James Cameron Guest Edits Wired Magazine

colonist writes "Terminator and Titanic director James Cameron is guest editor of the December issue of WIRED Magazine: 'This special issue of Wired is about honest-to-God, two-fisted, hairy-knuckled exploration.' Cameron worked for nearly a year on this issue, developing stories on the future of exploration in the oceans, on earth and in space. Contributors include Buzz Aldrin, Sean O'Keefe, Burt Rutan, Robert Ballard, Sylvia Earle and Kim Stanley Robinson. (The issue is not online yet.) Apart from making blockbuster films, Cameron explores the depths of the oceans and is a member of the NASA Advisory Council and the Mars Society."

Comments

James Cameron is the director of Aliens

[tezza]

I think you should mention a Director's most accomplished work, rather than his biggest grossing.

Terminator is good though.

Re:James Cameron is the director of Aliens

[blowdart]

Imagine the satisfaction if he'd got confused. De Caprio is at the front of the boat, arms outstretched, "I'm King of the World ma!" then Winslett opens her mouth, the alien mouth shoots out into the back of his head ....

Sorry. Won't happen again.

Re:James Cameron is the director of Aliens

[bsartist]

Geez, you express an opinion here and all you get is Nay Sayers screaming you down.

Well, it's not a very popular opinion. The original was a creepy, atmospheric, suspense/horror movie. The audience never even gets to see the alien through most of the movie, just quick flashes that leave the impression or something horrible lurking just slightly out of sight.

By comparison, the sequels - all of 'em - were run-of-the-mill action flicks. The suspense that made the original so great was gone, and in its place was buckets of gore. They wouldn't have done too badly on their own, but as sequels they were disappointing. I suppose it was inevitable - the original was a *very* tough act to follow, and splatter flicks were making big bank at the time.

Still, I don't think the "flamebait" mod was warranted, and I hope your comment gets modded back up. Lots of folks might disagree with your opinion of Aliens, but I don't think you intended to pick a fight by posting it. And, you made a very good point - we should recognize a director for his best work, which is not necessarily the same as his most profitable work.

Re:James Cameron is the director of Aliens

[Wolfbone]

Well it could've been a lame blood-n-guts sequel - and superficially it even looks like one - but I don't think it was. I watched all four in a row recently and "Aliens" came across as an alternatively styled work, complementary to the original: a beautifully detailed and fast-paced sequel to Alien done in the 'action' style of sci-fi films, not an inferior movie at all.

The third one was where the deterioration began, though it's not really that bad and compared to "Resurrection"... well - all I can say is that Jeunet should be burnt at the stake for having made a complete mockery of the Alien series: The pantomime General, stereotypically drawn scientists, arty-farty, technologically empty sets and a time-serving support cast of art house cinema poseurs (Winona excepted).

When the alien hybrid made those sickeningly twee babyface expressions I felt like crying.

Re:James Cameron is the director of Aliens

[NanoGator]

"I think you should mention a Director's most accomplished work, rather than his biggest grossing."

Are we going to split hairs about what 'most accomplished' means? Wouldn't biggest grossing imply most people seen/enjoyed? What about the great deal of effort that went into making that movie? Isn't that quite an accomplishment compared to Aliens or Terminator(s)?

Titanic isn't my favorite of his movies, but I have no issue with calling it "most accomplished" on several levels. This is especially true considering that Titanic is probably the one he's the most proud of. He really loves that ship.

Re:James Cameron is the director of Aliens

[mav[LAG]]

I have points but I'd rather reply here.

Well, it's not a very popular opinion.

It is a very popular opinion and with good reason.

The original was a creepy, atmospheric, suspense/horror movie. The audience never even gets to see the alien through most of the movie, just quick flashes that leave the impression or something horrible lurking just slightly out of sight.

Agreed 100%.

By comparison, the sequels - all of 'em - were run-of-the-mill action flicks.

I disagree about Aliens. Aliens not only is a worthy sequel precisely because it didn't try to remake the original, but is probably one of the finest action films ever made. Here are some of my reasons:

• The pacing is perfect. Act I sets up the story, pulling quite a few disparate elements together successfully, Act II is mainly action combined with suspense and Act III is the race against time. And Act IV is a genuine shock when the mother is revealed to be still alive. There's good sub-plots too - Burke's real motivation for one.
  
