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What was Titanic mania like elder gays?

I was really young when the movie came out and I have vague memories of girls talking about Jack dying and how they cried in the theater, but I can't really remember the hype surrounding the movie. Was the movie worth the hype of its time? Did you see it in the theater and if so did you cry? Were you sick of the movie before it had released? Did you play that song on repeat? Were you disappointed that DiCaprio didn't get the nude scene and make out with Billy Zane?

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by Anonymousreply 277March 19, 2021 1:28 PM

It was definitely a blockbuster but I don’t remember any specific hype that other big budget films of that era would have gotten.

I saw it in the theater a month or two after it premiered, waiting for it to come to a local theater because I didn’t want to see it badly enough to travel to the multiplex. I remember being cold in the theater, thinking the movie was too long, and getting impatient that the boat was taking too long to sink.

by Anonymousreply 1February 7, 2021 12:20 AM

It was younger girls in love with Jack. He did nothing for me. The bad guy, however, 🥵.

by Anonymousreply 2February 7, 2021 12:24 AM

[quote]Did you see it in the theater and if so did you cry?

yes and no

[quote]Were you disappointed that DiCaprio didn't get the nude scene

nope, no desire to see his puny cocklet

by Anonymousreply 3February 7, 2021 12:24 AM

I went with my mother to see it in the theatre and she got up and walked out an hour or so in. She said it was “too boring.”

by Anonymousreply 4February 7, 2021 12:25 AM

If only they had built the bulkheads sealed at the top, the splendid ship would still be around today, probably.

They could have just sealed off the damaged compartments, then limp to the nearest port.

The bulkheads weren’t sealed, so the water couldn’t be contained in any section of the ship. It got to the top of the compartment and began flowing into the next compartment and it soon flooded the entire ship. British ship design at its finest!

by Anonymousreply 5February 7, 2021 12:27 AM

OMG... I was in high school and everyone was obsessed. I must have seen it in the theater four times, because for a few months, that's all anyone was doing.

by Anonymousreply 6February 7, 2021 12:28 AM

Oh, it was horrible OP! Mother and I barely made it to the lifeboat before the ship went down. Father tried to quickly throw on a dress and join us, but those bustles were a bitch back then.

by Anonymousreply 7February 7, 2021 12:28 AM

I was 7 when it came out and saw it in theaters with my parents. I remember finding Kate Winslet's nude scene very awkward/uncomfortable to view with them. The movie did, however, spark my sexual awakening, as I was in love with Leonardo DiCaprio for several years after. He was my first "celebrity crush". I remember convincing my mom to buy me a "Lovin' Leo" fan book from the grocery store that came with a foldout poster shortly after. I used to look at all the pictures and imagine myself kissing him. My parents had to have known I was light in the loafers at that point. As an adult, I still love the movie, and think it was exquisitely done. Weirdly enough, I no longer find DiCaprio even remotely attractive, even in his youth.

by Anonymousreply 8February 7, 2021 12:30 AM

it was the "Twilight" of it's era.

not even worth a cringe watch to chant drown, little bitch, drown... too long for a drinking game.

the bottoms, of course, were obsessed with leo because of basketball diaries and total eclipse.. only the sleaziest of tops would consider gilbert's little bro.

by Anonymousreply 9February 7, 2021 12:31 AM

OP this is DL, you should be asking the eldergays about 1958's "A Night to Remember"'.

by Anonymousreply 10February 7, 2021 12:33 AM

That fucking Celine Dion song was inescapable on the radio.

by Anonymousreply 11February 7, 2021 12:33 AM

Oh my god!!! Jack died??? Thank you, OP, for spoiling it for me.

by Anonymousreply 12February 7, 2021 12:33 AM

I read everything I could about the Titanic when I was a young teenager in the 70s. It was too unimaginable to really happen. Yet, it did. "A Night to Remember" by Walter Lloyd, published in 1955, is a must-read on the subject. When I saw the movie, I pretty much knew what would happen and the order it happened. I knew the names of the real passengers who were highlighted in the film. The scene of the ship standing up just before it sank brought it to life for me, along with all the people struggling in the water. That's what impacted me the most, not the love story or the fictional characters. I saw it six times while it was in the theatres, picking up little details with each show.

by Anonymousreply 13February 7, 2021 12:40 AM

A co worker saw it in a theater with her husband and said that she grew impatient waiting for the iceberg to arrive. I've seen parts of it on cable over the years and it never held my interest. Like so many Best Picture winners The Artist, 12 Years a Slave, The Sting, Patton, Chicago, The Shape of Water it was overrated and over-hyped. The Last Voyage a disaster film from the early 60s creates more tension and believability and at 90 minutes it's and hour and fifteen minutes shorter than Titanic. And yes the song was so overplayed that one radio station every time they played it they began with the sound of barking dogs as an homage to Miss Celine.

by Anonymousreply 14February 7, 2021 12:41 AM

really, if you want to capitulate to the gays of that era try 'the doom generation', 'nowhere' maybe wild reeds, les enfants terribles, lilies, zero patience, or for dl hos 'in the gloaming'

by Anonymousreply 15February 7, 2021 12:41 AM

This is one of the few movies I gone to see twice during its original run.

I saw it with a friend in December, then in April saw it with another friend who hadn't seen it yet.

Yes, it was still in theaters 4 months later.

Several years ago, James Cameron tampered with the film and re-released it as a 3-D movie - and yes I saw it again.

BTW the film did choke me up, but not because of Jack's death but because of the sight of all of the dead bodies in the ocean.

Also: I almost always ignore movie hype, especially since PR people are usually the last people to understand what any given film is really about.

I went to see it specifically because I love Cameron's films.

[quote]OP this is DL, you should be asking the eldergays about 1958's "A Night to Remember"'.

I would've gone back further and said 1953's "Titanic."

by Anonymousreply 16February 7, 2021 12:42 AM

R11, and it went on and on and on and on.

by Anonymousreply 17February 7, 2021 12:43 AM

^^ "few movies I gone to see" ^^

Hey, I could've sworn there was a "had" in that sentence above

by Anonymousreply 18February 7, 2021 12:43 AM

Celine's Oscar performance.

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by Anonymousreply 19February 7, 2021 12:44 AM

r16 maybe a few decades after with the poseidon adventure.. so much better

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by Anonymousreply 20February 7, 2021 12:45 AM

This.

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by Anonymousreply 21February 7, 2021 12:49 AM

r14 Here. I hate to go on and on like Titanic but, The Last Voyage is 91 mins. vs Titanic at 3hrs14mins

by Anonymousreply 22February 7, 2021 12:51 AM

The Poseidon Adventure was a great deal of fun but way too campy.

Someone above mentioned The Last Voyage. LOL talk about campy. And that damn whiny kid. I kept hoping she'd fall though that hole in the ship and put the audience out of its misery.

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by Anonymousreply 23February 7, 2021 12:51 AM

It had been delayed quite a bit, and its premiere in Tokyo had not generated much buzz, so it pretty much surprised everyone it was so successful. What made it even more surprising it was so successful was that it was released at Chjristmas rather than over the summer (which was when the biggest blockbusters were then released).

It made Leo di Caprio into such a huge star it was just about impossible to avoid him.

by Anonymousreply 24February 7, 2021 12:51 AM

It was massive. Even my grandmother, who never went to the movies, had to go and see it.

by Anonymousreply 25February 7, 2021 12:57 AM

It was quite shocking to have the romantic lead die in the movie. I too was a sinking of the Titanic freak as a teenager so I loved the film and all it's details.

Could have done without the JACK ROSE JACK ROSE JACK ROSE, yelling all the time.

by Anonymousreply 26February 7, 2021 12:58 AM

Never saw the movie mainly because I cannot stand the male lead,the one always accompanied by his beard, and the screaming of Celine Dion.

by Anonymousreply 27February 7, 2021 12:59 AM

OP how old are you? One doesn’t need to be elder to remember 1997/1998.

I was a kid at the time and remember how huge this was, and everyone in class speaking about it. Yup, even kids.

I remember the song being everywhere and the film played in theaters for months!!! It was massive.

Stores had a midnight release of it when it came to dvd/vhs because it was so anticipated when it finally came out of theaters.

by Anonymousreply 28February 7, 2021 1:02 AM

R25 my Grandma too. She went to see it with my mom. Then my mom and stepdad went and took me and my sister because we wanted to see it.

I remember months after it’s release FOX did a special on it because it was still such a massive hit.

by Anonymousreply 29February 7, 2021 1:04 AM

I remember being incredibly impressed by the special effects. I guess it looks like nothing special today but it was very effective back in 97. I also remember when Alladin the cartoon came out how impressive those visuals were. There’s something to be said for the days before we had automatic access to everything and movies were a real spectacle.

I saw Titanic twice with my sister. We both hated Rose and wished she had died instead of Jack. But really he was the dummy who didn’t think of taking turns on that door.

by Anonymousreply 30February 7, 2021 1:07 AM

The scene where you see the violinists still playing as the boat is sinking until they couldn’t any longer and he thanks everyone for listening (or something like that) broke my heart. It was effective.

Then the scene when everyone is dead in the water and you see a woman holding her baby, dead. I was terrified after seeing this.

by Anonymousreply 31February 7, 2021 1:11 AM

R28 Mid-twenties. I have early memories of watching the VHS at my grandparents, I used to fast-forward to the part where the iceberg hit.

by Anonymousreply 32February 7, 2021 1:14 AM

"We're goin' to America! WOOOOOOOOOOO!!"

by Anonymousreply 33February 7, 2021 1:16 AM

[quote] so I loved the film and all it's details.

Oh, dear!

[quote] I remember months after it’s release

Oh, DEAR!

by Anonymousreply 34February 7, 2021 1:18 AM

It was so powerful! You felt the energy in the base of the spine, and like a white stream of holy light it went up the spine...

Oh, wait, I thought you said tantric mania.......

by Anonymousreply 35February 7, 2021 1:19 AM

1958s A Night to Remember is a straightforward, interesting account of the sinking while 1953s Titanic focuses on the marital stain of the lead couple that like James Cameron's film is heavy on the soapy subplots and both are tedious. Both The Last Voyage and 1972s The Poseidon Adventure are more simply entertaining and far less laborious. The actual Titanic sank in 2 hours and 4o minutes and Titanic takes 3hours and 14 minutes to tell it. It's less of a disaster movie than a disaster of a movie. And Cameron's Oscar acceptance speech was cringe worthy. And I could care less about the Romeo and Juliet derived star crossed lovers Rose and Jack. As Elaine on Seinfeld would say, Die already!

by Anonymousreply 36February 7, 2021 1:21 AM

OP, I saw it at least 2 or 3 times in the theatre, but months after it came out.

I remember when there was talk of Cameron making it I said it’ll be a flop. Everyone already knows the ending: the damn thing sinks!

Then, when it went WAY over budget and there were rumors the studio was going to pull the plug, I thought Cameron was just being arrogant.

Finally, when it had been in the theatre for months, and everyone seems to have seen it and raved about it, I figured I’d like to see it. Saw it and loved it so brought my mother to see it. I’m pretty sure I saw it at least one more time in the theatre.

