Titanic: The Manly Men Sound Off

[MinionZombie]

A "bit"?!?! To be fair though, Cameron likes a bit of the luvvy-duvvy stuff now and then. The Terminator - the best of his 'love stories', naturally, but it's quite 'airplane love novel' in that it's two people who come together under extreme circumstances over 48 hours and they get bizzy, and indeed the relationship becomes romanticised by Sarah Connor in T2 and T:TSCC - in the way that Reese is her guiding light, but also in that it was a brief, passionate and action-fuelled relationship. Take the cyborgs out of it and it's kinda ... you know... Aliens doesn't really have anything, although the 'mutual respect affair' of Hicks and Ripley is a nice little twist to the alien blasting dance. The Abyss has a divorced couple coming together under the ocean with Ed Harris being all sentimental about his wedding ring and estranged wife. Nothing like Titanic's 'properly airplane love novella' class-bound lovers, or Avatar's giant smurfs "seeing" each other (I really enjoyed Avatar by the way), but still ... it's not a big surprise that Cameron writes in such stories. Oh this is true. Not only did he (his name was Charles Joughin and he was the chief baker on the Titanic) hang onto the railing of the sinking stern of the Titanic but he ended up SURVIVING after about 2 hours in the freezing water -- people ascribing his survival in the freezing water to the effect of the copious amount of alcohol that he consumed before the sinking of the ship (he did what I would have done, gotten drunk off his rocker before going). He lived a long life until December 1956. He's actually portrayed in both "Titanic" and is used quite a bit more in the 50's film (and superior film if you ask me about the Titanic) "A Night to Remember" where he's used quite a bit more for comic relief showing him roaming through the ship looking for bottles of liquor while everyone else around is running around frightened and panicing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Joughin Imaging having had a beer with this guy in the bar shooting the breeze with him trying to compare stories with him. Yeah that's the guy - amazing isn't it?! I was flummoxed when JC said the dude really rode the Titanic down and survived - it feels like something specifically made up for the movie, but it actually happened. Incredible. Well done to Mr Joughin. Well, I think the big draw to both of them was the special effects. I mean....they basically re-built the Titanic and the real IMAX 3D of Avatar was amazing. That doesn't help the film now that it's in people's homes, though. With the huge screen and effects of Avatar now gone, I have no interest in seeing it again. Titanic and Avatar have been so successful as they have something for everyone - they're gigantic event movies. That's their purpose, and people want to experience an event movie just as much as they want to experience any other kind of movie. And if I was a giant smurf, I'd have totally stuck my ponytail in Neytiri's too. Although, to be fair, JC and Zoe Saldana really bring the audience along with Neytiri and make you respect her ... and yeah, for a giant smurf, she's pretty darn hot.

[darth los]

To be fair though, Cameron likes a bit of the luvvy-duvvy stuff now and then. The Terminator - the best of his 'love stories', naturally, but it's quite 'airplane love novel' in that it's two people who come together under extreme circumstances over 48 hours and they get bizzy, and indeed the relationship becomes romanticised by Sarah Connor in T2 and T:TSCC - in the way that Reese is her guiding light, but also in that it was a brief, passionate and action-fuelled relationship. Take the cyborgs out of it and it's kinda ... you know... Aliens doesn't really have anything, although the 'mutual respect affair' of Hicks and Ripley is a nice little twist to the alien blasting dance. The Abyss has a divorced couple coming together under the ocean with Ed Harris being all sentimental about his wedding ring and estranged wife. Nothing like Titanic's 'properly airplane love novella' class-bound lovers, or Avatar's giant smurfs "seeing" each other (I really enjoyed Avatar by the way), but still ... it's not a big surprise that Cameron writes in such stories. Yeah that's the guy - amazing isn't it?! I was flummoxed when JC said the dude really rode the Titanic down and survived - it feels like something specifically made up for the movie, but it actually happened. Incredible. Well done to Mr Joughin. Titanic and Avatar have been so successful as they have something for everyone - they're gigantic event movies. That's their purpose, and people want to experience an event movie just as much as they want to experience any other kind of movie. And if I was a giant smurf, I'd have totally stuck my ponytail in Neytiri's too. Although, to be fair, JC and Zoe Saldana really bring the audience along with Neytiri and make you respect her ... and yeah, for a giant smurf, she's pretty darn hot. I'm not a racist or anything but if the woman is blue then there has to be something wrong with the snatch.

[DjfunkmasterG]

I'm not a racist or anything but if the woman is blue then there has to be something wrong with the snatch. My thoughts exactly... If some chick has blue skin, something tells me she has an STD I don't want.

[Mike70]

unless it is this chick with blue skin: talas is quite an alien.

[darth los]

unless it is this chick with blue skin: talas is quite an alien. Star trek captain's never had a problem with oddly colored women. I'm sure kirk would be all over that like white on rice.

[LouCipherr]

To be fair though, Cameron likes a bit of the luvvy-duvvy stuff now and then. "Now and then"?! (Sorry MZ, I couldn't pass up the opportunity. Go ahead, poke me with a stick. I like it. )

[Legion2213]

It's also interesting listening to the commentary by JC to learn all the elements based on true life accounts - such as the dude with the hip flask who rode the Titanic down - dude was actually real and was seen riding the damn thing down, if I remember JC's commentary correctly. That guy must have been channeling Slim Pickens!!! ---------- Post added at 08:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:36 PM ---------- I'm not a racist or anything but if the woman is blue then there has to be something wrong with the snatch. Unless she is Genetic Infantry...then she is good to go...

