Chiasmus cult cinema trailers - "Predator" (1987). *These will be ongoing posts, courtesy of the A.Glass DVD collection. As I offer via Chiasmus Cult trailers, my summarized overviews*

Arnold Schwarzenegger's break out action flick, would have to be "Predator" (1987).  Which followed the shoot em up, 'Terminator' esque machine gun fest of "Raw Deal" (1986).  And it would have to be said, Predator assisted in accentuating not only Schwarzenegger to be that heavyweight Hollywood action star, but also reflected the 1980s 'Generation X' male audience thirst for guns, explosions and mass carnage.  And Predator, certainly offered all that and more, setting itself up for the many sequels that came after through the 1990s and 2000s, after its blockbuster success when it was released in June 1987.

Written by brothers John and Jim Thomas, two unknown screenwriters from California, and in true Hollywood mythology they, apparently after numerous knock backs, slipped their "Predator" script, which was titled "Hunter" at the time, under the door of 'heavyweight' 20th Century Fox producer Michael Levy, who in turn pitched the idea to Joel Silver, who produced the 1985 movie "Commando", which was Schwarzenegger's second success of guns and mayhem after "Terminator" (1984), solidifying the action star's repertoire of one liners.  And Predator, in true cult movie fashion holds up as Schwarzenegger's one liner benchmark.  These movie making chain of events, lead to Levy and Silver hiring emerging action 80s film director, the talented John McTiernan, who went onto to direct "Die Hard" (1987) and then spectacularly fell from grace before the 2000s arrived.

Production began in early 1986 filmed in and around the jungles of Mismaloya, Palenque and Chiapas in Mexico with an ensemble cast of action stars of the lesser spectrum, thus allowing Schwarzenegger, to make this a Schwarzenegger flick.  As each one of them is picked off, skinned, and deboned by the Alien "Predator", leaving, yes you guessed it (you must have seen this classic 80s movie by now!), "Dutch" (Arnold Schwarzenegger) as the last man standing.

Half survival movie, half bullet/explosion overkill, with the cast, including the late Carl Weathers who plays "Dillon", pushing their endurance to the limit whilst filming "Predator", from food poisoning, heat exhaustion and set issues, including the first Predator costume look which was a disaster, with director John McTiernan pushed for production deadlines, hired 1970s special effect maestro, the late Stan Wilson, who was credited to creating the Wookie costume for "Star Wars" (1977), to create the menacing and unique looking Predator, as a dreadlock, skull wearing, humanoid hunter from an advanced Alien civilization.    And apparently Wilson sketched the idea whilst flying on an aeroplane en route to meet McTiernan.

"Predator", despite the numerous sequels and variations of the original idea, stands alone as that cult 1980s action movie, when Generation Xers in their late teens, moving away from sexual innuendos and adult themes of early 1980s and late 1970s Hollywood, to gouging on testosterone charged gun violence.  In which at a pre-screening of Predator to producers, John McTiernan was asked to include more machine gun shoot'em up scenes.  Obliged, McTiernan inserted the now infamous scene (watch for the impractical, portable minigun) of Schwarzenegger's special forces unit, after their first encounter with the Predator,  wildly shooting into the jungle for over 3 minutes, whilst hitting nothing.  The Predator got away.   But, not for long, an hour and some minutes later, a bare chested, muddy and bloody Schwarzenegger, with no guns, kills our Alien hunter, well kinda, with his bare hands.  You'll have to watch this 37 year old movie to find out how he actually kills the Predator or does he?   Predator is very much that monthly cult movie rewatch!  One liners and all!

Some trivia:  1990s action star, Jean-Claude Van Damme, before his fall from grace, was hired to wear the Predator suit, but was to physically short to look aggressive enough, and ended fainting from heat exhaustion whilst wearing the heavy set suit.  He was replaced by the 7 Foot tall actor, the late Kevin Peter hall.

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(A.Glass 2025)

All CHIAMUS Cult Cinema trailers/commentary to date: chiasmusmagazine.blogspot.com/search/label/Chiasmus%20cult%20cinema