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Holy Crap! Quint interviews James Cameron!!!
Ahoy, squirts! Quint here. I am a geek. Certifiable, some have said. I do pride myself in keeping myself from heavily geeking out in some of the "lucky bastard" situations I've found myself in over the last few years. There are times when I can hold back the big green monster inside of myself pretty easily, but then there are those half dozen times in my life where I came dangerously close to geeking out.
Meeting Spielberg on the set of WAR OF THE WORLDS was one of those times. Conducting a phone interview with John Cleese was another. And today I talked to James Cameron.
I could run through his credits, but you don't need that. I will say I wore out my VHS tape of ALIENS as a child. I had TERMINATOR memorized before my voice broke and TERMINATOR 2 was the very first film I was able to talk my parents into going to see more than once theatrically. I have an ALIENS daybill on my bedroom wall.
See, that's the geek that was trying to break free. All that above.
Below is my nearly 20 minute exclusive one on one interview with James Cameron at the Santa Barbara Film Festival, shortly before he accepted the David Attenborough award for his documentary work. There is a ton of info below... even though the Moby Dick of James Cameron secrets is still swimming free, I promise you you'll know more than you did before reading this interview. I heard him conduct 2 interviews while I was waiting where he batted away questions on AVATAR or any mention of PROJECT 880, so I decided on a kind of different approach to asking him for information on his current slate. Also, you'll notice a cameo question from my pet sea monster (and faithful photo bug) Kraken, who might just be as big of a fan of Cameron's films than I am.
So, without any more jibber-jabber, let's get things moving, shall we?
QUINT: I'm a big fan of your feature work, but I have to say that everything I love about your films... the pushing of the technology, your passion for the story and the material I have found in your documentary work as well.
JAMES CAMERON: I'm kinda glad you saw that. In GHOSTS OF THE ABYSS we didn't really bring the style that you'd have on a feature 'cause that wasn't our brief. We were trying to make it natural. You know, just whatever happened happened. No second takes, no lighting, nothin'.
On ALIENS OF THE DEEP I said, "We're going to make this one a little more cinematic, we're going to contour this a little more. We're not going to make anything up that didn't happen, but we're going to do some lighting, we're going to make it feel a little more movie-like." That was just a conscious decision.
QUINT: Was that to benefit the IMAX 3-D experience...
JAMES CAMERON: It was... It was just sorta what we wanted to do because I was working with the same crew and we'd had this experience on GHOSTS OF THE ABYSS that we had been so rigorous about not imposing ourselves creatively on the expedition that we wound up with 1300 hours of footage to make a 60 minute movie. That was crazy. We had 300 hours just of 3-D and the other 1000 hours was all the sub interior multi-cam... they were all standard-def video images, but still... it was just hours and hours and hours of stuff.
So, we said, "Alright. We can't do this." Because it just doesn't service because out of all that time you still don't have that person saying that thing you needed to say. So, the way we work now is I say, "Okay... You're the expert, you put it however you want, but you know what we're trying to say here. Put it in some concise way that I can put in the movie..."
QUINT: To try to get some sort of structure...
JAMES CAMERON: You just got to structure the moment a little bit more. What I found out is... that's what everybody does. (laughs) I had this idea of what a documentary was and it was wrong. It was surveillance. We were doing surveillance.
Now, there's some beauty in it because when things happen... We were out filming the Titanic (for GHOSTS OF THE ABYSS) when September 11th happened and I just walked around with the camera and talked to people afterwards... in 3-D and blew it up to IMAX. There's a moment where a friend of mine, Lewis Abernathy, on the expedition... he just went off. He just started talking. It was beautiful. I wish I could have put it all in the film.
You can't make that up. I couldn't have written that down ahead of time. That was just a moment.
There's something that's really intoxicating about the documentary process when something does happen, when it does line up in front of the lens and you're like, "That's incredible!"
QUINT: And you were the one to capture it...
JAMES CAMERON: Yeah, yeah! Or even if the other guys get it... One of my favorite shots in GHOSTS OF THE ABYSS is when we're getting slammed by the storm and we can't get the sub out of the water and we're just getting trashed. I was in the sub, I wasn't even shooting!
I had briefed everybody ahead of time... we had this big plan. What we said was if anything ever goes wrong on the expedition... wrong, wrong, wrong... people dying, blood on the deck... I don't care what it is, you shoot it. I don't care what it is, you shoot it. As long as you're not interfering with emergency operations or if by shooting you're not helping in the situation... But if there's a legitimate case to be made that you're not in the way and they don't need you... shoot it!
So, when September 11th happened, we just shot it. It was pretty amazing. Here we are shooting IMAX off the shoulder, which had never been done before. Shooting hours and hours and hours because it was all HD.
QUINT: I remember seeing the behind the scenes on T2:3-D with the old IMAX 3-D cameras you used and just how gargantuan they were...
JAMES CAMERON: Yeah, the beam-splitter rig... the size of a refrigerator. I wanted to make a 3-D film, but I didn't want to have to use that gear again. I said, "Why can't we use HD?" They said, "Well, HD won't blow up to IMAX." I said, "Yeah, but maybe two HD pictures overlaid with each other will blow up to something that looks a lot like IMAX." They thought I was nuts.
We went to Tokyo, got Sony to work with us... They built these special camera heads for us that we incorporated into our 3-D system. We built the system... you know, it cost millions of dollars to build this camera system, but it works perfectly. It's state of the art.
And now the projection is coming along, too. Now you can shoot it and slam it straight into a digital theater. I can do live 3-D. I can do live 3-D that looks exactly like ALIENS OF THE DEEP... Live!
QUINT: I was on the set of SPY KIDS 3-D and Rodriguez had a set-up there where you can see the 3-D live... to the point where he had a display that you could watch in between takes and see the crew setting up the next scene... in 3-D... as it was happening!
JAMES CAMERON: That's a version of our cameras, yeah. Did he use goggles or did he use the monitor for the 3-D imaging?
QUINT: I had to wear a pair of polarized glasses to see it...
JAMES CAMERON: Yeah, yeah. Well, Robert is actually a 3-D pioneer... Now, hopefully, before he does another 3-D movie or when he does his next 3-D movie he'll do it for digital release and not the anaglyph, 'cause I hate the anaglyph. I think it's a real set-back because it gives people headaches. If you're over 10 years old you can't watch it.
QUINT: Yeah, the polarized on the set was amazing, but the red and blue in the theater...
JAMES CAMERON: Yeah, that's what I'm talking about. It's gotta be polarized. But the new digital 3-D with polarization, with digital projectors, is phenomenal.
QUINT: I saw the digital 3-D projection with CHICKEN LITTLE.
JAMES CAMERON: CHICKEN LITTLE had perfect projection. The movie was retrofitted to 3-D, so I think of it as 2 3/4-D. It wasn't quite... not because they weren't doing good stereo... By the way, I'll call it stereo instead of 3-D because 3-D has been co-opted by the CG world. Stereoscopicy, stereographics, stereo. CHICKEN LITTLE had perfect stereo, but the movie was not conceived as a 3-D film, so it didn't kind of have that "Umph!"
QUINT: At this very moment on this very day... where do you feel pulled the most strongly? To keep advancing technology? To keep exploring? To tell a feature story? Or is it sort of a combination of all that?
JAMES CAMERON: I think the time is right, right now, for me to go back to narrative filmmaking, which is what I'm doing. The reason is I've spent the last 5 years, first of all, having some great adventures, really kind of learning the documentary trade and building up a documentary company which can now function on its own to a certain extent, so I'm now allowed to do it.
But also I get to take all the tools that we've built over the last 3 years, in terms of digital filmmaking, HD, stereo, fiber optics... all the tools that we've built for ourselves for these documentary shows I now bring to the feature. So, I'm really anxious to take everything I've learned in the stereo world and apply it to a feature and that's what we're doing right now.
