Indian Holocaust My Father`s Life and Time- Two Hundred Fifty
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Avatar (2009)
- 9:37amVisit IMDb for Photos, Showtimes, Cast, Crew, Reviews, Plot Summary, Comments, ... James Cameron's Avatar (International: English title) (promotional title) ...
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19 Dec 2009 ... Hollywood movie Avatar is a masterpiece from the the ace director James Cameron. Actor Sam Worthington and actress Zoe Saldana deliver the ...
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James Cameron directed films are always ENTERTAINING and Excellent in Technique. His latest film AVTAR is no exception.An Excellent Movie Exposing Monoplistic Imperialist Aggression Present and from the Past!
We had an mind blowing Love story in TITANIC while Turminator was all about ROBOTIC Blitz. This film is Science Fiction in Nature and Technically unprecedented which is released in India in absence of any Bollywood Film.But the film exposes the most UGLY face of Post Modern Human Civilistion,its Colonisation and Imperialism. At the same time the film showcases a Successful RESISTANCE against Colonisation. It reminds us not only the Colonisation of Americas , Africa, Asia and Australia, but the film lands us in our own trouble zone Central Zone where the Aboriginal Indigenous Communities are fighting against CORPORATE war!
Avatar Movie Trailer [HD]
Avatar Movie Trailer [HD] Director: James Cameron Release: 12/18/2009 Genre: Action/Adventure Studio: 20th Century Fox Website: www.avatarmovie.com In the future, a paraplegic war veteran is brough..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1_JBMrrYw8
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Star Wars Avatar Movie
http://www.livevideo.com/video/7BFD204941EF422F904E7B86E8CF79B2/star-wars-avatar-movie.aspx
<div><embed src="http://www.livevideo.com/flvplayer/embed/7BFD204941EF422F904E7B86E8CF79B2" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" quality="high" WIDTH="445" HEIGHT="369" wmode="transparent"></embed><br/><a href="http://www.livevideo.com/video/embedLink/7BFD204941EF422F904E7B86E8CF79B2/598288/star-wars-avatar-movie.aspx">Star Wars Avatar Movie</a></div>
Avatar Movie Interview - E3 2009: James Cameron Interview
http://movies.ign.com/dor/objects/800318/avatar/videos/james_cameron_inv_060209.html<object id='ignplayer' width='480' height='270' data='http://media.ign.com/ev/embed.swf' type='application/x-shockwave-flash'><param name='movie' value='http://media.ign.com/ev/embed.swf' /><param name='allowfullscreen' value='true' /><param name='allowscriptaccess' value='always' /><param name='bgcolor' value='#000000' /><param name='flashvars' value='vgroup=james_cameron_inv_060209&object=800318'/></object><div style='width:480;'><a href='http://movies.ign.com/objects/800/800318.html'>Avatar at IGN.com</a></div>
"James Cameron advances film tech in 'Avatar,' but the story line is still dopey." – Movie Review.
New generation tech in service of a Bush era mindset, W or HW, "Avatar" is James Cameron advancing film tech to a place no one has seen before while also a response to American imperialism as Cameron envisions it. The tech is phenomenal, the politics are so 2003.
The story of "Avatar" begins just as James Cameron was crowning himself the King of the World. After his Titanic effort to bring an ocean set romance to screen, James Cameron surveyed the landscape of movies and saw that the form, as it was, could not capture his vision of his project.
So, the King of the World abdicated for several years, biding his time until movie technology caught up with his vision. After seeing Peter Jackson give life to Gollum in "The Lord of the Rings" Cameron finally saw something he could work with. Employing engineers and film geeks, Cameron went to work advancing existing technology. That was 2006.
Just about three years later, more than a decade after its conception, "Avatar" has arrived. Sam Worthington stars in "Avatar" as Jake Sully, a former Marine who was left in a wheelchair after a battle injury. Jake's troubles are increased with the death of his twin brother, a scientist who was to shove off for a very important mission. Since Jake has his brother's DNA he is capable of replacing him and does on a mission to a place called Pandora.
On Pandora, Jake's new life will have him taking over an "Avatar," a human hybrid of the planet's alien population called Na'vi. Jake's mind is transferred somehow into the body of a 10 foot, blue skinned, Na'vi warrior. He will use his "Avatar" to interact with the natives and convince them to move to another home, opening the way for an industrialist (Giovanni Ribisi) to move in and strip the area of a mineral called, I kid you not, Unobtainium.
Jake's mission goes off course when he meets a sultry Na'vi princess named Neytiri (Zoe Saldana). She brings him into the Na'vi inner circle after a sign from her god tells her Jake has an important role in the destiny of the Na'vi. Indeed he does; Jake will become a true warrior and a leader after he gives up his militaristic loyalty to his human masters. No points for guessing that Jake and Neytiri fall happily into cross-species love. The story is eerily similar to "Dances with Wolves," minus Kevin Costner's ludicrous facial hair. A soldier in a strange land falls in with the natives and switches sides. I'm not spoiling anything unless you have managed to miss every trailer, commercial or review of "Avatar."
Even if you have been living under a rock James Cameron's exceptionally weak script does nothing to hide its twists and turns. The script mindlessly telegraphs its every plot machination and character choice. However, as every other critic in the world reminds us, the plot is meaningless when such wondrous visuals are offered.
There is no doubt about it, James Cameron's remarkable dedication to new film technology has rendered a mesmerizing digital landscape unlike any ever before on screen. The characters are stunningly realistic; the landscapes are marvelous and wait till you see the battles between flying gun ships and Na'vi on flying lizard-like creatures. Cameron has even rendered 3D in a way that isn't clunky and unnecessary.
For many the visual delights of "Avatar" will be more than enough to sell them on the idea of "Avatar" as a great movie. And, I must admit, the tech is phenomenal. I, however, needed something more.
The story told in "Avatar" is dopey, derivative and features dialogue so awful as to have Michael Bay look down his nose. Expository dialogue, sometimes necessary, is mind numbingly repeated throughout "Avatar." Worse still are the awkward attempts at humor, most of which are dated to around the time Cameron conceived of "Avatar."
Even worse still is Mr. Cameron's preachy, dated subtext about war and natives, 9/11 and terrorism. Cameron is not the first, merely the latest, to exploit 9/11 imagery in order to manipulate the audience. The visual reference to 9/11 is part of Cameron's throwback to the Bush era politique.
It's a rather scattershot bit of commentary that regurgitates liberal complaints about a war for oil, in this case 'Unobtainium,' and an American policy of preemptive war that could fairly be called imperialism. All well and good except that these are the complaints of yesteryear.
Is it Cameron's fault that the zeitgeist passed him by? No, but he has to take the lumps for being unable to adapt. He's made a criticism of a President who is gone in an era when a new President looks forward to ending the policies of the past. Whining about a war for oil (Unobtainium) is exceptionally passé.
The soldier going native is even more dated. "Dances With Wolves" is over 20 years old now. The battle between the American government and American Indians has inspired far better and far less preachy defenses of a native people defending their way of life.
Returning, however, to the main point of "Avatar," the technology, you will see this movie because the tech is far too fabulous to be ignored. You really must see "Avatar" just to say that you have seen what everyone will be talking about in film culture until the next time Cameron revolutionizes the medium. Just be prepared to ignore everything other than the visual splendor.
BYLINE:
Sean Patrick Kernan is a film critic. Check him out at: http://www.myspace.com/number1ramjamfan.
2 Comments:
Brian Barker said...And before "Avatar" and "Star Trek" there was Bill Shatner speaking Esperanto, in the horror film called "Incubus".
See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F77k6SQX7iQ&feature=related
As an Esperanto speaker I found it terrifying! His Esperanto pronunciation that is, not the film.
Your readers may be interested in http://www.lernu.net :)
HardCore said... Hrm. In my opinion, your analysis is totally full of crap. Reading this was a total waste of my time. I don't understand people who like to ruin movies with worthless political analogies....
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By Sean Patrick Kernan New generation tech in service of a Bush era mindset, W or HW, "Avatar" is James Cameron advancing film tech to a place no one has ...Zoiks! Online (blog) - 2910 related articles »
Everything We Know About James Cameron's Avatar | /Film
8 Jun 2009 ... I (and everyone around me) noticed similarities in Avatar's storyline with many different films. James Cameron didn't deny Avatar being ...
www.slashfilm.com/.../everything-we-know-about-james-camerons-avatar/ - Cached - Similar -Avatar: How James Cameron's 3D film could change the face of ...
26 Aug 2009 ... The storyline follows the future battle between Earth and alien moon ... James Cameron on Avatar set with one of his stereoscopic cameras ...
www.dailymail.co.uk/.../Avatar-How-James-Camerons-3D-film-change-face-cinema-forever.html -"James Cameron advances film tech in 'Avatar,' but the story line ...
18 Dec 2009 ... The story of " Avatar " begins just as James Cameron was crowning himself the King of the World. After his Titanic effort to bring an ocean ...
mygoogly.net/.../james-cameron-advances-film-tech-in-avatar-but-the-story-line/ - 11 hours ago -Electronic Theatre In-depth Review: James Cameron's Avatar: The Game
17 Dec 2009 ... The two differing storylines provide more than enough reason to play through James Cameron's Avatar: The Game a second time, ...
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December 18, 2009 - Until I saw James Cameron at the Ubisoft press conference in ... beyond just getting bored with the storyline tasks presented to you. ...
www.gamingexcellence.com/ps3/games/2257/review.shtml -Scriptwriter for James Cameron's Avatar: The Game Talks About The ...
