Cameron Calls Friday the 13th Part 3 “Bad 3D Horror”
Some of our visitors might be aware that the 3D boom in Hollywood is at an all time high. The 3D film truly is in a renaissance. Because of this, Avatar Director James Cameron holds the medium dear to his heart as he sees the new technology he helped create for the new age of 3D as something that can propel filmmaking into a new period in history. However, studios are going the cheap route and trying to cash in on the 3D craze.
Most recently, the remake of Clash of the Titans was bashed pretty hard for the post 3D conversion the film undertook to become a more marketable film to audineces. The post 3D conversion technique definitely leaves something to be desired as the auduence just does not get the full effect of the three-dimensional process. Productions that spend more money to film an entire movie in 3D most definitely produce a more enriched viewing experience. This is where this weeks article in Vanity Fair has sparked controversy in regards to Piranha 3D and in the process, called out Friday the 13th Part 3.
In an interview by Vanity Fair, James Cameron speaks out about ther post production 3D process and likens it to what he calls “cheapening the medium”
“Because it just cheapens the medium and reminds you of the bad 3D horror films from the ’70s and ’80s, like Friday The 13th 3D. When movies got to the bottom of the barrel of their creativity and at the last gasp of their financial lifespan, they did a 3-D version to get the last few drops of blood out of the turnip”
We all know that the Friday the 13th series is one big gimmick. The franchise was started as a gimmick and has lasted as long as it has because of the marketing the gimmick has created. It is just interesting to think that after all of these years, a major player in Hollywood references one of the backbones of the Friday the 13th franchise as his argument for what is wrong with 3D. It looks as though Sean Cunningham and Frank Mancuso Jr. knew what they were doing!
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I truly think Jim Cameron is one of the biggest asses in the film business today and I did not like Avatar. The man has forgotten that genre pictures like Piranha 2, Terminator and Aliens were how he got his start in the business to begin with. Now he is too good for that. What a jerk.
Friday The 13th Part 3 is a classic film in the horror genre.
In the same article Cameron rips the new Piranha 3D, which I loved and would put it high above Avatar in terms of a fun film that I enjoy. What was great is the producer of Piranha, Mark Canton, issued the following defense which is awesome.
Canton’s letter appears below in it’s unedited entirety:
As a producer in the entertainment industry, Jim Cameron’s comments on VanityFair.com are very disappointing to me and the team that made Piranha 3D. Mr. Cameron, who singles himself out to be a visionary of movie-making, seems to have a small vision regarding any motion pictures that are not his own. It is amazing that in the movie-making process - which is certainly a team sport - that Cameron consistently celebrates himself out as though he is a team of one. His comments are ridiculous, self-serving and insulting to those of us who are not caught up in serving his ego and his rhetoric.
Jim, are you kidding or what? First of all, let’s start by you accepting the fact that you were the original director of PIRANHA 2 and you were fired. Shame on you for thinking that genre movies and the real maestros like Roger Corman and his collaborators are any less auteur or impactful in the history of cinema than you. Martin Scorcese made Boxcar Bertha at the beginning of his career. And Francis Ford Coppola made Dimentia 13 back in 1963. And those are just a few examples of the talented and successful filmmakers whose roots are in genre films. Who are you to impugn any genre film or its creators?
Having been deeply involved, as either an executive or as a producer, on Tim Burton’s original BATMAN and the first MEN IN BLACK, as well as 300, and now IMMORTALS, one of the things that has been consistent about all of the filmmakers involved in these landscape-changing global films is that, in each and every case, all of the directors were humbled by their predecessors, their colleagues and by their awareness of the great history of film that came before them. The enjoyment and the immersion of an audience in a movie theatre, as they had and will have with the above-mentioned films, and as audiences are experiencing with PIRNAHA 3D now, comes from the originality and the vision of the filmmaker, and not just from the creation of the technology. You as much as anyone certainly knows that there are many pieces to the puzzle. Going to the movies still remains, arguably, amongst the best communal experiences that human beings can share.
