Blade

Director: Stephen Norrington, Steve Norrington Stephen Norrington

Overview

Marvel Comics broke new ground with an African-American superhero named Blade. The movie adaptation tweaked action-movie formulas by mixing martial arts and not quite accurate vampire legend. Appropriately, the New Line Platinum Series DVD adaptation of Blade also contains some surprises. The disc has all the trailers, bios, and commentary DVD viewers have come to expect. More unusual inclusions: a 20-minute documentary on blood and vampire folklore, an isolated movie score with commentary from the composer (great for music freaks), and Blade's screenwriter philosophizing about "dark comics." The many features devoted to comics and vampires keep the extra features from turning into a love-in for the movie, though pure cinema fans will enjoy the printable screenplay, deleted scenes, and a look at an alternate ending. Viewers who also like to read and listen will be pleased, because this is a talky disc packed with information, interviews, and trivia. It all looks and sounds good (letterboxed, 5.1 Surround Sound or Stereo, original 2.35:1 aspect ratio) and is enhanced for widescreen TVs. The back of the box exclaims, "It's More Than Just the Movie." It certainly is.

Product Details

Release Date:	12/22/1998
UPC:	0794043470929
Original Release:	1998
Rating:	R
Source:	New Line Home Video
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[stereo, Dolby Digital]
Language:	English
Time:	2:00:00
Sales rank:	49,681

Special Features

Widescreen version of the feature; Audio commentary by: Wesley Snipes - Blade star and producer; Stephen Dorff - Frost; David S. Goyer - writer; Theo Van De Sande - director of photography; Kirk M. Petruccelli - production designer; Peter Frankfurt - producer; Isolated score with commentary by composer Mark Isham; Featurettes: 1. La Magra; 2. Designing Blade; 3. The Origins of Blade; 4. The Blood Tide; Pencil to Post: pencil sketches through production designs; House of Erebus: uncover the heritage of the twelve tribes in this ancient vampire ruling council; Cast and crew biographies and filmographies; Original theatrical trailer; PC features:; Original screenplay: 1. access any scene in the movie directly from this early draft of the script; 2. print any section, or the entire screenplay; Blade highlights from the 1998 ComiCon convention; Web access links and more

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Wesley Snipes	Blade
Stephen Dorff	Deacon Frost
Kris Kristofferson	Whistler
N'Bushe Wright	Karen
Donal Logue	Quinn,Actor
Udo Kier	Dragonetti
Arly Jover	Mercury
Traci Lords	Racquel,Actor
Kevin Patrick Walls	Krieger
Tim Guinee	Curtis Webb
Sanaa Lathan	Vanessa
Eric Edwards	Pearl
Donna Wong	Nurse
Carmen Thomas	Senior Resident
Shannon Lee	Resident
Kenneth Johnson	Heatseeking Dennis,Paramedic,Heatseeking Dennis
Clint Curtis	Creepy Morgue Guy
Judson Scott	Pallantine
Sidney Liufau	Japanese Doorman
Keith Leon Williams	Kam
Stephen R. Peluso	Paramedic
Marcus Aurelius	Pragmatic Policeman
John Enos III	Blood Club Bouncer
Eboni Adams	Martial Arts Kid
Lyle Conway	Reichardt
Freeman White III	Menacing Stud
Marcus Salgado	Frost's Goon
Esau McKnight Jr.	Frost's Goon
Erl	Von Esper
Matt Schulze	Crease
Lennox Brown	Pleading Goon
Yvette Ocampo	Party Girl
Irena Stepic	Slavic Vampire Lord
Jenya Lano	Russian Woman
Levani	Russian Vampire
D.V. DeVincentis	Vampire Underling
Nikki DiSanto	Vampire Victim
Ryan Glorioso	Blood Bath Vampire
Erl Van Douglas	Von Esper
Mark Isham	Composer

Technical Credits

David S. Goyer

Stephen Norrington	Director,Director
David S. Goyer	Screenwriter
Wesley Snipes	Producer
Robert Engelman	Producer,Producer
Peter Frankfurt	Producer
Avi Arad	Executive Producer,Producer
Joseph Calamari	Executive Producer,Producer
Lou Carlucci	Special Effects
Stan Lee	Executive Producer,Producer
Jeff Ward	Stunts
Jory Weitz	Casting
Rachel Abroms	Casting
Lynn Harris	Executive Producer,Producer
Thomas Baumann	Special Effects
Tsuyoshi Abe	Stunts
Pembrooke Andrews	Sound Effects
Michael De Luca	Producer
Richard Tjelmeland	Special Effects
John Fleming	Special Effects
Lee Orloff	Sound/Sound Designer

