The Terminator (1984)

Director:

James Cameron

Writers:

James Cameron (written by) &
Gale Anne Hurd (written by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

26 October 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

In the Year of Darkness, 2029, the rulers of this planet devised the ultimate plan. They would reshape the Future by changing the Past. The plan required something that felt no pity. No pain. No fear. Something unstoppable. They created 'THE TERMINATOR'

Plot:

A human-looking, apparently unstoppable cyborg is sent from the future to kill Sarah Connor; Kyle Reese is sent to stop it.

Plot Keywords:

Technology | Eye Gouging | Alternate History | Merciless | Totalitarian

Awards:

4 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Arnold Schwarzenegger	...	The Terminator
Michael Biehn	...	Kyle Reese
Linda Hamilton	...	Sarah Connor
Paul Winfield	...	Lieutenant Ed Traxler
Lance Henriksen	...	Detective Hal Vukovich
Bess Motta	...	Ginger Ventura
Earl Boen	...	Dr. Peter Silberman
Rick Rossovich	...	Matt Buchanan
Dick Miller	...	Pawnshop Clerk
Shawn Schepps	...	Nancy
Bruce M. Kerner	...	Desk Sergeant
Franco Columbu	...	Future Terminator
Bill Paxton	...	Punk Leader
Brad Rearden	...	Punk
Brian Thompson	...	Punk
Ken Fritz	...	Policeman
Tom Oberhaus	...	Policeman
Ed Dogans	...	Cop in Alley
Joe Farago	...	TV Anchorman
Hettie Lynne Hurtes	...	TV Anchorwoman
Tony Mirelez	...	Gas Station Attendant
Philip Gordon	...	Mexican Boy (long shots)
Anthony Trujillo	...	Mexican Boy (close-ups) (as Anthony T. Trujillo)
Stan Yale	...	Derelict in Alley
Al Kahn	...	Customer
Leslie Morris	...	Customer
Hugh Farrington	...	Customer
Harriet Medin	...	Customer
Loree Frazier	...	Customer
James Ralston	...	Customer
Norman Friedman	...	Cleaning Man at Flophouse
Barbara Powers	...	Ticket Taker at Club Technoir
Wayne Stone	...	Tanker Driver
David Pierce	...	Tanker Partner (as David Pierce)
John E. Bristol	...	Biker at Phone Booth
Webster Williams	...	Reporter
Patrick Pinney	...	Bar Customer
Bill W. Richmond	...	Bartender
Chino 'Fats' Williams	...	Truck Driver
Gregory Robbins	...	Tiki Motel Customer
Marianne Muellerleile	...	Wrong Sarah
John Durban	...	Sentry
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Darrell Mapson	...	Bar patron at pay phone with Sarah (uncredited)
John Stuart West	...	MacDougal (uncredited)
William Wisher Jr.	...	Cop who gets burned by the Terminator (uncredited)

Directed by
James Cameron

Writing credits
Harlan Ellison		(The Outer Limits teleplays "Soldier" and "Demon with a Glass Hand") originally uncredited
James Cameron		(written by) &
Gale Anne Hurd		(written by)
William Wisher Jr.		(additional dialogue) (as William Wisher)

Produced by
John Daly	....	executive producer
Derek Gibson	....	executive producer
Gale Anne Hurd	....	producer

Original Music by
Brad Fiedel

Cinematography by
Adam Greenberg

Film Editing by
Mark Goldblatt

Casting by
Stanzi Stokes

Art Direction by
George Costello

Set Decoration by
Maria Rebman Caso

Costume Design by
Hilary Wright

Makeup Department
Jeff Dawn	....	makeup department head (as Jefferson Dawn)
Peter Tothpal	....	hair stylist
Kyle Rae Tucy	....	hair stylist: second unit (as Kyle Tucy)
Kyle Rae Tucy	....	makeup artist: second unit (as Kyle Tucy)
Ellis Burman	....	electrical effects: Terminator (uncredited)
Brian Wade	....	special makeup effects artist: Stan Winston Studios (uncredited)

