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Those of you who've read my reviews have probably noticed that
I admire some directors more than others. As I contemplated this
review, I suddenly realized that the director whose body of work
contains the highest proportion of films I wish to own and watch
again is James Cameron. This came as something of a surprise.
How about Spielberg or Kubrick? Or Zemeckis or Lucas? Nope, it's
Cameron. Consider his output: The Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss,
Terminator 2: Judgment Day, True Lies, Titanic. All highly entertaining
films. The one film Cameron directed (but did not write) that
I can live nicely without is Piranha II: The Spawning. All but
one of the rest have found their way into my DVD library. (Hey,
Fox, how about a great anamorphic video Director's Cut of The
Abyss? Something on a par with your superb Alien DVD?) And have
you experienced T2 3-D: Battle Across Time? This Universal Studios
show involving live action actors and effects, animatronics, great
3-D film, and a touch of seat pneumatics is far and away the best
multimedia presentation I've ever enjoyed. It's clear that The
Terminator has become a serious franchise. And reports persist
that Terminator 3 is to be with us in the not too distant future
(no pun intended). So let's return to the film that started it
all, the film that put Cameron and Schwarzenegger on the radar
screen, 1984's The Terminator.
In the well-known premise, the secretly developed Cyberdyne Systems
automated Skynet defense network achieves consciousness in the
late '90s. A frightened military unsuccessfully tries to shut
it down; it retaliates by attacking Russia with nuclear missiles,
knowing that a Russian counterattack would be provoked. The resulting
nuclear devastation leaves mankind decimated and with a new enemy:
machines. For decades, the artificial intelligence builds machines
to hunt down and exterminate humans so they can never pull the
plug. Into this hellish conflict comes John Connor, who organizes
and leads the survivors to fight the cyborg oppressors.
Despite a comparatively low budget, The Terminator remains a
wonderfully effective action romp. It was just the vehicle Arnold
Schwarzenegger needed to catapult him to visibility (even though
he virtually had no lines). He adds great weight to an unthinking,
unstoppable machine. Michael Biehn's Kyle Reese is a fierce warrior
whose devotion and shyness provide credibility to his appeal to
Sarah Connor. Linda Hamilton effectively transforms Sarah Connor
from a harried waitress more interested in her dating life to
the survivalist, burden-laden mother of mankind's savior. Also
watch for some actors who will appear in Cameron's later flicks:
Lance Henriksen, Rick Rossovich, and Bill Paxton. Like many directors,
Cameron seems to return to a stable of players.
Director Cameron co-wrote the script with Gale Anne Hurd. Apparently
author Harlan Ellison felt that some of the concepts were a little
too close to his own. In a suit he claimed that his short stories
"Soldier" and "Demon With a Glass Hand" and "I Have No Mouth and
I Must Scream" were plagiarized. Notice the second closing credit;
it reads "Acknowledge to the Works of Harlan Ellison."
Finding the flaws in a tightly budgeted film is part of the fun,
like being able to see a human eye behind the terminator's shades
in the police station, sometime after it exposed its eye-sensor
with a razor-knife. Or the visible tow cable pulling the tanker-trailer
Reese would detonate in an attempt to incinerate the terminator.
Such are the compromises a low budget will force. Never again.
Cameron's succeeding films will become more and more complex and
expensive, ultimately to break all production cost records with
the famously profitable Titanic.
Video: How Does The Disc Look?
The original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 is presented in
4:3 letterboxed video. The Terminator's aspect ratio essentially
fills my 1.78:1 screen so there are enough active video lines
to make the video acceptable. The 4:3 video's usual visible line
structure and occasional jaggies are present. The image is a little
soft and there is a bit of visible edge enhancement, but the color
and noise levels are quite good.
Audio: How Does the Disc Sound?
The DVD's audio is as it was presented theatrically: in monaural.
Image and Hemdale want to make sure you understand that the audio
is as it should be. One of the four buttons on the main menu guides
you to a rationale for the mono soundtrack. That said, I'll also
offer that the audio elements are not great. The dialog is very
clear, but the sound effects (gunshots and explosions, for example)
are compressed. And the score (such as it is) seems somewhat band-limited.
There is no deep base extension.
Supplements: What Goodies Are There?
Extras are minimal: a trailer, scene selection for thirty-three
chapter stops, and an explanation of the audio is all you'll find.
This DVD was released on September 2, 1997, and it was delivered
in a most peculiar and annoying case. The clear plastic box requires
that you pull down a black tab on the bottom edge. The DVD becomes
exposed; you then have to bend the holder and oh so carefully
pull the DVD from between holding fingers. (Editor's Note:
Image has since re-released this disc in a snapper case. Thank
god!)
DVD-ROM Exclusives: What do you get when you pop the disc
in your PC?
No ROM extras have been included.
Parting Thoughts
I wanted to own this title, and I'm glad I do. But for the price
that Image is asking (the DVD still lists for $30), I had hoped
for an anamorphic transfer. The Terminator broke new ground fifteen
years ago and has held up remarkably well. This DVD remains a
must-buy for fans of the genre.
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