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Post #712294

Author
TServo2049
Parent topic
Team Negative1 - The Empire Strikes Back 1980 - 35mm Theatrical Version (Released)
Link to post in topic
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/712294/action/topic#712294
Date created
20-Jun-2014, 2:11 PM

Re: "Hinting of red", from what prints I've seen in person, I'm getting an impression that red was a much less "common" color on 70s/80s film prints. eems that, for example, (white) skin tones trended peach with just a hint of pink, and fire/explosions tended more yellow-orange in bright areas and primary/burnt-orange in dark areas. When there WAS red, it was usually in specifically RED objects, or red gel lighting, and it often looked extremely primary and dense. In 80s prints I've seen projected, these reds would look almost as if the red dye had been "injected" into the film stock, or plate-printed onto it like it were a photo print or magazine. (I've even perceived white "haloes" around primary reds on at least one occasion, akin to the film frames in my early Cinefex back issues.)

For a specific example, I was just watching the modern "teal-orange" transfer of Lethal Weapon on HBO. When Riggs and Murtaugh are in Murtaugh's living room in the dark next to the Christmas tree, with the red lighting, it's full of subtle shades; however, on the original 1987 35mm print I saw last Christmas, it instead looked like the red parts of the scene had been BATHED in red dye. A lot of fine facial details were blotted out by the reds, THAT'S how saturated primary red could be in 80s timing/print stock. I've seen similar characteristics in 35mm prints of Legend, The Running Man, and other films from the era.

Getting off my tangent, if it's like other 80s prints I've seen, I'd think there shouldn't be much red in the oranges, but that stuff like tiny red background lights on the Star Destroyer bridge or in the background of the reactor core scene would probably appear as pronounced fire-engine/blood-red pinpoints.