Production Management
Bruce M. Kerner	....	executive in charge of production
Donna Smith	....	post-production supervisor
Donna Smith	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Thomas A. Irvine	....	additional first assistant director (as Thomas Irvine)
Betsy Magruder	....	first assistant director
Jean-Paul Ouellette	....	second unit director: action
Robert Roda	....	second assistant director
Stan Winston	....	second unit director: effects unit

Art Department
Shay Austin	....	assistant art director
John S. Curran	....	construction supervisor (as John Curran)
Tommy Estridge	....	property master
Mark Freedman	....	carpenter
Kerry Jennings	....	assistant property master
Amy McGary	....	scenic artist
Kristen McGary	....	scenic artist
Kurt Meisenbach	....	art assistant
Jewel Myrow	....	art assistant
Joe Rainey	....	assistant to the art director
Cynthia C. Rebman	....	set dresser (as Cindy Rebman)
David Reece	....	carpenter
Stephen Reece	....	carpenter
Stephen Rinehart	....	art assistant
Jennie Ryan	....	art assistant
Gary Schoeneck	....	lead man
Linda Schoeneck	....	art assistant
Gregory R. Wolf	....	set dresser (as Greg Wolf)
Christopher Gilman	....	property maker (uncredited)

Sound Department
Elizabeth Barnard	....	assistant sound editor
Ken Brocious	....	boom operator (as Kenneth Brocious)
David Campling	....	supervising sound editor
Gordon Daniel	....	foley artist
Greg Dillon	....	sound effects editor
James Fritch	....	sound effects editor (as Jim Fritch)
Robert Garrett	....	synthesized sound effects
Gabriel Guy	....	machine room operator: restoration
David J. Hudson	....	sound re-recording mixer
James J. Klinger	....	sound effects editor (as Jim Klinger)
Mike Le Mare	....	sound effects editor (as Mike Le-Mare)
Richard Lightstone	....	production sound mixer
Horace Manzanares	....	sound effects editor
Gilbert D. Marchant	....	sound effects editor (as Gil Marchant)
Mel Metcalfe	....	sound re-recording mixer
Rob Miller	....	sound effects editor
Terry Porter	....	sound re-recording mixer
John Post	....	foley artist
Gary Shepherd	....	sound effects editor
Karola Storr	....	sound effects editor
Jennifer Barin	....	sound recordist: restoration (uncredited)
Tom Bellfort	....	supervising sound editor: restoration (uncredited)
Gabriel Cubos	....	sound utility (uncredited)
Stephen Kearney	....	sound editor: restoration (uncredited)
Gary Rizzo	....	sound re-recording mixer: restoration (uncredited)
Gary Rydstrom	....	sound design: restoration (uncredited)
Tony Sereno	....	digital sound mix technician: restoration (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Jack Bricker	....	terminator special effects
Frank DeMarco	....	special effects
Ernest D. Farino	....	special effects coordinator
Roger George	....	special effects
Richard J. Landon	....	terminator special effects (as Richard Landon)
Ron Macinnes	....	assistant mechanical effects: Terminator
Shane Mahan	....	terminator special effects
David B. Miller	....	mechanical effects (as David Miller)
John Rosengrant	....	terminator special effects
Joe Viskocil	....	pyrotechnics and fire effects: Fantasy II Film Effects (as Joseph Viskocil)
Brian Wade	....	terminator special effects
Tom Woodruff Jr.	....	terminator special effects (as Tom Woodruff)
R. Bruce Steinheimer	....	special effects technician (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Doug Beswick	....	stop motion terminator model: Fantasy II Film Effects
Don Bland	....	production assistant: Fantasy II Film Effects
Phil Huff	....	optical effects: Fantasy II Film Effects
John Huneck	....	camera operator: Fantasy II Film Effects
Leslie Huntley	....	production supervisor: Fantasy II Film Effects
Michael Joyce	....	model shop supervisor: Fantasy II Film Effects
Paul Kassler	....	model maker: Fantasy II Film Effects
Pete Kleinow	....	terminator stop motion: Fantasy II Film Effects (as Peter Kleinow)
Laurel Klick	....	optical effects: Fantasy II Film Effects
Ken Marschall	....	matte artist: Fantasy II Film Effects
Jane A. Pahlman	....	production assistant: Fantasy II Film Effects
Gary Rhodaback	....	model maker: Fantasy II Film Effects
Mark Sawicki	....	special optical consultant: Fantasy II Film Effects
Gene Warren Jr.	....	special effects supervisor: Fantasy II Film Effects
Kris Brown	....	visual effects engineer (uncredited)
Sam Longoria	....	stop-motion electronics (uncredited)
Austin McKinney	....	visual effects (uncredited)
Bret Mixon	....	animation assistant (uncredited)

