The Darker Side of James Cameron

With James Cameron's Avatar The Way of Water looking like another box office hit, we wanted to take a look at a darker side of the director not many people know of. The tea cart flipping, no bathroom breaks, pushing actors to the extreme side of him that is known all around the industry. James Cameron often is under pressure with pushing film and technology farther than any other director, but this pressure fuels his temper.
In this video we'll be going over his past productions that have been notorious for his behaviour. Aliens, The Abyss, True Lies and the Titanic are all full of production stories detailing James Cameron's antics on set. Although he's since mellowed out, and lives up to his arrogant reputation, we wanted to take a chronological deep dive on some of these stories.
Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
01:16 - Aliens Hate Tea
04:15 - Drowning in an Abyss of Piss
07:46 - Bathroomless Titanic
10:55 - Reconciliation?
James Cameron. The Terminator. Aliens. The Abyss. Terminator 2: Judgment Day. True Lies. Titanic. Avatar. Avatar The Way of Water. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Sam Worthington. Ed Harris. Kathryn Bigelow. Piranha 2: The Spawning. Alien. Ridley Scott. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. Kate Winslet. Leonardo DiCaprio.
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#jamescameron #aliens #titanic

[@DannySuls]

I love the line "You can't scare me, I work for James Cameron." 🤣

[@isabellind1292]

I hope his exes don't have T-shirts "You can't scare me, I slept w/James Cameron."

[@thefearofg0ds758]

It's weird to think that he's still managed to develope friendships with his cast and crew despite of all his onset antics. Him and Arnold got into a lot of arguments in their movies together and not only did he return for more of Cameron's films, they're still friends to this day lol. Same with Sigourney Weaver.

[@TechnologicallyTechnical]

and two of his actors ended up marrying the guy

[@CHMichael]

I wonder if it's like match sailing. You scream at each other and when it's over everyone is friends again. ( substitute any other team sport)

[@richardfilanderer]

Arnold strikes me as a guy who would respect the shit out of someone who talks back to him.

[@TechnologicallyTechnical]

@@richardfilanderer According to Tom Arnold, one day on the set of True Lies, Cameron was giving Arnold crap for being several hours late to set. Afterwards, Tom went up to Arnie and said something like "Why didn't you let him have it?" to which Arnold responded "Because he was right"

[@Prin_Cess_007]

Yes because you don’t bite the hand that feeds you…

[@shabbysnubtide3339]

The cast of The Abyss took to referring to the movie as “The Abuse”.

[@forrest.0569]

I met somebody who worked closely with him on two of his films. There wasn't a single person on set who didn't hate Cameron, in fact one thing which brought everybody together was their contempt for him

[@Pooreditz]

Lol just watched a video on "Abyss" and he literally said himself "I knew the crew would eventually grow to hate me" and that it would help the movie or something.

[@4Everlast]

And where are they now? Art requires sacrifice. If "working" on a film with a true artist, what should we say, doing shitty jobs, for little to nothing under morons no one ever heard about, doing shit no one cares nor will notice? Cameron is tough but people get spoiled easily.

[@forrest.0569]

@@4Everlast being an artist doesn’t warrant being a tyrant to those below you in the hollywood food chain

[@4Everlast]

@@forrest.0569 That goes without saying. He's just a person, and being a working, respected film director requires madness, balls, devotion and a long uncompromising vision, besides inhuman stubbornness that gets often mistaken for an ego. Film making is work, like no other. People don't say it's one of the hardest jobs there are, for a reason. Literally everything and everyone depends on you and your ability to translate your vision on the big screen through the hands of a 100 other people who want their "tea breaks". Did he go overboard at times? Probably. I'm sure he didn't scream at people who were quiet doing their job. Imagine coming to work with the weight of the world on your shoulders and your coworkers are wearing F you shirts? He's making magic, while to most of them it was just another job.

[@Rumor.]

@@forrest.0569 its not a tyrant its a hardworker and he demands the actors to give 100 per cent on film.

[@ingvarhallstrom2306]

Ron Howard was an actor for twenty years before he began making films, I'd bet he treats his cast and crew they way he wanted directors to treat him as an actor.

[@Whoa802]

Shame that he's a complete and utter hack, though.

[@andrewmcgrath8521]

@@Whoa802 Same goes for Cameron. Different style, same outcome.

[@Whoa802]

@@andrewmcgrath8521 Cameron's leagues above Howard. Cameron may not be the deepest or most original filmmaker out there, but he is an outstanding director for action films and for blockbusters. Howard on the other hand, is just a work-for-hire, yes man, run-of-the-mill hack.