• Cameron manages to resolve Ripley's fate from the last film, and incorporate the Alien species into the new one in a believable way while giving his audience more of a look.
  
• The Marines are real characters who engage you and you can care about. I can't name any prisoners from Alien 3 but I can reel off all the characters from Aliens (and Alien).
  
• For 1986 the effects are stunning (and almost all physical). Even the best CGI films of today can't compare with that fight between Ripley and the queen.
  
• It's well-acted and well-directed.
  
• It's genuinely scary.
  
• The score is at least the equal of Alien's.
  

It's no accident that its rating is so high on IMDB nor that its technology and memorable quotes have had such a lasting influence on fans.

The suspense that made the original so great was gone, and in its place was buckets of gore.

Aliens has far less gore than the two that followed it. Also remember the first Alien has two of the most gory scenes of all.

I suppose it was inevitable - the original was a *very* tough act to follow, and splatter flicks were making big bank at the time.

I don't know where you get this from. And anyway, Cameron's intent was most certainly not to make a splatter flick and he succeeded.

huh?

[ebilhoax]

This special issue of Wired is about honest-to-God, two-fisted, hairy-knuckled exploration.

ok.. I know what gives you hairy palms.. but wtf gives you hairy knuckles?!

Re:huh?

[bsartist]

I don't know - and if it involves "two-fisted" "exploration" I sure as hell don't want to find out.

Dark Angel?

[chrysrobyn]

That's great! Will he tell us why Dark Angel jumped the shark late in the first season?

The premise was good SciFi fare. Genetically enhanced superhumans using today's ultra-hip-lingo as if it would never go out of style. One of these, Max, is determined to find her brothers and sisters and not have a relationship to the handicapped guy to whom she is desperately attracted. Then Cameron had to introduce mutants that messed up all the "almost believable" part.

Re:Dark Angel?

[fenix down]

Yeah, but he bought the movie rights to the original about halfway through the first season of Dark Angel. I think they've gotten as far as doing some effects test reels.

Not what I expected...

[Anonymous Coward]

...when I typed "honest-to-God, two-fisted, hairy-knuckled exploration." into my search engine of choice.

Oh well, the search continues...

laying low

[hthb]

I think James Cameron has been laying low since he made an ass of himself with the "I'm the king of the world" comment on the Oscar nominations. That's why he hasn't been making movies lately ;)

Re:laying low

[sgant]

while this is true that Jackson did a lot of detail, but it's all on the screen. As I said, there is a difference to "attention to detail" and detail that's not even seen. The dinner plates is an example of this or having the same company that did the carpeting for the real Titanic do it for the movie. And I doubt it being there helped the actors at all, unlike having a real suit of mail would do to the actors in LotR.

Re:laying low

[mfg]

I think James Cameron has been laying low since he made an ass of himself with the "I'm the king of the world"

Considering what he'd been through over the previous couple of years, I think he was fairly restrained. After a long, hard shoot with nearly constant rumours that the movie was going to be one of the most expensive disasters in history, he's standing there in front of the entire entertainment industry with a couple of Oscars and a box office take heading for a billion dollars. In his place I'd probably have gone for "Fuck you, assholes!"

Interesting time to be subscribed to wired

[Jason1729]

Last month the WiredCD and this month another novel idea.

(do I get bonus points for an on-topic link to a site I host? :) )

Jason
ProfQuotes

Just editing???

[mikerich]

Don't you mean conduct the interviews, reluctantly agree to be interviewed, write the articles, do the fact-checking, throw out the facts, draw the diagrams, re-draw the diagrams in an incomprehensible but oh-so-hip fashion, take the photos, dick around with the photos in Photoshop until they look like something in a psychology test, fetch the coffee, take the coffee back because it actually tasted of coffee, have the requisite magazine editor nervous breakdown, shout at the printers, go grovelling to the printers so they don't print the whole magazine in mirror image on fluorescent stock - hold on lose the mirror image keep the fluorescent paper, glue on the commemorative CueCat(tm) - then edit the magazine?

And still have time to throw in one ludicrously bad special effect?

Re:Just editing???

[Vollernurd]

I stopped reading Wired when I realised I didn't like Absolut Vodka. Or Gucci underwear. Or indeed anything I might actually be able to afford.

Or something funny.

