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[ManaByte]

James Cameron Talks ‘Avatar,’ ‘Alien: Romulus’ and Whales in Spicy Chat: “Damn Right I’m Overbearing”

The Oscar-winning director doesn't hold back in a new interview touching on a host of Cameron-verse subjects, including 'OceanXplorers' and a secret 'Terminator' project.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

So you’ve also had recently the 4K transfers of Aliens and True Lies that came out. It did get blowback in the fan community, some feeling that the image quality wasn’t as high as they wanted it to be. You obviously have a very high standard. So I’m wondering what you thought?

When people start reviewing your grain structure, they need to move out of mom’s basement and meet somebody. Right? I’m serious. I mean, are you fucking kidding me? I’ve got a great team that does the transfers. I do all the color and density work. I look at every shot, every frame, and then the final transfer is done by a guy who has been with me [for years]. All the Avatar films are done that way. Everything is done that way. Get a life, people, seriously.

 

[feynoob]

Neogafers be like

 

[EviLore]

It’s a function of how much people love the films and how many years we’ve been kept waiting, completely unnecessarily, for modern transfers.

Everyone waited ages for them to be done properly under Cameron’s direct supervision and then they were botched.

 

[M.W.]

 

[TheDreadBaron]

Y'all see that Nerrel video? Cameron was not looking at every frame.

 

[Magic Carpet]

True Lie's is my least favorite of the James Cameron movies. It can stay in the basement bargain barrel.

 

[YCoCg]

People: James, NO, don't DNR and AI Upscale your movies whilst cold colour grading them!

JC:

 

[mitch1971]

Why did they add an oil painting filter on true lies?

 

[E-Cat]

True Lie's is my least favorite of the James Cameron movies. It can stay in the basement bargain barrel.

 

[Sonik]

Holy shit, that's so bad

 

[violence]

His movies heavily influenced video games. So we can assume they’re well liked by AV nerds as well. They’re going to point out if you do something lazy like a 2K upscale for Aliens.

 

[Hawking Radiation]

Jesus Mary and Joseph. What the fuck is this??!!!

 

[Klosshufvud]

Jesus Mary and Joseph. What the fuck is this??!!!

AI upscaling caught in the act. It's so easy to spot.

 

[Power Pro]

Jesus Mary and Joseph. What the fuck is this??!!!

jesus fucking christ. I'm not even that sensitive to a movie not looking perfect, but this is horrendous. You can see AI upscaling all over this, as if it was just the matrix code running across the screen.

 

[ZehDon]

Howabout, and hear me out here, do a better fucking job?

 

[Carton]

He’s defending that? Yikes. It looks like CGI.

I’ve always been under the impression that James Cameron had the same picky attention to detail as the people he is decrying. Yet, it doesn’t even take a pedantic eye to see this looks terrible.

 

[Represent.]

Pretty sure thats just a bad frame, the whole movie doesnt look like that lol

 

[Lambogenie]

Looks watchable to me. Overly smooth and different colour but eh, need to see more. But I can see if it's diehard fans then there would be complaints.

 

[diffusionx]

Based

 

[VulcanRaven]

I now expect the worst about the upcoming Terminator 1 4K Blu-Ray.

Here is a good video about the recent remasters:

 

[Tams]

Jesus Mary and Joseph. What the fuck is this??!!!

Other than the very obvious change in colour, I can't really see a difference. Well, it is sharper, but...

I'd probably like the original more though. The softness and warmer colour just make old films and TV shows comfier to watch.

 

[Pegasus Actual]

Yeah but in another couple of years the AI will let me replace Tom Arnold with Asmongold so this is a reasonable intermediate step.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Is Aliens 4k bad too? I'm skipping True Lies. The pics looks like shit. Arnie and Tom look like plastic doll figures.

 

[Oberstein]

Is the "get a life" argument a new trend among directors when you've done shit?

Remember Ridley Scott's historical reviews of Napoleon?

Don't ask questions or think, people. Besides, having a life and denouncing bullshit aren't mutually exclusive.

 

[Puscifer]

It’s a function of how much people love the films and how many years we’ve been kept waiting, completely unnecessarily, for modern transfers.

Everyone waited ages for them to be done properly under Cameron’s direct supervision and then they were botched.

The fact there's a 4K scan you can pirate of Terminator 2 that some dude scanned of a reshowing is better than the actual Blu-ray and 4K release because he didn't screw with things says a lot about Cameron. Saying this just puts a bad taste in my mouth...

 

[Spukc]

I will fucking stay in mummies basement however long as i please thank you very fucking much

 

[KrakenIPA]

Couldn't he just greenlight this backend project, employ a few qualified film-a-holics (and their bosses), and make a half a million dollars and make his fans happy?

 

[winjer]

Jesus Mary and Joseph. What the fuck is this??!!!

Holy shit, that looks so bad.
How the f*** did he approve this thing to be released....

