In celebration of the We Bought A Zoo soundtrack release today, Cameron and jónsi are doing a live Q & A at Union Square Barnes & Noble in New York. They will be discussing their collaboration and signing copies of the soundtrack. The event starts at 7pm (EST) and we will have a live stream right here!
Two of Cameron’s films hit milestones this week. Jerry Maguire hits the 15 year mark on December 13th and Vanilla Sky reaches 10 years the following day. Hard to believe, right? Jerry Maguire was Cameron’s first big box office success and garnered his first Oscar nomination for writing.
On the set of Jerry Maguire
Vanilla Sky was a more polarizing film as people either loved it or hated it. One thing is for sure, everyone had opinion about it. Looking back, I think it had a pretty remarkable box office run. It’s the 24th slowest film ever to reach $100 million in domestic box office (and the most recent film on the list). Why? It’s a film that demanded repeat viewings and audiences took their unsuspecting family and friends along for their 2nd or 3rd viewing to get their opinions.
Please share your good and bad memories about these two films. Do they still hold up? Music? Performances? Whatever comments you’d like to share . . .
Jónsi’s entire score for We Bought A Zoo is now streaming exclusively at Rolling Stone. Don’t forget that the soundtrack will be released on Tuesday, December 13th. You can order yours at Amazon (U.S.), Amazon UK or iTunes.
That’s right,there will be additional We Bought A Zoo sneak preview screenings in North America tomorrow. For theaters and times in your area, please check out Fandango.
"Eyes" - Joel Bernstein - 1971
You might remember the Eyes and Ears sections of the old cameroncrowe.com site (for film and music, respectively). There’s a story behind those names and Cameron discusses them in the liner notes for Jackson Browne’s 1977 masterpiece, Running on Empty. The 205th piece in the Journalism section focuses on photographer and longtime friend Joel Bernstein. In addition to his amazing photography, Joel is best known these days as Neil Young’s official archivist. Check it out!
Jackson Browne photo by Joel Bernstein
Have you seen this behind the scenes video from the recent Hollywood Reporter cover shoot? Watch till the end for some Elvis love…
If you want to hear the principals speak about We Bought A Zoo, there will be quite a few opportunities in the coming weeks. The film will have its world premiere in New York on Monday, December 12th. In addition, here’s some of the other notable press:
Welcome to another edition of Inquire Within… Through your submissions, Cameron will answer your questions in his own words.
Leah Greenwood (Raleigh, NC): The first time I saw it, in the theater while in college, I walked out and decided to change my major. Almost Famous (and therefore you) are single-handedly responsible for my renewed focus on writing/English/journalism. What movies changed you? Shaped you? Winds up in your DVD player every month?
Cameron: Thanks Leah. I hope you stuck with it — journalism needs you. It’s still a living, growing and important field… whatever the format, print or blog or online. Nothing beats the importance of details, and the discipline that comes from checking facts. Sometimes in the immediacy of online blogging, details sadly go out the window. But truth always still reads like the truth, and if you’re in doubt, the NY Times or The New Yorker and a number of other hallowed
publications are still touchstones for the timeless kind of journalism that will always need a home.
I was changed by a bunch of films and books. The works of journalists Seymour Hersh and Jonathan Alter are simply great, as are the absolutely gripping Robert Caro books on Lyndon Johnson. Most recently, Bob Dylan’s reinvention as an author and even a DJ (Bob Dylan’s Theme Time Radio Hour) are big in my house. Movie-wise, Carnal Knowledge is a timeless inspiration, along with the movies of Preston Sturges, and Wes Anderson, Jean Renoir especially Rules of the Game, Truffaut’s Day for Night, Stolen Kisses and of course, The 400 Blows. Spike Lee’s first three films are still amazing, Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris is a reminder of a great writing and directing voice still in play… and Judd Apatow’s Knocked Up and 40 Year Old Virgin are aces for combining humor and wild surprise, and always a strong beating heart. And don’t forget Mr. Wilder and Mr. Ashby.