[@shayanahmed7132]

And Howard's a talented director too. Loved the hell out of Cinderella Man and Rush

[@deadstar44]

Ron Howard has never made blockbusters that literally revolutionized Hollywood like Cameron though. So pampering pompous divas don't make great movies either. Howard is an inoffensive journeyman and yes man kowtowing to Hollywood big wigs, Cameron is a bold Artist and innovator that make Hollywood big wigs bow to his knees.

[@TheBermudaMan]

Guys...just imagine if Klaus Kinski was ever cast in a James Cameron movie. Talk about an unstoppable force colliding with an immovable object.

[@Namibiets]

Oh dear. I am sure one of them would not have survived till the end of filming. Or, they might have become the best friends ever :)

[@cane6074]

It would be fun to see them clash and go at it!

[@oldbittercraig3513]

You talked about The Abyss but somehow without bringing up the crew's alt-name for the project, The Abuse.

[@VegetarianZombie]

There was another crew shirt that was, "Life's an abyss, and then you're terminated".

[@tronam]

I do find it interesting that actors like Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Kate Winslet and others keep returning to play in James Cameron's sandbox, despite his demanding reputation. These are all mensches that everyone seems to like working with and don't have a history of on-set drama. Maybe they enjoy the challenge and appreciate his 110% attitude toward everything? It's hard to say. Perfectionists do to tend to appreciate and empathize with other perfectionists. One thing you can't say about Cameron though is that he doesn't give it his all. He's always been a very in-the-trenches kind of director and if you see any behind the scenes footage of Titanic, he is right there in the middle of it with all the actors directing his ass off, willing to be up to his neck in water alongside them. It's hard not to respect that.

[@kelownatechkid]

There's clearly so much respect there. Kate Winslet came back all these years later after Titanic and had nothing but good things to say about the production of A2

[@Widur42]

Is far as i have heard from many interviews, he is always pushing his actors to perform the best they can, but he is always by far the most hard working person on set and thats why he is so respected by certain types of actors. He leads by example.

[@imotogin]

@@Widur42 As much as I agree with leading by example argument, it wouldn't be enough to justify 1/10 of what people easily accuse Cameron of in such vids. What I think, he's simply NOT as bad as people are trying to paint him. Stomping on others egos bc they can't keep up with him? Yes, definitely. Pushing people to their physical limits? Of course. But arrogance? I don't think (considering the results). Definitely not disrespectful and not violent.

[@Widur42]

@@imotogin I didn't really try to defend him honestly. I just think he is extremely passionate about what he is doing and for most people a pretty bad boss. There are just some extremist actors that actually kinda like working with him, maybe because they learn so much from him. At least he doesn't seem to criminally mistreat actors (you know what i'm talking about) like many others have been accused to be doing.

[@imotogin]

@@Widur42 I'm on his side 100% tho.

[@jamessealy9510]

Getting a good picture is never an excuse for abusive behavior. I’ve delt with someone almost exactly like this, no bathroom breaks and all. I don’t care how successful he is, he has no excuse to be abusive.

[@ErikBramsen]

Nobody forces them to work for Cameron. They're paid gigabucks to be in iconic movies. Cry me a river.

[@bobo8868]

“Bad acting call the police” funniest thing that ever came out of James Cameron’s mouth. The entire T-shirt is it gold mine.

[@highstepper9726]

Actually he said,' Cut, cut, whoa, call the acting police!' Directed at Eddie Furlong during a dramatic moment. I was standing right there. There were a few chuckles from the crew as well as raised eyebrows but it hit home & Eddie got it right on the next take. Sometimes his truth could be brutal. To this day i use that term when I see a bad performance.

[@Rallosz]

I don't think the way he behaved was necessary at all. But, you can't deny his results. Very informative and well edited. Excellent video 👀

[@FilmStack]

Thanks for comment, means a lot!

[@stellviahohenheim]

it's okay to abuse people as long as the studio makes money 😂😂😂

[@ashroskell]

I agree with that on all of those movies, with the exception of the Aliens crew. I have the receipts, so to speak, as does anyone who owns that special box set of four Alien movies, which each came with that second disc of extra features. They interviewed everyone for that, including those crew members. And they are still belligerent, petty jobsworths in those interviews. Their attitudes stank and they would just drop everything at the smallest excuse, no matter how difficult or complex the shot was, or how much time, work and effort it would take to get back to that point. They hang themselves, in my opinion, with their obvious decision to hate Cameron before they’d met him, and acted like they wanted to sabotage the movie for some inexplicable reason. As a Brit, I’m also angry at them for damaging the reputation of the British studio industry and all but ruining Pinewood, singlehandedly, causing the loss of jobs and money, by souring relations with Hollywood and making them look elsewhere for cheap studios to shoot in. I would have fired them all, if I had been in Cameron’s shoes. Of course, the tea trolly incident was unacceptable, as that was an innocent bystander and not the target of Cameron’s rage. Indeed, those spiteful little pr*cks probably claimed the incident as a victory. But, if we were hearing a story about how Cameron lost it and punched out a union leader, I would be at least understanding, if not agreement.