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Fox has made Avatar its top fall project. James Cameron, director of the smash hit ... people with the storyline and to display the advanced technology, ...
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Avatar Review: Avatar a blockbuster hit or flop?
Avatar reviews are mixed, as James Cameron's new masterpiece is both hailed and hounded. The Washington Post claims that Avatar is "itself a form of imperialism, forced on the world to create a "Pax Cinematica" by the American empire at the expense of "indigenous" filmmakers."
The movie is rated at RottenTomatoes.com as 82%, which is an excellent feat. Various reviewers had things to say. Some of the good Avatar reviews include:
Hardwired for hyperbole, as sensational as it is ridiculous, Avatar is, simply, a feat of fearless imagination and audacity. - Kevin Williamson Jam Movies
The best picture of 2009, one of the best films of the decade and, really, one of the best movies I've ever seen. - Kevin Laflorist, Montreal Film Journal
Big money, big risk, pretty big reward. That's been his consistent pattern, and it's high time to give credit where credit is overdue: James Cameron delivers. - Rick Groen
On the other hand, the site also points out the following negative reviews:
It's a remote-control movie experience, a high-tech "wish you were here" scribbled on a very expensive postcard. - Stephanie Zacharek
It's impossible to fully consider James Cameron's long-in-the-making eco-opus Avatar without examining the film's technological wonders and storytelling blunders separately. - Sonny Bunch, Washington Times
Cameron's signature achievement may have been to prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the oldest of all Hollywood maxims: all the money in the world is no substitute for fresh ideas and a solid script. - Tom Huddlestone, Time Out
The true test will be the box office totals for Avatar. Reviews from critics don't matter as much as turning a profit on the film does. With a budget range in the hundreds of millions of dollars, Cameron had better hope that people will flock to see his movie.
The best part of the movie is the special effects. The creatures are exquisite and the movie is even more intricate in its details than was Titanic. Titanic has up until this point been hailed as the movie with the best special effects of all times. Avatar may surpass that benchmark.
The movie has been nominated for multiple Golden Globes, which is impressive, considering you rarely see sci-fi movies win awards.
Those in Davidson County interested in seeing the movie can do so at the Regal Green Hills 16 or the Regal Hollywood 27. Those that have seen the movie, please leave your personal reviews below in the comments section.
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D'ya really need this review?
Avatar
Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana
Direction: James Cameron
Rating: ***
The American forces (even into the future) command tremendous over-confidence. The earth-like colony of Pandora has impenetrable trees and trenches. The battle between the planets would be mismatched on weaponry alone. The Earth, or the Americans, being far superior in warfare. They wish to "pursue and destroy," "fight terror with terror" in a supposed Garden of Evil.
But, as a strategist for Pandora puts it, "(If) they bring the fight to us; we have the home field advantage." The object of this battle isn't any sort of ideology. It's a rare mineral 'unobtonium' that the Earth's mercenaries have their eyes on.
The supremely tall, slender Pandorans are called the Na'vis. They breathe the air humans can't; have a tail on their back; are blue in colour, not very different from popular images of Lord Shiva.
Like all native tribes, they are in sync with nature. They worship its fruits, and treat other inhabitants of their planet as equals.
Between a green worldview and the globe's war over a natural resource, James Cameron's twin analogies of present-day politics are fairly complete. They lend his science fiction 'event picture' a certain soul, even if not much of a story line.
This is Cameron's first feature film in 12 years. His Titanic (1997) was the most 'Bollywood' of sweeping romances in Hollywood's history. This one is similar in its own way, no less simplistic in its screenwriting approach. Few aspects allow for any gray complexities.
There's a hero, who has little to lose. He (Sam Worthington) is a paraplegic marine, recruited to be teleported as a Na'vi into Pandora, because his genes match his dead twin's. He is sent to spy on the other planet as one of them. In exchange, he would get his legs back in shape. His human form remains under a freezing coffin, while his mind with a new body wanders across the new world.
There's a heroine, a beauteous, brave Nyetiri (Zoe Saldana), a Na'vi, with a limitless capacity for unconditional love. The leading couple shares a fatal bond written for Shakespearean tragedies.
There's a villain, Col. Miles Quaritch (Steven Lang), a 'Dr Dang' kind of bald marauder, who can't see beyond destruction.
The hero is stuck in his choice between love, and the loaded gun that he is. There is of course the grand climax. Poetic
justice is sumptuously served in about three hours (168 minnutes, to be precise).
The screen is dark and psychedelic blue. The 3-D glasses, slightly weighty over the bridge of your nose after a while, connect you to an outer space, to admire its computer-generated vastness, or eerily feel a golf ball glide into a coffee mug.
Clearly, the 70 mm screen has lost its power of "shock and awe" as visual retreat. Cameron, a director born with the 'curse of the masterpiece', understands this.
He commandeers a team of technicians to hit you by a journey alone. I'm not sure if audiences in 1969 would've felt the same watching Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. I suspect the impact then would've been far more, which is to take away the years, and nothing else from this film.
Each Na'vi is delicately designed for attention. They speak a language entirely of their own. Their world and manners are crafted keeping an eye at posterity.
What strikes you is, unlike a Lord Of The Rings series, or even Star Trek 3, Cameron had no literary, pop-cultural or
mythical basis to this movie monument. He began his self-indulgence from square one. He does leave you with few answered questions playing on your mind.
But that's a conversation you'd like to make. This is more a $300 million experience than a film. You'd shell out a couple of hundred rupees anyway. You should. The review is worthless.
Avatar (2009) More at IMDbPro »
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Overview
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(2898 articles)
(From EW.com - Hollywood Insider. 19 December 2009, 8:53 AM, PST)
James Cameron gets star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
(From Monsters and Critics. 19 December 2009, 8:20 AM, PST)
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Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | Sam Worthington | ... | Jake Sully |
 | Zoe Saldana | ... | Neytiri |
 | Sigourney Weaver | ... | Dr. Grace Augustine |
 | Stephen Lang | ... | Colonel Miles Quaritch |
 | Michelle Rodriguez | ... | Trudy Chacon |
 | Giovanni Ribisi | ... | Parker Selfridge |
 | Joel Moore | ... | Norm Spellman (as Joel David Moore) |
 | CCH Pounder | ... | Moat |
 | Wes Studi | ... | Eytukan |
 | Laz Alonso | ... | Tsu'tey |
 | Dileep Rao | ... | Dr. Max Patel |
 | Matt Gerald | ... | Corporal Lyle Wainfleet |
 | Sean Anthony Moran | ... | Private Fike |
 | Jason Whyte | ... | Cryo Vault Med Tech |
| Scott Lawrence | ... | Venture Star Crew Chief |
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0499549/
Avatar (2009 film)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Avatar | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | James Cameron |
| Produced by | James Cameron Jon Landau |
| Written by | James Cameron |
| Starring | Sam Worthington Zoë Saldaña Stephen Lang Michelle Rodriguez Giovanni Ribisi Sigourney Weaver |
| Music by | James Horner |
| Cinematography | Mauro Fiore |
| Editing by | James Cameron John Refoua Stephen E. Rivkin |
| Studio | Lightstorm Entertainment 20th Century Fox Dune Entertainment Ingenious Film Partners |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
| Release date(s) | December 16, 2009 (Egypt, France, & Indonesia)[1] December 17, 2009 (Puerto Rico, Australia & New Zealand)[1] December 18, 2009 (USA & Vietnam)[2] |
| Running time | 161 minutes[3] |
| Country | United States United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $237,000,000[4] |
| Gross revenue | $6,628,839[5] |
Avatar is a 2009 American 3-D science fiction epic film written and directed by James Cameron, and was released on December 18, 2009[1] by 20th Century Fox. The film is co-produced by Lightstorm Entertainment, and focuses on an epic conflict on Pandora, an inhabited Earth-sized moon of Polyphemus, one of three fictional gas giants orbiting Alpha Centauri A. On Pandora, human colonists and the sentient humanoid indigenous inhabitants of Pandora, the Na'vi, engage in a war over the planet's resources and the latter's continued existence.[6] The film's title refers to the Sanskrit word Avatar, a representation of a real person in a virtual world.
The film was released in 2D and 3D formats, along with an IMAX 3D release in selected theaters. The film is being touted as a breakthrough in terms of filmmaking technology, for its development of 3D viewing and stereoscopic filmmaking with cameras that were specially designed for the film's production.[7]
Contents[hide] |
Plot
In AD 2154,[8] humans are engaged in the colonization of Pandora, the lush moon of Polyphemus, one of three gas giants that orbit Alpha Centauri A,[8] 4.3 light years from Earth. Pandora is filled with incredible life forms, and is home to the Na'vi, an indigenous sentient humanoid race who are considered primitive by human standards, yet are more physically capable than them. The Na'vi are tailed, slender creatures with sparkling blue skin, standing three meters tall. They live in harmony with their unspoiled world, which the humans have found to be rich with unobtainium, a valuable mineral that is essential to remedying an economic and energy crisis that is gripping Earth.
Humans are unable to breathe the Pandoran atmosphere; in order to interact with the Na'vi, human scientists have created genetically engineered human-Na'vi hybrid bodies called Avatars, and use them to interact with the natives and gain their trust for a relocating operation. A human who shares genetic material with the avatar can be mentally linked to it, allowing them to control its functions and experience what it experiences, while their own body sleeps. The story's protagonist, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), is a former U.S. Marine who was wounded and paralyzed from the waist down in combat on Earth. His twin brother Tony was a scientist working on the Avatar program; when he is killed, Jake is extended the opportunity to take his brother's place, as he shares Tony's genetic material and is therefore compatible with his avatar.
