Robotic hands, air to breathe, and Titanic.

Three years ago, I went on something of a James Cameron binge. First I saw all of the Terminator movies, including the two that he directed, in anticipation of the then-new Terminator Salvation. Then I made a point of watching all of his other films prior to the release of Avatar -- all, that is, except Titanic (1997).

I'm not sure entirely why I skipped that particular film, which I hadn't seen since its original theatrical release. But I finally got around to seeing it today -- in 3D, of course -- and I was struck by two small elements that touch, however briefly, on themes that you can find across Cameron's work as a whole.

First, the prologue includes a bit where one of Bill Paxton's assistants guides a remote underwater probe, using hand-held controls that look remarkably like the hand-held controls that have guided other mechanical extensions to the human body in Cameron films going all the way back to Xenogenesis (1978).



Second, when Leonardo DiCaprio's character is asked whether he likes his "rootless" existence, he replies:

Yes, ma'am, I do. I mean, I've got everything I need right here with me. I got air in my lungs and a few blank sheets of paper. I love waking up in the morning not knowing what's going to happen or who I'm gonna meet or where I'm going to wind up.

And I find the "air in my lungs" bit particularly striking in light of the fact that the ability to breathe, and the importance thereof, is a recurring theme throughout Cameron's films, especially his sci-fi efforts, as I have noted earlier.



There are other bits and pieces in Titanic that hark back to Cameron's earlier films too, of course -- the man who is distrusted by the authorities but gives up his life for the woman he just met is reminiscent of the original Terminator, and the woman who descends in an elevator to save someone who is trapped deep inside a doomed structure is reminiscent of Aliens -- but these were the two that surprised me most.

I am also struck by the fact that the crewmembers in the crow's nest are distracted by the sight of Kate and Leo kissing on the deck immediately before they, the crewmembers, spot the iceberg -- and of course, by the time they actually look up and spot the iceberg, it is too late to save the ship. It is almost as though the film blames Kate and Leo's reckless passion for the accident that sends 1,500 people, including Leo himself, to their doom. But it's such a minor, easily overlooked detail, and there are so many other ways in which the film affirms their passion, that I wouldn't make too much of this.

Flashback: Eugene Levy, Down to Earth and American Pie.

The release of American Reunion this weekend prompted me to look up a few of my articles on the earlier American Pie films (1999-2003). My favorite of these articles, by far, is actually not about this franchise, per se, but about another film directed by the brothers who made the first film in this series -- and the reason I like this article is because I got to interview Eugene Levy, who plays Jim's Dad in the American Pie movies and went on to play a bumbling angel in Down to Earth (2001). Here's the article I wrote at the time for the Vancouver Courier:

- - -

by Peter T. Chattaway

From the brilliant sketch comedy of the SCTV series to his more recent work in feature films, Eugene Levy has made a career out of playing lovable losers. This weekend, he takes his familiar comic persona to new heights -- as a bumbling angel in Down to Earth, a remake of the 1978 Warren Beatty vehicle Heaven Can Wait, which was itself a remake of the 1941 classic Here Comes Mr. Jordan. In all three films, a man is accidentally taken to heaven years before he is supposed to die. When the angels realize their mistake, they send him back to Earth and give him the body of a millionaire who died so recently that no one knows he's dead -- no one, that is, except for the wife and business partner who just drowned him.

In past versions of this story, the reincarnated fellow was a boxer or a football quarterback, but in the new version, which stars Chris Rock (who has come back from the dead before, in Kevin Smith's Dogma), he's a stand-up comic. Levy, who describes himself as "a huge Chris Rock fan," says he signed on to do this film partly just so he could work with the charismatic comedian. "I think Bigger and Blacker, his HBO special, is one of the greatest hours of comedy," says Levy. "It's really, really hysterical. Chris is very funny, but off-camera, he's kind of quiet, unassuming, and just unbelievably professional. It certainly wasn't like you were on the set with a stand-up comic. It was like just being on the set with one of the other actors. That's the vibe that he gives off."

Down to Earth is directed by the multi-talented brothers Chris and Paul Weitz, who recently co-starred in the stalker comedy Chuck & Buck and, before that, co-wrote the animated film Antz. Levy first met the Weitz brothers a couple of years ago when they offered him a supporting role as a flustered parent in the raunchy teen sex comedy American Pie, which Chris produced and Paul directed. Levy had some qualms about that role, which he says was "too crass" at first, but the Weitzes allowed him to fix the character to make him more sympathetic.

After that, Levy says he developed a lot of respect for the Weitz brothers, and he was eager to work in their next film, no matter how small the role -- and it's a decidedly tamer affair. Chris Rock has reportedly said that he made this film so he could take his grandmother to at least one of his movies, but Levy thinks the film, with its cheerfully subversive take on racial politics, will appeal to a younger audience, too. "Heaven Can Wait is one of my favorite films -- I think it's a classic film," says Levy, "and when I heard about the facelift that Chris Rock and his team of writers had put on it, I thought it was a fabulous version of this story, that would really kind of kick in with this generation."

Levy's role in Down to Earth did not require much improvisation, though he does take credit for one of the film's funnier lines, concerning Sinatra and the respect he commands even from the chief angel, who is played by Chazz Palminteri. In addition to developing his characters in rehearsal, Levy sometimes takes an active role in writing original movie scripts, and this month, he and Christopher Guest were nominated by the Writers Guild of America for their work on Best in Show, the hilarious dog-show mockumentary that was shot in Vancouver. The film also received a Golden Globe nomination, and it appeared on a number of top ten lists, and Levy and Guest, who also collaborated on Waiting for Guffman, are already talking about getting together later this spring to work on another script.

"When we start these things, we call them 'little films,'" says Levy. "They're relatively small-budget, the studio leaves us alone, and you try and come up with a movie that's funny. All we want to do is put a movie together where you watch it in the theatre and you hear more laughs than you ever thought you'd hear in a theatre. That's kind of the goal. So it brings new meaning to 'icing on the cake.' It boggles the mind, how strongly people have reacted to the movie. It's the kind of recognition we absolutely don't anticipate."

