What It Was Like – Episode Summary

Episode Title

Filming 'Titanic' and Someone Drugged Our Soup (Classic)
April 4, 2026
Host: Julian Mokins (Superreal)
Guest: Jamie Barber, First Assistant Camera Operator on 'Titanic'

Brief Overview

In this classic episode, host Julian Mokins interviews Jamie Barber about his experiences on the set of James Cameron’s 'Titanic,' focusing on the notorious night when over 40 crew members were drugged with PCP ("angel dust") after eating seafood chowder. The conversation combines the chaos and danger of a big-budget Hollywood set with an insider’s perspective on the movie’s infamous challenges. Barber details not only the unusual drugging incident but also what it was like working under the demanding direction of James Cameron, giving listeners a visceral sense of what it took to make one of history’s most famous films.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Background to the Titanic Shoot

• The film was expected by Hollywood execs to flop due to its unprecedented cost, lack of built-in audience, and somber tone.
• James Cameron's reputation as a tough director preceded the shoot. Tensions existed between Cameron and key crew like cinematographer Caleb Deschanel.
• Jamie credits Cameron’s grasp of storytelling, regardless of genre, for the script’s potential:

  “It doesn't matter if it's a period piece or a sci-fi or whatever, the human story is still the human story. And Jim is a really good storyteller.” (Jamie Barber, 07:00)

2. Jamie Barber’s Path & Working Under Cameron

• Jamie grew up around film; his father was a Panavision executive.
• He details how on set, Cameron was the single authority:

  “When you start shooting, it's Jim's movie and Jim's movie only. He’s the man. All decisions have to go through him.” (Jamie Barber, 07:24)

• Notable tensions arose between Cameron and Deschanel due to strong personalities.

3. The PCP/chowder Incident: What Happened

[TIMESTAMP: 08:01–21:39]

• Midnight Seafood Fest: Final shooting night in Nova Scotia; crew enjoyed seafood, including clam chowder.
• Symptoms began with numbness and tunnel vision. Crew believed it was shellfish poisoning; some, including Cameron, tried to induce vomiting.

  “The first thing that happens is my arm started going numb. And then the world begins to tunnel in a little bit and gets a little slow.” (Jamie Barber, 09:12)

• Increasing numbers of crew felt ill; the problem rapidly spread.
• Emergency services divided crew between 'sick' and 'fine,' but almost all soon reported symptoms.
• Crew transported to hospital; ER overwhelmed by ~40 arrivals.
• Medical staff first diagnosed paralytic shellfish poisoning – a potentially fatal misdiagnosis.

  “We’re told that some of us are going to die.” (Jamie Barber, 11:03)

• Jamie called his wife and children to say goodbye, believing he might not survive (12:05).

Notable Moment:

• Mass paranoia and need for group comfort set in (13:18).
• A comedy of errors: upon learning it was PCP (angel dust), not poison, mood shifted; someone started a conga line:

  “For some reason, someone had a guitar... [he] takes the oxygen mask off, sits up on the gurney and goes, you know, we need a conga line. And we did a conga line around the emergency room for maybe like 10 minutes.” (Jamie Barber, 15:03)

• Crew given liquid charcoal—a logistical disaster as dozens suffered simultaneous diarrhea.

  “There wasn’t one piece of white porcelain. It was all grey... it was horrible.” (Jamie Barber, 15:58)

4. James Cameron During the Incident

• Cameron was incapacitated like everyone else:

  “He was in the same boat we all were. He was just trying to live and be and make it, make it through as long as he could.” (Jamie Barber, 17:00)

• Did not participate in the conga line, but laughed with the others.

5. Aftermath: The Fallout and Investigation

• Production barely paused; expectations were to resume shooting almost immediately, despite trauma:

  “We just been in a hospital. We've been drugged. This is crazy.” (Jamie Barber, 19:12)

• By Mexico, key crew had moved on due to the experience.
• Studio later discovered chowder had been spiked with PCP.
• Barber jokes:

  “The seafood chowder was fantastic. So Angel Dust must be a really good cooking condiment besides being, you know, an animal tranquilizer, because that was the best seafood chowder I've ever had.” (Jamie Barber, 19:18)

6. Blame and Justice

[27:53–30:55]

• Suspected perpetrator: a craft services worker fired for smoking weed on set by Cameron. He returned for his paycheck and was seen with catering staff before the incident.

  “He ran into one of the crew members outside the hotel in Halifax and asked him how their trip was the night before. I’d say that’s rather damning.” (Jamie Barber & Julian Mokins, 28:59)

• No one was formally arrested, despite strong suspicions.
• Jamie reflects on the trauma:

  “Having had to make that phone call was heartbreaking. I never, ever, wanted to have to say goodbye to my children.” (Jamie Barber, 29:18)

7. Cameron's Leadership & The Crew's Resilience

• Cameron’s total immersion and technical prowess acknowledged, but he often asserted he could do everyone’s job.

  “He was happy to tell just about everybody that he could do their job. I was lucky enough...and I go, I’m happy to let you try.” (Jamie Barber, 20:57)

• The harshness, relentless shooting schedule in Mexico, and lack of US labor protections made things more punishing.

8. The Trauma & The Mythology of the Film

• The shoot was very hard—emotionally and physically—but ultimately, everyone knew the film would be massive.

  “One of the reasons you were willing to put up with some of the environment...was because you knew that you were making a movie that was going to be a hit.” (Jamie Barber, 23:03)

• Jamie: “I only felt it was worth it because I was alive.” (Jamie Barber, 23:21)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “We did a conga line around the emergency room for maybe like 10 minutes. And then that’s when everyone sort of realized...we're not going to die. This may be okay.” (Jamie Barber, 15:03)
• “...If we had known that we were just high, then you embrace the high and you go with it. But the fact that you don't know that you're high and...they've told you that there's a good possibility you will die, that's...the problem with it.” (Jamie Barber, 30:21)
• “It became things. But we, you know, you have to...through a career of 40 years...Titanic was definitely up there. The list of things that you definitely, you know, it was worth going through it, but it was a pain in the ass.” (Jamie Barber, 32:09)
• “It's not the most fun, but as a cooking condiment, it may be really good.” (Jamie Barber, 32:57)

Key Timestamps

• 08:01 – The Nova Scotia seafood dinner and onset of illness
• 11:03 – Initial diagnosis and panic
• 12:05 – Emotional phone call to his family
• 15:03 – Conga line in the ER; revelation it’s PCP
• 19:12 – Immediate expectation to resume work
• 27:53 – The suspected saboteur; justice not served
• 29:18 – Emotional fallout and trauma
• 32:57 – Jamie's culinary endorsement of PCP (joking)

Episode Flow and Atmosphere

• Tense, surreal, darkly comic: The show blends shocking trauma (drugging, fearing for one's life) with absurdity and humor (camaraderie, conga line, "best seafood chowder ever").
• Behind-the-scenes insight: Plenty of industry anecdotes, including the practicalities and politics of big Hollywood shoots, and the psychological toll of high-pressure environments.
• Reflective and honest: Jamie balances storytelling with raw reflection on fear, survival, and what makes filmmaking both harrowing and unforgettable.

Conclusion

This episode reveals the madness behind the making of a cinematic juggernaut, with a first-hand account of how the cast and crew coped when their meal—and then their minds—were hijacked. From group hallucinations and existential phone calls to enduring a demanding director, Jamie Barber’s retelling is harrowing, hilarious, and utterly unique—a must-listen for cinephiles and anyone curious about the true chaos behind Hollywood movie magic.