Jake travels to Pandora, and assumes control of his avatar body, delighted at being able to walk and run once again as a whole being. Sent deep into Pandora's jungles as a scout for the soldiers that will follow, Jake encounters many of Pandora's beauties and dangers. There he meets a young Na'vi female, Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), who teaches him the ways of her people: the Omaticaya clan of the Na'vi. Despite having originally been sent to gain the trust of natives, and convince them to abandon their Hometree, which sits above a large deposit of unobtanium, Jake finds himself caught between the military-industrial forces of Earth, and his love for his adopted home and people. He is forced to choose sides as the humans grow increasingly violent in their mining activities, and the oppressed Na'vi rise up to protect their home, resulting in an epic battle that will decide the fate of an entire race.
Cast and characters
Humans
- Sam Worthington as Jake Sully. Cameron cast the Australian actor after searching the world for promising young actors, preferring relative unknowns to keep the budget down. Worthington auditioned twice early in development,[9] and he has signed on for possible sequels.[10] Cameron felt that because Worthington had not done a major film, he was "game for anything", giving the character "a quality that is really real. He has that quality of being a guy you'd want to have a beer with, and he ultimately becomes a leader who transforms the world."[11]
- Sigourney Weaver as Dr. Grace Augustine, a botanist who mentors Jake Sully.[12] Weaver dyed her hair red for the part.[13] Her character was named "Shipley" at one point.[14] The character reminded Weaver of Cameron, being "very driven and very idealistic".[15]
- Michelle Rodriguez as Trudy Chacon, a retired Marine pilot. Cameron had wanted to work with Rodriguez since seeing her in Girlfight.[16]
- Giovanni Ribisi as SecFor administrator Parker Selfridge, a passive-aggressive character.[17]
- Joel David Moore as Norm Spellman, a biologist who studies plant and nature life (like Weaver's character)[citation needed].
- Stephen Lang as SecFor's Colonel Miles Quaritch, the main antagonist. Lang had unsuccessfully auditioned for a role in Cameron's Aliens (1986); the director remembered Lang and cast him in Avatar.[16] Michael Biehn was considered for the role of Colonel Quaritch. He met with James Cameron three times and saw some of the 3D footage, but in the end it simply came down to the fact that Cameron didn't want people thinking it was Aliens all over again, as Sigourney Weaver had already been cast.[citation needed]
- Dileep Rao as Dr. Max Patel. A Scientist that works in the AVATAR Program.[18]
- Matt Gerald as SecFor's Corporal Lyle Wainfleet, the second-most prominent villain, after Quaritch.[19]
Na'vi
- Zoe Saldaña as Neytiri, a princess of the Na'vi tribe central to the story, who is attracted to Jake because of his bravery.[20] The character, like all the Na'vi, is entirely computer generated.[21] Saldaña has also signed on for potential sequels.[10]
- C. C. H. Pounder as Mo'at, the Na'vi queen.[22]
- Laz Alonso as Tsu'Tey, one of Pandora's finest Na'vi warriors and Neytiri's betrothed.
- Wes Studi as Eytucan, The Na'vi king of the Omaticaya Clan, the husband of Mo'at and Neytiri's father.
- Peter Mensah as Akwey, a member of the Na'vi tribe.
Pandora's wildlife
- Banshee, ikran. The pteranodon-like mountain banshee is highly adapted for flight. Specially developed muscles attached to the breastbone allow for the powerful strokes needed to achieve lift. Bonding with a banshee is a dangerous and required rite of passage for all would-be Na'vi warriors. A Banshee bonds with only one Na'vi in their lifetime.[23]
- Direhorse, pa'li. Horse-like creature with six legs, tough skin with no fur, long necks and small head, bold stripes, flexible carbon fiber armor over shoulders and along the back of the neck and head.[24]
- Hammerhead Titanothere, angtsìk. This massive, grazing creature travels in small herds or packs. It is moderately social, but also extremely territorial and hierarchical. When angered, a titanothere will lower its head and charge at the perceived threat. The sheer momentum and ferocity of this display is usually enough to send any Pandoran creature running for cover.[25]
- Thanator, palulukan. The most fearsome of all Pandoran land predators, it possesses a wide, armored tail can slam prey or defend against other thanators. Cartilaginous plates around its neck that can flare, possibly as a threat display but more likely as an echolocation or other sensory pinpointing system. The speed of its neck and jaw strike is as swift as a camera shutter.[26]
- Viperwolf, nantang. With six legs and a lean, powerful torso, the viperwolf has evolved to travel swiftly over long distances in search of prey. The ratio of brain mass to body weight of the average adult viperwolf indicates a high order of mental processing, pattern recognition and communication skills.[27]
- The Hometree, Kelutrel. The Hometree stands over 150 meters tall, and is roughly thirty meters in diameter,[28] large enough to house dozens of Na'vi. The tree is honeycombed with natural hollows and alcoves in which the Na'vi sleep, eat, weave, dance, and celebrate their connection to Eywa. Like many sacred sites on Pandora, Hometree sits above a large deposit of unobtainium.
Production
Development
In 1994, director James Cameron wrote a 114-page scriptment for Avatar.[9] Cameron said his inspiration was "every single science fiction book I read as a kid", and that he was particularly striving to update the style of Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter series. In August 1996, Cameron announced that after completing Titanic, he would film Avatar, which would make use of "synthetic", or computer-generated, actors.[29] The project would cost $100 million and involve at least six actors in leading roles "who appear to be real but do not exist in the physical world".[30] Special effects house Digital Domain, with whom Cameron has a partnership, joined the project, which was supposed to begin production in the summer of 1997 for a 1999 release.[31]
In June 2005, Cameron was announced to be working on a project tentatively titled "Project 880", concurrently with another project, Battle Angel.[32] By December, Cameron said that he planned to film Battle Angel first for a summer 2007 release, and to film Project 880 for a 2009 release.[33] In February 2006, Cameron said he had switched goals for the two film projects – Project 880 was now scheduled for 2007 and Battle Angel for 2009. He indicated that the release of Project 880 would possibly be delayed until 2008.[34] Later that February, Cameron revealed that Project 880 was "a retooled version of Avatar", a film that he had tried to make years earlier,[35] citing the technological advances in the creation of the computer-generated characters Gollum, King Kong and Davy Jones.[9] Cameron had chosen Avatar over Battle Angel after completing a five-day camera test in the previous year.[36]
Cameron's early scriptment for Avatar had circulated on the Internet for years. When the project was re-announced, copies were subsequently removed from websites.[37] In June 2006, Cameron said that if Avatar was successful, he hoped to make two sequels to the film.[38]
 | Wikinews has related news: James Cameron to use Weta Digital for next film |
From January to April 2006, Cameron worked on the script. Working with Dr. Paul Frommer, linguist and Director of the Center for Management Communication at USC, he developed a Na'vi language and culture, the indigenous race on Pandora.[9] The language has a vocabulary of about 1000 words, with some 30 having been invented by Cameron. The tongue's phonemes include ejective consonsants (such as the "kx" in "skxawng") that are found in the Amharic language of Ethiopia, and the initial "ng" that Cameron may have taken from New Zealand Māori.[39]
In July, Cameron announced that he would film Avatar for a summer 2008 release and planned to begin principal photography with an established cast by February 2007.[40] The following August, the visual effects studio Weta Digital signed on to help Cameron produce Avatar.[41] Stan Winston, who had collaborated with Cameron in the past, joined Avatar to help with the film's designs.[42] In September 2006, Cameron was announced to be using his own Reality Camera System to film in 3-D. The system would use two high-definition cameras in a single camera body to create depth perception.[43]
Themes and inspiration
Avatar is centered around the themes of imperialism and biodiversity.[44] Cameron has said that Avatar shares themes with At Play in the Fields of the Lord, and The Emerald Forest, which feature clashes between cultures and civilizations, and acknowledged the film's connection with Dances With Wolves, where a battered soldier finds himself drawn to the tribal culture he was initially fighting against.[45]
At Comic Con 2009, Cameron told attendees that he wanted to make "something that has this spoonful of sugar of all the action and the adventure and all that, which thrills me anyway as a fan, but also wanting to do something that has a conscience, that maybe in the enjoying of it makes you think a little bit about the way you interact with nature and your fellow man."[46] He added that "the Na'vi represent something that is our higher selves, or our aspirational selves, what we would like to think we are," and "the humans in the film, even though there are some good ones salted in, represent what we know to be the parts of ourselves that are trashing our world and maybe condemning ourselves to a grim future."[46]
In a 2007 interview with Time magazine, Cameron addressed the meaning of the film's title, answering the question "What is an avatar, anyway?" with "It's an incarnation of one of the Hindu gods taking a flesh form. In this film what that means is that the human technology in the future is capable of injecting a human's intelligence into a remotely located body, a biological body. It's not an avatar in the sense of just existing as ones and zeroes in cyberspace. It's actually a physical body."[47]
Filming and effects
| It's this form of pure creation where if you want to move a tree or a mountain or the sky or change the time of day, you have complete control over the elements. —James Cameron on virtual filmmaking[48] |
In December 2006, Cameron explained that the delay in producing the film since the 1990s had been to wait until the technology necessary to create his project was advanced enough. The director planned to create photo-realistic computer-generated characters by using motion capture animation technology, on which he had been doing work for the past 14 months. Unlike previous performance capture systems, where the digital environment is added after the actors' motions have been captured, Cameron's new virtual camera allows him to observe directly on a monitor how the actors' virtual counterparts interact with the movie's digital world in real time and adjust and direct the scenes just as if shooting live action; "It's like a big, powerful game engine. If I want to fly through space, or change my perspective, I can. I can turn the whole scene into a living miniature and go through it on a 50 to 1 scale."[49] Cameron planned to continue developing the special effects for Avatar, which he hoped would be released in summer 2009. He also gave fellow directors Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson a chance to test the new technology.[50] Spielberg and George Lucas were also able to visit the set to watch Cameron direct with the equipment.[51]
