A black-and-white photo of a person mid-air in a Superman-style body suspension pose, supported by multiple hooks in their back and legs, smiling joyfully toward the camera. They are suspended horizontally in a large indoor space with high ceilings and visible rigging. A group of onlookers—some seated, some standing—watch with expressions of admiration, amusement, and support. The atmosphere is lively and communal, capturing a moment of shared experience and transformation.

Avatar (The movie)

I recently wrote about how the Saddle Ranch Chop House abuses their “Anti Gang Tattoo” Policy to keep out heavily tattooed “gang members” like myself and my tattooer friends but the real reason that we were at City Walk was to see the newly released movie Avatar.

Now anyone who knows me knows that I’m not a huge movie buff. Most of the time the biggest response you’ll get from me is “it was okay.” which generally means just that. When asked about Avatar, I said I liked it which means a lot coming from me. One of the things I liked was the integration of mods into the characters. It was so seemless and natural that is it wasn’t for the fact that some characters had stretched lobes and some didn’t, I would have assumed it was just the way they were “born”.

The movie’s male lead is a “jar head” and has stereotypical tribal tattoos.  I couldn’t find anything better so I’m using the images from the movie’s website. He’s got a tribal half sleeve on one arm which you can see a smidge of and a tribal armband on the other arm.

screen-shot-2009-12-20-at-125942-am

I’d be interested to know if these are Sam Worthington’s real tattoos or if they were fakes used for the movie. Google was about as helpful as ever in directing me to celebrity tattoo sites that had the typical Angelina Jolie tattoos and not much else.  This stuff isn’t as interesting, click through to see some more shots from the movie.

screen-shot-2009-12-20-at-125922-am

Nothing like scantily clad tiger/cat people to make your night more enjoyable. The female lead in the movie, Neytiri, has what look like 1/2″ stretched lobes, as did several of the other planets indigenous population. Coupled in with natural “stripes”, which remind me of Katzen, they flowed extremely well. I know it’s only a movie and these are just characters but that’s one beautiful looking cat lady.

screen-shot-2009-12-20-at-125907-am

The last “modification” though not a consensual one, is a mod that we’ve featured here on Modblog many times. We’ve seen all sorts of facial scarification like this one done on bouncers, bounty hunters and other people who want to look like they’ve either been stabbed or attacked by bears. Either way, I think the makeup department did a great job on this one because it looked really realistic on screen.

All of that being said, I definitely would recommend the movie. We saw it in 3D but I think it would be exceptional without the added special effects.

If I had more time, I’d make an IMDB style database of all the mods in movies, just for fun.

**Images are courtesy and property of Fox. Visit their website for more information on the movie.

Comments

200 responses to “Avatar (The movie)”

  1. bastiah Avatar

    Well, Sam Worthington didn’t sport any tattoos in “Terminator Salvation” (here’s
    one of him in that one
    ), so I guess the ones he displays in “Avatar” are not ‘his’ but makeup.

  2. bastiah Avatar

    Well, Sam Worthington didn’t sport any tattoos in “Terminator Salvation” (here’s
    one of him in that one
    ), so I guess the ones he displays in “Avatar” are not ‘his’ but makeup.

  3. bastiah Avatar

    Well, Sam Worthington didn’t sport any tattoos in “Terminator Salvation” (here’s
    one of him in that one
    ), so I guess the ones he displays in “Avatar” are not ‘his’ but makeup.

  4. bastiah Avatar

    Well, Sam Worthington didn’t sport any tattoos in “Terminator Salvation” (here’s
    one of him in that one
    ), so I guess the ones he displays in “Avatar” are not ‘his’ but makeup.

  5. bastiah Avatar

    Well, Sam Worthington didn’t sport any tattoos in “Terminator Salvation” (here’s
    one of him in that one
    ), so I guess the ones he displays in “Avatar” are not ‘his’ but makeup.

