Heres a movie that never shouldve worked: the directors first film was Piranha Part Two: The Spawning, the lead was a monosyllabic Austrian muscleman best known for playing Conan and much of the crew and supporting cast came from Roger Cormans schlock factory. The Terminators budget was low enough ($6 million) to give it a B-movie feel, and for all its car chases and cutting-edge technology, its the only film in the franchise that could also be taken as a down and dirty exploitation picture. Its also the one with the most heart and the best ideas, even if they were borrowed from old episodes of The Outer Limits. The Terminator bears a striking resemblance to Harlan Ellisons episode Soldier about you guessed it two soldiers from the future who battle it out in modern day Los Angeles. If youve ever wondered why the film concludes with an acknowledgement to Ellison, now you know.
Ian Watson is the author of 'Midnight Movie Madness', a 600+ page guide to "bad" movies from 'Reefer Madness' to 'Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead.'