Other technological innovations include a performance-capture stage, called The Volume, which is six times larger than previously used and an improved method of capturing facial expressions. The tool is a small individually made skull cap with a tiny camera attached to it, located in front of the actors' face which collects information about their facial expressions and eyes, which is then transmitted to the computers. This way, Cameron intends to transfer about 95% of the actors' performances to their digital counterparts. Besides a real time virtual world, the team is also experimenting with a way of letting computer generated characters interact with real actors on a real, live-action set while shooting live action.[52]
In January 2007, Fox announced that the studio's Avatar would be filmed in 3D at 24 frames per second despite Cameron's strong opinion that a 3D film requires higher frame rate to make strobing less noticeable.[53] Cameron described the film as a hybrid with a full live-action shoot in combination with computer-generated characters and live environments. "Ideally at the end of the day the audience has no idea which they're looking at," Cameron said. The director indicated that he had already worked four months on nonprincipal scenes for the film. Principal photography began in April 2007,[54] and was done around parts of Los Angeles as well as New Zealand. The live action was shot with a modified version of the proprietary digital 3D Fusion Camera System, developed by Cameron and Vince Pace.[55] According to Cameron, the film will be composed of 60% computer-generated elements and 40% live action, as well as traditional miniatures.[56] The performance-capture photography would last 31 days at the Hughes Aircraft stage in Playa Vista, Los Angeles, California.[36][57] In October, Cameron was scheduled to shoot live-action in New Zealand[16] for another 31 days.[9]
To create the human mining colony on Pandora, production designers visited the Noble Clyde Boudreaux drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico during June 2007. They photographed, measured and filmed every aspect of the rig, which will be replicated on-screen with photorealistic CGI.[58] More than a thousand people worked on the production.[57] James Cameron sent the cast of Avatar off to the jungle for bonding boot camp exercises before he started shooting the film.[59]
Music and soundtrack
Composer James Horner scored the film, his third collaboration with Cameron after Aliens and Titanic.[60] Horner recorded parts of the score with a small chorus singing in the alien language Na'vi in March 2008.[61] He is also worked with Wanda Bryant, an ethnomusicologist, to create a music culture for the alien race.[62] The first scoring sessions were planned to take place in Spring 2009.[63] Leona Lewis was chosen to sing the theme song for the film, called "I See You". An accompanying music video is also in production.[64]
Release
Avatar was originally set for release on May 22, 2009 during filming,[65] but the film was pushed back to December 18, 2009.[1] This was done to allow more post-production time, and to also give more time for theaters worldwide to install 3-D projectors.[66] Cameron stated that the film's aspect ratio would be 1.78:1 for 3-D screenings and that a 2.39:1 image would be extracted for 2-D screenings.[67] However, the 1.78:1 aspect ratio is actually exclusive to IMAX 3D screenings while all other projection methods (including digital 3-D) use the 2.39:1 extract.[68] The first photo of the film was released on 14 August 2009,[69] and Empire magazine released exclusive images from the film in its October issue.[70]
IMAX Corporation and Twentieth Century Fox announced that James Cameron's Avatar would open in 178 IMAX theatres domestically on December 18, 2009, simultaneously with the motion picture's premiere in conventional theatres. The IMAX 3D release also opened in 83 IMAX theatres internationally starting on December 16, for a total of 261 theatres, making this the widest IMAX release to date.[71] The previous IMAX theaters record was 231, when Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince opened up in 161 domestic IMAX theaters, and about 70 international.[72] Avatar was released in a total of 3457 theaters domestically, of which 2032 theaters are running it in 3D. 90% of all advance ticket sales for Avatar are for 3D screenings.[73]
Marketing
Cameron chose Ubisoft Montreal to create an Avatar game for the film in 2007. The filmmakers and game developers collaborated heavily, and Cameron decided to include some of Ubisoft's vehicle and creature designs into the film.[74] A Mattel toy line will debut in November 2009. Each figure, creature, or vehicle will come with a 3D tag which can be scanned by a webcam, a technology also known as augmented reality, allowing consumers to unlock content about the Avatar universe on their computers.[75]
Cameron, producer Jon Landau, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, and Sigourney Weaver appeared at a panel, moderated by Tom Rothman, at the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con on July 23. 25 minutes of footage was screened[76] in Dolby 3D.[77] Weaver and Cameron appeared at additional panels to promote the film, speaking on the 23rd[78] and 24th[79] respectively. James Cameron announced at the Comic-Con Avatar Panel that August 21 will be 'Avatar Day'. On this day the trailer for the film was released in all theatrical formats. The official game trailer and toy line of the film were also unveiled on this day.[80]
The 129-second trailer was released online on August 20, 2009 to mixed reviews.[81] The new 210-second trailer was premiered in theatres with Amelia, Astro Boy, Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant and Saw VI on October 23, 2009, and then premiered online on Yahoo! on October 29, 2009, to positive reviews.[82][83] On November 6, 2009 a third trailer was released in front of the Disney's A Christmas Carol, which is almost identical to the 210 second version but including new scenes from the film. An extended version in IMAX 3D received overwhelming positive reviews.[81] The Hollywood Reporter said that audience expectations were coloured by "the [same] establishment skepticism that preceded Titanic" and suggested the showing reflected the desire for original storytelling.[84][85] The teaser-trailer has reached the reputation of among the most viewed ones in the history of film marketing, reaching the 1st place of all trailers viewed on Apple.com with 4 million views.[86] On October 30, to celebrate the opening of the first 3D cinema in Vietnam, Fox allowed Megastar Cinema to screen exclusive 16 minutes of Avatar to a number of press.
The three-and-a-half minute trailer of the film premiered live on November 1, 2009 to audiences in Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas on the Diamond Vision screen, the world's largest video display, and to TV audiences viewing Fox NFL Sunday. It is said to be largest live motion picture trailer viewing in history.[87] Like the first two trailers, the three-and-a-half minute trailer received mixed reviews.[88]
The film is largely promoted in an episode of the Fox Network series Bones in the episode "The Gamer In The Grease" (Season 5, Episode 9). Avatar star Joel David Moore has a recurring role on the program, and is seen in the episode anxiously awaiting the release of the film.[89]
Reception
Reviews
The film has received generally positive reviews from film critics. Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports the film as holding an 82% "Fresh" approval rating based on 193 reviews.[90] Among the site's top critics, the film has so far received a 94% "Fresh" approval rating based on 32 reviews.[91] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the film holds a "Universal acclaim" score of 83 based on 34 reviews.[92]
Film critic Roger Ebert called the film "extraordinary" and gave it four stars.[93] Todd McCarthy of Variety praised the film, stating, "The King of the World sets his sights on creating another world entirely in Avatar, and it's very much a place worth visiting."[94] Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter also gave the film a positive review. "The screen is alive with more action and the soundtrack pops with more robust music than any dozen sci-fi shoot-'em-ups you care to mention," he stated.[95] On the other hand, critic Armond White of the New York Press described the film as a "simple-minded anti-industrial critique" and also as the "corniest movie ever made about the white man's need to lose his identity and assuage racial, political, sexual and historical guilt".[96]
Parallels have been drawn between the premise of Avatar and that of Poul Anderson's 1957 short story Call me Joe, where a paralyzed man uses his mind to remotely control an alien body.[97] Other reviews have compared it to the films Ferngully,[98] and Pocahontas.[99] Cameron himself acknowledged that the film is thematically similar to "classic 'going-native'" films such as Dances with Wolves and At Play in the Fields of the Lord.[45]
Box office
The film earned $3,537,000 from mid-night screenings, partly due to the fact that it was limited to 2,200 3D screens. In Australia, the film earned another $3,091,839.[100]
Awards and nominations
The New York Film Critics Online have honored the film with "Best Picture" award.[101] The film also received nine nominations for the Critics' Choice Awards of the Broadcast Film Critics Association, including those for "Best Picture" and "Best Director".[102] St. Lewis Film Critics have nominated the film for two of its annual awards - "Best Visual Effects" and "Most Original, Innovative or Creative Film".[103] The film was a runner-up for the best "Production Design" award of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association annual awards.[104] The film also picked up four nominations for the 67th Golden Globe Awards including "Best Motion Picture - Drama", "Best Director", "Best Film Score" and "Best Film Song".[105] The Austin Film Critics Association and the Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association have placed the film on their top ten films of the year lists,[106][107] while Chicago Film Critics Association has nominated the film for its annual "Best Cinematography" and "Best Original Score" awards.[108] The Las Vegas Film Critics Society has awarded the film with "Best Art Direction" award.[109]
Merchandising
Books
Avatar: A Confidential Report on the Biological and Social History of Pandora, a 224-page book in the form of a field guide to the film's fictional setting of the planet of Pandora, was released by Harper Entertainment on November 24, 2009.[110] It is presented as a compilation of data collected by the humans about Pandora and the life on it, written by Maria Wilhelm and Dirk Mathison. HarperFestival also released Wilhelm's 48-page James Cameron's Avatar: The Reusable Scrapbook for children.[111] The Art of Avatar: James Cameron's Epic Adventure was released on November 30, 2009 by Abrams Books.[112] The book features detailed production artwork from the film, including production sketches, illustrations by Lisa Fitzpatrick, and film stills. Producer John Landau wrote the foreword, Cameron wrote the epilogue, and director Peter Jackson wrote the preface.
