20 Things You Didn't Know About The Predator
16. Making The First Movie Was A Nightmare
Predator was filmed in the jungles of Mexico. To say it was done in less than ideal circumstances would be an understatement.
Most of the cast got sick from the food and water at the hotel they were living in. Despite being in the jungle, the weather was extremely cold, which necessitated heat lamps on the set at almost all times. Most of the movie was shot on rough terrain that was uneven and hilly, meaning the cast was constantly standing in awkward, uncomfortable positions. Because the film was supposed to be in a pristine jungle, assistants had to repeatedly scatter leaves over areas where people and vehicles had moved through.
The fight scenes at the climax were filmed in stagnant water that was full of leeches. To make matters worse, Kevin Peter Hall could not see well through his mask and the costume's weight affected his balance; several times he struck Schwarzenegger in the face with the costume's claws during filming.
Director John McTiernan felt his main actors looked like "ballerinas" at the start of filming, so he hired a Vietnam combat veteran to train the actors to look and act like soldiers, including long endurance runs and early morning workouts to maintain their physiques.
During press tours for the film, Hall told reporters that it "wasn't a movie, it was a survival story." Their survival was our gain.