PDB said:

Do you have that book Jonno? If so can you maybe send me a couple of pics from it. It looks like a good guide for this project. Especially, the problem areas. I'm not only looking for the coloring but the dark/contrast. I assume the skin tones are warm like the LD and not pale like in the DVDs and BDs?

I do have it, but I'm not sure if scanning it is a great idea - for one, I don't want to add another generation into the mix unless absolutely necessary (I can't guarantee my scanner is 100% accurate) and, to be honest, I don't want to put its 35-year-old spine through any trauma! I'm sure you'll be able to pick up your own copy for a few quid/bucks/Republic credits, just check the Amazon link for sellers (they often come up on Ebay too).

The Alien 70mm is a pretty great mix. Very bass heavy. I don't know if the AC-3 on Aliens is the 70mm mix. The Alien LD is very specific about it being the 70mm but no mention the Aliens LD. That doesn't mean that it isn't either. Old LD sometimes had the 70mm mix without indicating it, like the AC-3 LD of Die Hard. Anyone know if Aliens was split surround?

Here are a couple of lists of 70mm films with split surrounds:

http://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=7418527&postcount=35

http://www.in70mm.com/library/process/dolby/ (where 'SS' denotes split surrounds)

Aliens doesn't appear on either list, so like Alien it would appear to have been a 4.1 mix. Since the actual content would likely have been comparable to that of the Dolby Stereo mix (staggered releases weren't such a factor this far into the 1980s), only presented in discrete channels, the laserdisc's 5.1 AC-3 is very likely to approximate it. I wonder if our Italian friend would be prepared to work his magic again?