Over the phone and out of character, Levy sounds like a straightforward guy, and not that much like his comic persona. Asked if he would ever pursue more dramatic roles, he cites an ultra-obscure film he made a few years ago called Silver Man (which is not to be confused with Saving Silverman, the current comedy starring Levy's American Pie co-star Jason Biggs), in which he played a pious Jew who gets caught up in the drug trade. "There was something kind of funny about that," he concedes, "but I got a chance to smack some people around, and you know what? It was actually kind of fun. It was okay, and I didn't embarrass myself. These will come up every now and then, but comedy's my thing. I've been doing it all my life, and I get the most fun out of doing it."

- - -

Looking at my article now, over a decade later, I'm surprised to see how briefly I touched on the American Pie part of the interview, since I have always loved what Levy brought to that film and I was quite happy to have a chance to talk to him about that. Here, then, for the first time ever, is the full quote from that part of the interview:

- - -

"Well, again, this is why I had a great time working with Paul and Chris Weitz. At the beginning, I wasn't tickled with the way the character was, as written. The character of the father, when they approached me about doing it, I said to them, 'I can't commit to this, we have to talk about the character, because I don't like the character the way he's written. I think the character is a little too crass. I'd like to make this guy-- I'd like to have him mean well, I want him to be a real kind of do-gooder, I want him to care about helping his son, I don't want him to fall into the kind of sexual, sophomoric humour that everybody else is into. I want him to really care about what he's doing with his son, and care about how his son ends up, and that kind of thing.' And they were great. They allowed me to change the character. We went in, we improvised all the scenes in rehearsal that I was in, we changed a lot of it, and I think it really helped."

As per my 2011 Journal, videos and DVDs are in italics. Films I saw for the first time have an asterisk (*) next to them. Not counting extras and promo items.

Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May

Jan 1 -- Margaret [2011] *
Jan 2 -- Born Free [1966]
Jan 4 -- Copie conforme [aka Certified Copy] *
Jan 6 -- Daydream Nation *
Jan 7 -- Beauty and the Beast [1991; 3D version]
Jan 7 -- i am a good person/i am a bad person *
Jan 7 -- A Dangerous Method *
Jan 7 -- People of a Feather *
Jan 8 -- The Devil Inside [2012] *
Jan 8 -- The Way [2010] *

Jan 11 -- The Bridge on the River Kwai
Jan 13 -- The Grey [2012] *
Jan 13 -- Contraband [2012] *
Jan 13 -- The Amazing Spider-Man [1977; pilot episode] *
Jan 21 -- Underworld: Awakening [3D version] *
Jan 21 -- Red Tails *
Jan 22 -- The Devil and Daniel Webster [1941]
Jan 23 -- POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold *
Jan 26 -- One for the Money [2012] *
Jan 27 -- Joseph, King of Dreams

Jan 28 -- Margin Call *
Feb 4 -- Albert Nobbs *
Feb 4 -- Monsieur Lazhar *
Feb 4 -- Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close *
Feb 4 -- RoboCop 2
Feb 5 -- Chronicle *
Feb 7 -- Une vie de chat [aka A Cat in Paris] *
Feb 8 -- Holy Flying Circus *
Feb 8 -- The Vow [2012] *
Feb 10 - - Chico & Rita *

Feb 11 -- The Woman in Black [2012] *
Feb 11 -- Journey 2: The Mysterious Island [3D version] *
Feb 12 -- Safe House [2012] *
Feb 12 -- Man on a Ledge *
Feb 14 -- Undefeated [2011] *
Feb 15 -- Kari-gurashi no Arietti [aka The Secret World of Arrietty] *
Feb 16 -- Dinosaurs Alive [Omnimax version] *
Feb 16 -- Goon [2011] *
Feb 18 -- Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance [3D version] *
Feb 18 -- This Means War [2012] *

Feb 19 -- The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2012: Animation *
Feb 22 -- Star Wars Begins: A Fan Documentary *
Feb 22 -- The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2012: Live Action *
Feb 25 -- Dr. Seuss' The Lorax [2012; 3D version] *
Feb 25 -- A Better Life *
Feb 25 -- W.E. *
Feb 27 -- Gone [2012] *
Feb 27 -- Wanderlust [2012] *
Feb 29 -- Pope Michael *
Feb 29 -- Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace [3D version]

Mar 1 -- Frankenweenie [1984] *
Mar 2 -- Sophie Scholl: Die letzten Tage [aka Sophie Scholl: The Last Days]
Mar 3 -- Act of Valor [2012] *
Mar 3 -- Project X [2012] *
Mar 7 -- Building Empire: A Fan Documentary *
Mar 7 -- 21 Jump Street [2012] *
Mar 9 -- John Carter [3D version] *
Mar 12 -- Game Change *
Mar 14 -- Jeff, Who Lives at Home *
Mar 17 -- Silent House [2011] *

Mar 19 -- Futurama [season 3, episodes 1-3] *
Mar 22 -- The Sweatbox [2002] *
Mar 22 -- American Reunion [2012] *
Mar 22 -- Friends with Kids *
Mar 22 -- The Hunger Games *
Mar 28 -- Wrath of the Titans [2012; 3D version] *
Mar 31 -- Mirror Mirror [2012] *
Mar 31 -- Salmon Fishing in the Yemen *
Mar 31 -- The Reduced Shakespeare Company: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) *
Apr 4 -- The Parent Trap [1998] *

Apr 9 -- Titanic [1997; 3D version]
Apr 14 -- Chimpanzee *
Apr 15 -- The Cabin in the Woods *
Apr 18 -- The Lucky One [2012] *
Apr 21 -- The Pirates! Band of Misfits [3D version] *
Apr 26 -- Lockout [2012] *
Apr 27 -- The Five-Year Engagement *
Apr 28 -- Damsels in Distress [2011] *
Apr 29 -- Girls [season 1, episode 1] *
Apr 30 -- Veep [season 1, episode 1] *

May 2 -- The Avengers [2012; 3D version] *
May 5 -- Safe [2012] *
May 7 -- The Raven [2012] *
May 11 -- Dark Shadows [2012] *
May 13 -- Futurama [season 3, episodes 4-6] *
May 16 -- Battleship [2012] *
May 18 -- The Samaritan [2012] *
May 18 -- The Dictator [2012] *
May 21 -- Haywire [2011] *
May 21 -- Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey *

May 23 -- Men in Black III [3D version] *
May 24 -- Chernobyl Diaries *
May 26 -- What to Expect When You're Expecting *
May 26 -- The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel *
May 27 -- Alien [1979; 1979 version]
May 28 -- Alien [1979; 2003 version; w/ audio commentary]

2011 Film Journal

As per my 2010 Journal, videos and DVDs are in italics. Films I saw for the first time have an asterisk (*) next to them. Not counting extras and promo items.

Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec

Jan 1 -- Amazon Falls *
Jan 1 -- Trigger [2010] *
Jan 1 -- Winds of Heaven: Emily Carr, Carvers and the Spirits of the Forest *
Jan 2 -- Last Train Home [2009] *
Jan 2 -- Exit through the Gift Shop *
Jan 3 -- Mighty Jerome *
Jan 6 -- Winter's Bone *
Jan 8 -- The Trotsky *
Jan 8 -- Season of the Witch [2011] *
Jan 8 -- The Fighter [2010] *

Jan 11 -- Assault on Precinct 13 [1976] *
Jan 15 -- The Green Hornet [2011; 3D version] *
Jan 15 -- The Dilemma [2011] *
Jan 19 -- No Strings Attached [2011] *
Jan 21 -- Country Strong *
Jan 23 -- Lifeforce [1985]
Jan 24 -- The Runaways [2010] *
Jan 26 -- The Rite [2011] *
Jan 26 -- Blue Valentine [2010] *
Jan 29 -- Incendies *

Feb 5 -- The Mechanic [2011] *
Feb 5 -- Sanctum [2011; 3D version] *
Feb 5 -- The Roommate [2011] *
Feb 6 -- Animal Kingdom [2010] *
Feb 9 -- You Only Live Twice
Feb 10 -- The Adjustment Bureau *
Feb 11 -- Daniel Amos: Instruction Through Film *
Feb 12 -- Rabbit Hole [2010] *
Feb 12 -- The Way Back [2010] *
Feb 14 -- Just Go with It *

Feb 14 -- The Eagle [2011] *
Feb 19 -- I Am Number Four *
Feb 19 -- Unknown [2011] *
Feb 20 -- Salt [2010; theatrical version]
Feb 21 -- Fallen Angel: The Outlaw Larry Norman [2011 version]
Feb 21 -- Tomorrow Never Dies
Feb 23 -- Hall Pass [2011] *
Feb 25 -- Centurion [2010] *
Feb 26 -- Rango [2011] *
Feb 26 -- Black Death [2010] *

Mar 2 -- Drive Angry [3D version] *
Mar 2 -- Gnomeo & Juliet [3D version] *
Mar 3 -- Nanny McPhee Returns *
Mar 3 -- Moonraker [1979]
Mar 5 -- Mars Needs Moms [3D version] *
Mar 9 -- Red Riding Hood [2011] *
Mar 11 -- The World Is Not Enough
Mar 12 -- The Living Daylights
Mar 13 -- Battle: Los Angeles *
Mar 16 -- Beastly *

Mar 17 -- West Is West [2010] *
Mar 18 -- Limitless [2011] *
Mar 18 -- Paul [2011] *
Mar 18 -- Diamonds Are Forever [1971]
Mar 21 -- The Man with the Golden Gun
Mar 23 -- Sucker Punch [2011] *
Mar 26 -- Hobo with a Shotgun *
Mar 29 -- The Assignment [1997] *
Mar 30 -- The Lincoln Lawyer *
Mar 30 -- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules *

Apr 2 -- Born to Be Wild [2011; 3D version] *
Apr 2 -- Source Code *
Apr 2 -- Hop [2011] *
Apr 4 -- Insidious [2010] *
Apr 6 -- Arthur [2011] *
Apr 8 -- Your Highness *
Apr 8 -- Hanna [2011] *
Apr 10 -- Wholly Moses! *
Apr 11 -- Soul Surfer *
Apr 14 -- Green for Danger *

Apr 15 -- Rio [2011] *
Apr 15 -- Scream 4 [2011] *
Apr 18 -- African Cats *
Apr 19 -- So Dear to My Heart *
Apr 22 -- Water for Elephants *
Apr 27 -- Hævnen [aka In a Better World] *
Apr 28 -- Fast Five *
May 4 -- Thor [2011; 3D version] *
May 5 -- Hoodwinked Too! Hood Vs. Evil [3D version] *
May 5 -- Prom [2011] *

May 6 -- Swamp Thing [1982] *
May 7 -- Something Borrowed [2011] *
May 8 -- The Kid from Brooklyn
May 14 -- Bridesmaids [2011] *
May 19 -- American Grindhouse *
May 21 -- Big Love [season 4, disc 1] *
May 22 -- Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides [3D version] *
May 23 -- The Court Jester [1955]
May 23 -- Priest [2011; 3D version] *
May 24 -- Kung Fu Panda 2 [3D version] *

May 25 -- The Hangover Part II *
May 27 -- Big Love [season 4, disc 2] *
May 28 -- The Beaver [2011] *
May 28 -- Big Love [season 4, disc 3] *
May 29 -- Modern Family [season 1, disc 1] *
May 30 -- Modern Family [season 1, disc 2] *
Jun 1 -- Win Win [2011] *
Jun 3 -- X-Men: First Class *
Jun 6 -- Midnight in Paris [2011] *
Jun 6 -- Meek's Cutoff *

Jun 8 -- Super 8 [2011] *
Jun 15 -- Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer *
Jun 16 -- Submarine [2010] *
Jun 17 -- Green Lantern [3D version] *
Jun 17 -- The Tree of Life [2011] *
Jun 22 -- Mr. Popper's Penguins *
Jun 24 -- Bad Teacher *
Jun 25 -- The Art of Getting by *
Jun 26 -- Cars 2 [3D version] *
Jun 29 -- Transformers: Dark of the Moon [3D version] *