Stunts
Tony Cecere	....	stunts
Jeffrey J. Dashnaw	....	stunts (as Jeff Dashnow)
Hill Farnsworth	....	stunts
J. Suzanne Fish	....	stunts
Ken Fritz	....	stunt coordinator
Ken Fritz	....	stunt coordinator: second unit
Ken Fritz	....	stunt double: Michael Biehn
Marian Green	....	stunts (as Marion Green)
Gene Hartline	....	stunts
Tom Hart	....	stunts
Jean Malahni	....	stunts
Gary McLarty	....	stunts
Frank Orsatti	....	stunts
Jim Stern	....	stunts
Pete Turner	....	stunts (as Peter Turner)
Cynthia Brannon	....	stunts (uncredited)
Monty Jordan	....	stunt driver (uncredited)
Peter Kent	....	stunt double: Arnold Schwarzenegger (uncredited)
Lee Waddell	....	utility stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Bernard Auroux	....	focus puller
Dennis Bishop	....	gaffer
Bruce Byall	....	grip
Anne S. Coffey	....	insert photography camera operator (as Anne Coffey)
Chuck Colwell	....	director of photography: second unit
Mario Davis	....	grip and equipment: second unit
Mark Ellensohn	....	best boy
Alec Hirschfeld	....	additional camera operator
Austin McKinney	....	process photography cinematographer
Sean McLin	....	camera operator: second unit
David Michels	....	dolly grip
Mark Morton	....	electrician
Tim Morton	....	best boy electric
Elliot Nachbar	....	grip
Eric Peterson	....	assistant camera: process photography
Mark Peterson	....	electrician
Vance Piper	....	assistant camera
Joyce Rudolph	....	still photographer
Roger Schweitzer	....	video playback operator
Dylan Shephard	....	key grip
Gary Wagner	....	assistant camera: insert photography
Rick A. West	....	electrician (as Rick West)
Tim Collins	....	grip (uncredited)
Donald G. Jackson	....	additional cinematographer (uncredited)
John Janusek	....	grip (uncredited)
Kyle T. MacDowell	....	electrician (uncredited)
Barry Seybert	....	electrician (uncredited)
Mark A. Shelton	....	electrician (uncredited)
Philip Sloan	....	best boy grip (uncredited)

Animation Department
Ernest D. Farino	....	graphic effects animator

Casting Department
Gregory Robbins	....	extras casting coordinator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Deborah Everton	....	costume supervisor
Julia Gombert	....	costumer: second unit
Virginia Hartman	....	costume production assistant

Editorial Department
Lorna Anderson	....	first assistant editor
Michael Bloecher	....	associate editor
Spike Allison Hooper	....	assistant editor
Mary Nelson-Duerrstein	....	negative cutter (as Mary Nelson)
Peter Silverman	....	color consultant