It’s still one of my favorite movies.

by Anonymousreply 37February 7, 2021 1:21 AM

I saw it in the theater once. The Jack and Rose love story was mediocre dreck. But teenage girls and women swooned over the insipid saga of Jack and Rose.

I thought the special effects were the only reason to see the movie. The dialogue was terrible, Jack and Rose were unbearable. And how many times did they say each other's names in this movie? About a hundred? "Jack! Jack! Jack! Jack!" "Rose! Rose! Rose! Rose!"

The movie was ridiculous in a lot of ways. Throughout the movie Jack and Rose are running around and being submerged in the freezing water; she's wearing what looks like a nightgown. In real life, the cold water would have incapacitated them quickly. And that farewell speech his gives her while up to his neck in freezing water? He wouldn't have been able to talk, but much less give that stupid speech.

It always bothered me that the band on the Titanic was considered so heroic. While the ship was sinking they played cheery, upbeat tunes, which probably made the passengers think there really wasn't anything that serious going on, when in reality it was life or death. Maybe if the band hadn't been playing cheerful music more people would have gotten into the lifeboats.

by Anonymousreply 38February 7, 2021 1:22 AM

I was in grade school when it came out, but I remember the hype. I had a subscription to Entertainment Weekly at the time (I know) and seeing its dominance at the box office made quite the impression on me-watching the hype and seeing how long it would stay the number 1 film in the US became a pastime of its own. I saw it three times with my family because my mom really liked it-I did not care for the romance aspect at the time but it was the first real "epic" I can remember seeing. I saw it a few years later and the attention to detail stood out (the clothes, the interiors, Cameron's clear passion for underwater discovery) but the story did not interest me, alas.

by Anonymousreply 39February 7, 2021 1:25 AM

I got so involved in the love story I completely forgot that the boat was going to sink. The iceberg came as a bit of a shock.

by Anonymousreply 40February 7, 2021 1:27 AM

Everyone wanted to book passage. Sure, there were other great new ships, but there was something about the Titanic. We looked into it, but around the date for the maiden crossing we had already planned a train trip to Istanbul for the baths, so we planned to book later in the year. Also, April can be too cool for full enjoyment in the N. Atlantic, as you probably know.

Well, when the first news of the sinking arrived we already we already were in Austria. It was late afternoon and we were having tea before changing for dinner, and a group of four young gentlemen in the dining car let out such a screech you would have thought a mouse was loose. We dubbed it "the Titanic Scream" and called it that for years! The stories that rapidly followed unnerved and excited everyone tremendously. And the new just kept getting worse. I mean, Astor, Straus, Henry Harris. Percy had met Mr. Straus several times and of course he knew Mr. Harris quite well. We stepped off in Vienna, even though it was late, and purchased some newspapers. Reading the extras in German did not dilute the horror of it all.

Oh, wait. Perhaps I misunderstood what was being asked of elder gays. Is the OP actually requesting information about that movie? But it just came out a couple of decades ago. Who wouldn't remember everything about that tawdry and manipulative melodrama? Well, it was nice to see Gloria Stuart again. Or at least her relics.

Never mind, then.

by Anonymousreply 41February 7, 2021 1:27 AM

R40 For others the iceberg came as a bit of relief.

by Anonymousreply 42February 7, 2021 1:28 AM

[quote] While the ship was sinking they played cheery, upbeat tunes, which probably made the passengers think there really wasn't anything that serious going on, when in reality it was life or death.

The deck beneath their feet was tilting, honey, and everyone was screaming and panicking. I don't think the band playing was taken by a single person as a sign that everything was going to be all right.

How do some of you even manage to dress yourselves in the morning?

by Anonymousreply 43February 7, 2021 1:28 AM

That fucking song went on and on and was played a couple times per hour on the radio for almost a year. I remember one DJ on a local top 40 station getting pissed and saying "Come on people...we're all sick of this song. Stop buying it so that I can stop playing it. There are other songs that deserve to be Number One!"

by Anonymousreply 44February 7, 2021 1:35 AM

"The deck beneath their feet was tilting, honey, and everyone was screaming and panicking."

Not in the beginning, sweetie. When they were trying to get people in the lifeboats some of them were reluctant to do so, seeming to think it was not that urgent. No doubt hearing pleasant music reinforced that incorrect assumption. You are such a silly twit.

by Anonymousreply 45February 7, 2021 1:35 AM

I remember my 6th Grade English teacher bashing that song all the time. She couldn’t hear it. She would literally look like she was in pain when that song was even mentioned

by Anonymousreply 46February 7, 2021 1:36 AM

"draw me like one of your French girls"

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by Anonymousreply 47February 7, 2021 1:46 AM

The film is PG-13 not R

by Anonymousreply 48February 7, 2021 1:48 AM

[quote] How do some of you even manage to dress yourselves in the morning?

I don’t know about him but my socks have big Ls and Rs on them, and my underwear has a Y and a B on it, so I do OK.

by Anonymousreply 49February 7, 2021 1:50 AM

R47 Is that who sank the Titanic?

by Anonymousreply 50February 7, 2021 2:02 AM

I was teaching at a middle school when the film came out. From a friend, I got an Academy Award voter screener copy on VHS tape, months before the film was released on home video. We had a big function at the school, and the day after the kids were clearing up the campus in shifts, and I was assigned to babysit and show videos all day for those students not assigned to the cleanup. I decided to show Titanic (with the nude part edited out). When I told the kids they didn't believe me, and some of the girls actually screamed when they saw the movie on the tiny TV screen! I pressed play and turned off the lights with 35 kids in the room. When I paused for a break I looked around to find over 100 kids. Word got out (through bathroom breaks, I suppose) and girls were ditching classes and sneaking in. For one day I was the Coolest Teacher Ever.

by Anonymousreply 51February 7, 2021 2:05 AM

[quote]The actual Titanic sank in 2 hours and 4o minutes and Titanic takes 3hours and 14 minutes to tell it.

Well, they did have those pesky dock and departure scenes, but what can you do? A ship can't magically transport to the center of the ocean. Then you're into science fiction AND disaster, aka The Philadelphia Experiment.

by Anonymousreply 52February 7, 2021 2:10 AM

[quote]I decided to show Titanic (with the nude part edited out).

You couldn't just cover the screen?

by Anonymousreply 53February 7, 2021 2:12 AM

Have you seen him?! He could’ve covered the screen at a movie theatre!

by Anonymousreply 54February 7, 2021 2:14 AM

R51 my 9th grade English teacher showed us Franco Zeffirelli’s Romeo & Juliet, nude parts intact. She awakened my love of Shakespeare and Leonard Whiting’s ass and for that I am forever grateful.

by Anonymousreply 55February 7, 2021 2:21 AM

r8 you could have been me because I was around that age as well and thanks to my parents recent divorce, I got both of them to take to see it separately. I think I liked Leo, but I was in LOVE with the ship. Had my parents but me so many of the kids books made after the movie came out. Then one wonderful Christmas I received the VHS tapes (came in a two set). I think on my DVD set, they changed the part where the tape would end so it's still awkward to not have the hard stop.

The movie is a very well done. It is a traditional love story in the first half and an action movie at the end. That's why I think it is a great movie. The action/sinking still hold up today thanks to using hundred of stunt doubles and extras over all 1990s CGI.

I did have a think for Leo and wanted to see the Beach so bad, I think it came out afterwards, but my mom refused to let me rent it. I even went to see Titanic when it came back out to the theaters a couple of years ago. It was fun but I wouldn't spend my money to watch it there again.

Can't say much to help OP, but I can say that both times I went the theaters were packed.

by Anonymousreply 56February 7, 2021 2:21 AM

One of the worst films I have EVER sat through in the cinema. Was arguing with my then partner and friends about leaving early. Mawkish shit. Winslet looked like a massive Madame from a saloon with Leo plausibility as her son 💯.

Was overcome by the band playing and people in the water because that has always really struck me about this tragedy.

by Anonymousreply 57February 7, 2021 2:27 AM

R52 Eliminating the boring, cliched R&J scenes and frau Francis Farmer and the repellent Billy Zane could have made it smooth sailing for this viewer. For me, the central story is, artistically speaking, the real disaster. And those pesky scenes you mentioned are for me uninteresting as well because they have all been done before. Titanic is a movie best appreciated by and aimed at teenage girls who don't realize how tediously trite and unoriginal it is.

by Anonymousreply 58February 7, 2021 2:32 AM

You're in luck r58 because any DVD, Blur Rays, or VHS versions of the movie are split into two. You can pop in Part 2 and get right to the meat of the story, the disaster.

by Anonymousreply 59February 7, 2021 2:34 AM

I fell in love with Kathy Bates but prefer A Night to Remember and Barbara Stanwyck and Clifton Webb

by Anonymousreply 60February 7, 2021 2:34 AM

R57 I'm relieved you said "then partner." Being in a relationship with someone who thinks this movie is good is a red flag that signals disaster ahead.

by Anonymousreply 61February 7, 2021 2:35 AM

The romance part was so boring, cliched and Disney-like. I don't think added much to the story. I can't believe that the role of Jack was what made Leo a household name when he did much better work prior. Anyway, Titanic really gets good once the ship starts sinking, the action and thrills pick ups and the movie becomes much more entertaining. I loved the special effects and film score they used. It is definitely a great film because it managed to appeal to both historical romance fans and action/adventure fans alike. The only part that is overrated to is the love story which really was just two horny teens hooking up and likely breaking up due to the reality of their class differences.

by Anonymousreply 62February 7, 2021 2:40 AM

[quote] and likely breaking up due to the reality of their class differences.

I’ll never let go, r62!

by Anonymousreply 63February 7, 2021 2:42 AM

The film was well done.

Someone upthread compared it to Twilight... really?!

by Anonymousreply 64February 7, 2021 2:44 AM

This at least the very least rates an episode on Neighbors From Hell.

by Anonymousreply 65February 7, 2021 3:06 AM

Sorry! This was meant for the Murder-Suicide thread!

by Anonymousreply 66February 7, 2021 3:07 AM

R59 Thank you but, even the meat of the story is cheese to me. I wasn't really impressed or persuaded by the special F/X. Even the water in what is supposedly the cold Atlantic looks too Caribbean blue to me and the fate of the individual characters of no particularly concern and certainly not as concerning as Celine Dion's current weight.

by Anonymousreply 67February 7, 2021 3:19 AM

From late 1997 to early 1998 it was EVERYTHING - a huge smash hit with nearly daily press and coverage.... nothing has compared to it since.

by Anonymousreply 68February 7, 2021 3:21 AM

R68 Well maybe 9/11.

by Anonymousreply 69February 7, 2021 3:24 AM

It wasn't the kind of blockbuster we see today. It only made 30m in its first week... but then it kept making 30m every week for about 2 months. It was in theaters for almost a year. I remember thinking how crazy it was that the VHS contained 2 tapes.

by Anonymousreply 70February 7, 2021 3:26 AM

The best acting in the film was by Victor Garber. His portrayal of Thomas Andrews was lovely. He should have gotten the Oscar nom, not Gloria Stuart. Kate Winslet shouldn't have been nominated, either, not for that role.

by Anonymousreply 71February 7, 2021 3:28 AM

I remember seeing it in the theatre, and I hated it. I got up and went out for a cigarette at one point because I just didn't care, and couldn't wait for the fucking boat to sink. It was at least an hour too long, I hate that fucking Celine Dionne song, and that fucking bitch could have moved over a bit to give jack some space on the door. Or, if she had stayed on the fucking lifeboat, Jack would have had the damn door to himself.

