Happy Hour #43 - Predator (feat. MauLer and HeelvsBabyface)

Ain't got time to bleed? Then join me and the gang as we review one of the greatest action movies of all time.

[@grandmufftwerkin9037]

During my military service we yelled 'get to the choppa' many times while on training exercises. After weeks with virtually no sleep, and now showers, it was gloriously funny.

[@davidvanvranken1595]

Been there. Agreed

[@bumposlump8324]

With or without the Arnold accent 👀

[@just_blumpin_off]

@Grand Muff Twerkin The real question is did you start out as a storm trooper or did you go to imperial officers school? And I believe you mean Drop Ship🤣

[@henryback2play289]

It was more impressive seeing 1 handmade from scratch Star Destroyer in Star Wars then the 1000s of CGI Star Destroyers in Rise Of Skywalker.

[@timi_ro]

Somehow the Death Star looks bigger and more menacing then virgin Starkiller base!

[@FirstSkilletFan]

George used creative shots to help establish the scale of things. The star destroyer flew over the camera for a long time establishing its scale. When the millennium falcon first approaches the death star, it starts off looking like a small dot in the distance until they get closer. Then it just keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger until it eclipses the entire screen. Rise of Skywalker just put 1000's of tiny dots on the screen in front of a planet that made them look small and expected the audience to feel like the scale was huge.

[@TurKlack]

No. Both are impressive, in their own ways. Both aren't "real". Yet we can imagine it to be real. And if you need to check your "practical set" checkmark before you pretend that it is real, than it is a you problem.

[@Ganon999]

I guess the context can matter in some instances. Like the 1000s of Star Destroyers in TROS is just a ridiculous concept even for Star Wars rather than 1 ominous and huge ship drifting through space. I for one think the opening of RoS is great, on a visual level especially but it's a great scene for how the action plays out as well like the ships using broadside cannons like a sea vessel would.

[@PBRatLord]

@@FirstSkilletFan Not to mention in Return of the Jedi you get the shot of the Star Destroyer flying alongside the new Death Star, showing how absolutely massive it is in comparrison to even capital ships. I really enjoy CGI when it's used cleverly and to enchance the physical, but yeah, stuff like Starkiller Base and most of modern CGI in general just looks cheap and fake. Overproduced, underdesigned.

[@ZeroHourDiscussions]

Dutch: "GOOOOO! GET TO DA CHOPPAH!" Drinker: "NAH.... It'll be fine!"

[@timi_ro]

I get that reference!

[@Paul_Colton_]

Predator, Robocop, Full Metal Jacket, Raising Arizona, Hellraiser, Untouchables, Prince of Darkness, The Gate and Evil Dead II. 1987 was Epic...

[@bassolation9408]

Sandwiched by the bread of 1986's Aliens, and 1988's Die Hard... I only wish I was born well before 1988

[@timi_ro]

The 80's where on crack, that's why almost all movies where great!

[@keith3140]

Holy cow, all that in 87?

[@metaldiscipline3955]

That's why I'm grateful to have been born in such an awesome year!

[@jeremiahdansereau2950]

Don't Forget The Running Man.

[@maintaint3003]

When Billy stops in the clearing and rest of the team stops without any kind of command, they are just spooked by his uncharacteristic behavior. He's transfixed, because he knows he's in mortal danger, but can't see any signs of ambush. He's fingering a small pouch worn around his neck, I remember reading about some native American warriors having a snakeskin pouch, possibly containing snake tongue or bones, believed to be able to warn it's wearer when he's being watched. I don't remember the tribe or cult, and a cursory search engine query didn't yield clear results. Probably some library book I read a decade ago. Yeah, what a great, iconic movie. Special mention for the experimental Alan Silvestri score, weird but memorable.

[@cmln2413]

Who has the patience to get that far into it?

[@thecloudtherapist]

I love the OST. That jungle drum or whatever sound that is used a number of times, when they're in a spooky scene - not sure if that was Sylvestri as well but it's definitely a great atmosphere setter.

[@TheLoos3Goos33]

I love that the movie didn't feel like it needed to explain this like I'm an idiot.

[@chadiverson3796]

'Medicine Bags' small skin bags worn like a necklace, were quite common with all tribes, personal totems and charms particular to the wearer gave him protection in war, against disease, for stealth, for insight, wisdom, etc etc....

[@joe1hundred]

the soundtrack rules! search up the metal version it’s killer

[@phluphie]

And "Predator" maintains the record of staring the most US governors of any movie, ever.

[@horrificpleasantry9474]

Who was the second one

[@phluphie]

@@horrificpleasantry9474 Ventura was Gov of Minnesota.

