James Cameron's Project 880/Avatar

Look at my posts.

No where in there do i claim to get to be the one who makes that call.

I personally feel it is something that Time will Tell. The way the great filmmakers are revered today.

Also I did not dispute the Oscar argument cause I do feel the awards stand for something. Albeit maybe not what they once did but i do still believe in awarding excellence.

And lastly, I try to be very careful to make sure I state only opinion so as not to misrepresent my argument. What i have to say on this is my own opinion. If you want to call him a genius and sing the praises of "I'm king of the world" then by all means have fun.
 
you implied it was up to someone.......

i just wondered exactly who and what.

i mean no disrespect to you through this argument....those were just my opinions....and i agree with you that money made is no measure of genious.

as for singing "i'm king of the world".... i'm a bad singer...and no king
 
I absolutely love:

The Terminator
Aliens
The Abyss
T2
Titanic

...The rest of his reel I can leave as it does nothing for me (True Lies was fun admittedly but not epic)

I have always wondered what it was he has been doing going on a decade with this obsession with Titanic and underwater exploration. Of course; I have a pipe dream of sailing around the world one day so I suppose he is doing 'Whatever' he want's to do ?

Having always been a fan of Camerons work but am familiar with the 'I am the 800 Pound Ass Monkey' reputation.

I agree; there isn't really a need to treat people like **** to get the best from them. I'm surprised someone hasn't ***** slapped his ass.
 
The Machinist said:
No director anywhere has the right to demean, berate, or abuse their cast and crew. They are people who devote themselves to the vision. Just because they're being paid does not make them inferior or slaves for that matter. Which is how Cameron and other hot-headed directors seem to like to treat people.
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Actually, I find that the best projects are the produts of a climate of terror or adversity.
Fear of failure, fear of exposure, hatred for the studio, hatred for the way the film is being shot, etc. If you find a 'nice' director, its pretty much guaranteed that there is a viper of a producer, AD or someone else that plays the role of the 'bad guy' so the director doesn't have to.

The climate of how the film was made can be felt on-screen and the list of our best directors is a list of some extremely demanding and, in most cases, 'difficult' A-type
personalities.
 
Being demanding and being a total prick are two different things. Experiencing Adversity and having a Ass Hat scream at you are two different things.

Nice director's = A Viper somewhere else ?

That's too vague I think. In fact, I think the rumours of bad-guys and prick's are too few and far for that to be a norm.

The 'A' in A-Type personalities does not mean ASSHOLE
 
I'm with you Hudson.

Greggl, Do you live in Old Town Key West?

I have relatives who live in Truman Annex and your hometown holds a special place in my heart.
 
Any director that is more special effects then story just doesn't cut it in my book.
Just like Lucas.
But Cameron is def. a better storyteller then lucas. By far.
Cameron lost his touch after Terminator 2 in my opinion.
I could really care less if he even makes another picture.
 
John_Hudson said:
Nice director's = A Viper somewhere else ?

That's too vague I think. In fact, I think the rumours of bad-guys and prick's are too few and far for that to be a norm.

The 'A' in A-Type personalities does not mean ASSHOLE
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Thats pretty different from my experience. Its almost a good cop-bad cop situation if the director is a really nice guy. I'm not going to go far enough to name people directly as they are all still working and I may decide to go back someday :)

With directors, easily 50% were demanding, abrasive and overall difficult. Producers, it was like 90% :) Combine that with the list of folks that NEVER want to work with specific individuals again and a LOT of money and Hollywood really does live up to its reputation. I know that I've got 2 producers that I'd never work with if I could help it.
 
John_Hudson said:
I absolutely love:

The Terminator
Aliens
The Abyss
T2
Titanic

...The rest of his reel I can leave as it does nothing for me (True Lies was fun admittedly but not epic)
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John, that is every film he has ever Direted (barring Piranha II & non-fiction).

That's what I mean, he just makes gold. Sure, Titanic was cliche and a poor romance but was still a hell of a movie. His execution is near flawless IMO. His writing isn't quite as good.

As far as being an arsehole, he probably is, but I think that is a result of having such a strong vision and his frustration when people fail to relise it. When I direct, I get frustrated but try to hold back. I know there are times when it has meant my films have suffered. I'm sure you can do it without being an arsehole, but it is harder still.

Aliens is a good example. I think Sigourney Weaver would have buggered that film up (like she did with 3 & 4 with Fincher & Jeunet) but I think that Cameron's opinionated, stubborn attitude probably held it together.
 
John_Hudson said:
You and Jimmy; sorrounded by assholes. :laugh: :grin:
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Maybe that is why I admire him, it makes me look like a nice guy!:grin:

Seriously though, I think "giving in" is a bad trait for a director. Being an arsehole is too.You have to find the balance between the two. Peter Jackson seems to do it well. He gets what he wants and everyone still seems to love him! It must be his "teddy bear" looks:
173654__pj_l.jpg
 
John_Hudson said:
Good point

Although I would not know; I have never heard of Spielberg, Tarantino or Scorsese being A - Hat's.
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I have seen some behind the scenes showing Spielberg being pretty rude to some guys. Not on a Cameron level though.
 
too bad peter jackson doesn't look like that anymore, mmm.

there is a way to communicate with actors and not be asshats to them. some directors don't know how to handle certain situations and they are bitches to everyone, on the other hand, they may be bitches because it's the best way to handle the situation. it's definitely a catch-22.

i wouldn't go as far as calling Cameron a genious though. i really don't think he is. Kubrick was a genious, Cameron hasn't lived up to that yet. He makes good movies, yes, but i'd consider him more of a smartass than a genious.
 
That's all I'm saying.

By the way I hate cell phone companies. I'm currently on hold with Sprint who is trying to give me the financial bend over without the satisfaction of a Sgt. Hart reach-around. Why is it every single cell phone company I have subscribed from always gives me problems with billing and/or service? I have had phones from Cingular, Verizon, T-mobile, and now Sprint and everyone of them has given me horrible customer service.
 
Warning! Opinions about to Flow.

That's the great thing about the movies. They're democratic. No one is holding a gun to anyone's head (I don't think), you see what you want to see. If you don't like a director, you don't go. If you don't like an actor, you don't go. And vice versa. Nobody can make me like American Beauty. And they've tried. I like Cameron's movies. IMHO, Aliens was a science-fiction masterpiece. While I totally loved Terminator, the sequels left me flat. They were watchable, 2 was much better than 3, but to me, if they hadn't been made I wouldn't have felt the loss. Titanic, I liked it, and I don't really care for Leonardo.

What's genius? I'm not sure. I like Scorcese but he's done things I didn't care for. Same for Cameron, Spielberg, Coppola, the Scott Brothers, the Coen Brothers... They're are all accomplished and have also shown signs of excess. There are a lot of directors that I haven't mentioned that have made some great movies but have also had their share of stinkers.
 
3D makes me dizzy, and a lot of other people. Plus - it hurts your eyes after 30 or so minutes. I hate 3d... and those stupid glasses too.
 
directinglegend said:
and those stupid glasses too.
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If they could do it without those stupid glasses, that might be neat. And can they make so I can see 3D on my big screen TV?
 
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