Then, the dumb bitch hangs onto the fucking necklace for her whole life, and then throws it in the ocean when she is old.

This is from the guy who made The Terminator? WTF?

by Anonymousreply 72February 7, 2021 3:34 AM

“eldergays”???

Exactly how young are you, OP, that you think anyone sentient during the “Titanic craze” (WTF?) is now an “elder”?

by Anonymousreply 73February 7, 2021 3:44 AM

[quote] That's what impacted me the most

This ‘impact’-as-verb trend is one of the most painful in recent years.

by Anonymousreply 74February 7, 2021 3:47 AM

[quote] or for dl hos 'in the gloaming'

LOL

by Anonymousreply 75February 7, 2021 3:48 AM

I was just thinking this the other day r8. I adored DiCaprio when I was younger but, now, nothing.

by Anonymousreply 76February 7, 2021 3:54 AM

R72 I don't blame you. If I had seen it in a movie theater I would have gone out for a cigarette as well and I don't smoke!

by Anonymousreply 77February 7, 2021 3:59 AM

It was very long, and after the first two hours, I regretted buying that large Coke.

by Anonymousreply 78February 7, 2021 4:03 AM

R70 What you describe is what is known in the business as a film "with legs" The Others with Nicole Kidman and to a lesser extent The Parasites are examples of films with legs. They continue and even sometimes grow in popularity, developing an audience over a period of weeks and months. Unlike so many films which open in thousands of theaters. for a few weeks, make a ton of money and disappear in a month or two. And yes,, due to a smash and grab distribution pattern it's something not seen often today.

by Anonymousreply 79February 7, 2021 4:23 AM

t64 titanic was for stupid teen girls like romeo & juliet

while budding young homos were still fantasizing about doogie's best friend riding a bull going through a tunnel carrying a lady's handbag .

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by Anonymousreply 80February 7, 2021 4:48 AM

Elder gays? ... I thought this was going to be a discussion about "A Night to Remember" ..lol

As for the Celine Dion song, we got so sick of hearing it on the Muzak at work, that one evening, my assistant and I climbed up on the desks, unscrewed all the metal speaker plates on the ceiling in our rather large work area, and disconnected the wiring within, so we wouldn't have to hear it any longer.

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by Anonymousreply 81February 7, 2021 5:16 AM

R52 But a film can magically transport to the middle of the ocean without being science fiction. Film is elliptical and time and space variable.

by Anonymousreply 82February 7, 2021 5:21 AM

R80 aka "Snoozies" Looks like a male version of Annie and even worse. Ugh!

by Anonymousreply 83February 7, 2021 5:29 AM

I feel that it was the last movie that people truly went crazy for, like the original Star Wars or Indiana Jones franchises, the types that had people lined up around the block and watching it for the 14th time. Other movies since then have done well at the box office, for sure, but I think all the media choices these days have made people a bit jaded. I saw it with my parents, and my mom cried because Gloria Stuart was a lot like my grandmother, who was in a nursing home and not doing well. I also worked at a bookstore at the time, and there were a ton of Leo books for the teenage girls.

by Anonymousreply 84February 7, 2021 5:34 AM

It’s the only movie Ive been kicked out of. I couldn’t stop laughing hysterically. Such a saccharine piece of shit movie.

by Anonymousreply 85February 7, 2021 5:35 AM

Bottoms were absolutely obsessed, especially old ones.

by Anonymousreply 86February 7, 2021 5:42 AM

The city of Belfast has really gone fucking overboard (hohoho) since the film came out on promoting itself as a Titanic tourist destination. It literally renamed one of its districts 'Titanic Quarter' (including the railway station there situated) and spent £97 million on building a massive museum/visitors attraction , Titanic Belfast, on the site of the old Harland and Wolff Shipyard. You can also stay at 'Titanic Hotel' (nautically themed) during your visit.

The museum is actually worth a visit, mainly because it has a floor telling of the social history of Belfast during the early 20th century. While I do find this permanent monument to the mania a bit much, the other major attraction Belfast has to offer the world is paramilitary-themed tourism so I can understand why Titanic gets so much official support.

by Anonymousreply 87February 7, 2021 5:47 AM

R85 Lucky you and I hope you got your money back!

by Anonymousreply 88February 7, 2021 5:52 AM

Anyway. I think the film was the only time I remember there being an 'Intermission' in a cinema screening.

The scene with Jack and Rose right before the sinking where "I'm flying" does still appeal in a sentimental way. It was a good movie for what it was. At school, I remember hearing a rumour that James Cameron was making a sequel, and constructing with some classmates an elaborate scenario in which Jack got swallowed by a whale, then vomited up on the beaches of Newfoundland.

A few years later when Brokeback Mountain came out, I remember being really intrigued to read that the poster for BBM was based on Titanic's poster. It was explained that the main audience for BBM were middle-aged straight women who liked the romance aspect. Not being as aware of the appeal of slash fiction/gay shipping to this demographic as I am now, I remember being a little taken aback.

by Anonymousreply 89February 7, 2021 5:52 AM

Agree with r87. I’m not into the Titanic hoopla, but I did check out the museum last time I was in Belfast with some extra time. Definitely worth a visit. It’s a beautiful building (and they have great Irish Stew in the cafeteria for cheap).

by Anonymousreply 90February 7, 2021 5:53 AM

For Broadway fans, it was a particularly interesting period: The new Broadway musical "Titanic" had won the Tony for Best Musical in June, 1997 and was playing to full houses when the "Titanic" movie opened.

Not everyone loved the musical, but I found it quite moving and was eager to see the film. It was such a big deal that the only show I could easily get in to at a Manhattan multiplex was Christmas Eve afternoon.

Those involved with the musical, which lasted two years but never fully returned its investment, said they felt that the movie had ultimately hurt the show, as some people came to the show expecting the movie.

In any case, the "Titanic" musical has one of the great Broadway scores of the last thirty years and the show is more highly regarded now than it was then.

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by Anonymousreply 91February 7, 2021 6:14 AM

r70 is right. When the film first opened, it wasn't a sure thing that the film would turn into the massive blockbuster it eventually became. I saw it opening weekend and while business was brisk, it wasn't sold out.

As has been said, it was a movie with legs. Buzz and word-of-mouth grew, along with the popularity of Celine Dion's song and Leonardo's heartthrob status, they all came together to create a pop culture moment and mammoth box office success.

The soundtrack was also hugely successful, thanks to the Celine hit, but credit should also be given to James Horner, who scored the film (and won the Oscar that year). The soundtrack kept a number of albums out of the #1 spot. Even Madonna's hugely successful album, Ray of LIght, couldn't hit #1 because it was blocked by Titanic in 1998.

by Anonymousreply 92February 7, 2021 6:38 AM

Saw the movie maybe a week or two after it came out..maybe a month but it was packed and I got stuck in the front row with my best friend because we got there too late for good seats. That made the dancing and water scenes painful and unbearable. I also thought it was sappy and overdone at the time.

I watched Titanic many years later and enjoyed the historic elements/classism angle and the “action” of the iceberg once it hit. Kate Winslet looked amazing but the romance was weird because Leo looked like a teenager and too young to be romantically involved with her. I still got anxious once the water started filling up the lower levels and I teared up thinking about the fear and panic everyone must have felt before they died.

I think it still packs a punch even today and I can appreciate the movie for what it was.

by Anonymousreply 93February 7, 2021 7:13 AM

I saw this film once, the Saturday night it opened. Apparently it was a phenomenon.

by Anonymousreply 94February 7, 2021 7:36 AM

I wanted Enya to be strangled along with Leo, Kathy, Kate and Billy. Victor Garber was suave and handsome as always.

by Anonymousreply 95February 7, 2021 7:40 AM

[Quote] it was the "Twilight" of it's era.

Why compare Twilight to an actual movie like Titanic 🤔

by Anonymousreply 96February 7, 2021 9:18 AM

R16 How the fuck do you remember the months in which you saw it? You must have a memory of an elephant

by Anonymousreply 97February 7, 2021 9:47 AM

I saw it with my friend Belle in Portland (she saw it 6 or 7x) and then my friend Tina when I moved back home. My parents had it scheduled on their calendar to go with friends (they hardly ever went to the movies). It was a big deal.

by Anonymousreply 98February 7, 2021 9:56 AM

I was 18 when it came out. I was a little excited to see the movie. I read Entertainment Weekly and knew how over budget the film was and that it was expected to be a disaster, and I liked Leo, but I wasn't really that interested in the shipwreck aspect.

I was more excited to be on a date with someone I had been dating for a few weeks than I was to see the movie. So I sucked him off in the car before the movie, swallowed my first load, and that made the night more memorable.

I remember thinking the acting and the story were shockingly schlocky. I barked out a LOUD laugh when Rose let Jack's hand go like a cold bitch, and that night and ever since I've honestly wondered whether the movie is terrible or good. I like it overall. I still can't decide if the silly plot and the weirdly stilted acting are stylized to suggest an old Hollywood era or if James Cameron just made a paint-by-numbers disaster drama that is watchable despite its failings.

by Anonymousreply 99February 7, 2021 10:05 AM

I saw it seven times. I also saw The Dark Knight seven times. Back then, pure spectacle was enough for most people. Titanic had many flaws, including being written by James Cameron who cannot write for shit. Most of the screenplay was just crappily written crap stolen from other actual film makers. The only good thing about The Dark Knight was Heath's Joker, everything else was crap, especially super fug Maggot Gyllenhaal and charisma free Aaron Eckhart. Eckhart's career obviously went nowhere.

by Anonymousreply 100February 7, 2021 11:24 AM

R97

The movie opened in around Christmas, and I know I saw it when it came out.

I remember April because that's when I visited my friend in FL - I saw it with her - and April is when I've always visited her.

by Anonymousreply 101February 7, 2021 12:06 PM

R95 Why did you want to strangle poor Enya? She had nothing to do with Titanic. She turned them down when they asked her to write a song for Titanic.

Though I suppose if she had participated, then maybe we wouldn't have been subjected to Celine's abomination.

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by Anonymousreply 102February 7, 2021 12:27 PM

[69] Dipshit, we're talking about movies.

by Anonymousreply 103February 7, 2021 1:26 PM

^^Calls someone a dipshit but can’t properly refer to a prior post.

Irony.

by Anonymousreply 104February 7, 2021 1:39 PM

[quote] the fate of the individual characters of no particularly concern

But Brandon, r67, surely you were concerned when you found out one of the characters was a DLer?

