STACK #224 June 2023

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FILMMAKER’S SIGNATURE James Cameron You know you’re watching a James Cameron movie when... • That blue hue

MOVIES & TV

We all know that Avatar is a blue movie, but have you ever noticed how films like The Abyss (1989), Terminator 2 (1991), and Aliens

(1986) have the same tinge about them? We could read deep into technical reasons for it, however Cameron has offered a basic explanation: “It’s just a gorgeous colour, and

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it’s a great accent colour for the human face.” • Strong female leadership From Sarah Connor in Terminator (1984) to Ellen Ripley in Aliens , Cameron’s stories often feature women in tough leadership roles. This is a motif that’s demonstrated in films that he’s also written, such as Alita: Battle Angel (2019), and Strange Days (1995). • Control rooms Monitors are never far away from a James Cameron story. The man is obsessed with technology, and so many of the situations he puts his characters in rely on some form of surveillance operation.

all the Bowie songs, and the amazing puppetry and models make it unforgettable.

STACK’s ROVING REPORTER

What’s one of your all-time favourite movies, and why? They Look Like People (2015). A fantastic independent horror film, written, directed, and edited by one person. It plays with your mind the whole time, and you can’t be certain what is in the characters’ imaginations and what is real. The friendship between the two leads shows a really sweet male friendship, which is rare in films, let alone horror films. What’s one of your all-time favourite TV series, and why? I know it’s controversial, but I absolutely love Lost . The characters throughout the series are so memorable. The theory crafting and community at the time was a blast to be in, and I think it was really ahead of its time for a serialised show. Sweet Tooth : a comic book adaptation set in a post apocalyptic future. where a virus has wiped out large amounts of the population and also resulted in all babies being born as half-animal hybrids. Great acting by the child actors, a plot that grabs you and keeps running, and a really great soundtrack full of new and old classics. What have you been watching lately that you’d recommend?

Three very different films are making their way to physical media in July. Scream VI puts its victims in the Big Apple for more stabby mayhem; Russell Crowe takes on the Devil in The Pope’s Exorcist ; while Liam Neeson and director Neil Marshall team up in Marlowe . On The Radar

LUKE MEYERS @ JB Casuarina, NT

What’s the best thing about working at JB? Always being able to check and learn about the newest tech, media, and pop culture. The work culture is the friendliest that I’ve worked with. What’s a movie you saw as a child that has left a lasting impression on you? Jim Henson’s Labyrinth . I love dark fairytales. They were a gateway to my eventual love of horror movies. The soundtrack is fantastic with

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One of Steve McQueen’s most iconic films, Bullitt (1968), is getting a redo by none other than Hollywood titan Steven Spielberg. Remake-weary viewers can breathe a sigh of relief with the knowledge that the film won’t be a gratuitous rehash, but instead an all-new story. Although details of the production are under wraps, we do know that Bradley Cooper has been cast in the lead role. Steve McQueen’s son and niece are on board as producers, and although the storyline is yet to be disclosed, the film is set to honour the original with a showcase of extravagant car chases. IN DEVELOPMENT

Five years before the Marvel Cinematic Universe took its official shape with Iron Man (2008), Aussie actor Eric Bana got all green and grumpy in Ang Lee’s Hulk . Released in June of 2003, the film adopted a strong comic-book aesthetic,

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including stylised page-flip scene cuts and larger than life effects. Boasting an incredible supporting cast of Jennifer Connelly, Nick Nolte, Josh Lucas, and Sam Elliott, the film was something of a blueprint for what was to follow in the MCU.

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