[Canceled] Terminator 2 (Theatrical Cut) (35 Project #4)

[Chewtobacca]

When I read 4:3 I hoped for a 4:3 visible Video AR, it is not the case, thats too bad.

It certainly is too bad.

PDB, I've had a quick flick through the MKV. The colors look fantastic; they're very distinctive and certainly feel authentic. I look forward to the full release.

[zoidberg]

I watched the test file this evening, very impressive! Can only imagine how much better the full release will be.
A couple of observations, keeping in mind I have only experienced T2 on home video (VHS, various DVDs, laserdiscs and blus):
The nuclear nightmare seems somewhat desaturated in the run up to the nuclear explosion;
The desert sequence has an overall 'bleached' or slightly washed out feel.
I should point out that neither distracts or detracts from the viewing experience, I noticed no obvious errors beyond the high compression ratio. Overall it's a very good regrade, it manages to push the film look without going over the edge, some shots are thinner than others density wise but I think that was always the case.
Again, great work so far! I'm sorry I haven't had a chance to share the other 35mm cells yet, they arrived this week but I've been somewhat busy even I haven't had a good look yet!

[PDB]

When I read 4:3 I hoped for a 4:3 visible Video AR, it is not the case, thats too bad.

It certainly is too bad.

PDB, I've had a quick flick through the MKV.  The colors look fantastic; they're very distinctive and certainly feel authentic.  I look forward to the full release.

Thank you sir. Most appreciated.

I watched the test file this evening, very impressive! Can only imagine how much better the full release will be.
A couple of observations, keeping in mind I have only experienced T2 on home video (VHS, various DVDs, laserdiscs and blus):
The nuclear nightmare seems somewhat desaturated in the run up to the nuclear explosion;
The desert sequence has an overall 'bleached' or slightly washed out feel.
I should point out that neither distracts or detracts from the viewing experience, I noticed no obvious errors beyond the high compression ratio. Overall it's a very good regrade, it manages to push the film look without going over the edge, some shots are thinner than others density wise but I think that was always the case.
Again, great work so far! I'm sorry I haven't had a chance to share the other 35mm cells yet, they arrived this week but I've been somewhat busy even I haven't had a good look yet!

Thanks also Zoidberg. I'll take a look at that again. Sadly I had only one shot to grade that scene which was Sarah at the chain link fence.

Like I said this is a test file so things will change, maybe not a great degree but there is tweaking needed.

[Stamper]

haha no, if there was a full screen version out there (I believe there was a laserdisc) I would have said 1.33:1. 4/3 relates to the video format.

Yep, I agree there's some scenes which are too bleached, I hope you fix them back for the final version, because the rest is great!

[MrBrown]

There is an US 1.33:1 full screen LaserDisc, but it is pan&scan, not open matted. I have it.

[TServo2049]

I thought there was a 1.33 release that had some of the Super 35 non-FX scenes closer to open matte. I remember some laserdisc magazine or someone noting that when Arnold smashes the pay phone, the full-frame version reveals that it's already broken before he hits it?

[zoidberg]

That's what the full-frame pan-and-scan VHS was like in the UK. In fact there's a segment on the Ultimate Edition's exhaustive special features about Cameron's use of super35 and framing for home video. IIRC there is a video sequence showing theatre framing vs home video framing within the super35 frame, and there is also a still of the eyepiece glass used in the viewfinder of the camera for framing shots, although that might be on the Abyss special features, it's been a while since I've looked. The exception to this is of course certain VFX, mainly the digital composites which were hard matted at 2:1.

[TServo2049]

Yes - any VFX shot in VistaVision or 65mm would also be hard-matted, as they were on 1.85 flat films of the same era. (Though of course, you also had stuff like The Matrix, where some CGI was at 2:1 but composited over full-frame footage, so it just stops in the middle of the screen...)

I think at least some Super 35 films were slightly vertically opened on 70mm prints, instead of being cropped like Panavision. I know I've seen a film cell of Star Trek VI which was opened vertically, closer to the laserdisc/DVD versions...

[CSchmidlapp]

Ive watched most of your preview (thanks for including me on that) and skipped to key moments as I don't have much time at the moment and wished to give you some feed back.

I experienced T2 at the theatre back in the day and was a Terminator nut. A friend of mine also owned a pretty good bootleg copy (I have no idea of it's source but it was not a CAM) I collected magazines and watched every making of / advertising material (photo shoots showed the push to purple!) i could get my hands on.

My go to version of the film has been Dark Jedi's release a few years back, mainly because of the CDS audio mix.

I love what you are doing here. You have certainly done your research and I can not argue with any of the decisions you have made (Mr Brown's comment on the 'bulb colour' is probably worth looking into) and beyond getting a full 35mm print i don't think there is more you can do (i also don't buy the 'faded print' comments, to much of the other sources match up).

I will get into more detail when I can good sir, Just want to give you my support

[CSchmidlapp]

Yeah, the problem is you are working from an already altered source, and not the best one (alas there's none better!)

Not every shot you posted is wrong, but for example the T-1000 with the two girls, they are pale like they are dead.

There are tons of shot looking wrong that way all along. Now, generally, the tone is right, it looks like film, but those shots were never this pale. Remember I saw it 15 times in the cinemas, in 70mm etc. I know how it looks. The Muse isn't reference either it's bad transfer lol.

Corridor scene in the mall, the T-1000 always had OK skintones, he was never blue. The scans of the 35mm are more balanced than you Clog there, but that's because it's based on a negative or IP. I think there should be a middle ground in those "pale" shots, where you keep them close to the BD, only with added contrast and filmic grain  as you have done.

Regarding the making of it's loaded of outtakes as it's from the workprint, and it's not consistent. However I promise you, the blue in the biker bar is exactly how it was in the cinema, probably because by the time they edited the making of, it was the first scene completed since it's at the beginning. The entire scene was recolored/timed for LD on so that people could see what's going on on their CRT, so the entire scene would need to be reshifted to go back to what it was. Here you're middway there, as you work from the Blu-ray obviously.

But I need to add, you totally nailed the nightscenes like the arrivals etc.

EDIT : I need to add, you totally deleted the sun in the canal chase. The sun tones in the Blu-ray were always there in the theaters, that scene is close to what it's originaly was. Not cold looking.

EDIT 2: I get what you mean by the blue cold tone in the corridor, the problem is that even the faces are bluish now.

Are you able to Colour Correct the scenes you are talking about yourself?
If it's just a still, it could help PDB with another reference (Even if it is just a memory!).