I have the 4k streaming version of Aliens on VUDU thanks to a gift card burning a hole in my pocket. It's from the same print. Usually, I don't use streaming to judge quality since it's usually not the same as physical because of a variety of factors. Anyway, I think it looks incredibly detailed. Sure, it looks different than before, more like a modern film, and that may not be to everyone's taste, but it's not over DNR'ed, it's not filled with waxy faces and the detail revealed is incredible.
I'll get The Abyss on 4K because all I have is the old DVD. But yeah, there's always something to rail about.
If you have a week to spare, there's all the posts about Aliens/Abyss/True Lies over at Blu-ray.com. Many thousands of posts full of heartache, frustration & anger.
I haven't seen the 4K restoration yet (it had a limited one-night screening here in Oslo that I sadly missed...but then I DID see the 70mm print years ago, so that's some comfort). I obviously will at some point, even if I've seen the film 50 times. But I spoke to a film critic colleague of mine a few days ago -- also a hardcore ABYSS/Cameron fan -- and he told me about the lack of grain, and how Cameron has gone out of his way to remove pretty much all of it. That was disconcerting. I love my analogue film grain which adds necessary texture to the image. But I'll have to see it with my own eyes first to make a legit assessment.
I haven't seen the 4K restoration yet (it had a limited one-night screening here in Oslo that I sadly missed...but then I DID see the 70mm print years ago, so that's some comfort). I obviously will at some point, even if I've seen the film 50 times. But I spoke to a film critic colleague of mine a few days ago -- also a hardcore ABYSS/Cameron fan -- and he told me about the lack of grain, and how Cameron has gone out of his way to remove pretty much all of it. That was disconcerting. I love my analogue film grain which adds necessary texture to the image. But I'll have to see it with my own eyes first to make a legit assessment.
Yeah, there is a lot of harping about DNR on bluray.com, so that is probably correct. But at this point it is probably the best version of the film we will get for many years.
