Tag: Arnold Schwarzenegger

Commando

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Commando

dir. Mark L. Lester (1985)

Film poster: “Commando” dir. Mark L. Lester (1985)

Recipe for the quintessential 1980s action film. Take: atrocious dialogue; nonsequitous, spectacle-driven plot; casual continuity lapses; women as accessories; relentless electronic score; selectively efficacious weaponry; overweight Australian Freddie Mercury villain. Mix well, add Schwarzenegger. Ensure that writers and director are all male.

The Terminator

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The Terminator

dir. James Cameron (1984)

Film poster: The Terminator (1984)

Though irrevocably lodged in the 1980s, the original Terminator nevertheless stands up well as a nightmarish SF thriller. The final effects are a bit ropey but Hamilton, Biehn and Schwarzenegger nail their roles, allowing James Cameron’s straightforward plot to carry the day.