Predator (1987): a masterpiece of testosterone

Cafe Society
1

Predator is the most bad-assed manliness that has ever been captured on film. Every single word of dialogue in the film is a quotable one liner. I pull it out once every few months because watching it increases the size of my biceps by 2 inches just from the secondhand testosterone.

Few people know that the first act in the movie, where the team takes out the central American rebel base, wasn’t actually in the script. They were down in the jungle filming the movie when they happened to stumble across a real base, at which point the cast decided to take the place out and the crew just kept the cameras rolling.

There’s a scene where Arnold throws a giant knife through a guy’s chest and pins him to a wall, and quips “Stick around”. If you watch the frames very closely, you can see that Arnold was holding his gun with both hands at the time and the knife was actually launched by his manly prehensile nutsack.

The scene where Billy stands over the river, rips off his shirt, and cuts deeply across his chest was not originally intended for the movie - a camera man just happened to catch him doing his normal morning routine. Coffee is for pussies.

They ran out of money towards the end of the filming, and they couldn’t afford to create the effect of the predator self destructing with all the arcing electricity and the giant explosion. So they simply had Jesse Ventura and Carl Weathers arm wrestle off camera, and what you saw was the result.

Since the movie ended, two of the cast have gone on to become governors - Schwarzenneger and Ventura. Sonny Landham (Billy) actually tried to run for governor in Kentucky but didn’t get the nomination. Personally, I think they should just hand over control of the government to the cast of the movie. Carl Weathers should’ve been the first black president. The man knows fiscal responsibility, and how to get a stew on.

Seriously, it’s a great action movie. The cast is a great mix of pure badassery but still have some charm because they’re not too serious. The film doesn’t seem too dated - the effects are relatively subtle and well done so they hold up well after all this time. The location filming is beautiful and really adds to the atmosphere of the movie. The movie has enough awesome one liners that you could go a week by communicating only in lines of dialogue from it.

The plot is good enough for an action movie, the pacing actually works well. This is one of my favorite action movies ever and definitely the one most likely to make the viewers grow chest hair.

2

The final battle between Dutch and the Predator is pure mantasy genius, in part because Schwarzenegger doesn’t say a damn word. He put more acting into the scene where he’s covered in mud and holding as still as possible while the Predator tries to find him than any of his kid movies, and I mean that sincerely.

3

I forgot to add:

It was reported that actor Sonny Landham was so unstable on the set that a bodyguard was hired; not to protect Landham, but to protect the other cast members from Landham.

4

I’ve always wondered why only two future governors of These United States acted in this move; I suppose, Sonny Landham’s effort notwithstanding, it’s just a matter of time.

John McTiernan’s resume includes “Predator,” “Die Hard,” and “Hunt for Red October.” Bow down.

Oh, and: “I ain’t got time to bleed.”

Hell. Yeah. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve used that line. After scraping my knuckles on a 3/8-inch bolt.

5

I get an erection from watching this movie. And I’m straight.

6

Hey, you think it is only for men? :wink: I’m female, and I’ve watched this movie many times, through my childhood until now. Give me this before any chick flick!!! :slight_smile:

7

While lying in bed awaiting my girlfriend to come hither for the nighttime tango, I’ve often called out “I’m right here! Do it! Get to the choppa!” She is not nearly as amused as she should be.

8

Indeed, this scene is the most perfect depiction of anger I’ve ever seen onscreen.

9

I showed this to my wife for the first time she saw it and was actually impressed by how well it held up. It is definitely a great action movie.

10

The only OTA channels that show it here are in Spanish. My kids object when I linger on it, noting that neither they nor I speak Spanish. I say, “You don’t need to understand the dialog to know what’s going on,” while mouthing the line, “If it bleeds, we can kill it.”

11

It’s at the point that the guy starts blasting away with the semiautomatic grenade launcher that I jizz my pants.

12

Sonny Landham also did some porn, so extra testosterone point for him.

Billy: We’re all gonna die.

13

But wouldn’t it have been ironic if the badass evil alien, who plays with special forces internal organs for fun, had been two and a half feet tall and weighed forty pounds, and only was so dangerous because of its weapons, body armor and tech gear? (Damn, SyFy Channel has got to make a movie like that!)

14

Great movie for sure! “You are one ugly mother fucker.” :cool:

Tons of great quotes.

15

Calm yourself. This probably has something to do with Arnold dipping women’s heads into toilets and you getting your hair wet.
Chill out.

16

Before somebody fixes it, I’m going to post part of what it says about Sonny Landham in Wikipedia. It was obviously edited by a prankster.

I don’t know when this entry will be fixed, but it’s in the Wikipedia page as of now 10/9/09 8:15PM Pacific time.

17

No, actually, I’ve read that in some books and magazines - it’s a true story.

18

:dubious: If you mean it and aren’t trying to yank my chain, then I apologize, but I find it hard to believe.

19

That movie has more future governors that any action movie ever. 7 people from that movies went on to be governors. The guy in the predator suit was premier of Manitoba too!

20

My friend’s cousin was in med school, had a pregnant fiance, and generally a bright future, until he made the mistake of trying to buy Sonny Landham a beer. “Hey, Billy, this bud’s on me” he said. Turns out Sonny doesn’t like Bud, or being called Billy, and, well… you can figure out how the rest went.

His fiance buried the heartless corpse and now struggles to raise the baby alone. Her life was as wrecked as the cars that Sonny apparently picked up crashed together in anger mentioned elsewhere in the article.