Did Roger Dean Influence James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’?
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The Internet is abuzz about the new James Cameron film Avatar, which comes out tomorrow, and one of the topics Web surfers are discussing is if the famed director was inspired by Yes and Asia cover artist Roger Dean. Various sites have posted Dean’s artwork, which is strikingly similar to landscapes and creatures from “Pandora,” the fictional land where Avatar takes place. No word yet from Cameron if he got ideas from Dean, but search the Internet for comparisons and you can see the parallels yourself.
· DIRECT LINK TO SITE WITH DEAN ARTWORK:
http://io9.com/5426120/did-prog-rocks-greatest-artist-inspire-avatar-all-signs-point-to-yes/gallery/
There is no way that the similarities between Pandora and the world(s) of Roger Dean are coincidental. Shame on James Cameron for not citing Dean as an influence in the film’s credits! While he was at it, Cameron should’ve used a soundtrack by Steve Howe, Chris Squire and Rick Wakeman!
“Rusty”
just take a look a the site above and decide for yourself.
He admits Giger inspired Alien, why doesn’t he just admit he’s a prog fan & get on with it . Don’t miss his next release 2112 temple of the sphyryx! He saw that one in a dream too!
I noticed the similarities also.I saw it last night and it’s a great flim but I was thinking of several Yes covers during the movie.There are floating islands,red dragons,etc.He could have hired Roger as long as he so obviously “transposed’his style into the film.It’s visionary in scope but give credit where it’s due.The storyline also seems inspired by the ‘Urantia Book’.
I agree with “jtron” but if one has to start giving credits, shouldn’t she/he start with Dali or the traditional Japanese painting?
We’re not talking about vague similarities here, google it and you can find some of the exact scenes that are directly from Roger Dean. The movie would be nothing without Dean’s striking landscapes.
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No question James Cameron was influenced by Roger Dean and maybe even the band Yes itself. I found myself humming “The Gates of Delirium” during the battle scenes. Cameron was probably a Yes fan growing up outside of Toronto - a huge Yes fandom in the 1970s.
Are you by any chance the same Jimbo Jones who worked on Tommy Shaw’s ‘Girls With Guns’ album?
I enjoyed Avatar over the weekend. I am 47, and have been purchasing Yes albums since 1977. I kept saying to my wife, “Roger Dean MUST have created all of the art work for this film, even the curved/bowed trees, this looks like the ‘Union’ album. It is very obvious to me, yes, I think that James Cameron should fess up, and give royalties perhaps, it is only fair.
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James Cameron ripped Roger Dean off. It’s clear .. it’s transparent….. he should have credited him for creating Pandora floating islands where exactly the same as inmany Roger Dean’s cover album
Avatar had to be the most creative movie ever.
I like the Avatar 3D film, particularly the story line, not only it brings a totally new feelings however eye opening ideas of humanity. I heard the New Avatar 2 is comming soon, cannot wait to see it again…!
it is a poor judge of character on the part of mr. cameron not to give credit where credit is due. i recently read an article from CNN on ‘the science of avatar’ it avoids any mention of the works of roger dean while trying to sound noble and organic in its sorces of inspiration.
i personally will not support the work of james cameron again untill he honestly confronts this issue.
oops, i meant “poor show of character”
will i ever learn to proof read?
At first I was a little thrown back by the fact that James Cameron would make a movie that is in all certain terms, a cartoon. Knowing what an avatar in this computer age meant, I was not sure what the movie was about after seeing short advertisements with military guys, alien race, and an alien world. But after seeing the movie I was impressed, not really a great movie but it was pretty visually impressive. Ironically, the story line is very similar to many other movies. But when the movie got to the scenes of the “floating mountains” OMG!, I started saying to my husband, “that’s outer planets” which is one of the terms us Yes fans call those floating pieces of land on their album covers. Being once a huge (almost a religion) Yes fan, I then noticed the extreme similarities between Roger Dean and this movie. But hold on! Cameron not only must be a Yes fan at one point of the movie he has incorporated not only Yes scenes but Jon Anderson’s first album. Olias of Sunhillow. Some of the references cannot be mistaken. The tree of light where the alien race goes to worship their creator is directly from that album. Many times I wanted to start singing Olias of Sunhillow. Why doesn’t he admit and give credit where credit is due.
