[Grain Of Salt] Aliens/3/Resurrection 4K Remasters Inbound

[SiL]

This from Bill at The Digital Bits on the video quality.

"The result is remarkable clarity and detail, but it is a bit jarring. Applied to Titanic (reviewed here), this unique remastering process feels completely appropriate. Applied to Aliens, which has always been a film with a grittier look, it takes more getting used to. The film looks almost modern now as opposed to vintage late 80s, which appears to be Cameron's intent. On the other hand, I've just spent the entire morning going back and forth between the Alien Anthology Blu-ray and the new 4K Digital presentation on Vudu, Apple TV, and Movies Anywhere, and I definitely prefer the 4K (with a caveat that the forthcoming physical UHD should release improve upon it). There's no doubt that this is James Cameron's Aliens looking better than you've ever seen it before. There's still light photochemical grain visible. There is plenty of fine image detail visible (though it's a little less nuanced looking than the fine detail on Titanic). The color palette is vibrant, with the cool blue-gray tones it's always had, and it's close enough to the Blu-ray palette that you wouldn't notice a difference unless you compared the images side-by-side. Blacks are incredibly deep, highlights are genuinely bold. This 4K image certainly isn't perfect—it often looks a little... processed is the best word I can come up with. But the more I look at it, the more I like it, and I suspect that most fans will feel the same. But I also suspect that some viewers will really dislike it, because it's definitely different, and I certainly appreciate that perspective too."

https://thedigitalbits.com/item/aliens-2023-digital-uhd

So Cameron's campaign against magenta continues.

[BlueMarsalis79]

Into infinity, for infinity. As Riddles would say. Cameron will never let Aliens look as it originally did.

Now can the other two genuinely gorgeous films get some love in 4K please?

(Maybe not with Jeunet but Khondji supervising Resurrection, considering the former's comments about DNR's absence on the prior release.)

[darktranq]

https://twitter.com/BillHuntBits/status/1734788436878610583

Ah that makes sense. I was wondering what was happening since there's delays.

Honestly, I'm fine with Bill's description of the image quality. I know there will be the purists etc., but I watched the theatrical edition of The Abyss in 4K Dolby Vision and it looked gorgeous, so I can't wait to watch Aliens.

Also can't wait to buy the discs in March.

[Prez]

Even after reading what Bill and others have said for me it's this: I'm not an ultra-purist per se but if the image quality is superb then I generally think I'll be happy with it - I loved the Bluray quality on the Anthology release and if it's better than that is fine by me. Now trying to find funds to pay for the ridiculous exchange rate and shipping from the US. Screw you Disney for abandoning us downunder.

[SM]

Okay whatever it is a slight improvement or the opposite depending upon your point of view, but just slight regardless- Alien³ please?

Having spent months recently studying Alien 3 shot by shot - seconded.  And thirded.

[Nukiemorph]

I don't know how others would feel, but I'd love to see them touch-up the compositing on the rod puppet.

[BlueMarsalis79]

It is a necessity.

You don't put it in 4K and leave that as it is, if not then what's the point of upgrading to 4K in the first place?

Not just the rod puppet, the other composited aspects like, the radio telescope on the planet.

[SM]

That shot's pretty good I reckon, ditto the EEV being craned in and crucifix.  Not sure how the digital grain would come up and a higher resolution could really make the puppet compositing a lot worse.  That kind of clean up - and it was needed for the blu-ray really - sounds expensive for a film so many people still hate.

[Nukiemorph]

I'm still shocked that they reunited the cast to re-record dialogue for the assembly cut, so we can dream.

[BlueMarsalis79]

I'm not shocked, it's more than deserving of the five star treatment. (It is the whole reason CDL wanted to do anything with Alien.)

As for cleaning the compositing up being expensive?
I really doubt it. If one guy on the Internet can do it, so can the bloody studio.

[SiL]

I'm not shocked, it's more than deserving of the five star treatment. (It is the whole reason CDL wanted to do anything with Alien.)

As for cleaning the compositing up being expensive?
I really doubt it. If one guy on the Internet can do it, so can the bloody studio.

The guy on the internet isn't getting paid. Someone who can do it properly could - should - charge out the backside for it.

[SM]

Is it worth going back to the original elements - assuming that's still possible- and cleaning them up the matte lines and green spill with current tech?

 Or more effective to recreate a CGI creature and sticking it over the puppet shots?

[SiL]

I've heard of 35MM screenings where the compositing didn't look like ass so it could even be as simple as a better transfer of a better print.

You could also clean up the image with a lot of tedious rotoscoping and selective colour grading.

If you had the background plates you could just CG a new runner onto those and save all the hassle -- but then you've got to build, rig, light, animate, and composite a new CG character, and that's not cheap if you want it to not look ass.

[SM]

I remember it looked very average in theatres in 92, so if there's better prints they didn't make it down here. My first impression was - Return of the Jedi was nearly 10 years ago, and this looks much worse.

A few years later I found Fincher was doing VFX on Jedi. Always wondered if he was disappointed too, though coming from that field I never imagine he would publicly criticise it.

[SiL]

It was a screening a few years ago so maybe they've already been tinkering behind the scenes? But it was an original 35mm print, so Who knows.

It is fixable, if they choose to.