My sense is that Mr. Cameron has never seen PIRANHA 3D…certainly not in a movie theatre with a real audience. Jim, we invite you to take that opportunity and experience the movie in a theatre full of fans - fans for whom this movie was always intended to entertain.
Does Mr. Cameron have no idea of the painstaking efforts made by the talented young filmmaker Alex Aja and his team of collaborators? Clearly, and this one is a good bet, he has no clue as to how great and how much of a fun-filled experience the audiences who have seen the film in 3D have enjoyed. Those of us who have tried to stay in touch with the common movie audiences - the ones who really matter, the ones who actually still go to the theatre, put on the glasses, and eat the popcorn - take joy and pride in the fact that movies of all kinds, including PIRANHA 3D, have a place in filmmaking history - past, present and future. 3D unto itself is not a genre Jim, it is a tool that gives audiences an enhanced experience as they experience all kinds of movies. I believe Mr. Cameron did not see PIRANHA 3D either with any real audience or not at all. On opening weekend, I was in a Los Angeles theatre with a number of today’s great film makers including JJ Abrams, who actually had nothing short of the fabulous, fun 3D experience that the movie provides. I am fortunate enough to have worked on, and continue to work on, evolutionary movies in all formats from just simple good story telling, which still matters most of all, to CG movies to tent-pole size 3D movies, and genre 3D movies like PIRANHA 3D.
What it comes down to, Jim, is - that like most things in life - size doesn’t really matter. Not everyone has the advantage of having endless amounts of money to play in their sandbox and to take ten years using other people’s money to make and market a film… like you do. Why can’t you just count your blessings? Why do you have to drop Marty Scorsese’s or Tim Burton’s names, both gentlemen who I have personally worked with, and who have enjoyed great joy and success with movies of all genres and sizes well before the advent of modern 3D? Then as now, they were like kids in a candy store recognizing, far beyond your imagination, the possibilities of storytelling and originality.
For the record, before you just totally dismiss PIRANHA 3D and all, in your opinion, worthless genre movies that actually undoubtedly gave you the ability to start your career, you should know that PIRANHA 3D had an 82% \fresh\ (positive) ratting on Rotten Tomatoes on opening day - a web site that all the studios, filmmakers and the public use as a barometer of what makes a quality film.
We know that PIRANHA 3D has not achieved a boxoffice that is on the level of many of Mr. Cameron’s successes. To date, PIRANHA 3D has earned over $30 million around the globe with #1 openings in several countries. And, as the \fresh\ rating on Rotten Tomatoes indicates, critics and many, many others have embraced and celebrated PIRANHA 3D for the fun and entertaining - and even smart - movie-going experience that it is.
Let’s just keep this in mind Jim… you did not invent 3D. You were fortunate that others inspired you to take it further. The simple truth is that I had nothing but good things to say about AVATAR and my own experience since I actually saw it and didn’t damn someone else’s talent publicly in order to disassociate myself from my origins in the business from which we are all very fortunate. To be honest, I found the 3D in AVATAR to be inconsistent and while ground breaking in many respects, sometimes I thought it overwhelmed the storytelling. Technology aside, I wish AVATAR had been more original in its storytelling.
We have to inspire, teach and mentor this next generation of filmmakers. It is garbage to suggest that any film or any filmmaker who cannot afford to work to your standards should be dissuaded from following his or her craft by not making 3D movies or not making movies like DISTRICT 9, for example, which probably cost the amount of AVATAR’s craft services budget, but totally rocked it in the movie theatre and in the marketplace. In that case, it was not a 3D movie. But had it been, it certainly would not have been any less original or impactful. The enormous worldwide success of AVATAR has been good in all respects for you, your financiers, your distributors and the industry, as well as for the movie going public. Jim, there is a difference between Maestro which is a word that garners respect, and Dictator or Critic which are words better left for others who are not in our mutual boat or on our team. You are one of the best, it is reasonable to think that you should dig deeper and behave like it. Young directors should be inspired by you, not publicly castigated by your mean-spirited and flawed analysis.