Video games
James Cameron's Avatar: The Game was released on December 1, 2009,[113] for most home video game consoles (PS3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS), Microsoft Windows and December 8 for PSP. All versions are rated T by the ESRB.
Action figures
Mattel Toys announced in December 2009, that they are creating Avatar action figures.[114] Each action figure will be made with a 3D web tag, called an i-TAG, where consumers can scan using a web cam, revealing unique on-screen content that is special to each specific action figure.[114] A series of toys representing six different characters from the film are also being distributed in McDonald's Happy Meals.[115]
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- ^ Ann Lucas (Fall 2007). "Alumni News" (PDF). UCLA Department of Ethnomusicology. http://www.ethnomusic.ucla.edu/publications/newsletters/newsletterfall07.pdf. Retrieved 2008-07-24.
- ^ Mikael Carlsson (2009-01-03). "Top-10 Most Anticipated Scores of 2009". Upcoming Film Scores. http://upcomingfilmscores.blogspot.com/2009/01/top-10-most-anticipated-scores-of-2009.html. Retrieved 2009-01-07.
- ^ "Atlantic Unveils "AVATAR: MUSIC FROM THE MOTION PICTURE"; Official Companion Album to James Cameron's Upcoming Epic Adventure Features Music Composed & Conducted by Oscar(R)-Winner James Horner, Plus "I See You (Theme From Avatar)," Performed by Leona Lewis". Marketwire.com. 2009-11-16. http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Atlantic-Records-1076978.html. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
- ^ Dave McNary (2007-07-13). "Hollywood films' dating game". Variety. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117968535.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&nid=2564. Retrieved 2007-07-17.
- ^ Pamela McClintock, Michael Fleming (2007-12-11). "Fox shifts 'Avatar,' 'Museum'". Variety. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117977544.html?categoryid=13&cs=1. Retrieved 2007-12-12.
- ^ "James Cameron Q & A Podcast from Aliens / The Abyss Event!". MarketSaw. 2009-05-30. http://marketsaw.blogspot.com/2009/05/james-cameron-q-podcast-from-aliens.html. Retrieved 2009-06-02.
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0499549/technical
- ^ "first-official-photo-for-james-camerons-avatar". Filmstage.com. http://thefilmstage.com/2009/08/14/first-official-photo-for-james-camerons-avatar/. Retrieved 2009-09-19.
- ^ "New Empire Avatar Cover!". Empireonline.com. http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=25654. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
- ^ "CNN Money: James Cameron's Avatar to Open in Record Number of IMAX(R) Theatres". 2009-12-16. http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/globenewswire/180264.htm.
- ^ "ScreenCrave: Avatar Breaks IMAX's Wide Release Record". 2009-12-16. http://blog.bigmoviezone.com/?p=5080.
- ^ "Cinema Blend: Over 350 Avatar Screenings Already Sold Out". 2009-12-18. http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Over-350-Avatar-Screenings-Already-Sold-Out-16198.html.
- ^ "James Cameron's Na'vi Banshees Take Flight In The Avatar Video Game". io9. 2009-06-02. http://io9.com/5275122/james-camerons-navi-banshees-take-flight-in-the-avatar-video-game. Retrieved 2009-06-02.
- ^ "Mattel is Master Toy Licensee for Cameron's Avatar". ComingSoon.net. 2009-02-13. http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=52860. Retrieved 2009-02-13.
- ^ "James Cameron Previews 'Avatar'". Variety. 2009-07-23. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118006435.html?categoryid=13&cs=1. Retrieved 2009-07-26.
- ^ "Dolby 3D is the Official 3D Provider for Comic-Con International 2009". BusinessWire. 2009-07-23. http://investor.dolby.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=398557. Retrieved 2009-07-26.
- ^ "Programming for Thursday, July 23rd" (php). San Diego Comic-Con International. http://comic-con.org/cci/cci09_prog_thu.php. Retrieved 2009-07-26.
- ^ "Programming for Friday, July 24th" (php). San Diego Comic-Con International. http://comic-con.org/cci/cci09_prog_fri.php. Retrieved 2009-07-26.
- ^ "SDCC: Official "Avatar Day" Press Release!". ComingSoon.net. 2009-07-23. http://www.comingsoon.net/news/avatarnews.php?id=57438. Retrieved 2009-07-23.
- ^ a b Clark, Cindy (2009-08-24). "'Avatar' preview dazzles audiences". Usatoday.Com. http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2009-08-23-avatar-preview_N.htm. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
- ^ Michael Bodey (2009-08-27). "Titanic director James Cameron grabs film's holy grail in new film Avatar | The Australian". Theaustralian.news.com.au. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25985837-16947,00.html. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
- ^ "CTV News | Stars gear up for a risky season in Hollywood". Ctv.ca. 2009-10-03. http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20091002/forbes_stars_091003/20091003?hub=EntertainmentV2. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
- ^ "+hour+" : "+min+" : "+sec+ " "+ampm+" (2009-08-22). "Avatar awes audience in sneak preview". Montrealgazette.com. http://www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/movie-guide/Avatar+awes+audience+sneak+preview/1919834/story.html. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
- ^ Kilday, Gregg (2009-08-25). "A chip off the ol' iceberg? 'Avatar' run-up recalls another Cameron-captained ship". The Hollywood Reporter: p. 6. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/features/columns/take-two/e3ia3f0e0ee831a6936ff50092f00f4f8e3. Retrieved 2009-08-29.
- ^ "AVATAR Movie Teaser is the Most Viewed Trailer Ever on Apple.com". GeekTyrant. http://geektyrant.com/2009/08/avatar-movie-teaser-is-the-most-viewed-trailer-ever-on-applecom/. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
- ^ "FOX To Inundate Sunday Sports With 'Avatar'". Screen Rant. 2009-10-31. http://screenrant.com/avatar-football-aco-32720/. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
- ^ "AVATAR Trailer Gets World`s Largest Live Trailer Viewing on November 1". Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS214196+29-Oct-2009+BW20091029. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
- ^ user. "FOX on Demand". Fox.com. http://www.fox.com/fod/play.php?sh=bones&ep=8002. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
- ^ "Avatar (2009)". Rotten Tomatoes. IGN Entertainment. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/avatar/. Retrieved December 19, 2009.
- ^ "Avatar (2009)". Rotten Tomatoes. IGN Entertainment. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/avatar/?critic=creamcrop. Retrieved December 17, 2009.
- ^ "Avatar, 20th Century Fox". Metacritic. http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/avatar. Retrieved 2009-12-17.
- ^ Ebert, Roger (December 11, 2009). "Avatar". RogerEbert.com (Chicago Sun-Times). http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091211/REVIEWS/912119998. Retrieved December 17, 2009.
- ^ Avatar Review, Variety Magazine, Retrieved 2009-12-13
- ^ Avatar- Film Review, The Hollywood Reporter, Retrieved 2009-12-13
- ^ White, Armond (2009-12-15). "Blue in the Face". New York Press. Retrieved 2009-12-15.
- ^ Davis, Lauren (26 October 2009) Did James Cameron Rip Off Poul Anderson's Novella? io9. Retrieved 4 November 2009.
- ^ http://filmfreakcentral.net/screenreviews/avatar.htm
- ^ http://www.reelzchannel.com/movie-news/3537/avatar-to-follow-a-pocahontas-narrative
- ^ http://www.the-numbers.com/interactive/newsStory.php?newsID=4686
- ^ Davis, Don (2009-12-14)."N.Y. Online Critics like 'Basterds'". Variety. Retrieved 2009-12-15.
- ^ Child, Ben (2009-12-15). "Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds dominates Critics' Choice awards". guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 2009-12-15.
- ^ Maxwell, Erin (2009-12-14). "'Air' soars with St. Louis critics". Variety. Retrieved 2009-12-15.
- ^ Strauss, Bob (2009-12-13). "'Hurt Locker' takes top LAFCA honors". Daily News Los Angeles. Retrieved 2009-12-15.
- ^ http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b158058_complete_list_of_2010_golden_globe.html
- ^ Robinson, Anna (2009-12-15). "Austin Film Critics Awards 2009". Alt Film Guide. Retrieved 2009-12-16.
- ^ Wilonsky, Robert (2009-12-16). "DFW Crix Up in the Air With Year-End Tally". Dallas Observer. Retrieved 2009-12-16.
- ^ Maxwell, Erin (2009-12-16). "Chicago critics high on 'Air,' 'Wild Things'". Variety. Retrieved 2009-12-16.
- ^ Davis, Don (2009-12-16). "'Hurt Locker' wins big with Vegas critics". Variety. Retrieved 2009-12-17.