  6. *chel* Avatar

    Sam Worthington had no obvious tattoos when he was interviewed on ROVE a couple of weeks back.
    It’s a pretty good interview too.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ1Z9-Hdmrs

  7. *chel* Avatar

    Sam Worthington had no obvious tattoos when he was interviewed on ROVE a couple of weeks back.
    It’s a pretty good interview too.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ1Z9-Hdmrs

  8. *chel* Avatar

    Sam Worthington had no obvious tattoos when he was interviewed on ROVE a couple of weeks back.
    It’s a pretty good interview too.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ1Z9-Hdmrs

  9. *chel* Avatar

    Sam Worthington had no obvious tattoos when he was interviewed on ROVE a couple of weeks back.
    It’s a pretty good interview too.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ1Z9-Hdmrs

  10. *chel* Avatar

    Sam Worthington had no obvious tattoos when he was interviewed on ROVE a couple of weeks back.
    It’s a pretty good interview too.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ1Z9-Hdmrs

  11. T. Angel Avatar

    I was curious about that too. I also watched it in3D and it was really GREAT!
    Avatar brings a interesting discussion about body conciousness… and I was paralyzed watching it! <3

    “I see you” … <3

  12. T. Angel Avatar

    I was curious about that too. I also watched it in3D and it was really GREAT!
    Avatar brings a interesting discussion about body conciousness… and I was paralyzed watching it! <3

    “I see you” … <3

  13. T. Angel Avatar

    I was curious about that too. I also watched it in3D and it was really GREAT!
    Avatar brings a interesting discussion about body conciousness… and I was paralyzed watching it! <3

    “I see you” … <3

  14. T. Angel Avatar

    I was curious about that too. I also watched it in3D and it was really GREAT!
    Avatar brings a interesting discussion about body conciousness… and I was paralyzed watching it! <3

    “I see you” … <3

  15. T. Angel Avatar

    I was curious about that too. I also watched it in3D and it was really GREAT!
    Avatar brings a interesting discussion about body conciousness… and I was paralyzed watching it! <3

    “I see you” … <3

  16. Cris Black Avatar
    Cris Black

    not to mention the nasal thru septum spike worn by the leader of the ‘plains’ people in the film.. .

    it all was really well done, staying true to what we’ve come to accept as being tribal mods…

    the bio-luminescent spots on the characters, thought not mods but apparently something their born with, are really nice as well…. i’d like to see someone take that idea and convert it into a UV tattoo or something.. .

  17. Cris Black Avatar
    Cris Black

    not to mention the nasal thru septum spike worn by the leader of the ‘plains’ people in the film.. .

    it all was really well done, staying true to what we’ve come to accept as being tribal mods…

    the bio-luminescent spots on the characters, thought not mods but apparently something their born with, are really nice as well…. i’d like to see someone take that idea and convert it into a UV tattoo or something.. .

  18. Cris Black Avatar
    Cris Black

    not to mention the nasal thru septum spike worn by the leader of the ‘plains’ people in the film.. .

    it all was really well done, staying true to what we’ve come to accept as being tribal mods…

    the bio-luminescent spots on the characters, thought not mods but apparently something their born with, are really nice as well…. i’d like to see someone take that idea and convert it into a UV tattoo or something.. .

  19. Cris Black Avatar
    Cris Black

    not to mention the nasal thru septum spike worn by the leader of the ‘plains’ people in the film.. .

    it all was really well done, staying true to what we’ve come to accept as being tribal mods…

    the bio-luminescent spots on the characters, thought not mods but apparently something their born with, are really nice as well…. i’d like to see someone take that idea and convert it into a UV tattoo or something.. .

  20. Cris Black Avatar
    Cris Black

    not to mention the nasal thru septum spike worn by the leader of the ‘plains’ people in the film.. .

    it all was really well done, staying true to what we’ve come to accept as being tribal mods…

    the bio-luminescent spots on the characters, thought not mods but apparently something their born with, are really nice as well…. i’d like to see someone take that idea and convert it into a UV tattoo or something.. .

  21. VOMIT Avatar

    Oh man I love that they put stretched ears on the avatar people

  22. VOMIT Avatar

    Oh man I love that they put stretched ears on the avatar people

  23. VOMIT Avatar

    Oh man I love that they put stretched ears on the avatar people

  24. VOMIT Avatar

    Oh man I love that they put stretched ears on the avatar people

  25. VOMIT Avatar

    Oh man I love that they put stretched ears on the avatar people

  26. Cris Black Avatar
    Cris Black

    5. well, they werent on the Avatars, the mods were on the on the ‘real’ alien people… if you haven’t seen the movie, you may not understand what i’ve just said…

  27. Cris Black Avatar
    Cris Black

    5. well, they werent on the Avatars, the mods were on the on the ‘real’ alien people… if you haven’t seen the movie, you may not understand what i’ve just said…

  28. Cris Black Avatar
    Cris Black

    5. well, they werent on the Avatars, the mods were on the on the ‘real’ alien people… if you haven’t seen the movie, you may not understand what i’ve just said…

  29. Cris Black Avatar
    Cris Black

    5. well, they werent on the Avatars, the mods were on the on the ‘real’ alien people… if you haven’t seen the movie, you may not understand what i’ve just said…

  30. Cris Black Avatar
    Cris Black

    5. well, they werent on the Avatars, the mods were on the on the ‘real’ alien people… if you haven’t seen the movie, you may not understand what i’ve just said…

  31. Joshmeshuggah Avatar

    I loved that movie so much.

