Thunderball
Same print element used for 1989 LD, 1993 Connery Collection II, THX CAV LD, and SE DVD.
1. 1989 disc has slightly elevated contrast, and overall different color tone. Some pale-ish skin tones. Mono with variations.
2. 1993 CC reissue is same master, but colors were boosted and contrast dialed down a touch. Skin tones that were pale-ish are now red-orange-ish. Walls and stationary objects more vibrant. Mono with variations.
3. 1995 THX CAV LD utilizes same source print, but seems to be a new transfer of the print. Detail jumps ahead in leaps and bounds, but has EE. New color timing is more like the 1989 subdued rich color look, but there are many shots where you see a level of black more like a 35mm print of the era. Most notable is in the hotel room with Derval and Fiona in bed. Remixes stereo surround with alternate track. Opening gunbarrel has dropout in matrixed right rear, fixed for 1998 reissue and DVD.
4. SE DVD increases detail over CAV set, but same transfer and master. Identical, but the matrixed track is in DD 5.1 discrete @ 448 kbp/s.
Before I go further, is it just me or does the Lowry DVD and BD seem to be different? The BD has this strange purplish cast all over which I don't recall being on anything else.
-The Lowry UE sucks out all the color of any of the previous editions. Any semblance of Technicolor is gone, along with all grain. 5.1 mixes seem to be new and not the 1995 stereo remix.
-BD appears different, some of the old color has come back in, grain and vertical lines reappear. The vertical lines are visible on all the LDs with comb filter, and the SE DVD. The 5.1 DTS-HDMA seems to be the 1995 stereo remix.
Take a look at the shot of Bond donning the helmet for the Bell rocket belt. The 1989, CC, Lowry have the background plate of the chateau normally colored. But on the CAV, SE and Blu-ray this has gone purplish. There are a few other things that seem to suggest that perhaps this one for some reason was further tinkered with by MGM/Fox for the Blu-ray release.
Also, reports have been filtering in that versions are on Netflix without the squeezed titles. They may or may not be from the 4K DCPs which have been being quietly released in art houses and repertory.
Guys, if and when we do Thunderball, I'm thinking maybe a new hybrid mono mix with the stereo variations?