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This Valentine's Night - James Cameron was my Valentine Caller - with details on AVATAR - I'm twitterpated!

Fuck Yeh!! by Tommy the Cat	Feb 14th, 2007 11:43:56 PM

First? by QuinnTheEskimo	Feb 14th, 2007 11:44:35 PM
Probably not. Who cares? Avatar sounds bitchin'
puss in boots vs alien vs predator by davidlyons	Feb 14th, 2007 11:45:40 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =3DxbqWFDer4
Why Do I Find the Notion . . . by kevinwillis.net	Feb 14th, 2007 11:46:30 PM
Of Harry demonstrating his love kind of . . . I dunno, unsettling. And, dude, come on: keep the cell phone audio capture stuff handy. Cameron is like the will o' the wisp. Who knows when he'll call? Move those DVDs and be ready, next time, darn it!
THE KNIGHT GOTTA EAT! by THE KNIGHT	Feb 14th, 2007 11:50:45 PM
Someone pass me the chocolates!
Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton? by Rindain	Feb 14th, 2007 11:52:16 PM
Anything on those two Harry?
SORRY by davidlyons	Feb 14th, 2007 11:52:20 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =3DxbqWFDer4
WEAVERS BEAVER GOTTA EAT by THE KNIGHT	Feb 14th, 2007 11:53:02 PM
I'm sorry, it was too tempting... I really can't wait for this...
sorry again by davidlyons	Feb 14th, 2007 11:54:11 PM
the link does work theres a space that shouldnt be there, i assure you it is worth it!
Sveet!!!!!!! by GODSTRIKE	Feb 14th, 2007 11:58:16 PM
Thats all
So..... by THE KNIGHT	Feb 15th, 2007 12:00:35 AM
Any chance of Cameron's AVATAR and Spielberg's INTERSELLAR going head to head in 2009? Two titan directors going head to head... I'm suprised that Cameron is able to get so much done under the radar. I guess he'll blast them with his T1000 if anyone leaks any spoilers on this project...
James Cameron? by Horace Cox	Feb 15th, 2007 12:07:08 AM
Shit. I thought it said John Cameron Swayze had called. My bad.
Harry is the James Bond of the new millenium by Doctor_Sin	Feb 15th, 2007 12:18:37 AM
Hobnobs with bigwigs, collects and sends secret info, takes care of his day-to-day business, and STILL has time to bang his girlfriend. Go!!!! j/k Seriously, niiiice of "Jim" to keep us informed and part of the process. Almost as good as Sly Stallone's unbeatable Q&As. Sweet - keep us posted!
James Cameron is awesome for doing these interviews by Rindain	Feb 15th, 2007 12:22:44 AM
Well, he's awesome anyway. Can't wait for AVATAR and BATTLE ANGEL.
Rindain by THE KNIGHT	Feb 15th, 2007 12:46:32 AM
I completely agree... Cameron is definitely a class act... The man is obviously busy and he doesn't have to keep us informed if he doesn't want to...
Harry GOTTA(go)EAT! by S-Mart shopper	Feb 15th, 2007 12:47:50 AM

Yeah... Demonstrate... Right.. by spiderinside	Feb 15th, 2007 01:03:30 AM
What are you gonna demonstrate with? Your fuckin' panniculus? (Look it up retards).
4 clips of Transformers screened: by Doc_Strange	Feb 15th, 2007 01:14:38 AM
http://movies.ign.com/articles /764/764455p1.html Only things of note are that OPtimus now has a mouth instead of a mask, and the transforming sounds are in. Other than that, you find that Michael Bay didn't know shit about the Transformers before Spielberg found him. God, this is going to suck.
Why reporters don't reveal notes... by Flim_	Feb 15th, 2007 01:26:50 AM
Because their job is to weave them into a cohesive whole from the disjointed garbage they have little time to jot down. Please don't do that again, Harry.
Cameron is cool. But CCH Pounder??? On the other hand by Motoko Kusanagi	Feb 15th, 2007 01:30:37 AM
we have Sigourney on board. How cool is that?! Now, just sign Biehn and Paxton and we'll have something really big coming on. Oh and btw: Spielberg is NOT a titan.
