The Matrix 35mm (Released) — Page 2

A quick comparison for now, as some weird VirtualDub superindex issue set back my VHS capture.

The "What is Bullet-Time?" featurette is on both the original DVD and the CE VHS, so it serves as a useful reference to see how accurate the VHS capture setup is.

Featurette "completed shot" (VHS & DVD)

Featurette "previz" (DVD)

VHS

DVD

BD

There are numerous other shots in the extras using the blooming pink transfer.

It's funny because the other day, me and AntcuFaalb had a chat about The Matrix, yet this thing came to my mind just yesterday: I actually have a couple 1999 VCD versions of the film. Or at least one of them is from 1999. I'm going to check them right now and hope they work, and see if they can be useful as some kind of color reference.

EDIT:

Yep, only one of them was from 1999. The other was simply a divx encode of the DVD and not a real VCD.

The VCD on the other hand is dated 1999-05-14, and is sourced from a VHS which I know since it has the typical VHS look with lines running on the bottom of the picture. Maybe it's some kind of VHS screener?

Either way it looks very pink throughout. Here's that shot that was posted above and I think it matches the "Featurette completed shot" pretty well:

AntcuFaalb said:

Does anyone have the LD?

Some LDDb people claim that the color-timing was changed for the DVD and that the LD has the original color-timing.

I doubt anyone does it is silly expensive 

AntcuFaalb said:

dvdmike said:

AntcuFaalb said:

Does anyone have the LD?

Some LDDb people claim that the color-timing was changed for the DVD and that the LD has the original color-timing.

I doubt anyone does it is silly expensive 

I know some people on LDDb do. What frames should I ask them to capture or photograph?

The ones above would be perfect 

If it helps, the original color timing had skies that looked either white or green but NOT blue.

April '99, interview with the DP / directors: http://www.theasc.com/magazine/apr99/matrix/index.htm

Because the entire film was meticulously storyboarded in color, though, Pope did have an understanding of the visual style that the directors wanted to create. "Larry and Andy wanted The Matrix to have two distinct worlds," says the cinematographer. "There is the world in the 2197 future — in which we have the pods made by the computers — and then there's the present-day Matrix world, which was designed to be a slightly unappealing reality.

"The future world is cold, dark and riddled with lightning, so we left the lighting a bit bluer and made it dark as hell. Also, the future reality is very grimy because there's no reason to clean it — only the pods need to be sterile. Because humans haven't actually manufactured anything for a hundred years, anything that had been manufactured is now old and rusty.

"We didn't necessarily want the Matrix world to resemble our present world," adds Pope. "We didn't want any cheery blue skies. In Australia, the sky is a brilliant blue virtually all the time, but we wanted bald, white skies. All of our TransLight backings [for the stage work] were altered to have white skies, and on actual exterior shots in which we see a lot of sky, we digitally enhanced the skies to make them white. Additionally, since we wanted the Matrix reality to be unappealing, we asked ourselves, 'What is the most unappealing color?' I think we all agreed on green, so for those scenes, we sometimes used green filters, and I'd add a little bit of green in the color timing."

I guess we'll all get our final answer on the original color timing if poita can get his hands on that print. I would sure appreciate seeing it as I only saw the sequels in the cinema.

Turisu said:

Wasn't the Collector's Edition VHS a later release? If the above is anything to go by it appears to have the similar colour timing to the BD.

September 21, 1999: http://www.amazon.com/The-Matrix-Keanu-Reeves/dp/B00000K19E

December 7, 1999: http://www.amazon.com/The-Matrix-Standard-Collectors-Edition/dp/B00000K2SC

I could've sworn I saw a non-CE version of the VHS in a thrift store but I can't find such a thing anywhere online so apparently this was the only release in NA...?

Anyway, it isn't anywhere close to the BD: for one thing the contrast isn't boosted. I'll add the BD shot to the post above so you can see for yourself. It appears to be the same transfer as the first DVD; my captures look a little greener than the disc but that could easily be down to my setup.

You_Too said:

The VCD on the other hand is dated 1999-05-14 (...) Maybe it's some kind of VHS screener?

It would have to be, since the movie was only released 1999-03-31.

Found this:

Ok since I have alot to cover, Ill give you the highlights first. Yes, 
Star Wars. Shutup about it already. Go see it in the theatre you cheap 
bastards. Also last week we got the VCD Screener of The Matrix finally, 
another mad popular release. Few other gems like The Mummy, Idle Hands 
Screener, and a Varsity Blues Screener. On with the show..


Releaes for the week(s) of: May 11, 1999 to May 24, 1999


[NUKED] - Wishmaster 2 - Screener - HIGHSPEED
[NUKED] - Alien Arsenal - Screener - HIGHSPEED
05111999 - Doug's 1st Movie - Telesync - HIGHSPEED
05121999 - The Matrix - Screener - VCD-EUROPE 

A few more. The warped air was so colorful that it almost looks like a bunch of bubbles floating around. Certainly doesn't match the DP's intent stated above.

Featurette/1999 VHS/1999 DVD

drngr said:

I could've sworn I saw a non-CE version of the VHS in a thrift store but I can't find such a thing anywhere online so apparently this was the only release in NA...?

 

I'm quite sure there was a VHS release before the Collector's Edition, but it was for rental only. I remember because when The Matrix was first released to home video you could only purchase the DVD initially, and there was a controversy as to why it was only available on VHS to rent, with some believing it had something to do with the Columbine shootings.

I remember it being a big deal when it finally came out on VHS to purchase at major retail many months later because we did not yet have a DVD player and it was my dad's favorite movie at the time. I was with my mom when she bought him the Widescreen VHS at Suncoast for Christmas. This was when the Collector's Edition first appeared.

This appears to be the rental edition, without the featurettes at the end of the tape and no Collector's Edition banner at the bottom of the cover: http://www.ebay.com/itm/The-Matrix-VHS-1999-/320885329329?pt=VHS&hash=item4ab6418db1

Nien Nunb said:

This appears to be the rental edition, without the featurettes at the end of the tape and no Collector's Edition banner at the bottom of the cover: http://www.ebay.com/itm/The-Matrix-VHS-1999-/320885329329?pt=VHS&hash=item4ab6418db1

Good, I'm not completely crazy. 'Cause I do remember holding both tapes in my hands with one listing the features on the back cover and one not, as seen in that auction. I'm sure the color timing matches the other VHS and the DVD though.

Rental | ISBN 0-7907-4539-9 | 085391773733

Collector's Edition | ISBN 0-7907-4260-8 | 085391698531

I'd be interested in seeing a 35mm transfer as well. I don't think anyone has noted this, but isn't there a crew member on screen in the scene where Neo gets the cell phone near the beginning? I think it was only featured on the 1st press VHS before being recalled and edited out of every other copy. Though this might be because the VHS was full frame vs. Widescreen.

There might be some other goofs as well that were edited out of the film during Home Video conversion.

ilovewaterslides said:

 

This one simply looks stunning! I want the whole movie with these colors. There's a slight purple tint which looks more natural than the green/yellow one from the DVD. I also wonder if these colors are more accurate to the theatrical release. It would be interesting to see how the colors look on the LD.

Exactly, I'd live to see the movie looking like this. This color timming looks lush!

And it actually matches the original poster art.

There also 2 other original posters with the same color style

BTW, I'd love to see the LD caps as well

Hmm. Andrea, did you notice that while most of the time the DVD framing matches the BD, sometimes it varies slightly, and there's a big shift in this split shot? I was just taking these to show the white speck but discovered the shift.