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Sarah (7800 KP) rated The Terminator (1984) in Movies
Jan 27, 2021
A classic
Film #12 on the 100 Movies Bucket List: The Terminator
The Terminator is a sci-fi classic and is responsible not only for helping propel Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Cameron to the household names they are now, but also for creating a movie franchise that is still going nearly 40 years later. Although admittedly the majority of the sequels are better off never spoken about again.
Released in 1984 and bringing director James Cameron into recognition, The Terminator follows a cyborg assassin (Arnold Schwarzenegger) who is sent back in time to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), to prevent her son John Connor from saving humanity in the future. Also sent back in time to try and save Sarah is human soldier Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn).
This is a story that must be familiar to most, having spawned a further 5 sequels (and counting) in the past 30+ years. And as sci-fi stories go, this is a damn good one – time travel, murder, even romance – it has it all. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this, and watching it back now I never realised how 80s it was. Aside from the memorable title music from Brad Fiedel, the rest of the score and soundtrack screams 80s and with the clothing and hairstyles, it’d be difficult to miss when this was released. There are a lot of horror aspects and tones to this original too that makes it a lot darker and sometimes scary, which is not something we see in any of the sequels. The gore, especially the wonderfully icky scene when the T-800 patches himself up in the bathroom mirror, is great and another aspect sadly lacking from the sequels. Admittedly some of the effects and props in this do look a little dated (the T-800 point of view and the animatronic Arnie are noticeably dodgy), but considering this was made in 1984 it’s actually incredibly impressive. The final scenes with the metal skeleton of the T-800 are especially noteworthy.
This is the film that made Linda Hamilton into the kick ass heroine we know and love, Arnie into the cyborg we love and hate (depending on which film you’re watching), and made the name John Connor into something that is completely unforgettable. With limited lines and a requirement to look menacing and imposing, this film is perfect for Arnold Schwarzenegger. He isn’t required to do much and personally I think his role as the T-800 in any of the Terminator films are undoubtedly his best performances to date. And with supporting performances from the likes of future Aliens alum Lance Henriksen, Michael Biehn and a blink and you’ll miss him Bill Paxton, the cast is faultless. And let’s be honest, who didn’t have a crush on Michael Biehn after watching this?
What I like the most about The Terminator is its simplicity. It might be a sci-fi, but it’s relatively low budget with a small cast of main characters and a large amount of practical effects and action scenes. It has a fairly B movie look about it, and coming from the James Cameron we know now, something this simple is actually very refreshing. While I like a lot of Cameron’s work (who doesn’t love Aliens?), his more recent efforts are a little too over the top and overwhelming. This is nothing of the sort.
The Terminator is absolutely a classic and deserving of its place on this list. I will admit that I still think the first sequel T2 is superior, especially as it doesn’t have the outdated and overwhelmingly 80s feel that makes this original slightly flawed.
The Terminator is a sci-fi classic and is responsible not only for helping propel Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Cameron to the household names they are now, but also for creating a movie franchise that is still going nearly 40 years later. Although admittedly the majority of the sequels are better off never spoken about again.
Released in 1984 and bringing director James Cameron into recognition, The Terminator follows a cyborg assassin (Arnold Schwarzenegger) who is sent back in time to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), to prevent her son John Connor from saving humanity in the future. Also sent back in time to try and save Sarah is human soldier Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn).
This is a story that must be familiar to most, having spawned a further 5 sequels (and counting) in the past 30+ years. And as sci-fi stories go, this is a damn good one – time travel, murder, even romance – it has it all. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this, and watching it back now I never realised how 80s it was. Aside from the memorable title music from Brad Fiedel, the rest of the score and soundtrack screams 80s and with the clothing and hairstyles, it’d be difficult to miss when this was released. There are a lot of horror aspects and tones to this original too that makes it a lot darker and sometimes scary, which is not something we see in any of the sequels. The gore, especially the wonderfully icky scene when the T-800 patches himself up in the bathroom mirror, is great and another aspect sadly lacking from the sequels. Admittedly some of the effects and props in this do look a little dated (the T-800 point of view and the animatronic Arnie are noticeably dodgy), but considering this was made in 1984 it’s actually incredibly impressive. The final scenes with the metal skeleton of the T-800 are especially noteworthy.
This is the film that made Linda Hamilton into the kick ass heroine we know and love, Arnie into the cyborg we love and hate (depending on which film you’re watching), and made the name John Connor into something that is completely unforgettable. With limited lines and a requirement to look menacing and imposing, this film is perfect for Arnold Schwarzenegger. He isn’t required to do much and personally I think his role as the T-800 in any of the Terminator films are undoubtedly his best performances to date. And with supporting performances from the likes of future Aliens alum Lance Henriksen, Michael Biehn and a blink and you’ll miss him Bill Paxton, the cast is faultless. And let’s be honest, who didn’t have a crush on Michael Biehn after watching this?