While we are all awed by your talents and your box office successes - and I compliment you on all of them - why don’t you rethink how you address films with which you are not involved? You should be taking the high road that is being travelled by so many of your peers, and pulling with them to ensure that we, as an industry, will have a continuum of talented filmmakers that will deliver a myriad of motion pictures both big and small, with 3D or any other technologies yet to come that will entertain audiences throughout the world. That is the challenge that we face. That is the future that we should deliver.
Please go see PIRANHA 3D in a theatre near you.
Aside from the fact that Part 3 was the most successful 3D movie of all time when it came out should mean something.
Yeah James….because 3D was never a cheap gimmick before. He also bashed Piranha 3D in that article…pretty big words from someone who’s first movie was “Piranha 2: The Spawning” a film about killer flying fish. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of Cameron…but the guy seriously has his head up his ass sometimes.
Avatar was fucking boring! Cameron needs to spend 400 million dollars just to make a movie, where is the talent and creativity in that?
Let’s be honest. Part 3 is a film that can be labeled as being generic horror - the previous films have had the same formula - killer offing people one by one. However there is something about Part 3 that make’s it the favorite film of the series for a lot of the fans including myself - yes, the film has some bad dialogue/acting it, but take it for what it is - a horror film that was made to make money. The film is a fun film to watch and has some eerie moments in it - everything in the film seems to fit in my opinion and seeing it in 3-D is awesome (not the latest DVD’s since they’re not true 3-D - ie: red and blue glasses). So as long as you like the film that’s all that matters. No one is taking Part 3 away from anyone - if anything, him talking about Friday the 13th Part 3 will possibly make more people check it out. Who knows? Cameron is a terrific filmmaker and Terminator was one of his best films - a classic 80s horror film that had a lot of soul and passion put into making it.
In another article the Spooge Smuggler tried to compare Benicio Del Toro’s upcoming “Mountains of Madness” as the biggest scope of horror since his own “Aliens”. This guy is just too damn full of himself. Avatar was just OK at best when I finally watched it and now he’s milking this again and next year the almighty Cameron feels he’s blessing us with releasing “Titanic” in 3D. What an asshole.
Not to mention that I read somewhere that his beloved Avatar was POST Conversion 3D. Added after the movie was shot giving it that ‘pop up book’ feel. That to me isn’t real 3D! I went to see Avatar and came out feeling cheated that nothing was popping out off the screen at me. It wasn’t a bad movie and just ok but it didn’t need to be in 3D. James obviously went the ‘gimmick’ route like everyone else as well so I don’t know what he is talking about. Now releasing Titanic in 3D? Come on, he is using the gimmick thing to his advantage again. Movies not shot in 3d and using post conversion do not have the same feel as films that are shot in 3d. My bloody Valentine 3d was shot in 3d and one can tell. It had great 3d effects. As for Friday the 13th Part 3, I saw it theaters in 3D and it was excellent in 3D too and it was far superior as a ‘movie’ in general than that Piranha 2: The Spawning Mr. Cameron was signed to do. He needs to get off his high horse. Some directors reach the big time and forget where they came from and forget their roots and begin to bash their humble beginnings as well as bash movies they shouldn’t be bashing.
James Cameron says about Post 3d:
“Because it just cheapens the medium and reminds you of the bad 3D horror films from the ’70s and ’80s, like Friday The 13th 3D. When movies got to the bottom of the barrel of their creativity and at the last gasp of their financial lifespan, they did a 3-D version to get the last few drops of blood out of the turnip”
That’s what this idiot is doing with Titanic and did with Avatar!!! What a f’ing hypocrite!
Love that Thai poster!!
This guy should not be talking because his career started with a genre movie Piranha 2: The Spawning and now his bashing the remake of Piranha. And first of all let’s get this clear 3D IS a Gimmick wether or not filmakers say that they don’t use 3D to attract more audience and make more $$$$$. And Cameron is praising himself to much I have not seen Avatar and I don’t intend on seeing Avatar but him using 3D for his movie his proving himself wrong and not having any consistency in anything that he’s saying. And there is no doubt in my mind that if anybody is a real horror fan you should support Piranha 3D just so that people like Cameron who like to critize and forgets that movies like Piranha and Friday the 13th: Part 3 (my favorite in the series by the way) gave him a start in his movie career, can keep the’re mouth shut.