For Mr. Cameron

[snarkfinder]

Heard you and Dr. Ballard on NPR today. Good show (I directed such for 8 yrs. Taught physics courses too.) How could we /.ers help get more real science into fiction, and less crap ideology? Any plans to make a sci/drama about evolution? How about a real life of Darwin? Let's smack that creationist nonsense down. Good science displayed well and brought to the masses can lead.

And dont forget

[kaos.geo]

"Apart from making blockbuster films, Cameron explores the depths of the oceans and is a member of the NASA Advisory Council and the Mars Society." And dont forget...He's also the self appointed "King of the World" ;-)

James Cameron?

[Anonymous Coward]

The dude from Growing Pains?

WOWSA! A real man's man.

[Sai Babu]

Do you think Cameron or Wired might be interested in sponsoring a visit and video interview with a family of head hunters who, now that head hunting is unlawful, have taken to fighting chickens instead. I'm serious. It will only take a few days of trekking through the jungle, once the road ends, to reach their village. We could knock the whole thing out in about three weeks. It might be incorporated into a wider study global interest in chicken fighting.

Yes, I know this is a shameless plug for project funding, but one has to arget every portential source (/.ers maybe?).

Sci-Fi series

[Anonymous Coward]

As far as I know James Cameron owns the film rights to Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy. I wish he would hurry up and make it into something along the lines of the Sci-Fi channels Dune adaptions, or even better perhaps?

Why is Cameron on the NASA advisory board?

[HuguesT]

This is suspicious. Are they going to pretend to go to Mars then? I suggest they use OJ Simpson on the cast. It would improve ratings.

Link to the NPR show

[yderf]

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?story Id=4176616

He also owns Digital Domain

[Vlad_Drak]

..from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Domain:

Digital Domain is a computer graphics company that provides special effects for films. It is owned by director James Cameron and is located in Venice, California.

The company began producing special effects in the early 1990s, its first three films being True Lies, Interview With a Vampire and Color of Night in 1994. It has produced effects for more than 40 films including Apollo 13, Armageddon, The Fifth Element, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, O Brother, Where Art Thou, Titanic, and What Dreams May Come. More recently, other films include The Day After Tomorrow and I, Robot.

In 2002, the company launched a subsidiary, to market and distribute their Academy Award winning compositing software, Nuke. The move was partially motivated by Apple's acquisition of a similar program, Shake.

NASA Advisory Council?

[Pedrito]

Apart from making blockbuster films, Cameron explores the depths of the oceans and is a member of the NASA Advisory Council and the Mars Society

I'm sure James Cameron is a smart guy and everything, but I'm curious what makes him more qualified to be on the NASA Advisory Coucil than say, 50% of Slashdot readers who I'm sure are just as scientifically knowledgeable, if not a few hundred times as knowledgeable on the topics important to NASA. I mean, other than his bucket-loads of money, of course.

I'm not saying NASA should come recruit their Advisory Council on Slashdot, but I would certainly question the quality of the advice when movie directors are providing it. I mean, check out his resume on their site. It's a good resume for a movie director, but for an advisor to NASA?

And don't get me wrong, I don't think someone should be excluded because they're in a profession. I mean, I'm sure Asimov, Clarke and some other Sci-Fi authors would be able to provide valuable advice in the area of space exploration because, if nothing else, they tend to spend a lot of time thinking of the realism of the ideas in their books (something movie directors aren't particularly noted for).

I mean really, go look at all the resumes of the members on the site and then play the Sesame Street game of "Which of these things doesn't belong?"

Re:NASA Advisory Council?

[Ohreally_factor]

I'm sure Asimov, Clarke and some other Sci-Fi authors would be able to provide valuable advice in the area of space exploration because, if nothing else, they tend to spend a lot of time thinking of the realism of the ideas in their books (something movie directors aren't particularly noted for).

Asimov is dead, and it's hard to sit up at advisory council meetings when you're dead. They have to nail you to the chair, and it gets messy.

Clarke is a British citizen, IIRC. He lives in Sri Lanka and is wheelchair bound and in generally poor health. He couldn't even make the trip to England for his knighting ceremony, so I don't think he'd make many advisory council meetings in the U.S.

Also, he is credited with the idea that geostationary satellites would be ideal for telecommunications. This makes your statement something of an understatement.

Cameron is a big shot celebrity with an interest in science. That's his only real qualification, and it's enough for what basically is an honorific post.