[@o-wolf]

Ill never take any of these one-sided criticisms of Cameron seriously for a few reasons.. everyone even the ppl who HAD THE WORST times on his sets (most of them abyss for obvious reasons) have spoken of their immense respect for the man.. because unlike most other dictatorial directors he's willing to/usually does put himself through every ounce of the suffering he asks his actors to go through

[@AntiSocialismo50]

Yeah, a slavery owner being cruel, but you can't deny the results...

[@Jurassic56]

He's a good director, but I have no time for this mentality that the end justifies the means. Denying toilet breaks is nothing short of an abuse of power - this is why we need Unions.

[@princeofdarkness4711]

The older and poorer you get, ironically you get sympathetic to that idea that the end justifies the means, while the Richer you get, the more mellowed out you get, but you be seen as weak as Unions stagnated skills. Humans are a breed not meant for a comfortable life, we get consumed by ego and complacency. Some will work to the day they die willingly, the nature of a perfectionist.

[@francoisleveille409]

There's an old saying "harmony is more important than the objective". Hope Cameron learned it.

[@amanofnoreputation2164]

It is reported that James Cameron's motivation for visiting the most hostile location on Earth at the bottom of the Mariana trench was that he had acclimatized to being under bone-crushing pressure and needed some place to chill out before he worked on Avatar 2, otherwise he'd get the bends from depressurizing too quickly. With that out of the way, he could safely mellow out his directing style.

[@huntermctotahypnosiscrew6211]

WoW

[@SurvivingAnotherDay]

That was so long winded it wasn’t even funny

[@alpenjon]

Thanks for the laugh 😅

[@SurvivingAnotherDay]

Schizo comments be like

[@jimk5447]

I've read stories about allot of those things, he's a damn good director but geez no bathroom break for 10 hrs. That stuff wouldn't go over these days.

[@kaidiekaidie1825]

That is bullshit.

[@buffaloshrimp4520]

Honestly I would bet a pay check the worst day on James Cameron’s set is better than the worst day in retail

[@judsongaiden9878]

Retail, office, manufacturing. They're all the same. They're all miserable. (Speaking from experience.)

[@walterwhite1]

So true 😊

[@Sharpe1502]

For real. At least they were getting paid more than $10 to have no bathroom breaks. 😊

[@enotsnavdier6867]

I don't think that you almost drown in retail

[@judsongaiden9878]

@@enotsnavdier6867 Focus on the spiritual damage, not the physical.

[@simransidhu3444]

Cameron felt restricted by cast and crew in a physical space, so he got rid of everyone and and everything, and made his film in one fully controllable virtual set where he can hand everything off to CG teams.

[@SpielSatzFail]

and insult the CG team next

[@simransidhu3444]

@@SpielSatzFail, naturally 😄

[@ShindlerReal]

Jim: let's have bathroom breaks this time Film takes 13 years to make.

[@foskco87]

Not to excuse abusive behaviour... but Cameron has said in interviews that he often had person self doubt and fear of not being successful while directing his films. Films like T2 or Titanic where production companies were trusting him with literally hundreds of millions of dollars and he was worried he wouldn't succeed could explain his behaviour. He was desperate, he was running over budget, past deadlines and had to do everything in his power to push harder and get more done. Critics were already calling Titanic a flop while he was only halfway through filming it. Desperation causes people to behave desperately. It is also not uncommon for artistic geniuses and perfectionists to behave like that. Look at Buddy Rich, the dude would completely lose his shit if his band had an off night, because it was HIS reputation that would take the hit.

[@rawrisiloveuindinify]

No bathroom breaks is ridiculous

[@officialmonarchmusic]

Ik I have to go every 45 minutes at least

[@FilmStack]

He wouldn't like you too much 😅

[@officialmonarchmusic]

@@FilmStack Yeah, I don’t think we’d get along

[@lusandantintili8668]

"Jim's a hands-on director and I have the scars to prove it" is the peak T shirt slogan💀💀

[@MrAnt728]

In short, we're all human, we all have our darker side, but we can't make perfect films like him :(

[@MrAnt728]

@@ThaUltimateHunter We're talking objectively, but yeah

[@hallaja8338]

And image how much worse it must've been for the crew.. :/ directors always treat actors better then crew members

[@forgottenmma3694]

Did you not read all the Shirts the crew made. Look at the T2 shirt

[@Resimaster]

I've met a couple of actors who've worked with Cameron and the general concensus was that he's tough but incredibly driven and it really shows in the quality of the work he produces. He's a filmmaking genius and proud of his achievements, but it's good to see that he's also more open-minded and respectful now, as being the best also requires being humble too.