  32. Joshmeshuggah Avatar

    I loved that movie so much.

  33. Joshmeshuggah Avatar

    I loved that movie so much.

  34. Joshmeshuggah Avatar

    I loved that movie so much.

  35. Joshmeshuggah Avatar

    I loved that movie so much.

  36. nature223 Avatar

    I’m maybe going to see it IMAX..but not in the first few weeks,that’s just insanity

  37. nature223 Avatar

    I’m maybe going to see it IMAX..but not in the first few weeks,that’s just insanity

  38. nature223 Avatar

    I’m maybe going to see it IMAX..but not in the first few weeks,that’s just insanity

  39. nature223 Avatar

    I’m maybe going to see it IMAX..but not in the first few weeks,that’s just insanity

  40. nature223 Avatar

    I’m maybe going to see it IMAX..but not in the first few weeks,that’s just insanity

  41. areku Avatar
    areku

    I must admit. One of the first details (Aside from the glaringly obvious cat-person ones) I had noticed on the female lead was her stretched lobes. Probably happened the same with anyone else from here.

    But I’ll also say that I enjoyed the different cultures which they mixed together to make the Na’vi’s. Which is likely where they got the ideas for the stretched lobes and the nose spike.

  42. areku Avatar
    areku

    I must admit. One of the first details (Aside from the glaringly obvious cat-person ones) I had noticed on the female lead was her stretched lobes. Probably happened the same with anyone else from here.

    But I’ll also say that I enjoyed the different cultures which they mixed together to make the Na’vi’s. Which is likely where they got the ideas for the stretched lobes and the nose spike.

  43. areku Avatar
    areku

    I must admit. One of the first details (Aside from the glaringly obvious cat-person ones) I had noticed on the female lead was her stretched lobes. Probably happened the same with anyone else from here.

    But I’ll also say that I enjoyed the different cultures which they mixed together to make the Na’vi’s. Which is likely where they got the ideas for the stretched lobes and the nose spike.

  44. areku Avatar
    areku

    I must admit. One of the first details (Aside from the glaringly obvious cat-person ones) I had noticed on the female lead was her stretched lobes. Probably happened the same with anyone else from here.

    But I’ll also say that I enjoyed the different cultures which they mixed together to make the Na’vi’s. Which is likely where they got the ideas for the stretched lobes and the nose spike.

  45. areku Avatar
    areku

    I must admit. One of the first details (Aside from the glaringly obvious cat-person ones) I had noticed on the female lead was her stretched lobes. Probably happened the same with anyone else from here.

    But I’ll also say that I enjoyed the different cultures which they mixed together to make the Na’vi’s. Which is likely where they got the ideas for the stretched lobes and the nose spike.

  46. Matt Avatar
    Matt

    OMG…I love this movie…i was speechless throughout the whole thing because of the sheer clarity of the CGI work..i am also sorely tempted to do a whole body suit of the blue stripes…

  47. Matt Avatar
    Matt

    OMG…I love this movie…i was speechless throughout the whole thing because of the sheer clarity of the CGI work..i am also sorely tempted to do a whole body suit of the blue stripes…

  48. Matt Avatar
    Matt

    OMG…I love this movie…i was speechless throughout the whole thing because of the sheer clarity of the CGI work..i am also sorely tempted to do a whole body suit of the blue stripes…

  49. Matt Avatar
    Matt

    OMG…I love this movie…i was speechless throughout the whole thing because of the sheer clarity of the CGI work..i am also sorely tempted to do a whole body suit of the blue stripes…

  50. Matt Avatar
    Matt

    OMG…I love this movie…i was speechless throughout the whole thing because of the sheer clarity of the CGI work..i am also sorely tempted to do a whole body suit of the blue stripes…

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