The science-fiction movie James Cameron called a “guilty pleasure”
During the pandemic, when the world came to a standstill, the idea of going to the cinema was an implausible possibility for everybody, and film lovers reached their personal library for movies that offered them a comfort blanket, including illustrious director James Cameron. Although, it’s likely he owns a bigger screen than most.
While Cameron has been the mastermind behind iconic movies such as Titanic, The Terminator, and True Lies, along with the highly successful Avatar franchise, he also sat at home just like the rest of us, with nothing else to do but watch films. During this testing time, Cameron wasn’t seeking out mind-bending movies that would alter his philosophy; instead, he wanted an action-filled temporary escape from reality.
On the one hand, it’s understandable why many disagree with the concept of guilty pleasures, whether it relates to cinema or music. Although art that typically falls into this category wouldn’t be classified as high-brow, if it strikes a chord with a consumer, that’s all that should indeed matter.
Nevertheless, there are certain movies that we find ourselves returning to on a rainy Sunday afternoon that we wouldn’t reveal on Letterboxd and songs that appear on our annual Spotify Wrapped that we’d refrain from sharing with friends at a party.
Cameron might be an Oscar-winning director; however, sometimes, after a hectic day, there’s nothing he adores more than indulging in a silly action movie, with Resident Evil being his go-to choice. The 2002 movie, directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, may have evaded awards season and not be viewed as a classic by many, but Cameron constantly finds himself revisiting the film.
He told Empire in 2020: “One of my guilty-pleasure films that I actually think is quite beautifully made is Resident Evil. Watching Michelle Rodriguez in that film, moving like this feral creature, is joyful.”
Notably, Rodriguez starred in 2009’s original Avatar movie, directed by Cameron, and the duo have built a strong relationship. Despite her character passing away in the film, Rodriguez revealed the filmmaker was prepared to bring her character, Chacón, back into the fold for Avatar: The Way of the Water before she intervened and said, “‘You can’t do that — I died as a martyr.'”
In an interview with Vanity Fair, she explained how Resident Evil was one of the key reasons she refused to grant Cameron his wish, stating, “I came back in Resident Evil, I wasn’t supposed to. I came back in Machete, I wasn’t supposed to. I came back with Letty [in Fast & Furious], I wasn’t supposed to. We can’t do a fourth [movie resurrection], that would be overkill!”
As Rodriguez stated, she returned to Resident Evil for a second film, but the franchise spiralled out of control since her departure. Although six highly profitable movies were made in total, and now it’s been turned into a television series for Netflix, the explosive charm which made Cameron want to work with Rodriguez has been lost. Nevertheless, the first movie is always there if the director needs a quick pick-me-up.
