On Mar 29, 8:31 am, Joseph DeMartino  wrote:
> On Mar 28, 7:21 pm, Duggy  wrote:
>
>
>
> > True, but it has gained fame as one of the "influences"
of Terminator.
>
> I don't think we need the scare quotes around "influences".  The
> production company added a credit for Harlan Ellison on "The
> Terminator" as part of the settlement of a lawsuit - which they did
> with ill-grace and in the most minimal fashion possible.  As I recall
> the film "acknowledges the works of Harlan Ellison."  Works, plural,
> because Cameron lifted elements from both "Demon with a Glass Hand"
> and "Soldier" (another Ellison short story adapted for THE TWILIGHT
> ZONE.)
>
> Cameron called Ellison a "parasite", but the fact remains that Cameron
> is a technically profiicient hack who has never had a truly original
> idea in his life as far as I can tell, and as a writer isn't fit to
> carry Ellison's spare typewriter ribbons.  (The thing that made
> "Terminator" such a success was casting Ah-nuld as the android - which
> wasn't Cameron's plan.  He wanted Arnold as the hero and a nondescript
> actor to play the Terminator.  Arnold saw that he was better suited to
> the villain role and a franchise was born.)  Avatar is "Dances with
> Wolves" in blue-face.  I think the only reason Michael Blake hasn't
> sued is that he wants to keep working in Hollywood.  Ellison doen't
> care.
More to the point, Cameron had said in public that the two "Outer
Limits" episodes were behind "The Terminator". That was what, quite
naturally, set H.E. off. If Cameron thinks that this makes H.E. a
"parasite" -- well, people have queer (and usually self-serving)
notions about such things. Charles Reade used to fulminate mightily
about people who adapted his novels to the stage without paying him,
but vociferously defended his own right to translate French novels
without any royalties going to the original authors.
It would be ridiculous, though, not to admit that Cameron makes
damfine flicks all the same, and "Avatar" is one of them. Just don't
look for profundity or originality of concept; his talents lie
elsewhere.
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