The Abyss 4K UHD (1989)

[Matt89]

Yeah my preference has always been:

The Abyss = Special Edition
Aliens = Theatrical

[Croweyes1121]

Originally Posted by Matt89

Yeah my preference has always been:

The Abyss = Special Edition
Aliens = Theatrical

For Aliens, the only change I prefer to make to the SE is making the scene with Newt’s parents a flashback / dream sequence for the part when Ripley lies down with Newt in the med lab. The scene ends with Newt screaming and Ripley jarring awake. I’ve done this edit and it works perfectly. You can find a better description of this under “Aliens: (Xeno)Morphed Special Edition (Preview)” on YouTube.

Putting that scene there keeps the story entirely with Ripley in the first act, which I prefer. But deleting the scene that shows us that Ripley had a daughter and how that scene resonates later with her relationship with Newt was a huge mistake, and the primary reason I default to the SE regardless.

[dorian]

Originally Posted by mar3o

Color was a big part of my job, and though older now, thankfully my eyes still do very well with color. I can pass 100% on those color tests online like this one:

https://www.xrite.com/hue-test

Not bragging. I'm just thankful I can still differentiate color so well. But it's a double-edged sword. I really appreciate seeing so any older films coming out and seeing their true colors come through in these newer 4k scans, when they're treated properly, but then lots of the big studios films have awful color in general these days, so they look awful to me. Older films were so much more colorful. And sadly some directors are obsessed with making their older films look "new again". Only today's new ain't so great when we're talking color.

Haven't come across this one. Pretty cool.

[Show spoiler]

[BNex99]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

I still don't like the way that the SE wave ending kinda removes us from the darkness and claustrophobia of the Deepcore, but this is one of those rare cases of an extended edition where all the added character stuff far outweighs the problems I have with it elsewhere. I can happily watch the theatrical but the SE is my jam.

Originally Posted by SpacemanDoug

Yea that's one of the other reasons I prefer the theatrical cut, with the exception of the surface ship moments, the entire movie takes place in the oil rig and nothing more, giving a far more isolated feel compared to showing the "outside world" in the special edition

I've kind of gone back and forth over the years over which version I like better. The Special Edition does feel like a more "complete" movie, but I also appreciate the theatrical cut's climax being more focused on Bud & Lindsey and not the wider world.

Honestly, Cameron's editing instincts have usually been pretty on point. Whatever you think about the extra footage in his special editions, his theatrical cuts still work, by and large.

[ghostof82]

I wait all these years, and they give it a terrible cover ignoring original artwork. Should have known. It's as inevitable as death and taxes.

[matbezlima]

Originally Posted by chewbabka

Based on what, the YT trailer?

I don't know, I'm just quoting the guy. He claims he watched The Abyss. How and when? No idea.

[matbezlima]

Originally Posted by mar3o

Color was a big part of my job, and though older now, thankfully my eyes still do very well with color. I can pass 100% on those color tests online like this one:

https://www.xrite.com/hue-test

Not bragging. I'm just thankful I can still differentiate color so well. But it's a double-edged sword. I really appreciate seeing so any older films coming out and seeing their true colors come through in these newer 4k scans, when they're treated properly, but then lots of the big studios films have awful color in general these days, so they look awful to me. Older films were so much more colorful. And sadly some directors are obsessed with making their older films look "new again". Only today's new ain't so great when we're talking color.

Marvels movies, for the most part, are badly colored to me. Over-abundance of grey, as a way to convey seriousness. That's the biggest issue for me. The Guardians Of The Galaxy films, by James Gunn, are a notable exception, he isn't afraid of being very colorful and vibrant.

[Deciazulado]

Originally Posted by chewbabka

[Show spoiler]

Based on what, the YT trailer?

Well if it were like that seems you can make it the other way easily

[sojrner]

Originally Posted by mar3o

Color was a big part of my job, and though older now, thankfully my eyes still do very well with color. I can pass 100% on those color tests online like this one:

https://www.xrite.com/hue-test

Not bragging. I'm just thankful I can still differentiate color so well. But it's a double-edged sword. I really appreciate seeing so any older films coming out and seeing their true colors come through in these newer 4k scans, when they're treated properly, but then lots of the big studios films have awful color in general these days, so they look awful to me. Older films were so much more colorful. And sadly some directors are obsessed with making their older films look "new again". Only today's new ain't so great when we're talking color.

"A lower score is better" but it then it strangely says "with ZERO being a perfect score." I only got 0 though, so not sure how that ranks. Is ZERO lower than 0? Instructions unclear.

[Resettito]

Originally Posted by mar3o

Improvement in detail, of course. Improvement in color? Nope, it's a step back from the scan.

Supposedly the guy talking in this Reddit exchange took screenshots from the Youtube trailer to make his point and hasn't actually seen the 4K theatrical showing a few weeks ago... (and by the way, for anything shot on film, if you sit far enough in the auditorium, you're unlikely to see much grain if any).

