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James Cameron's Titanic was released 20 years ago this year...

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L

Lender

Member
...And it's still a bloody masterpiece. How anyone can think it's not is beyond me.

Rewatched it yesterday because of Bill Paxton's death, and I'm still as captivated by it as I was when I saw it in theaters as an 8 year old boy. (went with my dad, so the drawing scene was kinda awkward lol)

But seriously, I can't believe it's been 20 years. Starting to feel old man.
But I love how the film is just as brilliant as it was back in 1997. It's a long ass movie, but the time just flies by every time when I'm watching it.

So much stuff to love in the film:

I genuinely think it's one of the best film love stories of all time. The chemistry between Di Caprio and Winslet is great.

The decor and sets are still some of the best ever in film history. It really feels like it was shot on the real Titanic. Cameron's maniacal eye for detail really shines here. The amount of work that got into certain set pieces must have been insane. And it certainly also did a number on the actors. Reading the trivia page on IMDB gives you a good idea of when they went through.

Following her grueling experience on the film, which included a rigorous filming schedule as well as experiencing many hardships and bruises, Kate Winslet said, "You'd have to pay me an awful lot of money to work with James Cameron again." Leonardo DiCaprio also acknowledged it was a tough shoot, yet he stated that he would certainly like to make another action movie with Cameron.
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Kate Winslet was one of the few actors who didn't want to wear a wetsuit during the water scenes. As a result, she got pneumonia, and nearly quit the production. However, James Cameron persuaded her to stay.
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I mean goddamn.

The entire part where the Titanic starts sinking is just such a roller coaster ride. And the actual scene where it finally really starts to go under is just horrifying and so amazingly brought to life on film. It's as close as you could ever get to actually having been there I think.

The music, oh God, the music. Still one of the best and memorably ost's off all time? I mean, just listen to the almost 20 minute long Titanic Suite, it's brilliant.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcWK1TbOhl4

The Rose Theme is still as beautiful as ever.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moaIzaUfP0Y

There's just so much more stuff I love.

Bottom line: I think it's a timeless masterpiece. It has some flaws obviously as well. Some of the dialogue can be a bit corny, and Of course that awful Celine Dion Song. Funny thing is even Dion didn't even seem to like it all that much.

Initially, Céline Dion didn't want to record "My Heart Will Go On" because she didn't want to sing another film song and she didn't like it when James Horner first played it to her; she disliked Horner's singing abilities. After she was convinced by her husband René Angélil, she stepped in and recorded the song in just one take, so the song that was used over the end credits and later released is actually a demo.
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Winslet as well wasn't a fan apparently:

In a 2012 interview on MTV News, shortly before the movie was re-released in 3D, Kate Winslet admitted that she strongly dislikes the song "My Heart Will Go On," which was recorded by Céline Dion and prominently included in the film. She said about it, "I wish I could say, 'Oh listen, everybody! It's the Celine Dion song!' But I don't. I just have to sit there, you know, kind of straight-faced with a massive internal eye roll... It haunts me."
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But oh well, all these things can't stop me from loving this movie. I don't get why some people like to hate it on it? Is it because of the love story? Is it because of Di Caprio in this film? I really don't know.
 
A

AlexBasch

Member
I cried once watching it like...three or four years ago? Dunno why.

Except I do have a mancrush for Jack Dawson. Not DiCaprio, but his character, he's like damn I want to be his best friend or something.

My parents love that movie, for some reason it was a tradition to air it in TV during Christmas for a couple of years in my country, haha.

And without My Heart Will Go On, we wouldn't have this masterpiece.
 
B

Bobby Roberts

Banned
There's a lot of spitting in this movie. I didn't notice until a recent rewatch with my wife (who managed to escape the 90s without ever having seen it).

"Why are people fucking hawking loogies every 15 minutes?"
"I don't... I never really noticed, but you're right. That's weird"
"It's fucking gross, is what it is."
"It's actually relevant to her character arc, I think? If I remember right this will pay off in th—"
"There is no way this 'pays off' in a way that makes it worth hearing that noise over and over"
 
D

Dalek

Member
84.gif
 
A

Android18a

Member
I had a friend at college who went to see it at the cinema three times when it came out.

