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My first 'Terminator' experience.
a year ago
Wussup, squad.
Well as lots of y'all know, I was sick with a cold earlier in the week. Still coughin' a bit, but getting better. But how ironic my present health coincides with today's subject, since that's how James Cameron came up with the Terminator via fever dream. Ahh the 'Terminator', the first of the many dystopian sci-fi action-dramas that's spawned the many spoofs, and home to such iconic lines. What with the 'Terminator Zero ' anime coming to Netflix this Thursday, I thought why not talk about my first experience with this franchise as a whole. Looking back at it now, it changed my life for the better.... but not without changing it for the worst.
As I said prior in my 'first 'Alien' experience' journal, I was shown 'Terminator 2: Judgement Day' as I was getting into the 90s toyline at the time. Yep 7 years old, and that movie unlocked several new fears; being on fire, nuclear holocausts, the end of the world... yet oddly enough, not terrifying skeleton robots. Thanks, Jimmy! ^^ Welp, had to learn one day the world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. How am I NOT in therapy yet? I still think to this day, there were much better, dramatic ways we could've seen that nightmare scene... WITHOUT MAKING US FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE IN OUR SEATS!
But all that aside, sometime later I did catch the first Terminator film with my dad. Didn't remember much of it then. Throughout a couple years, I would 'test' myself to see if I can actually handle watching the nightmare scene. Or if need be, just fast-forward through it as I did with with certain scenes of the first two Alien movies. I didn't hate the movie, don't get me wrong, just didn't wanna see that scene. Still don't to this day. Yeah, I'll skip that scene entirely, don't @ me!
Out of curiosity I watched 'Terminator' when I was 13 (that was when VHS were still some kind of norm), and I was able to fully appreciate it. And to me, it's my favorite of the bunch. It's just a good example of 'simple is best', and the effects still hold up pretty well to this day. Plus to me, the music in the first movie is more stylized and haunting. Saw 'T2' again shortly after, was able to fully appreciate it. It was around that time when I was 14, I found out my dad had procured lots and lots and LOTS of Terminator books, magazines, you name it. That's when I came across a screenplay for 'T2'. That time I was interested in writing my own stuff, particularly about an armored superhero I wanted to do since I was little. One day in high school, had detention for being late to class... CUZ I HAD A BAD CASE OF THE SHITS, that's when I started writing.
My stances on the Terminator movies:
Rise of the Machines: It's a fun romp. Definitely worth it for the TX. But not without its charm, cuz I didn't really care for the ending; they went through all that crap just to ultimately fail. Well, boy learns his 'destiny' or whatever kinda crap.
Salvation: Again, fun to watch. Glad it's actually set during the war. Still love Christian Bale as John Connor. (yes, I know the controversy that came from that)
Genisys: It's by no means a good movie, got some plotholes. But it ain't the worst. It really captures the essence of the first movie. So this movie may be a guilty pleasure for me. I liked it based ont he fact they ACTUALLY tried to stop Judgment Day
Dark Fate: .... I refuse to watch it. Not just because I wasn't interested in it, mostly that case, but the way they killed off John Connor at the start. And how Sarah Connor dubbed the new gal ' the new John Connor'. Not a gender thing, it just felt so uncaringly tacked on.
I have seen the 'Sarah Connor Chronicles', and I really don't remember anything about it. And I know about the numerous books and whatnot, and I haven't read any of 'em. The only game related to it I've ever played was an arcade shooting game when I took a break working with my dad at a fairground we were working at back in the day.
Yeah, franchises can make a great comeback like the Alien and Predator movies with 'Alien: Romulus' and 'Prey', but the Terminator franchise is one of those ones even I have to say has run its course. I mostly blame Cameron for that. If you didn't want to do anything else with the franchise, don't leave it so open like you did. There's an alternate ending to 'T2' that caps it off nicely. But y'all know me, I never wanna be that kinda guy. That's why I excited for this Terminator anime coming. And just like anything, I never expect anything 'groundbreaking', with the dumbass high expectations demanded by utter snobs these days, I just wanna have fun watching it. Timothy Olyphant and Rosario Dawson voicing are definite highlights, but we'll see.
So till next time... I'll be back. ^^
Well as lots of y'all know, I was sick with a cold earlier in the week. Still coughin' a bit, but getting better. But how ironic my present health coincides with today's subject, since that's how James Cameron came up with the Terminator via fever dream. Ahh the 'Terminator', the first of the many dystopian sci-fi action-dramas that's spawned the many spoofs, and home to such iconic lines. What with the 'Terminator Zero ' anime coming to Netflix this Thursday, I thought why not talk about my first experience with this franchise as a whole. Looking back at it now, it changed my life for the better.... but not without changing it for the worst.
