2001 HDTV and Web-DL Preservation Project (formerly Quick Project)

[PDB]

I find most Peter Hyams films have had a bizzare transfer to Blu-ray.
Way to dark!
The Relic is by far the worst offender and I don't know of a decent version ever on Home Video.

That might be accurate. At least the dark part. On 35mm you could only see the most extreme highlights in some shots in The Relic. Everything else was black and in shadows.

It created a similar problem that Unforgiven had a couple years earlier where if the theater was using an old, worn bulb then you couldn't make out anything on the film. The nice thing about The Relic is it covered some bad CGI. Well all except that explosion.

Hyams has (or was) pushing his films darker with harder shadows and high contrast for years. It is the reason he became his own cinematographer starting with 2010. Here are some interview and notes about Outland and End of Days

https://www.tboake.com/outland_discussion.html
https://film.avclub.com/end-of-days-1798217265

also around 29:50

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjnJd0LRwT0

[ac3]

Peter uses natural light and high speed film stocks so they tend to look grainier and washed out. Outland and 2010 Blu-ray’s both look very simmilar.

Actually the color timing on the 2010 Blu-ray matches the new 2001 4K better on the 2nd comparison

[CSchmidlapp]

I saw The Relic in 35mm on its release and I remember it being dark (and it worked), but nothing compared to when I got it on VHS and later home video releases.
To be honest I don't think ive watched it all the way through properly since the cinema, I was always taken out of the movie by the bad transfers.

Ive not watched 2010, Outland, Narrow Margin since they we're on TV in the 90's, really liked them and I'm thinking now is the time to revisit Mr Hyams's films

I much prefer the look of the HDTV master in your comparisons and I once again look forward to your project good sir.

[jonno]

Fantastic! One of my favourites, and an alternative to the Blu is most welcome.