Music Department
Budd Carr	....	music consultant
Robert Randles	....	music post-production coordinator
Emilie Robertson	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Wayne Nelson	....	transportation captain
Wayne Stone	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Polly Apostolof	....	assistant to producer
Jo Barnett	....	assistant production accountant
Terry Benedict	....	production assistant: second unit
Kathy Breen	....	production coordinator
Ellis Burman Jr.	....	terminator mechanical effects
Steven Fagerquist	....	process photography technical assistant
Ernest D. Farino	....	title designer
J. Randolph Harrison	....	assistant to producer
Deborah Hebert	....	set production assistant (as Deborah A. Hebert)
Scott Javine	....	production assistant
Sharon Kirkpatrick	....	script supervisor: second unit
Joseph A. Liuzzi	....	location manager
Andy Marx	....	publicist (as Andrew Marx)
Gerald McClain	....	process photography rear screen projectionist
Pattison Newberry	....	first aid
George Parra	....	set production assistant
Kevin E. Patterson	....	utility man (as Kevin Patterson)
Eric Rasmussen	....	craft service
Michael Thomas Slifkin	....	talent coordinator
Lisa Sonne	....	assistant to producer (as T. Elizabeth Sonne)
Anne St. Johns	....	assistant production coordinator
Marilyn Tasso	....	production accountant
Brenda Weisman	....	script supervisor
Bob Williams	....	terminator mechanical effects
Stan Winston	....	special terminator effects creator
Frans J. Afman	....	financial services (uncredited)
Lisa S. Girolami	....	extras wrangler (uncredited)
Randy Harrison	....	assistant to producer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Hemdale Film
• Cinema 84
• Euro Film Funding
• Pacific Western

Distributors

• Orion Pictures Corporation (1984) (USA) (theatrical)
• Orion Home Video (19??) (USA) (VHS)
• Hemdale Home Video (1985) (USA) (laserdisc)
• Image Entertainment (1991) (USA) (laserdisc)
• Artisan Entertainment (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (1995) (USA) (laserdisc)
• TF1 Vidéo (1996) (France) (video) (laserdisc)
• Image Entertainment (1997) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (VHS) (widescreen)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Sony Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox (1985) (France) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (2007) (USA) (DVD) (The Definitive Edition)
• Filmverlag der Autoren (1985) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Hemdale Home Video (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors (1985) (UK) (theatrical)
• Kinosto (1985) (Finland) (theatrical)
• MGM Home Entertainment (Europe) (2001) (UK) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Monopole-Pathé (1985) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1987) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• RCV Home Entertainment (199?) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Roadshow Home Video (19??) (Australia) (VHS)
• Thorn EMI (19??) (UK) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment Germany (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• VCL Communications GmbH (1998) (Germany) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Fantasy II Film Effects
• Stan Winston Studio

Other Companies

• Albert G. Ruben and Company  insurance
• Birds & Animals Unlimited  animals provided by
• Christal Blue Casting  extras casting
• Consolidated Film Industries (CFI)  post-production services
• Dolby Laboratories  sound post-production
• Ellison Machinery Co.  robots provided and operated by
• Film Finance  completion services
• Image Three  optical effects
• Laser Products  laser guns
• Mayflower Recording  adr recording
• Mayflower Recording  sound effects
• Ray Mercer & Company  opticals
• Skywalker Sound  audio restoration and re-mixing (restored version)
• Studio Picture Vehicles  vehicles provided by
• Yaskawa Electric America  robots provided and operated by

Also Known As:

Terminator (USA) (trailer title)
Terminator (Argentina) (Peru) (Spain) [es]
A Halálosztó (Hungary) [hu]
Elektroniczny morderca (Poland) [pl]
Exterminador Implacável, O (Portugal) [pt]
Exterminador do Futuro, O (Brazil) [pt]
Terminátor (Czechoslovakia) [cs]
Terminateur (Canada: French title) [fr]
Terminator (Serbia) [sr]
Terminator (Italy) [it]
Terminator (Croatia) (video title) [hr]
Terminator (France) [fr]
Terminator (Sweden) [sv]
Terminator - tuhoaja (Finland) [fi]
Terminator, Der (West Germany) [de]
The Terminator (Denmark) [da]
Yokedici (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Ireland:15 (re-rating) (2007) | Finland:K-15 (uncut DVD version) | UK:15 (re-rating) (2001) | Finland:K-16 (1991) (cut) | Finland:K-18 (cut) (1984) | Finland:K-16 (1998) (uncut) | South Korea:18 | Brazil:14 | Malaysia:U | New Zealand:M | UK:18 (1985-2000) | Ireland:18 (1985-2006) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Finland:K-18 (1991) (cut) | Italy:VM14 (original rating) (1984) | Italy:T (re-rating) (1991) | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A (Alberta) (re-rating) (1999) | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Japan:R-15 | Norway:18 | Peru:18 | Poland:15 | Singapore:M18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16 (cut) | West Germany:18 (uncut version) (JK/SPIO) | Netherlands:16