As I said prior in my 'first 'Alien' experience' journal, I was shown 'Terminator 2: Judgement Day' as I was getting into the 90s toyline at the time. Yep 7 years old, and that movie unlocked several new fears; being on fire, nuclear holocausts, the end of the world... yet oddly enough, not terrifying skeleton robots. Thanks, Jimmy! ^^ Welp, had to learn one day the world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. How am I NOT in therapy yet? I still think to this day, there were much better, dramatic ways we could've seen that nightmare scene... WITHOUT MAKING US FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE IN OUR SEATS!
But all that aside, sometime later I did catch the first Terminator film with my dad. Didn't remember much of it then. Throughout a couple years, I would 'test' myself to see if I can actually handle watching the nightmare scene. Or if need be, just fast-forward through it as I did with with certain scenes of the first two Alien movies. I didn't hate the movie, don't get me wrong, just didn't wanna see that scene. Still don't to this day. Yeah, I'll skip that scene entirely, don't @ me!
Out of curiosity I watched 'Terminator' when I was 13 (that was when VHS were still some kind of norm), and I was able to fully appreciate it. And to me, it's my favorite of the bunch. It's just a good example of 'simple is best', and the effects still hold up pretty well to this day. Plus to me, the music in the first movie is more stylized and haunting. Saw 'T2' again shortly after, was able to fully appreciate it. It was around that time when I was 14, I found out my dad had procured lots and lots and LOTS of Terminator books, magazines, you name it. That's when I came across a screenplay for 'T2'. That time I was interested in writing my own stuff, particularly about an armored superhero I wanted to do since I was little. One day in high school, had detention for being late to class... CUZ I HAD A BAD CASE OF THE SHITS, that's when I started writing.
My stances on the Terminator movies:
Rise of the Machines: It's a fun romp. Definitely worth it for the TX. But not without its charm, cuz I didn't really care for the ending; they went through all that crap just to ultimately fail. Well, boy learns his 'destiny' or whatever kinda crap.
Salvation: Again, fun to watch. Glad it's actually set during the war. Still love Christian Bale as John Connor. (yes, I know the controversy that came from that)
Genisys: It's by no means a good movie, got some plotholes. But it ain't the worst. It really captures the essence of the first movie. So this movie may be a guilty pleasure for me. I liked it based ont he fact they ACTUALLY tried to stop Judgment Day
Dark Fate: .... I refuse to watch it. Not just because I wasn't interested in it, mostly that case, but the way they killed off John Connor at the start. And how Sarah Connor dubbed the new gal ' the new John Connor'. Not a gender thing, it just felt so uncaringly tacked on.
I have seen the 'Sarah Connor Chronicles', and I really don't remember anything about it. And I know about the numerous books and whatnot, and I haven't read any of 'em. The only game related to it I've ever played was an arcade shooting game when I took a break working with my dad at a fairground we were working at back in the day.
Yeah, franchises can make a great comeback like the Alien and Predator movies with 'Alien: Romulus' and 'Prey', but the Terminator franchise is one of those ones even I have to say has run its course. I mostly blame Cameron for that. If you didn't want to do anything else with the franchise, don't leave it so open like you did. There's an alternate ending to 'T2' that caps it off nicely. But y'all know me, I never wanna be that kinda guy. That's why I excited for this Terminator anime coming. And just like anything, I never expect anything 'groundbreaking', with the dumbass high expectations demanded by utter snobs these days, I just wanna have fun watching it. Timothy Olyphant and Rosario Dawson voicing are definite highlights, but we'll see.
So till next time... I'll be back. ^^
The Terminator: One of the best films of 1984, period. An excellent blend of science-fiction and horror and I love the 1980s punk aesthetic.
Terminator 2: While I prefer the first film for it's horror aspects, this movie is still easily Cameron's best work, tied with True Lies. The action set pieces are all amazing and incredible and Robert Patrick was chilling as the T-1000. I love the scene of Sarah's escape from the hospital, especially the part where she sees Arnie walk out of the elevator and all the courage and determination she had for the entire scene is replaced with pure fear. She's no longer attempting to escape a hospital; she's back in 1984, scared and running for her life. Honorable mention goes to the nuclear nightmare scene, which is such an accurate depiction of a nuclear explosion that actual nuclear physicists though Cameron had used stock footage.
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines - A decent film, but a good three steps down from T2 and completely unnecessary.
Terminator Salvation: Haven't seen it.
Terminator Genesys: Making John Connor the villain was a deal breaker. All the scenes of him attempting to kill Kyle and Sarah fell completely flat since they had yet to bang and the Grandfather Paradox would not have allowed him to actually kill them.
Terminator Dark Fate: I haven't bothered because 3 and Genesys convinced me this franchise should have stopped with T2.
Yeah, my dad didn't like John Connor being the bad guy either.
And now I should brainstorm a busty T-1000 OC.