LOL, you’re probably right. :)
Well, everyone knows they didn’t really learn how to make movies until the 00:s. Everything else is just granpa movies, really.
It was initially, but he was Van Damme and therefore an incredibly annoying and frustrating to work with on set. The creature he was in was a far different design for the alien too, that looked more lizard like (and way dumber). Eventually they decided to go with the version in the movie and needed someone much taller.
Here’s a clip with footage of the Van Damme suit (with bonus dead Shane Black scene).
Because it’s the best Arnold movie!
It’s funny because I don’t even think of Predator as one of his movies. Seriously, this is a man’s movie. Great one liners, guns, bad ass guys who are typically unstoppable in films being slaughtered by 1 alien.
The script has incredible economy: nearly every line in the movie is a quotable one-liner. It’s all the good stuff with none of the fat. In that regard, it almost isn’t just a 80s testosterone action movie, it’s the 80’s testosterone action movie. In that regard t’s very nearly the apotheosis of the genre. It’s like…Rambo 3, but actually good.
The predator alien is a pretty good alien as well. The design is great: it’s human enough to be relatable, but alien enough to be inscrutable. It’s a sweet spot between the animalistic xenomorph and the perfectly human aliens of, say, Star Trek. I also think that it handles the reveal extremely well. So often when a movie does finally show the monster it’s a let-down, but I think that they keep the predator out of sight long enough that you’re eager to see him, but when they do show him, you’re actually satisfied with what you do get to see. Plus, you actually get 2 reveals, and I think the stakes are raised between each one.
The overall story is a perfectly serviceable riff on The Most Dangerous Game, which is one of those immortal stories that doesn’t really need embellishment. But it’s just a framework to hang the crazy 80’s action-fest on, so it barely matters.
Ruthless calls Commando the prototypical 80s movie and I see his point, because that one has a strong element of camp to it. Predator takes itself more seriously but not so much to be awkward. It hits that sweet spot were it’s actually a good movie like you said.
Oh, come on!
Iron Man 3 is probably the best 3rd installment of a superhero movie ever (I know, that’s not saying much, but still…)
And Shane Black is awesome. He also wrote Lethal Weapon, The Long Kiss Goodnight, Last Action Hero (which was a great script but a bad movie) and The Last Boy Scout. He is a hell of a screenwriter.
But I will say that I’m tired of the sequels and remakes.
I’d much rather see him write something original.
Well, sure, but compare the box office of Kiss Kiss and Iron Man 3. That pretty much tells you all you need to know about Hollywood. :)
-Tom
You’re making an unfair comparison, because Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is not one of Black’s best movies. Why not compare Iron Man 3 to The Last Boy Scout?
Wow, this was really great to see - thanks for the link.
I really hate the idea of Shane Black doing a Predator movie. He’s make some touchy-feely gibberish and ultimately have Kristen Stewart outwit the Predator with a cold fushion weapon she made while in line protesting the lack of free condoms.
The 90’s sucked all life out of our civilization.
Dear Hollywood,
Stay away of the 80’s. If you can’t replicate the glorious cheesiness without getting out of character, and still make it look like AAA, avoid it. ( I think only John Carpenter can do that)
Hollywood, please, If you want to make a reboot,… make another Jerry Maguire, or make another Dune, or Romeo and Juliet. But stay way from gems like Predators, that are like bugs trapped in amber with dinosaur DNA. These things are not for the current Hollywood, but for some future hollywood that can make them right justice with a different mindset, maybe for a different public.
Dune was 1984.
Teaser poster:
The Trevor?
Here’s the thing. Predator is one of my top 3 movies of all time - I think I’ve seen it more than 12 times, most recently just a month ago when my daughter expressed interest in it, and she actually loved it (which doesn’t surprise me, it’s a nearly perfect film). I also really like Shane Black’s work (Iron Man 3 being my favorite Iron Man film). This… this is something I’ll be VERY interested in, I think. One reboot I’m fully on board with.
Fuck, another remake. I see these movies on cable all the time. Oh. look Halloween is on. No, it’s the crappy remake. Hey, Amitytville Horror… so sorry, shitty remake. The Thing,(yeah, I know. a J.C. reboot, but so awesome) The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Fog, The Hills Have Eyes, Psycho, Carrie, The Omen, The Wicker Man, Nightmare on Elm Street, Robocop, Total Recall… the list goes on and on.
Stop it, Hollywood, just stop.
But it’s Shane Black.
- He acted in the original Predator.
- He was an uncredited writer on the original Predator.
- He’s proven that he can direct action genre movies and snappy dialogue.
Preach it brother! What’s next, a remake of The Fly? Or The Maltese Falcon? Ocean’s Eleven? True Lies? Heat?
No way they’d be better than the originals. Just stop.
Oh man, thank god nobody remade The Fly. Can you imagine what Hollywood would have done with that? Seriously, got chills here.