[@horrificpleasantry9474]

Aha thanks

[@tonyiommi2380]

And billy was a candidate for governor of tenesse

[@VaughnJogVlog]

Why not The Running Man?

[@JJ-wi2uw]

Quite possibly the manliest movie ever made.

[@DNOstalgia]

I can't think of a more manlier one...

[@helenline1790]

@@DNOstalgia 300?

[@DNOstalgia]

@@helenline1790 oooooooo good call! 😁👍

[@iggymoondust289]

@@aethelwulfwarlord1475 agreed , is there anything more manly than shouting " your all sluts" then knocking a camel unconscious

[@DNOstalgia]

@@aethelwulfwarlord1475 😂😂😂

[@bwardokc3985]

The pistol given to Danny Glover by the Predator, belonged a pirate that was deemed a worthy opponent. There is a fairly in depth back story in the graphic novels.

[@SumDumGy]

A graphic novel tie-in isn’t necessarily canon to the film though.

[@themetalpig7613]

@@SumDumGy yeah but canon really should be whatever enriches the story for each individual, not what some faceless suit tells you is and isn't canon.

[@jonbaxter2254]

pirate predators? That's an awesome film to be made

[@TheSlammurai]

@@themetalpig7613 I don't know, I think the creator should decide what is canon.

[@kurtl8425]

It’s been said if it isn’t being done by the original writer/producer it’s basically just fan fiction.

[@sp0rkenste1n46]

Kevin Peter Hall's performance as the Predator really gave the creature life, and his movements and mannerisms became the standard for the Predators.

[@stevennewlands2978]

🙏 amen sir

[@Jaymalkin980]

Master & Commander with a Predator popping up halfway through to hunt out on the open sea

[@beardedbjorn5520]

TAKE MY MONEY!!!!!

[@erhiueQWEF]

Omg a Predator on the open sea chasing pirates or sailors would be amazing!

[@Sam-xr8ne]

@@erhiueQWEF where the fuck would the predator be or hide??

[@kenstrumpf909]

I was in a hotel the night before a big job interview when I watched this movie. I had literally never heard of it until I saw it on the hotel pay per view list so I took a chance on it. And for two hours I completely forgot my nervousness and was swept away. It was just what I needed to take my mind off my situation. PS- I didn’t get the job. But at least I got to watch a great movie.

[@och70]

Did you walk in and ask the interviewer "What is this fucking tie business?", the way Dutch did to Dillon?

[@terryclark9383]

Predator has one of the best 3rd acts of all time!

[@JJ-wi2uw]

Jesse 'The Body' Ventura's chin in Predator looks like it could have given birth to Chuck Norris.

[@danjonmills]

Cos Jesse Ventura ain't no slack jawed.....you know the rest.

[@chadiverson3796]

Hahahaha

[@TheMagusOfTheMagnaCarta]

@@danjonmills nah Jesse ain't got time to breed...

[@grandmufftwerkin9037]

Predator was rebooted several times, inside Harvey Weinstein's office.

[@SheldonAdama17]

I see what you did there…

[@Unknown-hb3id]

The pfp fits

[@mew10521]

Did he give him massages?

[@mansquatch2260]

A predator on the mean streets of Glasgow. Tracks a drunken scot leaving the pub. He gets thrown out after picking a fight... with the whole bar. He's ruff, tough, a good trophy. The predator tracks him, we see heat vision, he corners him. Encounter starts. Plasma caster, hits the man and he explodes, all the alcohol in his veins catching fire, instead of a clean shot he's now haggis. The predator is confused, looks at his plasma caster, checks the settings, looks at the scot (or what's left of him), shrugs and gives up.

[@matthiasthulman4058]

I imagine the man's drunk girlfriend, called Jackie, would stumble out and attempt the glass the Predator, because Glasgow.

[@mew10521]

I would watch that

[@Big_Div]

Everyone knows the predator was beaten by a gang of neds right after and they all had buckfast bottles

[@georgegooge8212]

The Balrog scene wasn't fully CGI. Watching some of the extras in the extended/collector's edition, they explain that, at the time the software for flames was in its infancy so wasn't viable. The flames were actually a combination of footage of real fire and flames painted in frame by frame, based on markers the animators added to the Balrog. The process took so long that the software was completed in the time

[@timi_ro]

CGI, non-CGI, still an impressive creature!