“Will the lifeboats be seated according to class?”

by Anonymousreply 105February 7, 2021 1:40 PM

[quote] You must have a memory of an elephant

With a body to....

Nah, too easy.

by Anonymousreply 106February 7, 2021 1:41 PM

Clifton Webb and Barbara Stanwyck were great! And young Robert Wagner was hot.

by Anonymousreply 107February 7, 2021 1:41 PM

I always wondered how Rose supported herself afterward. All she had were the clothes on her back...and a massive diamond necklace. She didn't sell the necklace, so how the hell did she live? My guess is she made a living as a prostitute. She still has the huge diamond necklace when she's a frail old lady and what does she do with it? Donate it to a museum or auction it off for charity? No, she throws it into the ocean. What the hell was THAT act supposed to symbolize? It seems to me like something a senile person would do, but the movie makes a point of showing how sharp and quick witted Rose is even at her advanced age. Actually, Rose comes off as more of a snotty bitch than a feisty old lady. Young Rose was the same way, a bitch who spits in people's faces and tells her mother to "Shut up!" I guess she didn't change much over the years.

by Anonymousreply 108February 7, 2021 5:51 PM

I maintain that Leo and Billy Zane should have had each other's roles. Convention dictates that the blue-collar romantic interest who disrupts up a society engagement be a dark, muscular, brooding type with a roguish smile, and the jilted society stiff be a shallow, bland blond.

That would have been one improvement; a decent script would have been another.

by Anonymousreply 109February 7, 2021 6:16 PM

Billy Zane was so over the top. He might as well have twirled his mustache as the villain.

Also, I agree with whoever said above that Jack and Rose kept calling each other's names. It was so irritating. The only other film to rival it in terms of naming a character numerous times is Poltergeist III where ALL the characters say or shout the name "CAROL ANNE" ad nauseam.

by Anonymousreply 110February 7, 2021 6:24 PM

The best solution would have been to stick with the the historical characters, and skip the love story. There were many newlywed couples torn apart, and enough examples of sacrifice and pathos to fill a dozen films. Why create a sappy romance? A Night To Remember was a huge hit in its day -just sticking to the facts.

by Anonymousreply 111February 7, 2021 6:24 PM

How did Rose manage to snag herself a rich husband? At least if Rose had been written as an Englishwoman, it would have made sense to if her husband had been some nouveau riche Anglophile American who thought that marrying a snooty English lady would buy him class and refinement.

by Anonymousreply 112February 7, 2021 6:33 PM

Ask Erna, she was on the actual Titanic

by Anonymousreply 113February 7, 2021 6:35 PM

It was something. I remember it like it was yesterday - the survivors arrived in New York on the Carpathia and Mrs. Margaret Brown of Denver gave the captain a prize.

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by Anonymousreply 114February 7, 2021 6:37 PM

r108 you missed the part where Cal stuffed that coat with piles of his money. She stepped foot into the US with maybe $5,000-10,000. She had enough to do just about anything. She was pretty so snagging a new husband wasn't going to be a challenge.

by Anonymousreply 115February 7, 2021 6:42 PM

Forgot to add that $10,000 in 1912 would be the equivalent of around $250,000 today based on an inflation calculator I used. Somehow I feel like that's very conservative estimate. She was also good enough with money and no fool.

It's her mother that I always felt bad for because I bet Cal left her on the dock when they got to NYC. She had absolutely nothing. No money, no jewelry to pawn off, nothing but the clothes on her back and a ton of debt.

by Anonymousreply 116February 7, 2021 6:44 PM

I saw it. I just remember thinking at the time that Kate and Leo lacked sexual chemistry.

by Anonymousreply 117February 7, 2021 6:45 PM

It became a phenomenon and was promoted a lot but the performance of the film surprised the entertainment industry. There was the potential for it to be a huge bomb. The running time also prevented huge box office since it could only play 3 times per day per screen. This was before digital distribution so it played on film and theaters couldn't just add more showtimes/screens like they can today when a film does really well. It did like 24 or 28 million opening weekend which was about all it could possibly do. But people loved it and word of mouth pushed it for months, as did repeat viewings.

by Anonymousreply 118February 7, 2021 6:48 PM

r112 she ended up making pies and opening restaurants in CA. Sadly her second husband ended up sleeping with her daughter so she had to choke the bitch. Rose, who changed her name to Mildred Pierce, had bad luck with men and money. But she's a fighter, I'll give her that.

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by Anonymousreply 119February 7, 2021 6:50 PM

You know what, I miss these word of mouth movie events. Same for TV shows like Tiger King and Game of Thrones. Yeah, it all looks foolish in hindsight, but it's fun to have a pop culture event mind a segment of the population together. Like a bit of common ground now and then is nice. I'm glad the AMC stock thing helped keep the company afloat. I can't wait to head back into theaters.

by Anonymousreply 120February 7, 2021 6:52 PM

OP Sit by me.

The filming had been delayed by years, and the film went so over budget Fox had to sell the overseas(?) rights to Paramount to afford to finish it. The press coverage was very negative to nasty, and the reports coming back from the set made it sound like it would be an indulgent mess.

And then it opened to OK business. And word of mouth got out an it was a fucking sensation. Probably the last smash hit that was made by the audience, and not through hype.

One week I was babysitting my nephew and niece, who thought they were winding me up by asking, all week, just to watch the video of Titanic. It was the recently released extra fucking long edition, so I happily allowed them to watch it over and over as I sat upstairs getting stoned.

by Anonymousreply 121February 7, 2021 6:58 PM

So why does Rose an upperclass young woman in 1912 show off her tits? Did Cameron just want to see Kate topless and assure the film's appeal to young men?

by Anonymousreply 122February 7, 2021 7:06 PM

I thought it interesting that boys as well were not allowed in the lifeboats. Don't know if the film deals with this as I haven't seen it.

One woman dressed up her 11 years old son as a girl to get him into a life boat. Another 12 year old boy jumped into a lifeboat as it started going down. The man in charge of it pulled out a gun and told the kid to get out or he would shoot him as they were going to pick up more women and children on the lower decks. The boy was left curled up and weeping on the deck. As the lifeboat went down there were no more people picked up.

by Anonymousreply 123February 7, 2021 7:15 PM

R122 did you not watch the film???

by Anonymousreply 124February 7, 2021 7:16 PM

R123 youre shocked by that? Of course it was women and girls only, and based on class. Only rich women and girls. Men and boys were for after the women were safe.

And they weren’t filling up the boats. If they filled the boats to capacity instead of 10%, they would have saved many more lives.

by Anonymousreply 125February 7, 2021 7:18 PM

No. Ain't got no time for a movie I know I would hate.

by Anonymousreply 126February 7, 2021 7:19 PM

LEEEEEEEO!

by Anonymousreply 127February 7, 2021 7:23 PM

I thought boys were saved. But I guess only if they were small children.

by Anonymousreply 128February 7, 2021 7:35 PM

The love story was the weakest part of the movie. R117 is right, there was a noticeable lack of sexual chemistry; Rose and Jack acted more like best buds. Their 'romance' was just fraubait.

There's a reason why Winslet was nominated but didn't win at the '98 Academy Awards, and DiCaprio wasn't nominated at all.

by Anonymousreply 129February 7, 2021 7:38 PM

DiCaprio shouldn’t have been nominated. I never felt he was deserving. Winslet deserved it but it was right she lost.

None of the actors won.

by Anonymousreply 130February 7, 2021 7:39 PM

[quote] LEEEEEEEO

Jimmmmaaaaay.

Whoops. Wrong thread.

by Anonymousreply 131February 7, 2021 7:42 PM

If I remember it right, it wasn’t huge - it just lasted forever. As people mentioned upthread, it was in theaters for months You don’t see that anymore. (Or even at the time). I saw it several times in the theater and I never do that. It was just a nice safe comfortable movie that you could see more than once. It was never, “omg we have to see it again!” It was “wanna go see a movie? Sure which one? Titanic again? Meh, ok, why not?”

Of course teen girls in love with Leo had a different experience but for most people it was just something nice to see.

by Anonymousreply 132February 7, 2021 7:43 PM

It was an experience.

The only film I can think of to do it after was Avatar, which had everyone going to theaters and lasted for months!

by Anonymousreply 133February 7, 2021 7:45 PM

I found myself muttering, "Just hurry the fuck up and drown, already!" That said, being a Titanic afficianado since the first episode of Time Tunnel in 1967, I noticed only two errors in the special effects, wh. otherwise were marvelous.

The one scene that was really sensational was when Rose's mother was lacing up her corsets from behind, explaining how they were women and weren't able to pick and chose what they wanted to do with their lives.

by Anonymousreply 134February 7, 2021 7:51 PM

My sister and I kept going back to Tysons Corner mall in northern Virginia to look at this guy who worked at a coffee shop because he looked like Leonardo DiCaprio's twin, except he was very tall.

Sadly, he disappeared after Titanic became a big hit...and then he turned up in the news. He had been discovered and hired to work as Leo's double. Apparently a lot of people had been stalking him.

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by Anonymousreply 135February 7, 2021 7:51 PM

r133 Avatar really deserves the level of hate people like to throw at Titanic today. It was just Pocahontas in blueface. Then again, people have to remember that it exists in order to bash it. Most forgotten and lease talked about hit movie in the last 20 years. The fact that it's the second highest grossing film of all time says a lot. Avengers: End Game beat it by 7 million, which is sort of pathetic for what Avitar offered. But I saw it at home via a rental so I understand that I missed the experience of it all, no regrets.

Can you believe that an Avitar 2-5 is in post production. They are going to swamp us with more of that shit over the next 5 years.

by Anonymousreply 136February 7, 2021 7:51 PM

This is the lookalike. (He looked more like him in person than he does in this photo.)

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by Anonymousreply 137February 7, 2021 7:52 PM

r135 he looked like a sad ugly brother.

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by Anonymousreply 138February 7, 2021 7:54 PM

I watched Oprah's Titanic special a couple months ago and it gives you a pretty good glimpse into how fucking excited people were about the movie. Granted, Oprah always whipped her audience into a frenzy, but I remember the energy reflecting reality.

I didn't actually see the film until a decade after it released, but I did have the soundtrack at the time and would listen to that often. When I finally watched the film it felt like I'd seen it already as just about every aspect of the film was either talked about, shown on TV, or parodied.

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by Anonymousreply 139February 7, 2021 7:57 PM

Damn, even the great Oprah couldn't snag Leo for this episode.

by Anonymousreply 140February 7, 2021 8:03 PM

I know! I wanted to see Leo on the show with the rest of the cast/director, but oh well. I think he recorded stuff for her and sent it in. Can't remember.

by Anonymousreply 141February 7, 2021 8:06 PM

After Romeo + Juliet, Leo was It.

After Titanic, Leo was huge.

