Directors Roundtable
So, the DGA ballots are due on the 29th. The Oscar ballots get turned in tomorrow but the DGA is still in play. The Envelope has done some roundtable vids of our five esteemed directors. Tip off from ONTD.
More after the cut. But fair warning, some of them — better they say nothing at all. Just saying. And can I just say that I like how Tarantino argues with Cameron. I’m going to bet that no one argues with Cameron. Not ever. Kind of digging Tarantino in these interviews. Wish Bigelow spoke more, though. She has, like, one sentence.
Adrianeki1984 says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 12:19am
Cameron was a master in this interview
Lucas says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 12:26am
Cameron is a God
O says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 12:41am
There’s another video of this roundtable here: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2010/01/envelope-roundtable-the-moment-i-became-a-director.html
E says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 12:49am
I really want to see more of this, especially from the first clip they had about reinvention. Anywhere this can be found?
Lars says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 1:13am
These are indeed great! I’d like to see more of these kind of interview/conversations.
BBBerlin says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 1:30am
Well, how on earth can I see UP IN THE AIR now without imagening Jason Reitman thinking: “Yeah, that’s a great one-liner”? What a wanker.
Afrika is back bishes says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 1:53am
Quentin, Reitman and Cameron were just sitting there and stroking their c*cks
I was hoping to hear more from Bigelow and Daniels.
adam says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 2:00am
James Cameron comes across as thoroughly unlikeable.
BBBerlin says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 2:11am
Everytime Cameron pulled another anecdote, you could see “Act like you’ve never heard this before” on Bigelow’s face.
Loyal says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 3:31am
Reitman definitely comes across as thoroughly unlikeable.
metinoktay says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 3:48am
Reitman and Cameron are vile douchebags. It will be wonderful to see their faces when they lose to Bigelow at March 7.
Tero Heikkinen says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 5:40am
In the video of #3 there’s a really funny story by Cameron. Quentin looks like “man, I wish I had written that scene”.
peachesr says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 5:43am
Well that just sealed the deal with me detesting Cameron. Hope his ex-wife kicks his ass!
Noah R. says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 5:54am
Cameron is his usual arrogant self. I don’t think Reitman was that bad, and honestly, he’s right about the studios. You need their films if you’re going to have the films we rave about here. That said, it does annoy me that both of them essentially hijacked the discussion every time. Why don’t we ever hear more from Bigelow on these? Even Tarantino was reeling himself in.
Adrianeki1984 says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 5:59am
People … I have to say that because I think you do not understand
Cameron will win almost everything at Oscar night and it is done deal.
Everyone in this interview know that and …
that’s why they are jelously all the time and hate Cameron for that … funny
Avatar gets nod for actor, actress, sup actor and sup actress … you will see
Noah R. says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 6:02am
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
DCIJB says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 6:10am
Cameron and Quentin are relly great in these vids. Jason is a prick, no suprise.
Chris D. says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 6:22am
i don’t know what any of you are talking about when you say any of these directors came off as unlikeable. There just having conversation. If someone doesn’t put up some bullshit persona made from strained modesty they are an asshole?
Noah R. says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 6:35am
You can be genuine and down-to-earth without coming across as a dick. See Terry Gilliam, P.T. Anderson, Edgar Wright, Jim Jarmusch, John Waters, Kevin Smith, Werner Herzog, Eli Roth, um, Lee Daniels.
DBibby (Dion Blackler) says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 6:48am
I didn’t think James Cameron came off badly at all. I thought he relatively humble and interesting to listen to.
On the other hand, I want to like Jason Reitman but the more I see/hear him the hardest it is to do so.
Sasha Stone says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 6:59am
Everytime Cameron pulled another anecdote, you could see “Act like you’ve never heard this before” on Bigelow’s face.
Ha! Best comment ever. That is so funny.
Sasha Stone says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 7:02am
You know, I like Daniels too — he is one director who, the more he says, the more I want to hear what he has to say. I love listening to him talk. I didn’t mind this interview but as I ruminated on it last night my thoughts were that Cameron acted like the teacher and that all of those directors were his students. You could tell he was trying not to act that way – to treat them as equals, and I really liked how he commented on Lee Daniels’ bit about taking out that scene where Precious talks about sex. I liked how Cameron stuck up for Daniels in that moment. But at some point he was acting like he knew everything and they should shut up and listen to him tell them what he knows. But maybe that’s true, I don’t know. Lol. I loved it.
