Asaki said:

Well as we discussed elsewhere, the 35mm version has a lot of white clipping that may or may not have been intentional.

god damnit i keep finding out stuff that adds another layer of complexity to all this stuff.

look at this deleted scene in the first half of the sky turns white, they turn a corner and its blue again??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsDE7o_o26E

here is a tweaked still from pre-anh bootleg:

Although this has probably the most original information packed into it of all versions - thats what it feels like to me: that it's too packed in. The packed-in-ness is making it feel to dark and heavy. Why I prefer the PS78 is there seems to be more space and air in the mid range so it feels more lifelike

edit: i wonder if this packed in-ness combined with deliberate blown out whites is what makes some things look so wierd when its transfered 'down'= why the flesh tones burn so much - this is especially wierd on catnap bootleg

2nd edit: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xcdkap_the-making-of-star-wars-1-4-1977_shortfilms#

(around 12.37) If you look at the general conditions on the day this was shot, and the one thing that does seem like a clear fact - that mark hamill was not beet red from sunburn, then you get closer to how it all fits together maybe. the more i look at this stuff the more it seems like the relationship between colours adds or minus to the sense of lightness or heaviness, if the relationship is screwed up to begin with then plus or minus brightness isnt going to completely undo that

3rd edit: Theres something about the relationship between the darkness of the hair and the blown out sky that doesnt seem to gel / work