The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy (Extended Edition) (2001-2003)

[Ernest Rister]

Yup. I'm passing as well. For now.

Maybe in 10 months I'll pick it up for $14.99 at Best Buy.

[WorkShed]

If a replacement plan comes out, I'm all over it!

[MEB]

It's easy enough for me to notice the excessive edge enhancement in the theatrical Blu-ray. But, for some reason, this new teal (green/cyan/whatever) color grading seems more objectionable.

If there wasn't all this talk that Peter Jackson has supposedly put his stamp of approval on the new color grading, maybe I'd find it less objectionable. But if Jackson did knowingly tilt the color toward teal, I'm in shock he would make (what I view as) such a poor decision. It causes me to want to avoid buying the new EE editions just so I don't put more money in Jackson's pocket.

Sorry, Mr. Jackson, but I think you (or someone) screwed up. Snow that has been MUCH closer to white for nearly 10 years shouldn't suddenly be changed to teal. Particularly not on the "definitive" (and expensive) release on Blu-ray.

Mark

[vargo]

Originally Posted by frogmort

This was just posted by Ralph Potts over at avs:

"Greetings,

I watched the entire sequence beginning just before the switch to the snowy mountain which begins at 7:22 or so. The scene just before it looks fine as Gandalf tells the Fellowship that they must take the mountain pass. As soon as it switches to the wide angle shot of them traversing the mountain the image has a noticebly bluish tinge (the comparison you reference is right on target).

Here is the final shot immediately before it switches to the wide angle shot. I couldn't be bothered getting the exact match this time around so it might be a few frames out.

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/59827

Again, when you see the scene on its own without a reference it might look 'fine'. But compared to the TE it still has the teal tint.

[Todd Smith]

Originally Posted by frogmort

This was just posted by Ralph Potts over at avs:

"Greetings,

I watched the entire sequence beginning just before the switch to the snowy mountain which begins at 7:22 or so. The scene just before it looks fine as Gandalf tells the Fellowship that they must take the mountain pass. As soon as it switches to the wide angle shot of them traversing the mountain the image has a noticebly bluish tinge (the comparison you reference is right on target). I watched the remainder of the sequence and the shots of the snowy mountain all look this way. The ones that flip back and forth to Isengard (spelling?) look fine.

I watched the same sequence on the FOTR EE DVD and it does not look this way. Quite frankly I am at a loss for the reasoning behind this."

Doesn't sound too promising.

These are the scenes that I am most concerned about and curious to see........man this is not looking good Bravo to Ralph though for not only catching it, but bringing it to light.

Originally Posted by MEB

Sorry, Mr. Jackson, but I think you (or someone) screwed up. Snow that has been MUCH closer to white for nearly 10 years shouldn't suddenly be changed to teal. Particularly not on the "definitive" (and expensive) release on Blu-ray.

Mark

Could not agree more.

[Petri Teittinen]

Originally Posted by Todd Smith

Bravo to Ralph though for not only catching it, but bringing it to light.

He "caught" it because a member told him to check the scene and provided comparison screenshots of what to look for. He brought nothing new to light. Take his post apart and you'll be left with "Ralph is at a loss". I don't mean to knock him; suffice it to say I think he posted before stopping to analyse what he'd seen.

[gstriftos]

From AVS:(in respone to Mr.Pots comment)

The theory that makes the most sense is that the original theatrical timing for the snow sequence was too earth-like for Jackson. If you listen to him in the featurette about color, he says they deliberately wanted to not have realistic colors for the Trilogy so that one would not get the impression it was earth. That's the main intention behind all grading in LOTR. With the remaster of FOTR he had the chance to grade the sequences that were not graded back in 2001 (FOTR in theaters was the only one not entirely graded digitally), and looking at the snow scenes in the TE and comparing them to the shots from the EE I actually would agree with Jackson. The theatrical looks like earth, or "real", the newly mastered EE looks slightly non-earthly, just as all the other graded scenes.

If this is true(I haven't seen the featurette) then all our talk is to be thrown to a recycle bin.
We see what PJ intended,no more no less.

e.g.I agree 100% with the observations of Mr.Pots.
Blue/cyan colouring in these scenes is intense compared to T.E. and DVD E.E.
As far as it concerns green tint,yes it sometines is Gandalf the (slightly)Green,not the Gray.
But I ll pas it as detailing and contrast are far more great than T.E..
Also there seems to be a more darker gamma,which is very useful when viewing with virtually no lighting in the room(as viewing is supposed to be if we want to get the most of our equipment).

[grafpt]

wow, I am very glad to have run into this thread. Though it's very overwhelming to read all of it lol

My thoughts on this so far are that it seems like the color correction made was it give the move a more soft feel? As some of you have said, it may not be so bad when your actually watching the movie because it wont be going from one color to another like the screen comparison, but it still leaves room to worry.