I can't think of anything that I see on a screen these days without thinking how much better it'd look in 3-D! If I see a movie I really like... Like, I'm watching KING KONG I think, "Man! That'd be great in 3-D!" Everything's better in 3-D! Everything! A scene in the snow with two people talking... in 3-D... It's amazing! You're in the snow! You feel the snow.
QUINT: In CHICKEN LITTLE, the 3-D that I tended to like the most was the simple stuff... like a shot of Chicken Little in the back seat and his dad in the front seat and just really seeing that depth... It wasn't, like, COMIN' AT YA! 3-D...
JAMES CAMERON: Yeah! You're in the car. You're in the car with those guys. It shouldn't be about COMIN' AT YA! 3-D, it shouldn't be about getting poked in the eye all the time. That's the abusive 3-D that I think filmmakers had to go through to get to the stage where we are right now where we think of it instead of something coming out at you all the time, it's a window into a reality. You're sharing that reality or you're able to look into that reality.
QUINT: I'm resigned to the fact that you're going to keep a lid on PROJECT 880...
JAMES CAMERON: Good. That saves us time.
QUINT: But I'm curious why the secrecy...
JAMES CAMERON: Why the secrecy? Um... People tend to dissect movies without seeing them and to me that spoils the magic. Now, having said that, we'll tell everybody what we're doing eventually.
QUINT: Do you have any idea when?
JAMES CAMERON: I'm thinking March.
QUINT: Yeah? Very soon, then.
JAMES CAMERON: Pretty soon, pretty soon. We've been working on this film for 6 months. (laughs) I'm kinda surprised no one knows what we're doing!
QUINT: Can we go over a couple projects real quick? I'd like to bring up something that doesn't get really get brought up much, a film you were working on with Guillermo Del Toro called COFFIN...
JAMES CAMERON: Yeah... Well, COFFIN is not... Look, here's where we are. I've changed the nature of my company. I'm now not developing movies for other directors. I've got 4 films teed up right now that are either in a good treatment or a good shooting draft form for me to do over the next 5 years. I'm teed up. I'm in for longer than 5 years, so I don't need a development staff right now. I just need a little core team, like my documentary team, except on the feature side to just go out and nail these films, one after another. That's going to be the game plan. So, we changed the company and a lot of people left the company as a result.
What I've said is there are only a couple of projects that I will continue to be involved with that we did develop and COFFIN is one of them. The reason for that is because Guillermo del Toro is one of my best friends and we've never really worked together. I mean, we always feel like we're working together because he gets all involved in my stuff, I get all involved with his stuff, but not in an official capacity.
So, COFFIN is definitely not dead and Guillermo says he still wants to make it. He's just finishing up his Spanish film right now.
QUINT: Yeah, PAN'S LABYRINTH. It looks great, I can't wait to see it.
JAMES CAMERON: Yeah, it's a pretty cool film. I've seen it.
QUINT: I remember before Paul W.S. Anderson did ALIEN VS PREDATOR it came out that you kind of made an offer to do another ALIEN film with Ridley Scott...
JAMES CAMERON: Yeah. Ridley and I talked about doing another ALIEN film and I said to 20th Century Fox that I would develop a 5th ALIEN film. I started working on a story, I was working with another writer and Fox came back to me and said, "We've got this really good script for ALIEN VS PREDATOR and I got pretty upset. I said, "You do that you're going to kill the validity of the franchise in my mind." Because to me, that was FRANKENSTEIN MEETS WEREWOLF. It was Universal just taking their assets and starting to play them off against each other.
QUINT: Milking it, totally.
JAMES CAMERON: Milking it. So, I stopped work. Then I saw ALIEN VS PREDATOR and it was actually pretty good. (laughs) I think of the 5 ALIEN films, I'd rate it 3rd.
QUINT: Ummm...
JAMES CAMERON: I actually liked it. I actually liked it a lot.
QUINT: You know, I hate it when movies don't abide by the continuity of their series...
JAMES CAMERON: When they make up their own rules.
QUINT: Exactly. They did that a lot with the alien incubation time, where from egg to chestbuster it happened...
JAMES CAMERON: In minutes, yeah...
QUINT: That kind of stuff really pissed me off with the movie...
JAMES CAMERON: Well, it starts to become a video game. It's like, "Okay, that can be in him and that can show up over here..." It becomes more metaphorical or more comic book. I don't mean comic book in a negative way, I just mean that it's working at a kind of mythic, metaphoric level as opposed to really trying to immerse you in reality.
I mean, I felt when I was making ALIENS I think the same thing Ridley was doing with ALIEN, which is... "I'm going to make you think this is real." Even though it is completely ridiculous deep space adventure. We were going to make you feel like it's real. It's a question of does the film take itself seriously or not.
KRAKEN: So you still thinking about doing something with it?
JAMES CAMERON: No.
KRAKEN: If we promised you our first babies would you think about doing anything with it?
JAMES CAMERON: (laughs) Well, the other thing I've learned is that when you deal with a studio and it's their asset... it's their asset. And I should have learned that lesson with PLANET OF THE APES because I had a great... great idea with PLANET OF THE APES, but it was Fox's asset. Even though I was supposedly developing it we didn't see eye to eye and they sort of picked up their marbles and that was that. They turned out, I think, possibly the most egregious film that they could have on that subject because they miscast the director. It's the only Tim Burton film that I don't like.
QUINT: Yeah and it's just frustrating because you can see stuff in there that's great, like Tim Roth's performance, but the movie just falls flat.
JAMES CAMERON: He's stunning!
QUINT: What's your favorite dirty joke?
JAMES CAMERON: (laughs)
QUINT: I got one from Clooney so I'm hoping to dig one out of you... And I know you've been around sailors, so I know you have some!
JAMES CAMERON: Favorite dirty joke? Aw, man. I don't know if I want to go there. Clooney doesn't have any kids! (laughs) I think I'm gonna pass on that one!
And there you have it, squirts. COFFIN is still alive, we'll know what PROJECT 880 is next month (still think it's AVATAR), we'll never see his ALIEN movie and his slate is full of features all lined up and ready for 5 years or more of continual projects.
After the interview we talked briefly about ENTOURAGE. For those who don't keep up with the HBO show... first of all, shame on you. It's great. Second of all, Cameron plays himself on the show, directing Vincent Chase and Mandy Moore in an AQUAMAN film. He said he doesn't know the fate of the film in Season 3, only that he might pop up one more time on the show at the big premiere. Pretty sweet, huh?
Hope you folks enjoyed the interview. Thanks to Kraken for taking those pics (and pressing the ALIEN question), thanks to Carol Marshall for arranging the interview and thanks to Mr. Cameron for taking the time to chat with me. I still have only just begun telling you folks about the cool shit I've seen on this trip out here. Keep an eye out later today/tonight for something really cool. 'Til then, this is Quint bidding you a fond farewell and adieu.
-Quint
Readers Talkback
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Titanic II in the works?
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That was an absolutely superb interview - kudos, and thanks. You've set my day off to a great start.
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and that I have a few notes for him. :)
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James Cameron is the man!! Not sure about him saying Alien Vs Predator is better than Alien 3 though!!!!
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I'm in. Aliens is brilliant and easily the best in the series, in my opinion. Many truly great directors also add to film technology and Cameron has definitely added his share. Cameron should read some Alfred Bester.
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4 more projects lined up for the next 5 years!! Man that makes me so happy.
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What if Project 880 isn't Avatar, but something cooler? Like, something that totally blows your mind out of your skull. Even if it is just Avatar (and that wouldn't be a disappointment by any stretch of the imagination), the anticipation is fuckin' worth it. Welcome back, Jim.