Cameron is cool. But CCH Pounder??? On the other hand by Motoko Kusanagi	Feb 15th, 2007 01:35:01 AM
we have Sigourney on board. How cool is that?! Now, just sign Biehn and Paxton and we'll have something really big coming on. Oh and btw: Spielberg is NOT a titan.
Yummy yummies...sweet and huggy.... by jasper Stillwell	Feb 15th, 2007 01:42:56 AM
Dear God. Get a grip man!
I'd really like to hear by QuinnTheEskimo	Feb 15th, 2007 01:43:19 AM
Motoko's argument for Spielberg NOT being a titan, because it's painfully obvious that Spielberg IS just that. However, don't bother posting it, Motoko, because odds are I won't be coming back to this talkback.
Finally!!!! Thanks Harry... by kwisatzhaderach	Feb 15th, 2007 01:55:22 AM
but no Mike Biehn.....say it ain't so....!!!!
Captain Panaka Tie In... by BNITT	Feb 15th, 2007 01:58:43 AM
I'm hoping there will be a tie in with this story and Captain Panaka. Perhaps Cameron can explain the reasoning behind the eye patch and cynicism.
Harry, were you in shorts and flip-flops? by Doctor_Sin	Feb 15th, 2007 02:15:35 AM
Because, if not, then who was that guy I saw with your pie when I peeked in the window? My wife works nights - I need something for an outlet.
Yoko by Darth Fart	Feb 15th, 2007 02:20:28 AM
Now that Harry's got a girl, he can't help mentioning her at every opportunity. LOL
Sigourney Weaver? by Franklin T Marmoset	Feb 15th, 2007 02:23:42 AM
That is great news. If there's one person I was hoping to see work with "Jim" again, it's Sigourney Weaver. When is she ever not good? Um, never. Never is the answer. In case anyone was wondering. Thanks.
"I offered to get the Cherry Pie out the icebox..." by jollysleeve	Feb 15th, 2007 02:26:45 AM
Jeez. Couldn't Harry for once give us an article without including his typically crass sexual imagery? (Just kidding.)
Damn, no news of Hicks and Hudson in it yet by photoboy	Feb 15th, 2007 02:31:47 AM
Still, casting Sigourney is always a good thing. Oh, I just looked at that Transformers stuff, sounds like unmitigated shite. Bay sure knows how to film turds.
lola herrera by conbarba	Feb 15th, 2007 02:46:40 AM
yo flipo
Harry with his girl, or "When I did the PENTHOUSE by half vader	Feb 15th, 2007 02:52:21 AM
interview"... Either way, we lose! Oh and what the FUCK was that last paragraph? Was that english? My head hurts. ;)
"...and put the laundry in the dryer." by Zompar Usilon	Feb 15th, 2007 02:59:55 AM
I thought that's the cutest allegory for having sexual intercourse I've ever witnessed. But I don't want to imagine that either.
"Now I must demonstrate my love for her" by Kristian66	Feb 15th, 2007 03:12:04 AM
Not for the faint hearted.
Enjoyed it by Cobbio	Feb 15th, 2007 03:12:38 AM
Thanks for sharing, Harry. Any interview with Cameron is fun to read. I'm definitely fired up for "Avatar," and the new cast additions are pretty cool too. Peter Mensah is the Persian guy King Leonidas kicks into the pit as he yells, "This is SPARTA!" He's been in several other films too. Have fun with Yoko, big guy.
Sounds like post hell, and no DP? I'm very excited but. by Im rich bitch	Feb 15th, 2007 03:16:44 AM
..what turn is this leading to? 20 years from now is this technology going to be available on new Apple g10ns, keep film alive! Film! Cellulose.. pleae.. James Cameron we will get back at you, The Flm Liberation Front ..lol
Just got off the phone with Linda Hamilton... by knightrider	Feb 15th, 2007 03:19:05 AM

Oh god by Ridge	Feb 15th, 2007 03:23:22 AM
that final line was something I DID NOT need... shudder
Did Mr. Cameron tell you to change your animation? by onemanarmy	Feb 15th, 2007 03:24:06 AM
Serious question by the way.
