Reservoir Dogs (1992): Tarantino's 35mm Print Reconstruction

[zoidberg]

It's quite common for unsupervised/unapproved transfers to default to the previous transfer (which are usually straight scans with the most basic colour correction) as a reference. The ones that do get a grading as part of the restoration, well then you're at the mercy of the particular label/restoration house doing the job

[dvdmike]

Well, after all this time, I'm going to revisit this one! Stay tuned for updates.

The 4K disc has great detail but terrible TERRIBLE color.

I think the colour actually looks like a 90s movie for once

[The Aluminum Falcon]

@dvdmike fair enough. I saw Tarantino's print at one point and took a few cheeky photos, and it does seem to have a very deliberate warm grading, much like Pulp Fiction. I like that look a lot better since the flesh tones here look a bit too salmon pink to me but YMMV.

[zoidberg]

dvdmike, what in your opinion is the look of a 90s movie, genuinely interested to know.

TAF, I take it you're working on a regrade? On the plus side for this new release it's very unmolested so it should be a good starting point.

[The Aluminum Falcon]

Who needs sleep when you have Reservoir Dogs?

I just made a test encode of my UHD regrade. Reviewing the reference photos I have and also have a pretty clear memory of the screening (it was a memorable night), I'm positive that I nailed down the regrade better than I did the first time.

Of course the fact that I'm a much better colorist than I was 5 years ago also helps



Once I get a handle on the audio situation, then I should be pretty close to releasing this. But I've been so focused on regrading that I haven't had time to test things like seeing if the UHD has the same frame count as the BD, FR DVD, etc.... So audio still had to get done because I'd prefer the LD audio over the latest 5.1 remix.

Any help or advice on the sound front would be much appreciated.

[Plissken1138]

oh, that looks sexy.

[Endocryne]

Looks lovely

[dvdmike]

dvdmike, what in your opinion is the look of a 90s movie, genuinely interested to know.

TAF, I take it you're working on a regrade? On the plus side for this new release it's very unmolested so it should be a good starting point.

It was shot red on 90s stock

Tarantino reveals that Sekula sewed up the competition by daring to be bold in his choice of film stock. “Andrzej told us he wanted to shoot the entire film on Kodak’s 50 ASA 5245 stock, which is typically used for daylight exteriors. That’s not the kind of thing most cinematographers would say when they’re competing for a job on a production that doesn’t have much money! But when I talked with him about the way I wanted the film to look, I always talked in terms of colors: ‘I want the reds to be really, really red’ and ‘I want the blacks to be black as hell.’ He picked the stock that would make the film look as rich as possible and make those colors pop

[The Aluminum Falcon]

@dvdmike interesting comments! I'd say that Tarantino's print looked very deep "black as hell" but the reds were not particularly striking. Looked more warm than red.

[dvdmike]

We are also seeing SDR versions of HDR screen shots