- ^ Avatar: A Confidential Report on the Biological and Social History of Pandora. ISBN 978-0061896750
- ^ James Cameron's Avatar: The Reusable Scrapbook. ISBN 978-0061801273
- ^ The Art of Avatar: James Cameron's Epic Adventure. ISBN 978-0810982864
- ^ 'Avatar' in four different formats, Independent, Retrieved 2009-12-13
- ^ a b Fox Licensing unveils Avatar licensing programme, Licensing.biz, Retrieved 2009-12-13
- ^ happymeal.com, Retrieved 2009-12-14
External links
- Official website
- Official AVTR program website
- Avatar at the Internet Movie Database
- Avatar at Allmovie
- Avatar at Rotten Tomatoes
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James Cameron
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| James Cameron | |
|---|---|
 James Cameron, September 5, 2007 | |
| Born | James Francis Cameron August 16, 1954 (1954-08-16) Kapuskasing, Ontario, Canada |
| Occupation | Film director, producer and screenwriter |
| Years active | 1978–present |
James Francis Cameron[1] (born August 16, 1954) is a Canadian film director, producer, screenwriter and film inventor. His writing and directing work include The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Aliens, Titanic and Avatar. To date, his directorial efforts have grossed approximately US$1.3 billion in North America (adjusted for inflation) and close to US$3.5 billion worldwide.[2] After several feature films, Cameron turned his focus to documentary filmmaking and the co-development of the digital 3-D Fusion Camera System. He returned to feature filmmaking with the epic science fiction film Avatar, which made use of the Fusion Camera System technology. Avatar was released in theaters on December 17th, 2009.[3]
[edit] Background
Cameron was born in Kapuskasing, Ontario, Canada, the son of Shirley, an artist and nurse, and Phillip Cameron, an electrical engineer.[4] He grew up in Chippawa, Ontario and attended Stamford Collegiate in Niagara Falls, and his family moved to Fullerton, California in 1971. While he studied physics and English at California State University, Fullerton, Cameron used every opportunity to visit the film archive of USC. To the surprise of many people, although Cameron had a large educational background in the natural sciences, he chose a philosophy major from The University of Toronto in 1973. Cameron says of his time there that he was,
"completely self taught in special effects. I'd go down to the USC library and pull any thesis that graduate students had written about optical printing, or front screen projection, or dye transfers, anything that related to film technology…if they'd let me photocopy it, I would. If not, I'd make notes."
After dropping out, he worked several jobs such as truck driving and wrote when he had time.[5] After seeing the original Star Wars film in 1977, Cameron quit his job as a truck driver to enter the film industry.[6] When Cameron read Syd Field's book Screenplay, it occurred to him that integrating science and art were possible and he wrote a ten minute science fiction script with two friends, entitled Xenogenesis. They raised money and rented a camera, lenses, the film stocks, studio and shot it in 35 mm. To understand how to operate the camera, they dismantled it and spent the first half-day of the shoot trying to figure out how to get it running.
[edit] Early career
As Cameron continued educating himself in techniques, he started as a miniature model maker at Roger Corman Studios.[5] Making fast, low-budget productions taught Cameron to work efficiently and effectively. He soon was an art director in the sci-fi movie Battle Beyond the Stars (1980). He did special effects work design and direction on John Carpenter's Escape from New York (1981). He consulted on the design of Android (1982), and acted as production designer on Galaxy of Terror (1981).
Cameron was hired as the special effects director for the sequel of Piranha, entitled Piranha II: The Spawning in 1981. However, the director left the project and Cameron was hired by Italian producer Assonitis to take over, giving him his first directorial job. He worked with producer Roger Corman. The interior scenes were filmed in Rome, Italy while the underwater diving sequences were shot at Grand Cayman Island.
The movie was to be produced in Jamaica, but when Cameron arrived at the studio, he discovered his crew comprised primarily of Italians who spoke no English and the project was under-financed. Under duress, Cameron says he had a nightmare about an invincible robot hitman sent from the future to kill him, giving him the idea for The Terminator, which would later catapult his filming career.
[edit] Major films
[edit] The Terminator (1984)
After completing a screenplay for The Terminator, Cameron decided to sell it so that he could direct the movie. However, the production companies he contacted, while expressing interest in the project, were unwilling to let a first-time director make the movie. Finally, Cameron found a company called Hemdale Pictures, which was willing to let him direct. His soon-to-be-wife, Gale Anne Hurd, who had started her own production company, Pacific Western Productions, had previously worked with Cameron in Roger Corman's company and agreed to buy Cameron's screenplay for one dollar, on the condition that Cameron direct the film. Hurd was signed on as producer, and Cameron finally got his first break as director. Orion Pictures distributed the film.
Initially, for the role of the Terminator, Cameron wanted someone who wasn't exceptionally muscular, and who could "blend into" a normal crowd. Lance Henriksen, who had starred in Piranha II: The Spawning, was considered for the titular role, but when Arnold Schwarzenegger and Cameron first met over lunch to discuss Schwarzenegger playing the role of Kyle Reese, both came to the conclusion that the cyborg villain would be the more compelling role for the Austrian bodybuilder; Henriksen got the smaller part of LAPD detective Hal Vukovich and the role of Kyle Reese went to Michael Biehn. In addition, Linda Hamilton first appeared in this film in her iconic role of Sarah Connor, and later married Cameron.
The Terminator was a box office hit, breaking expectations by Orion Pictures executives that the film would be regarded as no more than a sci-fi film, and only last a week in theaters. It was a low-budget film which cost $6.5 million to make, cutting expenses in such ways as recording the audio track in mono. However, The Terminator eventually earned over $78 million worldwide.
[edit] Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985)
During the early 1980s, Cameron wrote three screenplays simultaneously: The Terminator, Aliens, and the first draft of Rambo: First Blood Part II. While Cameron continued with The Terminator and Aliens, Sylvester Stallone eventually took over the script of Rambo: First Blood Part II, creating a final draft which differed radically from Cameron's initial version. Cameron was credited for his screenplay in the film's final credits.[7]
[edit] Aliens (1986)
Cameron next began the sequel to Alien, the 1979 film by Ridley Scott. Cameron named the sequel Aliens, and again cast Sigourney Weaver in the iconic role of Ellen Ripley. According to Cameron, the crew on Aliens was hostile to him, regarding him as a poor substitute for Ridley Scott. Cameron sought to show them The Terminator but the majority of the crew refused and remained skeptical of his direction throughout production. Despite this and other off screen problems (such as clashing with an uncooperative camera man and having to replace one of the lead actors - Michael Biehn of Terminator took James Remar's place as Corporal Hicks), Aliens became a box office success, and received Academy Award nominations for Best Actress in a Leading Role for Weaver, Best Art Direction, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, Best Sound, and won awards for Best Sound Effects Editing and Best Visual Effects. In addition, the film and its lead actress made the cover of Time Magazine as a result of its breakthrough feminist themes about women in combat. Following the phenomenal success of the film, Cameron now had more freedom to make whatever project he wanted.
[edit] The Abyss (1989)
Cameron's next project stemmed from an idea that had come up during a high school biology class. The story of oil-rig workers who discover otherworldly underwater creatures became the basis of Cameron's screenplay for The Abyss, which cast Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Michael Biehn. Initially budgeted at $41 million U.S. (though the production ran considerably overbudget), it was considered to be one of the most expensive films of its time, and required cutting-edge effects technology. Because much of the film takes place underwater and the technology wasn't advanced enough to digitally create an underwater environment, Cameron chose to shoot much of the movie "reel-for-real", at depths of up to 40 feet (12 m). For creation of the sets, the containment building of an unfinished nuclear power plant was converted, and two huge tanks were used. The main tank was filled with 7,500,000 US gallons (28,400,000 L) of water, and the second with 2,500,000 US gallons (9,500,000 L). The cast and crew resided there for much of the shooting.
[edit] Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
After the success of The Terminator, there had always been talks about a sequel to continue the story of Sarah Connor and her struggle against machines from the future. Although Cameron had come up with a core idea for the sequel, and Schwarzenegger expressed interest in continuing the story, there were still problems regarding who had the rights to the story, as well as the logistics of the special effects needed to make the sequel. Finally, in mid-1990, Mario Kassar of Carolco Pictures secured the rights to the sequel, allowing Cameron to greenlight production of the film, now called Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
For the film, Linda Hamilton reprised her iconic role of Sarah Connor.[8] In addition, Arnold Schwarzenegger also returned in his role as The Terminator, but this time as a protector. Unlike the T-800, who is made of a metal endoskeleton, the new villain of the sequel, called the T-1000, was a more advanced Terminator made of liquid metal, and with polymorphic abilities. The T-1000 would also be much less bulky than the T-800. For the role, Cameron cast Robert Patrick, a sharp contrast to Schwarzenegger. Cameron explained, "I wanted someone who was extremely fast and agile. If the T-800 is a human Panzer tank, then the T-1000 is a Porsche."
Cameron had originally wanted to incorporate this advanced-model Terminator into the first film, but the special effects at the time were not advanced enough. The ground-breaking effects used in The Abyss to digitally depict the water tentacle convinced Cameron that his liquid metal villain was now possible.
TriStar Pictures agreed to distribute the film, but under a locked release date only about one year after the start of shooting. The movie, co-written by Cameron and his longtime friend, William Wisher, Jr., had to go from screenplay to finished film in just that amount of time. Like Cameron's previous film, it was one of the most expensive films of its era, with a budget of about $100 million. The biggest challenge of the movie was the special effects used in creating the T-1000. Nevertheless, the film was finished on time, and released to theaters on July 3, 1991.
Terminator 2, or T2, as it was abbreviated, broke box-office records (including the opening weekend record for an R-rated film), earning over $200 million domestically, and over $300 million overseas, and became the highest-grossing film of that year. It won four Academy Awards: Best Makeup, Best Sound, Best Sound Effects Editing, and Best Visual Effects. It was also nominated for Best Cinematography and Best Film Editing, but lost both Awards to JFK.
James Cameron announced a third Terminator film many times during the 1990s, but without coming out with any finished scripts. Kassar and Vajna purchased the rights to the Terminator franchise from a bankruptcy sale of Carolco's assets.[9] Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines was eventually made and released in July 2003 without Cameron's involvement. Jonathan Mostow directed the film and Schwarzenegger returned as the Terminator.
