tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post8022900219067547014..comments2024-03-27T15:16:57.305-05:00Comments on F This Movie!: James Cameron is Turning Into George LucasPatrick Bromleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00771837625286775607noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-47923495444979918722015-02-27T13:18:44.047-06:002015-02-27T13:18:44.047-06:00I actually think comparing Cameron to Lucas is goi...I actually think comparing Cameron to Lucas is going easy on Cameron. I concede that he is a better film-maker than Lucas (I guess I am praising with faint damn). But this is, I think the difference: Lucas made the prequels because there was a giant, built in fan-base for them. The beast must be fed. But for Cameron, the world of Avatar doesn't have the same fanbase. He is trying to create one and not for any reasons that we might find laudable. I think he wants to do if for himself. It is his next everest or deep-sea dive. He wants to have a property comparable to Star Wars or Lord of the Rings.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10104571727867894147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-9744786191243260762013-11-26T20:13:51.412-06:002013-11-26T20:13:51.412-06:00I'm sorry. We don't understand as well as ...I'm sorry. We don't understand as well as you. Please, let us in on the process.<br /><br />This is a place where we share opinions. We don't whine about making blockbusters. We talk about them. Welcome.Patrick Bromleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00771837625286775607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-37771444355739868512013-11-26T20:08:54.267-06:002013-11-26T20:08:54.267-06:00Yet another post that tries to make Lucas look lik...Yet another post that tries to make Lucas look like a doof. Oh how you people clearly do not understand what he was trying to do with the prequels nor do you understand the time consuming effort and construction it takes to make movies. All you can do is complain about the same things, over and over and over and over again. I'd like to see you people make big budget blockbuster movies and see how difficult it is.<br /><br />Then you can whine all you want. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-88257141104692129462012-05-18T14:57:46.935-05:002012-05-18T14:57:46.935-05:00Thank you for the welcome. And I'd like to pre...Thank you for the welcome. And I'd like to preface this by saying that while I can come off as provocative and direct, it is not meant to be combative. Anyway, I do share a smidgen of your worry. However, the fact that Cameron is perhaps a bit too ego-driven is exactly WHY I feel that he won't rest on his laurels when it comes to the storytelling aspect of his Avatar future. Part of the reason he is where he is now is because of his attention to storytelling. Sure, Avatar's story was pretty basic and gave no surprises, but given what he was trying to accomplish with the film (address issues about our own world), modeling his story on familiar elements that have helped to communicate the same messages in the past (Pocohontas, John Carter of Mars, and yes, Dances With Wolves), to me, has a sort of poeticism. So, I felt that Avatar's story and script, while no great shakes, was effective enough in communicating what Cameron wanted to communicate. In regards to his humor and such, the reason I say "Who Cares?" is because while humor is indeed a component of all of his scripts, I disagree that it is a significant component. The only film of his that I felt humor played a significant part was True Lies. Yeah, especially upon reflection, True Lies isn't TERRIBLY funny, but it has enough levity and the humor, while not great, wasn't really moronic or offensive enough (at least, during the time of its initial release) to get people bitching. So, to me, the fact that he's not so great at humor doesn't matter to me because I sincerely don't feel that having better jokes in his films would improve them to any significant degree. They'd have the same overall effect. So, I understand your concern -- but I think the fact that Cameron is Cameron should help to alleviate at least some of them... :) I don't think Cameron will ever become Lucas, because Cameron always had more integrity than Lucas...cosmocathttps://www.facebook.com/xcosmocatxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-46627013008650755052012-05-17T22:16:01.085-05:002012-05-17T22:16:01.085-05:00I'll try and not sound contentious, because I ...I'll try and not sound contentious, because I appreciate you participating in the discussion (and WELCOME!!).<br /><br />I care that he's not the best WRITER, because he insists on writing his own scripts and they are consistently the weakest aspect of his movies. I care if he has a shit sense of humor, because he keeps trying to put humor into his movies. <i>True Lies</i> is at least 50% comedy, and none of it works (except Tom Arnold saying "I remember the first time I got shot out of a cannon."). It's a big component of several of his screenplays, so saying it doesn't matter that it's bad is like saying "So what if that singer doesn't hit all the right notes."<br /><br />If I put James Cameron under too much scrutiny, it's really only because I'm a fan and I want to see him do more of things I've always liked about his work. I think he's worthy of his position, because he's earned it. I also want to see him make the best use of that position; that's what the article is about. I'm not sure spending the remainder of his career on a series of <i>Avatar</i> sequels is making the best use of the position he's earned. He's within his right to do with his career what he wishes; I'm just expressing that I hope that's not really the direction he's taking.<br /><br />I do think a sequel to <i>Avatar</i> could be exciting, and he has earned my trust until he breaks it. So, like I said, I'm looking forward to his next movie. I was just feeling disheartened at his willingness to completely limit the stories he's going to tell from here on out.Patrick Bromleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00771837625286775607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-70425376661246065132012-05-17T15:04:07.434-05:002012-05-17T15:04:07.434-05:00Personally, I think that because Cameron is the mo...Personally, I think that because Cameron is the most successful filmmaker of all time (to date), people tend to put him under far too much scrutiny and criticism, as if they're asking is he worthy of his position? The way I see it? Just because the guy claims to be in the Avatar "business" does not mean the movies will be "more of the same". He's one of the few filmmakers who understands what makes a good sequel (NOT purely rehashing the same elements over again, for one). And considering the amount of research and exploration the man has done and will continue to do, and thinking how he could cultivate that into the films, I think that the results could be exciting indeed. Sure, he may not be the best WRITER -- but Cameron knows how to write for himself. His scripts work within his world. Who cares if he has a shit sense of humor?Cosmocathttps://www.facebook.com/xcosmocatxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-60427490741620881592012-05-11T22:33:38.243-05:002012-05-11T22:33:38.243-05:00Did she say "overlords?" She meant "...Did she say "overlords?" She meant "protectors."JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17076030814908114779noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-77439609084638591052012-05-11T15:26:40.594-05:002012-05-11T15:26:40.594-05:00Great article, Patrick!
