predator is one of the most popular action horror movies of all time. It’s a really cool idea to take a classic alien invasion movie and have them fight highly trained military personnel. The film tells the story of a group of special forces soldiers on a mission deep in the jungle, who are stalked by an alien who takes pleasure in hunting.
The film was a highly entertaining adventure that has had a lasting impact on pop culture. It helped cement Arnold Schwarzenegger’s status as a wildly successful action star. It launched the career of director John McTiernan. Most importantly, it gave us one of the best monsters in cinema. It also helped spawn a franchise that not only stands on its own but also crossovers with other brands. alien A franchise of little monster-on-monster mayhem.
Updated January 13, 2023 by Shawn S. Lealos: While the original Predator was a huge success and remains a beloved classic, most of its sequels Didn’t get good reviews. The sequel was mostly a B-grade horror film, which for a time ended its run. It had its moments in two crossover films with the Alien franchise, but never really brought the franchise back to life. Even a sequel released decades later couldn’t help the alien monster regain stardom. However, in the most unlikely place, Hulu is reviving the series in 2022 with Prey and delivering a prequel that’s the best movie since the original, with a Rotten Tomatoes score that’s a full 13 points higher than the original percentage point.
Sonny Landham needs a bodyguard
Sonny Landham plays Billy in the film, a silent but passionate member of the team who seems to sense the Predator’s presence earlier than anyone else. Although he doesn’t have many lines in the film, Billy is a very memorable character and Landham is perfect for the role. Behind the scenes, however, there were concerns about Landham’s hiring.
To appease the film’s insurance company, Landham had to hire a bodyguard for him to star. The bodyguard is not there to protect Landham, but to protect others from Landham. John McTiernan insists Sonny Landham was never a problem on set and bodyguards didn’t have to do anything.
Jesse Ventura’s Military Training
part of the original predator What makes the job so great is that the team of Soldiers make you feel like they are the real deal. To achieve the realism of playing Special Forces soldiers, the actors went through intense boot camp with real military personnel. While most actors admitted that the training ultimately helped their performances, they also said it was a very unpleasant experience.
However, Jesse Ventura predator, is a former Navy SEAL who reportedly excelled in training. His training makes it easier for him than his partner. Actor Bill Duke said (via The Hollywood Reporter) “We’re talking about having to put on these pieces of gear that are inherently heavy, and then guns and things like that… You’re crawling through a jungle and there’s coral snakes and spiders and scorpions and a lot of different animals.” Things. ” Ventura was the only one who was truly prepared for this.
The secret behind why Shane Black was hired
When filming is ready to begin predatorShane Black has become a well-known figure in the action genre, but as a writer rather than an actor.Blake once wrote deadly weapon Praised for its original voice in the genre. Producer Joel Silver reportedly tried to get Black to rewrite the Predator script, but he wasn’t interested.
Instead, Silver hired Black as an actor to play Hawkins, the team’s jokester. Silver hoped that by having Black on set, he could more easily convince Black to rewrite the film. Black allegedly still refused to rewrite the script and became the first person to be killed as a result.The writer-director insists he didn’t change the script at all, but continues to work on his own predator Movies released in 2018.
Friendly competition between actors
predator Known for one of the most muscular casts in film history. With so many tough guys on set, it’s no surprise that there’s a competitive atmosphere on set. One particularly interesting rivalry is between Arnold Schwarzenegger and former professional wrestler turned actor Jesse Ventura.
While in the costume department, Ventura noticed that his bicep size was larger than Schwarzenegger’s. Ventura confidently told Schwarzenegger that they should measure each other’s biceps, and the loser bought the winner a bottle of champagne. Unfortunately, behind-the-scenes footage revealed that the whole thing was a prank set up by Schwarzenegger and the costume department, and Ventura lost the bet.
Jean-Claude Van Damme fired from ‘Predator’
With all the tough guys already in the movie, it’s interesting to think that Jean-Claude Van Damme was briefly involved predator as well as. The martial arts star isn’t playing a member of the Special Forces, but the Predator himself. Van Damme’s original plan was to wear a special effects suit to play the monster. In the end he only lasted a few days. Multiple interviews over the decades reveal that different people have different memories of Van Damme’s departure from the film.
Stunt coordinator Craig Baxley says Joel Silver fired Van Damme because he broke a $20,000 stunt designed for him Predator” mask. Actor Bill Duke said he believed Van Damme was fired because he kept passing out in his hazmat suit due to the heat. Casting director Jackie Burch thought he was fired for complaining too much. Ultimately, visual effects supervisor Joel Hynek said Van Damme refused to stop kickboxing as the Predator, so Joel Silver fired him.
Original creature design scrapped
like jaw before it, predator This is a great movie that almost became a disaster.and like jaw, it’s the creature at the center of the film that provides most of the questions. While the original idea was for Stan Winston to design the monster, the studio opted to save some money by going with a lower-cost company.
predator John McTiernan was already well into the production process when he received the creature costume, but he was shocked by the bland design. After several days of trying to film with the creature, McTiernan showed the footage to the studio, which quickly agreed a new design was needed. In his book, total recallArnold Schwarzenegger said the design looked like “A guy in a lizard suit with a duck head“.
What happened to the sergeant? Rock comics?
When asked about working with Arnold Schwarzenegger predatorJohn McTiernan said he was like a living comic book. As it happened, at this time Schwarzenegger was giving life to a comic book for a project he was working on.
Schwarzenegger originally planned to make a movie based on the story Sgt.rock comic series and plans to star.In the closing credits, Hawkins is reading a Sgt.rock in this book, as they are the full extent of Schwarzenegger’s own research into the project.
Kevin Peter Hall plays two characters in ‘Predator’
While the cast’s ultra-masculine actors received a lot of praise, one of the more underrated predator It’s Kevin Peter Hall. After Van Damme’s casting fell through, Hall was hired as a replacement and donned the iconic Predator costume.
Despite being extremely uncomfortable working in the hot jungle in such a bulky costume, Hall managed to pull off his physical performance. In return for the costume, John McTiernan gave Hall an on-screen role as a helicopter pilot at the end of the film.
The voice of “Predator” is a familiar actor
so much predatorThe success of “Predator” hinges on the titular “Predator” creature’s performance as a terrifying killer. The character’s design is undoubtedly an important part of its success, but another aspect that makes it such a memorable movie monster is its unique voice.
The voice is provided by legendary voice actor Peter Cullen, best known for voicing Optimus Prime in Optimus Prime. TransformersMovies and cartoons. Karen was reluctant to take on the role because of her voice problems, but changed her mind after seeing the design. He invented the click himself.
Old and painless
Although it is the first predator The movie is very much a horror thriller as the Predator hunts down soldiers and takes them out one by one, making it a pretty solid action movie even before the monsters show up. One of the best scenes involves the team attacking an enemy camp with tons of firepower.
The most epic moment occurs when Brian gets to work using his weapon, Old Painless. A gun like this really doesn’t make any sense in a combat scenario like this. Director John McTiernan said (from Radio Times) They made the gun he carried, acknowledging that it was supposed to be mounted on a helicopter, but they created a gun that he could carry with him.