They want you to forget what a film looks like
Advances in AI-based remastering, upscaling, and colorization are changing how classic films and archival footage look, often stripping grain, altering color, and smoothing motion to resemble modern digital video. Commenters are split between those who see these techniques as impressive, immersive upgrades and those who argue they distort the original artistic intent, erase the historical “texture” of film, and are driven by cost-cutting and bandwidth savings rather than preservation. The thread also touches on broader worries about streaming-era compression, the decline of physical media, and fan-led efforts to archive and restore works faithfully outside official channels.
Overall reaction to AI-treated remasters
- Many see new 4K/AI passes (e.g., Cameron titles, Beatles videos) as “waxy,” over-smoothed, and Pixar-like, especially in motion.
- Others genuinely like the cleaner, sharper look or can’t see what’s wrong without A/B comparisons.
- Several note that sensitivity varies: some find the artifacts viscerally disturbing, others think everything looks “perfectly normal.”
What “film is supposed to look like”
- Older film fans emphasize grain, texture, and 24fps motion as integral to the medium’s look and mood.
- Others argue 24fps and grain were constraints, not virtues, and that modern high-res tools are just a bigger palette; using them badly doesn’t make the tools inherently inferior.
- Some warn that, as audiences get used to scrubbed digital images, they’ll forget the look of photochemical film altogether.
AI, DNR, colorization, and interpolation
- Denoising and AI “enhancement” are blamed for waxy faces, lost texture, and flat lighting; specific complaints target True Lies, T2, Predator “Hunter Edition,” Buffy’s HD remaster, some Matrix and Trainspotting grades.
- Colorization and frame interpolation of archival footage split opinion:
- Critics see these as adding fake information and corrupting historical artifacts.
- Supporters say they increase immersion and emotional impact, making past people feel more “real.”
- Some stress the difference between fixing damage (scratches, hairs, judder) and inventing new detail or color.
Bandwidth, streaming, and economics
- Strong suspicion that aggressive denoising is driven by streaming economics: grain compresses badly, smooth video encodes smaller.
- Users note big quality gaps between UHD Blu-ray and “UHD” streaming, despite similar resolution labels.
Preservation, piracy, and remastering ethics
- Widespread distrust that studios will preserve or consistently offer faithful versions; remasters are seen as driven by resale and copyright-extension.
- Pirates and fan projects (e.g., Star Wars restorations) are praised for preserving older cuts and transfers.
- Physical media and full-disc rips are valued as a hedge against future “AI-washed” or re-edited versions.
Analogies to other media and broader taste debates
- Audio “remastering” is cited as a parallel: more detail, more loudness, less character.
- Several frame this as a taste war: some want maximal clarity and smoothness, others prioritize authenticity, texture, and original artistic intent.