[request] Dracula (John Badham -1979) with original color

[badflame]

Well, as a lot of you must know, the theatrical release of "Dracula" of John Badham had fantastic live colors although Badham wanted to film in b/w.

[Image: tumblr_mbzsm2Uw8z1rxucc1o3_1280.jpg]

[Image: tumblr_mbzsm2Uw8z1rxucc1o2_1280.jpg]

[Image: 1017-langella.jpg]

The first Laserdisk release had the theatrical color.

But, in theory due to the pressures of the director, all subsequent editions including DVD and BD, were modified by attenuating the colors.

[Image: 0SJbKHUf]

Well, my request is to recover the orginal colors from the first edition of Laserdisk or some copy of 8mm (there exist).

Greetings  

[spoRv]

Interesting...

[PDB]

Never watched this movie all the way through. I have always meant to but haven't got around to it. Perhaps now is a good time.

Having heard the stories about the destaurated colors, I looked for the old Pan and Scan LD. Someone had generously posted a copy with the LD color timing from a Brazilian TCM broadcast. You can tell its from the LD since it has the yellow tint video a lot of early LDs had. That and TCM mastered a lot of their broadcasts from LDs. Anyway, quickly going through it, it looks more colorful but not the same as those production photos you posted badflame.

BD/TV Broadcast (May not be same frame)

[Image: drac79_1.jpg]

The widescreen cinematography looks fantastic.

Edit: Here is the thread I referenced where the video was posted: http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=244060&page=9. Looks like the OT's dark_jedi was looking into it.

And here is the original trailer which looks closer to the photos. It has some of that blue tint:
[Image: drac_trail.jpg]

[badflame]

Yes, this trailer has the original color... wonderful.

[X5gb]

Finally, a thread about a possible re-color, been wanting this since the bluray came out.

I asked kk650 If he would look at this as a project but never got a response, hoping someone picks it up here and does there magic.

[spoRv]

Here you are a test I've done, tinkering with many different color match scripts according to the frame - left BD, middle TV, right BD regraded:

[Image: drac79_1_reg_small.jpg]

Quality is really rough, due to the fact I used small images, that are compressed JPGs, TCM frame was really small in comparison to BD, and finally those scripts should be carefully chosen, and tailored for each different scene (or shot); nevertheless, it is *possible* to restore, albeit in part, original colors - if we presume TCM (or other sources, like VHS or Laserdisc) has the original color grading, of course.

But don't count on me... too many projects to finish, and frankly this needs too much work for a lazy old dinosaur like me!

[kk650]

That's very impressive work Andrea, very impressive indeed! Your colour matching scripts did a great job. Restoring this would definately need a very careful shot by shot regrade I think. Far too much work required for me to consider taking it on, already have enough projects on my plate as it is.

[spoRv]

As we both are very busy, I hope someone else will take the "risk" of regrading this!

[PDB]

Quality is really rough, due to the fact I used small images, that are compressed JPGs, TCM frame was really small in comparison to BD, and finally those scripts should be carefully chosen, and tailored for each different scene (or shot); nevertheless, it is *possible* to restore, albeit in part, original colors - if we presume TCM (or other sources, like VHS or Laserdisc) has the original color grading, of course.

But don't count on me... too many projects to finish, and frankly this needs too much work for a lazy old dinosaur like me!

Oh hell, spoRv those pic were for show, I could of given you a better copy if I had known you where going to use them for testing.

Regardless, I think the TCM/LD is in the right but also wrong. Wrong in the way most early LD video is. If you look at the trailer, it clearly shows the TCM/LD is the right ballpark having a blue and yellow tint but in the wrong mix and intensity. The trailer's colors are actually very pleasing and match the pics badflame posted. If someone where to do this project I would grade to the TCM/LD and then pull it towards the trailer colors. It won't be perfect but that will be as close as you can get without a film source.

[spoRv]

Agree; indeed, lately I was extremely careful to state that one source has the right grading or not; better, if I've stated it in the past, I'll do not in the future, because it's impossible to say which is the source with the right proper color grading, even if one has a release print... read my post about this.

From now, if (when) I'll do a color regrading, I'll cite the source used as reference, but no comments about the fact it has the right/proper/best colors!
(sure, I'll forget to do it, and I'll claim something like "this is the right color blah blah blah"... in that case, slap my wrist and remember me this post!)