Like most releases, I guess I will just await the verdict once the official review comes out. This does bum me that I now have to watch out for this release. The TE bummed me and I really hope this one doesn't

[Todd Smith]

Originally Posted by Petri Teittinen

He "caught" it because a member told him to check the scene and provided comparison screenshots of what to look for. He brought nothing new to light. Take his post apart and you'll be left with "Ralph is at a loss". I don't mean to knock him; suffice it to say I think he posted before stopping to analyse what he'd seen.

You are right as I just read the thread. I also find this info interesting from a poster over there which would actually support the green/teal snow, sky, etc.......not being a mistake which makes sense to me to be honest........

The theory that makes the most sense is that the original theatrical timing for the snow sequence was too earth-like for Jackson. If you listen to him in the featurette about color, he says they deliberately wanted to not have realistic colors for the Trilogy so that one would not get the impression it was earth. That's the main intention behind all grading in LOTR. With the remaster of FOTR he had the chance to grade the sequences that were not graded back in 2001 (FOTR in theaters was the only one not entirely graded digitally), and looking at the snow scenes in the TE and comparing them to the shots from the EE I actually would agree with Jackson. The theatrical looks like earth, or "real", the newly mastered EE looks slightly non-earthly, just as all the other graded scenes.
Is it revisionist? Yes. But IMHO in much better taste than Jabba in Ep 4 ;

I have to be honest........after reading that info as far as Jacksons goals which were NOT to have a "real" look so things dont get mistaken for Earth, the green not only makes sense, but sure looks to be deliberate.

What do you fellow green questioners think about this? Wish I had read this info about a week ago! lol..............

[Romansh]

There seems to be quite a few people who still hope for either of the following (at least, not so long ago):

1) the BD dump found online isn't a final retail disc

2) the BD dump found online doesn't feature the same video transfer as the U.S. edition and/or features a faulty transfer that won't be present on all retail discs



Bill Hunt's picture of his screen already shows the green tint when placed next to a screenshot of the theatrical edition Blu-ray. You could argue that a picture of a screen is unreliable and could hide a green tint, but what are the odds that it would introduce a green tint very similar to the captures that have already been posted?

Moreover, as forgmort pointed out:

Originally Posted by Ralph Potts

Greetings,

I watched the entire sequence beginning just before the switch to the snowy mountain which begins at 7:22 or so. The scene just before it looks fine as Gandalf tells the Fellowship that they must take the mountain pass. As soon as it switches to the wide angle shot of them traversing the mountain the image has a noticebly bluish tinge (the comparison you reference is right on target). I watched the remainder of the sequence and the shots of the snowy mountain all look this way. The ones that flip back and forth to Isengard (spelling?) look fine.

I watched the same sequence on the FOTR EE DVD and it does not look this way. Quite frankly I am at a loss for the reasoning behind this.

He's mentioned earlier in the thread that he received the retail discs (I'm assuming it's the U.S. edition like Bill Hunt).

It's pretty clear now that the tint is found on the final retail discs. Some captures apparently have a brightness difference, but they're accurate as far as the tint goes. Some reviewers see it and others don't, but it's there.

Originally Posted by frogmort

I really hate to say it, but I think I'll just stick with my TE blu-rays for now. They do have their problems, but they're really not that bad.

They're so bad that sone people don't notice the tint, some people notice it and say it's only present in some scenes, some people say it's present throughout but varies in intensity from scene to scene, and other say it's pretty much the same throughout but and is only more noticeable in some scenes.

The color is (likely) incorrect, but I think in the grand scheme of things it'll become a non-issue (not to everyone, just in general).

I don't think we're headed toward an exchange program either. Who knows, there might be one, but I don't think they'll be under any pressure to do so (i.e. they' won't be forced to have one).

[grafpt]

I think that is logical. It gives this "movie theater" look in my opinion.

[Ernest Rister]

Bollocks. If Jackson wanted Fellowship to look this way, he would have done so ten years ago. How many theatrical releases and home video releases has the film enjoyed? Now, for this one release, it suddenly looks the way it was always intended to?

Go peddle that on some other street corner. I ain't buyin today.

[Stinky-Dinkins]

I think that makes little sense as the other two movies were graded digitally yet lack this overbearing, insanely green/teal tint. Doesn't make that look less like earth, it makes it look like Earth as seen through teal goggles. This doesn't make it more consistent with the other two, it just adds nutty color grading to FotR that wasn't present before.

[MEB]

Originally Posted by gstriftos

If this is true(I haven't seen the featurette) then all our talk is to be thrown to a recycle bin.
We see what PJ intended,no more no less.

The featurette they are referring to is a discussion of the digital color grading done for the original theatrical release (in theaters), NOT for the extended edition on Blu-ray!

That's a very important distinction. If Jackson went to such careful lengths to get the color exactly how he wanted it the first time, why is he monkeying with it now?

Something just doesn't smell right in this whole thing.