I've only seen it once, I was on holiday in Corfu a few months after it came out in cinemas (but before the video release) and we were in a little bar one night for some food and a drink. Turns out they had a copy of the film recorded by someone who'd snuck a camcorder into the cinema, so they basically showed the film to the entire bar's worth of customers. Probably not the optimal viewing of the film, but I still enjoyed it.
 
hoverboarder

hoverboarder

Member
Love it. One of the best movies ever made, without a doubt. Cameron's attention to detail, the ill fated love story, acting, music, etc. It all comes together in amazing fashion. And the 3D remaster is fantastic if that's your bag, baby.

I'm happy this Titanic VR game was successfully funded.

tYKSUue.png
 
Grizzlyjin

Grizzlyjin

Supersonic, idiotic, disconnecting, not respecting, who would really ever wanna go and top that
I must have seen this about 20 times on HBO growing up. And now I rewatch it once a year. At the time, it was popular to hate on it cause Leo was such a heart throb. People thought he was going to be some teeny bopper actor that would disappear in 5 years. Basically, guys getting insecure about people wanting some DiCaprio.

This movie stays relevant as fuck too. I saw memes using from the 2017 Oscars that referenced it. Everybody knows Titanic.
 
M

Meowster

Member
The ending of the movie can still make me pretty emotion. When old Rose is at her bed side and it pans over to her pictures, showing all the things she wanted to do and the things she and Jack said they would do together. A great movie about the titanic strength of one woman. Kate Winslet is fantastic in it.

"A woman's heart is a deep ocean of secrets."
 
L

liquidtmd

Banned
As much as I actively love Aliens, Abyss, T1, T2, True Lies it's probably Titanic that impresses me most

I didn't expect to like the film at all pre-release. I don't like the period. I wasnt a Leo fan. It looked incredibly mawkish. I knew how it ended. And yet...It was captavating despite the valid criticisms it sometimes gets. Really just an impressively engrossing experience.

Despite me not liking Avatar at all, Titanic is a monument in my brain to never ever write off Cameron.
 
D

Dalek

Member
The day this came out-Tomorrow Never Dies also came out. I remember my buddies and I going to theater and laughing, thinking that Titanic was going to bomb because it was opening the same day as a James Bond movie.
 
D

DeathoftheEndless

Crashing this plane... with no survivors!
I saw it for the first time last year not expecting much and it was actually great. Cameron knows how to make great setpieces.

Count Dookkake said:
Saw it opening night and was legitimately disappointed that it didn't have some sci-fi twist.
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I'm expecting some people to have that reaction to Dunkirk lol.
 
A

AlexBasch

Member
1382320364484_1382320364484_r.jpg

;__;

boiled goose said:
Damn. I was young for boobs.
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The first time I saw boobs in my life was when I was watching Titanic with my parents and brother.

My parents were pretty chill about it like "well he's gonna find out about that someday" but thinking about it later, I was surprised it wasn't edited out of the tv broadcast.
 
H

HBP

Member
Great movie but seeing Kate Winslets titties unexpected as a 12 year old while watching with my Mom and Sister was quite awkward.
 
N

norm9

Member
Watched in the theaters when it came out. Great special effects. Eventually bought it on vhs but would watch it starting from tape #2, which is about the time the iceberg appears and the movie really starts.
 
F

frontovik

Banned
The film holds up very well despite its age.

The last performance of the musicians is my favourite scene. "Gentlemen, it has been a privilege playing with you tonight."
 
Space Runaway

Space Runaway

Member
Actually feels older than that...

Watched the 3D version last year and it's still a fun movie. Cameron's setups and pacing are still solid and Horner's soundtrack is fantastic. The actors do what Cameron wants them to do and that's good enough. Good movie overall.
 
D

David H Wong

Banned
This includes several of what have to go down as the best effects sequences of all time, mainly because so much of it was shot by building a replica and fucking sinking it. Even critics who hate the script etc have to acknowledge that, it's stunning what they pulled off here.
 