Can´t believe James Cameron has started shooting, cool by MasterKenobi	Feb 15th, 2007 03:24:37 AM
Good stuff Harry. I actually liked the "note system". It was like a teaser of what to come.
Kudos to Jim for keeping in touch. by bioforge	Feb 15th, 2007 03:41:30 AM
A rare thing nowdays.
Im rich bitch by BannedOnTheRun	Feb 15th, 2007 03:43:46 AM
Don't worry -- Harry's doing all he can to keep cellulose alive.
yeah, but is he doing the Myst movie? by Amy Chasing	Feb 15th, 2007 04:41:51 AM
well, we can dream (thought I read rumours about either him or Spielberg working on it once). In the meantime we can play Myst Online: Uru Live (thru GameTap) - which should be finishing its beta testing today. If there ever was a Myst film, it'd probably be the first movie based on a computer game that actually had a story (sorry Mortal Kombat & Uwe Boll fans).
So do we all agree this is the most exciting project... by IndustryKiller!	Feb 15th, 2007 04:46:06 AM
between now and whenever the hell it comes out? I think we do. Finally someone attacking science fiction with a vision and an eye toward the future of technology. We have been missing Cameron and the Zemeckis of old for far too long and the fact that they are both returning with projects that look staggering gives me hope for the future of cinema. maybe people will finally once again wake up and realize that grandiose storytelling doesn't have to be soulless. Peter Jackson can't do it all one his own after all.
oh, the ID4 wallpaper is perfect for this site.. by Amy Chasing	Feb 15th, 2007 05:02:16 AM
because both things are full of crap, and yet.. can't.. turn.. away. ;P
if serious sci-fi can capture people's hearts & minds.. by Amy Chasing	Feb 15th, 2007 05:13:16 AM
in the cinema, maybe TV can reclaim the glory days of having more than a couple good quality science fiction shows on. BSG can't do it all on its own (Doctor Who & Stargate are seriously fun sci-fi, not serious). Guess we'll see with the Terminator & Star Wars series coming.
Motoko Kusanagi by one9deuce	Feb 15th, 2007 05:22:21 AM
Yeah, I would love to hear you defend your statement: "Spielberg is NOT a titan". I guess maybe you don't understand what titan means.
Sci-Fi from both Steven Spielberg and James Cameron. by one9deuce	Feb 15th, 2007 05:23:41 AM
Interstellar and Avatar. 2009 can't get here soon enough!
what the hell is by emeraldboy	Feb 15th, 2007 05:40:49 AM
Spielberg Interstellar? someone please spill.....
Just got off the phone with James Cameron by myspoonistoobig	Feb 15th, 2007 05:59:28 AM
durr
Damn you Michael Bay by MCMLXXVI	Feb 15th, 2007 06:40:05 AM
Damn you Michael Bay
I thought the Titans brought harmony to by just pillow talk	Feb 15th, 2007 06:40:55 AM
a little town with an inter-racial football team? Avatar is just gonna be so freak'n great...and good to see Wes Studi getting some love.
RighteousBrother by Franklin T Marmoset	Feb 15th, 2007 06:41:17 AM
The lack of any punctuation in those initials bothered me for a quite a while, leading me to assume her first name was the phonetic sound 'TCCCHHHH!' said very loudly. 'Oh,' I would think when seeing her name in the titles of a film, 'it's TCCCHHHH! Pounder out of The Shield.' Turns out, she's called Carol Christine Hilaria, which is not so funny...
Spielberg is a titan! by Franklin T Marmoset	Feb 15th, 2007 06:44:05 AM
Yes, he is the world's largest beetle, but don't tell anyone. The directorial skills of insects are a closely guarded secret, which is why he wears those glasses and a fake beard.
HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN!!!! by killerbeedice	Feb 15th, 2007 06:47:38 AM
Hobo with a shotgun vs aliens vs predators
Cherry Pie for your Cherry Pie by Holodigm	Feb 15th, 2007 07:16:12 AM
teehee...I play too much Guitar Hero
CCH Pounder is v good. Got set on fire in Face/Off by Teamwak	Feb 15th, 2007 07:18:40 AM
and was excellent in ER. Bring on the CCH for middle-aged black woman goodness. She'll be the hard nosed chief telling out hero to "Get out of my office!"
Why AICN is still great... by workshed	Feb 15th, 2007 07:57:47 AM
...is articles like this. Thanks for sharing your Valentines Day experiences with us. Poor Yoko..!
Wes Studi!!!!GOTTA WIPE OUT THE SEED!! by theheavy	Feb 15th, 2007 08:08:21 AM
When the Grey Hair is dead, Magua will eat his heart. Before he dies, Magua will put his children under the knife, so the Grey Hair will know his seed is wiped out forever Love him,...great gig brotha
so...is this 100% CGI? by misnomer	Feb 15th, 2007 08:09:15 AM
or are the actors actually pasted in, or is it performance capture only? ...I'm confused. I liked the idea for the script..I'm hoping it's been tightened a little.
News Flash! Cameron To Hook Up with Avatar Actress! by DarfurOnTheRocks	Feb 15th, 2007 08:34:10 AM
That dude simply can't help himself!
"Around this time I asked about his choice for DP" by board shitlez	Feb 15th, 2007 08:35:34 AM
Ha ha. Made me laugh anyway. Which lucky fellas got the job?
Harry Demontrating His Love..... by DarfurOnTheRocks	Feb 15th, 2007 08:37:24 AM
....By eating some more?! Seriously, for your own health start exercising! Think of your future kids that would like you to be around, as well as your fiancee.
Is Harry seeing anyone? by NutsackMemories	Feb 15th, 2007 08:44:27 AM
I can't tell.
I thought this thread would've blown up by now. by NutsackMemories	Feb 15th, 2007 08:46:11 AM
Don't tell me some of the people here got laid last night.
Harry pleasuring a woman, not an image to linger on... by performingmonkey	Feb 15th, 2007 09:04:37 AM
I'm gonna be tittyfucking Avatar when it comes out.
I just got off the phone with your aorta by Garbageman33	Feb 15th, 2007 09:07:12 AM
He said, "I don't know how much more of this I can take". Then, he said something about having a salad once in a while.
yackbacker by misnomer	Feb 15th, 2007 09:14:53 AM
youve gotten pretty attached to my "zomg its blue man cats!" opinion from a year ago lol yeah I actuallly completely forgot about that! but arent their humans (josh sully) near the start-and throughout the movie? are they cgi
from this day forward, I shall never use the abbrev by misnomer	Feb 15th, 2007 09:17:31 AM
iation "lol". I read like a chav. what I meant to ask, and thus shall phrase it more elequently. There are humans in this film. Are they CGI too, or are they pasted in? Anyone know? Or am I missing something?
and the use of "their" by misnomer	Feb 15th, 2007 09:21:43 AM
and the use of "their" instead of "theyre." jesus, I've never done that before, in fact I find it to be the single most infuriating grammatical error in the English language. I feel weird.
im digging a deeper grave by misnomer	Feb 15th, 2007 09:23:10 AM
and I can't stop myself! why is there no delete option on this talkback?! it's 2007 for fuck sake!
oh god I meant there not theyre! by misnomer	Feb 15th, 2007 09:24:53 AM
I'm having some kind of grammatical fit. DAMN YOU ROTHMAN!
Harry must be sleeping in late today, post-Valentines by Doctor_Sin	Feb 15th, 2007 09:31:56 AM
Chatting with Cameron, posting online, changing loads, shooting loads, eating pie, eating his fiancee, moaning like Godzilla through the night... It's a tough life. Admit it, wanky geeks, Harry is a hero for us all. The fat film nerd who schleps with A-listers and bangs hot chicks. Regardless of how you feel about his reviews, respect must be paid.