I’m liking James less and less as the years go by.
Avatar was pretty much boring.
Titanic was only fun when it hit the iceburg (boring up until then).
Aliens 2 was nothing but frakin’ gun battles (Ridley’s original was so much better).
Granted T2 I liked a lot better than T1.
He’s so rich and spoiled. He used to be talented without huge budgets and humble.
what would Friday the 13th Part 3 be like if it had a 400 million dollar budget???
James Cameron needs to drink the kool-aid provided. Nuff said.
Am i the only person in the whole world who hasnt seen Avatar,i wouldnt give that egotistical twat a penny.
Cameron hasn’t made a decent movie since T2.
F13 Part 3 is timeless. It is Citizen Kane compared to Piranha 2.
James Cameron is just the guy with the latest special effect. Avatar was billed as having ground-breaking 3D. Seemed like half of it wasn’t even in 3D. What was ground-breaking again? Nothing? The movie was trite and forgettable like everything he’s done since the 80s. Anyone remember the Abyss? It had the floating water effect and that’s about it.
On a different note, I don’t think the fake 3D is all that bad. They need to release all the Friday the 13ths in fake 3D!!! Please!!!!
Friday the 13th part 3 (one of my top two faves) was made in 83 FOR 3-D. Alot of these other films are being translated to 3-D not shot for it.
My Bloody Valentine was shot for 3-D. Pirhanna 3-D-shot for 3-D. Friday the 13th part 3-D-shot for 3-D. Only those horror flicks seem to be getting the 3-D right. It’s these other flicks like Clash of the Titans or The Last Air Bender that 3-D is later added, making these flicks dark in places and ugly to boot. Friday isn’t perfect, but at least it was made to be 3-D, not capitalizing on a trendy Hollywood gimmick, but actually helping to revitalize it.
Okay, so an over-bloated asshole with an ego the size of America’s forign debt mentions Friday the 13th part 3-D as an example of bad 3-D horror. Fuck him!!! It’s cheesy goondess that tops fucking Avatar for this Friday hound any day.
Is it just me or do any of you think Friday Part 3 on Bluray is fucking awesome in 3D. Sure you have the old school glasses, but the 3D effects are so pronounced on my Sony LCD.
Piranha 3D wasn’t actually shot in 3D, it was added later (which is what he was bitching about). I’m not sure if he realizes that they worked on adding the 3D for a year after the film was completed to make it the best it could be. I’m pretty sure they didn’t spend that much time on COTT or TLA. Piranha 3D was a awesome movie experience and I loved it.
I’m no James Cameron fan, I haven’t seen Avatar simply because it doesn’t interest me. I agree with whoever said he’s more interested in the latest effect than an actual good story. (Same could probably said about George Lucas nowadays.)
In regards to the F13th 3D reference…I think he was way off base to single out F13th in the 3D boom of the early 80s. F13th pioneered that type of 3D technology in 80s, going so far as outfitting theaters with special screens and projectors. If they wanted to do a quick hack job (no pun intended) they could have simply used the crappy red blue 3D technology already available. But no, they went so far as to create a new type of 3D to make something special that no one had seen before (sound familiar, James?)
His point would have been more accurate had he mentioned one of the films that followed F13th-namely Jaws 3D or Amityville 3D, both of which utilized the 3D process created for F13th.
Everyone that knows Cameron says he’s an ass, including Linda Hamilton. The guy is an egomaniac. He thinks he’s so great but Cameron does these big budget films with epic special effects but cookie-cutter story lines. Titanic and Avatar were both ho-hum, cliche-ridden romance films when you strip away the computers. He’s so infatuated with technology the guy forgot how to write an original plot.
James Cameron is annoying. I really dig his movies, especially Terminator, but his head is just too big. Avatar cost more than 20+ movies combined. Ridiculous?