Scene Index

Side#1--
0. Scenes
1. Opening Titles - The Birth of the Daywalker [2:05]
2. Blind Date [:58]
3. Club Blood [3:43]
4. The Daywalker [2:59]
5. "Put Him Out." [1:11]
6. The Mighty Quinn [2:46]
7. Saving Karen [3:10]
8. Blade's Lair [2:35]
9. The House of Erebus [3:16]
10. The Herbalist [:54]
11. The Injection [3:43]
12. Rules of Encounter [3:36]
13. In the Archives [1:58]
14. The Glyphs [1:58]
15. Cops and Robbers [4:18]
16. Waiting for Prey [2:27]
17. Schoolgirl Rap [2:44]
18. Rooftop Party [3:03]
19. Pearl Before Swine [2:35]
20. Pages From the Book [3:50]
21. Company Calls [3:08]
22. "No. I'm Something Else." [:59]
23. The Story of Blade [3:22]
24. First Dawn and Last [3:48]
25. Secrets of the Blood [3:37]
26. Spf 36 [3:45]
27. The Raid [2:05]
28. "You're the Chosen One." [4:24]
29. Cutting Off Roots [3:23]
30. The Gate Crasher [2:22]
31. A Mother's Love [2:55]
32. The Temple of the Night [1:24]
33. Everyone to Their Places [2:11]
34. The Sarcophagus of the Daywalker [3:01]
35. The Ceremony [2:25]
36. Frost vs. the Daywalker [3:32]
37. Moscow Nights [13:29]
38. End Credits [1:10]

Menu

Side#1--
   Special Features
      Commentary
         Commentary: Wesley Snipes, Stephen Dorff, David S. Goyer (Writer), Theo Van De Sande (Director of Photography), Kirk M. Petrucce
         Isolated Score (With Composer Mark Isham Commentary)
      La Magra (Alternate Ending)
      Designing Blade
      The Origins of Blade
      The Blood Tide
      House of Erebus
         Ashe
         Cianteto
         Dragonetti
         Faustinas (1)
         Ligaroo
         Lemure
         Kobejitsu
         Lobishomen
         Faustinas (2)
         Von Esper
         Upier
         Pallintine
      Pencil to Post
         Pencil Stage
         Ink Stage
         Color Guide
         Color Separation
      Cast and Crew
         Wesley Snipes (Blade/Producer)
         Stephen Dorff (Frost)
         Kris Kristofferson (Abraham Whistler)
         N'Bushe Wright (Karen)
         Donal Logue (Quinn)
         Stephen Norrington (Director)
         David S. Goyer (Writer)
         Peter Frankfurt (Producer)
         Theo Van De Sande, A.S.C. (Cinematographer)
         Kirk M. Petruccelli (Production Designer)
         Mark Isham (Composer)
      Theatrical Trailer
   Play Movie
   Languages
      English - Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
      English - Stereo Surround Sound
      Subtitles: English On
      Subtitles: English Off
   DVD Credits

Editorial Reviews

It took a quarter-century, but the Marvel Comics vampire-slayer created by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan finally hit the big screen, and it was worth the wait. Wesley Snipes is terrific as the half-vampire Blade, fighting the undead legions with the aid of a high-tech arsenal manufactured by his crusty partner, Whistler (Kris Kristofferson). Stephen Dorff is equally memorable as the villainous half-breed Frost, planning to usurp the more genteel purebred vampires in order to destroy and enslave the human race. But he needs Blade's blood to call an ancient vampire-god first. The action scenes are dynamite, Greg Cannom's bloody special-effects are suitably outlandish to match the comic-book tone, and there are some nice bits by cult favorites Udo Kier and Traci Lords along the way. It's not a straight horror film, as its numerous fight scenes and hyperbolic mythologizing make clear, but -- despite its comic-book roots -- it is still another of 1998's releases to push the "R" rating to its limit with blood-soaked violence. Viewers with strong stomachs and a yen for a very dark take on the Mortal Kombat-style of filmmaking should, however, be extremely pleased.

All Movie Guide - Robert Firsching