Wait - what is "twitterpated"? by Doctor_Sin	Feb 15th, 2007 09:38:03 AM
And does it have something to do with a Man In Suit(tm)?
Harry, don't waste your AICN dough on John Carter by Crimson Dynamo	Feb 15th, 2007 10:21:13 AM
blow it all on a Popeye sequel
Crimson Dynamo by HEADGEEK	Feb 15th, 2007 10:47:15 AM
not far from the mark. Kinda scary.
Harry by Quin the Eskimo	Feb 15th, 2007 11:14:47 AM
don't be a tease.
NEW VEMOM PIC by erichaislar	Feb 15th, 2007 11:29:35 AM
I don't know if any one has seen this but would like to hear what everyone thinks? http://www.comingsoon.net/cgi- bin/imageFolio.cgi?action=view &link=Toy_Fair_2007/Spider-Man &image=venomstatue3.jpg&img=&t t=
misnomer's grammatical metdown party 2007 by monorail77	Feb 15th, 2007 11:33:18 AM
That is one of the funniest series of posts I've read in awhile. Thanks, misnomer. Oh, and its "they're" not theyre". Its a contraction; needs an apostrophy. Just trying to help, brother.
Twitterpated is from... by Tinfang	Feb 15th, 2007 11:33:55 AM
...the Disney flick "Bambi." It means you're in love. It's eqivalent to being struck with an arrow from Cupid. I think the lil' skunk was the one who mentions it in the movie. This sounds cool whatever it's about. Is the story an existing book?
Well thats great and all.... by skycrapper	Feb 15th, 2007 11:57:34 AM
but when are we going to have something visual to look at on this film?
About Titans and Steven Spielberg... by Motoko Kusanagi	Feb 15th, 2007 12:39:37 PM
I guess I have to make a statement about Spielberg now, 'cause you asked! YOU MADE ME DO IT, so don't complain afterwards. It's right, the titans are all forever trapped in Tartaros (a part of Hades - for the dumbminded: also known as hell) Now to Mr. Spielberg: he was some kind of titan. WAS. DECADES AGO. Now he is one of the most overrated directors I can think of who sometimes makes really cool movies (like WAR OF THE WORLDS), sometimes mediocre ones (like PRIVATE RYAN - yeah I know. You may stone me for this) and sometimes makes movies which are utter crap (like A.fuckin'I.). Don't get me wrong: I'm not saying that Steven is a bad director, I'm just saying that he is still regarded as a genius although his real masterpieces are from the 1970s and 80s. Period.
does that make Disney a very confused by just pillow talk	Feb 15th, 2007 01:42:45 PM
movie studio then Yack?
Does Zoe Saldana have a sense of humor??? by Charles Grady	Feb 15th, 2007 01:46:51 PM
I've recently seen her in two movies, HAVEN and CONSTELLATION, and she gives the same bitchy, serious, humorless performance. I don't doubt Cameron knows what he's doing, but it's not a sign of a truly great actress when a leading lady gives the EXACT SAME PERFORMANCE in two consecutive, unrelated movies, especially when the performance in question seems so arrogant and insular. Could it just have been those characters? Maybe. But Saldana seems chronically cast as the snooty, humorless, sour chick with an outsize sense of entitlement. Plus, she's hella fuckin' C-list for a Cameron movie.
Just got off the phone with JC, then spunked up my own by HarryBlackPotter	Feb 15th, 2007 01:54:59 PM
...ass.
Hobo with a Shotgun... by DocPazuzu	Feb 15th, 2007 01:57:12 PM
...vs. the Man-Cats!
"going up against similar material..." by triplefive	Feb 15th, 2007 02:23:55 PM
"Jim's film had come out second." which movie is he talking about?
