Danielle Solzman
The Terminator recently celebrated its 40th anniversary in late October and is making its arrival on 4K Ultra HD for the first time. There is no mention of the anniversary on the cover artwork.
The 1984 film would become a game-changer for both filmmaker James Cameron and leading man Arnold Schwarzenegger. For Cameron, it would kick off a lengthy career. As for Schwarzenegger, the film had shown that he was capable of being a leading actor. The film would also spawn numerous sequels, a TV series, comic books, and more. What is really surprising is how it earned nearly $80 million at the box office against a production budget of $6.4 million.
The American Film Institute (AFI) honored the film in three of their lists: 100 Years…100 Thrills (#42), 100 Years…100 Heroes and Villains (Villain #22), and 100 Years…100 Movie Quotes (#37: “I’ll be back.”). Additionally, the sci-fi classic was selected for inclusion in the National Film Registry back in 2008. It did not receive any Oscar nominations at that year’s ceremony.
Synopsis
Disguised as a human, a cyborg assassin known as a Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) travels from 2029 to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton). Sent to protect Sarah is Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn), who divulges the coming of Skynet, an artificial intelligence system that will spark a nuclear holocaust. Sarah is targeted because Skynet knows that her unborn son will lead the fight against them. With the virtually unstoppable Terminator in hot pursuit, she and Kyle attempt to escape.
Bonus Features
- Creating The Terminator: Visual Effects & Music
- The Terminator: Closer to the Real Thing
- Unstoppable Force: The Legacy of The Terminator
- 7 Deleted Scenes
DIRECTOR: James Cameron
SCREENWRITERS: James Cameron with Gale Anne Hurd
CAST: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, Linda Hamilton, and Paul Winfield
Orion Pictures released The Terminator in theaters on October 26, 1984.
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