Then...he did The Man in the Iron Mask and did a big flop on The Beach. It took him a while to recover and gain some traction again. Porking out seemed to help with his credibility.

by Anonymousreply 142February 7, 2021 8:09 PM

Yet, he's still huge in Asia which makes him a studio god. His movies bad or good make bank in Asia.

by Anonymousreply 143February 7, 2021 8:13 PM

I'm not quite an elder gay now; wasn't one back then, certainly

I went and saw it, but I agree with whoever posted that Leo looks like a middle aged lesbian librarian; or maybe that was Timothee?

Not attracted to either.

by Anonymousreply 144February 7, 2021 8:14 PM

It was one of the greatest movies of all time, I went to see it 5 times.

by Anonymousreply 145February 7, 2021 8:16 PM

To me, this was James Cameron's peak. Avatar, while a great-looking movie with 3D, was shit. The script was terrible. It had a charmless lead and as many of Cameron's films, was way too long.

For me, Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, Terminator 2, and True Lies remain his best films. Titanic is good too but there are a lot of flaws in it but it does have Cameron's best qualities.

I watched Terminator 2 the other night and it remains such a well-acted, edited, directed, and crafted film.

by Anonymousreply 146February 7, 2021 8:16 PM

R136 what are you talking about? Endgame beat Avatar because ticket prices cost more. Avatar sold more tickets than Endgame though.

With inflation neither are top 10 and Avatar is above Endgame.

Avatar was great, and groundbreaking in 2009.

by Anonymousreply 147February 7, 2021 8:58 PM

It was as I recall almost an organic phenomenon... it just kind of took off. Everybody loved it. It was a blockbuster, it looked great on the big screen, there was a love story, there was a song, the idea of tragic loss and lifelong love and all that bullshit... the whole thing just captured everybody's imagination. Movie magic, even from an asshole like James Cameron with only an adequately talented cast. You never know when lightning will strike, but there it was.

I remember thinking when I read about it who needs another Titanic? Even I really enjoyed it.

by Anonymousreply 148February 7, 2021 9:13 PM

It was... I guess you'd call it a slow burn. People talked about it but the news of it trickled in and the reaction built slowly. I don't recall mass sensation although everybody was aware of it. And there was no Larry King. Heck, I think we still had an outdoor shitter in 1912.

Oooooh, you mean the movie. I was in the home then, couldn't get to to the mall without a spot on the van.

by Anonymousreply 149February 7, 2021 9:18 PM

[quote] I remember convincing my mom to buy me a "Lovin' Leo" fan book from the grocery store that came with a foldout poster shortly after. I used to look at all the pictures and imagine myself kissing him. My parents had to have known I was light in the loafers at that point.

You're adorable, R8.

by Anonymousreply 150February 7, 2021 9:20 PM

To me, this was one of the last movies where everybody had to see it. It didn't matter what age, race, creed, sexual orientation, etc. you were, everybody went to see Titanic in late '97 and during '98.

Here in Toronto and the surrounding area, more multiplexes were opening up, so it was the ideal time for Titanic to be released.

by Anonymousreply 151February 7, 2021 9:27 PM

r96 for every chick and old queen that tried to get someone to pose with them at the bow of a boat and weren't pushed in or the fact they still sing my heart will go on... it's hardly a wonder people wanted to ban gay marriage after that

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by Anonymousreply 152February 7, 2021 9:40 PM

titanic is the kind of movie you watch after you've seen amistead ... you fast foward to the end and gleefully watch some white people die.

by Anonymousreply 153February 7, 2021 9:44 PM

I think, at least in part, society was aware that living memory of the world pre World War I was passing and Cameron was a genius by using Old Rose, a stand in for the generation dying off, as our way into the story. He can't write dialogue for shit but he can structure a screenplay. When living memory is going, we want to hold onto it in some way. Gone with the Wind was such a massive hit in the 1930s as society was feeling the same way about the Civil War as the last of the participants were dying.

by Anonymousreply 154February 7, 2021 10:08 PM

r147 and GWTW and The Wizard of Oz sold more tickets than both of them. Sadly, we don't go by number of butts in the seats but by the inflated box office totals. It's been that way for about 100 years, get over it.

My main point is that it took a movie with a 10 year buildup with nearly a dozen films to eclipse that shit storm know as Avatar. No one talks about Avatar which shows how much of a POS it is.

by Anonymousreply 155February 7, 2021 10:26 PM

OP- For a sec I thought you were talking about elder gays who were ON THE TITANIC.

by Anonymousreply 156February 7, 2021 10:28 PM

"you missed the part where Cal stuffed that coat with piles of his money."

I don't remember his coat being "stuffed with piles of money." He brandished a pile of money towards Murdoch in order to get on a boat but Murdoch threw the money back in his face. As far as I remember the only thing valuable in the coat was the necklace. He gives his coat to Rose as an act of gallantry but later regrets his action because he left the necklace in its pocket. He doesn't say anything about there being piles of money in it. By the way, if the necklace was in the coat it no doubt would have gotten lost in the sea when Rose was flailing around the water. Very unlikely it would be still in the coat's pocket after all that.

by Anonymousreply 157February 7, 2021 10:38 PM

It was huge. I must have been about 7 or 8 at the time and it played in theaters for what seemed like a year. I've never experienced another movie like it in that sense. It seemed to capture the public's imagination and hearts like nothing else. I loved the movie and saw it two or three times in theaters. And yes, all the kids were delighted by the Kate Winslet nude scene, because it was the first time most of us had seen nudity in a movie. We'd all snicker and whisper to each other thinking we were so grown up and mature for getting to see nudity.

Looking back, it's one of those movies that shouldn't work. The romance story isn't really something we haven't seen before, but DiCaprio and Winslet were good and well cast and made you believe this was a true romance. The special effects were the really fantastic part. This was before every multiplex screen was the size of a postage stamp, so it was really an experience. You felt like you were right there on the sinking ship with them. It was an effective movie because it humanized a national tragedy. It wasn't just disaster porn. It made you feel for the characters and relate to them so that their deaths meant something. I still remember the image of the elderly couple holding hands on their bed as the water creeped in on them and that mother frozen in the water with her baby clutching to her. Those were unforgettable images. So sad and so human.

by Anonymousreply 158February 7, 2021 11:13 PM

The water was very cold. I remember being taken wet and shivering to that hotel on Jane Street. Rest is too traumatic to recall. I don’t know about any movie.

by Anonymousreply 159February 7, 2021 11:17 PM

The water off Baja during filming was pretty cold, too. And Cameron made the extras stay late many nights.

by Anonymousreply 160February 7, 2021 11:20 PM

Wow. I'm 32 and can remember the hysteria. Am I considered an elder gay. Then again I'm bisexual and only pretend to be gay for better insight for my career.

by Anonymousreply 161February 7, 2021 11:34 PM

32? Yup, that’s eldergay.

by Anonymousreply 162February 7, 2021 11:49 PM

No r161. You’re still young.

by Anonymousreply 163February 7, 2021 11:59 PM

[quote] I'm not quite an elder gay now; wasn't one back then, certainly. I went and saw it...

Hate to break it to you, r144, but you’re an eldergay.

by Anonymousreply 164February 8, 2021 12:01 AM

I was 12 when it came out and I saw it with my mother at a late showing. When the lights came up at the end, I was surrounded by straight couples crying and making out with each other. It remains the worst secondhand embarrassment I've ever felt.

by Anonymousreply 165February 8, 2021 12:03 AM

R155 you don’t even know what you’re trying to say.

The fact it took a film with 10 years of build up to beat it shows how strong Avatar did at the box office.

It’s not never spoken about, and it’s still respected and highly regarded.

The film was a technical achievement like no other when released.

by Anonymousreply 166February 8, 2021 12:03 AM

[quote] No R161. You’re still young.

Oh, honey, are you paying attention? He said he was over 30!

30 is like the gay Mason-Dixon Line, where you go from twink to Eldergay in one step.

by Anonymousreply 167February 8, 2021 12:12 AM

I’m starting to think most gays don’t know what a twink is.

Being a young gay doesn’t mean you’re a twink.

by Anonymousreply 168February 8, 2021 12:16 AM

The most interesting part of its release was 1.) finding out someone hated the director and working on the drawn-out film so much that they put LSD in everyone’s soup at a company dinner.

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by Anonymousreply 169February 8, 2021 12:18 AM
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by Anonymousreply 170February 8, 2021 12:18 AM

The film started off slow. It was word of mouth that made it build into what it became.

by Anonymousreply 171February 8, 2021 12:19 AM

2.) was learning about the basically forgotten actress Gloria Stuart, who’d been a contract player back in the studio days. Her subsequent autobiography (“I Just Kept Hoping”) is very interesting.

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by Anonymousreply 172February 8, 2021 12:25 AM

Bless your heart, r168.

by Anonymousreply 173February 8, 2021 12:25 AM

OP, it was #1 at the Box Office for 15 consecutive weeks, no other films ever did that.

It earned more its second weekend, than it did its first, and kept going up instead of down. As a matter of fact, it’s biggest weekend was on its 9th week out. Imagine a film doing that now? Never happens.

It was in theaters for 10 months before it finally closed in October of 1998, released December 1997.

by Anonymousreply 174February 8, 2021 12:32 AM

Q: What else do you remember about that night?

A: There was no indication that there was anything strange happening… until the meal. By the time we got back from eating, after about 30 minutes, that's when I started noticing something was wrong. Everyone seemed confused. Everyone was having trouble getting their work done.

Q: What were you doing at the time?

A: I needed some stuff upstairs as well as some other equipment down in another area. And I remember just walking around trying to figure out the best way to get my supplies. Things just seemed fuzzy.

Q: How did the rest of the crew react?

A: While I was trying to figure out what was going on, everyone else seemed to be going outside. They were all gathering outside of the giant doors of the building we were working in.

Q: When did everyone realize what had happened?

Q: It was actually kind of comical. It was like that game kids play, Red Rover: There were the people who were ok, who hadn't gotten any effects yet, and the people who were getting high. And there were these two lines apart from each other, with some people in the "good" line slowly trickling into the "bad" line. It was at about this point that people realized that everyone who had eaten the chowder was experiencing the effects of some sort of hallucinogen.

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by Anonymousreply 175February 8, 2021 12:35 AM

It debuted with $28 million for its opening weekend.

It went on to earn $600 million ($959 million in today’s dollars) with a $28 million debut.

Again, rarely happens.

by Anonymousreply 176February 8, 2021 12:37 AM

At the time I thought Danny Nucci and Billy Zane were hotter than Leo

by Anonymousreply 177February 8, 2021 12:38 AM

Could not agree with you more, r177.

Me too.

by Anonymousreply 178February 8, 2021 12:41 AM

Billy Zane. I felt bad for him. Even he said this film typecast him as a villain and kept him from landing roles. Playing the bad guy can be bad, especially in a big film like this. Some people can’t separate the actor from the role.

by Anonymousreply 179February 8, 2021 12:43 AM

Does anyone remember the Titanic miniseries that predated the movie? With everyone's favorite 34-year-old actress, plus homos Tim Curry, Roger Rees, and Mike Doyle

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by Anonymousreply 180February 8, 2021 12:45 AM

R180 yes. My mother loved it and preferred it to the actual film.

