From Gonzi Merchan Sent Mon, Jun 29th 1998, 10:19
From Gonzi Merchan Sent Mon, Jun 29th 1998, 10:19
> James Cameron is right near the top of my celebrity hit list. > Personally, I think James Cameron represents everything reprehensible about > cinema and about all contemporary art, and his posturing like he's an > *innovator* in the above quote is ludicrous. All of his films have been > derivative button-pressing formulaic schlock (except for Terminator which > was a flukish product of its time). Titanic is crap, True Lies was a racist > and misogynist romp, T2 was boring and cheesy. Hmmm. Actually I admire Cameron's DIY spirit, he never makes excuses and is always there on the front lines. His technical knowledge of filmaking is without rival among the other directors of his stature and he certainly brakes new ground with each new film by pushing the limits of what visual effects are capable of, even going so far as to design his own cameras when needed. So in that respect I would say he is an innovator. Regardless of what you though about Titanic, he still gave up his salary to complete the film and refused to be denied his vision of the final product. Anyone who is willing to stick his neck out so far and devote himself so entirely to his craft is certainly worthy of my respect. As for the artistic merrit of his films, there are some very interesting things going on if you look below the surface, especially in the Terminator films and True Lies. And besides, his films are always lively and exciting and never dull and you know you are getting your $7 worth when you plonk yourself down in the seat. There is nothing wrong with a bit of escapism. Hooray for Hollywood, gonzi.