[In progress] True Lies - open matte, film regraded

[zoidberg]

I had the JP DTS DVD, compared to other DTS DVDs of the same era the playback level was lower than what you would normally expect from a DTS track. It sounded OK but the LD tracks sound much better

[PDB]

This act also severely tightened US censorship. Cameron and Fox, who had planned to release the DVD for the Christmas sale, received an injunction. There were over 20 minutes to be cut out of the film if it was to be released in a new version. Cameron, understandably, slammed the door right away, he would not join in.

I assume this wording is a function of the google translate because to my knowledge, the US law doesn't work like this at all.

As of right now, no US governmental authority can censor a work nor request cuts to a work. The only reason I can think of that a US government body (federal, state, local) would request a restraining order (short term) or injunction (long term) of a work is if it contains sensitive top secret information (to which the US government often loses as much as wins in the courts) or has or portrays, lets say, protected classes in bad situations. Otherwise it has been recognized in US law for almost 70 years that films are protected speech and therefore very hard to take legal action against. Once films were declare "works of art", the US government couldn't censor them.

The MPA (or MPAA) and previous forms of censorship like the production code, Hays code, etc were self-censoring rules or systems created by the studio system themselves to protect their business from politicians and then moms. When you hear that the MPAA wanted cuts to your favorite horror film, that has nothing to do with the US government. That's the studio system censoring the studio system.

A private citizen, organization or business can get restraining order or injunction of a work if they can prove defamation (which is very difficult to prove in US law especially for those in the public eye) or for copyright infringement. Even with copyright infringement most judges defer to the work at hand (ie the movie) and often let the suit play out in court without the restraining order. You have to prove that a movie will cause immediate damage to you personage or your income.

So the only people that can legally cut True Lies are 20th Century Fox (now Disney) or Cameron. I guarantee coming off T2, Cameron had director's cut on the film contractually preventing 20th from altering the work without his say. The OM HDTV, DVHS, JPN DVD, UK PAL DVDs and 4:3 letterbox US TL DVD are all the same old master likely created in the late 90s. Whereas the old Abyss OM and OAR master have been mostly replaced on most cable and streaming for the new OAR TC master. The TL remaster, rumored to be done at the same time as the Abyss, is still MIA. Only Cameron knows why.

I had the JP DTS DVD, compared to other DTS DVDs of the same era the playback level was lower than what you would normally expect from a DTS track. It sounded OK but the LD tracks sound much better

100% agree. A friend has the DTS LD and that was a monster. Better than the JPN DVD's DTS. Whether that was the result of DTS sweeting the LD as they often did, I don't know.

[maksnew]

I had the JP DTS DVD, compared to other DTS DVDs of the same era the playback level was lower than what you would normally expect from a DTS track. It sounded OK but the LD tracks sound much better

I would likely to hear the sound, but the sound with LD I could not get and hear.

[Doctor M]

@PDB - You are not wrong. Following 9/11 there was a lot of self-censorship going on to protect snowflakes that might be upset that Arnold was killing terrorists or something. I'd assume the studio mandated the cuts and Cameron wouldn't play ball.
And even that sounds sketchy. It could be a joke that just didn't translate.

[zoidberg]

I just think that JC has lost interest in the film over time. I do remember the talk of a 5-Star Spec. Ed. which was nixed after 9/11 but the D-VHS release 2 years later (plus the ongoing HDTV broadcasts and occasional WEB-DL) kind of puts paid to the theory of studio-mandated cuts.

[PDB]

That's the rumor I always heard, that Cameron didn't find a terrorist comedy movie appealing anymore. But then again if all rumors were correct I'd have a copy of TL and the Abyss on BD

[Stamper]

It's even worse today, if True Lies had a big 4K release, the film would be slammed and destroyed on the internet due to being politically incorrect, not even accounting the metoo crowd over Harry Tasker treatement of his wife and the 'male gaze' in judgment for the strip-tease scene.

This would reflect negatively on any Avatar sequel release, be it number 2 or number 232 or whatever and their pacifist messages about ecology, equality, tolerance, asexuality, so count True Lies as missing in action forever.

This film is now a pirate film, that is exchanged under the counter and is shared illegaly due to the contents being not in favor with 21st Century politics and ideals. It will remain that way forever, and worse, they will come to get you Brazil like in the future.

Ain't life a blast?!

[PDB]

Well, now I think we are officially off track (part of which is my fault) so let's reel it in and get back on subject.

[Stamper]

Just closing the lid in into any possible future release, which will never happen.

Now we can be back on track because that is what we live for

[spoRv]

UPDATE!

Tinkered a bit the regrading settings, now colors are closer, and contrast more correct:

http://www.framecompare.com/image-compar...n/7K6KLNNX

Should I go on?