I just got off the phone with Aaron Eckhart by Doctor_Sin	Feb 15th, 2007 05:43:42 PM
He can't wait to play Two-Face.
motionbuilder is from autodesk, debvec for lighting? by iamhobo	Feb 15th, 2007 06:20:21 PM
autodesk who purchased maya, also acuired motionbuilder some time ago. it is an off the shelf character animation tool, but is v usefull as you can blend between mocap files to create unique motion. it is very easy to have smoe fun with! and as for the lighting, i would imagine he is using paul debvec dynamic lighting teqhnique or a derivation of it. very cool stuff, you can see some demos on debevec.org
didn't think Cameron would call back by Rupee88	Feb 15th, 2007 07:25:50 PM
It took awhile, but I guess he finally did so...not a lot of info in that short conversation, but all interesting. Avatar is an exciting project because we know so little about it and of course because Cameron is behind it. Anyone who has the balls to make a sci-fi movie in this market should be admired.
monorail77 by misnomer	Feb 15th, 2007 07:30:26 PM
thanks man. I've learnt a lesson the hard way today :)
So, about all those questions we sent you to ask J. Cam by wackybantha	Feb 15th, 2007 10:16:55 PM
Did you even ask one? Grrrrrr!!!!!!
ney'tiri will be hot... by Rindain	Feb 15th, 2007 11:43:20 PM
She'll be the eye candy for the guys in the audience...and don't worry about the evil, troubled furries, as the Na'Vi are hairless--the catlike features are the tail and slight bifurcation of the upper lip.
You will be dead before it comes out by godoffireinhell	Feb 16th, 2007 01:48:28 AM
so STFU.
what's great about the old animation . . . by godoffireinhell	Feb 16th, 2007 02:00:01 AM
is that I've learned to just overlook it by now. It no longer makes me throw up like it did without fail for the first 3 or so weeks it was up. Now if Harry were to have new fucked up toon porn starring himself up on the site each month I'd already have died from lack of nutrition.
the animation blinded me eyez... by Motoko Kusanagi	Feb 16th, 2007 02:17:04 AM
me dont get it. first me gots animations every weeks and now me gots same bloody animation FOR YEARZ or what??? Isn't it? Me gots crazy methinks. Isn't it? CRAZY!!!!!!!!
so jim cameron is making a new film? by kwisatzhaderach	Feb 16th, 2007 07:34:19 AM
FUCKIN' AY!!!!!!!
get the Cherry Pie out the ice box by TheNewAddiction	Feb 16th, 2007 08:47:35 AM
it's a metaphor, but it really happened.
Man-cats ... FTW!!! by Lamerz	Feb 16th, 2007 01:54:44 PM
That's right bitches. Cameron ownz you in 2009.
You will all be dead. by IStillBelieve	Feb 16th, 2007 07:47:56 PM
I, on the other hand, will still be alive and well. Suck it, puny mortals.
I hate Harold and Maude. by Azlam Orlandu	Feb 17th, 2007 03:13:08 AM
Dear God that movie fucking sucks.
Harry, did you not ask him about Michael Biehn? by kwisatzhaderach	Feb 17th, 2007 07:35:55 AM
Let's hope there is a follow-up call...
Fuck. Your. Fiancée. by MrBurrrns	Feb 17th, 2007 08:43:17 AM

I'd give up all of this technical razzmatazz... by readingwriter	Feb 17th, 2007 08:52:40 AM
...if Cameron or any number of other good directors would chuck it all, use 1/10th the final budget for this thing, and invest his time and effort in the most important part of ANY movie--a great screenplay. I can recall how stunned audiences were by the opening shot of Star Wars, the first appearance of the alien derelict in Alien (and the alien egg innards which must have cost five dollars, chicken meat being not too expensive), and that first half-assed (but perfectly framed) shot of the malfunction-prone shark in Jaws. I also recall how no one even paused in their popcorn munching during the long opening shot of Sith, the elaborate but meaningless space battle in Star trek Nemesis, etc. Techincal stuff is fine and dandy, but damn, how many awful special effects-crammed movies do we have to see before we realize this technical geek crap is just that? Effects used to be made by these old farts who knew all kinds of tricks; now they're made by ponytailed geeks sitting at keyboards, just like us. And the movies suck. How many Event Movies have we looked forward to here and blabbed about endlessly, only to be disappointed because the scripts sucked? Rant over.