 

[Trilobit]

When James Cameron starts responding with ad hominem attacks you know that the critics have struck a nerve.

Edit:

Jesus Mary and Joseph. What the fuck is this??!!!

What the heck is even that on the right?! It looks like something out of Midjourney.

 

[blastprocessor]

Add Terminator 2 to that list as well. Cameron does terrible remasters.

 

[Mr Reasonable]

Reading Cameron's comments I was initially "yeah, people will moan about anything they can". But I didn't realise the transfer involved getting Pixar to render every scene.

 

[Melon Husk]

I’ve got a great team that does the transfers. I do all the color and density work. I look at every shot, every frame, and then the final transfer is done by a guy who has been with me [for years]. All the Avatar films are done that way.

This isn't Avatar, bro

 

[KrakenIPA]

Reading Cameron's comments I was initially "yeah, people will moan about anything they can". But I didn't realise the transfer involved getting Pixar to render every scene.

I'm watching Micheal Mann's and QT's films. Even on streaming those late 80s and early 90s films just have that color pop that hits you in the face.

 

[Mr Reasonable]

I'm watching Micheal Mann's and QT's films. Even on streaming those late 80s and early 90s films just have that color pop that hits you in the face.

I think things like that I'm not going to be overly concerned about because I haven't had my TV calibrated, etc. I'm not that into this sort of thing, if the colour looks wrong it probably won't bother me. I watched the upscaled Frasier recently and it didn't bother me.

BUT the idea that a film release, which let's face it is a premium product now, can look so instantly wrong is crazy. Cameron ought to take a step back, admit the problem and do it properly.

 

[Punished Miku]

Just pretend you're working on the crew making The Abyss. Its like you're practically there, getting the authentic Cameron experience. Amazing.

 

[Putonahappyface]

To be fair The Abyss looks and sounds amazing. Aliens can be hit and miss, but Trues lies is a soft waxy DNR abomination which I'll pass on. I can't wait to see what he does to the new Terminator and Terminator 2 Judgment Day transfers.

Maybe Jimbo should sit down with Steven Spielberg, because that man probably made the best if not one of the best 4k restorations on Jaws.

 

[ahtlas7]

I look at every shot, every frame… …Get a life, people, seriously.

This guy using his usual arrogant attitude on consumers.

 

[drganon]

Cameron has made some of my favorite movies, but he's being a douche about this.

 

[RagnarokIV]

Stupid idiot sold his soul with Titanic and has been shit ever since.

 

[jason10mm]

I now expect the worst about the upcoming Terminator 1 4K Blu-Ray.

Here is a good video about the recent remasters:

Man, that video is pretty convincing. But I also wonder how much of that stuff I'd actually appreciate just watching the movie.

I have friends that leave their tvs in that awful frame smoothing mode that makes everything look like a soap opera. But it "looks" sharper so they like it.

 

[Neff]

I love the guy but he's being a dick by dismissing people's issues. People want these films at their best, not because they're excessively autistic and demanding (well some probably are), but because they love them. These new versions really don't look good.

It's not a problem exclusive to True Lies and Aliens though. Plenty of old movies get shafted with modern colour timing and look awful.

 

[Ulysses 31]

 

[Insane Metal]

Jesus Mary and Joseph. What the fuck is this??!!!

AI upscale... enter... done

That's gotta be it. This looks like complete shit and the dude says he looks at EVERY FRAME. Yeah, nah.

 

[AJUMP23]

Why don't they just take out the film grain and transfer straight from the negative. I think keeping it simple is best.

 

[Chiggs]

I agree with him. Digital Foundry-esque losers who have never known a woman’s touch.

 

[Stitch]

I’ve got a great team that does the transfers. I do all the color and density work. I look at every shot, every frame, and then the final transfer is done by a guy who has been with me [for years]. All the Avatar films are done that way.

yeah great job you moron

Blu-ray Forum - View Single Post - Avatar 4K UHD (2009)

Everything about Blu-ray Disc. Join the Blu-ray Forum to discuss topics such as Blu-ray movies, players, recorders, drives, media and software.

forum.blu-ray.com

The Waxminator

 

[violence]

The 4K Blu-ray version thankfully ditched the DNR.

 

[Denton]

Did Cameron go senile or something? Wtf

 

[RaduN]

AI upscaling caught in the act. It's so easy to spot.

It's just a median de-noise filter + a bit of extra sharpness/structure. I used to do this post processing combo back in the 00s when i was working in video editing.
Not everything is "omg teh AI".

 

[RaduN]

Why don't they just take out the film grain and transfer straight from the negative. I think keeping it simple is best.

I haven't read the full article, but isn't this exactly what they're doing?
This obsession with removing film noise is precisely the reason everything looks so oily and fake(-ish).

That film iso noise should not be considered a fault in image quality. It can not be dealt with properly anyway, not yet at least. The pixels always end up visibly dilated when tring to remove it in post.