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In an ironic way or in a rubber-neck-a-car-accident sort of way?
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nice one
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Should be "stereoscopy," mostly used in computer vision/robotics. See? I'm a geek too!
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if Cameron likes AvP so much why doesnt he do the sequel. You missed the chance of a lifetime. You couldve made nerd history!
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Well, ok. I respect him enough not to totally go beserk at that. Btw, he looks really different without his beard. Also, a friend of mine knows his daughter. Their house if freaking HUGE!
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Anyone.
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good job...very interesting and informative. I'm glad he's not doing another "Aliens" film as that would be a waste of his talent at this point...the Aliens thing is played out. And it will be good if he doesn't do Battle Angel Alita as I don't think a full CG human-like character would work very well.
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I liked it and most everyone else did too at the time. It was one of the most positively reviewed films on here. Aliens vs. Predator was nothing special, but I thought it was entertaining. Saying it is the 3rd best is not saying much as only the first two were great and the other sucked.
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I could definitly see Mr. Cameron doing an extreemly kick-ass movie version of The Stars, My Destination. Love that book.
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And Kraken, too!
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maybe pietro jackson can take a hint
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Are we going to see a slight change of attitude from some fanboys now that James Cameron himself says it's okay to like Aliens vs Predator? Will we get a Pirahna III? Fox turns away Cameron TWICE? Is this the beginning of the end? ARGHH!!! JEDI BOBSTER
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Feb. 7, 2006, 6:16 a.m. CST
This would've been interesting back with Cameron matter
by Trazadone
Really, after all this time who really cares? My first question would've been, "Where the hell have you been for the last decade?" Question 2, "Why did Hamilton dump your ass?"
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Bwaahahahah
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Good Job Quint! An intelligent interview with an intelligent director. I'm sure Jim appreciated you being sensitive to his desire to focus more on technology and 3-D. When doing an interview always get them talking about what they are interested in and you will have a lively discussion.
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Cameron liked AvP. Respect! An overpowering, collective fanboy wail will soon be heard in the distance.
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But with quints geekyness, and cameron's HD tech babble, intercutting with images that make him look like a ranting blind man - I garnered great laughter out of this whole episode. thank you. PS. Cameron needs to grow his beard back!
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So the Scott+Cameron rumours were true. As for his opinion on AvP, I think that, when looking at other people's movies, Cameron just looks at the technical side of them. It's the only explanation. Excelent interview BTW.
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That's super, no questions about Battle Angel Alita at all. That was the only reason I wanted to look at this.
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Ok - THIS is what is GREAT about AICN. Quint, you deserve a considerable paycheck. Keep this up...
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no matter what he says. cause i said so.
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In the old days he'd be refered to as a nobel. Noble. nobal. nobull. How do you spell noble? Is that it?? Anyway. Cameron didn't like AVP. He said he saw it as a crappy Mummy Vs. Wolfman. thats an insult on the film. He also agreed about the chest busters incubation timeframe. the man HATED AVP. But he hated Alien 3 more. and me suspects he hted Alien 4 a little less. And who doesn't - really? Alien 4 is cool! It's amazing that Studio exects really have such little foresight as to hand off Projects Cameron is interested in. I mean, Cameron WAS WORKING ON AN ALIEN 5 STORY???? share!! right now!!!! And he was also working on Planet of the apes!!!?? The mind boggles with what could have been. but then, it's the anticipation of a Cameron Spiderman that makes me see red everytime Raimi and his crappy films get so much praise here. Cut them up in 30 minute sections and you have a televison series. you know it to be true!
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To think that there was a possibility of seeing both Alien 5 and his Planet of the Apes idea. Instead we get two of the worst big budget sci-fi SHITTYCUNTHOLES in the last 10 years. Anderson, that HACK with AvP and Burton's dumb DUMB DUMB Apes 'reimagining'. And there was a chance that Ridley Scott was going to be involved in Alien 5 also. So it went from the two directors of the first two Alien movies, two of the greatest movies EVER directed by two of the greatest directors ever, working on a new Alien movie, to Fox saying 'You know what we REALLY need? Some HACK HACK MOTHERFUCKER churning out a tame PG-13 run-of-the-mill toy sales boosting SHIT like AvP.' I could just die. Cameron KNOWS that what they have done means no going back for the Alien series, no 5th movie, all credibility lost. Actually, there was still a lot of credibility after Alien 3, but Whedon and Jean-Pierre Jeunet soon put pay to that with the JOKE that was Resurrection.
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Feb. 7, 2006, 7:32 a.m. CST
Haven't got time to read the interview at the mo...
by seppukudkurosawa
but that's still quite a coup, good job Quint!
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Careful there. Your "interpretation" of Cameron's comments on AvP are perilously close to the antics of he-who-must-not-be-named *makes sign of the cross/crescent/star*... We musn't speak of him, imitate him or even THINK about him for fear of summoning him from the depths... *makes sign of the cross/crescent/star*....
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Coming out in 2015. James Cameron picks up where Aliens left off. Rachel McAdams as Ripley Jr. Yummy crotch-shot - in 3D - when she gets in a spacesuit. Start filming it now.
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Nice to see that Cameron with all his techie/gear-head zeal for developing new technology has still remembered that it's the story that is important. (Unlike a certain bearded director who probably threw a hissy fit when his most recent special effects porn reel was overlooked for a Visual Effects Oscar nomination...)
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Oh. You mean RingbearAAAAAAIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! ...he lay on the carpet with a terrible rictus of fear on his dead face and over all, hung the fungous odour of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.
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Yes...*sigh* take that. How exactly is Cameron's endorsement of this film going to change my opinion of AvP? Please inform me of how the subjective medium of art suddenly stops being subjective when someone else has an opinion.
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Cameron does not have the commitment to do back-to-back series like Raimi is doing, consistently dedicated to Spider-Man for what, at least 3 to 4 movies? I can't wait 5 to 8 years for a sequel. Tobey would be 50 by the time Spidey 4 came out. And Cameron can't do kinetic scenes like Raimi (think subway Doc Ock fight). Besides, where would he get to use his blue filter in a Spidey movie? And dammit Jack shoulda climbed on top of Rose on that big plank! I loved Rose too but I aint gonna stay in the freezing water for no girl I met 2 days ago. Rose was hot though, plump and all.
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Hit the treadmill, chubby
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Thanks for bringing this to us, Q-Bert. Cameron ended up saying a lot about the technology he's been working on and the films he's got lined up.
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..in that interview, so your logic in him being kind to AvP as simply being polite doesn't hold up at all. sorry dude, you should read things more carefully before making absolute statements.
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...when he mentioned the talking to death of movies these days as a reason for being so tight-lipped about his current project. While I certainly appreciate the wealth of information available these days and the opportunities to discuss and argue about upcoming movies, I sometimes also miss the old days when I would go mad in anticipation of a big release (like Aliens or ROTJ). Every scrap of info - no matter how small - felt like a little treasure and only helped to whet my appetite for the film in question. With today's information inundation, that feeling is virtually gone. At least I got to experience it... *sigh*...
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"How would your Planet of the Apes have differed from Burton's" "Care to comment on reports that 880 is actually Avatar?" Or ... maybe I can just tell Jim Cameron my self-aggrandizing stories about looking through Robert Rodriguez's 3D camera!! Or ask him for a dirty joke!! Or maybe I can just redefine the limits of squandered opportunity!!
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...great interview.
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Peven: Cameron had no involvement in the Apes franchise so he could say anything he wanted. One of the projects he's got lined up is Aliens Vs. Terminators In The Titanic Abyss in 3D, so he's got to stay on Fox's good side.
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Please, Mr Cameron, Make it so. Luscious.