The film jumped UP 43% on its 9th week out from its debut week.

by Anonymousreply 181February 8, 2021 12:47 AM

Awww I didn’t know the film had such an impact on many straight men

Titanic's impact on men has also been especially credited. It is considered one of the films that make men cry, with MSNBC's Ian Hodder stating that men admire Jack's sense of adventure and his ambitious behavior to win over Rose, which contributes to their emotional attachment to Jack. The film's ability to make men cry was briefly parodied in the 2009 film Zombieland, where character Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), when recalling the death of his young son, states: "I haven't cried like that since Titanic."

by Anonymousreply 182February 8, 2021 12:48 AM

In 2010, the BBC analyzed the stigma over men crying during Titanic and films in general. "Middle-aged men are not 'supposed' to cry during movies," stated Finlo Rohrer of the website, citing the ending of Titanic as having generated such tears, adding that "men, if they have felt weepy during [this film], have often tried to be surreptitious about it." Professor Mary Beth Oliver, of Penn State University, stated, "For many men, there is a great deal of pressure to avoid expression of 'female' emotions like sadness and fear. From a very young age, males are taught that it is inappropriate to cry, and these lessons are often accompanied by a great deal of ridicule when the lessons aren't followed." Rohrer said, "Indeed, some men who might sneer at the idea of crying during Titanic will readily admit to becoming choked up during Saving Private Ryan or Platoon." For men in general, "the idea of sacrifice for a 'brother' is a more suitable source of emotion".

Scott Meslow of The Atlantic stated while Titanic initially seems to need no defense, given its success, it is considered a film "for 15-year-old girls" by its main detractors. He argued that dismissing Titanic as fodder for teenage girls fails to consider the film's accomplishment: "that [this] grandiose, 3+ hour historical romantic drama is a film for everyone—including teenage boys." Meslow stated that despite the film being ranked high by males under the age of 18, matching the ratings for teenage boy-targeted films like Iron Man, it is common for boys and men to deny liking Titanic. He acknowledged his own rejection of the film as a child while secretly loving it. "It's this collection of elements—the history, the romance, the action—that made (and continues to make) Titanic an irresistible proposition for audiences of all ages across the globe," he stated. "Titanic has flaws, but for all its legacy, it's better than its middlebrow reputation would have you believe. It's a great movie for 15-year-old girls, but that doesn't mean it's not a great movie for everyone else too."

by Anonymousreply 183February 8, 2021 12:50 AM

I remember the song dominating the airwaves for many months. That was annoying, if expected. People love that kind of dreck. Some of those people were my friends. A couple of them had the movie poster on their bedroom walls and the soundtrack on repeat. They all went to see it multiple times.

As for me, once was enough. I didn't like the storyline, and the implausibility of certain things, like the characters remaining functional in bitterly cold ocean water while events played out on the ship, had me rolling my eyes.

What I came for was the special effects, and I wasn't disappointed. The actual sinking of the ship was spectacular and seemed very realistic at the time. I'd never seen anything like it. The downside to that is, me being the !MARY! that I am, I took it too seriously and was depressed afterward.

I would like to know how the effects have held up, which demands a rewatch. It's fascinating to me that something can seem so revelatory in the moment, not having anything else to compare it to, and then, years later, it looks dated and dreadful, and you're wondering how you ever thought it was that great.

My favorite memory of that time happened the following October at a costume party. A guy had come in a clever getup as the ship in question and was asking anyone and everyone if they wanted, "to go down on the Titanic." I hope he got lucky!

by Anonymousreply 184February 8, 2021 12:56 AM

R184 but it DID actually happen...

by Anonymousreply 185February 8, 2021 1:00 AM

r183 so, in the end, we can blame titanic for the flood of femmes and trans that came afterwards.

by Anonymousreply 186February 8, 2021 1:01 AM

I was a senior in high school. I began reading about the film when it was in pre-production, when they were building the ship replica in Baja, California. I was only interested in seeing it for the scenic & costume designs, and (when I discovered she was in it later on) Kathy Bates.

It was released in mid-December, but I didn't see it until much later. I didn't spend much time listening to the radio, so when I came back from Christmas break in January, a classmate said "If I hear that fucking Celine Dion song ONE MORE TIME, I'm going to break something.". I didn't know what he was talking about at that point.

I saw the film in the theater sometime that winter. I didn't get choked up, because DiCaprio is awful. Winslet was lovely, and so was Bates. I was very pleased with the scenic & costume designs. It was okay.

Beyond that, I never saw it again. But I have on occasion heard that fucking Celine Dion song. But I never broke anything. I still wonder if my classmate kept his word on the matter.

by Anonymousreply 187February 8, 2021 1:03 AM

Was it the first film to come out on VHS while still playing in theaters?

The VHS came out on September 1,1998 and it left theaters October 1, 1998.

It sold 25 million copies its first 3 months in North America alone, making it the biggest selling movie for home media, beating Independence Day.

by Anonymousreply 188February 8, 2021 1:10 AM

R183 It won't go down in history (pun intended) like The Sound of Music as one of the most enduringly popular films of all time. For me, Titanic was an endurance test the first time. 55 years late TSOM is still going strong while the Titanic won't go on and on like that awful song or even like The Poseiden Adventure (1972).

by Anonymousreply 189February 8, 2021 1:30 AM

It will r189

TCM even airs it already.

Years from now it will be like GWTW

by Anonymousreply 190February 8, 2021 1:33 AM

R190 And ABC airs TSOM annually. TCM screens many old films 24/7 but, how many 50 plus year old films are shown in primetime on a major commercial network? The Wizard of OZ is the only other one that comes to mind. And yes Titanic will be gone with the wind.

by Anonymousreply 191February 8, 2021 1:44 AM

In reality, such a love story could have lasted only a few hours. It was not days out at sea.

by Anonymousreply 192February 8, 2021 1:44 AM

R108/R157: If you remember, the neckbeard oceanographer guy at the beginning doesn't believe that Old Rose is who she says she is. He gets to deliver these lines:

"I've traced this woman back to the '20s. She was working as an actress. An actress! That's your first clue, Sherlock! Her name was Rose Dawson!"

So yeah. if you had a sharp ear, you were probably expecting them both to be saved and to get married at the end.

by Anonymousreply 193February 8, 2021 1:50 AM

ABC aired Titanic like a year or two ago...

It’s not at the level to air it annually but it gets tons of air weekly. AMC, TNT, TCM, even Bravo air Titanic all the time.

It also gets played on Spanish channels all the time

by Anonymousreply 194February 8, 2021 1:50 AM

R192 It may not have been days out at sea but, it felt like it was.

by Anonymousreply 195February 8, 2021 1:50 AM

Also, you know, I've always been slightly irritated by the fact that 'Le coeur de la mer' means 'The heart of the SEA'.

by Anonymousreply 196February 8, 2021 1:51 AM

[quote] how many 50 plus year old films are shown in primetime on a major commercial network? The Wizard of OZ is the only other one that comes to mind.

Wizard of Oz is now on TBS, not network r191. It’s A Wonderful Life is the only example I can think of aside from TSOM. (And Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in the UK.)

by Anonymousreply 197February 8, 2021 1:52 AM

E! Now airs 24 hours of Its a Wonderful Life on Christmas also.

by Anonymousreply 198February 8, 2021 1:53 AM

[quote] It also gets played on Spanish channels all the time

It must be awesome to hear “Jack!” “Rose!” “Jack!” “Rose!” in Spanish.

by Anonymousreply 199February 8, 2021 1:53 AM

TWOZ is no longer on network TV. TBS airs it. TBS also airs Titanic like once or twice a month at this point.

Avatar is also always on, which is why I laugh when DL says it’s forgotten.

I swear it’s on FX at least once a week.

by Anonymousreply 200February 8, 2021 1:54 AM

R194 And has the Titanic been re released in theaters for anniversary showings like TSOM?

by Anonymousreply 201February 8, 2021 1:55 AM

Yes, r201, it does.

by Anonymousreply 202February 8, 2021 1:57 AM

R201 it was re-released in 2012 in 3D (and made an addition $350 million worldwide) bringing its total to $2.1 billion and then was re-released for one or two weeks in 2017 for its 20 year anniversary.

Also has been Re-released on DVD/Blu-ray numerous times.

by Anonymousreply 203February 8, 2021 1:57 AM

Yes, Titanic was re-released. There was a lot of stuff about it in the media for the 20th anniversary

by Anonymousreply 204February 8, 2021 1:59 AM

R201 The 3D version of Titanic premiered at the Royal Albert Hall in London on March 27, 2012, with James Cameron and Kate Winslet in attendance, and entered general release on April 4, 2012, six days shy of the centenary of RMS Titanic embarking on her maiden voyage.

Rolling Stone film critic Peter Travers rated the reissue 3½ stars out of 4, explaining he found it "pretty damn dazzling". He said, "The 3D intensifies Titanic. You are there. Caught up like never before in an intimate epic that earns its place in the movie time capsule." Writing for Entertainment Weekly, Owen Gleiberman gave the film an A grade. He wrote, "For once, the visuals in a 3-D movie don't look darkened or distracting. They look sensationally crisp and alive." Richard Corliss of Time, who was very critical in 1997, remained in the same mood, "I had pretty much the same reaction: fitfully awed, mostly water-logged." In regards to the 3D effects, he noted the "careful conversion to 3D lends volume and impact to certain moments ... [but] in separating the foreground and background of each scene, the converters have carved the visual field into discrete, not organic, levels." Ann Hornaday for The Washington Post found herself asking "whether the film's twin values of humanism and spectacle are enhanced by Cameron's 3-D conversion, and the answer to that is: They aren't." She further added that the "3-D conversion creates distance where there should be intimacy, not to mention odd moments in framing and composition."

The film grossed an estimated $4.7 million on the first day of its re-release in North America (including midnight preview showings) and went on to make $17.3 million over the weekend, finishing in third place. Outside North America it earned $35.2 million, finishing second, and improved on its performance the following weekend by topping the box office with $98.9 million. China has proven to be its most successful territory where it earned $11.6 million on its opening day, going on to earn a record-breaking $67 million in its opening week and taking more money in the process than it did in the entirety of its original theatrical run. The reissue ultimately earned $343.4 million worldwide, with $145 million coming from China and $57.8 million from Canada and United States.

With a worldwide box office of nearly $350 million, the 3D re-release of Titanic remains the highest grossing re-released film of all time, ahead of The Lion King, Star Wars, and Avatar.

The 3D conversion of the film was also released in the 4DX format in selected international territories, which allows the audience to experience the film's environment using motion, wind, fog, lighting and scent-based special effects.

For the 20th anniversary of the film, Titanic was re-released in cinemas in Dolby Vision (in both 2D and 3D) for one week beginning December 1, 2017.

by Anonymousreply 205February 8, 2021 2:07 AM

I had a boyfriend obsessed w Titanic. He waited in front of blockbuster in a line the night the VHS came out. Broke up w him soon after. Didn’t even rewind before I did it.

by Anonymousreply 206February 8, 2021 2:14 AM

R206 I remember the PM release of it. It was such a big deal. People were waiting on lines for hours to get a copy!

