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‘The Terminator’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Shea Serrano

January 21, 2021 · The Terminator (1984) · Action · Adventure · Sci-Fi · 1:37:22

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

Categories

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 36:00Tech Noir scene, Bill Paxton scene, the 'Reese, why me?' tunnel explanation scene, and Arnold fixing his arm scene
Chris Ryan▶ 39:08Ginger scenes, Tech Noir scene (especially the slow-mo shot of Arnold walking across the dance floor)
Shea Serrano▶ 35:01Rick Rosevich fight scene and the tunnel explanation scene where Kyle explains the future

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 56:35Arnold's iconic line decision, the synthesizer-heavy Terminator soundtrack from the 80-85 era, 'I came across time for you, Sarah' as the best pickup line, and Stan Winston's special effects team work
Shea Serrano▶ 57:13The Terminator soundtrack - 'anytime you hear that now, you're like, all right, let's fucking do this' and Arnold as the unkillable bad guy

What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 1:03:11The future setting (2029 being only 9 years away without promised technology), stop-motion Terminator effects, Linda Hamilton's 80s hair, Arnold's nudity, and the Harlan Ellison lawsuit controversy
Chris Ryan▶ 1:02:47Lasers not being in our lives as expected, post-sex snacks (giant sandwich and milk), weird off-brand pets like iguanas, and John Connor's terrible message to Sarah

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:12:09Rosanna Arquette — Rosanna Arquette for Sarah Connor
Chris Ryan▶ 1:12:21Rosanna Arquette — Rosanna Arquette for Sarah Connor - agrees she seems like 'cool punk rock new wave waitress at an L.A. diner'

Joey Pants Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:12:54Rick Moranis — Rick Moranis (initially questioned if he qualifies as 'that guy' but then affirmed)
Chris Ryan▶ 1:12:57Rick Moranis — Rick Moranis (confirmed the name and agreed)

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:15:05Rick Rossovich
Chris Ryan▶ 1:15:07Rick Rossovich
Shea Serrano▶ 1:13:39Rick Rossovich — Expressed hope that Rick Rossovich would win this category, sharing enthusiasm for the actor

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:21:09No for Arnold, James Cameron, Linda Hamilton. Yes for mid-80s Los Angeles and Tech Noir bar scene
Chris Ryan▶ 1:21:17Michael Biehn — Michael Biehn yes (better in Aliens). Mid-80s Los Angeles yes. James Cameron's apex is Titanic. Time travel apex possibly
Shea Serrano▶ 1:23:03No for Ray-Bans (Top Gun better). Suggests cheesy 80s hotel room sex as potential apex

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:29:14Discussed multiple questions: sci-fi vs horror (chose sci-fi), Reese didn't know he was John Connor's father, Kyle dying was necessary for the story, time travel paradoxes are unsolvable, Tech Noir location logistics, phone book killer concept unused potential, wants Arnold's red motorcycle as memorabilia
Chris Ryan▶ 1:29:38Discussed Kyle Reese not surviving Cameron films, speculated about alternate scenarios with Kyle living in Mexico, identified Tech Noir as downtown near 7th and Broadway, questioned why Kyle didn't go back earlier to have Sarah unlist her number, wants Rick Rossovich's briefs as memorabilia
Shea Serrano▶ 1:30:29Argued Kyle Reese had to die because audiences wanted to see Arnold/Terminator return not Kyle, discussed time travel loop confusion, wants the crawling Terminator torso as memorabilia for his living room

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:34:01Arnold Schwarzenegger — Arnold, though considers Cameron as potential co-winner but ultimately picks Arnold because Cameron's career would have happened anyway while Arnold's wouldn't have without this movie
Shea Serrano▶ 1:34:03Arnold Schwarzenegger — Arnold - agrees that Cameron was talented and would succeed anyway, but this movie was crucial for Arnold's career transformation from Conan to action star

Movies Referenced (41)

First Blood (1982)

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Shea Serrano▶ 1:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Aliens (1986)

7 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 22:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

7 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 14:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Halloween (1978)

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Shea Serrano▶ 4:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rambo (2008)

7 mentions · Chris Ryan, Shea Serrano, Bill Simmons▶ 4:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Top Gun (1986)

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Shea Serrano▶ 57:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Alien (1979)

6 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 19:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Escape from New York (1981)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Shea Serrano▶ 6:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Purple Rain (1984)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 14:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Total Recall (1990)

4 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 9:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Blade Runner (1982)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Shea Serrano, Chris Ryan▶ 19:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Die Hard (1988)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 2:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (9)

John Carpenter

6 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Shea Serrano · Known for Dark Star, Halloween▶ 4:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

James Wiseman

2 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 9:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mel Gibson

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Braveheart, Conspiracy Theory▶ 1:10:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Corman

2 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for The Silence of the Lambs, Apollo 13, Little Shop of Horrors▶ 4:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Clint Eastwood

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Million Dollar Baby, Gran Torino, Unforgiven▶ 18:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Colorado

1 mentions · Shea Serrano · Known for Hancock▶ 58:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John McTiernan

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Die Hard, Last Action Hero▶ 22:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Woo

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Hard Boiled▶ 22:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Mann

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Insider, Collateral, The Last of the Mohicans▶ 31:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (35)

Arnold Schwarzenegger

64 mentions · Bill Simmons, Shea Serrano, Chris Ryan · Known for Terminator 2: Judgment Day, The Terminator▶ 2:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Linda Hamilton

17 mentions · Bill Simmons, Shea Serrano, Chris Ryan · Known for Terminator 2: Judgment Day, The Terminator▶ 3:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rick Rossovich

13 mentions · Shea Serrano, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Top Gun, The Terminator▶ 34:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bill Paxton

11 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Shea Serrano · Known for Aliens, Apollo 13▶ 14:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Biehn

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Aliens, The Terminator, The Abyss▶ 37:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mike Medavoy

7 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Black Swan▶ 24:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Lance Henriksen

4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Hard Target, Aliens▶ 44:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paul Winfield

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for The Terminator▶ 54:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Demi Moore

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Striptease, Indecent Proposal▶ 1:17:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dick Miller

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for The Terminator, Gremlins▶ 53:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Lou Ferrigno

3 mentions · Shea Serrano, Bill Simmons · Known for The Incredible Hulk, Hulk▶ 16:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rosanna Arquette

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Pulp Fiction, After Hours▶ 1:12:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (5)

James Cameron

36 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Shea Serrano · Known for Avatar, Aliens, Terminator 2: Judgment Day▶ 4:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Brian Koppelman

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Runaway Jury, Runner Runner, Michael Clayton▶ 1:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ray Harryhausen

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Shea Serrano · Known for Spies Like Us▶ 1:04:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 23:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Harlan Ellison

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:05:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