Jul 1 -- Monte Carlo [2011] *
Jul 4 -- Modern Family [season 1, disc 3] *
Jul 4 -- Larry Crowne *
Jul 5 -- Modern Family [season 1, disc 4] *
Jul 7 -- Conan O'Brien Can't Stop *
Jul 8 -- Horrible Bosses *
Jul 9 -- Winnie the Pooh [2011] *
Jul 10 -- Inside Job [2010] *
Jul 11 -- Page One: Inside the New York Times *
Jul 11 -- Beginners [2010] *

Jul 13 -- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 [3D version] *
Jul 14 -- Small Town Murder Songs *
Jul 15 -- Zookeeper [2010] *
Jul 20 -- Captain America: The First Avenger [3D version] *
Jul 23 -- The Smurfs [2011; 3D version] *
Jul 23 -- Friends with Benefits [2011] *
Jul 27 -- Crazy, Stupid, Love. *
Jul 29 -- Cowboys & Aliens *
Jul 31 -- Cave of Forgotten Dreams [3D version] *
Jul 31 -- Project Nim *

Aug 4 -- 30 Minutes or Less *
Aug 4 -- The Trip [2010] *
Aug 5 -- Walking with Monsters *
Aug 5 -- Rise of the Planet of the Apes *
Aug 6 -- The Change-Up [2011] *
Aug 8 -- The Help [2011] *
Aug 10 -- Final Destination 5 [3D version] *
Aug 11 -- The Tempest [2010] *
Aug 15 -- Another Earth *
Aug 15 -- The Whistleblower [2010] *

Aug 17 -- The Devil's Double [2011] *
Aug 19 -- One Day [2011] *
Aug 20 -- Conan the Barbarian [2011; 3D version] *
Aug 20 -- Fright Night [2011; 3D version] *
Aug 21 -- Iron Man 2
Aug 24 -- Spy Kids: All the Time in the World [2D version] *
Aug 26 -- Colombiana *
Aug 26 -- Our Idiot Brother *
Aug 29 -- Don't Be Afraid of the Dark [2010] *
Aug 31 -- The Debt [2010] *

Sep 2 -- Shark Night 3D [2011; 3D version] *
Sep 5 -- The Blue Lagoon [1980] *
Sep 9 -- Contagion [2011] *
Sep 9 -- Warrior [2011] *
Sep 14 -- Apollo 18 *
Sep 16 -- Drive [2011] *
Sep 17 -- Dolphin Tale [3D version] *
Sep 17 -- Straw Dogs [2011] *
Sep 17 -- I Don't Know How She Does It *
Sep 23 -- Abduction [2011] *

Sep 23 -- Moneyball *
Sep 26 -- Killer Elite [2011] *
Sep 28 -- Real Steel *
Sep 29 -- Like Crazy *
Sep 29 -- Tyrannosaur *
Sep 30 -- Courageous [2011] *
Sep 30 -- Take This Waltz [2011] *
Sep 30 -- Circumstance [2011] *
Oct 1 -- The Mill and the Cross *
Oct 1 -- Go-ji-jeon [aka The Front Line] *

Oct 1 -- Ish lelo selolari [aka Man without a Cell Phone] *
Oct 2 -- Without [2011] *
Oct 3 -- Pina [3D version] *
Oct 4 -- Dream House [2011] *
Oct 4 -- Boker tov adon Fidelman [aka Restoration] *
Oct 4 -- Hearat Shulayim [aka Footnote] *
Oct 4 -- Miss Bala *
Oct 5 -- In Darkness [2011] *
Oct 5 -- Jodaeiye Nader az Simin [aka A Separation] *
Oct 5 -- Sisters & Brothers [2011] *

Oct 6 -- Rundskop [aka Bullhead] *
Oct 6 -- Bir zamanlar Anadolu'da [aka Once Upon a Time in Anatolia] *
Oct 6 -- Higher Ground [2011] *
Oct 6 -- The Guard [2011] *
Oct 7 -- What's Your Number? *
Oct 7 -- The Ides of March [2011] *
Oct 7 -- Starbuck *
Oct 7 -- Sleeping Beauty [2011] *
Oct 8 -- A Torinói ló [aka The Turin Horse] *
Oct 8 -- Le Havre [2011] *

Oct 8 -- Elena [2011] *
Oct 9 -- The Lion King [3D version]
Oct 10 -- 50/50 [2011] *
Oct 11 -- Martha Marcy May Marlene *
Oct 13 -- The Artist [2011] *
Oct 13 -- Alpeis [aka Alps] *
Oct 14 -- Le gamin au vélo [aka The Kid with a Bike] *
Oct 15 -- The Thing [2011] *
Oct 15 -- The Big Year *
Oct 16 -- Footloose [1984] *

Oct 17 -- Breakaway [2011] *
Oct 21 -- Paranormal Activity 3 *
Oct 21 -- Johnny English Reborn *
Oct 22 -- Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope [2011 version]
Oct 23 -- The Three Musketeers [2011; 3D version] *
Oct 23 -- Footloose [2011] *
Oct 26 -- Anonymous [2011] *
Oct 28 -- Puss in Boots [2011; 3D version] *
Oct 29 -- Machine Gun Preacher *
Oct 29 -- Take Shelter *

Oct 30 -- In Time [2011] *
Nov 2 -- A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas [3D version] *
Nov 5 -- Tower Heist *
Nov 5 -- The Rum Diary *
Nov 7 -- Metropolis [1927; 1984 version]
Nov 8 -- Melancholia [2011] *
Nov 10 -- Jack and Jill [2011] *
Nov 11 -- J. Edgar [2011] *
Nov 11 -- Immortals [2011; 3D version] *
Nov 17 -- The Muppets [2011] *

