Medicine Hat News

BEST JAMES CAMERON MOVIES

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“The Terminator” (1984) The movie that put director and co-writer Cameron on the map also gave Arnold Schwarzene­gger one of his biggest hits, playing to the star’s very specific strengths by casting him as a cyborg sent back through time to the present day to kill a woman (Linda Hamilton) before she can give birth to a future revolution leader.

“Aliens” (1986) The original “Alien” wasn’t his movie, but Cameron knew how to carry the franchise forward with this first sequel that makes astronaut Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) a heroine you don’t mess with – even if you’re an extraterre­strial – as she becomes a surrogate parent to a youngster (Carrie Henn) who needs protection from aliens on the planet where the first one unwittingl­y was picked up.

“Titanic” (1997) Well, of course. In the film that made Cameron “the king of the world” – or at least of the Oscars for its year – he weaves fact and fiction together to set the love story of privileged Rose (Kate Winslet) and scrappy Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) against the maiden, ultimately fateful voyage of the title ocean liner. Some still may debate why Rose ultimately “let go” (if you’ve seen the movie, you understand), but there’s no arguing the impact this blockbuste­r had on screen history and the box office.

“Avatar” (2009) The threat posed to the humanoid population of a mining colony being expanded by humans is the thrust of Cameron’s imaginativ­e, massively profitable fantasy that has had multiple sequels long brewing ... but as co-star CCH Pounder recently confirmed to us, the filmmaker’s creative approach is, “When it’s ready, it’s ready.”

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