[@cineverse2644]

But what about people like Spielberg, Villeneuve, Scott or Jackson or Nolan where they don’t exhibit this behavior and still make incredible works. I think you, people like you, his actors & James are just making excuses

[@TititoDeBologay]

@@cineverse2644 the whole suffering for arts🙄. Tbf He's no David O. Russell who's just a scum of a human being, in and out of the studio. But that thought process, excuses a lot of Bastardry and violation of workers right.

[@5wheels178]

Would a film be of lesser quality if the actors were allowed to take bathroom breaks?

[@chrish.9788]

I think I read a story Ben Affleck did a prank relating to switching out a camera lens during Fincher's Gone Girl. Apparently Fincher caught it right away while reviewing the footage, which is like incredible. Fincher has an uncanny eye for detail apparently. Never heard of him being a dictator on set.

[@JorgeTorres-tl7vo]

@@chrish.9788he doesn’t have to be. It’s the 100 takes that breaks the actors.

[@filmreviewer117]

Cameron is a attention to detail type of guy and if he doesn't get something exact he will let you know. The way he says it is why crew hated working with him, thats the difference between him and someone like Fincher, who know how to communicate. Still, glad he's able to admit now, shows signs of growth.

[@drewo.127]

My thoughts exactly! I’m a creative person who is very detail oriented and even I admit that no amount of artistic integrity is worth the sanity, safety, and respect of others! However, this doesn’t just apply to directors or actors, but everyone! I don’t care if you are the director, a VFX artist, or an on-site janitor…no one should treat others or be treated the same way people like Cameron, Kinski, or Kubrick treated their teams!

[@filmreviewer117]

@@drewo.127 Agreed. There are ways to tell people you to do something you like in a respectful way and that is how people should do it in everything.

[@johnprudent3216]

Heard this stuff since Titanic. Some of it I get. He’s creating something and wants it to be the best it can possibly be. So he feels the need to maintain control of his process and vision at every stage. As an artist I get it and understand. But not at the cost of another person’s dignity and such. No bathroom breaks? Come on man. THAT in itself is not worth it. I’ll say this though, he looks way better than David O. Russell (based on the video I saw about him). Cameron’s results also speak for themselves. The fact he was willing to try and change his ways after seeing Ron Howard in action also says a lot. P.S. I’m surprised the story about the exhausted Titanic crew member who had a car accident while driving home didn’t come up in this story. I remember hearing about after the movie came out. But it could be one of those urban legend type stories.

[@imotogin]

Isn't this video also full of urban legends? 'someone said this', 'he allegedly did that', I couldn't even make sense of what they're trying to say (no bathroom breaks was on the Abyss, that's what they meant? it would otherwise take hours for each break). There are lots of such vids out there, drawing from first 5 articles on google search for 'such and such is an awful person', but throwing in physical violence allegations is where I draw the line. In case of Cameron it's simply ridiculous.

[@Sharpe1502]

Major props to Michael Biehn who was in 4 James Cameron movies (Terminator, T2, Aliens, and The Abyss).

[@bikramarora1819]

I think it's worth noting some more context when considering the making of Titanic. The movie was supposed to be a $100 million budget but it ran over budget and over-time which led to the studios wanting to pull the plug on the movie. Cameron offered to give up his producer credits for the movie just as long as he got to finish the movie the way he envisioned it. He had to essentially make the movie for "free" while knowing that he was essentially betting his career on the movie being a success. If the movie flopped with the $200 million budget that it had ballooned up to, his career and reputation would've sunk. The production of the film also led to the media writing hit pieces against him almost every week and were all predicting the movie to be the biggest flop in Hollywood history. I think it's worth taking in this context when considering his behavior on the set of Titanic. It obviously doesn't justify everything and I'm sure he regrets a lot of it today, but it really should be remembered just how much pressure/stress he was under to not just finish the movie, but to also ensure its success. Cameron directed that movie like his livelihood depended on it, partially because it really did depend on it.

[@GLC48]

Glad he’s mellowed out. No piece of art is worth risking others’ safety and physical/mental health.

[@Shrek_Has_Covid19]

Kubrick

[@fireison8312]

​@@Shrek_Has_Covid19 nope

[@Dejv5252]

couldn't disagree more

[@SpielSatzFail]

Is he? I'm not sure.