[@georgegooge8212]

@@timi_ro it was both, the Balrog itself is CGI, the flames aren't. Possibly the most iconic creature of the trilogy

[@generalkrang7138]

The Predator can understand the bush traps, he just can't see them against the backdrop of the jungle in the thermal spectrum. The wood from the trees if you will

[@hometownhero2500]

Forest from the trees but good stuff

[@Katya_Lastochka]

So their vision is actually iferior to ours? Because anyone can make thermal vision goggles.

[@KoaWaylander]

@@Katya_Lastochka They have more than just Thermal vision though. Thermal vision is just our closest point of comparison. Its like comparing our vision to that of a bird of prey. Some birds of prey can see further into the ultraviolet spectrum than us, that doesn't mean that we have better vision because we can create ways to see UV. Predators vision is more to the infrared end of the spectrum. It doesn't mean that their visual acuity is worse just different.

[@crazyralph6386]

He was certainly able to see them at night though, when he stole Blaine's body.

[@KoaWaylander]

@@crazyralph6386 It's not that he literally couldn't see them. It's that he didn't notice them the first time due to them blending in the the environment. Once he knew they were there he had no problem spotting them. Kind of like how you look out the window and don't see anything and then suddenly a bird moves and you realise it was there all along. But if you looked out the window because you heard a bird you are far more likely to spot it because you are looking for it.

[@jetnavigator]

Saw this at the cinema. A great time for action movies.

[@wesscotchdog9078]

My 1st two R-rated movies I saw were Robocop and Predator. I was 12 and my Dad took me...after Robocop he was like " Well, the cat's out of the bag with this stuff now, so let's have at it." I miss my 80s childhood.

[@shan4680]

Saw it twice at the cinema, 28 years apart (1987 and 2015).

[@Kylenashari]

One of the best parts of what I think we can all agree is "The Minigun Scene" is not the absolute thunder of Mac opening up with it, along with everyone else chiming in with a glorious barrage of 9mm, .556, 12 ga, and 40mm deforestation, but the electric whir of the now expended death-machine in his hands after the firing stops. It embodied the visceral trauma of what he had seen, as well as the true nature of the unbridled rage that was flowing through him. Secondarily, It reminds me of the final recorded mins of ww1 when the guns fell silent.

[@tkeen1412]

I was 7 when I first saw this movie. I asked mum for a monster movie to watch and she had this on VHS taped from tv labeled 'Arnie baby'. Conan started half way through the credits.

[@Robwithakick]

When the Predator purposely removes all its gear, revealing its true look and negating its tech “advantages” to make the fight more even, then spreads its hands and roars: what an iconic moment.

[@tommoser301]

whoa, I am just seeing this like 6 months after the fact. Great conversation guys. I love the CGI vs Practical ... thank God you three aren't afraid to offend each other and have an honest and interesting conversations. Thanks again for letting us listen in!

[@JJ-wi2uw]

The Predator fought with honour and a warrior code.

[@drdeadbeat1604]

Except for that poor defenceless rat he fired at while Arnie was in the mud

[@TyrDrum]

@@drdeadbeat1604 It wasn't good rat, It was bad rat.

[@MagikarpMaestro]

Naaah... They actually just wanted to get the spinal dna from humans so they could splice the cells together and make super predators. Even better if it's autistic dna cos autism gives you superpowers. Because that's not stupid whatsoever... Weaponised Autism > honour code

[@crazyralph6386]

@@MagikarpMaestro haha! good one. what an utterly ridiculous premise for that abortion of a movie eh? what the hell were they thinking?

[@feco91]

@@crazyralph6386 "what the hell were they thinking?" Money. More money.

[@Hyper_Light_Grifter]

The inscription on the hand gun in Predator 2 says Alec Baldwin

[@heraldofwar]

The Hobbit could learn a lesson from this movie - everyone's character is defined, individual and memorable. Predator has to be one of the most quotable movies ever made.

[@jkfozul2316]

I've gotta say Hawkins and poncho don't fit that description for me personally

[@criticalstrike1128]

@@jkfozul2316 But you recognize who they are, their personality and names.

[@jkfozul2316]

@@criticalstrike1128 well the only way I could think of poncho is cuz I just watched the stream. When I was younger watching this movie for the first handful of times, it was everyone is memorable except for those two guys who die first. Which is funny cuz those two guys actually book end the deaths

[@crazyralph6386]

It’s the build up towards the end realization, that the baddest men on the planet, were basically helpless children against an extraterrestrial hunter/warrior. The revelation of the Predator in full view and end battle with Dutch, was simply the icing on the cake. The hook for me, was near the end, when the Jungle Hunter avoided all trip wires and extracted a 6ft 4 265lb Blaine right from “under their noses”. It was at that exact moment when Dillon transformed from a “rebel patrol” sceptic, to being full blown scared for his life, as Billy shon the light on Blaines empty poncho! Cinematic perfection!!!