Your concern that "t...Great article, Patrick!<br /><br />Your concern that "there's a good chance he's going to drift away from storytelling and more towards world building" really got me thinking.<br /><br />No movie can ever depict the "real" world -- that's why we call them "movies" and not "universal memories implanted into our shared consciousness by our benevolent robot overlords." Every movie must create its own universe, right? Still, the universe itself does not the movie make. <br /><br />I believe a well-crafted story and well-realized characters will generate their own universe; but I don't think there's any way that a universe alone -- no matter how well-built -- can somehow spit out satisfying stories and characters. <br /><br />So I think you're right to be worried about Jim C. He may end up drinking his own urine and hallucinating -- but instead of Scooby-Do he'll see Jake-Sooly before he hacks his own arm off with a dino-bird claw.janbottighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00126929026388305201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-44389907182354866892012-05-11T14:10:44.507-05:002012-05-11T14:10:44.507-05:00I may have overstated a bit in calling True Lies a...I may have overstated a bit in calling <i>True Lies</i> and outright "bad" movie, but beyond that it doesn't sound like we're in much disagreement. There's a lot of good stuff in the movie (including Tom Arnold, who I completely agree is funny here and usually isn't), but you yourself said that things get increasingly problematic after about the first third. Once all the stuff with Jamie Lee Curtis starts, the movie falls apart pretty quickly (and she's fine in the movie; it's not her fault).<br /><br />When I saw the movie back in '94, I really liked it. It's only been in subsequent viewings that I've felt like a lot of it is pretty bad -- and it's not even a reaction to the pre-9/11 portrayal of terrorists. It's all the bad plotting and terrible humor. I mean, the main bad guy gets racked on a missile (not funny) and crosses his eyes (NOT FUNNY).<br /><br />Like I said, it sounds like we're pretty much on the same page.Patrick Bromleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00771837625286775607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-77332448345388136272012-05-11T13:37:27.568-05:002012-05-11T13:37:27.568-05:00I'm going to disagree a little with you about ...I'm going to disagree a little with you about "True Lies." I think it's a really good half-of-a-movie and with a mediocre second half that includes a few god-awful moments (the dance scene). In fact, I was with the movie the entire time up until that horrible eye-gouging sequence. <br /><br />I really like the James Bond pastiche at the beginning and the whole double-life plot. Heck, I might even argue that the entire first act up through the horse chase is great stuff. <br /><br />Things just sort of goes off the rails once the story turns to Jamie Lee Curtis (although Bill Paxton has some amusing moments). Yes, the humor pretty much sucks -- though I actually really liked Tom Arnold, and I usually can't stand the guy in anything. Here though, he and Grant Heslov have some amusing moments (I also like his little tag at the end of the credits).<br /><br />I also have to wonder if (and Cameron has alluded to this himself) whether the plot really suffers from the post-9/11 effect. As someone who lived in NYC at the time, the whole Crimson Jihad thing is a little too close to home at times. <br /><br />Oh, and I have to say I'm always shocked that that's what Eliza Dushku used to look like...Carl Wondershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17006223152242187007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-59688351318315741242012-05-09T13:25:18.625-05:002012-05-09T13:25:18.625-05:00It's not the sense of humor that makes Cameron...It's not the sense of humor that makes Cameron a douche. He is a douche in a an exact same way Michael Bay is a douche - he brainwashes you with commercials and marketing stunts and with how expensive it all was to make, but his characters and plots are cliches and formulas inspired by other movies, instead of personal vision or world views. <br /><br />Plus, yes, they both have shitty sense of humor.Joeynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-58510005381426991822012-05-09T10:31:18.751-05:002012-05-09T10:31:18.751-05:00I'm hoping that since Cameron is such a blowha...I'm hoping that since Cameron is such a blowhard, that this is just more of the same hot air, and he'll just keep on doing his interesting stuff.Mark Ahnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-35069065832823280082012-05-09T09:43:18.903-05:002012-05-09T09:43:18.903-05:00Until he starts going back and "tweaking"...Until he starts going back and "tweaking" the effects and adding CGI static to his old movies, I think that that charge is a little harsh.<br /><br />People said he was nuts to make "Titanic" and then to make "Avatar"....<br /><br />Besides, all of this might just be a nice way of telling people "STOP SENDING ME YOUR SHITTY SCRIPTS!" :-)Kathynoreply@blogger.com