Info & Help Wanted: in identifying which version of Alien (1979) this is...

I recorded Alien off TV here in Italy because I knew this particular channel had a rare version with localized titles and obviously I’m hoping to make a preservation out of it before the Italian print disappears from existence… you know how that goes.

I expected it to be an old copy but the quality seemed better than what they usually put on TV (and possibily better than my 1999 DVD?), so I had the suspiction it might have been from Bluray or some other version that I’m not aware of.

I can’t recall all the differences between the many version that came out on home video (is there any visual comparison on internet like there is for Star Wars films?). What I remember is that 2003 remastered DVD edition had a stupid alien hanging from the chains before Brett dies while 1999 DVD version and 2012 Bluray version didn’t.

I’ve also heard that in the Bluray they added all the previously cut scenes like the cocoon scene, or the Alien hitting the cat box… these scenes are not in this TV version. So by exclusion I would say it’s neither the 2003 edition nor the Bluray. Could it be from 1999 DVD or any previous source?

Can anyone identify which version of Alien this is from these couple of screengrabs?

bigrob said:

looks like the HD restored Theatrical Cut that is on the BD in all honesty

 I didn't know BD also contained the theatrical cut. Is there any tell-tale scene or detail that could help identify it?

I meant... Is there any way to distinguish the bluray theatrical edition from previous theatrical editions (namely the 1999 DVD)?

The teal-ish balance of your landing leg room grabs suggest the 2010 master.

Is the 2010 master the one used in the bluray?

Yes, though it now occurs to me that the earlier 2003 scan (used for the director's cut and quadrilogy DVDs) may have had a life in HDTV too.

In either case, the colour adjustments done for the DC largely remain in the theatrical cut (something that will hopefully be addressed in a spoRv - or similar - project at some point).

Jonno said:

Yes, though it now occurs to me that the earlier 2003 scan (used for the director's cut and quadrilogy DVDs) may have had a life in HDTV too.

In either case, the colour adjustments done for the DC largely remain in the theatrical cut (something that will hopefully be addressed in a spoRv - or similar - project at some point).

There is already a DC project that has the original color timing preserved.  Creating menu's is not my strength and I have not been able to find anyone willing to help out so it sits as an "as is" release.

Sorry to interject this here.  It should have it's own thread.

Jetrell Fo said:

Jonno said:

Yes, though it now occurs to me that the earlier 2003 scan (used for the director's cut and quadrilogy DVDs) may have had a life in HDTV too.

In either case, the colour adjustments done for the DC largely remain in the theatrical cut (something that will hopefully be addressed in a spoRv - or similar - project at some point).

There is already a DC project that has the original color timing preserved.  Creating menu's is not my strength and I have not been able to find anyone willing to help out so it sits as an "as is" release.

Sorry to interject this here.  It should have it's own thread.

 A good, quick way to tell which master/color timing was used is the exterior shots of the Nostromo. The Collector's Edition LD, the AC3/70mm LD, the '99 DVD and the early Japanese HDTV copy all have the Nostromo model as being gray. That's the way it is in the original 35mm (I've seen a print) and the way the model looks in real life.

When the film was re-release in '03 the Nostromo and much of the film was re-timed to have a blue tint. It looks this way in the DC's 35mm print (the most beautiful 35mm print I have ever seen) and  Dtheater DVHS. I don't think there is another HDTV copy of this color timing outside the DVHS.

When the film was prep'd for the BD there was a green tint added to the blue tint. This is what it looks like on the BD, all current HDTV masters, Itunes (USA) and I believe Vudu (USA).

Those pics have a blue-ish Nostromo so it is the same master as the BD

_,,,^..^,,,_ said:

Jonno said:

In either case, the colour adjustments done for the DC largely remain in the theatrical cut (something that will hopefully be addressed in a spoRv - or similar - project at some point).

...it's always in my "project drawer"... (-^,)

semiOT: what's about Alien3 color grading of BD, DVD and LD?

 From what I've seen Alien 3 has been pretty consistent since the LD days, always having a brown color timing.

http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/Alien-DC-Project-Assistance-Appreciated/topic/16843/

New Thread for Alien DC.

When the film was re-release in '03 the Nostromo and much of the film was re-timed to have a blue tint. It looks this way in the DC's 35mm print (the most beautiful 35mm print I have ever seen) and  Dtheater DVHS. I don't think there is another HDTV copy of this color timing outside the DVHS.

We have the DTheater version.

PDB said:

Jetrell Fo said:

Jonno said:

Yes, though it now occurs to me that the earlier 2003 scan (used for the director's cut and quadrilogy DVDs) may have had a life in HDTV too.

In either case, the colour adjustments done for the DC largely remain in the theatrical cut (something that will hopefully be addressed in a spoRv - or similar - project at some point).

There is already a DC project that has the original color timing preserved.  Creating menu's is not my strength and I have not been able to find anyone willing to help out so it sits as an "as is" release.

Sorry to interject this here.  It should have it's own thread.

 A good, quick way to tell which master/color timing was used is the exterior shots of the Nostromo. The Collector's Edition LD, the AC3/70mm LD, the '99 DVD and the early Japanese HDTV copy all have the Nostromo model as being gray. That's the way it is in the original 35mm (I've seen a print) and the way the model looks in real life.

When the film was re-release in '03 the Nostromo and much of the film was re-timed to have a blue tint. It looks this way in the DC's 35mm print (the most beautiful 35mm print I have ever seen) and  Dtheater DVHS. I don't think there is another HDTV copy of this color timing outside the DVHS.

When the film was prep'd for the BD there was a green tint added to the blue tint. This is what it looks like on the BD, all current HDTV masters, Itunes (USA) and I believe Vudu (USA).

Those pics have a blue-ish Nostromo so it is the same master as the BD

 I'll check it out!