20 Things You Didn't Know About The Predator

There are a few features of the Predator design that have become iconic, each coming from random, simple inspirations.

Stan Winston is the makeup and special effects genius who designed the Predator suit that made it to film. While he was doing so, he had a conversation with director James Cameron, who mentioned that he thought an alien with mandibles would be interesting. Winston took his suggestion.

Director John McTiernan saw a poster at Fox Studios of a Rastafarian and told Winston he liked the looks of the 'dreadlocks.' Winston turned them into the Predator's fleshy tendrils.

The invisibility camouflage came to one the film's writers, John Thomas, in a dream. He saw a man made of chrome, inside a reflective sphere, who perfectly blended in with his surroundings and was only visible when moving. He presented his vision to the special effects team, who made it reality.

Finally, the glowing green blood. This was one serendipity and practicality. McTiernan had wanted orange Predator blood as it would look better against the green junglescape. The crew, however, could only find green glowsticks in Mexico. So, green glowstick juice mixed with KY Jelly became the luminous neon blood the Predator loses during the film. The shoot used so much of the blood compound that there was a production assistant whose only job was to mix batches of it, constantly up to his elbows in personal lubricant.

Ah, the glamour of Hollywood.