Die Hard With A Vengeance 35mm Regrade (35 Project #2 v1.2)

This is part of my 35 Project:

https://fanrestore.com/thread-1741.html

Trying to regrade films to look more like their theatrical prints

Project Info:
I'm peeling this off from my Die Hard 2 35mm thread but you can read the backstory starting here:

https://fanrestore.com/thread-1711-post-...l#pid35235

but a quick summary.

DH3 looks like a lot of older HD masters and has a very pink/magenta/red look to it. Originally I was going to try to get a 35mm trailer to grade the film but fellow member Beber saw a print and took numerous pictures of it. With his information I was able to grade DH3 to be cooler with more blue/green and teal. Skin tones were parred down from blistering red towards orange. Also contrast was added and highlights/shadows pushed to look more reflective of a 35mm print.

Video:
The BD image color corrected using a LUT(s) to match a 35mm print showing.

Audio:
1. DD/AC3 5.1 (from the THX LD)
2. PCM 2.0 (from the THX LD)
3. DTS- HD MA 5.1 (from the BD)

Pics:

MKV Pics (Final)


BD/BD Regrade (Updated 5/23/18)


BD/BD Regrade/BD Regrade+highlights pulled down+50% luma from the BD
https://i.imgur.com/CAaLq7n.jpg

Collaborators and Thanks (in order of help):
Beber: for his pictures from a 35mm print showing
Zoidberg: for the LD soundtrack

Oh, so no DTS HDMA from the Blu-ray? I guess I could add the one from my Blu-ray, then, except that you being in the US, your regrade will include the 20th Fox logo that's missing in my French Blu-ray... Maybe we can discuss a solution by PM when the time comes.

Thank you, it looks very interesting)

(2017-10-24, 09:46 PM)Beber Wrote: Oh, so no DTS HDMA from the Blu-ray? I guess I could add the one from my Blu-ray, then, except that you being in the US, your regrade will include the 20th Fox logo that's missing in my French Blu-ray... Maybe we can discuss a solution by PM when the time comes.

The audio is tentative, so don't panic yet.

I always try to include something the is not on the BD if possible hence the LD tracks. You know make the project unique and different than the official BD. I may not even add the PCM since the film was a 5.1 production. I'm not against putting the HDMA on it, I just want to see how big the file will be before adding soundtracks.

(2017-10-24, 09:57 PM)maksnew Wrote: Thank you, it looks very interesting)

Thanks maksnew

I'd say definitely include the PCM/AC3 from the laserdisc. I watched the blu this summer (it was cheaper to buy the boxset than to buy the individual film, go figure) and the DTS-HD is dynamically challenged (the same is true of Speed's blu). The laserdisc audio will beat it hands down. It's all in the mix!

This film gets shown fairly regularly on UK TV, unfortunately they use the same master as the blu ray (I always check)

Those screen really do look great and the inclusion of the original audio mixes from the LD a must.
I have to say Im really excited for this release

Count me in if you do a w.i.p preview.
Thanks for your tireless hard work on these good sir.

I second the PCM from the laserdisc! Quite frankly pisses all over the BD audio. Listened to them both just last week and I can tell you nothing is gonna blow your speakers quicker than that helicopter at the end grinding off the pole then exploding! It’s fantastic.

That's great PDB, thanks for this project!

(2017-10-24, 11:34 PM)zoidberg Wrote: I'd say definitely include the PCM/AC3 from the laserdisc. I watched the blu this summer (it was cheaper to buy the boxset than to buy the individual film, go figure) and the DTS-HD is dynamically challenged (the same is true of Speed's blu). The laserdisc audio will beat it hands down. It's all in the mix!

This film gets shown fairly regularly on UK TV, unfortunately they use the same master as the blu ray (I always check)

Good to know, thanks Zoidberg. My guess, going off what you are saying, is maybe the LD kept the far-field mix opposed to the near-field of the Blu? Having said that the PCM track of the LDs are almost always monsters. Just wasn't sure about including it given DH3 is well into the 5.1 era.

(2017-10-25, 01:27 AM)CSchmidlapp Wrote: Those screen really do look great and the inclusion of the original audio mixes from the LD a must.
I have to say Im really excited for this release

Count me in if you do a w.i.p preview.
Thanks for your tireless hard work on these good sir.

You are on the list and thanks again for previewing my work, CSchmidlapp. Believe it or not it really helps me, since you can lose perspective on some of these projects and miss important details. The more eyes on it the better...

(2017-10-25, 04:05 AM)Farstarbuck Wrote: I second the PCM from the laserdisc! Quite frankly pisses all over the BD audio. Listened to them both just last week and I can tell you nothing is gonna blow your speakers quicker than that helicopter at the end grinding off the pole then exploding! It’s fantastic.

Ok second vote in for the PCM. I'll find a way to keep it in

(2017-10-25, 12:25 PM)spoRv Wrote: That's great PDB, thanks for this project!

Thank you back spoRv.

(2017-10-25, 07:57 PM)PDB Wrote: Good to know, thanks Zoidberg. My guess, going off what you are saying, is maybe the LD kept the far-field mix opposed to the near-field of the Blu? Having said that the PCM track of the LDs are almost always monsters. Just wasn't sure about including it given DH3 is well into the 5.1 era.

It certainly seems that way PDB. Regardless of whether the Ld mixes are 100% the theatrical mix (which they're probably not) they certainly retain their theatricality compared to DVDs/blus. So many blu rays have naff audio despite being TrueHD/DTS-MA. Very few Blus have truly impressed me, I guess Akira is the exception as the 192kHz TrueHD is breathtaking.
If space is an issue I'm sure folks wouldn't mind the PCM trancoded to high bitrate AC3 (or even offered as a separate track to mux themselves). Keep up the good work! You're really getting an eye for these regrades.