[@sneakyking]

Ah predator...its such a good film. 1 macho men fighting aliens. 2 also a slasher movie with macho men. 3 remove the 1st scene with the craft dropping off the predator and its even better. 4 I love Dillons death scene ...its like a nightmare

[@Sam-xr8ne]

the crash scene was ok wth.

[@sneakyking]

@@Sam-xr8ne without the craft drop off scene what the predator is and its introduction is suspenseful and building. The film flips dusl till dawn style if the craft scene is removed. Turns the 10/10 into a ...10/10

[@RogeriusRex]

Arnold is the best final girl. (Girlish squeel!)

[@JoeSyxpack]

I saw this movie for the first time during a sleepover at a friend's house when I was maybe 10. As it so happened he had a pirated copy where the first few minutes were cut off, so I never knew that there was an opening scene with a spaceship until years later. The shift to horror and the Predator reveal caught me way off guard. Still remember that initial watch very fondly.

[@crazyralph6386]

That’s hilarious dude! I probably watched it around the same age also(and at a friends sleepover!!!), except this VHS was rented, so the unearthly monster connection was made almost automatically, seeing the Predators ship at the beginning? Me and my buddy were right into GI Joe, Platoon, and Tour of Duty at the time, so we got all camoe’d up, face painted, with our toy guns laid out, thinking it was a other ‘Commando’ type Arnold film judging by the VHS cover, until it turned into a complete and utter horror show!!! Freaked us both out, especially when the baddest of the group(Blaine) got offed, and then we quickly realized it was a film like no other at the time(which explains why it took us forever to even reserve the VHS for ONE night to rent it???). Was well worth the wait, seeing how it was the MOST memorable times ever watching a movie? The 80’s was such a magical time, that I’d do anything to go back!!!

[@ShasOSwoll]

They didn't mention my favorite comedy bit: When Anna grabs for Poncho's MP5 and Dutch kicks it away, it actually flies up and hits the Predator sat in the tree.

[@blueshard4632]

Wait. That happens in that scene? I'm going to have to pay attention next time I watch it

[@bikermike_mars1372]

The original predator concept looked more like a power rangers villain.

[@Sam-xr8ne]

Van Damm was going to be in the costume lol.

[@Mister-Six]

Predator 2 is a good movie and great sequel.

[@bogdananicescu6051]

Yes sir! I love Predator 2

[@patrickbatman141]

I think it's becoming a bit overrated from nostalgia tbh. Danny Glover is a bad choice for the lead, scenes like the motherfucker line are so awkward looking and hilariously dumb, the final fight is underwhelming as fuck ect. I would honestly say it's of the same quality as the Adrien Brody movie. Prey is better than both. The Predator 2018 is so bad that I refuse to even acknowledge it as part of the franchise.

[@Laxhoop]

Predator 2 made me believe that the series was basically going to be “very stereotypical trope, but we threw a f*cking predator in there”. The first one was an action movie + predator, and the second was a cop movie + predator. I really liked that idea, and I wish they’d kept it up, and done like what you guys said, and we went back in time, to see medieval drama + predator.

[@Rhyno861997]

I know I'm really fucking late but check out Predator: Dark Ages, fanmade for like $1000, but pretty good for what it is, and it's pretty much what you're looking for.

[@generalkrang7138]

One of the top 4 movies of absolute perfection of all time. Master piece

[@Sam-xr8ne]

some of the acting is corny but I love it.

[@willoedits3573]

1. James Cameron was the one who came up with the idea of the Mandibles. While on a flight with Stan Winston when they were working on a movie together, he saw Stan designing the look and said "I've never seen mandibles, I think that would look cool. 2. Someone decided they wanted doglike legs that bent backwards, Winston came up with a full workup... but then they scrapped the design altogether. 3. The original idea was to have a drag out fight, Arnold decided that "he's a monster, there's no way for me to fight that... " So it became the one sided physical battle at the end.

[@jarhead21100]

At 8 minutes the drinker brings up an amazing point. When I watched Predator for the first time it was on VHS alone in the house when I was 13. The VHS tape didn't show the space ship. For me, the movie began with the choppers landing on the beach. I thought the antagonist was a human until I saw the thermal imaging of the Predator's hand holding the scorpion. I was all like: "holy shit! That thing isn't human!"

[@chadiverson3796]

The predator costume NEVER triggered my sense of the 'uncanny valley', that film was genius....

[@effinjamieTT]

Jaws was a success despite all the trouble they had with the shark and the consequent absence of it on screen. If Spielberg had been able to CGI it, I doubt anyone would even remember the movie.