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To me, and I imagine only me, 3-D is a gimmick for spectacle. I don't see how a film made in 3-D will be better than an original 70mm print i.e. Lawrence of Arabia. I can't back this up with science, it's just a qualia thing. Secondly, the idea that Cameron won't make another Aliens film (sounds pretty doubtful Scott will either) really, really fucks me off. I'm amazed Cameron thought AvP was ok; maybe he was being polite, but you know he's got to be pissed off that they went with that instead of Alien 5. Pooooo-weeeee.
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And they gave the flick to Mr. Fucking Atmosphere instead? FUCK FUCK FUCK SHIT SHIT SHIT FUCK FUCK FUCK SHIT SHIT SHIT. I did not know that. I will now be annoyed about this, forever.
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How did Chet become a bigger star than Michael Biehn? He showed so much promise in T1. Wha hoppen?
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Side note: Whedon didn't have much to do with Alien 4. He clearly stated that Fox fucked that one up 'cause they decided to go tight on the budget, and we know Jeunet fucked up because it was just a gig for him, and he didn't care about the movie at all. I like Jeunet as a director, but I gotta say he really comes off as artsy-fartsy in the whole Alien clusterfuck. Also, why doesn't anyone mention that Whedon-who-shits-on-franchises, as he is well known on the Talkback, was also responsible for a good piece of the script in that "fiasco" called Toy Story? Hell, I don't even like the guy that much, but come on, out with the facts people... If you really wanna be angry at the guy, resent him "Titan AE" like I do...
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He sold his soul to Satan and ended up starring in Megiddo: Omega Code 2.
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"3-D is a gimmick for spectacle" indeed, so far, yes. But that's because it takes a great artist to turn a gimmick into a storytelling tool. And there's an interview with such an artist right up there. You remember what a "gimmick" CGI was before Cameron came and did it right? Fuck, if he said Smell-O-Rama was the next big thing, I'd believe him. He's just that good.
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AvP was a shitty idea to start with and the final film bore that out. I can understand him saying it was 3rd best in the series (personally, I don't even *count* it in the series) since he had a personal bias with what they did to the survivors of Aliens. But to say he really enjoyed AvP? And even worse, that he liked T3? I really hope he's pulling a John Ford and trying to throw the fanboys off his trail with those comments. On the other hand, it's been 15 years since his last good movie.. Well, I wish him luck with whatever he's got brewing.
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what about True Lies 2? Long ago, Tom Arnold said there was a script and everyone was ready to go...then Arnie went to Cali and it got put on hold. Cameron can't possibly be confident that Ahnuld will stick around as governor for too much longer. I guess I can hope that True Lies 2 is one of those projects he has ready to go within the next 5 years...as long as he brings back Bill Paxton!!
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Here
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wishing for everything in 3-D is his very own opinion of a former physicist. i dunno if EVERY movie really deserves an dstands the approach of complete illusion. it's like the difference between illusionist and epic theater by Brecht. i think there are always filmmaker who want to -maybe not in the brecht way but with similar outcomes- break the illusion and do it the artificial way. it is normal for all kinds of media, though, that the mind set of invention differs a lot from the actual use by millions of different individuals. however it is interesting and important to have artists and scientists such as cameron start these kinds of revolutions. in the end, luckily, every artist can decide on his own which form he uses. what a great postmodern pluralistic world.
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is yet another clue that he quit his membership of "THE BEARD CONSPIRACY".
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and I have to agree with bender: the beard should come back. I mean, not every director with a beard needs to be part of the BEARD CONSPIRACY. It's ok to dislike 3D (for every movie) and still keep your beard on. I'm sure nobody told him that. especially from a point of view with less testosterone this beard should come back. definitely.
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Thanks, Quint. I enjoyed Jim's take on the next-gen 3D, or "stereo," moviemaking platform, and I can't wait to read more about his next project next month. The funny thing is, I actually agree with Cameron about "Alien vs. Predator" being the third best Alien movie. I think most people on this site would agree the first two Alien movies redefined the science fiction horror genre, along with Carpenter's "The Thing," and Cameron added the element of ass-kicking marines and a motherbitch Alien. Looking at the series as a whole, "Alien 3" and Alien: Resurrection" seriously ruined the characters and timeline audiences dug in the first two films. In my humble opinion, "Alien 3," though it had some great scenes, was the biggest misstep of them all, and the series never recovered. "Alien: Resurrection" was just kind of silly and pointless, even though it had some nice gore and underwater chase scenes. But what the "Alien" series needed to do in the third film was bring Alien to Earth, possibly through some corporate, surreptitious means, and let the carnage begin. Ripley and Newt could've been part of the solution somehow, defending Earth, and their relationship could've been further developed in a very gripping way. There are so many missed opportunities here. I'm glad Cameron agrees with me. I eagerly await his next project.
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...at the Academy Awards was "You have made me feel like I'm King of the World!", vice "I'm King of the World!" I'm betting accepting an Oscar can give jelly-legs to even the most confident human. Ricky Henderson made the same mistake when breaking Brock's stolen base record. He meant to say, "I may have the record, but Lou Brock will always be the greatest of all time." (Ok, the Ricky Henderson thing was reaching...)
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This fucking hack made Titanic, one of the cheesiest movies of all time, with some of the worst dialogue ever spoken on film. Stop sucking Cameron's cock saying this guy understands that story and character come first. Technology is always the most important thing to Cameron, which is why his movies are easily dated and don't hold up. I can't think of one of his movies, including Aliens, that doesn't become a snoozefest by the middle. Loved T2 when it came out, but I was 15, so gimme a break. The guy is not a top director.
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It's gonna be bad-ass! Peter Parker will be a complicated, brooding teenager who loses his awkwardness as soon as he is bitten by the spider and Mary Jane will be a stunning 6' tall redhead FOX! The Green Goblin will be part make-up and part CGI and will look exactly like the comic book version! Man that film is gonna ROCK. It will feature some action sequences that will REDEFINE special f/x as we know them! Like a Jurassic Park size f/x leap in technology!----That's what I was saying about 10 years ago to my friend Steve after reading an article about Cameron's ideas for a Spider-Man film. Sad indeed. Instead we got a teen soap opera with a couple action scenes. It didn't suck, so people accepted it. Did it give you chills like the first Superman film? Of course not. There is nothing special about either Spider-Man movie. They are average (part 1) and ok (part 2). Oh James Cameron! If only you had held on to that dream a few years longer!
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That being said, Cameron is slightly overrated as a director, and more so as a screenwriter, and he's out of his mind to think AVP is anything but dreck.
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...first, the man thinks everything's gotta be 3-D nowadays. It's all about the 3-D. That sentiment sets off my Spidey sense in a big way. He seems far more excited about the technology involved in modern film making than the story elements required, and an attitude like that is how you end up with a Star Wars prequel trilogy. Second, he liked AVP. I'm sorry, but that really drops his credibility (in terms of how well his cinematic judgement has held up) through three decks of the ship like concentrated acid blood. Even rightfully panning Burton's Planet of the Apes doesn't redeem that statement much. I'm starting to think maybe it's a good thing Cameron went all Steve Zissou on us and stayed out of mainsteam movie making for the last ten years - mostly because he seems like he would've fit right in with the sub-par batch of lazy, coasting-on-past-acheivements directors who have been assaulting our senses and sensibilities since the 90s. Cameron made a decent sequel to one of the scariest movies of all time (the original Alien) and it was decent/worthy largely because it took such a different approach from the original but maintained the integrity of the character (Ripley), the continuity (what we learned about the Alien from Alien) while expanding on those concepts. It was by no stretch better than the original, however. He made some very wathcable genre films with spectacular special effects. Titanic and the Abyss (which, in retrospect, feel like variations on a theme) and True Lies being the most notable. His greatest acheivement is his least technically sophisticated: Terminator. A great, innovative story told cleverly with the tools of the time. Unfotunately, the sequels to that were largely balls (again, more concerned with technology and effects than story integrity or character). Stay out on the water, Jim. I'd prefer to remember you fondly for the things you did well.
