I’ve always liked Blade Runner, the 1982 Ridley Scott film based on Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? I remember watching with awe in a London cinema the opening pan over a futuristic Los Angeles lit by flares.

But this is ridiculous.

On its 25th anniversary, five versions of Blade Runnder are extant, including the (disappointing, in my opinion) "director’s cut" of a few years ago and the latest one, called the "final cut" (we can only hope). It is playing around the corner from my office at the lovely Ziegfeld cinema.

I suppose it reflects the temptation to endlessly cut, re-cut and remix things that have found a fan base in the hope of getting a bit more out of the franchise. There has never been a Blade Runner 2 so we have been treated to Blade Runners 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 etc instead.

You will soon be able to get the whole lot in high-definition (and a metal case) for a mere $78.

But I prefer the original version, no matter how resentful Scott was that the studio made him attach a voice-over and a happy ending. Sometimes the Philistines are right.

Column on the Financial Times comment page, October 11th

One must hand it to Hannah Montana. She has not only overcome the handicap of being a fictional character to achieve pop stardom but tickets to her live show have become the most prized and controversial securities since Google’s initial public offering three years ago.

Ms Montana (aka Miley Cyrus, 14-year-old daughter of the country singer Billy Ray Cyrus – he of the achy breaky heart) takes to the stage next week for her US tour. Before a note is sounded, she has caused mayhem among fans, parents, attorneys-general and all others with a stake in live shows.

The rest of this column can be read here. Post comments below.

Madonna’s negotiations to ditch her record label Warner Music Group in favour of Live Nation, her tour promotor is further bad news for music labels, which are suffering badly from the decline in CD sales and problems in getting people to pay for downloads.

But it is also of interest because it shows the pressures on flat-tariff pricing for all bands and singers, which is  being played out between the music labels and iTunes. Apple has resisted the push from some music labels to charge more for downloads from popular artists than its flat rate 99c (in the US) per song.

Variable pricing is alive and well for pop concerts. Indeed, the price of admission for Madonna, the Rolling Stones and other classic acts has inflated wildly in the past few years.

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