What I like the most about The Terminator is its simplicity. It might be a sci-fi, but it’s relatively low budget with a small cast of main characters and a large amount of practical effects and action scenes. It has a fairly B movie look about it, and coming from the James Cameron we know now, something this simple is actually very refreshing. While I like a lot of Cameron’s work (who doesn’t love Aliens?), his more recent efforts are a little too over the top and overwhelming. This is nothing of the sort.
The Terminator is absolutely a classic and deserving of its place on this list. I will admit that I still think the first sequel T2 is superior, especially as it doesn’t have the outdated and overwhelmingly 80s feel that makes this original slightly flawed.
Andy K (10823 KP) rated Die Hard (1988) in Movies
May 23, 2018
Could there be a better action movie? Don't think so...
When you first heard about Bruce Willis being in an action movie, your first thought had to be "Oh, no! Not the star of Moonlighting" and "Blind Date"! Kind of similar to Michael Keaton in Batman or Heath Ledger as The Joker.
The movie is one of a very few that helped define the modern action genre and propelled Bruce Willis to the complete dickhead he is today ?. He is very believable as John McClane, the everyman who happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The cat and mouse he eventually plays with the common thieves led by the menacing, perfect Alan Rickman has hardly been equaled.
The sequels eventually got a little (or a lot) stale, but the first film is an action classic and one of my faves!
The movie is one of a very few that helped define the modern action genre and propelled Bruce Willis to the complete dickhead he is today ?. He is very believable as John McClane, the everyman who happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The cat and mouse he eventually plays with the common thieves led by the menacing, perfect Alan Rickman has hardly been equaled.
The sequels eventually got a little (or a lot) stale, but the first film is an action classic and one of my faves!
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Jurassic Park III (2001) in Movies
May 24, 2019
This is where the sequels really start coming off the rails
The third Jurassic Park movie is pretty poor. For multiple reasons.
The main reason has to be the script - it has to be - because the acting talent is not bad by any means.
Sam Neill, William H. Macy, Tea Leoni - all great actors in my opinion.
But it's hard to connect with any of them throughout the run time (I swear I hear her shouting "ERIC" in my sleep sometimes)
A lot (not all) of the practical dinosaurs have been replaced with shoddy CGI, and to top it all off, the movie just ends. Very suddenly! And I can't figure out why... It's a good deal shorter in run time than the first two. Maybe Joe Johnston just got bored.
On a final note, is a velociraptor talking a low point for the franchise? Or hilariously great? You decide (ALAN)
The main reason has to be the script - it has to be - because the acting talent is not bad by any means.
Sam Neill, William H. Macy, Tea Leoni - all great actors in my opinion.
But it's hard to connect with any of them throughout the run time (I swear I hear her shouting "ERIC" in my sleep sometimes)
A lot (not all) of the practical dinosaurs have been replaced with shoddy CGI, and to top it all off, the movie just ends. Very suddenly! And I can't figure out why... It's a good deal shorter in run time than the first two. Maybe Joe Johnston just got bored.
On a final note, is a velociraptor talking a low point for the franchise? Or hilariously great? You decide (ALAN)
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Halloween (1978) in Movies
Jun 10, 2019
The oldest film on my list, John Carpenter’s 1978 masterpiece was the film that began my enjoyment of the slasher genre.
And by enjoyment, I of course mean sitting with my hands in front of my eyes for the majority of the run-time. This seventies film set the standard for the genre with its incredible mix of horror, teenage angst and obviously that iconic tune.
Jamie Lee Curtis became the scream queen of the period and Michael Myers was the antagonist that made you check your wardrobes before going to bed – or was that just me?
It still gives me chills to this day. Sure, it’s been impersonated, remade and has about 100 sequels to its name, but that doesn’t tarnish the memory of one of the greatest horror films ever made.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2017/07/08/films-that-influenced-me-adam-brannon-2/
And by enjoyment, I of course mean sitting with my hands in front of my eyes for the majority of the run-time. This seventies film set the standard for the genre with its incredible mix of horror, teenage angst and obviously that iconic tune.
Jamie Lee Curtis became the scream queen of the period and Michael Myers was the antagonist that made you check your wardrobes before going to bed – or was that just me?
It still gives me chills to this day. Sure, it’s been impersonated, remade and has about 100 sequels to its name, but that doesn’t tarnish the memory of one of the greatest horror films ever made.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2017/07/08/films-that-influenced-me-adam-brannon-2/
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Big Game (2015) in Movies
Jun 10, 2019
It’s been a long time since a simple action movie was just good fun, rather than being exasperatingly long, complex and full of mind-boggling CGI.
Big Game is the complete opposite of those things and much fresher because of it. With Samuel L Jackson’s trademark wit and brilliant comic timing, he plays President Bill Moore with fantastic energy, very much like he did in Matthew Vaughan’s Kingsman: The Secret Service earlier this year.
