 The Terminator, 1984Before I start with the technical merits of this film, or the fantastic effects, acting, story, direction, production... the film as a whole, in other words... I would like to take this time to 'acknowledge' the work of Harlan Ellison.Harlan Ellison (any and all personality conflicts that people have experienced/heard about aside) is one of the most prolific and respected science fiction writers of the last thirty years. He's up there with the likes of Richard Matheson, Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein and the king (for me) of sci-fi, Philip K. Dick. Ellison got his start writing short stories and, in later years, Outer Limits episodes. The man is an all around genius, and has more short stories published than just about any other writer, ever. Three short stories were attributed to the overall inspiration of Cameron, when he wrote the script to Terminator. Demon with a Glass Hand, Soldier and I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream. Demon and Soldier were both Outer Limits episodes that aired in 1963-64 and were later turned into fiction. Ellison sued over these stories and won, getting credit for his work in the form of "With Acknowledgement to the Works of Harlan Ellison." I guess everyone is prone to stealing. James Cameron started out his career working at New Line Pictures, working with special effects. In 1978 he directed his first film, Xenogenesis... which has since fallen off the wayside. He got another chance, directed Piranha II for Roger Corman. His credits in other films in the early 80's (most having to do with art direction or effects) is pretty neat. Escape from New York, Battle Beyond the Stars, Android and Galaxy of Terror. All behind the scenes work... gaining knowledge... until 1984 when he joined forces with then wife Gale Ann Hurd to write, produce and direct one of the best science fiction films ever. I'll say this for Cameron. He knows how to follow through on a project, and knows not to settle. The work is top notch, especially for 1984. The group working on this film really came together... creating a personal project from the ground up. The effects team, along with the brilliant work of Stan Winston... all of them took the film to a higher level, and re-defined a genre for Hollywood and audiences alike. Arnold Schwarzenegger was originally supposed to play the part of Reese, the soldier from the future sent to protect Sarah Conner. The original idea for the film involved a terminator who was plain, someone who could blend in and not be noticed. Cameron changed the character for Schwarzenegger... and in fact, changing the entire outcome of the career for him and his co-actors. This was the defining vehicle for Schwarzenegger, but it wouldn't be realized until after the premier. I've loved Schwarzenegger movies since the beginning. I grew up on comics and D&D... and my dad would hand me paperbacks to read, from Robert E. Howard to Edgard Rice Burroughs... Conan, John Carter, Tarzan, Fahrad and the Gray Mouser... great, great stuff. Piers Anthony... the 1970s was made for the sci-fi geek. So, I grew up reading all of this stuff, getting fascinated... and saw Schwarzenegger in Conan. I thought he was the best. So when my dad took me to see this film... I joined the nation in idolizing a new hero. A new badass. And I followed his career to the T. I would become a complete fan of his, and would seek out new films like they were drugs. I think he's a very accomplished actor, in his own right... has made bad mistakes, just like all actors do... but has always kept about him a 'role-model' feel. I respect that, most of all... His work in this film, which is mainly atmospheric, is brilliant. He is a machine (or was), for all intents and purposes, and plays the role with a perfect dread. Michael Biehn. A very good actor, in his own right... but was overshadowed (as was the rest of the cast) by Schwarzenneger. His other work has been up to par, in terms of ability... but he never broke out on his own... he never had the die-hard following. He never got the gigs that would make him a sought after star. That's not to say he hasn't been in his share of blockbusters. No. But, he doesn't receive most of the credit. Starting out in mostly television, Biehn would shoot to stardom after Terminator. He would, again, work with Cameron on Aliens in 1986, as one of the badass Marines. This would be another decent role, but again over shadowed by Ripley and the Aliens. And in 1989,The Abyss would be another great role, but this time he would be the bad guy... and it would be the start of his deterioration in Hollywood. Bad guys do not last long... their shelf life is short... and it's hard to bounce back from. Biehn hasn't done a bad job of bouncing back... it's just sad that he had to. He would try his hand at a much larger role, next to Charlie Sheen, in the 1990 film Navy SEALS, but this film would unfortunately tank at the box office. In the sequel to Terminator, he would have his scenes cut (although they were re-inserted in the DVD release)... Between 1991 and 1993 he would star in a series of b-movies... and then get another decent mainstream film, Tombstone... but again, playing the bad-guy. Until 1996, Biehn would sit on the backburner, playing recycled roles in straight to video and cable movies... until 1996, when he would again become a military expert in the blockbuster hit The Rock. I was happy to see Biehn in this role, because I think he's been short changed in the movie business. After The Rock, he