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I need to get into an interview room with Avatar director James Cameron someday. Unfortunately, doesn’t have a feature on the slate of 2024 movie releases won’t, as Avatar: Fire and Ash is set to release as part of the 2025 movie schedule. Nevertheless, there’s a good reason why I’m throwing my hat in the ring now. That’s because after the controversial 4K restorations of movies like Aliens and True Lies left fans in a critical mood, Mr. Cameron struck back with a blunt response. Needless to say, he did not hold back.
The Academy Award-winning director of Titanic recently carved out some time to speak with THR to promote the new National Geographic series OceanXplorers. But, when you’re talking with the man who sold Aliens (like a badass) using a mere dollar sign, you have to discuss his past endeavors as well. One point of discussion was the online buzz surrounding the aforementioned 4K restorations and the supposed use of AI for them. Many have deemed the latest transfers of certain reissued classics as being lesser than their previous releases. And, upon discussing that subject, James Cameron shared technical details while clapping back at those with critiques:
When people start reviewing your grain structure, they need to move out of mom’s basement and meet somebody. Right? I’m serious. I mean, are you fucking kidding me? I’ve got a great team that does the transfers. I do all the color and density work. I look at every shot, every frame, and then the final transfer is done by a guy who has been with me [for years]. All the Avatar films are done that way. Everything is done that way. Get a life, people, seriously.
Whoa, I’d say the gloves were off for this conversation. But I don’t think Mr. Cameron has worn those metaphorical accessories since Terminator 2: Judgement Day exploded into theaters in 1991. Also, I can’t criticize the man too much, because let’s face it: Cameron fans know how intense he can be.
Better still, he knows they know and, if anything, this feels like the Avatar helmer is keeping the conversation alive in the spirit that everyone’s accustomed to. Of course, the celebrated filmmaker is no stranger to the ways of chevron deference, allowing the experts to sway him with their prowess in the name of accuracy.
After all, there was that time Neil Degrasse Tyson suggested changes to Titanic, after telling the Terminator creator about a massive error that seemingly hurt the film’s authenticity. So, while he may be a blunt perfectionist, the iconic director still knows when to play towards the second half of that description.
And then, of course, there are stories like that of James Cameron’s notes on Gravity, which involved the multi-billion dollar titan giving his fellow filmmakers his own take on how something should be done. But, even in instances like that, Cameron knows that not everyone has the clout, or the budget, to do what he can. If everybody could craft the highest grossing films of all time, and wow the world and anyone with access to a Disney+ subscription, would anyone even need that advice?
James Cameron’s legacy is complex, as decisions both friendly and unfriendly are reportedly on his resume. At the very least, you can’t say that he’s compromised his standards for any of the projects he’s personally shepherded into the world. Whether or not the new 4K versions of Aliens, True Lies and The Abyss qualify as upholding that standard is up to you, the viewer.
While I won’t pretend to be an expert on the matter, I will leave you with one of the videos that’s cropped up in response to this supposed debacle, explaining what the hubbub is all about:
Whatever your opinion may be, the films of James Cameron will go on, and on. And you can catch quite a few of them in the Disney+/Hulu library; including Aliens! Meanwhile, Avatar: Fire and Ash will take us to the (literally) hotter side of Pandora on December 19, 2025. And Mr. Cameron, my door is always open if you want to talk shop, as I’m something of a movie enthusiast myself.