Titanic returns to the big screen in 4K 3D

As Avatar: The Way of Water continues to dominate the box office, James Cameron’s Titanic is returning to cinemas this February to celebrate its 25th anniversary.



In the years before its release, I avidly followed reports of Titanic's troubled production, which suggested Twentieth Century Fox had a box office disaster comparable to Cleopatra. As the budget ballooned, Paramount Pictures stepped in to distribute the movie in the US.

At the time of Titanic’s original release in the UK, I wrote that the film had transcended my (admittedly) low expectations in the wake of a preview screening on my birthday.

In a sold-out Odeon Exeter Screen 1, I got swept away by this sepia-toned ghost story based on an infamous real-life tragedy. Nothing could've prepared the audience for the audacious spectacle and sheer grandeur that leapt from the great expanse of widescreen before us.

Cameron is indeed a master magician of montage and emotion. His craft would be further honed for Avatar.

The self-proclaimed king of the world had come of age with his Oscar-winning epic romance, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, underscored by composer James Horner’s haunting orchestrations - filled with Easter Eggs from an illustrious career cut too soon. Incidentally, I owned the original soundtrack on CD and MiniDisc. Now I can stream alternate versions on Apple Music, how times and technology have changed.

Ultimately, Titanic conquered the box office and was the first film to reach a billion dollars. The moral of the story is to never bet against Cameron.

Like Avatar, Titanic has been remastered in 4K 3D. However, I'll wait to see it on Disney+. It will be available on Paramount+ in the US.

What are your memories of watching Titanic? Let me know in the comments below.

MasterClass with filmmaker James Cameron

Academy Award-winning director James Cameron (Titanic) took a break from working on his Avatar sequels to become the latest member of a growing pantheon of creatives to be featured on MasterClass.



"From The Terminator and Titanic to Avatar, James Cameron has directed some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters. Now, for the first time in his 40-year career, he opens up about his process. Through behind-the-scenes breakdowns, James shares his approach to developing ideas, storylines, and characters; harnessing technology; and worldbuilding on any budget. Explore the innovation and imagination behind epic moviemaking."

“I’ve been directing films for almost four decades, and if there’s one thing I’ve realized, it’s that learning is a constant process,” Cameron said in a statement. “Every filmmaker stands on the shoulders of the filmmakers who came before them, and I hope that my MasterClass will allow members to filter and develop my techniques through their own subjective lens and experiences.”

Added MasterClass founder and CEO David Rogier: “Having directed two of the top three highest-grossing films of all time, there’s no question the impact that Jim has had on both the film industry and film fans around the world. In his class, Jim takes our members behind the camera and, for the first time in his career, shares what he’s learned in four decades of directing epic films.”

25 years ago I graduated with a degree in Media Production from Bournemouth University. Cameron, along with contemporaries George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, inspired me to pursue a career in the creative arts.

As I've written previously, a textual analysis of Terminator 2: Judgment Day (handwritten and lost to time) garnered unconditional offers to study on several university courses, which was in stark contrast to what a high school career tutor suggested would ever be possible as outlined here.

Will you be watching James Cameron's MasterClass? Let me know in the comments below.

King of the World

According to Italian home theater magazine AF Digitale, 20th Century Fox is in the process of finally releasing the long-awaited Titanic: Special Edition in 2005. DVD content details are still vague, but the magazine reports that the film will receive a mega four-disc set featuring a new DTS ES 6.1 audio track. Of the extras, expect commentaries, deleted footage and mountains of other bonus material. This highly anticipated release is tentatively scheduled for the summer and arrives 5 years after James Cameron's original announcement.

What follows is an extract from an email sent to a friend in January 1998, which makes mention of a future DVD release!

Well, it's finally arrived after shattering the U.S Box-office:

"Navigating the sepia Ocean"

Your kind birthday wish was indeed prophetic! We managed to ensure elusive seating arrangements, at the Exeter Odeon, for Friday night's inaugural performance of "Titanic." As the cinema can only accommodate two screenings a day, the film is completely sold-out till next weekend! As you can imagine I was thrilled to have accomplished this feat with the aid of Tom.

So how was the special 'Birthday treat' movie? Superlatives prove to be, as ever, elusive! Nothing could've prepared us for the audacious spectacle. The sheer joyous grandeur that literally leapt from the great expanse of widescreen. My most immediate comparison would be that it had a similar effect on me as "Edward Scissorhands." I mean the finale was almost unbearable to watch! The tragic haunting beauty of DiCaprio and Winslet's 'simple' performance was on a par with Depp and Ryder or DiCaprio and Danes. I'm such a romantic eh! Their flawless 'twilight-hued' visages continue to remain a-fresh on my mind... I was in tears and could hardly breathe during their 'goodbye'... Having that "E.T" feeling all over again... Yes, James Cameron is indeed a master magician of beautifully painted montage and emotion. WOW!

Of course composer James Horner's lyrically seductive and beguiling score made no small impression either. A seamless merging of Enya's ethereal vocal, "Edward Scissorhands", "Wrath of Khan" (the best bits) and "Cocoon" to name a few stylized cousins. Of course I mustn't forget to mention the fact that I very affectionately recalled the trip to see "Heavenly Creatures" (Peter Jackson) in 1995. And the first time I saw Winslet. I was beguiled by her then. I'm willing to bet that she'll make an appearance in the Star Wars Prequels! Just a spooky hunch that's all...

The film transcended my giddy expectations. Cameron has truly come-of-age with this almighty epic. It gives me goose bumps just thinking about his haunting 'Ghost story.' That's all I can say. Can't wait to see the five-hour TITANIC: SPECIAL EDITION on DVD in 2000!!!!!!

To bring this post to a close. Fox's DVD releases are amongst the finest that commercial companies have to offer. The Day After Tomorrow benefits from a luxurious anamorphic print and DTS audio. The only disappointment is that the sound stage is predominantly confined to the front three channels, leaving the rears to convey ambiance. This treatment is inappropriate in a movie that relies on technological bombast. Complaint aside. Watching DAT, on my Sony Plasma, far surpassed the theatrical version, which was curtailed by the limitations of wear and tear.

Deep Sea Titan

My close friend, Doctor Michael Williams, recently brought to my attention that über director James Cameron recently received an honorary degree from Southampton University. You can read the press release here.

It's so disappointing that, following Titanic, aside from a brief flirtation with television in the dusky-tressed Dark Angel, James Cameron has embarked on a documentary-obsessed odyssey to the detriment of his mainstream movie making! Aside from an alleged extended 5-hour cut of Titanic (destined for future DVD release), and perhaps further revisiting of earlier entries in his cinematic oeuvre, that next movie appears to be elusive. Of course, with the exception of Piranha II: Flying Killers, I wonder if his next film will also be another romance? A romance between director and medium! This fan is waiting. So, in the words of Vasquez "Lets Rock".

You may wish to read Cameron's original treatment for the aborted Spider-Man movie here.

Redmond, we have a problem

As predicted Apple announced at WWDC that Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger will be released in Q1 2005. Amongst the new features are Spotlight, Safari RSS, Automator (Workflow assistant) and Dashboard. The Apple Cinema Display line was refreshed, spearheaded by a new titanic 30-inch HD display model. Wonder if movie directors James Cameron and George Lucas had any input during R&D?

Further to the unprecedented release of Real's free Export Plug-in. RealPlayer 10 for Mac is available from Wednesday.