why is this movie so dark? - The Relic (1997) Discussion

[–] NoelCT 16 years ago

Peter Hyams is famous for using thick shadows and natural lighting, giving all of his films a dark look. But never to the point where the image can't be made out. Somehow, Paramount botched the transfer for TV, VHS, and DVD, and have yet to go back and correct it. Trust me, it was much clearer in the theater.

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[–] mrmegadeth99 16 years ago

yes i remember seeing it in theaters and not once complaining the picture being too dark. they really need to remaster this and rerelease it on dvd

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[–] silence_you_fools 16 years ago

I am nearly finished watching it right now and I have to say it's very difficult to make out what's going on visually. I checked this board for that exact reason. It's nice to know you're not alone sometimes.

Maybe I'll turn all the lights out, that might help.

Edit: It works. Turn out all the lights when you watch the film and it makes a difference. It's still difficult to see in places, but definitely better.

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[–] WarpedRecord 16 years ago

I watched this film with the lights out (but a few candles burning), and it certainly helps. But there's no denying that this is a very dark film -- in terms of picture as well as subject manner. Obviously, it's intentional.

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[–] Tecmo_SB_Guy 13 years ago

Yeah this is one of things that took away the enjoyment of this movie from me.

I recorded this off HBO Zone in high definition and I still couldn't make out some stuff because it was too dark.

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[–] barber2626 12 years ago

Kind of hard to watch it with the lights out when it daytime and I do not live in a dungeon. And we sure shouldnt have to wait till its dark out and then even have to adjust our tvs and turn up the bright. Just very stupid how this is.

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[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] puirt-a-beul 9 years ago

Somehow, Paramount botched the transfer for TV, VHS, and DVD, and have yet to go back and correct it.

Sadly, since you posted that, it's been released on Blu-ray, without any improvement in terms of brightness. The better colour range and heightened detail help quite a deal, but it's still way too gloomy. Bummer.

Trust me, it was much clearer in the theater.

I saw it in the cinema, and I remember thinking even then that gloom was a real problem, so maybe this is just the way Hyams shot it. I'm familiar with his visual style and fondness for only natural light, but I can't think of any other titles of his where he makes it such an effort to tell what's going on. I can understand his wanting to set the mood and establish the environment of the basement corridors and storage rooms of the museum, but when there are scenes of expository dialogue in people's offices and you can't even make out their faces, let alone their facial expressions, it simply becomes annoying.

You might very well think that. I couldn't possibly comment.

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[–] rixrex 12 years ago

It has to get a good HD transfer and then you'll see it isn;t really that dark.

I have it on laserdisc and it's a very good transfer, not overly dark.

Of course, these types of monster movies always tend tobe on the dark side. It's a way of making the creature look less like a puppet. You must admit this creature was as good as anything else non-CGI ever done. Stan Winston Studios once again shows that CGI looks like cartoons compared to it's work.

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The Eyes of the City are Mine! Mother Pressman / Anguish (1987)

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[–] SteveH2002 12 years ago

Still bad streaming on Netflix. Sheesh, it's like watching a radio show. Annoying.

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[–] superman1 11 years ago

I wouldn't be surprised if you all have your TV's set wrong.
If you use their mad preset pictures, each one will black out half the shadow detail.
To correct it, use your own setting, putting contrast down, a lot, and brightness up. Brightness must be a lot higher than contrast.
You do not make the pic go as black as it can, it must be a bit lighter.
Now watch anything on TV, and compare that setting to your presets, and watch how half the pic disappears.

This is probably why the cinema is clear. There, thank God, the projector is incapable of making this error.

UNSOLVED MYSTERIES: UPDATE.
I saw the film, and though is a bit darker than usual and with too many dark scenes, the transfer doesn't miss anything the cinema had, and most importantly the creature. The credits are as bright as any DVD.
For that, watch AVP:WRECKRIUM, where the best creature is almost silhouette.

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[–] jstover07 11 years ago

No, the dvd/blu-ray transfer is not proper. I picked up the laserdisc and it's much brighter and more clear with the action. I was never lost following the action on the laserdisc.

It's not even about adjusting your brightness and contrast on your tv. The blu-ray is so dark that no amount of tweaking will bring out the obscured details that the poor transfer has lost from the get-go. You just end up with a washed-out block of gray.

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[–] puirt-a-beul 9 years ago

I agree, jstover. I'm just watching it on Blu-ray for the first time, and visually, apart from the greater detail and wider colour gamut, it's really not an improvement over the DVD. Such a pity.

Sadly, since this film wasn't much of a revenue-raiser, the studio is unlikely to spend any money on improving the transfer. And since it's already been put onto Blu-ray, I expect that's the last of the attention it will get.

You might very well think that. I couldn't possibly comment.

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