I used to work with this chick obsessed with it. She would watch it over and over and always talk about it at work.

This was 2014.

by Anonymousreply 207February 8, 2021 2:18 AM

R205 TSOM plays at the Hollywood Bowl every year in a sold out event.

by Anonymousreply 208February 8, 2021 2:22 AM

What is TSOM?

by Anonymousreply 209February 8, 2021 2:24 AM

R209 The Sound of Music

by Anonymousreply 210February 8, 2021 2:58 AM

Titanic was released in 1997. OP. what age would you consider to be that of an 'elder gay'? Anyone past 30?

by Anonymousreply 211February 8, 2021 3:46 AM

r166 Avatar is a joke, no one respect or gives a shit about that movie. When was the last time you heard someone act frustrated because they couldn't find fucking Avatar on streaming? Meanwhile, Titanic still plays about once a month to once a quarter on some TV channels. I remember seeing it all the time on TNT.

No one was disputing that Avatar made a tone of money. I was just pointing out that the movie is shit ripoff.

by Anonymousreply 212February 8, 2021 4:23 AM

r184 is an odd duck with memory problems. The only people featured in the water while things played out on the ship were the wealthy bitches in the lifeboats. Of course they'd survive huddled together in a dry lifeboat. People actually did watch the thing sink from the boats which is what one does after they escape from a sinking ship.

by Anonymousreply 213February 8, 2021 4:28 AM

This thread has inspired me to watch Titanic again. I haven't seen it for years.

by Anonymousreply 214February 8, 2021 4:38 AM

I shed a tear when I saw it all those decades ago.

And later when I saw the mind-bogglingly-bad 'Avatar' I realised that the director preferred machines to human beings and that's why, I suppose, the Billy Zane character and most of the others in 'Titanic' had the psychological depth of a cartoon puddle.

by Anonymousreply 215February 8, 2021 4:51 AM

Damn, I'm considered an eldergay now? I guess I am since I'm nearly 40 and I was in high school when this movie came out.

I can't deny, Leonardo DiCaprio was at the peak of his beauty around this period and most of the girls at my school were ranting and raving about him. He became an A-list star and has held that position ever since.

by Anonymousreply 216February 8, 2021 4:56 AM

I forgot to mention that Goop was originally offered the role to play Young Rose, but she turned it down because she considered the movie to be a "boy's film," with a lot of action and explosions.

Which is funny because she's probably known more now for playing a secondary character -- not lead -- in the ultimate "boy's film" Iron Man than her Oscar-winning role in Shakespeare in Love.

by Anonymousreply 217February 8, 2021 5:03 AM

R206 Many relationships are shorter than the film. Smart move!

by Anonymousreply 218February 8, 2021 5:09 AM

I wouldn't know.I ended up seeing Spice World instead

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by Anonymousreply 219February 8, 2021 5:09 AM

Anyone older than 12 is an Eldergay.

by Anonymousreply 220February 8, 2021 5:12 AM

I agree with Mr Plummer. Titanic can never become as beloved as TSOM for three reasons.

1. You can't have annual singalong screenings of Titanic.

2. TSOM has everything. Nuns, Nazis, bratty kids, gay Uncle Max, fabulous Baroness Schrader, hunk daddy Von Trapp, some location filming in Salzburg and the Alps. Titanic has Kathy Bates, Victor Garber and a lead couple who look like a closeted gay man and his older sister.

3. Most importantly, TSOM has the immortal "What is it, you cuntface?" line. Nothing in Titanic can ever come close to this slice of cinematic grandeur.

by Anonymousreply 221February 8, 2021 7:19 AM

R213, the people I was referring to who were continuing to function while in bitterly cold ocean water were mostly Jack and Rose, especially Rose, who, as I recall, was wading and sometimes practically swimming thru waterlogged corridors in nothing but her nightwear trying to find Jack when her evil fiance had imprisoned him in the lower levels of the ship. I know adrenaline can protect you to a point, but I think she would have been hypothermic long before she actually went into the sea.

by Anonymousreply 222February 8, 2021 9:54 AM

TSoM fucking sucks, revolting ole queens. It is unwatchable 'cept for anyone who loves garbage.

by Anonymousreply 223February 8, 2021 10:37 AM

I had been followings it’s production in Entertainment Weekly, and it looked like it was going to be a big bomb. Maybe it was because it felt like Waterworld from a few years earlier, but I remember being surprised when it opened as a massive hit.

by Anonymousreply 224February 8, 2021 10:42 AM

*its

by Anonymousreply 225February 8, 2021 10:43 AM

On youtube there is a video a guy who is a James Cameron fan made and only recently (or when the video was made) saw A Night to Remember. He is watching it and is suddenly thinking oh that's where Cameron got that and that's where he got that. He then goes on to present the scenes from Night and follows them with the same scenes from Titanic.

A Night to Remember blows Titanic out of the water so to speak in this video comparison. It is infinitely more moving cutting down on the melodrama and showing a spare desperation. A case of so much less is more. There is even a scene of two men which Cameron lifted for Kate and Leo when she realizes Leo is dead. Worth searching out. I'd link it but don't know how.

by Anonymousreply 226February 8, 2021 1:03 PM

Who cares if it was a copy r226.. Titanic is still more entertaining after the ice berg hits.

by Anonymousreply 227February 8, 2021 1:39 PM

Some of y’all muthafuckas need to post SPOILER ALERT before you post.

Iceberg? Sinks?

by Anonymousreply 228February 8, 2021 1:49 PM

It's a pale copy which is what this guy discovers somewhat to his surprise. In fact I looked it up again and there are three! I'll have to watch the other two and see if they declare a winner.

Watch the scene with the musicians playing on the deck. In Night the scene is so moving while in Titanic it goes for nothing. I guess Cameron can direct pieces of machinery but not people.

Did you know that the last survivor died in 2007? And Stanley Lord died in '62 a half a century after the sinking? He did not go to see A Night to Remember and unfeeling narcissist that he was(I mean this is one of history's great fuck ups) was more upset that an actor in his 40s played him when he was in fact in his 30s than about all the people who lost their lives!

by Anonymousreply 229February 8, 2021 2:29 PM

Avatar is on tv more than once a month. The issue with it is how long it is, as well.

When FX plays it it’s on for like 5 hours.

by Anonymousreply 230February 8, 2021 3:36 PM

R227 2 corrections.

1.Titanic is only entertaining after the iceberg hits.

2. Wasn't it the ship that hit the iceberg?

by Anonymousreply 231February 8, 2021 4:39 PM

[quote]It was quite shocking to have the romantic lead die in the movie.

What? No it wasn't. It was about the freaking Titanic! What kind of idiot statement is that?

by Anonymousreply 232February 8, 2021 4:41 PM

Yeah a romantic lead never died in a movie before.

by Anonymousreply 233February 8, 2021 4:50 PM

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 234February 8, 2021 5:09 PM

We all mourned the loss of so much hot steerage cock.

by Anonymousreply 235February 8, 2021 5:12 PM

^ In real life, Rose wouldn't have even spoken to Jack in the first place

by Anonymousreply 236February 8, 2021 5:12 PM

It really was mania. Who knows what makes a film a blockbuster, but Titanic sure had it. Leo's face was at the peak of its beauty (how quickly it faded), and teen girls went crazy for him and the love story. Celine's song was just about the perfect way to end the movie. I'd never seen so many people stick around the theater after the credits started rolling just to hear the song. Fraus and teen girls were balling openly.

I remember all the controversy surrounding it before it came out. The movie had become very expensive and rumors that it was going to be a hug flop dogged it before it was even released. As other posters noted, it was a move that had legs and became a giant smash. Cameron had the last laugh.

It was in theaters for about 10 months. I went about 4-5 months into its run. I had resisted going and falling for the hype, but my partner was a movie fanatic and begged me to go, so we did. I liked it. It wasn't the greatest movie ever, but it was entertaining and the actors were all pretty good in their roles. I'd certainly rather watch Titanic than yet another comic book movie.

by Anonymousreply 237February 8, 2021 5:31 PM

I'd never seen a movie play in theaters for that long. It certainly hasn't happened since. Even the big Marvel or Star Wars movies might play for 3 or 4 months tops before hitting streaming or Blu-Ray.

by Anonymousreply 238February 8, 2021 5:35 PM

"Fraus and teen girls were balling openly."

by Anonymousreply 239February 8, 2021 5:44 PM

R233 Yeah, it never happened.

by Anonymousreply 240February 8, 2021 5:53 PM

Didn't James Cameron proclaim that he was "king of the world!" at the Oscars?

by Anonymousreply 241February 8, 2021 5:55 PM

Avatar made $77 million it’s opening weekend.

Revenues in the film's second weekend decreased by only 1.8% in domestic markets, marking a rare occurrence, earning $75,617,183, to remain in first place at the box office and recording what was then the biggest second weekend of all time. The film experienced another marginal decrease in revenue in its third weekend, dropping 9.4% to $68,490,688 domestically, remaining in first place at the box office, to set a third-weekend record.

Avatar crossed the $1 billion mark on the 19th day of its international release, making it the first film to reach this mark in only 19 days. It became the fifth film grossing more than $1 billion worldwide, and the only film of 2009 to do so. In its fourth weekend, Avatar continued to lead the box office domestically, setting a new all-time fourth-weekend record of $50,306,217, and becoming the highest-grossing 2009 release in the United States. In the film's fifth weekend, it set the Martin Luther King Day weekend record, grossing $54,401,446, and set a fifth-weekend record with a take of $42,785,612. It held the top spot to set the sixth and seventh weekend records earning $34,944,081 and $31,280,029 respectively. It was the fastest film to gross $600 million domestically, on its 47th day in theaters.

On January 31, it became the first film to earn over $2 billion worldwide, and it became the first film to gross over $700 million in the U.S. and Canada, on February 27, after 72 days of release. It remained at number one at the domestic box office for seven consecutive weeks – the most consecutive No. 1 weekends since Titanic spent 15 weekends at No.1 in 1997 and 1998 – and also spent 11 consecutive weekends at the top of the box office outside the United States and Canada, breaking the record of nine consecutive weekends set by Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. By the end of its first theatrical release Avatar had grossed $749,766,139 in the U.S. and Canada, and $1,999,298,189 in other territories, for a worldwide total of $2,749,064,328.

Including the revenue from a re-release of Avatar featuring extended footage, Avatar grossed $760,507,625 in the U.S. and Canada, and $2,029,172,169 in other countries for a worldwide total of $2,789,679,794 with 72.7% of its total worldwide gross in international markets. Avatar has set a number of box office records during its release: on January 25, 2010, it surpassed Titanic's worldwide gross to become the highest-grossing film of all time worldwide 41 days after its international release, just two days after taking the foreign box office record. On February 2, 47 days after its domestic release, Avatar surpassed Titanic to become the highest-grossing film of all time in Canada and the United States. It became the highest-grossing film of all time in at least 30 other countries and is the first film to earn over $2 billion in foreign box office receipts. IMAX ticket sales account for $243.3 million of its worldwide gross, more than double the previous record.

by Anonymousreply 242February 8, 2021 6:40 PM

Yeah but South Pacific and Sound of Music played in the same theaters they opened in for literally years.

by Anonymousreply 243February 8, 2021 6:43 PM

I had a standing movie/sleepover date with a hot daddy who drove a jaguar. I was 25, he was over 50.