S

SeanC

Member
Didn't see it in theaters but I was working at a video store when it was released on VHS and I remember getting frustrated as hell putting the standee together and unpacking dozens and dozens of double-VHS tapes and prepping them for rental.

The movie is very much tied into my high school memories and my first (and still best) job I ever had. That and Final Fantasy VII's release.
 
N

NealMcCauley

Member
I was dragged to see this 14 times by my mom and sister. There are a variety of reasons for that number being so high (viewing parties with sis's friends, new state of the art theater opened, there was nothing else playing, etc.). Needless to say after viewing six I was rooting for the iceberg and water.

I can appreciate the movie now (again), but my god after a while that movie was a hell for 9-year-old me.
 
A

Atlantis

Member
norm9 said:
Watched in the theaters when it came out. Great special effects. Eventually bought it on vhs but would watch it starting from tape #2, which is about the time the iceberg appears and the movie really starts.
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The iceberg hits right near the end of the first VHS, which was so annoying for young me. I just wanted to watch the ship sink!
 
Grizzlyjin

Grizzlyjin

Supersonic, idiotic, disconnecting, not respecting, who would really ever wanna go and top that
AlexBasch said:
I know you mean the movie but...


To this day, I'd like to think they're joking. They must be.
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Some, but I could see it. A 17 year old now is probably learning more about 9/11 than a ship that sunk 100 years ago.

Just typing that made my bones turn to dust.
 
U

Undefined

Member
damn. i remember seeing this movie when i was 53 years old and seeing boobies for the first time in my life. my mom wanted to cover my eyes.
 
B

Bobby Roberts

Banned
Dude Abides said:
Impressive logistically.

Not much of a film though.
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The other thing I noticed on rewatch, aside from all the spitting - I like the movie, always did, but it plays so much like an old prestige ABC Made-for-TV EVENT MINISERIES.

The fact a lot of us had to switch tapes/discs in order to watch it all lends a little more of that atmosphere to the proceedings.

It's like the most ambitious, expensive, amazingly realized Sunday Night Movie ever made. Like, if there was an edit where this was attached to the beginning of the film:

dPvjUrugmGSS4.gif


And you had the trailer play with that gravelly voiced old guy talking over it

TONIGHT. Master of action James Cameron presents a vision of romance and wonder with the tragic tale... of TITANIC. With special guest stars KATHY BATES, BILLY ZANE, DAVID WARNER, and ALIAS's VINCENT GARBER. Thrills. Chills. Suspense. Romance. TITANIC
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And then the movie starts.
 
K

KennyLinder

Member
I think it's an amazing film and love it very much. I saw it again recently and it still feels as slick as it did, and the CG holds up pretty well too.

I felt the same way about Avatar, Abyss, Aliens and T1/T2, James Cameron does characters REALLY well. There are scenes in Titanic and Avatar that are just characters talking and the scene is about their story. There is something about the way he shoots the scene and lets them talk, I always feel like I care more about the characters in his movies over most others.

The music is incredibly powerful and haunting and some of those tracks played for a long ass time in my CD player.


Love it.


I love when Rose looks into the mirror that has been recovered from the wreck "ooh, reflection has changed" :)

The ship wreck scenes were ace too. And, they were real deal, right?
 
D

Dinskugga

Member
The scene with the old people laying together in the bed hugging eachother as the water pours in. Allways make me sad.


Damn it.
 
N

nacimento

Member
I didn't really like it. Definitely well-made, but it felt somehow corny to me. L.A. Confidential is 1997's great movie for me.
 
M

Mortimer Brewster

Member
Dalek said:
The day this came out-Tomorrow Never Dies also came out. I remember my buddies and I going to theater and laughing, thinking that Titanic was going to bomb because it was opening the same day as a James Bond movie.
Click to expand...


To be fair, Titanic had such a nightmarish production everyone thought it was going to be a mega bomb and finish Cameron's career for good. A second studio had to step in to speed the risk, the food poisoning fiasco, lots of reports of how big an asshole Cameron was on set, a summer to Christmas delay and launching head to head against a James Bond film hot off Goldeneye with Costner's The Postman(lol) looming the next week.
 
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