* Except for the extended ending, which is high contrast, the whole film has a very dull look to it. While the film print appears to be in better shape than MGM's version (on the original David Niven DVD, where it's noticeably dirty and scratched), everything has a similar grey hue. There's no depth, and no contrast. MGM's version has distinct lights and darks.
* In a couple spots, the SpyGuise version loses lock and jumps about like a TV with bad vertical hold. The MGM version doesn't have this issue.
* The addition of the longer ending results in a noticeable jump cut - Valerie suddenly moves closer to Le Chiffre. (Not to mention, the visual appearance of the movie shifts entirely.)
So, I've decided to make a definitive edition, by joining the bulk of the MGM version with the SpyGuise ending. HOWEVER, one notable feature of mine will be the restoration of the missing Valerie frames. See, those frames do exist - in fact, the abbreviated MGM version fades to black over them, and completes the fade just as Le Chiffre would grab her. Using Adobe Premiere, I am going to reverse the effects of their fade-out, frame by frame, restoring each frame to its proper brightness and contrast. This will create a much cleaner transition to the additional footage.
Of course, you might wonder... why not just adjust the contrast of the entire SpyGuise version? Well, because they stamped their "SG" watermark over the entire movie, and I want to eliminate as much of that as possible.
This shouldn't take too long to create - I only have 19 frames worth of Valerie to deal with.
Edited by TheLazenby, 31 August 2011 - 03:48 AM.