The Story of J.C.

 

Crucifixion with Lanzen Bite of the captain Longinus (1450?)

Fra Angelico

Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)
dir. James Cameron


Can't believe I didn't think of this. Great catch by Alex Watkins.

The First Day in the Jungle

Yellowneck (1955)
dir. R. John Hugh

Avatar (2009)
dir. James Cameron

Claw marks received on the first day in a jungle after leaving a warzone.

The Truck

The Terminator (1984)
dir. James Cameron

Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)
dir. James Cameron

The Ship Piercing the Atmosphere

Alien (1979)
dir. Ridley Scott

Aliens (1986)
dir. James Cameron

Avatar (2009)
dir. James Cameron

Prometheus (2012) (trailer)
dir. Ridley Scott



Okay this one is a little convoluted so bear with me:


In 1979, Ridley Scott films the landing sequence in Alien as a visceral bumpy, wind-whipped roller-coaster ride. It's the first time I've ever seen that in a film - a conscious rejection of the scientifically-smooth landings of prior science fiction. The ship seems to pierce through the atmosphere with physical exertion, punching through layers of shrieking clouds.


In 1986, James Cameron helms the sequel, Aliens, and embellishes that same visceral whip-whipped ride with an extended sequence of a small dropship piercing the atmosphere. The scene's central image is an all-too-brief eerily beautiful shot of the dropship suspended in the white plains of the clouds.


In 2007, Ridley Scott declares "science fiction is dead."


In 2009, James Cameron pushes the tech barrier and drops Avatar, a central image of which is a small dropship piercing the atmosphere. This time, Cameron lingers on the eerie beauty of it, emphasizing the majestic contrails and pulling back far enough that the bumpiness of the ride levels out.


Suddenly, in early 2010, Ridley Scott decides to return to science fiction, shooting a film on the same rig James Cameron invented for Avatar. Scott's project is Prometheus - a prequel to Alien and Aliens. The trailer, which was released today, includes a powerful image of a small ship piercing the atmosphere, pulled back even farther than Cameron's Avatar, cutting a line though the majesty of the cloud layer, but also framed between inhospitable rock faces which bring the image back to its rugged origins on the uninhabitable wasteland of Alien. To top it off, it's underneath title text which uses the same iconic reveal as Alien's does.


This central image of a lone ship in the clouds is at the heart of Ridley Scott's first major success, James Cameron's first big budget success, and James Cameron's record-breaking grand-slam which certainly inspired the latest film - Ridley Scott's return to the genre that made him, and to the film series which made them both.


It's a dizzy little ouroboros, isn't it?

The Guard

Claws for Alarm (1954)
dir. Charles M. Jones

Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)
dir. James Cameron

The Credits

Jigokuhen (1969)
dir. Shirô Toyoda

Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)
dir. James Cameron

The Tribute

 "And the Road Warrior? That was the last we ever saw of him. He lives now, only in my memories."


The Road Warrior (1981)
dir. George Miller

"But now you know there was a man named Jack Dawson and that he saved me in every way that a person can be saved. He exists now, only in my memory."



Titanic (1997)
dir. James Cameron

The Deep

In Deep (1976)
Bruce Jones & Richard Corben

Titanic (1997)
dir. James Cameron

The Cold Water

Le Petit Soldat (1947)
dir. Paul Grimault

Titanic (1997)
dir. James Cameron

The Sea Monster Rises (2)

Titanic (1997)
dir. James Cameron

Battleship (2012) (trailer)
dir. Peter Berg

The Pensive Smoker

Nelson Cavaquinho (1969)
dir. Leon Hirszman

Aliens (1986)
dir. James Cameron

The Kiss

 True Lies (1994)
dir. James Cameron

Starship Troopers 3: Marauder (2008)
dir. Edward Neumeier

The Explosion

Die Hard 2 (1990)

dir. Renny Harlin

T2 3-D: Battle Across Time (1996)
dir. James Cameron, John Bruno & Stan Winston



Die Hard gif from Somewhat Manly Nerd

The Nice Fade

The Terminator (1984)
dir. James Cameron

Aliens (1986)
dir. James Cameron

The Sleeper

 Aliens (1986)
dir. James Cameron

Battlestar Galactica "A Measure of Salvation" (2006)
dir. Bill Eagles

The Future Soldier

"Time is fluid. The waters of forever close — and passage may not be completed. The present and the future are for a moment united. And the Enemy, half-today, half-tomorrow, is locked between…"


The Outer Limits "Soldier" (1964) (first shot)
dir. Gerd Oswald

"Their war to exterminate mankind has raged for decades, but the final battle would not be fought in the future. It would be fought here, in our present. Tonight..."

The Terminator (1984) (first shot)

dir. James Cameron

The Facehugger

The Outer Limits "The Invisibles" (1964)
dir. Gerd Oswald

Aliens (1986)
dir. James Cameron