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hahaha. i don't care what folks say, Cameron is a cool guy.
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You're sitting there in front of James Cameron and you don't ask him about one of the most anticipated movies currently in development hell, Battle Angel Alita. What gives?
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whats the 3rd act, watching paint dry? Don't u hate it when people think they're cool?
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can you believe that studio hacks denied us the opportunity for james cameron's POTA and Alien 5? motherfuckers. just when you think that hollywood can't get any stupider, you read something like that.
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Really good interviews with Cameron and Clooney. But please stop asking people about their favorite dirty joke... clearly nobody wants to answer the question and the jokes are never funny.
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Really good interviews with Cameron and Clooney. But please stop asking people about their favorite dirty joke... clearly nobody wants to answer the question and the jokes are never funny.
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Feb. 7, 2006, 11:06 a.m. CST
I 2nd the call for the end of the lame "dirty joke" q's
by chickychow
Cuz, honestly, who the fuck cares? if you're interviewing Vanessa Redgrave, fine that's kinda funny, but do I want you to waste 5 minutes while George Clooney attempts to remember a joke - while you could ask more productive questions like "Are you banging Teri Hatcher?"
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... was much, much, much, much better than Resurrection and AVP. So they killed off Newt, big fucking deal. Also, whilst I myself have thought of 3D as a stupid gimmick for the longest time, it should be noted (however obvious) that the same scepticism was applied to all major advances in film technology to varying degrees. Unfortunately we won't know whether this is the next widescreen till long after Alita/Avatar/whatever the fuck he's doing.
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Did any of you read that interview? He said he expected AvP to be a crapfest like the old Universal monster match-ups, but was pleasantly surprised. He had super low expectations going in and was pleased it wasn't abysmal. Hasn't this ever happened to any of you? Read his comments in context, gang. Sheesh!
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altho i liked the fact he mentioned PLANET OF THE APES but quints follow up question should have been "what was your idea for the film?" - or what was your idea for ALIEN 5 -
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This is what I read: **** JAMES CAMERON: I actually liked it. I actually liked it a lot. **** Sounds to me like he enjoyed it a little more than 'in context'.
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4 projects for Cameron lined up, that's great, that's great, keep'em coming, man!
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...If you liked AvsP I fear for your sanity. Let's just hope that you were just being nice because you have cool shit in the pipeline at Fox. Don't make me take down my James Cameron shrine.
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Shouldn't intentional stretching be a bannable offence?
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You stupid Serenity ass. You should be banned.
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...you need to chill. Serenity was an entertaining film, but really watched like two episodes of the show strung back-to-back. Reminded me of Farscape: Peacekeeper Wars. A nice capper/love letter to fans, but really nothing earth shattering in terms of cinematic sci fi. So move on. Whedon rolled his movie bones and lost. He can always go back to making above average TV series.
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Terminator and terminator2, Aliens remain three of the greatest things King cameron has ever done and will ever do. period. The rest is awful. I am sure looking at the titanic and bismark are interesting if you are a robert Ballard type. Titanic was the equivalent of watching someone survive a really terrible car crash and walk away unscathed. Although titanic looks great, it is far too long and comes across like a vanity project and that script and its co-called dialoug are hilarious. NOte: that film won for its technical achievements which were awesome. The days of Blockbusters dominating hollywood these day are a thing of the past. Most people are interested in films which make them think and that they can talk about afterwards. Camerons last before Titanic was true lies and that film is an embarassment to watch now. Filmworld that cameron left behind to document the titanic is totally different now.Which sttudio will have the balls to take cameron on and I cant think of any. Titanic took 3 years to make. that kind of thing ended with gangs of new york. We will see.
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Cameron despised Alien3 because he felt it defeated everything he established with Ripley by killing Hicks and Newt. You also have to remember how much involvement he had with the first Predator, so I'm sure AvP felt like a giant ass-kissing homage for him to watch.
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Terminator and terminator2, Aliens remain three of the greatest things King cameron has ever done and will ever do. period. The rest is awful. I am sure looking at the titanic and bismark are interesting if you are a robert Ballard type. Titanic was the equivalent of watching someone survive a really terrible car crash and walk away unscathed. Although titanic looks great, it is far too long and comes across like a vanity project and that script and its co-called dialoug are hilarious. NOte: that film won for its technical achievements which were awesome but not for script. The days of Blockbusters dominating hollywood these day are a thing of the past. Most people are interested in films which make them think and that they can talk about afterwards. Camerons last before Titanic was true lies and that film is an embarassment to watch now. Filmworld that cameron left behind to document the titanic is totally different now.Which sttudio will have the balls to take cameron on and I cant think of any. Titanic took 3 years to make. that kind of thing ended with gangs of new york. We will see. finally as for the abyss, the effects were ground breaking for their time but anyone can do them but my god what a snoresfest. French and saunder send up of titanic remains thier greatest sketch.ever. That or Vera drake!
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It was on here this morning for about an hour...now it is gone.
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That's bloody important.
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http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=22406
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I, too, was thrilled when Cameron was talking about doing SPIDER-MAN after TITANIC. But, having read his script-ment (or whatever you wanna call it), I gotta believe that we fans dodged a MAJOR bullet. No Green Goblin, for one thing, just Sandman and Electro. And the Peter Parker mating dance with MJ sounded cringe-worthy to the Nth degree. Thank that imaginary superpower in the sky for Sam Raimi!
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Who the Fuck turns down Cameron? Can you imagine what he would have done with Alien 5 and Planet of the Apes..!!! FOOOOLLLLSSSS!!! ARRRGGGGG!!!! I hate this town!
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They could still make a cool Alien 5, but they'd have to really back it, not do it half-assed.
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"It was pretty amazing." Yes, I believe that was how most people reacted too.
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...Quint comes through like a champ. Nice interview. You actually made JC seem like he was really excited about film rather than really full of himself....for the most part. lol
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He could film 2 1/2 hours of his navel and I'd sit there, mezmerized. Long live the King!!!
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Well done Quint. You're all growns up.
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Feb. 7, 2006, 1:49 p.m. CST
Thanks for the link to Moriarty's V For Vendetta review
by monorail77
Its Moriarty's review. Its good, I wonder why they took it down. Oh well, I suggest all go read it anyway and post your thoughts. I did.
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Thanks AICN
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...I don't mind Tonay's trollish Whedon shtick at all. In fact, at times it's actually funny when it riles folks up in a Mark Twain I-hope-they-use-the-lizards-in-V-For-Vendetta type of way. However, stretching a talkback is fucking unforgivable. BAN THE FUCKER!
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Trevor- Avatar is a futurstic sci-fi movie with cool dino-like creatures and 8 foot tall aliens, which are like Native Americans. Its has lots of action, and ecological overtones. Post you're email address if you want more info.
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While they both do good work, I actually respect Cameron moreso than Jackson at this point in time. His responses just seem a little more....I can't describe it. For a man whose last non documentary movie was released more than a decade ago, he sure as hell can still get people hyped up.
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for asking about The Coffin and keeping alive the flickering flame of hope that my lil' funnybook will one day be a real live movie.
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Do they hate each other now?
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"I'm resigned to the fact that you're going to keep a lid on PROJECT 880..." LOL. Any mention about "Godspeed" with Harrison Ford ?
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And from that standpoint it's Ok. Then all the screwed up Alien sequences go away b/c it's a predator movie. It's paced like a Predator movie, It's key monster focus is on the Predators anyway, It's set in the present. See, it's just a Predator movie with Aliens. Plus Preadtor II sucked far worse than anyhting Anderson can cop out with. At least Anderson uses cool effects to skate by, Preadtor II didn't even have that. So remember there is 3 Predator films and 4 Alien films.
