The Billy Zane is Caledon Hockley in Titanic Appreciation Thread - Page 2

Don't forget Kathy Bates and David Warner. Cameron has assembled some pretty exceptional casts throughout his career, but Titanic boasts one of the best ensembles, in my opinion.

But yeah, Garber is one of the absolute standouts in Titanic, even though he only has a few substantial moments and is mostly glimpsed in the background. Still, that final scene as he's sadly adjusting the clock in the smoking room during the montage of some of the passengers acknowledging that they're going to die...Garber owns the movie in terms of actors that were portraying their roles completely straight.

That was Garber. Hill was the captain.

I am fairly certain that his concern was not about winning back his fiance's heart, but rather he was focused on recovering the Heart of the Ocean which he'd left in the coat he'd given her

Billy Zane is just about the only reason to watch or enjoy Titanic.

Close, but it's "I'm sorry I didn't build you a stronger ship, young Rose" instead.

There's some debate about the fate of Thomas Andrews because his body was never recovered (some accounts say that he was frantically throwing chairs in the water during his final moments to ensure that the drowning passengers had floating devices; the more popular account is that he was last seen staring at a painting, "Plymouth Harbor", in the first-class smoking room; in Cameron's version, he's adjusting a clock in the first-class smoking room by the fireplace, with the painting visible above), but what's incontrovertible is that he was an absolute hero, urging everyone he could to secure themselves and never deluding himself for a minute that they had any realistic chances of survival unless the proper safety procedures were observed. Overall, I think that he was treated well by Cameron in his film portrayal, because his working-class realism, intelligence and kindness were not only retained but emphasized in numerous scenes.

Am I the only one here who loves Titanic not solely because of Zane? Anyone? :P

That one is tied for me with that brief shot of the old couple holding each other in bed as the water rushes in. There's more love in that five-second shot than in the entirety of the Jack-Rose saga.

I still maintain that Jack/Rose is one of the best romances in a Cameron film and manages to be compelling enough in how their relationship is handled with such a sense of fun (table jig, the painting scene, etc), which is pretty respectable considering the technical spectacle that very often threatens to overshadow them.

I'd argue that there's just as much love demonstrated in how Rose risks her life several times to free Jack, who trusts her enough to not chop his hands off with an axe, and then when he encourages her to take charge and lead a fulfilling life in spite of him at the end. It's certainly no Twilight. But I suppose we should be discussing Billy Zane as Cal and not our thoughts on the film as a whole.

So, yeah. Anyone think the mayor from TDK is a descendant of Zane's fictional Hockley?

I like the Jack/Rose romance, but is there really much better to compare it to in Cameron's filmography?

I have no idea if those two characters had memorable names/character or it was simply burned into my brain when those two repeatedly shouted each other's names.

Jack!

Rose!

Jack!

ROSE!

JACK!

ROOOOSE!

Well, in a movie that's over three hours and involves a tragedy in which communication would have been vital, I don't mind how their names are mentioned a fair amount. Certainly, it's not like I can't enjoy a lot of horror films in spite of the near-constant repetition of profanity because in some ways it works in the right context.

Hehehe, I'm mostly being glib. I just remember a friend complaining about it and haven't been able to NOT see it and laugh when I watch the movie.

It is interesting you should point that out, as I've never heard anyone else talk about it. I really like TITANIC, but even back in the day my mom and I had a running "Jack! Rose!" joke. It's kind of hilarious, though I think the first time I saw the movie I was on the edge of my seat and missed the humor

The Abyss?

Paxton/Curtis was more convincing.

Point made!

Kyle Reese came across time for Sarah Connor. Just sayin'.

Saddest scene in the whole film for me is still Jeanette Goldstein reading her kids their last bedtime story.

The Abyss would be the right answer here.

I'll take Bud and Lindsay Brigman every day of the week and twice on Sundays thanks very much.

Like I said earlier, I far prefer it to AVATAR. Is it ridiculous it stole Best Picture from L.A. CONFIDENTIAL that year? Of course it is! But it's still a stirring and well-made cheeseball of a movie. And while Cameron's script is laughable at times, it also deftly explains the mechanics and deck plan of the ship so that you know exactly how and why the ship is sinking at all times. Plus ... Zane, Warner, Paxton, nekked Kate Winslet ...