Director James Cameron reunited with the main cast of Terminator 2 to film T2 3-D: Battle Across Time, an attraction at Universal Studios Florida, Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Japan. It was released in 1996 and was a mini-sequel to Terminator 2: Judgment Day. The show is in two parts: a pre-show where a spokesperson talks about Cyberdyne and the main feature which has performers interacting with a 3-D movie.
[edit] True Lies (1994)
Before the release of T2, Schwarzenegger came to Cameron with the idea of making a remake of the French comedy La totale!. Titled True Lies, with filming begun after T2's release, the story revolves around a secret-agent spy who leads a double life as a married man, whose wife believes he is a computer salesman. Schwarzenegger was cast as the secret spy, named Harry Tasker, whose mission in the movie is to investigate and stop a plan by Arab terrorists to use nuclear weapons against the United States. Jamie Lee Curtis played Schwarzenegger's onscreen wife, with Tom Arnold cast as the secret agent's sidekick.
Cameron's Lightstorm Entertainment signed on with Twentieth Century Fox for production of True Lies. Made on a budget of $115 million and released in 1994, the film earned $146 million in North America, and $232 million abroad. The film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects.
[edit] Titanic (1997)
Cameron expressed interest in the famous sinking of the ship Titanic. He decided to script and film his next project based on this event. The picture revolved around a fictional romance story between two young lovers from different social classes who meet onboard the ship's maiden, and final, voyage. Before production began, he took dives to the bottom of the Atlantic and shot actual footage of the ship underwater, which he inserted into the final film.
For the film Titanic, Cameron cast Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, and Billy Zane. Cameron's budget for the film reached about $200 million, and it became the most expensive movie ever made. Before its release, the film was widely ridiculed for its expense and protracted production schedule.
Released to theaters on December 19, 1997, Titanic opened with $28 million on its first weekend. The film's grosses escalated in the next several weeks. Titanic grossed more in its second weekend than its first, from $28.6 million to $35.4 million from week 1 to week 2, an increase of 23.8%. This is unheard of for a widely released film, which is a testament to the movie's appeal. This was especially noteworthy, considering that the film's running time of more than three hours limited the number of showings each theater could schedule. It held the #1 spot on the box-office charts for months, eventually grossing a total of over $600 million domestically and more than $1.8 billion worldwide. Titanic became the highest grossing film of all time. (Adjusting for inflation, the film brought in the sixth-highest domestic (U.S. only) gross of all time.)[10] The CG visuals surrounding the sinking and destruction of the ship were considered spectacular.[11] Despite criticism during production of the film, it received a record-tying 14 Oscar nominations (tied with All About Eve) at the 1998 Academy Awards. It won 11 Oscars (also record-tying with Ben-Hur and later The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King), including Best Picture, Editing, Sound, Special Effects, Music and Score, and the Best Director award for Cameron.[12] Upon receiving the award, Cameron exclaimed "I'm king of the world!", in reference to the main character's line from the film. James Cameron revealed that Titanic will be re-released in 2010 in "Spectacular" 3D!
[edit] Spider-Man and Dark Angel (2000–2002)
Cameron had initially next planned to do a film of the comic book character Spider-Man, a project developed by Menahem Golan of Cannon Films. Disputes arose focusing on Golan's role in the Carolco project.
A screenplay dating back to 1989 exists with Cameron's name appended to it, indicating erroneously he worked with a series of writers on the project (John Brancato, Barry [sic: Barney] Cohen, Joseph Goldmari [sic: "Joseph Goldman", Menahem Golan's pen name] and Ted Newsom), but the script was identical to one presented to Columbia Pictures by Golan in 1988, where the project had been in development (Cameron never worked with these writers at all).
Subsequent to the delivery of this script to Carolco, Cameron presented a 45-page Spider-Man screen story to Carolco, which bore substantive similarities to a number of earlier screenplay drafts, particularly one written by Ethan Wiley (writer of House and writer/director of House 2).
When Carolco went into bankruptcy, all previous "Spider-Man" scripts were acquired by MGM-UA, including the "Cameron material", i.e., both the multi-author screenplay and the later treatment credited solely to Cameron. MGM in turn sold the material to Columbia Pictures in exchange for Columbia dropping their plans to do an alternative James Bond series based on the Kevin McClory Bond material.
Columbia hired David Koepp to adapt Cameron's treatment into a screenplay, and Koepp's first draft is taken often word-for-word from Cameron's story, though later drafts were heavily rewritten by Koepp himself, Scott Rosenberg, Alvin Sargent (husband of producer Laura Ziskin), and (allegedly) Ivan Raimi, brother of director Sam Raimi.
Columbia preferred to credit David Koepp solely, and none of the scripts before or after his were ever examined by the Writers Guild of America, East to determine proper credit attribution. Cameron and other writers objected, but Columbia and the WGA prevailed. In its release in 2002, Spider-Man had its screenplay credited solely to Koepp.[13]
Unable to make Spider-Man, Cameron moved to television and created Dark Angel, a superheroine-centered series influenced by cyberpunk, biopunk, contemporary superhero franchises, and third-wave feminism.
Co-produced with Charles H. Eglee, Dark Angel starred Jessica Alba as Max Guevara, a genetically enhanced transgenic super-soldier created by a secretive organization. Cameron's work was said to "bring empowered female warriors back to television screens[...] by mixing the sober feminism of his The Terminator and Aliens characters with the sexed-up Girl Power of a Britney Spears concert."[14] While a success in its first season, low ratings in the second led to its cancellation. Cameron himself directed the series finale, a two-hour episode wrapping up many of the series' loose ends.
[edit] Documentaries (2002–2009)
Cameron's recent projects have included undersea documentaries on the Bismarck (Expedition: Bismarck, 2002) and the Titanic (Ghosts of the Abyss (2003, in IMAX 3D), and Tony Robinson's Titanic Adventure (2005)[15]. He was a producer on the 2002 film Solaris, and narrated The Exodus Decoded.
Cameron is a leading advocate for stereoscopic digital 3-D films. In a 2003 interview about his IMAX 3D documentary Ghosts of the Abyss, he mentioned that he is "going to do everything in 3D now".[16] He has made similar statements in other interviews. Ghosts of the Abyss and Aliens of the Deep (also an IMAX documentary) were shot in 3-D, as will his next projects, Avatar, The Dive, Sanctum and an adaptation of the manga series Battle Angel Alita.
Cameron was a co-founder and former CEO of Digital Domain, a visual effects production and technology company.
He is to executive produce a 3D cave-dive drama entitled Sanctum (formerly James Cameron's Sanctum) to be shot in Australia and directed by Alister Grierson (Kokoda). The script, by Andrew Wight and John Garvin, is inspired by a near-death experience of Wight when a cave collapsed whilst he was leading a diving expedition, trapping 15 divers. Sanctum will use the Fusion Camera System technology, but will have a relatively modest budget. Release date is projected to be late 2010.[17]
In addition, he plans to create a 3-D project about the first trip to Mars. ("I've been very interested in the Humans to Mars movement—the 'Mars Underground'—and I've done a tremendous amount of personal research for a novel, a miniseries, and a 3-D film.")[18] He is on the science team for the 2009 Mars Science Laboratory.[19]
Cameron announced on February 26, 2007, that he, along with his director, Simcha Jacobovici, have documented the unearthing of the Talpiot Tomb, which is alleged to be the tomb of Jesus. Unearthed in 1980 by Israeli construction workers, the names on the tomb are claimed, by Cameron, to correlate with the names of Jesus and several individuals closely associated with him. Cameron further claims to have DNA tests, archaeological evidence, and Biblical studies to back up his claim.[20] The documentary, named The Lost Tomb of Jesus, was broadcast on the Discovery Channel on March 4, 2007.
[edit] Avatar and Battle Angel (2009-present)
In June 2005, director Cameron was announced to be working on a project tentatively titled "Project 880" (now known to be Avatar) in parallel with another project, Battle Angel.[21] Both movies were to be shot in 3D. By December, Cameron stated that he wanted to film Battle Angel first, followed by Avatar. However in February 2006, he switched goals for the two film projects and decided to film Avatar first. He mentioned that if both films are successful, he would be interested in seeing a trilogy being made for both.[22]
James Cameron recently announced his decision to appear at the Premiere of Avatar at the Metro Centre, Gateshead Odeon cinema, highlighting the new 3D IMAX screen as the deciding factor.
Avatar, previously known as Project 880, had an estimated budget of over $300 million and is a 3D film released on December 18, 2009. This marked his first feature film since 1997's Titanic.[23] It is composed almost entirely of computer-generated animation, using a more advanced version of the "performance capture" technique used by director Robert Zemeckis in The Polar Express.[24] James Cameron wrote an 80 page scriptment for Avatar in 1995[25] and announced in 1996 that he would make the film after completing Titanic. In December 2006, Cameron explained that the delay in producing the film since the 1990s had been to wait until the technology necessary to create his project was advanced enough. [26] The film was originally scheduled to be released in May 2009 but was pushed back to December 2009 to allow more time for post production on the complex CGI and to give more time for theatres worldwide to install 3D projectors.[27]
Cameron will also be writing, producing and directing Battle Angel, a live-action adaptation of the first three volumes of the manga series. Alita will be a CG character performed by an actress. Like Avatar, the film will be a mix of CG and live action. Filming will be made with the new digital 3D system Cameron has developed for Avatar. In January 2005, Cameron mentioned that the delay in making this film initially had been to wait until a sufficient number of theatres had installed 3D projectors. Pre-production on this film has been occurring since at least 2004-05, with three conceptual artists having worked for over a year on designs.[28] As with Avatar, the movie will be marketed and distributed by 20th Century Fox worldwide. Cameron is aiming for a PG-13 rating.[29] Laeta Kalogridis wrote the original script but Cameron is re-writing the script.[30]
[edit] Future projects
Kevin Eastman said the upcoming Heavy Metal film will have Cameron as a producer, writer and director for a segment.[31]
[edit] Awards
Cameron and Sylvester Stallone won best screenplay Razzies at the 6th Golden Raspberry Awards for Rambo: First Blood Part II.[32]
Cameron received the Bradbury Award from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 1991—but, being primarily thought of as a genre filmmaker, he did not receive any major mainstream filmmaking awards prior to Titanic. With Titanic, Cameron received the Academy Awards for Best Editing (shared with Conrad Buff and Richard A. Harris), Best Picture (shared with Jon Landau), and Best Director. He also won a Golden Globe for best director for the film.
