Until now, that is. Much of 'Dragonslayer' takes place at night, in a dark, dank castle or a dark, dank cave and is lit to appear as if by torch light. The effect is quite dramatic on film but anathema to the electronic medium. Previous video incarnations have been, at least in my opinion, nearly unwatchable. This new transfer from Paramount goes a long way toward presenting this film the way it's fans will remember and certainly eclipses all previous video versions.
Colors are are accurate and generally free of excessive chroma noise.
The image is sharp and relatively clear, though there is still some grain apparent in most scenes, however, considering the nature of the material, much less than one might expect. For many, the most attractive 'aspect' of this disc will be the widescreen framing. The sound on this disc is as much of a treat as the picture. I have no doubt that, in light of the generally poor state of theater sound, very few people have heard this film sound this good. The terrific Alex North score has great depth and clarity.