Nov 18 -- Happy Feet Two [3D version] *
Nov 20 -- The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 1 *
Nov 21 -- Hugo [2011; 3D version] *
Nov 22 -- The Muppets Take Manhattan *
Nov 25 -- Arthur Christmas [3D version] *
Nov 26 -- We Bought a Zoo *
Nov 29 -- Amore, piombo e furore [aka China 9, Liberty 37] *
Nov 30 -- Young Adult [2011] *
Dec 1 -- War Horse [2011] *
Dec 2 -- Sigur Rós: Inni *

Dec 6 -- My Week with Marilyn *
Dec 7 -- New Year's Eve [2011] *
Dec 10 -- The Adventures of Tintin [2011; 3D version] *
Dec 10 -- The Descendants [2011] *
Dec 12 -- Shame [2011] *
Dec 14 -- Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol [IMAX version] *
Dec 14 -- The Sitter [2011] *
Dec 15 -- Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows *
Dec 16 -- Persuasion [2007] *
Dec 17 -- Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked *

Dec 18 -- Star Trek: The Motion Picture [theatrical version]
Dec 19 -- The Iron Lady *
Dec 22 -- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo [2011] *
Dec 27 -- The Darkest Hour [2011] *
Dec 28 -- Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy [2011] *
Dec 28 -- Carnage [2011] *
Dec 28 -- Buck [2011] *
Dec 29 -- Tabloid [2010] *
Dec 31 -- Coriolanus [2011] *

Canadian box-office stats -- December 19 & 26

Here are the figures for the past weekend, arranged from those that owe the highest percentage of their take to the Canadian box office to those that owe the lowest.

The King's Speech -- CDN $1,330,000 -- N.AM $8,343,435 -- 15.9%
The Tourist -- CDN $4,430,000 -- N.AM $40,878,000 -- 10.8%
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I -- CDN $27,220,000 -- N.AM $272,972,000 -- 9.9%
Yogi Bear -- CDN $3,160,000 -- N.AM $35,820,000 -- 8.8%
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader -- CDN $5,480,000 -- N.AM $62,597,030 -- 8.8%
Tangled -- CDN $11,360,000 -- N.AM $143,695,323 -- 7.9%
The Fighter -- CDN $2,100,000 -- N.AM $26,679,000 -- 7.9%
Tron Legacy -- CDN $6,660,000 -- N.AM $87,373,703 -- 7.6%
Little Fockers -- CDN $2,480,000 -- N.AM $45,083,800 -- 5.5%
True Grit -- CDN $1,520,000 -- N.AM $36,068,000 -- 4.2%

A couple of discrepancies: The King's Speech and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I were #6 and #10 on the Canadian chart, respectively (they were #11 and #13 in North America as a whole), while Gulliver's Travels and Black Swan were #8 and #9 on the North American chart, respectively (they were #12 and #11 in Canada).

And here are the figures for the previous weekend, arranged from those that owe the highest percentage of their take to the Canadian box office to those that owe the lowest.

The Tourist -- CDN $3,200,000 -- N.AM $30,613,520 -- 10.5%
Burlesque -- CDN $3,670,000 -- N.AM $35,537,765 -- 10.3%
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I -- CDN $25,990,000 -- N.AM $265,723,618 -- 9.8%
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader -- CDN $3,630,000 -- N.AM $42,752,237 -- 8.5%
Black Swan -- CDN $1,230,000 -- N.AM $15,791,753 -- 7.8%
Yogi Bear -- CDN $1,270,000 -- N.AM $16,411,322 -- 7.7%
Tangled -- CDN $9,800,000 -- N.AM $127,918,276 -- 7.7%
How Do You Know -- CDN $533,589 -- N.AM $7,484,696 -- 7.1%
The Fighter -- CDN $889,391 -- N.AM $12,569,403 -- 7.1%
Tron Legacy -- CDN $2,980,000 -- N.AM $44,026,211 -- 6.8%

A couple of discrepancies: Burlesque was #10 on the Canadian chart (it was #11 in North America as a whole), while Unstoppable was #10 on the North American chart (it was #18 in Canada).

Canadian box-office stats -- November 28 & December 5 & 12

Here are the figures for the past weekend, arranged from those that owe the highest percentage of their take to the Canadian box office to those that owe the lowest.

Due Date -- CDN $9,520,000 -- N.AM $94,919,650 -- 10.0%
Burlesque -- CDN $3,250,000 -- N.AM $32,540,780 -- 10.0%
Faster -- CDN $2,050,000 -- N.AM $21,336,961 -- 9.6%
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I -- CDN $24,620,000 -- N.AM $257,672,721 -- 9.6%
The Tourist -- CDN $1,540,000 -- N.AM $16,472,458 -- 9.3%
Megamind -- CDN $12,290,000 -- N.AM $140,218,962 -- 8.8%
Love and Other Drugs -- CDN $2,350,000 -- N.AM $27,629,936 -- 8.5%
Black Swan -- CDN $416,650 -- N.AM $5,584,542 -- 7.5%
Tangled -- CDN $8,480,000 -- N.AM $115,395,560 -- 7.3%
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader -- CDN $1,730,000 -- N.AM $24,005,069 -- 7.2%

A couple of discrepancies: Faster was #10 on the Canadian chart (it was #11 in North America as a whole), while Unstoppable was #5 on the North American chart (it was #12 in Canada).

And here are the figures for the previous weekend, arranged from those that owe the highest percentage of their take to the Canadian box office to those that owe the lowest.

Lance et compte: le film -- CDN $1,430,000 -- N.AM $1,430,000 -- 100%
Due Date -- CDN $9,050,000 -- N.AM $90,882,138 -- 9.9%
Burlesque -- CDN $2,530,000 -- N.AM $26,986,656 -- 9.4%
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I -- CDN $22,580,000 -- N.AM $244,519,116 -- 9.2%
Faster -- CDN $1,610,000 -- N.AM $18,217,730 -- 8.8%
Megamind -- CDN $11,890,000 -- N.AM $136,611,161 -- 8.7%
The Next Three Days -- CDN $1,480,000 -- N.AM $18,301,917 -- 8.1%
Love and Other Drugs -- CDN $1,780,000 -- N.AM $22,574,887 -- 7.9%
Tangled -- CDN $6,510,000 -- N.AM $96,570,812 -- 6.7%
Unstoppable -- CDN $4,100,000 -- N.AM $68,762,864 -- 6.0%

A couple of discrepancies: Lance et compte: le film was #8 on the Canadian chart (it wasn't on the North American chart at all, though if it were, it would be #18), while The Warrior's Way was #9 on the North American chart (it wasn't released at all in Canada).

