15 Things That Almost Ruined The Terminator Franchise
8. The Terminators Endoskeleton Reveal
In 1984, the visual of a robot crawling through a hydraulic press to murder a poor waitress was unlike anything seen in cinema.
The Terminators giant endoskeleton reveal at the end very nearly didnt make it into the final cut. Throughout the movie, audiences were teased by the horror of what lay beneath. When the T-800 repairs himself, slicing through flesh to expose his laser red retina, the sight was gruesome but intriguing. What would the rest of this cyborg look like?
All scenes shot after the tanker explosion - the factory showdown, the endoskeleton - were fought for by Cameron. Producer Mike Medavoy was keen to have the movie end at the explosion as a way of cutting costs. Its ultimate inclusion led to the films box office success, which wasnt aided by Orion Pictures marketing department. Medavoy also refused to promote the movie, another obstacle in guaranteeing the film an audience which nearly ended its success before it even began.
That iconic epilogue wasnt mere spectacle, proving the relentless nature of the machines: they can be blown up but still come after you.
They cannot be stopped.
Would Cameron have had as big a success on his hands had audiences never actually seen the full-length endoskeleton?
