There are lines from films that can evoke primal screams of terror the moment they are uttered. This is because of the visceral memories shoved into the cortex of our brains. It usually is an instantaneous response, one that cannot be stopped. This has happened to me hundreds of times throughout my life of movie watching. I could usually handle it, but when it occurred to my students and children, it was a different story. Their undeveloped brains became overwhelmed simply because they could not turn it off after a while and move on.
I remember hearing the words, “I’ll be back,” just about every moment of every day after THE TERMINATOR exploded in theaters in 1984. My young students couldn’t stop shouting out this infamous line even when they ran off to use the bathroom. They got hooked on performing their own original skits and improvs while including these three words non-stop. They thought they were so clever. They thought I would be impressed. Not a chance. I was inundated during every assignment in each class for months. They didn’t have a clue. At first, it wasn’t bad, but then “I’ll be back” took over every sane conversation. As an extra caveat, most of my students had begun wearing sunglasses and a black leather jacket. If they could have ridden a motorcycle in the auditorium, I have no doubts; my stage would have become a parking lot.
When the film was released a few years later, it began all over again. This time, my own children were caught in the frenzy. It wasn’t “good night, mom.” It was “I’ll be back”… in the morning. If they went off to play, go to their rooms, or meander outside, I knew what their parting words would be. Never in my wildest dreams did I think this could happen to my sweet, prolific children. I was dumbstruck. In time, I succumbed as well. I could not fight mainstream PR any longer. I was “woke,” sputtering these three words back at them when I had to leave for work or run an errand. No one was immune to this double dose of pop culture. It bothers me to admit it, but I, too, bought my own leather jacket that still sits in my closet today. I could never give it up.
Cyborg vs. humanity. Man vs. machine. James Cameron (TITANIC, ALIENS, AVATAR), the writer and director, influenced the public in ways we still don’t realize or fully understand. Just the other day, my husband spoke those three words as he went off to tinker in the garage. He knew exactly who and what he was emulating. Cameron, with his iconic, genius gift of language, dug out a huge dent in our everyday vernacular. The influence of THE TERMINATOR is infinite because, after all, there’s always a storm coming.
THE TERMINATOR was not nominated for any Oscars, but it was presented with a buttload of awards within various sci-fi societies and organizations. It cost over $6 million to create and grossed hundreds of millions of dollars. It forged a franchise of several additional sequels and immense merchandise. The story was larger-than-life, and it propelled numerous actors into the limelight, sustaining extremely lucrative careers.
When Cameron first wrote the script, it was a hard sell to get it produced. His writing partner, Gale Anne Hurd, was instrumental in never giving up and sent the script to anyone who would take a chance on the two of them. When the movie was green-lit, several scenes and locations had to be scrapped due to a lack of funds. Cameron resorted to guerrilla filmmaking to save money. This is a filming technique used when permits have not been issued by the city, so instead, the camera crew shows up anyway at any time of day or night and films the shot until the police arrive. This is why, throughout THE TERMINATOR, ordinary citizens became a part of the background during chase scenes. Imagine their surprise when they first watched the film and saw themselves on screen.
Arnold Schwarzenegger (CONAN THE BARBARIAN, FUBAR, TRUE LIES) was the perfect Terminator. His physique is mind-boggling. He will always be Mr. Universe to every bodybuilder. He was so intent on looking and acting like a machine. In THE TERMINATOR, he spent countless hours at the shooting range for over a month before filming even began. He worked with all kinds of guns and weaponry. He would blindfold himself while loading the ammunition. He would practice taking the guns apart piece by piece and putting them back together again by touch. He didn’t stop until he could handle every piece of equipment with the ease of an assassin who had been around guns his whole life. He was so f*cking believable in every aspect, even though Schwarzenegger only had 14 lines in the entire movie.
Cameron would also include Schwarzenegger in most discussions about his character. Their only disagreement was when deciding how to word the legendary line, “I’ll be back.” Cameron insisted he say it his way after the wording had been changed several times. He told Schwarzenegger to trust him. Of course, he was right. Schwarzenegger wasn’t close to the other actors on set because he wanted to stay in character and not form any relationships since he was playing a cyborg, but Cameron was the exception. He and Schwarzenegger have remained close friends for decades.
Linda Hamilton (ALIENS) as Sarah Connor was the perfect choice. Gosh, she was stunning in her youth. Her face could light up the screen with her authenticity and piercing, knowing eyes. Although in the beginning she appeared wispy, lost, frightened, and confused, she evolved right in front of our noses into her rightful, indomitable, and formidable character. It was incredibly played with all the subtleties of a consummate actress. I had forgotten how her facial expressions projected every nuance of Sarah Connor.
Sarah’s on-screen chemistry with Kyle (Michael Biehn) was palpable and endearing. When he delivered the film’s tagline, “Come with me if you want to live,” I totally believed his sincerity. What woman wouldn’t want a sex-driven moment with him? His character filled in all the empty spaces of a very bleak future. Biehn’s ability to demonstrate not only his brute strength, but his heartfelt admiration and love for Sarah gave THE TERMINATOR its softer side. This was what made this movie stand out so brilliantly. It wasn’t all about kill…kill…kill. Audiences wanted humanity to survive because of Kyle and Sarah’s love for each other. It is how the sequels were so successful as well. Their future child was the key, and we all bought it hook, line, and sinker.
THE TERMINATOR features non-stop action sequences. They are relentless in scope and attitude. I often would find myself screaming at the screen to slow down or stop. Enough is enough, but it never did until the very end, and even then, we all knew it was not over. Rather, it had just begun. The filming was tough since so many of these scenes had to be created at night. Cameron would often wake Schwarzenegger up at 2 AM to capture a specific location because the lighting was just right. This is dedication and commitment to producing a piece of celluloid that will have an effect for generations yet to come. Schwarzenegger would always say this was his favorite film throughout his career.
THE TERMINATOR is an intelligent, ominous, spine-tingling, sci-fi classic. It keeps audiences on the edge of their seats at all times. This thriller does not have a happy ending. One of two has to die. Today, humanity is facing the power of machines once again with the constant onslaught of AI being used within corporations, businesses, and governments. How will our world be different from the one we saw destroyed in THE TERMINATOR? Will we have the courage and know-how to put restraints and guidelines in place before it is too late? Only time will tell, but I’m sure of one thing. Life, as we know it, is changing more quickly than we ever imagined. We can no longer say “I’ll be back,” because artificial intelligence already lives among us. I don’t think wearing a leather jacket, cool shades, or riding a motorcycle will make much of a difference. Humanity’s destiny is a ticking time bomb.
THE TERMINATOR is available on HBO MAX.