In recognition of "a distinguished career as a Canadian filmmaker", Carleton University, Ottawa, awarded Cameron the honorary degree of Doctor of Fine Arts on June 13, 1998. Cameron accepted the degree in person and gave the Convocation Address.[citation needed]
In recognition of his contributions to underwater filming and remote vehicle technology, the University of Southampton awarded Cameron the honorary degree of Doctor of the University. Cameron received his degree in person at the graduation ceremony in July, 2004.[citation needed]
On June 3, 2008, it was announced that he would be inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame.[33]
[edit] Casting
Cameron often casts certain actors more than once in his films. Cameron has consistently worked with Bill Paxton (who also narrated Ghosts of the Abyss), Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen (who also narrated Expedition: Bismarck), Jenette Goldstein and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
| Actor | Piranha II: The Spawning (1981) | The Terminator (1984) | Aliens (1986) | The Abyss (1989) | Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) | True Lies (1994) | Titanic (1997) | Avatar (2009) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Paxton |  N | N | N | N | ||||
| Michael Biehn | N | N | N | (N)* | ||||
| Linda Hamilton | N | N | ||||||
| Lance Henriksen | N | N | N | |||||
| Jenette Goldstein | N | N | N | |||||
| Arnold Schwarzenegger | N | N | N | |||||
| Sigourney Weaver | N | N |
* His reprised role of Reese was cut from the theatrical release, but restored in the DVD's Special Edition Version.
[edit] Recurring themes
 | This section may contain original research or unverified claims. Please improve the article by adding references. See the talk page for details. (November 2009) |
Throughout Cameron's career, several of his films have had recurring themes and subtexts. These include: the prospects of nuclear holocaust (the Skynet takeover scenario from both Terminator films and a proposed "solution" in Aliens), attempts to reconcile humanity with technology (as seen in Aliens and Terminator 2: Judgment Day), two protagonists who face impossible odds and work together to achieve their goals, strong female characters (Sarah Connor and Ellen Ripley being the most famous) and an undercurrent of feminism. This was also present with Jamie Lee Curtis's character in True Lies and Kate Winslet's role in Titanic where she served as the main protagonist and narrator.
While The Abyss dealt with deep sea exploration (shot on a studio set), Cameron himself became an expert in the field of deep sea wreckage exploration exploring the wreckage of Titanic and Bismarck.
Children also seem to be a recurring thematic in most Cameron films. John Connor in the Terminator series is first an unborn child who holds the secret to the salvation of humanity and must be protected at all costs. Then in T2, a matured, but still young John Connor is portrayed as a teenage survivalist, possessing the knowledge and skills to live off and exploit the grid...and shoot large caliber weaponry as well as devise tactical battle plans. In True Lies, the daughter of Jamie Lee Curtis and Arnold Schwarzenegger is literally the catalyst for both parents to reconcile with their lying selves. Her character as well is shown to be crafty and devious, stealing her parents money and knowing about their double lives, and, inadvertently possessing the mettle to be a hero herself. In Aliens, Ripley finds Newt, who is the catalyst that turns a docile, PTSD sufferer into a hardened survivor. The TV series Dark Angel was about children that are genetically engineered to be super soldiers. These recurrent themes of children being the future seem to be in a majority of Cameron's films.
[edit] Filmography
[edit] Personal life
Cameron has been married five times: Sharon Williams (1978–1984), Gale Anne Hurd (1985–1989), Kathryn Bigelow (1989–1991), Linda Hamilton (1997–1999, one daughter), Suzy Amis (2000-, one son, two daughters). Suzy Amis played the part of Rose Dawson Calvert's grand-daughter in the movie Titanic.
Cameron is very distantly related to actress Joanna Cameron who starred as Isis on television in the 1970s.
He has been described by one collaborator, author Orson Scott Card, as selfish and cruel. When asked about working with Cameron on the novelization of The Abyss, Card said the experience was
"...hell on wheels. He was very nice to me, because I could afford to walk away. But he made everyone around him miserable, and his unkindness did nothing to improve the film in any way. Nor did it motivate people to work faster or better. And unless he changes his way of working with people, I hope he never directs anything of mine."[34]
After working with Cameron on the set of Titanic, Kate Winslet decided she would not work with Cameron again unless she earned "a lot of money." She admitted Cameron was a nice man, but had too much of a temper.[35]
Cameron has a famously explosive temper. In an editorial, the British newspaper The Independent described his directing as tyrannical:
"[James Cameron] is a nightmare to work with. Studios have come to fear his habit of straying way over schedule and over budget. He is notorious on set for his uncompromising and dictatorial manner, as well as his flaming temper. "[36]
Cameron is a member of the NASA Advisory Council and is working on the project to get cameras on the pending manned Mars mission.[37]
In late October 2007, Cameron, along with singers Olivia Newton-John and Tanya Tucker, were ordered out of their Malibu homes due to the pending threat of the Witch Fire in Southern California.
[edit] Appearances
In Entourage, Cameron appeared as himself as the director of the film Aquaman. Cameron's involvement in the project attracted Vincent Chase to the title role.
[edit] References
- ^ Space Foundation. America's Vision: The Case for Space Exploration, p. 42. Retrieved 12 December, 2009.
- ^ http://boxofficemojo.com/people/chart/?id=jamescameron.htm
- ^ http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=avatar.htm
- ^ James Cameron Biography (1954-). Film Reference.com.
- ^ a b James Cameron Biography by FilmMakers Magazine
- ^ The Force Is With Them: The Legacy of Star Wars, 2004.
- ^ Biography
- ^ A NEW BODY OF WORK | Linda Hamilton | Cover Story | News + Notes | Entertainment Weekly
- ^ Michael Fleming (2007). "More 'Terminator' on the way". Variety. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117964592.html?categoryid=13&cs=1. Retrieved 2008-05-08.
- ^ Box Office Report - All Time Adjusted Box Office by Daniel Garris
- ^ 'Titanic' Weighs Anchor With Record-Tying 11 Oscars at Academy Awards
- ^ 'Titanic' Ties Record With 11 Oscars, Including Best Picture
- ^ Who Is Spider-Man? at Hollywood.com
- ^ Eyes Only. DarkAngelFan.com.
- ^ Titanic Adventure (2005) (TV) at IMDb
- ^ James Cameron: part II | Interviews | guardian.co.uk Film
- ^ Variety, September 9th 2009
- ^ "James Cameron's Mars Reference Design". Astrobiology Magazine. 2004-01-30. http://www.astrobio.net/news/article813.html. Retrieved 2007-01-10.
- ^ MSL Mastcam, MAHLI, MARDI Science Team
- ^ "Jesus : Tales From The Crypt". Time Middle East Blog. 2007-02-24. http://time-blog.com/middle_east/2007/02/jesus_tales_from_the_crypt.html. Retrieved 2007-02-24.
- ^ Cameron turns to new project
- ^ 'Titanic' King James Cameron's Big Comeback - Movie News Story | MTV Movie News
- ^ "Cameron To Direct First Movie in 10 Years". IMDb. 2007-01-10. http://www.imdb.com/news/wenn/2007-01-10/#2. Retrieved 2007-01-10.
- ^ Harry Knowles (2007-01-09). "Harry interviews James Cameron regarding AVATAR - No, Not that one, The One You're Dying To See! - Part 1!". Ain't It Cool News. http://www.aintitcool.com/node/31191. Retrieved 2007-01-10.
- ^ "James Cameron talks Avatar". Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20007998,00.html.
- ^ Computers Join Actors in Hybrids On Screen - New York Times
- ^ Fox shifts 'Avatar,' 'Museum' - Entertainment News, Film News, Media - Variety
- ^ http://marketsaw.blogspot.com/2008/10/mark-goerner-talks-battle-angel.html
- ^ James Cameron on Battle Angel! - ComingSoon.net
- ^ James Cameron Takes on Project 880 - ComingSoon.net
- ^ James Cameron Joins Heavy Metal
- ^ 6th Annual RAZZIE Awards
- ^ "Steve Nash, kd lang among new Walk of Fame inductees". CTV.ca. 2008-06-03. http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080603/walk_fame_080603/20080603?hub=TopStories. Retrieved 2008-06-03.
- ^ Author Chat Transcript, Barnes and Noble, August 31, 1999
- ^ Andrew Gumbel, "The Return of James Cameron", The (London) Independent, Jan 11, 2007 [1]
- ^ Andrew Gumbel, "The Return of James Cameron", The (London) Independent, Jan 11, 2007 [2]
- ^ Space.com [3], Science Channel's Mars Rising
[edit] External links
 | Wikimedia Commons has media related to: James Cameron |
- James Cameron at the Internet Movie Database
- James Cameron at Allmovie
- James Cameron at Northern Stars
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