[@master-of-mind5881]

Yes it is, no victory without pain no triumph without suffering.

[@seniorstudent9768]

While there is some respect in going through everything that you ask your crew to do and not asking for something you wouldn't do yourself, a bad leader expects those to keep up with him whereas a good leader guides those around him to reach those same heights. This is video number 4 in my bingeing of the channel. Love the vids man!

[@craigdavidson5613]

Let's not forget some of Cameron's manic behaviors during the making of Titanic were fueled by Crunchie candy bars. No, seriously, he had to ween himself off these honeycomb candies to help keep his emotions in check!

[@johnpark7972]

James Cameron seems a lot more reasonable and fair than Stanley Kubrick. Both are excellent but Kubrick was a madman.

[@deadstar44]

Poor Shelley Duvall still hasn't recovered and never will.

[@LukeLovesRose]

Since Cameron's art direction and cinematography is almost always 98% correct, I would LOVE to work for him, especially in the editing room

[@shaneking3600]

As long as you didn't need a bathroom break keep a bucket below the desk

[@LukeLovesRose]

@@shaneking3600 That sounds like propaganda to me

[@seanlarajames708]

​@@LukeLovesRose He literally told his crew to piss in their wetsuits.

[@LukeLovesRose]

@@seanlarajames708 And?? That doesnt prove maltreatment

[@Lanosrep]

@@LukeLovesRose You could get a Urinary Tract Infection by doing that. It is 1000% maltreatment. A director's job is to direct the cast and crew in an efficient and healthy way. You can't work them without being respectful of them. That's why unions exist, to hold people like him accountable

[@caedfolkestad]

Why in God’s name was a clip from the Lord of the Rings shown while discussing his past films??

[@darktower0603]

That's what I said!! Wtf

[@Novastar.SaberCombat]

It's never good when a human devalues other equally mortal humans. That said, it's obvious that Cameron's results were always exemplary, and that he saw filmmaking as a responsibility instead of a luxury. Still... man... I know enough about poor Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio's work on "The Abyss" to feel AWFUL about what she had to endure. But... I'd argue that her performance as "Lindsey" was one of her best (if not THE best). 🐲✨🐲✨🐲✨

[@InvaderGIR98]

The poor rats, too! 😭

[@goosetheloose8332]

For the final, fatherfucking time, it’s “The Way OF Water”.

[@FilmStack]

I've never been so hurt and loved a comment at the same time as much as this one 😅. That is a mistake on our part.

[@Shrek_Has_Covid19]

the weight of water

[@tonypellock5326]

As bad as Cameron is, and he’s pretty bad, he’s an angel compared to the old school guys from the golden era film

[@twoczents]

This man basically said "skill issue" to an indigenous tribe.

[@carmillasmith7743]

The film business isn't easy. There are all sorts of people who are not on their A-game unless pushed by the director. His methods may be cruel, but he knows what he's doing when it comes to making movies.

[@cineverse2644]

He’s not that good

[@master-of-mind5881]

@@cineverse2644 he’s better then you’ll ever be.

[@TheNotverysocial]

@@master-of-mind5881 A common rebuttal. Like any of them claimed to be famous or award winning. Without him, there is another film about the *Titanic* disaster from the 1950s that would be the film most of us today would refer to when talking about it, and I think most would agree it the second best one out there.

[@madstylesnz]

When the crew were ready to walk off the Aliens set, apparently Sigourney Weaver acted as the mediator between the 2 sides and was even able to wrangle an apology out of James Cameron to the crew. Weaver was respected enough by the crew that she won them over to return to production. So Weaver/Ripley was the hero on and off screen for this great film.

[@kaidiekaidie1825]

Nope not Sigourney Weaver but it was his ex wife Gale Anne Hurd who acted as a mediator, she was co producer of the film.

[@madstylesnz]

I’m just going by what they said on the doco series ‘The movies that made us’ on Netflix but it could be inaccurate. Some of these accounts differ depending on who you speak to.

[@kaidiekaidie1825]

​@@madstylesnzyeah this how easy things is gotten wrong

[@edarkly]

Does cameron have some affinity for water themed movies? Titanic, Abyss, piranha2, avatar2

[@maddalonefarms]

0:19 and the first Avatar

[@keving9157]

I think Cameron is a pioneer, innovator, and visionary in cinema, also in ocean exploration. The trouble is, it's frustrating for him that those around him can't see the visions. For example, that crew who hated him on Aliens, can't complain that they worked on quite one of the best action/horror films of all time. Maybe James has mellowed but so should they. Give the guy credit for making great films. It's the same with actors. I wonder how many of them have gone on to secure interesting well paid work as a result of having been in one of his films. They chose to take these projects on, and must have known his reputation as a difficult guy. But you can't argue with box office gold!