[AcesandEights]

Unless she is Genetic Infantry...then she is good to go... I know very little about Rogue Trooper, but is that a GI?

[Legion2213]

Yeah, "Venus Bluegenes", She's a canon character.

[wayzim]

Just out of interest what do you all think about this movie? yes, I know...bit behind the time, but I was inspired by a few different posts that have popepd up about it recently. First of all, Titanic ... represent. Yep, liked the movie, but then I liked most of the movies from Titanic(53) with Clifton Webb and Barbara Stanwyck, A Night To Remember(58, adapted from the Walter Lord book), SOS Titanic (77 MTV, noted for David Warner's first trip aboard the doomed ship as Laurence Beasley(one of the chief witnesses at the Senate Inquiry in NYC, April 19th 1912) to Titanic( 96 MTV film which came out the year before Cameron's film, the first one to show the stern break away. It starred a still relatively unknown Catherine Zeta Jones and Peter Gallagher ) Of course Richard Jordan, as Clive Cussler's aqua sleuth; Dirk Pitt, would Raise The Titanic(80) to retrieve a rare mineral. We also visited the Titanic in Time Tunnel(Irwin Allen TV series ), on an episode of Night Gallery(where the flying dutchman of survivors(the original Baltar from BattleStar Galactica) finds himself brought aboard various doomed ships, and even our diminutive Time Bandits stopped aboard the White Star liner for drinks( and waiter, more ice. ) Did you know that before the 1912 disaster, there was a 1898 book written called Futility, which described a great ocean liner, The Titan, which sank after striking ice in the North Sea? If someone was to make another Titanic film, I'd like to see one on the only Japanese man aboard who survived but lived the rest of his life in disgrace for doing so. Oh, and Lightoller(who was such a hero in ANTR? ) showed himself to be quite the White Star Toady at the US Inquiry, April 19th - May 25th 1912. Disappointing, that. Wayne Z "God sank with the Titanic "

[Neil]

So, when I go to see "Titanic" I expect it to be about the boat, not 2 hours of love story surrounded by 30 minutes of awesomeness. Have you noticed in zombie films, often the bits not about zombies are the most interesting/important bits? Often it's the 'threat' of the zombies that set the scene and make the 'alternative reality' interesting. Likewise, had we seen the love story take place on a different ship, needless to say it would have been a very different 'experience'. But because it happened on the Titanic, it completely changes the dynamics of it... There is a constant thread/menace waiting to appear... Now I know love stories/drama are not everyones cup of tea, hence - especially in some men - we see a lot of sarcasm and cynicism and the like. But for me it worked perfectly well. It may not be an epic film to many, but it certainly is more than adequate in the job it undertakes...

[MinionZombie]

"Now and then"?! (Sorry MZ, I couldn't pass up the opportunity. Go ahead, poke me with a stick. I like it. ) What's wrong with "now and then" as a phrase or indeed concept? Or is that a phrase you Americalanders don't have?

[bassman]

I'm pretty sure the "now and then?" was a joke meaning Cameron ALWAYS has the mushy stuff. "Now and then? HA! Always!" That kind of thing.

[LouCipherr]

I'm pretty sure the "now and then?" was a joke meaning Cameron ALWAYS has the mushy stuff. "Now and then? HA! Always!" That kind of thing. Yes, Bassman is right. My sad, pitiful attempt at humor.. Feel free to start poking with your stick. Have you noticed in zombie films, often the bits not about zombies are the most interesting/important bits? Often it's the 'threat' of the zombies that set the scene and make the 'alternative reality' interesting. Depends on which flick you're watching, but yes, I see what you're saying and agree that in some movies that is correct - but let me ask you this, Neil - if you went to go see a zombie movie called "Dawn of the Dead" and it was 2 hours of non-zombie stuff and 30 minutes of zombie action - would that be fulfilling to you? I'd feel like I got taken for a ride. Especially if the "side story" (aka the other 2 hours of the film) was a story that has A) been done waaaay to many times, and B) is something that doesn't interest you in the least? That's the case for me a Titanic. If it was one of the crew or the captain telling or narrating the story? Awesome, I'd love it. But since it's surrounded by a cliche' love story, it holds no interest for me. That being said, I do think the SFX and everything in the flick were excellent, and I enjoyed that part of it very much. Just could've done without the boring, imo, love story.

[Neil]

Depends on which flick you're watching, but yes, I see what you're saying and agree that in some movies that is correct - but let me ask you this, Neil - if you went to go see a zombie movie called "Dawn of the Dead" and it was 2 hours of non-zombie stuff and 30 minutes of zombie action - would that be fulfilling to you? I'd feel like I got taken for a ride. Especially if the "side story" (aka the other 2 hours of the film) was a story that has A) been done waaaay to many times, and B) is something that doesn't interest you in the least? That's the case for me a Titanic. If it was one of the crew or the captain telling or narrating the story? Awesome, I'd love it. But since it's surrounded by a cliche' love story, it holds no interest for me. That being said, I do think the SFX and everything in the flick were excellent, and I enjoyed that part of it very much. Just could've done without the boring, imo, love story. Well, depends... I went knowing it was a love story set inside 'a true disaster'. I didn't expect 2hrs of carnage and drowning... I didn't expect a documentary... I expected a drama within a well know disaster. I found it quite enjoyable (& insightful), to see the true tragic events unfolding from the eyes of a fictional love story. "If it was one of the crew or the captain telling or narrating the story? Awesome, I'd love it." - Sounds like "A Night To Remember" may be more your cup of tea then, but even this is somewhat of a drama. But it does concentrate more on the tragedy itself...