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...but what does this have to do with movies?
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He's done. I can move on now.
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Most of you took AVP WAY too seriously. It's a fun "Bad" movie, and never tries to be anything else. That scene where The Predator and the woman team up and run side by side is freaking hilarios. Forget about whining like Quint does about changing facts about The Aliens from the first few films. Take the stick out of your ass and enjoy a breezy, fun film.
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And it's pretty cool. Granted, there will have to be a TON of CG to make it come out the way it was written. However, with Cameron at the helm, this could be awesome, despite what will need to be an overabundance of CG work. One thing that struck me was that the story seemed similar to that of Battlefield Earth, with the native population being forced into the labor by the invading aliens (humans, in this case) who only want to rape the planet's resources. Then we have the Na'vi, the oppressed, "primitive" locals, who rise up and drive out the technologically superior invaders. Let's just hope John Travolta is nowhere near the production...
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I mean, Gary Busey! Natch.
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Feb. 7, 2006, 3:38 p.m. CST
Maybe they took down Moriarty's V review so he could...
by FluffyUnbound
...fix all the times he spelled "fascist" as "facist". The guy does write for a living and maybe he wanted to make sure people didn't get the idea that he couldn't spell.
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he said that about AVP because it justified his being pissed. Oh my god...I didn't think I could hate that movie anymore than I did. Now knowing it caused Cameron to pull out of doing another Alien flick I just want to kill someone.
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Why does everyone use tv as an insult when comparing it to film. Television is not a lesser medium to film! Not anymore. For the record, The Sopranos is better than any film that has come out in the last 10 years. Deeper, better acted and better written.
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Just google 'avatar zuleika sully', ignore the first site that comes up, and go about seven sites down to something called luminous beings. This seems to be offline but has it in its cache. Second, the Japanese site below that has it. Tell 'em James Cameron didn't send ya!
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Great interview Quint. Would have liked to see you ask him on his failed Dark Angel series and if a movie was a possiblity. I think there could be a blockbuster there if they got Jessica Alba back as Max. Would love to see a tie up for that series, but I realize we'll probably never see the light of day from it. Would also like to have seen you ask him regarding Entourage and if he was really serious about making Aquaman (from those rumors we heard a while back).
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Great job--I can't wait until March when he finally lets the cat out of the bag. 4 movies in the next 5 years? Wow, Jim must have a hell of a production team to pull that off. But if he can, we're in for a film renaissance the likes of which we have never seen...think the first Star Wars, but bigger.
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I smell B.S., but then again he said he liked T3... who's got Jim in their pocket?
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Very flawed and very stupid, but they had some good action scenes and were fun to see once or twice. Whereas alien 4 was akin to a kick in the scrotum, and alien 3 fucked up what he did in Aliens, so i see where he is coming from.
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Sure, T3 has a couple of groan-inducing one-liners -- but so does T2, which is also bloated, poorly paced, maudlin ("I know now why you cry"), and doesn't know when to end. T3's ending was a corker. In spite of its flaws, I actually do like T2 -- but T3 is the better film.
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WTF are you talking about? The Predator and Alien films were taken with R-Rated adult seriousness, why shouldn't AvP? Because it was based on a videogame??? Most don't seem to know about that lengthy comic series that ran long before it, which was chock full of ready made storylines for movies. Is having Predators and Aliens in it all that is required for a decent movie??? Fans of film and of Predator and/or Alien(s) just wanted their franchises to be treated with respect, not given to some studio director hack to make a WWE-style watered down mythological mess whatever the fuck that was, which most likely put the final nail in the coffin of ever getting a decent Alien or Predator movie (but you yahoos get to have more AvP2 action, yeeehaw!!!). Man, some of you AvP apologists are worse than that other space franchise. * * * Predator 2 was actually pretty good, besides Danny Glover's character. It was pretty close to the Predator comics and it has Gary Busey and Hudson from ALIENS cracking wise (again).
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His views on 3D are friggin' scary cool. Honestly, 3D could be like the turn from Black & White to color if the actual process of viewing the content is made easier. He is dead on about the YOUR WATCHING bull that detracts from the actual story and such. Five projects in five years? I'll believe it when I see it, but come March it looks like we'll have something to sink our teeth into.
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First of all, I just have to thank Quint for his great (if all too brief) interview with James Cameron. You can definitely count me in amongst the fans of Mr. Cameron's films, and I am anxioulsy looking forward to see what he has in store for all of us over the next five years. Now, as to his Planet of the Apes... I distinctly remember reading articles about how he intended it to be a SEQUEL to the original films. Apparently, he had planned to use the original Charlton Heston crash footage from the first film, but instead of his ship landing in a lake in the middle of the desolate Forbidden Zone, it would have landed in a lake by a nearby ape-city (the time-line having been altered by events in the sequels). Other astronauts would soon follow and they would learn how Colonel Taylor's ship crash landed, etc. The big reveal would have been that Colonle Taylor was still alive and escaped with a female human (Nova), and began a colony of humans. Anyway, given Cameron's ability to weave a great time-paradox, I'm pretty sure that there was much more to the story than that. Still, this was the gist of the plot as I remember reading it. It's unfortunate for all of us that Fox decided to pass.
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It sounds more like a reboot of Beneath the Planet of the Apes than something that happens in an altered timeline. At the end of the films in the timeline altered by Cornelius and Zira, humans and apes live together in peace. So a spaceship of humans going into a time warp and ending up in the Ape City future wouldn't exactly be surprised.
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Is his movie NOT BattleAngel Alita? There was news on this site that he was looking for an actress for the role already. I dont think the character will be FULL Cg as someone said previously but HALF CG and HALF live action actress.
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Actually, it's Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman ... and I rather like those kind of films. Alien Vs. Predator is a no-brainer ... but they didn't have to make it a no-brainer in content. Freddy Vs. Jason ... Alien Vs. Predator ... it's all good if done right.
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Feb. 7, 2006, 6:27 p.m. CST
Arnie was rumored to be in Cameron's Planet of the Apes
by Thunderballs
At the time, Arnie was in talks to star if Cameron directed. Man, it seemed like that project was going for a long time. Between that, and I Am Legend, Arnie has denied us what would have been 2 very interesting films. I guess End of Days was really worth it in the end. On to Cameron, yes, his films become snoozefests by the middle, I never said anything about his third acts, as the guy has masterful third acts in most of his films. The problem is the middles. I cannot for the life of me sit all the way through Aliens anymore. Newt is a TERRIBLE character, and I thought that as an 11 year old viewer at the time. As a kid, I never liked the kid characters like Newt or Short Round, always a bad idea. I dare you to sit through T2 or T1 without getting up and pausing it or doing something. There is no way you sit rapt watching those films. The less said about True Lies the better, what a stupid film. And The Abyss was an interesting failure. Pacing issues doomed that, but it had lots of dope shit in it. Cameron is not a good filmmaker. He makes great SEQUENCES, but he does not make great FILMS, there is a huge difference. Technically, from a special effects perspective, he is flawless(aside from the chocolate Schwarzenegger head used in BOTH Terminator films!!). But he is not a great director. And AvP was dreck, pure shite. Anyone who uses the lame excuse that it was a "fun, bad movie" is not that interested in either series to begin with, cause if you want a fun bad movie you see Mortal Kombat, not an Alien and/or Predator film. Now Predator 2 was at least entertaining, and at least adhered mostly to established mythos. AvP was an abortion, with bodybuilder Predators that were lumbering instead of the swift warriors and hunters they should be. The Xenomorphs looked fucking dope though, as they usually do. And Alien 3 was fucking genius, just for the record. If anyone says otherwise, BITE IT!!! I also really love THEY LIVE. It has nothing to do with the discussion, but I just thought of it.