[@madstylesnz]

Well said, I remember in an interview on David Letterman when he asked Drew Barrymore what Steven Spielberg was like to work with she said 'everything he touches turns to gold', the same can be said for James Cameron in my opinion.

[@kdreamscosmos4279]

I tried to show Avatar 2 to my family on my TV.. though they enjoyed 1st one but this time they slept after 40 minutes.

[@deadstar44]

Too much "hanging out" in Avatar 2. CG kids aimlessly wading in the water between kindergarten squabbles gets boring after a while. Cameron has mellowed out and lost a bit of his edge that no action scenes could make up for.

[@ilo3456]

I don't think his behaviour was necessary to be as good a director as he was but I respect the fact that he is the type of person who won't demand of you something he wouldn't do himself.

[@patientmental875]

Id like to put that to the test, i bet he would psy out!

[@sandstormxx]

Were the pinewood crew lazy or did they not just react well to Cameron's 'dance monkey dance' attitude? Unlike some other crews they have stronger union rules and support. Art is something to pursue but no film is worth having your life risked over.

[@johnwayne8494]

Probably the former, I'm not aware of anybody else having a problem with them. Seems like the tea breaks wasted less time than the drama Cameron created about them.

[@Sportsbikeguy]

Hard chargers seem to run off adrenaline and momentum to accomplish a goal. When they see their counterparts moving at a much slower pace, or god forbid, sitting down to rest, this kills the momentum for them and upsets them. Fun fact, Chris Nolan and Tarantino both have banned phones from their sets and Chris Nolan has banned chairs. Unions are there to look after the humans who are just trying to make a living doing something they enjoy and are good at. It protects them from the adrenaline junkies like Cameron, Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, etc. These guys LOVE the thrill of accomplishing VERY difficult tasks, it's how they get their fix. Unfortunately, difficult tasks need a warrior mentality, not an employee mentality, and a lot of people working in film are there due to nepotism, not incredible skill and drive.

[@TechnologicallyTechnical]

Piranha II definitely had a troubled production, but the least of it had to do with James Cameron, as he was only very briefly a director on the film after the original director was fired, but before the producer took over as director. Calling it a James Cameron film is a little like calling Sin City a Quentin Tarantino film (it's alleged that Tarantino directed a scene or two for Sin City). That being said, Cameron's perfectionism did get the best of him even with this film's production, as he attempted to quietly re-edit the film in secret, but his plan didn't succeed.

[@amanofnoreputation2164]

I don't think Mij is the dark side of Cameron because it seems to be the side he is like by default. There's just varying degrees of it. The "dark side," that is the unconscious side, would logically be a big softie.

[@brick6347]

I don't know a lot about films, but I know an awful lot about ships and the amount of detail he put into Titanic was phenomenal. His crowning glory if you ask me. I didn't really care for Avatar all that much, not my cup of tea.

[@BlueSummers101]

@6:45 lol I love the use of this Simpsons scene here, especially Milhouse with his bleached white hair XD

[@tradcathsspx]

I could not work for that guy lol. I've had bosses with tempers and I get too confrontational with people like that lol.

[@andylindsey]

I admire Cameron's work ethic, especially considering how his movies are some of the biggest and most epic blockbusters in recent decades. I love his movies. Terminator 2 is my favorite action movie of all time. But I think some of his choices were wrong. It could be his personality type. He could be a sociopathic person; one who is unable to empathize or understand the emotions of others. It seems the worst instances relate to the movies with water, which is understandable considering the super large scale projects he was responsible for. Perhaps if the actors had more experience with swimming/diving or had more training to be more at home under water. Take Tom Cruise for instance who trained himself to hold his breath under water for a really long time (I can't remember which movie that was for). Also consider Cameron is sort of a micro-manager. If there's a small detail he doesn't like, he jumps in and does it himself. I think it pays off in the end, but obviously doesn't make for an enjoyable, collaborative environment. But you gotta admire the man for knowing what he wants and sticking to his vision. He's got the gift. I'm glad Cameron has mellowed out and hopefully values his actors more than he did before.

[@PanteraRossa]

I think overall people understand that sometimes tempers rise when there are millions of dollars on the line and the pressure is high. Only those under 30 without much experience in blue collar industries think there's some nefarious abusive narrative everywhere. For the most part, the more movies people make, the more they mellow out and learn to deal with the pressure, both below and above the line. And you learn to understand that things can be said in the heat of the moment that stays there and nothing more. It may be "emotionally abusive" or unresolved but people learn to put their friendships above any momentary discomfort or disagreement. Beyond that, you also have a major financial incentive to "put up with" some of these directors/producers' demanding nonsense. It allows you in their circle and often that is where people want to be.

