LIQUID GOLD! CELEBRATING THIRTY YEARS OF 'THE TERMINATOR'

In service to a robot future: Arnold Schwarzenegger's THE TERMINATOR locks on to its human target. Images: MGM.

Just imagine, somewhere out there is a parallel universe where O.J. Simpson played, or might still be playing, James Cameron's iconic time travelling cyborg assassin, THE TERMINATOR. Fortunately, that never happened in our own, real-life universe, despite the former football player, who was once such a hero to millions, apparently being an early contender for the role (alongside MILLENNIUM's excellent character actor lead star, Lance Henriksen). No, Arnold Schwarzenegger was, is, and always will be, old red eyes with the killer stare and the steel muscles, in the indelible part that definitely launched and deservedly cemented his illustrious action hero/film lead status throughout the eighties and nineties. Back in those early days, as he boldly stated his career ambitions beyond bodybuilding, the shrewd Austrian would be laughed at by Hollywood studios and insiders, but old Arnie, likely giving them the heartiest of revenge laughs back, ultimately got the last word, and engineered a healthy bank account. As too did James Cameron, who, influenced by the success of the then mind-blowing aura of STAR WARS, rose up the ranks of the Roger Corman film studios (with vital support from producer Gale Ann Hurd) to craft his own incredible, still resonant, mind-blowing sci-fi epic- a superb film, and eventual launcher to four sequels, that went way beyond its low budget origins- rich in ideas, with striking and believable co-stars in Linda Hamilton and Michael Biehn (as the pursued and doomed lovers whose bright spot future son will, in the ultimate twist of time travel chicken before the egg fate, lead the thankfully revolution against the future world controlling machines of Skynet), alongside a memorable and haunting electronic score from Brad Fiedel and some terrific effects of the often simplest but most effective kind.

The Terminator - Official Trailer [1984] - YouTube
▶ The Making Of: TERMINATOR - YouTube
▶ The Terminator(Main Theme) - Brad Fiedel - YouTube

Linda Hamilton shines in her role as waitress turned humanity's first protector, Sarah Connor, guided by the spirited energy of creator/director James Cameron.

Ultimately, though, and no one would disagree with this, its Arnie, working so well alongside Cameron in shaping the latter's fixed vision, that makes all the difference here- his commitment, enthusiasm and relishing of this great early role more than evident- giving what could have been a bland performance a genuinely chillingly, emotionless evil and a physically intimidating presence from the get-go. A robot threat always adapting, committed to the mission right through to its ultimately unsuccessful and fiery end via a triumphant but bloodied Sarah Connor, inside a world of similar industry and soulless function. Interestingly enough, THE TERMINATOR, one of screendom's ultimate and terrifying baddies, would also have one other intriguing quality brought to it that would be subtly enhanced via Schwarzenegger, and something not often seen in dark sci-fi: sly humour, an element that continued into future films, and which not only stayed true to the being's one track memory cells but also helped to cement it and the film series further into pop culture (especially in Cameron's excellent first sequel), beyond its original cult eighties VHS rental appreciations, in ways that hadn't been done before. Thanks to THE TERMINATOR, the doors to pioneering, sophisticated future tense action blockbusters had been successfully reopened for years to come...

HAPPY 30TH BIRTHDAY!

The Terminator [Blu-ray] [1984] [Region Free]: Amazon.co.uk: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, Earl Boen, James Cameron, Gale Anne Hurd: DVD & Blu-ray