With a plot that doesn’t require any knowledge of prequels or sequels, this is pure popcorn entertainment and a brilliant way to spend an evening. Yes it’s not perfect by any stretch of the imagination with a poor first third, but when the finale is this much fun, you’ll have too much of a good time to remember what came before it.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2015/05/10/incredibly-well-made-big-game-review/
Big Game is the complete opposite of those things and much fresher because of it. With Samuel L Jackson’s trademark wit and brilliant comic timing, he plays President Bill Moore with fantastic energy, very much like he did in Matthew Vaughan’s Kingsman: The Secret Service earlier this year.
With a plot that doesn’t require any knowledge of prequels or sequels, this is pure popcorn entertainment and a brilliant way to spend an evening. Yes it’s not perfect by any stretch of the imagination with a poor first third, but when the finale is this much fun, you’ll have too much of a good time to remember what came before it.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2015/05/10/incredibly-well-made-big-game-review/
Leah Rothwell (170 KP) rated The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) in Movies
Oct 17, 2018
Scenery (1 more)
Soundtrack
Beautiful cinematography
I am a massive LOTR’s fan and I can honestly say that every time I watch this film and it’s sequels that I’m still in awe of its beauty. The time and skill that went into this film doesn’t have anything else on par (that’s just my opinion, don’t shoot me). I am yet to find a film that blows me away as much as this. The extended edition and theatrical cut are both as brilliant as each other, the extended provides more story but even without it, you don’t lose the heart and beauty of this film.
If you haven’t watched it, I highly recommend it to anyone who loves adventure, fantasy, twists and turns. You don’t have to have read the books to love them and you don’t need to watch the hobbit first to fall in love either.
If you haven’t watched it, I highly recommend it to anyone who loves adventure, fantasy, twists and turns. You don’t have to have read the books to love them and you don’t need to watch the hobbit first to fall in love either.
David McK (3721 KP) rated Shieldwall in Books
Jan 30, 2019
This was actually one of those novels that came up under the 'frequently bought with...' sections in Amazon, although at the time I did not purchase it there. Rather, I picked it up a short while later in my local Bargain Books, for something like £2. I was hoping to enjoy it, as I (generally) do like this type of fiction and as some of the critics quotations on the back of the book were good, but I have to say: I think that they (and, in particular, Kate Saunders from The Times who calls it 'exciting, gripping and imaginative') must have been reading a different novel from me - I found this, truth be told, to actually be a bit of a chore to read.
Doubt I'll be picking up the sequels (this is, apparently, the first in a planned trilogy), even for £2!
Doubt I'll be picking up the sequels (this is, apparently, the first in a planned trilogy), even for £2!
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Evil Dead II (1987) in Movies
Nov 24, 2019
Bloody good fun
This could possibly be one of the few sequels that actually surpasses the original. Not only does it start off by recapping (and slightly alterating) the first film, it goes completely over the top with the gore and physical effects and it is brilliant.
The effects and the horror aspects are the best thing about this film. The gore is so brilliantly done and despite the fact that the physical effects look maybe a tad dated, they still look a lot better than any modern day effects. The humour and comedy fits in really well and the whole thing is just gloriously bonkers and a riot from start to finish. I think Bruce Campbell may be a tad too over the top at points (even for this film) but it was made in the 80s after all.
They don't make horror films like this anymore.
The effects and the horror aspects are the best thing about this film. The gore is so brilliantly done and despite the fact that the physical effects look maybe a tad dated, they still look a lot better than any modern day effects. The humour and comedy fits in really well and the whole thing is just gloriously bonkers and a riot from start to finish. I think Bruce Campbell may be a tad too over the top at points (even for this film) but it was made in the 80s after all.
They don't make horror films like this anymore.
Beyond Good & Evil 2
7.3
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Beyond Good and Evil 2 is an action-adventure game played from a third-person perspective which...
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Blazing Minds (92 KP) rated Highlander (1986) in Movies
Nov 1, 2021 (Updated Nov 3, 2021)
I remember back in 1986 when the film was released, it was fresh and the story of Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert) and his journey from the time he was killed in the Scottish highlands in 1536 to the present day (1986) was one which fascinated me.
The immortal Highlander was on a journey for a fight for his life, the only way his immortality could be ended would be for his head to be removed, gruesome sounds I know, but nothing gory in this 80s movie.
In the end, “There can be only one”, a battle through time for the ultimate goal, “the prize”!
Highlander may have had four sequels, firstly the awful 2nd movie with its storyline that the “immortals” came from another planet, thankfully the “Renegade Version” was released some years later on DVD that was a much better cut of the film.
The immortal Highlander was on a journey for a fight for his life, the only way his immortality could be ended would be for his head to be removed, gruesome sounds I know, but nothing gory in this 80s movie.
In the end, “There can be only one”, a battle through time for the ultimate goal, “the prize”!
Highlander may have had four sequels, firstly the awful 2nd movie with its storyline that the “immortals” came from another planet, thankfully the “Renegade Version” was released some years later on DVD that was a much better cut of the film.