All I know is that I had a huuuuuuge crush on Billy Zane up until Titanic. Reflecting on it now I have no idea why. Sniper maybe? I think young me liked that movie.

I was so annoyed that ol' Leo was the lead when the clearly dreamier and more awesome Zane should be the lead.

Fuck YES. Pissed me the hell off when she did the whole "a woman's heart is an deep ocean of secrets" or whatever. Yeah, yeah, grammaw....you had a crazy adventure and learned to live life on your own terms. Now, let's see how well you can set your descendants up by auctioning off this priceless bauble some guy bought you when you were a dish.

I loved the smugness in Zane's dismissal of Leo when they were repairing to the smoking room for cigars and brandy. Arrogance worthy of Gene Hackman.

You know, Brock Lovett could have used the proceeds of the sale of the diamond. His expedition was running out of funding after all. I'm sure his crew would have appreciated getting paid.

Serves him right for spending so much on that cigar.

Honestly, I have a strange relationship with the movie. I first saw it on the afternoon after my divorce proceedings that morning. I watch it every few years just to see the dude fall and hit the prop and go cartwheeling into the ocean. And Winslet's boobs. And the forlorn hope that one time Leo will push the bitch off the table and save his own damn self and not be a pussy.

Wait....sorry....Hockley. He was the shit. Yeah.

I can't belive some talented artist never made a parody painting of Cal wearing the Heart of the Ocean necklace.

...in the Kate Winslet pose?

I kind of love Cal's relationship with Lovejoy. That little bit where Lovejoy knowingly bulldozes Jack and Rose's account of their meeting - and then keeps it to himself - makes me wish Warner had been given more to do.

The 3-disc SE has 45 minutes of deleted scenes. One has Jack and Lovejoy going fisticuffs.

All I ever asked is for Cameron to have filmed an actual scene of Cal blowing his brains out after the Stock Market Crashed where he lost his millions!

Lord, doesn't this film have enough solo Russian Roullette?

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I have mixed feelings about that. LA Confidential may be better in a lot of ways, but it's not like it's grown in stature over the years or gets talked about as a modern classic very often, and given that Titanic still looms fairly large in culture, I think you could argue that the more significant film won. I mean, it's not like it beat a future film legend like Goodfellas or Pulp Fiction. If anything LA Confidential has benefited quite a bit from losing against Titanic because people probably wouldn't think about it nearly as often if not for the association.

I frequently talk up LAC and personally feel it's a much better film than GOODFELLAS (not trying to start a fight, but let's just say the right movie won best picture back in 92). I'd certainly agree with you that TITANIC is more "significant", with LAC being "better", but after all, the award is Best Picture so , no, the right film did not win in 1997 IMHO. For this film fan at least, LAC is very much a modern classic: I watch it frequently, and I can count the number of times I've seen TITANIC since it hit video on one hand

Great minds think alike! I was the right age for the Leo-craze that went on at the time, but I thought Billy Zane was so much more handsome. And awesome.

You're talking to the wrong people.

LA Confidential is the very definition of a classic.

Yeah, Paul C had better hope that Rath has adjusted to his new meds or whatever was making him so pissy lately. Otherwise he's gonna be stomping in with guns blazing real quick.

It drives me crazy that he never went to get his own piece of something to float on. There's a point before he finally kicks where everybody is pretty much dead, so it's not like he'd have to fight somebody for a floatation device. I know he didn't want to leave Rose, but come on, man.

A friend of mine used to say that if they had rotated positions every few minutes or so, they would have both survived.

Yeah but that wouldn't have worked with that excerable Celine Dion song playing in the background now would it?

In such frigid conditions, Bear Grylls teaches that you have only a few minutes before your muscles begin to seize up and you can drown

They'd have risked not being able to crawl back on the door had they attempted to switch IMHO

And then some. L.A. CONFIDENTIAL is one of the very best films of that entire decade.

Although ...

I always say TITANIC stole CONFIDENTIAL's Oscar because both of those films were nominated for Best Picture. But, when considering everything released that year, CONFIDENTIAL was actually the second best film of 1997.

Ah, this thread.  Thanks to Chris's Titanic thread for helping me stumble across it again!

Could never let go