Arnie is back! The world's most revered action icon returns to cinemas today with The Last Stand, and you can read our review
here. Though not among the best of Schwarzenegger's oeuvre - but then frankly, who expected that? - it's a potent reminder of the actor's screen presence, self-deprecating sense of humour, and most importantly, his total sense of badassery. It's been too long since we've seen Arnie in full-on, go-for-broke awesome mode, blasting away the enemies with a gatling gun and chasing them down in fast cars. Still, the man's filmography lives on as a monument to ultimate manliness, a veritable how-to guide on kicking ass, taking names, and making us laugh uproariously all at the same time. Though there have been many admirable allies and imitators, there is only one Arnie, and through the years, his films have given us plenty of sage advice on how to go about being as badass as possible in our daily lives.
10. The Sweaty, Homoerotic Handshake Is Just Good Manners
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txuWGoZF3ew This is just a beautiful scene from the opening of John McTiernan's Predator, as Arnie's Dutch comes to greet Carl Weathers' Dillon. The two stare at each other like star-crossed lovers, only enhancing the homoerotic tone of the scene, which reaches a climax when the two meet in the middle of the room, Arnie shouts, "Dillon...you son of a bitch!". As though an exclamation point of that final word, the two shake hands in what is essentially an arm-wrestling stance, the collision of their giant mits emitting a satisfyingly meaty smack, as McTiernan blocks the shot perfectly to provide as much of a glimpse at their bulging, sweaty biceps as possible. This scene demonstrates that no matter how urgent the battle ahead, there's always ample time for a testosterone check, and a bit of "socialising".