Here is the featurette they are referring to:

YouTube - ‪LOTR Digital Color Grading Part 1 of 2‬‏

Mark

[Illy Scorsese]

Originally Posted by ernest rister

bollocks. If jackson wanted fellowship to look this way, he would have done so ten years ago. How many theatrical releases and home video releases has the film enjoyed? Now, for this one release, it suddenly looks the way it was always intended to?

Go peddle that on some other street corner. I ain't buyin today.

^^^game. Set. Match.

[MEB]

Originally Posted by Todd Smith

I have to be honest........after reading that info as far as Jacksons goals which were NOT to have a "real" look so things dont get mistaken for Earth, the green not only makes sense, but sure looks to be deliberate.

What do you fellow green questioners think about this? Wish I had read this info about a week ago! lol..............

See my note above regarding the featurette. Jackson's exact comment is he wanted to "nudge it sideways from reality". But those comments were made about the color grading done to the ORIGINAL THEATRICAL RELEASE.

In other words, the movie we already know (theater, DVD and first Blu-ray releases) are the ones he already nudged sideways.

If Jackson decided to nudge it some more, that's his choice. But I don't agree with the decision.

Mark

[Todd Smith]

Originally Posted by MEB

See my note above regarding the featurette. Jackson's exact comment is he wanted to "nudge it sideways from reality". But those comments were made about the color grading done to the ORIGINAL THEATRICAL RELEASE.

In other words, the movie we already know (theater, DVD and first Blu-ray releases) are the ones he already nudged sideways.

If Jackson decided to nudge it some more, that's his choice. But I don't agree with the decision.

Mark

So you dont think its possible that with the remaster of FOTR he had the chance to grade the sequences that were not graded back in 2001 such as this mountain section? It seems possible to me to be honest, but who knows..........This definitely puts a different perspective on things for me though..........

I am all ****ing confused at this point to be honest! If the films colors had just been left alone like TT and ROTK, NONE of this speculation would be happening and this release would be much more exciting for MANY of us!

[Illy Scorsese]

Originally Posted by MEB

The featurette they are referring to is a discussion of the digital color grading done for the original theatrical release (in theaters), NOT for the extended edition on Blu-ray!

That's a very important distinction. If Jackson went to such careful lengths to get the color exactly how he wanted it the first time, why is he monkeying with it now?

Something just doesn't smell right in this whole thing.

Here is the featurette they are referring to:

YouTube - ‪LOTR Digital Color Grading Part 1 of 2‬‏

Mark

I mean watch this video... It's all there. They clearly worked hard to get the look they wanted then.

OMG... They originally intended for the skies to be Blue and not green in the shire.

What has suddenly changed now???... Bull.

Someone along the line screwed up... I will not be purchasing until enivitable replacements begin. smh

[Stinky-Dinkins]

Originally Posted by MEB

The featurette they are referring to is a discussion of the digital color grading done for the original theatrical release (in theaters), NOT for the extended edition on Blu-ray!

That's a very important distinction. If Jackson went to such careful lengths to get the color exactly how he wanted it the first time, why is he monkeying with it now?

Something just doesn't smell right in this whole thing.

Here is the featurette they are referring to:

YouTube - ‪LOTR Digital Color Grading Part 1 of 2‬‏

Mark

I just watched it, you're exactly right. That was the fat Peter Jackson (meaning years and years ago) talking about the original and how exactly he intended it to look. This is about the original release, not the BD EE release.

The most important part is 3:45 in. I transcribed exactly what the WETA grader (with Jackson behind him looking on) said, nothing changed or removed:

....and then in Hobbiton we wanted the feel "warmth and green," we wanted Hobbiton to feel like, you know, the perfect picture postcard.

...so we got the classic reveal of Hobbitton. We didn't set out to do that much to the shot. In Hobbiton what you'd expect you'd actually have to add green but what we've found to give it a really kind of warm feel to it is in fact we take green out and a little, like, magenta tends to permeate in which then sends some of the um grays, sorry magenta, which you can just see coming in there and then what we do is take some of those magentas and then sort of swing it into a *unintelligible* and as you can see it starts to look more of a spread into the grass, and you can just see all of the different layers happening there. That gives us the warm feel that is Hobbiton.

This is exactly THE OPPOSITE of what they've done to this EE release. Because of this the warm feel in many scenes is completely lost, it's completely opposite to how the original was intended to be seen. In the new EE they grossly oversaturated it with green tint.

[greg_achen]

Originally Posted by Todd Smith

So you dont think its possible that with the remaster of FOTR he had the chance to grade the sequences that were not graded back in 2001 such as this mountain section? It seems possible to me to be honest, but who knows..........This definitely puts a different perspective on things for me though..........

I am all ****ing confused at this point to be honest!

Weren't almost all the Shire scenes graded though in the original release? What would explain his decision to go from a golden hue to something more green in those early scenes?

EDIT: Looks like Stinky-Dinkins and I posted roughly the same thing at the same time. lol