Latest News

James Cameron on Aliens Blu-Ray

Posted 28 Comments

While speaking to James Cameron about his Avatar re-release, Coming Soon.net snuck in some questions about the upcoming Blu-Ray release of Aliens:

  • Cameron personally remastered Aliens with the same colourist he used on Avatar. In his words, it’s spectacular.
  • They de-noised it, de-grained it, up-rezed it and colour corrected every single frame.
  • He thinks it looks better than it looked in theatres.
  • This was done to the Special Edition.

The Blu-Ray is due out October 2010. Keep an eye on AvPGalaxy for some interesting Anthology related updates in the future. Thanks to DazAvP85.


Related Articles
DNR in Aliens Blu-Ray
Alien Anthology Blu-Ray Trailer
More Alien Anthology Previews
Aliens Anthology Features
Predator Blu-Ray Details Revealed


Post Comment
Comments: 28
Refresh Comments
  7. TheAncientEnemy
    Posted
    If you take a look at the red band AVPR trailer, all the scenes are well lit and everything is just as visible as it should be. I believe Hydraulx (or however they spell it) also has well-lit AVPR footage on their demo reel which I am pretty sure can be see online. I remember the Bros saying that the images still needed to be "color corrected" or something to that effect and that the shots in the trailer were not an indicator of the film's final look. This leads me to believe it was a stylistic choice on their part to make the film impossible to see. If the footage existed to make the trailer then the film was already developed and, I am assuming, they did their coloring digitally in post production (since the digital effects were also apparent in the trailer). I suppose what I'm saying is that AVPR didn't HAVE to be so dark and I don't see any reason why it couldn't be re-colored using the raw footage provided that anyone would ever want to touch that mess again.
    Reply
  10. Xenomorphine
    Posted
    @RoaryUK Actually, one of the directors posted here that someone fouled up the darkening process. The should have been overseeing that part, but for reasons I can't remember, weren't able to, meaning it wasn't like they wanted it to be.

    I still think that, if it was kept to the same sort of colour as the adverts showed, then some of the scenes would have at least looked better than they had done.
    Reply
  11. RoaryUK
    Posted
    @Predator Warlord  Ok, so I havent seen the Blue-Ray version of AvP-R, but that's beside the point. Of course, Blue-Ray is better than DVD when it comes to improved picture quality, but as with any medium, certain qualities have to be there on film to begin with, wether it be the original negative or a really good print.  Take the vastly improved Wizard of Oz Blue-Ray transfer for example, which was thought to be impossible 10 years ago bearing in mind the original negative wasn't available, and the best print available was in need of restoration... but then again it was great on DVD anyway. But I have seen AvP-R on DVD, and as far as I'm concerned, compared to all the other Alien/Predator related films on this format, there's hardly any improved light quality at all.  Further more, EVERY DVD and Blue-Ray review I have ever read about this film complain about one thing.....ITS TOO DARK!!  What I'm saying is, ok it maybe clearer, but UNLESS the film has been remastered using its original negative, with minimal filtering added for it's Blue-Ray elease, I dont see how this version can be any different to the DVD.  From the pictures I have seen, it looks exactly the same to me.... but maybe you can prove me wrong!!
    Reply
  12. Predator Warlord
    Posted
    @RoaryUK  have any of you even seen AVPR on Blu Ray it is super clear nothing but eye candy I don't know WTF you guys are talking about maybe you are use to the DvD version and are also thinking of the theater version as well :(
    Reply
  13. RoaryUK
    Posted
    @Blaine  Uh??  AvP-R never had noise or grain problems.  Apart from the obvious (LOL I wont say it) the only real problem with that movie is it's too damn dark, due to over-use (to say the least) of UV filters to darken the colours, an idea they borrowed from Camerons movie to give the same feel.  However, anyone here who knows anything about photography will tell you, if you photgraph something under artificial light and filter it, a certain amount of clarity is lost, leading to minimal contrast in some scenes thus rely on objects or sets being reflective to some degree.  This is the reason why ALIENS was well lit during filming, which you can plainly see when you look at the featurettes and other stuff.  Unfortunately, the dumb Strauss Bros either didnt know this or failed to take it into account, resulting in a film that nobody could make out, even after it was transferred to DVD.
    Reply
  16. RoaryUK
    Posted
    @thewoozy   I know what you mean and I kind of agree.  But you have to remember though, Aliens was an 80's movie, replays and loops (which is different and often used in Star Wars) were very common, and hardly noticable at the time.  In fact, there's over a dozen of these "replays"  in Aliens alone that have either been flipped, filtered (as in recoloured), speeded up or, as in the shot you mention, just repeated.  Personally I dont think Cameron will change anything, and why should he, we only notice them now because technology allows us to, but if it doesn't spoil the value of the film why bother??
    Reply
  18. RoaryUK
    Posted
    "They de-noised it, de-grained it, up-rezed it and colour corrected every single frame."  This needed to happen if ALIENS was going to translate to Blue Ray.  We all know (or should know) Camerons movie was made to look grainy deliberately, using 35mm film processessing, for a certain feel 70mm couldn't provide at the time.  But also well done to Cameron for breaking with that 80's tradition to bring his film up to date.
    Reply
  21. goneja
    Posted
    uh if you're a fan of this movie this is something special. to see james cameron in control of how this film is tweaked is important. This is actually my favorite movie of all time so to hear him say its better than it looked in theatres has me excited. The film definitely needed degraining we all know that.
    Reply
  27. Jay Thomas
    Posted
    I hope he took out the shot of the Alien getting shot up that repeats in the Special Edition.

    An Alien gets shot up while they're in the hive. Later, the shot is used again when the automatic turrets are firing.

    Anyone else notice this?
    Reply
AvPGalaxy: About | Contact | Cookie Policy | Manage Cookie Settings | Privacy Policy | Legal Info
Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Patreon RSS Feed
Contact: General Queries | Submit News