9 Classic Movie Scenes That Were Awful To Film

That man Cameron again. Before he went full green screen with Avatar, he broke all records with the mega hit Titanic. Best remembered for the central love story, Titanic is one of the grandest disaster movies ever made, but the demands of the production were almost equally disastrous on the health of the cast.

Titanic is about the sinking of an enormous boat, so naturally a lot of the film takes place in water. The large assembly of extras, along with stars Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, spent hours submerged in the drink during the prolonged sinking scene.

This led to many extras coming down with illnesses and an all round feeling of tension on the set. It wasn’t as though they could just speak out or raise their objections. Cameron’s reputation as a taskmaster was solidified with Titanic, as he prowled the set barking instructions and making any displeasure well known. It got so bad that a disgruntled chef spiked the food with PCP, an unhelpful but likely satisfying act of revenge.

The success of the film was staggering, but many - including Winslet - have pledged never to work with Cameron again. He is the ultimate maverick director: his techniques are unconventional, but you can’t deny the results.