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

[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.

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 ;)

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.