Filming Locations:

2nd Street Tunnel between Hill and Figueroa, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Hemdale Film

Trivia:

The earlier drafts of the script have a scene where Sarah obtains Cyberdyne System's address, and she and Kyle travel to Sunnyvale, California to blow up Cyberdyne. This scene was omitted, and the only relic of this scene in the movie is the fact that Sarah reveals the area code for the Tiki Motel to be 408.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Towards the beginning of the movie, a caption gives the year as 1984. When asked, the police officer gives the date as Thursday May 12 but, in 1984, May 12 was a Saturday. All manner of explanations have been given (mainly revolving around the policeman's mistake being induced by fear while a gun is pointed at his face), but the most likely is that it is a genuine goof and that the line was overlooked when the script was revised to be set in 1984 instead of 1983 (when May 12 did, indeed, fall on a Thursday).

Quotes:

[first lines]
[the garbage truck's engine stops]
Truck Driver: What the hell? Goddamn son of a bitch...

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Spaced: Battles (#1.4)" (1999)

Soundtrack:

Burnin' In The Third Degree

Compelling science fiction

For the gift of `Aliens' and `The Terminator' I am willing to forgive Cameron's `Titanic'. The key plot concept is beautifully simple - machines take over the earth in the future. Machines are eventually over thrown by one man. Machines travel back in time to kill man's mother, thus preventing him being born and stopping their own defeat. One human also travels back to stop the machines from killing his leader's mother.

`The Terminator' is a classic good versus evil struggle, with little in the way of greys clouding the issue. The terminator is an unstoppable brutal remorseless killer, and it perfectly suits Arnold Schwarzenegger's limited acting abilities. His few lines, including the infamous `I'll be back' are all well judged and timed, and give a great feeling of precision and inhumanity to his character. Coupled with his chiselled features, he's the best choice for the role. Michael Biehn is playing a character type that he'd reprise two years later in Cameron's `Aliens' - the human tough guy: he's got the fight, but still the ability to love and care for people. His features are well chosen for this and although his delivery of lines is hardly exceptional - they tend to come out in the same tone of voice - he's able to carry his part. Linda Hamilton is the woman-thrown-into-chaos, somewhat reminiscent of Sigourney Weaver's Ripley character in `Alien', although Hamilton doesn't have Weaver's strength of presence. All the actors are, for an action science fiction, above average and so never distract.

It's the script, with Cameron's force behind it that lifts the movie from mediocrity. Yes, there's a certain amount of corniness - the `we loved a life time' element for example - but the movie has a real sense of conviction present. The movie believes in itself and, through its passion, will make you believe too. There's a general sense of darkness in the movie - rarely do we see daylight, and, when we do, it's often the soft light of dawn. There's a nice sense of tension in the action scenes, helped not only by Cameron's camera work but also by an excellent electronic score (including a fantastic brooding credit sequence). Sure some of the SFX look clunky in these days of `Attack of the Clones' and `The Fellowship of the Ring', but they still work. There's a certain sense of inevitability, intertwined with hope, permeating the picture that creates a mood I particularly enjoyed and that's harder to find in the current crop of science fiction movies.

`The Terminator' is not a perfect picture. The movie lags in some parts, and the romance element is fairly contrived. Despite all that the movie brims with energy and promise, a script that mostly delivers, characters you can enjoy, and the ultimate Arnie role. Well worth catching. 8/10.