This particular Sunday he was excited to take me to see TITANIC. I hated it, much too long, mawkish score, tv movie quality acting, a cinema full of young fraus sobbing out loud and this guy trying to get romantic and hold my hand while the ship went down.

He got upset with me for not getting emotional enough and I asked him to take me home immediately after, I would not be taking his thick dad dick that night.

Needless to say, TITANIC killed any chance I'd have to continue presenting hole to this Dad.

by Anonymousreply 244February 8, 2021 7:37 PM

[quote] When FX plays it it’s on for like 5 hours.

Oh, hell no! Don’t nobody got time for that!

by Anonymousreply 245February 8, 2021 7:44 PM

[quote] Fraus and teen girls were balling openly.

If you ask me, that’s pretty rude. Why would they be playing ball right there when people are trying to watch a movie?! This is why I hate people.

It almost makes me want to bawl.

by Anonymousreply 246February 8, 2021 7:46 PM

"She was also good enough with money and no fool."

What makes you think Rose was "good enough with money?" And she was "no fool?" Actually, she seemed to me to be pretty stupid and mentally unstable. She agrees to marry a man she despises (nobody is holding a gun to her head to make her do it), just to get his money; there's nothing intelligent about being a gold digger. And she's so fucked up she tries to commit suicide. She intends to run away with some ne're do well guy she barely knows. Pretty dumb. She gets on a boat as the Titanic is sinking but jumps back on the doomed ship with be with her new boyfriend. Rose was an idiot.

by Anonymousreply 247February 8, 2021 8:05 PM

[quote] with some ne're do well guy

Oh, dear!

by Anonymousreply 248February 8, 2021 8:12 PM

R247 you’re speaking as if Titanic takes place in 1997.

Women needed to marry well then to live a good lifestyle. Women did not have the opportunities they have now.

Also, wasn’t she 17? And her mother was pushing her to marry him.

by Anonymousreply 249February 8, 2021 8:18 PM

R244 Yeah sure, Janbot. That really happened.

by Anonymousreply 250February 9, 2021 1:59 AM

Christ, at first I thought you were talking about the actual ship that went down in 1912 and thought, how goddamned old does this OP think we elder gays really are?

by Anonymousreply 251February 9, 2021 2:58 AM

I was in my 30s when it came out and no gay man I knew at the time saw it. I finally watched it about 5 years later when visiting my family, probably on VHS. It seemed so forced and tired, but a couple of my siblings seemed to really like it so I didn't laugh out old or anything like that. I get why it was so popular while not being very good.

America! Blech.

by Anonymousreply 252February 9, 2021 4:00 AM

I kinda loved it when it first came out. Less so now. It was unavoidable. It was almost MANDATORY that you saw it, like a decree. Leo mania was a very real thing as well. He was everywhere!

For me it helped that I’ve been a Titanic nut since I was 12 years old. I had spent my life watching documentaries, or reading everything I could get my hands on about the sinking of that ship. Surely it’s among the top 5 most documented events of the last Century. Consequently, I was just as interested in the making-of and Cameron’s discovery of the wreckage footage as I was in the feature film itself. Good times!

by Anonymousreply 253February 9, 2021 6:37 AM

Someone tell Celine Dion to stop it. The boat sank; let it go!

by Anonymousreply 254February 9, 2021 10:15 AM

I’ll never let go, r254!

by Anonymousreply 255February 9, 2021 10:47 AM

[quote] I was in my 30s when it came out

[quote]so I didn't laugh out old

Heh heh.

by Anonymousreply 256February 9, 2021 10:47 AM

I'm watching the 1953 version on YouTube right now. Boy, was Robert Wagner a snack.

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by Anonymousreply 257February 28, 2021 4:16 AM

I was in college at the time and Titanic was huge with people in my age group. I saw it three times in the theater. I still love the movie, it's so epic. And yes, I know it gets a lot of hate here but I don't care.

by Anonymousreply 258February 28, 2021 4:49 AM

This was the last great epic film of the 20th Century.

by Anonymousreply 259February 28, 2021 4:52 AM

[quote]I feel that it was the last movie that people truly went crazy for, like the original Star Wars or Indiana Jones franchises, the types that had people lined up around the block and watching it for the 14th time.

This is my recollection as well. I can't remember another film since that affected people that way. Of course, in today's world where entertainment is so niche and diversified I don't think a film could have the same impact on the public.

by Anonymousreply 260February 28, 2021 5:07 AM

[quote]What was Titanic mania like elder gays?

It was actually about as boring as a gangbang with your mother

by Anonymousreply 261February 28, 2021 5:09 AM

[quote]The only good thing about The Dark Knight was Heath's Joker, everything else was crap, especially super fug Maggot Gyllenhaal and charisma free Aaron Eckhart.

I saw The Dark Knight in a packed theater. When Maggie G. got blowed up, the audience applauded. It was hilarious. She's such an annoying actress.

by Anonymousreply 262February 28, 2021 5:13 AM

There's been nothing like it since, really. I seem to recall it wasn't number one on it's first week. Some other huge release beat it out. If I'm remembering correctly, it made more money it's second week than it's first week. Word of mouth was amazingly strong. And then it went on to do what no other movie has done since. It was number one for all of January, all of February, all of March. If I recall correctly, it was finally knocked of it's perch the weekend of April 17 by Lost In Space. It was number one for around 15 weeks.

My personal Titanic story was I went by myself to see it opening night at the Chinese Theater on Hollywood Blvd for the 7pm show. Those were the days before reserved tickets, so I got in line two hours early.

It really felt like an EVENT. Dicaprio and Cameron were there, in the balcony. I remember being dazzled by the first shot of the Titanic. I remember loving Kathy Bates at the Unsinkable Molly Brown.

One thing that stands out. Early on in the movie, before we're introduced to the DiCaprio character, old Rose has quick flashes of Jack sketching her nude. see just Leo's eyes. I remember all the ladies and gays (myself included) literally hitching in a breath at the sight of his beautiful eyes.

I can remember the audience cheering and laughing along with the movie. And I also remember the audience not making a sound in the quiet, dramatic parts. I remember walking out of the theater thinking it was the new Gone With the Wind.

I went to see it again about a month later, and realized quickly I was wrong about that. I still think Titanic's great, but it's flaws are much more noticable on the second viewing. For me, it's not a movie like GWTW that's stands up after repeated viewings.

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by Anonymousreply 263February 28, 2021 5:26 AM

Leo had a lot more chemistry with his Italian friend than he ever did with Winslet.

by Anonymousreply 264February 28, 2021 5:32 AM

Much publicity, that song playing everywhere and I avoided it like the plague. Saw LA Confidential instead and loved it. Saw part of Titanic on HBO and was glad I didn't waste time and money on it. Not compelling in the least and we all know how it ends! Over-hyped, over-rated, over-long, and along with Patton, Dances with Wolves, Chicago, Out of Africa, Rain Man, Kramer vs Kramer, Forest Dump and The Sting. an undeserving Best Picture winner..

by Anonymousreply 265February 28, 2021 5:51 AM

I've always thought it was too bad that Bette Davis wasn't still alive to play Old Rose. She would've been perfect. Kate Winslet even has somewhat of a resemblance.

by Anonymousreply 266February 28, 2021 5:54 AM

R234 That was the era of "road show" engagements and reserved seats. I believe TSOM played for several years (3-4?) at the enormous Rivoli Theater on Broadway just north of Times Square.

by Anonymousreply 267March 2, 2021 5:00 AM

It was awful. It seemed to last for a whole year.. And then there was that awful My Heart Will Go On song that seemed to be perfromed at every family "talent" show. Only to be replaced like two decades later by "Let It Go". It seems silly in retrospect that this was one of the biggest movies of all time. Avatar seemed ridiculous from the minute I saw the commercials for it.

by Anonymousreply 268March 2, 2021 5:18 AM

[quote] and along with Patton, Dances with Wolves, Chicago, Out of Africa, Rain Man, Kramer vs Kramer, Forest Dump and The Sting. an undeserving Best Picture winner..

Let's be honest--there are far more undeserving best picture winners than deserving ones.

by Anonymousreply 269March 2, 2021 5:20 AM

I just finished watching Baz Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliet which came out a year before Titanic. Leo's performance in R+J and his words were 100% cut and pasted onto the "love scenes/wooing" of Rose and Jack. Cameron does not have an original bone in his body. All his movies are just cut and pastes of other movies.

by Anonymousreply 270March 17, 2021 5:32 PM

This never would’ve happened if it wasn’t for me. Meanwhile, I was praying for work when my second sitcom was canceled.

by Anonymousreply 271March 17, 2021 5:47 PM

Billy Zane was gorgeous back then, SO much hotter than Leo.

by Anonymousreply 272March 17, 2021 6:31 PM

[quote]Cameron does not have an original bone in his body. All his movies are just cut and pastes of other movies.

Bullshit. Aliens was not cut and pasted.

by Anonymousreply 273March 17, 2021 6:40 PM

Aliens was one of the worst movies ever made. Absolute zero. I loved the white girl who used brown face to play the spunky latina but other than her the movie was horrible. The effects were an absolute zero, too.

by Anonymousreply 274March 17, 2021 7:42 PM

R274, I wouldn't go that far but I definitely think that Alien is the superior movie.

by Anonymousreply 275March 19, 2021 2:53 AM

I went to see it as someone who was interested in ships (and now, work in marine architecture) because of the hype of Cameron being so meticulous in the recreation. I could have sat through a half hour movie tour of the ship and been happy. The schlocky romance dragged it out wayyyy too long.

And everyone forgets that this was just another ship back then and would have in no way been remembered had it not sunk on its maiden voyage. Nobody knows what is the biggest ship today (Symphony of the Seas. which is about 5 Titanics). Titanic wasn't even really anything special back then. Only slightly larger (via tonnage) than her sister, Olympic, who was identical in most every way with the exception of a glassed in promenade deck (the area where the girl goes sliding down during the sinking) and the cabins that the main characters stay in (no private deck area). Titanic even had a bigger sister, who was lost during WWI. Today, you wouldn't even want to sail on Titanic, because it would be considered small, cramped, dark, and cold. The sets were scaled up slightly to make it more impressive.

Olympic served for 20 more years after Titanic and was scrapped right before WWII as it was "outdated" and "obsolete."

So yeah, even the ship is crap in that movie.

by Anonymousreply 276March 19, 2021 3:52 AM

[quote] Today, you wouldn't even want to sail on Titanic,

I don’t need a marine architect to tell me that. I imagine it’d be quite cold today.

by Anonymousreply 277March 19, 2021 1:28 PM
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