It really makes no sense that he calls out Friday the 13th Part 3D. Technology changes a little in 30 years. You have to start somewhere. Besides that, If he’s gonna call out a movie….call out Jaws 3D. That movie was terrible! Really lame 3D.
Just recently I read an article about him trashing Star Wars and Lucas, and now this. He must think his shit don’t stink.
If he really thinks f13 part 3 is that bad then let him try and remake it with the budget they had back in the 80’s!!!! for 21st centery!!! THEN WE WILL SEE WHOS AN BUMWIPE!!!
If it wasnt MADE by him then, they all suck! Well you are 100% wrong there twit!!!
I haven’t seen a film of his since T2, I thought the idea of turning a tragedy (the titanic) into a love story, was completely shameless. I also thought the idea of Avatar was bullshit, a 500 million dollar film, that idiots drive to in droves and pretend they’re saving the earth, ugh. I’d much rather watch Piranha 3-d, than anything he’s done.
I never saw avatar or wanted too. If he is bashing friday the 13th 3-d. Thats were 3-d started and gettin people interested in movies in 3-d. Easy one of the most popular movies in 3-d period. Bashing the early stages of 3-d? I guess he hates throw away flash buld cameras cause gives a d-slr a bad name. If he seriously bashed lucas. Cameron wouldn’t have any of this toys and movies wouldn’t be were there at today if it wasn’t for lucas.
Go take a other 10+ year break you won’t be missed and make sure to watch more movies out there. You were busy watching dances with wolves. T2 and first aliens were great but I give that to the actors not cameron.
if james cameron is a good storyteller, then that dump i just took must be art…
Cameron needs to remember where he came from - Escape from New York, anyone? It’s completely unfair to use F13 3D as an example of “cheapening the medium.” I mean, which films that came before PArt 3 are examples of masterpieces? 3D is a gimmick no matter which movie it’s used in. It has no practical purpose except to offer the audience an eye popping thrill ride. 3D doesn’t help propel the story forward - as everyone saw in Avatar, which is a basically Dances with Wolves in space. The guy wrote a story that an 8th grader could’ve come up with. That’s why I’m so happy his ex-wife kicked his ass at the Oscars last year.
Escape from New York is John Carpenter movie. Dont lower him to James Cameron level!
I don’t know why everyone’s so upset here, Friday The 13th Part 3 is a bad movie, we know that right? I mean I love it for the ending and the fact that Jason gets his mask but it is a terrible horror movie. And the 3D effects were pittiful. Nevertheless, I doubt you can compare the available 3D technique nowadays with that of 30 years ago. Now if he was trashing Part 2 or 4, then I’ld disagree with him. But I still wouldn’t type 4 pages of rant in the comment section here.
This coming from the same guy that directed Titanic and believes in global warming… If Cameron is so damn good, why did it take him until 2024 to direct a 3d film?
So far, Cameron hasn’t sent a T-850 to my house to destroy my multiple copies of Friday the 13th part 3. If that happens, I will demand he get me a new copy AND let me keep the robot.
James Cameron can eat the peanuts out my butt brownies. I don’t think the 3D was utilized enough for Friday the 13th, but it wasn’t the worst thing. Cameron thinks he is the master of all.If we’re going to talk horrible 3D in horror, My Bloody Valentine. The movie was garbage…and it was 3D garbage after that.
You know I like Camerons early work like The Terminator and Aliens. But I havent seen Avatar still, and Im in no hurry to see it. I think its alot of Hollywood hype like Twilight. And how dare He bash FT13th part 3. That was one of the 3-D films that paved the way for future 3-D titles. And I still want to see Piranha 3-D. James Cameron needs to climb aboard the Titanic right before it hits the iceberg.
Avatar sucked the story is waaaaayy to familiar
I liked Avatar & Titanic…not the best in the world, but I enjoyed them…
For him to call out Part 3 is annoying. It was the biggest, most high profile 3D movie of it’s time, filmed completely in 3D. Yes it was a B movie, but so what? Yes, the 3D is probably what drove a lot of the traffic at the time, but it was also the #1 movie when it opened and kicked “E.T.” from the top spot. That’s pretty high profile in my opinion. And, as stated before, was the highest grossing 3D movie ever, for what, 20 years or so?