[@robzilla730]

I hear he's actually a pretty cool dude when he's not working on a movie. Did you see him on Mythbusters? Seemed way down to earth there.

[@AntonioPerez-zk2mb]

You might want to add The Abyss and Avatar 2009 to that "most expensive at the time" list of yours. $70 million and $425 million before marketing, respectively.

[@julialogacheva7142]

being a director of this level is a lot of effort and a lot of stress. So many people involved in his projects and a lot of money. Its a huge responsibility . I am sure a lot of us could't do it. So I can understand his behavior , but I still think he is not a bad person

[@jory5462]

Ed Harris said the reason he cried was because he didn’t finish the scene. If it was anyone other than Ed Harris I wouldn’t believe him, but it’s Ed Harris.

[@mania4270]

Not gonna mention how Cam'ron yelled at Edward furlong because he couldn't cry on cue?

[@leslysincere3374]

His early days seems to have made him seem like the madder he was set the more successful the film was. Despite that, a former truck driver turn billionaire movie director is an accolade he can proudly wear.

[@deadstar44]

People have more ire for James Cameron, a man who came from nothing as a former janitor and truck driver to become an acclaimed filmmaker than Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, two greedy assholes born with a silver spoon that make the world worse.

[@christianthomas1474]

some of my family were extras for avatar 2 and they said the extras and crew were treated terribly. and they said he had severe anger issues

[@blastradius9136]

Cameron's last best movie was True Lies imo

[@spaceidiot200]

lesson to learn: you can be extremely overbearing and demanding if the results you produce are amazing. A model followed by Steve Jobs and James Cameron

[@muppetb.lansing8374]

A connection to Weta studios in NZ (where Cameron was recently editing the new Avatar movies) working on this project described him as a "monster", ha ha

[@Psyclonus7]

Where are your sources for all your information?

[@domwalker6526]

Content is 🔥 keep it up

[@TheGuitarist36]

Where's this guy's accent from, i keep hearing it on YT but can't figure it out.

[@thatRyzzle]

I usually preach that I have no trouble at all divorcing an artist's personal life from their work. It's why I still watch movies starring Kevin Spacey; it's why I still enjoy a lot of the movies that were made during the Weinstein era; and it's why I still enjoy a lot of Hitchcock's classics. But, for some reason, the revelation that James Cameron seems to be (or have been) a major asshole towards everyone that works (or worked) with him irks me. T2 is probably my favorite action movie. It has everything: great action, suspense, and also a lot of heart and a message. But to think that it took a major asshole to write that movie, and to direct that movie, and to do anything to get that kind of performance from his actors on set, it bothers me to no end. Anyway, great and informative video. I listen to a lot of podcasts about movies, and somehow they never mention this side of James Cameron. But they have no problem pointing out other directors' dark sides, Hitchcock, Polanski, etc. among them. Somehow Jim always gets a pass. Or maybe all those podcast hosts genuinely don't know about it. But I'm glad I know now, even though it does taint my opinion of T2 somewhat…

[@Noah20340]

if you direct multiple blockbusters grossing billions, you probably earned a little arrogance

[@ryotanu]

As much as i love his movies there is absolutely no reason to be disrespectful. He can be demanding and strict but not disrespectful and make people fear him. That is BS and i believe just an excuse to act like an asshole.

[@youretoopolitical8611]

I agree 1,000%

[@drewo.127]

I have kind of a funny story: While I detest the actions people like Cameron and Kubrick have done to their crew, I admit their filmmaking, storytelling, and cinematography are all some of my favorites! So with that in mind, I wanted to become the kind, considerate, but equally as creative counterpart to these directors! However… I soon discovered Wes Anderson, David Fincher, and Edgar Wright…and from what I can tell, they already kinda seem that way! (Anderson and Wright specifically, from what I’ve heard) and I was like: “oh! Ok! There already are creative visionaries who seem just as meticulous as Kubrick and Cameron but are significantly nicer to work with!” That being said, I’m still doing my best on being the nicest (not pushover nice, but respectful and considerate nice) creative visionary guy I can be! Also, I plan on staying indie as well so there’s that as well! 😁

[@snowset675]

Good luck on that! It’s a noble endeavor because the sad consensus with a lot of artists is that the ends justify the means. They don’t, and I fully believe that you can make a movie while still being fair to your crew. A good rule of thumb: if you wouldn’t do something, don’t make your actors do it. Keep fighting the good fight!