Nice rant by Free Squares	Feb 17th, 2007 12:07:51 PM
But take it to a talkback that isn't dedicated to James Cameron. It's meaningless here.
piccolo by TheyCallMeBruce	Feb 18th, 2007 01:29:06 AM
again; is there anything this crimson bitch won't do? i love you, harry.
Harry = Awesome by Daddylonghead	Feb 18th, 2007 01:29:07 AM
The more of Harry's writing there is, the better I like AICN. Although obviously I'm happy for Harry (about his fiancee etc.) I do miss the years when he had almost no life outside AICN and contributed a larger portion of the writing himself... but life goes on I guess!
To Biehn Or Not To Biehn by Dolph	Feb 18th, 2007 03:28:21 AM
That is the question.
Free Squares by kwisatzhaderach	Feb 18th, 2007 12:37:20 PM
Amen to that brother.
Azlam Orlandu, you hate Harold and Maude? by one9deuce	Feb 18th, 2007 12:45:13 PM
That is certainly your right. But saying that it sucks? That just makes it clear that your ignorant. It's quite brilliant.
Wow Harry, Sounds like you pissed Cameron off by BendersShinyAss	Feb 18th, 2007 11:13:00 PM
I'm not saying you did, but give the man some credit. You can't say to a film God the likes of Cameron that he's 'ripping off' another property. Hell, you can't even say it 'sounds like' another property. Star Wars aint star trek. Back to the future aint Bill & Ted. And something tells me Avatar aint john carter. I think the audible gasp you heard wasn't Cameron coming toa realisation that you were right, but instead thinking to himself, "Why the fuck am I wasting my time here?" I should really mean, I'm sorry. Hey kauai is a beautiful island. Some icredible, mind blowing mountains, forests and canyons there.
Free Squares by readingwriter	Feb 20th, 2007 12:38:06 AM
Yeah, has nothing to do with the guy I mention in the first sentence of my comment. Cameron's incredible talents doesn't mean he's written a great script, or an original character. He writes snappy, forgettable or passable dialogue, and a Harlequin Romance movie that's thrilled millions. If you think the guy who wrote True Lies, The Abyss and the dialogue in Titanic (which had a terrific structure but awful, awful lines and laughable characters--Billy Zane's anyone?) is above criticism for his obsession with eye candy and his comic book-level writing, you're part of the problem. A comparison of Aliens with Alien should be enough, but if not, anyone with an eighth grade education can tell you that the nonstop parade of cliches, second-generation ideas and tired character types Cameron is praised for is what's killing intelligent action and SF moviemaking.
"You can't say to a film God... by readingwriter	Feb 20th, 2007 12:45:36 AM
"...the likes of Cameron that he's 'ripping off' another property." Seeing how deposition was given that Cameron admitted to copping much of The Terminator from Harlan Ellison, in a suit that Ellison WON, I'd have to say, Yes, you can. Just because Cameron makes good comic book movies doesn't make him a god of any sort, and since when did we let some people off the hook for stealing ideas because they're "too big"?
Teaser trailer, website, etc by Rindain	Feb 20th, 2007 01:45:28 AM
When? Think they'll start promoting this early? Wonder when the official website will be up?
readingwriter by one9deuce	Feb 20th, 2007 04:03:07 PM
A frustrated screenwriter perhaps? I hate when people shit on Cameron's writing because the simple fact is his structure is perfect. PERFECT. And his dialogue is also outstanding. All of us here have been quoting ALIENS since 1986. Not one or two lines, but dozens of them just from that one movie alone. How many movies have even two lines people quote? Not very many.
Cameron's "outstanding dialogue" by kiddae	Feb 21st, 2007 10:15:28 AM
"I used to always wonder what you were thinking at that moment. I memorized every line, every curve. I came across time for you Sarah. I love you; I always have." YOWZER!
Wow kiddae by one9deuce	Feb 21st, 2007 04:29:34 PM
How original to use an average line to "prove" your point.