And here are the figures for the weekend before that, arranged from those that owe the highest percentage of their take to the Canadian box office to those that owe the lowest.

Lance et compte: le film -- CDN $687,700 -- N.AM $687,700 -- 100%
Due Date -- CDN $8,340,000 -- N.AM $84,861,008 -- 9.8%
Megamind -- CDN $11,130,000 -- N.AM $130,218,934 -- 8.5%
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I -- CDN $18,380,000 -- N.AM $219,056,129 -- 8.4%
Burlesque -- CDN $1,300,000 -- N.AM $17,300,213 -- 7.5%
The Next Three Days -- CDN $1,030,000 -- N.AM $14,392,072 -- 7.2%
Faster -- CDN $798,689 -- N.AM $12,002,840 -- 6.7%
Love and Other Drugs -- CDN $860,823 -- N.AM $13,901,532 -- 6.2%
Unstoppable -- CDN $3,550,000 -- N.AM $60,442,621 -- 5.9%
Tangled -- CDN $3,490,000 -- N.AM $68,706,298 -- 5.1%

A couple of discrepancies: Lance et compte: le film was #6 on the Canadian chart (it wasn't on the North American chart at all, though if it were, it would be #17), while Morning Glory was #10 on the North American chart (it was #11 in Canada).

Canadian box-office stats -- November 14 & 21

Here are the figures for the past weekend, arranged from those that owe the highest percentage of their take to the Canadian box office to those that owe the lowest.

The Social Network -- CDN $10,740,000 -- N.AM $89,244,464 -- 12.0%
Fair Game -- CDN $446,914 -- N.AM $3,724,546 -- 12.0%
Due Date -- CDN $7,380,000 -- N.AM $72,431,594 -- 10.2%
RED -- CDN $8,510,000 -- N.AM $83,589,965 -- 10.2%
Morning Glory -- CDN $1,950,000 -- N.AM $19,823,136 -- 9.8%
Megamind -- CDN $9,930,000 -- N.AM $109,313,429 -- 9.1%
Skyline -- CDN $1,600,000 -- N.AM $17,772,760 -- 9.0%
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I -- CDN $10,240,000 -- N.AM $125,017,372 -- 8.2%
The Next Three Days -- CDN $480,350 -- N.AM $6,542,779 -- 7.3%
Unstoppable -- CDN $2,770,000 -- N.AM $41,867,769 -- 6.6%

A couple of discrepancies: The Social Network was #10 on the Canadian chart (it was #13 in North America as a whole), while For Colored Girls was #9 on the North American chart, respectively (it was #17 in Canada).

And here are the figures for the previous weekend, arranged from those that owe the highest percentage of their take to the Canadian box office to those that owe the lowest.

The Social Network -- CDN $10,550,000 -- N.AM $87,807,502 -- 12.0%
Jackass 3D -- CDN $12,080,000 -- N.AM $114,643,266 -- 10.5%
RED -- CDN $8,070,000 -- N.AM $79,677,396 -- 10.1%
Saw 3D -- CDN $4,330,000 -- N.AM $43,580,310 -- 9.9%
Due Date -- CDN $5,760,000 -- N.AM $58,897,308 -- 9.8%
Morning Glory -- CDN $1,110,000 -- N.AM $11,809,321 -- 9.4%
Megamind -- CDN $7,660,000 -- N.AM $88,822,635 -- 8.6%
Paranormal Activity 2 -- CDN $6,900,000 -- N.AM $81,930,657 -- 8.4%
Skyline -- CDN $983,474 -- N.AM $11,692,415 -- 8.4%
Unstoppable -- CDN $1,350,000 -- N.AM $22,688,457 -- 5.9%

A couple of discrepancies: The Social Network was #10 on the Canadian chart (it was #12 in North America as a whole), while For Colored Girls was #6 on the North American chart, respectively (it was #16 in Canada).

Canadian box-office stats -- October 31 & November 7

Here are the figures for the past weekend, arranged from those that owe the highest percentage of their take to the Canadian box office to those that owe the lowest.

Life as We Know It -- CDN $5,910,000 -- N.AM $48,506,252 -- 12.2%
Conviction -- CDN $581,289 -- N.AM $4,794,930 -- 12.1%
The Social Network -- CDN $10,160,000 -- N.AM $84,871,492 -- 11.9%
Jackass 3D -- CDN $11,460,000 -- N.AM $110,668,357 -- 10.4%
RED -- CDN $7,120,000 -- N.AM $71,664,962 -- 9.9%
Hereafter -- CDN $2,820,000 -- N.AM $28,721,066 -- 9.8%
Saw 3D -- CDN $3,580,000 -- N.AM $38,331,783 -- 9.3%
Due Date -- CDN $2,680,000 -- N.AM $32,689,406 -- 8.2%
Paranormal Activity 2 -- CDN $6,220,000 -- N.AM $76,959,864 -- 8.0%
Megamind -- CDN $3,410,000 -- N.AM $46,016,833 -- 7.4%

A couple of discrepancies: Life as We Know It and Conviction were #8 and #10 on the Canadian chart, respectively (they were #11 and #12 in North America as a whole), while For Colored Girls and Secretariat were #3 and #8 on the North American chart, respectively (they were #14 and #11 in Canada).

And here are the figures for the previous weekend, arranged from those that owe the highest percentage of their take to the Canadian box office to those that owe the lowest.

