I get it, you hate that process. I did too after seeing what they did to the Bond films and the Star Wars OT (fake grain ahoy!) but the staggeringly good quality of Aliens, Terminator and Titanic opened my eyes to the sterling work that they're doing now. I think it helped that Lowry have worked on several theatrical projects in recent years for perfectionists like David Fincher and James Cameron, so they got a proper idea of what this stuff should look like when they're done with it.
Besides, grain replication/replacement is something that's been part of Hollywood's digital evolution from the outset. When ILM first started to dabble with digital VFX, and I mean waaay back in the '80s, the need to have it look suitably "film like" was one of their main concerns, and so they came up with their own grain replication techniques to add that vital layer of filmic texture. Now it's crossed over into film restoration in general, and if you think that it's only Lowry who'd do such a "disgusting" thing, think again: everyone's doing it, darling.
|