SK229 by one9deuce	Feb 22nd, 2007 03:29:23 PM
You post as though an intellectual movie has more validity than a visceral movie. You would be wrong. And Robert Towne has written more shit screenplays than Cameron has written total screenplays. Just because your film professor says something is true doesn't mean that it is true. Besides, he's a failed filmmaker ya know.
SK229 by one9deuce	Feb 24th, 2007 03:15:05 PM
All very good points. Well said. I think we'll have to agree to disagree on the quality of Cameron's dialogue though. I personally feel there's just way too many good and funny lines in his films (Aliens and True Lies in particular) to dismiss them all together.
I just find it by Nabster	Feb 27th, 2007 08:19:10 PM
difficult to have the same blind love for Cameron you guys have. I respect the man, but I do not revere him at all. I respect him for what he has done, and accomplished. But not for being an artist, or for making movies I really even liked.
Cameron isn't an artist, he's a craftsman by readingwriter	Mar 2nd, 2007 12:56:16 AM
There, I said it! Yep, I know it's heresy to suggest that Piranah 2 isn't high art, but... All kidding aside, that subject line is not a slam on Cameron; for the most part I pass on most "art" movies, as they're sold today. Cameron is in the Michael Curtiz-Ridley Scott-Spielberg mode of entertainers. That's a good thing, 90% of the films I adore are entertainment flicks, not "art" flicks. As a genre craftsman of great skill, he is masterful with the tools of cinema. BUT, along with Scott and Spielberg, and Fincher and Lucas, he has HUGE blindspots when it comes to the screenplay. With Fincher and Scott I'd say their blindspots are with plotting (The Game could have been great except we KNOW it's a game from the very beginning, thus undercutting the "why is this happening?" suspense, for example; with Spielberg its with his inability to trust the audience to address adult material with the sensibilities of someone who doesn't think TV and movies are all there is to life. In Cameron's case, he comes on all balls to the wall with hardcore ideas (swiped from elsewhere, but hey), but when he gets his chance to really be free he reveals he has the soul of an overweight woman who reads romance novels all day. The Terminator's love scene is laugh inducing (even back then the image of the lovers' hands clasping in a montage was hilariously cliched), and that movie appropriately makes it on the momentum of a simplistic story line--Terminator wants to kill Sarah Connor and one of the two must die. As with Robert Towne's idea that Chinatown would be director-proof because at the very least, the audience would want to know how it turned out, this was the perfect, stripped-down story for a director to show off his technical skills without much budget, and it worked. Unlike most people, though, as much as I enjoyed Aliens, it isn't in the same class as Alien, which is one of the very few sf films to approach the level of art (accidentally?). Aliens is boringly shot and repetitive, the characters are all cliches, and the basic story simply doesn't make any sense (why wouldn't the company send a real team in? why would Ripley go back--would you?), but again, Cameron's skills as a director make it work. I don't care how many people here love the movie, though, it's a comic book-level actioner compared to Scott's masterpiece original. The Abyss is a key film in Cameron's resume because here he really revels in his romance-reader heart, and we see that he is good with plot, terrible with dialogue and creating characters that aren't movie cliches, and simply incapable of coming up with an original story. There's a lot ot love in Mikael Salomon's photography--I still think this is the best-looking Cameron film, along with T2--and the various set pieces, but man the characters are ALL cliches, and the dialogue is embarassing (I got chills when the guy tells the military dude "You guys are out of business") (and the military dude grins!). This is good dialogue only if you think Star Trek episodes are well-written. Anyway, seeing Cameron in a photo from his "God is dead" appearance--didn't exactly shake the world, didya, Jim?--makes me feel this guy has a massive need to show he's a hardguy (he dives and jumps out of planes, yeah, ok, Jim, you're a Real Man), but then I think about him being the guy who wrote "I'm flying, Jack!" in an excruciatingly silly scene, and to me he becomes a romance reader who likes guns.

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This Valentine's Night - James Cameron was my Valentine Caller - with details on AVATAR - I'm twitterpated!

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