Summary
- Criticism of
Aliens
and
True Lies’
4K restorations is unnecessary, says James Cameron, defending his decisions. - Cameron’s intense attention to detail is evident in the restorations and aligns with his industry-changing work.
- Despite approval from Cameron, viewers may not agree with the artificial look of the latest restorations.
James Cameron issues a direct and frank response to critics of Aliens and True Lies‘ recent 4K restorations. Cameron’s sequel to Alien saw Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) join forces with a group of marines to investigate a distant colony, unprepared for the horrors that await them. True Lies saw Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis take on the roles of a seemingly ordinary couple struggling to connect, though the former is in reality a secret agent.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Cameron responded to critiques surrounding the 4K restorations of Aliens, True Lies, and his other features. Without holding back, the director was quick to point out that the intense, detail-oriented criticisms were unnecessary and over-the-top, before defending the decisions that were made. Check out Cameron’s full response below:
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 f*cking 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.
Why Are Audiences Critical Of James Cameron’s 4K Remasters?
Despite Past Restoration Efforts, Cameron’s Latest Have Been Divisive
Cameron has a celebrated career spanning decades and genres, making him a key voice in modern Hollywood. He’s also well-known for his industry-changing technical innovations. He is no stranger to updating his features for newer audiences, similar to filmmakers such as Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. While nowhere as obvious as ET‘s walkie-talkie edits or the Star Wars Special Edition changes, Cameron has consistently worked to make his movies look their best when technology has developed to address his complaints. This was especially true with Aliens, where he had issues with the film during production.
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8 Times James Cameron’s Movies Massively Changed Hollywood
James Cameron is one of the greatest innovators and most bankable directors in Hollywood, having changed the game over the course of his career.
However, where Aliens, True Lies, and other 4K restorations of Cameron’s movies have come under scrutiny is for their visual quality. While Cameron’s past edits have been positively received, his latest restorations have been described as clearing the image in a way that makes the production seem more artificial. For many, grain can add another layer of authenticity to the film, such as fitting with the aesthetics and styles of the time it was made, whether it was intentional or not.
As such, while Cameron may approve of the updates to restorations of Aliens and True Lies, his viewers might not be inclined to agree.
Though Cameron has been a vocal supporter of film preservation and physical media, his current response is sure to divide movie enthusiasts. The practices employed by Cameron may match his latest productions, but his previous movies were made during a specific period, and have therefore built up a certain reputation which many may not be able to shake off. As such, while Cameron may approve of the updates to restorations of Aliens and True Lies, his viewers might not be inclined to agree.
Source: THR
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Aliens
Aliens is a 1986 Sci-Fi classic by writer and director James Cameron. Starring Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley, it’s widely considered one of the best Sci-Fi Horror films ever made. Ripley must band together with a group of Colonial Marines to investigate a disaster at a terraforming colony.
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True Lies
In James Cameron’s 1994 action comedy True Lies, the spy Harry Tasker (Arnold Schwarzenegger) lives a double life as a mellow computer salesman and keeps his real job secret from his wife Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis). However, she joins him when he discovers a terrorist plot to destroy America.
