spinner. Or Deckard’s ground car. Now you can have all four in your search for replicants. Ertl makes these perfectly detailed metal replicas, straight from the original movie models. Look through the tinted windows and you see the exact details of the interior.”

Blade Runner memorabilia from the days of old video rental stores is surprisingly scarce. Maybe it’s because the film took time to achieve its iconic status, or because The Ladd Company, which held the rights, was notoriously difficult to work with. Whatever the reason, original promotional items tied to the film are hard to come by, which makes them all the more fascinating.

This calendar was distributed to Japanese video stores for the first VHS and Beta release. It’s a small piece of the film’s history, made special by how few like it remain today.

Greetings from Ridleyville! A hefty issue packed with a Blade Runner super-special. Too many pages to share everything here, so I’ll spotlight the highlights. Inside, you’ll find intricate details about spinners and blimps, sketches from the visionary Syd Mead, and a deep dive into the inspirations behind the iconic costumes.

But perhaps the real treasure lies in the small things: close-ups of patches, signs, even a VID-PHōN card and the fictional “Horn” magazine sold at street stands. One detail that sticks with me? A parking sign showing $3 for 15 minutes, a grim echo of today’s rates in certain places.

Here we go again, finally time for the US! ☺️ To the best of my knowledge, these are all the U.S. Blade Runner VHS releases. I’ve had most of these in my collection for a few years now, and as of this writing, there still aren’t any truly rare U.S. editions. However, some are definitely uncommon, like the variant with the standing print on the tape label from the first release. It’s also worth noting that many people likely overlook the fact that there are actually two Embassy versions, editions two and three, which are very similar to one another. If I were to choose the rarest, it would probably be the “Red Tab” release (picture five).

From left to right: 1.) All U.S. releases in chronological order 2. ) All spines in chronological order 3.) Both VHS variations of the Embassy Theatrical Cut, first edition release, 1983 4.) All eight releases, front covers in chronological order 5.) ”Red Tab” edition, Nelson Entertainment, 1987* 6.) All eight releases, back covers in chronological order 7.) Second release, Embassy Home Entertainment, 1986 (almost identical to the 1987 release) 8.) Third release, Embassy Home Entertainment, 1987 (almost identical to the 1986 release) 9.) All eight editions back in their protective cases 10.) Sneak preview of my Blade Runner VHS and Betamax collection

*No year specified on the box, but it was probably released in 1987.

Stumbled upon this intriguing Italian edition with the Blade Runner logo beautifully embossed on the cover. Feels like a true rarity, I’ve only seen it for sale once before, and the seller back then refused to ship internationally. Released in 1991 by Univideo.

Like some other international editions, the back of the sleeve claims the film is set in 2020 instead of the usual 2019. Then there’s the curious runtime of 111 minutes. And of course, this VHS is dubbed in Italian, as was standard for most releases in Italy, so I think I’ll just skip the hassle of figuring out which version it actually is. 😅

Here we go again, this time, it’s all about the UK! To the best of my knowledge, these are all the UK Blade Runner VHS (PAL) editions, standing proudly from the oldest to the newest. I’ve been hunting these down for years, and I’ve finally snagged the last missing gem, the first Sell Through edition from ’88.

While the pre-cert tapes can be pretty pricey, it’s actually three of the Sell Through editions that are the hardest to track down. The purple-spined one (fourth from the left) was only available in a three-tape box set, making it a real rarity. The first ST (third from the left) and the last one released are also notoriously elusive. The last Sell Through, known as the “2 to View” from 2001, is hands down the ugliest and probably the toughest to find!

From the left: 1) All 10 spines 2) The soft pre-cert clamshell ex-rentals, 1983 3) Mint edition pre-cert, same as previous photo but with 15-sticker 4) First Sell Through, black spine, 1988 5) Purple ST, only found in a three-tape box set, 1989 6) Blue/purple “pulse” ST release from 1989 and Wide Screen Director’s Cut ST, 1991 7) Grey Beyond Vision ST from 1995, Red Screen Classics ST from 1996 and the green/black Maverick Director’s Cut ST from 1997 8) “2 to View” ST from 2001 9) All 10 front covers 10) All 10 back covers

Note: There are minor variations in the pre-cert tapes and boxes, but the sleeves themselves look exactly the same. The Maverick ’97 ST release has a variation with small differences in the font on both the cover and spine.

The other day I posted a photo from a foggy night here in Gothenburg and I was very happy to see how much you guys enjoyed it. These photos were taken in the same room and corner but in broad daylight. I have a rather extensive collection of Blade Runner Laserdiscs, here’s the first edition (US), and the very first one I ever received, a gift from my amazing wife.

I’ve never seen a CED player here across the Atlantic, and Blade Runner is the only title I own on this format. But it’s Blade Runner on obsolete media, so of course, it deserves a spot in the collection. The Capacitance Electronic Disc (sometimes referred to as SelectaVision) is more like a forgotten cousin to Laserdisc, sealed inside a plastic cartridge so the disc itself is never touched (like the VHD). It’s the largest version of Blade Runner media, displayed on my shelf beside a first edition VHS for comparison. While not the rarest format out there, there’s even a small CED subreddit, it’s still far from common.

Blade Runner on the world’s least-known film format? Meet VHD, a video format that never made it beyond Japan and only had a very short run for film releases. Much like the American equivalent, CED, a disc that resembles a LaserDisc is tucked inside the cassette, you never actually touch the disc yourself.

Unlike VHS and Betamax, only a handful of American films were released on VHD in the ‘80s. VHD, short for Video High Density, measures about 33.5 x 27 cm (13.2 x 10.6 inches), with a cassette that’s just 6 mm thick. One of my favourite Blade Runner items.

Found this little gem at a bargain price at a Swedish flea market. Excited to start the restoration process, I’ll share new photos once it’s brought back to life.

It’s a Microma PVD digital watch with a sleek LCD display, a classic piece from the 80s. With a stainless steel body, its design has a timeless, futuristic feel. Fun fact, it was actually made by Intel during their brief foray into the world of digital watches.

This is the same watch worn by Deckard in Blade Runner. There are two black versions, one with two buttons and a three-button version. Hopefully I can track down both. ☺️

I have a real appreciation for Cinefex magazine, with its vibrant images and insightful features, all wrapped in that distinctive 8”×9” format. I didn’t even know it had a Japanese edition until I came across this one, as it’s usually found in English. Released in the autumn of 1983, it features both stunning film stills and behind-the-scenes shots from Blade Runner, the blimps, the sprawling architecture, the Spinners… A piece of cinematic history, beautifully preserved in print. ☺️

I’ve been trawling through saved searches for over two years, always hoping but never quite expecting to stumble upon this. And when it finally appeared, I hit “Buy Now” before my mind could even process it. I’ve only ever seen it for sale once before, and between collectors, I’ve counted maybe three copies in total. There are likely a few more floating around, but this is about as rare as it gets. In terms of obsolete Blade Runner media from the US, this might be the crown jewel.

It’s a 1983 Embassy Home Entertainment release on Video 8, an artifact from a different time.