Bruce says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 7:24am
I agree Sasha. Also, when it comes to marketing films and all that jazz, it is kind of hard not to listen to Cameron (even with Bigelow’s expressions) because he does own the two highest grossing films of all time and there is definitely something to say for that. I would have done the same thing as all the others and just shut up and listened. Like it or not he is a genius when it comes to this stuff. Even QT knew that and that is saying something!
Joolz says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 7:43am
James Cameron dissing sequels is all good to me, but he did make one of the best sequels ever, in Aliens. And apparently Avatar sequels are on their way, too. So they’re not always bad.
Joolz says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 7:46am
I’m not sure how I feel about Cameron’s anecdote with the gun, to be honest. Comes across either as a blowhard trying to look like Earnest Hemingway in his artist with extreme macho coolness shtick, or just like an obnoxious SOB.
Sasha Stone says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 7:50am
Bruce, agreed. I wonder how Cameron would have held his own with the likes of Oliver Stone, Spielberg, etc.
Dominik says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 8:03am
#26: Put Martin Scorsese in a room with Cameron, and Cameron should better shut up and listen what the master has to say…
Adrianeki1984 says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 8:13am
Joolz, do not forget about T2, it is a masterpiece like Aliens sequel
Adrianeki1984 says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 8:18am
What is whole Scorsese about ?
Come on, Cameron has something to say, even Lucas and Spielberg will sit around.
Sasha Stone says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 8:19am
Dominik, spot on.
Sasha Stone says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 8:25am
There is no way George Lucas is going to listen to a lecture by Jim Cameron. I liked what Cameron said about how the big money makers this year were originals. But that isn’t always the case.
Noah R. says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 8:49am
I feel like Cameron and Lucas will get along. They’re essentially the same filmmaker, it’s just that Cameron is marginally more talented.
JTag says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 8:57am
The Envelope has a partial transcript too. Anyone else HATE how there have been two excellent director roundtables and neither THe Hollywood Reporter nor the LA Times will post the whole thing unedited so we can see the ebb and flow of conversation?!?! It’s clear from the transcript that the conversations above were released out of order.
I don’t get the Cameron hate. He isn’t just rambling in his observations. The only dick measuring one was the “pulling the gun” story. I would actually love to just see a moderated discussions with just him and Tarantino, or maybe a Strange Days retrospective with him and Bigelow.
I like how Lee Daniels goes straight after Reitman everytime Reitman goes on one of his random bits, especially when he just says “Answer the question.” And I like that Reitman admitted he would change the poster if he knew he’d get double the audience..
Tero Heikkinen says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 9:01am
I’m sure that in the presence of Spielberg and Lucas, Cameron would be the student. He was now the #1 speaker because of the money, not because he made the best film of the bunch (cause he didn’t).
In fact, I don’t think there will ever be a quintet of friends like Spielberg, Lucas, Coppola, Scorsese and DePalma. They were all great in 70′s-80′s, but IMO Spielberg and Lucas should not work together anymore as director/producer (if the producer is in charge with the story as well).
And… what time are the SAG’s? I want to find an online stream of it. Thanks!
Ken G says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 9:03am
C’mon guys, Jason Reitman is the young buck of that group, of course he’s a little bit of a prick.
Lars says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 9:12am
I liked the ‘casting’ discussion – Was it Reitman or Daniels that was soooo shocked that Cameron would not cast someone without a 2hr session?
Do they cast from Youtube clips, or? 
Tero Heikkinen says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 9:15am
I was thinking about the poster issue and one director who really had a “say” was Stanley Kubrick, but I guess they agreed with Warner Bros that whenever he made a film with stars, their faces would be on the poster (Eyes Wide Shut/The Shining). These posters are the worst from Kubrick films IMO or maybe he just didn’t care enough.
Gotta hand it to a relatively newcomer Reitman (at age 32) to have that poster without Clooney’s face on it. Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction had just Uma Thurman (not a big name in 1994) on it and it starred Bruce Willis, too. Travolta and Jackson were not big names until that film. Sure, Travolta was big before, but not in 1994. Well, maybe a bad example for it was such an ensemble film.
Ken G says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 9:18am
Ok I just watched all the clips and didn’t really see anything wrong with what any of the directors had to say – other than the fact that Bigelow and Daniels said nothing practically.
Loyal says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 9:19am
JC is the senior filmmaker at that roundtable, I dont think he did or said anything wrong.
