This week we get the third Avatar Film, Fire and Ash, released in theaters. In honor of the release, Binge Watch this week looks at other big films from James Cameron before the Avatar universe. Films appear in chronological order.

The Terminator (1984)
About: As AI gets more popular, I think about the cautionary tale that is The Terminator. This wasn’t Cameron’s first feature, but it certainly helped put him on the map. This is a good film that jumpstarted a franchise.

Aliens (1986)
About: Here, Cameron takes over a franchise from Ridley Scott. I like Alien a lot, but this second film has a chaotic action energy that I find interesting. He does a nice job with this one.

The Abyss (1989)
About: This was quite a run in the 1980s. This is probably the least talked about of the three films on this list so far, but I like the story and the effects here. That likely played into a lot of the effects work he did on T2.

True Lies (1994)
About: Another Cameron classic, this one a spy story featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger. It’s a well-done film that certainly has inspired fans for decades.

Titanic (1997)
About: At one point, this was the highest grossing film of all time. It’s a well told story that’s endured with audiences for nearly 30 years. It’s got some good performances and an epic scale.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.