Is it possible for theatrical projectors to be cranked up too high? I certainly recall times when a movie was too dark than it should have been. (Some drive-ins were notorious for this.) I've heard explanations that bulbs were run into the ground way past when they should have been replaced, or being dimmed down several notches to save a few bucks. Feel free to correct me if this is all baloney.
Nice to know I wasn't the only one who formed the Tie Fighter shields theory about the garbage mattes, in spite of the fact the suckers are so easy to blow away. ;)