September 20th 2024.
As he looked back on his impressive career, renowned filmmaker James Cameron couldn't help but reflect on one particular movie that he now considers "pretty cringeworthy." Despite being the mastermind behind blockbuster hits like Avatar, Titanic, and Aliens, Cameron is his own biggest critic when it comes to his work.
The film in question is none other than The Terminator, which marked Cameron's breakthrough into the industry. At the time, he was a relatively unknown creative with a modest budget and a big dream. But against all odds, the film ended up grossing $78 million worldwide and kickstarting a successful franchise.
In a recent interview, Cameron didn't hold back when discussing his mixed feelings towards The Terminator. "I don't think of it as some Holy Grail, that's for sure," he admitted. "There are parts of it that are pretty cringe-worthy, but there are also parts where I think, 'Yeah, we did pretty well for the resources we had available.'"
Cameron specifically pointed to the production value as the aspect that causes him to doubt the film's success, rather than the dialogue or any other elements. "I have a lower cringe factor than, apparently, a lot of people do around the dialogue that I write," he explained.
To his harshest critics, Cameron added, "Let me see your three-out-of-the-four-highest-grossing films - then we'll talk about dialogue effectiveness." Despite his mixed feelings about the film, he still holds it dear to his heart as it was his first directing gig.
Interestingly, Cameron also revealed that the iconic role of the Terminator almost went to someone else. In fact, it was originally offered to OJ Simpson before Arnold Schwarzenegger was ultimately cast. "It was actually OJ Simpson that was the first cast Terminator," Arnold shared in a recent interview.
But Cameron felt that Simpson wasn't believable enough as a killing machine, so he took a chance on Arnold. And as we all know, it was a decision that paid off greatly for both the actor and the film.
This wasn't the only time that Cameron took a gamble on an unconventional choice for a lead role. He also almost passed on casting Kate Winslet as Rose in Titanic, as he felt her past in period dramas made her seem like a "lazy choice."
But thankfully, "wiser heads prevailed," and Winslet went on to deliver a powerful performance that earned her an Oscar nomination. As Cameron put it, she has a spark of life and confidence that brings her characters to life.
It's clear that Cameron is his own toughest critic, but his track record speaks for itself. And as he continues to make groundbreaking films, we can't wait to see what he'll bring to the screen next.
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