would fall away into a semi-obscurity... he would get more b-movie and video roles for the next five years. In 2001-2002 he will be starring in Clockstoppers... directed by Star Trek: TNG actor and director Jonathan Frakes. I'm psyched about this film. It looks like it could be a great sci-fi film, with a neat plot. All in all, Biehn is a great actor. He's got certain roles down pat, and he's got a charisma and seriousness about him that others in similar roles lack. I hope more comes his way in the future. Linda Hamilton. One of the things that the producers of Terminator were worried about was a female protagonist. They were worried about the same thing when making Alien four years earlier... Hamilton came out of her shell for this film, and made the character work, with innocence and then with understanding. It's a neat role... and it garnered her a marriage to James Cameron, for a few years. It also got her a sequel, which made her an icon. Her career outside of the Terminator films has been up and down. Children of the Corn, Black Moon Rising, Mr. Destiny, Dante's Peak... and a bunch of voice-overs for cartoons... some television (specifically Beauty and the Beast)... but she never 'arrived'. That might be too her credit. After a very messy divorce... well, having been married to the king of the world had some merits... including a ton of money. So, I don't know... this isn't a gossip review, or a Cameron bashing review... it's just some silly facts. Her work in this film is honest. That's about all I can say. It's honest. There isn't a moment that I don't not believe her. Paul Winfield and Lance Henriksen round out the cast. They're decent. Their work has always been good, and you should expect nothing more from two veteran actors... their time on screen is humorous, and lends to the whole reality aspect of the film. Stan Winston is a god. He is a brilliant creator for Hollywood, and is associated with most of the biggest effects movies ever made. He's been the driving force of the look, feel and design of some of the most memorable characters around. Terminator, Predator, Edward Scissorhands, Batman, Alien Nation, Jurassic Park, A.I. and a list so long, you wouldn't believe it. His work on the Terminator is nothing less than groundbreaking. It ushered in a revolution into Hollywood; Effects are important creations. Their creators are talented, hardworking people who are only interested in making the best product they can. There is an elite group of people who are brought in on projects to make them work. Winston is up there with Rick Baker, Rob Bottin and Richard Edlund (just to name a few). Fantasy II helped provide a lot of the visual effects sequences... specifically the process shots, the flying H.K's, the screen shots of the terminator walking... etc. Fantasy II was a groundbreaking company in their hay-day... and have since moved on... some of them helping Cameron and Winston create Digital Domain... one of the leading effects companies around, and one of the few who've given ILM a run for their money. I won't go into Mark Goldblatt's editing, again... though I will say that he is a very talented guy. There are some great editing choices in this film... it's interesting to watch how Cameron and Goldblatt chose to use certain quick cuts to show tension or the terror of the terminator. Very cool work. His other work, if you're interested, is located in The Howling review. The photography work of Adam Greenburg really didn't wow many people until 1984. His work prior to Terminator was good, but not as mainstream... not as noticeable. From 1984 on, he has become one of the more respective DPs in the industry... working on many high profile gigs... including Iron Eagle, Wisdom, Three Men and a Baby, Near Dark (with Kathyrine Bigalow... collaberator with James Cameron on Point Break and Strange Days), Alien Nation, Ghost, T2, Sister Act, Dave, Eraser, Rush Hour, and the recently pushed back Collateral Damage. He's also slated to shoot T3: Rise of the Machines, being directed by Jonathan Mostow (U-571). His work is nothing short of genius. He works with directors who trust him, and does an incredibly competent job. Gale Ann Hurd is a producing genius. She's gotten her grip on some of the best blockbuster films that have come out of Hollywood. She was married to James Cameron, for a few years, and later married Brian De Palma... for a few years. She's got one of the most impressive producing resumes around. Here are some of the highlights:
1. The Incredible Hulk (2003) (producer) There are good ones on there... and there are bad ones... but I think the good wayyyyy outweight the bad. Her association to Cameron and De Palma should be noted. Her larger films are all Cameron's, save Armageddon. I think, as a producer, she's one of the more competent ones. I'm psyched to see that she's attached to the Hulk project. I'm sure she'll give Ang Lee all he needs to make a stunning film... though I have my reservations. All in all... The Terminator is a genre defining cult classic that still wows viewers today. There is almost nothing wrong with the film, save that the basis and general ideas were stolen. The production, the characters, the direction, the effects... they were all spectacular. I'm glad this DVD version has finally been released. The picture is spectacular, the audio has been slightly tuned and is in turn more powerful... and there are some fantastic extras in this one. Not as complex as the T2 version, but almost...
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