James Cameron: Retrospektiva – Nathan Ian (2022)

Who is James Cameron, really? What defines him? What are his films? How were they made? And why does he even make them? Well, aside from the fact that he is damn good at it despite all the obstacles – or perhaps because of them? British film journalist Ian Nathan successfully peers behind the scenes of the 'financially most successful' director who makes blockbusters. Over the course of eleven chapters (eight of which focus on individual films from the shaping of the concept to the reactions upon release), the author guides us through various phases of Cameron's life, with a healthy distance and a dose of irony and humor. Cameron's life story is indeed fascinating and deserves to be read from the very beginning. From growing up in industrial Kapuskasing and the first signs of leadership and artistic abilities, through his formative period in a visual effects workshop, to visions of a post-apocalyptic future from which the first Terminator is painfully born... His filmography may not be extensive, but films like Aliens, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Titanic, and Avatar cut into the living tissue of pop culture and have their eternal place in the history of world cinema. James Cameron: A Retrospective is conveniently released in the year of Avatar 2's premiere.