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"So a spaceship of humans going into a time warp and ending up in the Ape City future wouldn't exactly be surprised." Actually, if you recall from the third film (Escape From The Planet of the Apes), when Cornelius, Zira and Milo arrive on earth, Colonel Taylor's ship has already been declared missing (which was the reason Brent's ship was sent out after them). In fact, they are even asked about Taylor during their questioning period (and lie about not having known him), so Cameron's new timeline would not contradict anything that occured in the previous films.
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You indicated in your post that the time line was altered by events in the earlier films. That is true: the time line is different because Cornelius and Zira go into the past and change their own past. Caesar topples humanity early, and then makes peace with at least a portion of the survivors at the end of "Battle". So after the events of the earlier films, the new time line would have apes and humans living together - not apes taking over and humans turning into mute animals. But if that's the timeline change, then if another ship is then built and sent into the future, the future it would end up in would be a future where apes and humans all "just got along". If the timeline change is somehow retroactive so that Taylor, or a version of Taylor, ended up landing in 3950 in that timeline, too, then as soon as he landed he'd just be welcomed and handed a sandwich. It sounds like you mean that the timeline is changed in some other way that I don't understand. Either that or Cameron's script was going to be a lot like the last half hour of Primer.
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Good interview. You always come through with the solid "Quintelligence".
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We are understanding each other, and you do raise valid points. However, if you recall, Ceasar was the son of Cornelius and Zira, and he appeared in ESCAPE FROM THE POTA (as a baby at the film's end), CONQUEST OF THE POTA, and BATTLE FOR THE POTA (the last of the series). When you consider his age and that of Macdonald (and his brother?!!), the events in both films took place within a very short time after the ape revolt. True, Battle is a story being told to the children of the future by the Lawgiver, but the time-frame is never clearly indicated, and could very well have taken place well before Taylor's arrival. Of course, this would mean that something would have to have occurred to explain why humans reverted back to animal-like status (loss of speach, diminished mental faculties, etc.). Anyway, I suppose we will never know since Tim Burtons' horrible remake/re-imagining ruined any chance of seeing it made. Too bad for all of us (and especially FOX).
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nice interview, but Cameron's failure to direct a feature in the last ten years creates a serious difficulty in evaluating his abilities. the lack of work points to a number of explanations, none of them positive. TITANIC is no Catcher in the Rye. get to work Jim.
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It's the 21st Century. Why read when I can download this sucker off of iTunes and listen to it. GWTP!
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In the original lifecyle, the Alien captured victims and cocooned them into eggs. That's where they came from, not the silly idea of needing a Queen. How do you think all those eggs got in the derelict ship in ALIEN? "Where's the rest of the crew?"
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In the original lifecyle, the Alien captured victims and cocooned them into eggs. That's where they came from, not the silly idea of needing a Queen. How do you think all those eggs got in the derelict ship in ALIEN? "Where's the rest of the crew?"
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This guy has been under fucking water for far too long. Both movies are a piece of celebrated shit, and should have never been made. I know Quint was probably thinking "WHAT THE FUCK, he actually likes these pieces of shit movies?" At last he was too scared to mention that they were crap on wheels to The Almighty Cameron, you know, being in the presence of Jesus' father and all. Now, people are changing their fucking minds about these shitty films, because James Cameron likes them. PLEASE, they were crap then, and they're crap now. Kudos, to James Cameron for liking SHIT movies.
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Here's my take on his praise for AvP. He sees it for what it is - a piece of mindless videogame crap masquerading as a PG-13 popcorn movie, and yes as far as movies in that category go it's OK. In his mind it's OK for it to be shit, and here's why, it contains his own original queen alien design which he fucking drew out with a pencil for Aliens and now it's here in AvP in full batshit crazy CG chasing down a Predator and the movie's heroine. And I have to admit the coolest scene in the movie is when the queen Alien is thawed out. Now, I'm not stupid, I know the queen alien was in Ressurection also, but seeing as that movie is null and void it doesn't matter. AvP is a better movie than Ressurection, I'm sorry to say, and what the hell does THAT say? But I disagree with the Alien 3 haters. People don't like it simply because it isn't Aliens part 2. David Fincher made a dark movie that the studio didn't like. The studio didn't like it so the people didn't like it. Fincher was fucked over, and the cut that made theaters was not representative of what he set out to achieve. The cut on the Alien Quadrilogy set is closer, but still there was no involvement with Fincher so it's still not 100% his movie. The studio also fucked up Ressurection, but with Whedon on board it was doomed from the start. As for T3: Rise of the Machines (just in case you forget the subtitle), I like it and want to one day see a harder R cut of it. It suffered the same problem as AvP in that you have a series that has never pulled the punches (e.g. the T2 opening bar scene 'give me your clothes, your boots and your motorcycle...' and the mental institute scenes, not to mention the T-1000 blade action) and then you get the third installment that seems much more family friendly. If this was a studio requirement then fuck them again, but it bothered me all the way through T3. Arnie pulled off a great performance, equalling the previous movies, which was great for his age. Nick Stahl was maybe a little annoying but passable, same goes for Claire Danes. But there were too many tongue-in-cheek moments and the way Skynet was dealt with SUCKED. Sure, the end with the nukes was good, VERY GOOD, but the whole military part was so simplified it's fucking ridiculous. Anyhow, there was enough in T3 for Cameron to like. I bet he laughed at the shades gag and 'talk to the hand'...
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is better than Whedon. If I were a Whedonite right now I'd just throw my hands in the air and give up. I mean what could your comeback be. "Well, our guy has had his shows seen by 3 million people!" Cameron: "Uh i couldn't hear you cause i was buffing my Oscar. Could you pass me that $100 bill? I need to put on a second coat of polish." The amount of money Whedon's movies have made wouldn't be enough for the residuals for ONE of Cameron's movies. Including that Pirhana movie.
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Is "Whedonites vs Cameronists" going to be the new "LOTR vs Star Wars???" Need to flee before I wind up dead in the crossfire!
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How can any of us sit here and try to talk poorly of Jim Cameron? Can anyone fault a single step he's made in his career or filmography? T1, Aliens, T2. Enough said.. 5 new films from Jimmy C, shot with the most insane 3D HD camera systems on the planet and projected on 4K DLP screens should be enough to wet any of our pants. No other SciFi/Action director today treats their material as A-list and dramatic as Cameron. He will not dissapoint any of us! Oh, and Fuck T3. It's garbage. Garbage with a half decent final minute. Had those shitheads Vajna and Kassar simply waited a few more years, we would've had a T3 by Cameron. He says so in the making of T2-3D.
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"Talking to BusinessWeek, movie director James Cameron has revealed that he is writing a new screenplay with the working title of
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(Sorry about that.) I'm simply saying that it could be just as much a possibility that he is doing this gig with Marvel Entertainment. It makes as much sense as anything else I've read. And if that's the case, I am very excited.
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Too bad that we won't see another Alien film by Cameron but at least we'll see OTHER GREAT FUCKING MOVIES by him, yeehaaaw!
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for completely fucking up the talkback. Now it's completely unreadable. Idiot.
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...if Tonay8 was a talkback-stretching fuckwit, what the happy fuck made the administrators of AICN think Tonay10 might not be? "Well...he does have a different number at the end of his name. Maybe it's not the same guy."
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Cheers for getting rid of Tonay10's posts. Now I can read the talkback!
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Just finished reading the Avatar treatment and from what I been reading about his desires to base a game on a forthcoming feature I think avatar is it. You already got the premise - each player gets to be a controller of his own avatar in the mmorpg .. or players will have sides, some being avatars, some native Pandorans and the others human planet-rapists. Love the setting and a sci-fi rpg set on Pandora seems excellent idea. I'd play it - if I had broadband and an ISP.