Let’s get real: who or what DIDN’T influence “Avatar”?
(Let’s get real: who or what DIDN’T influence “Avatar”?)
very true. just wish he’d stop trying to play it like its soooooo original and all his ideas. we can all see where he got all the peices from. we just want him to admit it.
total rip-off of the Adam & Eve story from the Urantia Book paper 74
AVATAR-and Pandora by James Cameron was ripped off from the Urantia story
of Adam & Eve
we report-you decide—–
74:0.1
“At high noon and unannounced, the two seraphic transports,
accompanied by the Jerusem personnel intrusted with the
transportation of the biologic uplifters to Urantia, settled
slowly to the surface of the revolving planet in the vicinity
of the temple of the Universal Father. All the work of
rematerializing the bodies of Adam and Eve was carried on
within the precincts of this newly created shrine.”
>>>>>>>>>>>
74:1.1
The Planetary Adam and Eve of Urantia were members of
the senior corps of Material Sons on Jerusem, being jointly
number 14,311. They belonged to the third physical series
and were a little more than eight feet in height.
>>>>>>>>>>
74:1.6
And thus did Adam and Eve leave Jerusem amidst the acclaim
and well-wishing of its citizens. They went forth to their new
responsibilities adequately equipped and fully instructed
concerning every duty and danger to be encountered on Urantia.
>>>>>>>>>
74:3.4
The third day was devoted to an inspection of the Garden. From
the large passenger birds—the fandors—Adam and Eve looked
down upon the vast stretches of the Garden while being carried
through the air over this, the most beautiful spot on earth.
>>>>>>>>>>
75:3.1
Adam had just finished his first one hundred years on earth when
Serapatatia, upon the death of his father, came to the leadership
of the western or Syrian confederation of the Nodite tribes.
Serapatatia was a brown-tinted man, a brilliant descendant of the
onetime chief of the Dalamatia commission on health mated with
one of the master female minds of the blue race of those distant
days. All down through the ages this line had held authority and
wielded a great influence among the western Nodite tribes.
>>>>>>>>>
75:3.5
One day, during a talk with Eve, it occurred to Serapatatia that it would be
very helpful if, while awaiting the recruiting of large numbers of the violet race,
something could be done in the meantime immediately to advance the needy
waiting tribes. Serapatatia contended that, if the Nodites, as the most
progressive and co-operative race, could have a leader born to them of part
origin in the violet stock, it would constitute a powerful tie binding these
peoples more closely to the Garden. And all of this was soberly and honestly
considered to be for the good of the world since this child, to be reared and
educated in the Garden, would exert a great influence for good over his father’s people.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
73:6.1
In the center of the Garden temple Van planted the long-guarded tree of life, whose leaves were for the ” healing of the nations, ” and whose fruit had so long sustained him on earth. Van well knew that Adam and Eve would also be dependent on this gift of Edentia for their life maintenance after they once appeared on Urantia in material form.
73:6.4
This superplant stored up certain space-energies which were antidotal to the age-producing elements
of animal existence. The fruit of the tree of life was like a superchemical storage battery, mysteriously
releasing the life-extension force of the universe when eaten. This form of sustenance was wholly useless
to the ordinary evolutionary beings on Urantia, but specifically it was serviceable to the one hundred materialized members of Caligastia’s staff and to the one hundred modifiedAndonites who had
contributed of their life plasm to the Prince’s staff, and who, in return, were made possessors of that complement of life which made it possible for them to utilize the fruit of the tree of life for an indefinite extension of their otherwise mortal existence.
http://urantiabook.org/newbook/papers/p074.htm
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