James Cameron and Avatar
In 1984 James Cameron did something that Hollywood absolutely adores. He made a relatively low budget movie that got very little press and turned it into a huge money-making blockbuster that is still popular 25 years later. That movie was The Terminator, and James Cameron’s original movie has spawned several sequels, video games, toys, clothes and who knows what else.
James Cameron quickly proved that The Terminator was no fluke, and that he was certainly no one-hit-wonder. In 1986 James Cameron helped write the screenplay for and also directed Aliens – The first sequel to the box office smash hit Alien. This action packed thrill ride was, I believe, his first time working with the lovely, sexy – yet very tough – Sigourney Weaver. Sigourney Weaver is one of the stars of James Cameron’s Avatar, and has starred in several of his movies between the two.
In 1989 James Cameron helped write and also directed The Abyss. This James Cameron hit movie was anything but low budget, and offered movie-goers a bit of everything: suspense, aliens, action, a love story, comedy and more. Everything in The Abyss was superb. It’s one of the fastest paced movies I’ve ever seen. The tense action starts just minutes into the movie, and doesn’t let up long enough for viewers to go out and grab popcorn until the final minutes. The ‘water tentacle’ was both brilliant, and superbly portrayed. See the extended version of The Abyss, even if you saw the theatrical version.
Then came 1997 – and Titanic. James Cameron wrote, directed and produced this award winning box office record setter. Titanic made so much money and won so many awards that it catapulted James Cameron into the highest realm of Hollywood legends. Titanic is an astonishingly great movie, to be sure. If you ever get a chance to see the making of Titanic, I recommend it. The same is true of The Abyss. Both give you some idea of how committed to excellence James Cameron really is.
James Cameron has been involved in countless other Hollywood successes since The Terminator. Sometimes as a writer, sometimes as a producer or director, and sometimes as two or all three. James Cameron is not limited to one specific skill set. I think of him as a Leonardo Da Vinci or Ben Franklin of the movies. A man of many talents, and a man who excels in all the disciplines of his interests.
It’s 12 years after Titanic-mania rocked Hollywood and the movie going world. Today, James Cameron gives us Avatar. Avatar is the riskiest, and by far the most costly of James Cameron’s string of movies. Several sources confirm that the cost of Avatar exceeded $230 million, and some sources report a substantially higher price tag for the movie. The cost alone of making Avatar sets it apart from almost all other movies. It’s one of Hollywood’s costliest productions ever.
Avatar made its Hollywood debut last night, and will be released into theaters tomorrow. The reviewers have all written favorable reviews of Avatar, the only question being: will the 2:46 long Avatar be able to pay for itself? I have not seen Avatar, as I’m not one of the Hollywood elite, but I have seen all the trailers and clips and interviews – and my guess is yes. Avatar is going to smash box office records and rake in more than enough to get into the black.
I am hardly a good enough writer to adequately express or describe what I’ve seen of Avatar so far. I will say that Avatar is a feast for the eyes. The effects in Avatar are so realistic, so lifelike that even on my small screen I am drawn in and mesmerized. I will be seeing Avatar at my earliest convenience, and I’ll try to do it justice in a review herein after I do.
See trailer #1 for Avatar at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1_JBMrrYw8
See trailer #2 for Avatar at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRdxXPV9GNQ
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