JAMES CAMERON - Writer, Producer, Director
Having made Steven Spielberg, Sam Raimi, and Stephen
Chow (all part of my "Directors" series), I couldn't leave
out James Cameron, the writer-director-producer-editor
of the most successful film of all time: TITANIC. Actually,
as masterfully as that film was directed, I have to admit I
enjoyed ALIENS, TRUE LIES, TERMINATOR, and
TERMINATOR 2 just as much.
His films, considered by many
to be special effects driven
spectacles (and they are)
nevertheless always feature
very well-drawn characters
and a story which reveals
such character...
Clearly, the box office appeal
of TITANIC hinges as much on
the love story between Jack
and Rose as it does on the
mind-blowing, big budget
special effects. For this film,
and for all his others it's
rumored, Cameron developed
a reputation for being an
obsessive slave driver
of sorts. But being
labeled a
perfectionist or a
control freak seems
to me to be quite
natural: the director is
responsible for the
success of a film after all.
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The consistent level of
quality of his films does not,
I think, happen by accident.
If I had to
choose
between being
a director who's
easy to work
with but is
inconsistent
and capable of
making stinkers
or Cameron, I
think I'd rather
be James
Cameron.
I also really
appreciate that
his films feature
strong
relationships
between the
characters (his
films have heart).
And also usually
a very strong
female
character, which
is rare in
Hollywood.
At any rate, the head
and statuettes are
sculpted from scratch
while the tuxedo is
from a 40th
Anniversary Ken doll.
The shirt, tie and
cummerbund are
from a 35th
Anniversary Ken doll.
