James Cameron in the Amazon

Cameron visits the Amazon to see the real-life version of "Avatar" take place: tribes fighting modern "progression". See the slideshow here.

Sigourney Weaver...whaaaat?

Ummm....

"Jim didn't have breasts, and I think that was the reason. He should have taken home that Oscar. ... In the past, Avatar would have won because they [Oscar voters] loved to hand out awards to big productions, like Ben-Hur. Today it's fashionable to give the Oscar to a small movie that nobody saw." —Sigourney Weaver

Read more: Vulture - Entertainment News - Movies, TV, Music, Art, Books http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/#ixzz0l4qGZXZt

James Cameron Writing Avatar Prequel Novel

“I told myself, if it made money, I’d write a book.” 
- James Cameron

Ooh, I'm intrigued. Is it going to be turned into a movie after??

Full article

A first for me re: Avatar

They're undeniably good looking, even for Na'vi

Made to appeal to humans? Their facial bone structure is so interesting; particularly their noses; particularly the bridge.

On New Years Eve, I saw Avatar again in theatres with my younger sister and some family friends. It's the first movie I've ever seen twice in theatres, so that's saying something! The second time, I could recognize the flaws more -- overly caricatured characters, repeated/obvious underlying storyline, weak dialogue -- but I also appreciated everything else it is (a visually explosive, wonderful journey into their world) for a second time. And it was fun to watch it again with someone else for their first viewing. I wonder how the 'fanboy' network is receiving this film, because that'll somewhat determine if and how the Pandoran world lives on in ours.

The amount of research gone into creating this film is admirable, down to the linguistically sound Na'vi language created especially for Avatar, as explained in a Vanity Fair article. "Avatar Linguist Wants Na'vi Language to be the Next Klingon," summarizes another article. Now that is probably up to the fanboys and fangirls.

Clearly I was very affected by this movie. Anyone else? It's not just me, right?

AVATAR 2.0

I'm writing this without re-reading what Fay wrote in her post, but I just saw Avatar and you must go see it. It's mindblowing. And heart-achingly good. When I say heart-aching, I'm trying to evoke that simultaneously effervescent and desperate feeling you get in your chest and brain when you can't get enough of someone -- in this case, something. Sort of an increased awareness in all synapses within a selective state of oblivion. At times I caught myself holding my breath and had to remember to breathe. 

Imagine if that world existed. At one point in the movie, I thought (likely out loud, if you've ever watched a movie with me), "well that's unrealistic," before I realized that the entire thing was unrealistic, of course.

Now that's good cinema. And excellent technology. And art. And a truly beautiful imagination I very much respect. Alright, enough gushing from me -- don't take my word for it, see it for yourself.

Avatar

I hated the trailer when I saw it this summer.

Yes, some of it was cliche (I guess a lot of it? Imperialism, love, bad guys, flying) but the way it was presented was just mind-blowing.

Mind. Blowing.

It was absolutely breathtaking and I'm still working through how I actually feel about the film. It's that glowing feeling you have when you have a crush on someone, except in this case the someone is the feeling of escapism and faith. I'm in love.

Georgina, don't make fun of me if you go see this movie and you don't like it as much as me. I am the one, after all, who made avatars on Second Life for her machinima class.

Ahhhh it was genius! The fact that it was digitally made is completely consistent with the fantasy of digital avatars--Pandora is simultaneously reality and imagined, and for someone with an incredibly impressionable mind like me, I am completely dazzled by its ability to rest as a real place in my imagination. I can't get my thoughts out clearly, but I just want to say that Cameron is a master of making audiences emote.

Oh, and the Sigourney Weaver part was perfect. She basically had to be in this film as the culmination (?) of her career in sci-fi with the director.

Ok I'm going to go see it again like 5 times before I go back to Hanover, which is basically the opposite of Pandora. Ughhhhhhhh I am writing like a 4th grader right now. Signing off,

Fay

Second Life Avatar

I'm taking a gaming class now and my first homework assignment was to make an Avatar on "Second Life."

So.
Scary.

Not only do people make money in their digital lives on this website, but they court, have sex, get pregnant and get married. Some people are virtual prostitutes while others are fashion designers--you pay for clothing, food, amenities and travel the cyber universe.

I adventured on the site, looking for free clothing (I didn't like my default outfit) and encountered some characters from all over the world by just approaching them and typing into the program.

I loved the Sims, but this is too much: real money, real people, digital environment. When does reality end (not to be cliche)?