The Social Network -- CDN $9,520,000 -- N.AM $79,520,984 -- 11.9%
Life as We Know It -- CDN $5,210,000 -- N.AM $43,533,312 -- 11.9%
Conviction -- CDN $254,116 -- N.AM $2,383,725 -- 10.7%
The Town -- CDN $9,080,000 -- N.AM $87,626,867 -- 10.4%
Jackass 3D -- CDN $10,250,000 -- N.AM $101,657,558 -- 10.0%
RED -- CDN $5,800,000 -- N.AM $58,823,430 -- 9.9%
Hereafter -- CDN $2,100,000 -- N.AM $22,263,797 -- 9.4%
Paranormal Activity 2 -- CDN $4,920,000 -- N.AM $65,665,972 -- 7.5%
Saw 3D -- CDN $1,800,000 -- N.AM $24,230,123 -- 7.4%
Secretariat -- CDN $2,940,000 -- N.AM $44,708,804 -- 6.6%

Canadian box-office stats -- October 10 & 17 & 24

Here are the figures for the past weekend, arranged from those that owe the highest percentage of their take to the Canadian box office to those that owe the lowest.

Easy A -- CDN $7,110,000 -- N.AM $54,785,000 -- 13.0%
The Social Network -- CDN $8,680,000 -- N.AM $72,931,000 -- 11.9%
Life as We Know It -- CDN $4,400,000 -- N.AM $37,615,000 -- 11.7%
The Town -- CDN $8,680,000 -- N.AM $84,653,000 -- 10.3%
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole -- CDN $4,860,000 -- N.AM $50,172,000 -- 9.7%
RED -- CDN $4,170,000 -- N.AM $43,483,000 -- 9.6%
Jackass 3D -- CDN $8,260,000 -- N.AM $87,147,000 -- 9.5%
Hereafter -- CDN $1,060,000 -- N.AM $12,320,000 -- 8.6%
Secretariat -- CDN $2,460,000 -- N.AM $37,360,000 -- 6.6%
Paranormal Activity 2 -- CDN $2,460,000 -- N.AM $41,500,000 -- 5.9%

And here are the figures for the previous weekend, arranged from those that owe the highest percentage of their take to the Canadian box office to those that owe the lowest.

Easy A -- CDN $6,790,000 -- N.AM $52,317,481 -- 13.0%
The Social Network -- CDN $7,330,000 -- N.AM $62,436,364 -- 11.7%
Life as We Know It -- CDN $3,170,000 -- N.AM $28,620,147 -- 11.1%
The Town -- CDN $8,120,000 -- N.AM $80,510,629 -- 10.1%
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole -- CDN $4,370,000 -- N.AM $45,994,776 -- 9.5%
RED -- CDN $1,930,000 -- N.AM $21,761,408 -- 8.9%
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps -- CDN $4,120,000 -- N.AM $47,894,896 -- 8.6%
Jackass 3D -- CDN $3,850,000 -- N.AM $50,353,641 -- 7.6%
My Soul to Take -- CDN $804,629 -- N.AM $11,915,595 -- 6.8%
Secretariat -- CDN $1,750,000 -- N.AM $27,332,941 -- 6.4%

And here are the figures for the weekend before that, arranged from those that owe the highest percentage of their take to the Canadian box office to those that owe the lowest.

StreetDance 3D -- CDN $736,718 -- N.AM $736,718 -- 100%
Easy A -- CDN $6,180,000 -- N.AM $48,228,201 -- 12.8%
The Social Network -- CDN $5,100,000 -- N.AM $46,021,161 -- 11.1%
You Again -- CDN $2,030,000 -- N.AM $20,769,995 -- 9.8%
The Town -- CDN $7,160,000 -- N.AM $73,847,527 -- 9.7%
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole -- CDN $3,610,000 -- N.AM $39,273,984 -- 9.2%
Life as We Know It -- CDN $1,310,000 -- N.AM $14,506,464 -- 9.0%
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps -- CDN $3,670,000 -- N.AM $43,644,701 -- 8.4%
My Soul to Take -- CDN $385,355 -- N.AM $6,842,220 -- 5.6%
Secretariat -- CDN $687,489 -- N.AM $12,694,770 -- 5.4%

A couple of discrepancies: StreetDance 3D was #9 on the Canadian chart (it wasn't on the North American chart at all, though if it were, it would be #24), while Case 39 was #9 on the North American chart (it was #13 in Canada).

Canadian box-office stats -- October 3

Here are the figures for the past weekend, arranged from those that owe the highest percentage of their take to the Canadian box office to those that owe the lowest.

StreetDance 3D -- CDN $359,620 -- N.AM $359,620 -- 100%
Easy A -- CDN $5,350,000 -- N.AM $42,176,967 -- 12.7%
Alpha and Omega -- CDN $1,950,000 -- N.AM $18,949,437 -- 10.3%
The Social Network -- CDN $2,220,000 -- N.AM $22,445,653 -- 9.9%
You Again -- CDN $1,570,000 -- N.AM $16,607,633 -- 9.5%
The Town -- CDN $6,000,000 -- N.AM $64,056,752 -- 9.4%
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole -- CDN $2,700,000 -- N.AM $30,079,298 -- 9.0%
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps -- CDN $2,950,000 -- N.AM $35,778,429 -- 8.2%
Let Me in -- CDN $385,414 -- N.AM $5,147,479 -- 7.5%
Case 39 -- CDN $375,605 -- N.AM $5,350,570 -- 7.0%

A couple of discrepancies: StreetDance 3D was #9 on the Canadian chart (it wasn't on the North American chart at all, though if it were, it would be #18), while Devil was #9 on the North American chart (it was #14 in Canada).

Tony Curtis and voting with coloured beads.

New Testament scholar Marcus Borg once observed that no public speaker ever uses a good line only once. (Actually, Borg has probably observed this more than once -- that's kind of his point!)

Borg made this comment while discussing the fact that there are different versions of some of Jesus' sayings spread across the gospels. Scholars tend to assume that the differences are due to changes that were put there by one or more of the people who wrote these gospels, and they tend to want to trace these sayings back to some sort of "original" version that was spoken by Jesus himself; but, as Borg hinted, it stands to reason that Jesus spoke many original versions of these sayings as he traveled from town to town, and even that he modified these sayings on occasion to reflect some local or recent circumstance. So, some of the differences may indeed be due to editorial tweaks made by the evangelists, but some of them may also go back to Jesus himself.

