James Cameron's The Story Of Science Fiction

[Judge]

Multi-part series on science fiction and film.

Worth seeing.

James Cameron’s Story of Science Fiction

 

[clg114]

I missed the first one, but I have the next two set to record. It looks good. Thanks.

 

[Judge]

I missed the first one, but I have the next two set to record. It looks good. Thanks.

I watched the first one (Aliens) on video-on-demand. Hopefully so can you.

Kind of a hoot to listen to people like Cameron and Spielberg "talk the trade".

 

[Judge]

Another great show, the second episode which deals with space.

Gratifying to see so many of the films mentioned as being the DVDs in my bookcase.

This time with James Cameron and George Lucas "talking the trade". Lucas kind of smirking, admitting he now has time for this sort of thing.

 

[Mr Allen]

Another great show, the second episode which deals with space.

Gratifying to see so many of the films mentioned as being the DVDs in my bookcase.

This time with James Cameron and George Lucas "talking the trade". Lucas kind of smirking, admitting he now has time for this sort of thing.

IMO the current crop of Star Wars niovies would've been better with George Lucas at the helm, instead of butt hurt fanboys complaining about Disney and their effect on the franchise.

 

[Judge]

IMO the current crop of Star Wars movies would've been better with George Lucas at the helm, instead of butt hurt fanboys complaining about Disney and their effect on the franchise.

This series is about a meeting of all the great minds in science fiction relative to film and television production. An intellectual and collective effort of those who actually make such shows. Not the petty grievances of fans bickering over one production versus another.

All sharing a common love of science fiction, and the benefits it may provide to society in general. Frankly considering how this show has been presented so far, I don't think it matters who is "at the helm". Nothing adversarial about it that I can see. Plus a bonus to see that George Lucas has a sense of humor as well.

Looking forward to next week's episode on monsters.

 

[Judge]

Amusing to hear that Steven Spielberg beat James Cameron to secure the rights to "Jurassic Park".

Where Cameron openly said he would have made it an "R" rated film with intense, graphic violence. While Spielberg so related to younger kids appreciating dinosaurs whether they were monsters or just huge reptiles.

 

[clg114]

Amusing to hear that Steven Spielberg beat James Cameron to secure the rights to "Jurassic Park".

Where Cameron openly said he would have made it an "R" rated film with intense, graphic violence. While Spielberg so related to younger kids appreciating dinosaurs whether they were monsters or just huge reptiles.

According to my wife, "Jurassic Park" was intense, graphic and violent. We went to see it when it came out and it scared her. Our two youngest kids were 10 and 13 at the time and she would not let them see it. They did not like that since their older siblings went to see it. Probably because I said that it was a good movie. So to my wife they were monsters, not huge reptiles.

It is my understanding that dinosaurs were not reptiles and are more closely related to birds.

 

[Judge]

According to my wife, "Jurassic Park" was intense, graphic and violent. We went to see it when it came out and it scared her. Our two youngest kids were 10 and 13 at the time and she would not let them see it. They did not like that since their older siblings went to see it. Probably because I said that it was a good movie. So to my wife they were monsters, not huge reptiles.

It is my understanding that dinosaurs were not reptiles and are more closely related to birds.

Well, I'm just relating the perception of Steven Spielberg and James Cameron relative to what they consider material indicative of a "PG" rating and an "R" rating. Which may actually have more implications of business issues (box office receipts) than what constitutes graphic violence in the eyes of the public. Still your point is taken. Wondering what the two would have to say about this in greater detail.

I can say that in my boyhood days, creatures like "ET" would have been a "monster" of sorts as well. Of course we didn't have graphic violence back then either, like all the amazing and intense special effects that came later.

Were dinosaurs reptiles? Apparently so in looking it up. Warm-blooded reptiles. Birds? Ummm...I suppose that depends on the classification systems biologists use. Though I recall the issue came up in the beginning of "Jurassic Park".

 

[Mary Anne]

Well, I'm just relating the perception of Steven Spielberg and James Cameron relative to what they consider material indicative of a "PG" rating and an "R" rating. Which may actually have more implications of business issues (box office receipts) than what constitutes graphic violence in the eyes of the public. Still your point is taken. Wondering what the two would have to say about this in greater detail.

I can say that in my boyhood days, creatures like "ET" would have been a "monster" of sorts as well. Of course we didn't have graphic violence back then either, like all the amazing and intense special effects that came later.

Were dinosaurs reptiles? Apparently so in looking it up. Warm-blooded reptiles. Birds? Ummm...I suppose that depends on the classification systems biologists use. Though I recall the issue came up in the beginning of "Jurassic Park".

Dinosaurs- Birds evolved from dinosaurs and the mixture of the two can be found in fossils millions of years old. The current National Geographic Magazine (the one with Picasso on the cover) has a huge article on the fossils of birds evolutionary process from dinosaurs. Birds also survived the great asteroid crash while dinosaurs did not.

 

[Judge]

Another interesting episode- "Dark Futures". A discussion of so many films involving dystopian societies.

Are we as a species morbidly fascinated by such prospects, or do we simply have a sense of doom wrapped around who and what we are based on past societal transgressions ?

 

[Mary Anne]

We love to fantasize! We suffer daily, and enjoy seeing others suffering too? A lot of humans live in negative situations, and might “feel better” about their lives after watching a bleak futuristic film.

 

[Judge]

"Intelligent Machines"

Right off this episode began with James Cameron discussing this issue across the table from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. They both seemed to have a penchant for machines becoming malevolent towards humans for some reason...lol.

Interesting hearing another guest on a very different uptake. From George Lucas' perspective, robots are a good thing. With integrity and character. Though not much of a surprise, eh?

Nice to see film and television clips of all those robots we know and love. So many too!

Interesting that there was one glaring omission in it all. Despite a few words from Steven Spielberg, there was never any mention of the film "Artificial Intelligence". Personally I thought this film would have been critical to such a discussion, given how overtly positive and overtly negative this film portrayed those who respected artificial life, versus those who had the utmost contempt for it.

Perhaps the most disturbing thing about this episode was in a single paraphrased quote about our possible future. That Elon Musk predicted we wouldn't likely have a World War Three so much as some kind of major conflict with artificial intelligence. A "judgment day" of sorts. This from the man who has brought us private sector space technology (SpaceX) and Tesla electric cars.