25 years from now some other director will be trashing Cameron, so it will end up poetic in the end.
At least it didn’t keep introducing a new sub plot every five minutes. Of course the 3D portions don’t so good today Cameron, it was 19fucking82! Today all this 3D crap can be made to orgasmic due to the advances in the technology made for it. And for the record: Avatar was not great, Titanic was the worst 4 hours of my life. The next you make a film remind people you were involved on these films: Aliens, The Terminator, T2, and possibly True Lies and The Abyss, which was weird as hell. And you know why those were great? Because the story and effects had taken time for writting not for developing new crap for them.
BOOOOO!!!!!!!!!
Jason W, what about Escape from New York? No one on this board should ever start trashing John Carpenter. Escape from New York is a classic as well as, The Thing 1982, The Fog 1979, Halloween 1978, not Rob Zombie’s horrible remake, and sequel to his remake. John Carpenter has made better movies with a few bad movies, like Ghost of Mars, Escape from La. My point is James Cameron is so full of himself and needs to retire from making movies. Next Year he wants to release Titanic in 3-d. Who the ***k cares about seeing another movie about a tragic event. Cameron hasn’t made a great movie since True Lies.
I disagree with anybody who says Friday the 13th 3 is a “bad movie”. It’s just as good as Halloween, Psycho and all of the other respected horror films… And the acting isn’t “bad”, it’s way better than Psycho, and Dana is way better than Jamie…
Friday the 13th 3-d is an awesome movie, especially when you can watch it the way that it was filmed in stereoscopic 3-d. I wish paramount could re-release Friday the 13th 3-d on dvd and bluray in stereoscopic 3-d .The red/blue 3d version that they released was a horrible way to say to the fans that they gave the fans what they asked for.
Maybe with all this 3-d craze in Hollywood, Paramount could re-release Friday the 13th 3d in theaters for a limited engagement.
There was nothing wrong with making F13th 3 into a 3-D film cause it made money at the box office for its time. Now it seems like after Avatar every film has to be in 3-D to be honest, he should’ve said, “Why are they copying me and releasing movies in 3-D? They should play follow the leader!” 3-D films now are too damn expensive, I’d rathe see them in 2-D and be charged less. Our Movie Theatre here in our town is being remolded so it can have more screens,plus cater to the 3-D craze more than ever! I wish the 3-D craze out now would stop cause I don’t wanna pay close to 20 bucks or more for a film and a pair of glasses!
There was nothing wrong with making F13th 3 into a 3-D film cause it made money at the box office for its time. Now it seems like after Avatar every film has to be in 3-D to be honest, he should’ve said, “Why are they copying me and releasing movies in 3-D? They shouldn’t play follow the leader!” 3-D films now are too damn expensive, I’d rathe see them in 2-D and be charged less. Our Movie Theatre here in our town is being remolded so it can have more screens,plus cater to the 3-D craze more than ever! I wish the 3-D craze out now would stop cause I don’t wanna pay close to 20 bucks or more for a film and a pair of glasses!
wow, John F. really believes Avatar was made into 3d post production? Wow, have you been living under a rock for the last decade? A month after Titanic won all its oscars Cameron announced his next project: Avatar in 3D.
I’d hardly call Friday the 13th 3-D a bad film it’s a well known fact that this film is said to be one of the best in the franchise…I agree, it’s one of my favorites. (Really Cameron) not so sure why he thinks he has claims over 3-D movies,(Guy needs to deflate his ego a bit) what just because Avatar was a hit…I haven’t seen it, I don’t really care to. So, he can go make his little special 3-D movies and capitalize on it like all of Hollywood and I’ll keep enjoying watching classic 3-D movies like Friday the 13th 3-D because for me, I see it as a novelty idea (F3-D) more than a way to make more money.