If Spielberg and Lucas were in the room, I don’t think Cameron’s demeanor would have changed that much. Only Spielberg knows what this level of success feels like when ET and Jurassic Park were #1 and #2. Maybe that’s a shared conversation they could have had, or perhaps have already had.
Haters gonna hate.
Tero Heikkinen says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 9:20am
What poster do they use in America?
http://www.wildaboutmovies.com/images_7/UpInTheAirPoster.jpg
or
http://alphaisforever.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/up_in_the_air_movie_poster_US_george_clooney_jason_reitman_01_jpg.jpg
Hmm…
Noah R. says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 9:20am
Tero: Point taken but The Shining does have one of the greatest trailers ever made. And all of the Clockwork Orange marketing was genius.
Sheeraz Narejo says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 9:33am
Cameron acted nice enough in a roundtable in which three directors haven’t even produced a fraction of the work he has.
Tero Heikkinen says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 9:38am
I’d like to see the box office list from 1993, right after Jurassic Park went #1. If E.T. was #2, where were Star Wars-films, Jaws and Raiders? Spielberg and Lucas must have had 6 or 7 films in Top 10.
Never mind…
All-time Worldwide from 1993 and before (Star Wars re-releases make this list inaccurate now, but something like this, E.T. re-release was a failure and made only 35M to change its position):
1. Jurassic Park
2. E.T.
3. Star Wars
4. The Empire Strikes Back
5. T2
6. Ghost
7. Aladdin
8. Home Alone
9. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
10. Jaws
Same with Domestic:
1. Star Wars
2. E.T.
3. Jurassic Park
4. Return of the Jedi
5. The Empire Strikes Back
6. Home Alone
7. Jaws
8. Batman
9. Raiders of the Lost Ark
10. Ghostbusters
Point being, Lucas and Spielberg together ruled until 1994 or so.
Bruce says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 9:44am
I agree Sasha, a Cameron, Spielberg, Lucas and Scorsese conversation would be extraordinary. Also, Lucas, Cameron and Spielberg are friends. In fact, Cameron offered each of them an invitation to the set to test the new technology in which both of them happily accepted. They both enjoyed the experience and had nothing but gratitude for Cameron and the technology. James just loves filmmaking and is very happy to be a part of such big films, he was a truck driver and after seeing Star Wars, that made him pursue films. Which IMO, is a great compliment to both Lucas and the industry.
Bruce says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 9:51am
In addition to #44. Cameron has this appeal to (outsiders) that he isn’t liked and hated in hollywood. However, that is a misconception. Cameron is very well liked in the industry and respected. Cameron in turn is respective towards all the others. Even his Globe speech about being in a room with such great people and they all deserve a round of applause is gracious. I really felt he meant that. Also, he has gone on record to say The Hurt Locker was brilliant and that Bigelow deserves Best Director. The two are still very good (working collaborators). In the end Cameron is just proud to be apart of the industry, and the industry is proud to have him. He may not be the pioneer of Wyler or Ford, but he is a modern day pioneer. That’s rare.
Zach says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 10:05am
Tarantino is so funny…”methology”? Did he just say that?
And “modern-day pioneer,” this and that, I swear, I have never heard so many people deify a director as they have this year with James Cameron. No question he is prolific and excellent at his craft. I’d just like to see Tarantino and Reitman get half the praise or buzz that either Cameron or Bigelow are receiving. At the end of the day, Reitman and Tarantino made the better films (and in Tarantino’s case, the production was not so less intense than what either Bigelow or Cameron conducted).
Craig says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 10:16am
I really don’t think anyone came across badly here. It’s just a group of people talking about what they do and what they love to do and I think it’s fascinating.
Loyal says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 10:18am
“At the end of the day, Reitman and Tarantino made the better films (and in Tarantino’s case, the production was not so less intense than what either Bigelow or Cameron conducted).”
That’s pretty hilarious and I love QT.
Adrianeki1984 says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 10:18am
Thanks a lot Bruce
#44 and #45 are both remarkable
Adrianeki1984 says:
Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 10:26am
Sorry everyone but I have to write it again
Avatar 2D is back in China !!!!
People of China said:
“We send them a message, that They can’t take whatever They want! Cause THIS IS OUR LAND!”
http://www.boxofficefollower.net/2010/01/avatar-2d-is-back-in-china.html#comments
BTW: I think Lucas, Spielberg and Cameron is the same big magnificent level of filmakers. We can not take them in a row