MovieChat Forums > Inside the Actors Studio (1994) Discussion > The James Cameron Episode

The James Cameron Episode

posted 14 years ago by iesusmcnasty
3 replies | jump to latest

I’m reminded of a statement by James Lipton about the purpose of these interviews and episodes of ITAS. He said the purpose was to teach, to impart wisdom from the guest to students, without any motives, specifically to not promote. He repeated that statement in the 200th episode with Dave Chappelle.

Over the years, that sentiment has slowly dissolved, but it reached an all time low tonight with James Cameron. I just watched, 2 minutes on James Cameron’s life, thirteen minutes on the Terminators, Aliens and Titanic and completed with gloating and hubris, a 45 minute commercial for Avatar. Literally, 45 minutes. Those were the best questions that the students asked…really? Explain how awesome it is for actors with this new motion capture technology that you have pioneered and wow how you stuck to guns Mr. Cameron with the political messages in Avatar.

Whenever I have free time I watch old episode of the show on YouTube. That chair is where Paul Newman sat, where Jack Lemmon stated that he was an alcoholic, Spielberg, Scorsese. Besides the Bon Jovi episode, I have never seen James Lipton so nonsensically sycophantic. I know the show has been going through a slump, but that episode was more offensive and unwatchable than Kate Hudson, Bon Jovi and Hilary Swank combined.

There, I’m done ranting. I look forward to episodes with the cast from Gossip Girls, Joel Schumacher and Megan Fox.

"I know what I like, AND I liiiike what I KNOW"

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] moviekid-2 14 years ago

To the OP, this may appear maudlin in text, but your assessment on IATS these days was one of the most moving statements ever made. It goes to show that the quality of television these days has really gone down the toilet. Inside The Actors Studio was a seminar where I, as an actor, learned a tremendous amount of acting from previous guests.

Now, with the roster of guests they have had in the past year, and the kinds of inappropriate questions that James Lipton is asking, I hardly learn anything about the craft of acting.

Simplesimon, I realized the same thing, this episode was shown the week before the Oscars and it was a promotional plug to get people to see Avatar.

Boy, do they put the "business" in show business.

Navid

[–] btl4000 14 years ago

I've read James Cameron's bio.... that interview could have been 2 hrs easy with some of the most detailing and interesting filmmaking stories of the show. Cameron is a genius and they through it away with, wut the OP first mentioned, a 45 minute commercial for Avatar.

The full interviews are 3-4 hrs long. You're telling me the most interesting stuff from talking with James was from his latest movie? Not the Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss (which they didnt mention once) Terminator 2, True Lies?

Yeah lets instead mention how Cameron came up with the terminator, and get the crowd to all say "I'll be back." Mention for a minute about how Aliens is about the vietnam war. 10 mins on Titanic.

Rest is Avatar. What a bloody waste of an interview.