[@CHMichael]

3:30 I wonder how many directors decide to use a different location after this. At the end winning is fun and it's better to be on stage at the Oscar's than nearly getting nominated.

[@muffinman5741]

I mean there is an obvious correlation between geniuses and toxic personalities. In order to be better than everyone else, you need to see yourself as more important than everyone else. Surely there are geniuses who still manage to be kind to others, and good for them. But often genius has a price.

[@jonvia]

We all know it was the tea cart lady that spiked the food with PCP...or Kate Winslet

[@Wilson.katie815]

If you look back on Titanic era interviews with Leonardo DiCaprio you can see that it was hard on him. There’s an Oprah show on KZbin with the whole hour Kate Winslet and James Cameron talking to Oprah. Leo did a prerecorded video. James wasn’t sure what Leo would say about him. He ego seems very big in any interview or anytime I’ve seen him talk. But when you make the highest grossing films of all time, have more money than you’ll ever need, I’m sure he doesn’t care

[@hisoka9478]

I want that T2 shirt

[@Mullet-ZubazPants]

Arnold has told stories of Cameron yelling at him. So at least he's even-handed. He's not the type of guy who's going to yell at the crew, then coddle movie stars. He's an egalitarian when it comes to distributing his wrath

[@Dr.Anarchy97]

The Terminator was ahead of it's time. The way it was filmed even holds up by today's standards.

[@HHHPedigrees]

You spelled Avatar wrong

[@utkarshjha5255]

seems like james cameron and terence fletcher(whihplash) have a little too much in common

[@4killsfreddy148]

his arrogance doesn't bother me. his films are actual masterpieces. but the way he treats people is disturbing.

[@Sparky-kn6up]

James Cameron is literally Lou Bloom from Nightcrawler

[@MrJohnhunk]

I think you should change the title to 'The passionate side of James Cameron'

[@abrahamedelstein4806]

The making of The Abyss could be a movie in and of itself, a comedy-drama.

[@ElevenEvilExes]

genius only looks like arrogance from below.

[@deadstar44]

Slackers hate James Cameron. Arnold suffered Cameron's wrath on True Lies set but he got it because he realized Cameron is a hard worker and overachiever like he once was when he was grinding as bodyduilder and aspiring actor so when he got slacking, he admitted Cameron yelling at him was justified. Arnold could kill Cameron with a single punch but he met his master.

[@ed-od9sd]

the important question is , would all these movies directed have still existed if it wasn't the director

[@mrkumaran]

i think people don't understand the pressure he is under. The director has to take alot on himself, because it is his vision, and he has to see it through. Cast and crew come to do their job and get paid, but JC has to make sure his vision is realised. I think he is a great guy. Role model of a director. I kind of relate, i see some of myself in him too. Peace out

[@DarthHater100]

What kind of a poisoning makes you form a conga line?

[@RyanAnimations-uo8jt]

guys like him dont mellow down. its just that you cant get away with such abuses in this day and age. Old White Guy will get thrown out at him and he will get canceled.

[@Geronimo_Jehoshaphat]

Results speak for themselves. No coddling prima donnas.

[@nolesy34]

Or priming cod playing maddona impersonators

[@TheGuitarist36]

Did Cameron ever work with Klaus Kinski ?

[@Thunderchild-gz4gc]

That would have been epic. I doubt either would win.

[@jaredbaratta8589]

James Cameron doesn't do what James Cameron does for James Cameron. James Cameron does what James Cameron does because James Cameron is James Cameron.

[@MastaRavenkroft]

Zen

[@RudiW1510]

Dude, the guy made The Terminator and Terminator 2 - JUDGEMENT DAY. He could a man I'd still love him.

[@darkkrenaissance42]

Cameron was and is an unbelievable visionary far beyond his time, of course he's not going to tolerate anything else but perfection from his crew. You want magic you got to create Magic

[@empamannen]

On avatar 2 he nailed gunned phones to a wall for those who didn’t turn them off on set so no change

[@jlg395]

In less than one second, this video already has a mistake in it. Why should I continue on for twelve minutes?

[@evanbelisle8464]

I bet he chilled out a bit after the South Park song.

[@isabellind1292]

Thank you, FilmStack.

[@beatrixbrennan1545]

It's kind of funny what people will suffer through when money and fame are involved.

[@lionspawfilmandphoto]

I'm glad to discover Iron Jim has begun to see how harsh his direction has been and is starting to show improvement.

[@BriansBigMovie]

I'm of a mind that a film needs to be not only enjoyable for the audience, but for the crew as well. If I were a studio executive, Cameron would be on a blacklist regardless of how profitable his final productions come out.

[@Clarence_Oddbody]

I never heard the PCP story