I was reminded of that this week when some journalists began digging up their old interviews with Tony Curtis, who died two days ago at the age of 85.

Over on his Facebook page, Roger Ebert pointed readers to this 1985 interview, which he said was his favorite of the ones he did with Curtis. And near the end of that article, there is this bit:

" . . . Let me tell you a story, sort of a parable. One day in 1948 I went to Hollywood. My name was Bernie Schwartz. I signed a contract at Universal, and I bought a house in the hills. It had a swimming pool. Unheated, but it had water in it. One night I came home late, I jumped in the pool, I swam a few laps, I got out, I dried myself off, I put on my clothes, and I walked directly into this room and sat down and started to talk to you. Do you see what I'm saying? Thirty-eight years, I don't know where they went. Gone like that."

Meanwhile, Jeffrey Wells re-posted part of this 2000 interview, which ends with this bit:

'Can I tell you a story, Jeffrey?' he said, about halfway through our talk. 'In 1948, when I was 23 or 24, when I first came out here I lived in a house on Fountain Avenue. I rented a room there. And they had a swimming pool. I had an appointment and I got on a trolley car...they were running right down the middle of the freeway back then.

'Then I got back, I jumped into the pool, I took a shower, got dressed and got into the car, and drove up here to meet you. That's how quick these 50-fucking-two years have gone...quick as that.'

It's fascinating to see how these two versions of the story begin and end on such similar notes, and how they vary quite a bit in the middle.

It's also interesting to see how they contradict each other: in one, Curtis tells Ebert he bought the house with the swimming pool, whereas in the other, he tells Wells that he rented the house -- or, rather, that he rented a room in that house. (Of course, this assumes that both Ebert and Wells transcribed their respective interviews accurately.)

In any case, I can't help imagining that, somewhere, a scholar like John Dominic Crossan might some day compile a book called The Essential Tony Curtis that will feature an ur-version of this story that lends itself to multiple formulations without committing itself to any of them.

Canadian box-office stats -- September 26

Here are the figures for the past weekend, arranged from those that owe the highest percentage of their take to the Canadian box office to those that owe the lowest.

Incendies -- CDN $548,073 -- N.AM $548,073 -- 100%
Easy A -- CDN $4,030,000 -- N.AM $32,714,215 -- 12.3%
Inception -- CDN $32,520,000 -- N.AM $287,053,292 -- 11.3%
Resident Evil: Afterlife -- CDN $5,860,000 -- N.AM $52,073,588 -- 11.3%
Alpha and Omega -- CDN $1,540,000 -- N.AM $15,164,944 -- 10.2%
The Town -- CDN $4,370,000 -- N.AM $48,692,072 -- 9.0%
You Again -- CDN $741,316 -- N.AM $8,407,513 -- 8.8%
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole -- CDN $1,340,000 -- N.AM $16,112,211 -- 8.3%
Devil -- CDN $1,770,000 -- N.AM $21,859,425 -- 8.1%
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps -- CDN $1,470,000 -- N.AM $19,011,188 -- 7.7%

A couple of discrepancies: Incendies was #9 on the Canadian chart (it wasn't on the North American chart at all, though if it were, it would be #27), while Takers was #9 on the North American chart (it was #16 in Canada).

Canadian box-office stats -- September 19

Here are the figures for the past weekend, arranged from those that owe the highest percentage of their take to the Canadian box office to those that owe the lowest.

Eat Pray Love -- CDN $10,850,000 -- N.AM $77,600,235 -- 14.0%
The Expendables -- CDN $12,850,000 -- N.AM $101,020,533 -- 12.7%
Inception -- CDN $32,120,000 -- N.AM $285,129,855 -- 11.3%
Easy A -- CDN $1,970,000 -- N.AM $17,734,040 -- 11.1%
Resident Evil: Afterlife -- CDN $4,780,000 -- N.AM $43,893,958 -- 10.9%
The American -- CDN $3,520,000 -- N.AM $32,772,475 -- 10.7%
The Other Guys -- CDN $11,080,000 -- N.AM $115,403,440 -- 9.6%
Alpha and Omega -- CDN $768,986 -- N.AM $9,106,906 -- 8.4%
The Town -- CDN $1,910,000 -- N.AM $23,808,032 -- 8.0%
Devil -- CDN $894,049 -- N.AM $12,289,375 -- 7.3%

A couple of discrepancies: Eat Pray Love and The Expendables were #8 and #9 on the Canadian chart, respectively (they were #11 and #12 in North America as a whole), while Takers and Machete were #6 and #10 on the North American chart, respectively (they were #14 and #16 in Canada).

Canadian box-office stats -- September 12

Here are the figures for the past weekend, arranged from those that owe the highest percentage of their take to the Canadian box office to those that owe the lowest.

The Switch -- CDN $3,560,000 -- N.AM $25,005,832 -- 14.2%
Eat Pray Love -- CDN $10,230,000 -- N.AM $74,660,964 -- 13.7%
The Expendables -- CDN $12,410,000 -- N.AM $98,466,264 -- 12.6%
Going the Distance -- CDN $1,600,000 -- N.AM $13,952,322 -- 11.5%
Inception -- CDN $31,580,000 -- N.AM $282,211,978 -- 11.2%
The American -- CDN $2,930,000 -- N.AM $28,111,358 -- 10.4%
Resident Evil: Afterlife -- CDN $2,560,000 -- N.AM $26,650,264 -- 9.6%
The Other Guys -- CDN $10,730,000 -- N.AM $112,442,408 -- 9.5%
Machete -- CDN $1,750,000 -- N.AM $20,916,709 -- 8.4%
Takers -- CDN $2,730,000 -- N.AM $47,680,783 -- 5.7%

A couple of discrepancies: The Switch was #10 on the Canadian chart (it was #12 in North America as a whole), while The Last Exorcism was #7 on the North American chart (it was #12 in Canada).