You can find the Pro Res link in this thread on page 17, it looks great imo, the grain is clearly there though it's more of a fine layer. I remember when I watched The Abyss on Netflix France a few years back (which was a surprise to me as well) that it looked very much like those brand new 4K transfers do on UHD Blu Ray for example. Very sharp, pristine, healthy amount of grain.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by BNex99

I've kind of gone back and forth over the years over which version I like better. The Special Edition does feel like a more "complete" movie, but I also appreciate the theatrical cut's climax being more focused on Bud & Lindsey and not the wider world.

Honestly, Cameron's editing instincts have usually been pretty on point. Whatever you think about the extra footage in his special editions, his theatrical cuts still work, by and large.

He's always been so good at unravelling subplots - or indeed the main one! - from his movies when paring them down. The supplements for Abyss have an old piece where he discusses his rationale for arriving at the final theatrical version and he went through multiple iterations, he even had a cut shorter than the final theatrical which included the wave plot - but he had to gut the characters to do it.

So yes, he focused on Bud and Lindsey for the final theatrical (but even then didn't have all of their scenes) and decided on the 'love conquers all' throughline as the best course of action. It makes the reveal of the aliens a bit sappy-dappy, sure, but I like the idea that they revealed themselves to humanity just because of Bud's intended sacrifice and his love for Lindsey. All they see of humans underwater are machines of war and environmental pillage, while Bud and Lindsey demonstrate that there's something more to humans than that.

[Croweyes1121]

Originally Posted by Resettito

You can find the Pro Res link in this thread on page 17, it looks great imo, the grain is clearly there though it's more of a fine layer.

I also think that people sometimes forget that we don’t look for grain for the sake of grain itself, but as an indication that underlying detail hasn’t been too zealously scrubbed away. ALL transfers utilize DNR to some degree or another. I can’t think of any release that’s just a warts and all raw scan dumped onto a disc. We “grain lovers” aren’t - or shouldn’t be - opposed to the utilization of digital tools to help reveal or improve detail in the negative as a matter of course. If grain has been reduced (not totally eliminated, but reduced) to the degree that it’s possible to reduce it *without impacting the underlying detail in the shot*, then I’m personally okay with that. I don’t want grain for grain’s sake. Seeing it is just typically the best and clearest indicator that things have been managed judiciously, and with care. All indicators are that care was taken here.

[Geoff D]

I hope so, Crowe. It's not just the perceived loss of detail with overt DNR tho, for me it's the motion artefacts that come with it e.g. laggy trailing grain following everything about.

[DigitalDeluge24]

It's a James Cameron world... we're just living in it.

[SpacemanDoug]

Originally Posted by BNex99

I've kind of gone back and forth over the years over which version I like better. The Special Edition does feel like a more "complete" movie, but I also appreciate the theatrical cut's climax being more focused on Bud & Lindsey and not the wider world.

Honestly, Cameron's editing instincts have usually been pretty on point. Whatever you think about the extra footage in his special editions, his theatrical cuts still work, by and large.

I honestly think that's why he's always used the term "special edition" to describe his longer cuts of movies rather than "director's cuts", because really in the cases of both Aliens and The Abyss, both cuts are "director's cuts", even if he prefers the longer cuts for both of them

He always had the final say in whatever cut was released into theaters, if he was forced to cut it down that is

He even personally supervised the forced UK censorship of True Lies whenever it was released on VHS there (The UK censored DVD is another matter), though I think in that case he obviously prefers the US uncensored version

[bookcase]

Originally Posted by Matt89

Yeah my preference has always been:

The Abyss = Special Edition
Aliens = Theatrical

Absolutely agree.

[Deciazulado]

Originally Posted by DigitalDeluge24

It's a James Cameron world... we're just living in it.

The Cametrix

[NeilZ]

Originally Posted by Matt89

Yeah my preference has always been:

The Abyss = Special Edition
Aliens = Theatrical

Same.

[starmike]

I like the theatrical version, but the third act falls flat because it's:

[Show spoiler]We saved you because we think you're a nice guy, Bud. Let's save your friends, too

The SE:

[Show spoiler]We saved you because we think you're a nice guy but also because we want to show the world how much we're gonna F you all up if you keep doing this stupid s*t

And that's why I like the SE better. The subplot of the Montana is just dismissed altogether in the TE, but the SE makes more sense. And while the NTIs could have the same reason for

[Show spoiler]saving Bud

in both, his apparent sacrifice has more weight in the SE.

[Croweyes1121]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

I hope so, Crowe. It's not just the perceived loss of detail with overt DNR tho, for me it's the motion artefacts that come with it e.g. laggy trailing grain following everything about.

Oh, I absolutely agree there. Again, it has to be done tastefully and with an eye toward potential side effects like that. But it can be done if done properly.
Fingers crossed!