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In 1975 or whatever, spielberg and lucas sensed that cinema was dying. Time give people a reason for going to the movies. So spielberg and Lucas with much connivince from the studios set about revolutionising the way movies were made. Jaws was a landmark film, no one who saw the film had any idea what they were seeing and by the time the film was over people told their friends and people queued for days on end to see this film and it grossed over 100million. The studios were on to something. One major event for the summer movie season and you could make a killing. Over at Fox, they had shut down production on Star Wars. Lucas friends didnt get or like it. except the berg of course who cannily predicted that Star wars would make a hundred million dollars. There was no internet back then all the studios had was word of mouth, Scorcese who was a personal friend lucas as was Cappolla, sulked that the berg and lucas had destroyed the system that would allow him to make art house movies or small budget films. Without the berg or lucas there would have been no king cameron, no rodriguez and no attempt at digital fimmaking. Here is an interesting thing. If you look at Munich, it seems to represent a shift in the kind of films the berg makes. For most of the 80s and 90's, the berg was the most successful family filmmaker of all time, by the 90's he was gradually turning back on the popcorn movies which had made his name. I was a huge fan of spielbergs once and saw almost every film he did. I saw Schindlers list on VHS and found the film cold and long and a bit worthy and I saw ryan in the cinema, and while it contains one of the most powerful images ever in a spielberg film, a jewish soldier knifed in the heart by a german, that electrifying and bravua opeing. The stuff with hanks was corny and apple-pie-ish and the plot holes are vast. The only allies in Europe were the america. The point of all of this is that Cameron, i believe has missed the boat in the terms of films that he wants to make, spielberg, who in many ways invented the Summer Movie season, has turned hi back on family fare and is making heavier and more serious types of films. I did see war of the worlds, before anyone carps and minority report and felt really meh towards those films. AI i believe is the worst berg film ever made, long winded pointless and utterly boring. Who Knows if camerons return will be big. time will tell....
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After Titanic it was rumored Cameron was going to do Noah's Ark. Cameron was to do Spiderman. It got delayed so he did True Lies. Then it never panned out for him. He was ready to go on it. But it got held up with legal fuck crap. I remember hearing about him wanting to do Planet of the Apes with Arnold too. Burton's blows. Cameron/Ridley Alien 5 would been killer. Way to go with the useless AvP, Universal. Alien 4 is better then 3 but they're both monkey vomit compared to the first 2.
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That scorcese has seen star wars, since then and he was bowled over by what he saw, that he has hinted that a scorcese sci-fi project may happen one day.
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I haven't seen AVP yet, though, so I can't really pass judgment there. Cameron seems like a cool, intelligent guy. Not the hugest fan of his work, but he's made some very watchable films, at the very least. I wish him luck w/ all of this and hopefully we'll get to see those 5 films soon.
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that is all.
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This is a minor nit, but there has never been a quality release of _The Abyss_ on DVD. All of the releases, including the new "Awards" edition that's coming, have plain-jane, letterboxed video transfers. No 16x9 enhancement. Cameron should be furious about this. This movie deserves much better treatment by FOX.
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And they gave it to that ASSHOLE who fucked up one of the greatest stories in western culture by giving it a pointless piece of shit plot, the most stupid twist ending in the history and the moving performances by marky fucking mark and that wooden mannequinn warren???? Great, now I hate that piece of shit even more.
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The almighty dollar, ...give it up for the suits. Wow. I have the ALIEN movie collection, ...but not "ALIEN VS. PREDATOR". MAN,oh,MAN... I would have LOVed tO SEE a James Cameron/Ridley Scott talent mix on "ALIEN 5". I LOVE,LOVE,LOVE "ALIENS", perhaps my personal favorite movie of ALL TIME! (But it's so hard to chose ONE film in all of cinematic history!) The suits must've thought that going the other way would be more profitable, ...dropping the R to a PG-13 while combining franchises, having much less cost overhead. But how's "AvP" going to survive over time? I figure it will go in the bargin-bin of your local WAL-MART and end up in future collections. Big deal. I'll never purchase it. I saw it for free with a friend, when (gulp) he surprisingly purchased it. I did not go to the theatre to see it. I did not spend a dime on it and I never will. But a James Cameron/Ridley Scott version of "ALIEN 5" would have gotten me to the theatre at least 3 times, ...and if it would have been even half as good as I'd suspect, I would have seen it 5 times, if not MORE. I've always loved the way Cameron has such an eye for sci-fi and fantasy, being that he's been my favorite movie director since "ALIENS", ...a film which confirmed my belief in Jim. I would have purchased my dvd copy of "ALIEN 5" on day one of release. Why couldn't this movie have happened??? And is there nO Way "ALIEN 5" could still happen with our geek-loved dynamic duo??? Wouldn't they reconsider if FOX threw them AN EXTREMELY LARGE BONE (so-to-speak)??? I wOnder if FOX has a CLUE that they made a mistake. Oh, and yeah, I'd go see a James Cameron monkey-flick, too. Heck, I'm just thrilled he's making movies again.
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Cameron is my personal Jesus
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when are we getting Aquafag? Seriously though, is it me or is Cameron mirroring Lucas. The guy had a stretch there from 84 to 94 where he put out "T, Aliens, Abyss, T2, True Lies" but what has he done since?? its been over 11 years. Im not counting Titanic and a typical Cameron movie, i dont care how many Oscars it won or how much money it made. That movie was more spectacle than anything else. The Ben Hur of our generation.
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Hopefully I won't sound too bitter...But not only was a Cameron/Scott Alien movie passed on for pyramids under the south pole-ass, unnecessary historical revisionist-ass, Chariots of the Gods-ass, incubation time modifying-ass, Hunter's Moon-ass, stanky-ass, dope-smokin' hippy-ass, 'monkey-spankin', cheerleader-beer sippin' exploitive Werewolf meets Frankenstein everyone was worried about, but Cameron actually LIKED it??? I am one vexed-ass motherfucker. By the way, nice interview. And may the Light of Cameron wreathe us all in glory.
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for turning down scott and cameron on a fifth alien movie. Alien Vs Predator was such a let down, mainly because it reeked of potential and this means I cant hate it, but cant love it either. which is even more frustrating than had it been shit. the maze premise was great, the story that binds the two monsters was spot on but the acting was atrocious and it wasnt remotely disturbing. fucking shame. AVATAR- have read and marvelled at its sheer ambitiousness-quite touching in places-this feels like camerons STAR WARS-a very detailed alien world. With blue coloured cats as central characters it feels more like a manga cartoon however * not a bad thing* but its certainly not as high brow as I was hoping for....a bit heavy on the environmental theme...but its the visuals and the execution that will determine whether this is a classic *a love story between two blue cat aliens is going to be pretty hard to pull off*....as for SPIDERMAN, camerons script was a good film but strayed too much from what spidey is. the film was cool but it felt very much in the vain of early 90's comic book films. trying to make spiderman a dark, brooding, crow-esque film never feels that right * parker screaming die motherfucker! for example and the whole thing where electro stops his gf's heart and still fucks her*..... so yknow gotta be glad raimi got that one. plus camerons not gonna be heavy critical of avp given paul wankstain andersons adulation of him- that would be pretty harsh. its all about the politics.....
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I got it in my Predator DVD. I had already seen AVP in the theater, so I didn't use the free ticket. Even for free I couldn't sit through it again. How dumb can studio suits be? AVP answers that question.
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what don't you fuckin understand ?
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and it will make close to 3 billion dollars.
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I'd still really like to know what he was thinking for a 5th Alien film at the time. Fucking Fox...
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Does anyone know what it is? :-)
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