the comments about the two dvds becoming more and more drained make me want to ask if the laser disc has been treated the same way as well. also, are there any extras on it (or different versions, for that matter?)...thanks in advance.
shareI've never seen the Laserdic myself, but I beleive the whole thing about them "draining" the color is pretty recent, and is only seen on the new DVD. The director said that's how he wanted the film to look, but he didn't have the technology till now. Hope this helps!
shareI actually remember that in the theater. Badham has stated he shot it that way.
shareAnd I have an old DVD of this film--it's the same way there. The odd thing is that when I just rewatched it this morning (over the years my fourth viewing now, I think), I didn't remember it being like that, but I'm probably getting my memory mixed up with other versions of Dracula. At any rate, I thought the color and color saturation scheme was pretty brilliant on this viewing.
[Later: I just read the thread that says the 2004 DVD has desaturated color on all scenes? That would be a disaster if true. It's important for some scenes, such as the lovemaking scene between Dracula and Lucy, and the scene with Dracula on the ship's mast in the sun to have super-saturated color . . . I hope Badham didn't wreck that aspect of his original work. Maybe he forgot his full intention with the color/color saturation scheme? That can happen . . . when I revisit old work, sometimes I forgot everything I intended by certain choices, too).
Brandt Sponseller
www.CarnyBarker.com
The original theatrical prints and the VHS and early laserdisc and 80's cable broadcasts all had SATURATED COLOR. It was a horrible decision by badham to drain the color out of the film in the 90's onwards.
shareAbsolutely. On several occasions you might as well be watching a blank screen.
shareI had the widescreen laser disc. Have long since sold it in anticipation to the (then new) dvd format. Had I known Universal was gonna cave into Badham's demand to desaturize the color, I would've hung on to it.
The laser disc colors were rich and atmospheric. Trying to do post color draining achieves exactly what it looks like...like someone simply lowered the color on the color knob. Now it looks cheap!
It included the original theatrical trailer (with the most popular preview voice narrator of the 70's & 80's. Can't remember his name, but if you watch an original JAWS preview...it's him.)
The widescreen laserdisc, released in 1991, was the first home video to feature the de-saturated color. All subsequent releases, including all DVD releases, are the same way. Only the original home video VHS and laserdisc have the original colors. The problem with the original VHS and laserdisc releases is that they are cropped to fit a standard tv (4:3 aspect ratio).
At this point, the only way to view the film in its original aspect ratio and with the original colors is to find a print.
If ever there was a film in need of a Blu-ray release, this is it. The Blu-ray could easily contain both the original color and de-saturated versions.
"If ever there was a film in need of a Blu-ray release, this is it. The Blu-ray could easily contain both the original color and de-saturated versions. "
Now that's a good idea. Badham can be satisfied, and the rest of the freakin world can be satisfied.
cbulkin:
Then I must've been lucky to purchase the wide screen laser disc that had full color
that looked awesome on a Sony TV.
My 1st exposure to the de-sated' color was the dvd debut.
I was stunned and immediately exchanged it for another copy.
Same result!
So I sold it within the year.
And purchased the re-issue dvd hoping the color was enhanced.
Same result!
I'm not saying you're wrong...
but the fact is my laser looked great AND it was wide screen.
I've never purchased a laser in pan/scan unless the film was released pre 1953.
jbirtel-1:
Based on your comment above, I took a chance and purchased the letterboxed laserdisc from ebay, which makes it the fourth copy of the film in my possession: the full screen VHS, the original 1987 full screen laserdisc, the 1991 letterboxed laserdisc, and the 2004 DVD. Unfortunately, my original comment remains correct - only the full screen VHS and the original full screen laserdisc contain the original vibrant colors. The 1991 letterboxed laserdisc has the same color desaturation issue as the 2004 DVD.
Wow, this is just sad. I've wanted to see this again since it came out, for the principal reason that the colors were so sumptuously over-the-top. Now I'm watching it online at last and the desaturation completely ruins what I'd found most memorable about it in 1979. What a shame.
shareBadham also changed, eons ago, the music during Dracula's and Lucy's dinner scene.
Why do they do these things?
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Download a copy or play the DVD through your PC using VLC media player. Go to Tools > Effects and Filters > Video Effects > Essential > tick 'Image adjust' box > slide Saturation bar to third notch.
Original DVD screenshot with drained colour:
http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/9650/2eak.jpg
Adjusted using VLC:
http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/2434/wqek.jpg
Before (car looks black):
http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/7595/woke.jpg
After (car is actually green):
http://imageshack.us/a/img571/1991/52nc.jpg
Before:
http://img593.imageshack.us/img593/4189/nnn0.jpg
After:
http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/7440/esz9.jpg
Note my screenshots are from a smaller resolution file but in full screen (uploaded and resized to 1024x768 for the benefit of people with smaller screens) so there's significant loss of pixels. If you did this with the actual DVD the picture quality would be significantly better.
EDSKRPHW
Wow! It works great! That is awesome. Thanks for sharing this method. the colors are good. I just tried it myself and I think I'm gonna watch it with this setting on!
shareI took your settings, and thought I'd push it further with a little Photoshop tinkering. I was just saying tonight that there wasn't enough color information left in the transfer to restore this properly. Surely, it would be a little different doing this in Final Cut Pro, but this adjustment in Photoshop compared to a still from the HD trailer with the original color timing suggests something exciting and hopeful. Not perfect, could you more contrast and drain out that green tinge some more, but what do you all think?
http://www.ravensfilm.com/Dracula_Re-Colored.jpg
-NJM
there are 2 laserdiscs. one is from 1983. the other is from 1991. the 1983 disc has full color and looks pretty good, but is pan and scan/4:3 screen ratio. it's very watchable though.
share