[@V0ssk]

What a horrible take, sure people lined up for Jaws to see the shark effects but it was always the characters and well thought out deaths that barely use the shark that were remembered and usually not the shark. In fact I would dare say the most memorable thing about the film didn't involve the shark at all but was Quint's account of the USS Indianapolis. It is not like having CGI would have made the actors do a worst job or the director to make the poorer script.

[@effinjamieTT]

@@V0ssk but it would have. The film evolved and changed for the better due to the inability to have the shark on screen. So more attention was given to the script and characters, and more screen time given to them.

[@V0ssk]

@@effinjamieTT You still have not given much of an argument here. As if the director just goes ah yes shark's not working today so I guess we'll just re-shoot that other scene again until it's perfect. That is not how productions work given you need a lot of setup planned beforehand what with traveling to location, getting the actors/ crew needed, and whatever extras/props as well. Also, I have to laugh at the defense that the director gained so much time because of a broken prop {downsides of practical effects} that it improved the overall film given that if you knew behind the scenes more time was spent waiting for sailboats to go past the horizon so there would be a feeling of isolation on the Orca, something which CGI nowadays would completely eliminate as a problem as you could "paint" out any boats. But noooo, He would just CGI it all up and have the shark everywhere in your assumption, something he was vehemently against in all his interviews for the film. I would prefer people would have a "innocent until proven guilty mindset", but your assumption is that Spielberg would just abuse CGI so much that JAWS would be forgettable. That is so laughable given his track record in JP and other films where he used CGI all of which are pretty good. Not to mention downplaying the roles Scheider, Dreyfuss, and Shaw played as if they are 2nd fiddle to a puppet shark, get out of here.

[@theduxabides9274]

The one, ONE, good part of the mess that was AVPR was the predator himself, Wolf. What little we got to see of him was awesome, he was like a Predator 'Mob cleaner,' erasing evidence and murking aliens and humans left and right to avenge the fallen trainees from AVP and keep the Yautja's activities hidden EDIT: Almost forgot, but the 'Mob cleaner' aesthetic was entirely intentional; his name, Wolf, was derived from Harvey Keitel's character in Pulp Fiction who serves as a 'cleaner'

[@stevekramerf242]

Alien vs Predator has some good comics and a few good games (especially the first two ones), and nothing more.

[@crazyralph6386]

That film was soooo bloody dark.

[@theduxabides9274]

@@crazyralph6386 There's even footage in the making of where a camera guy complains about it!

[@crazyralph6386]

@@theduxabides9274 such a bloody shame, considering that Wolf was probably one of the best looking Predators aesthetically? I remember watching those behind the scenes when they’re dressing up Ian Whyte as Wolf, seeing all the intricate and small details added, showing how bad ass of a Predator is? What was the reason for dim lighting again, I can’t remember it? Was it because the Xenomorphs looked so terrible in post production, cause the Wolf costume was damn near perfect?

[@theduxabides9274]

@@crazyralph6386 No clue why they made it the way they did

[@eamonnholland5343]

Predator is one of the best movies ever made. The genre changing in the movie makes sense with how the story unfolds, and it's core structure is quite similar to how other really good horror movies are told, following the classic hero's journey. The first part is a gung-ho action movie with bits of the unknown antagonist sprinkled in, which springboards into later parts of the movie. This shows how badass Dutch and his team are, which then contrasts to how strong an antagonist the predator is throughout the rest of the film, because of how easily it dispatches them. This is something modern movies fail to capture, because they make their "heroes" Mary Sues that can do no wrong, and win through contrivances via poor writing, rather than through failure and subsequent self improvement. The second part becomes a horror film, where the team has no idea what they're facing, and are picked off one by one. You never see the predator in the flesh in this part, a classic/necessary horror trope that many modern horror movies fail to reproduce. Also, Dutch and his team fail despite making intelligent decisions, making the predator even more menacing. Lastly, for this part of the movie, specific scenes take a moment here and there for quiet contemplation, letting the audience think, to drastically increase tension and fear where it would be most effective. The third/last part is Dutch preparing and battling the predator in a survival, where the roles of Dutch and the predator are nearly reversed, becoming a fight to the death. Even though Dutch still technically loses to the predator, he wins at the last moment due to perseverance and preparation, and the hubris of the villain. The second part starts almost immediately after the main action sequence is finished, and the last part starts almost immediately after the predator is seen in full without its cloaking field, which removes much of the unknown horror aspect, both natural turning points from genre to genre. Almost every scene and piece of dialog accomplishes more than one thing, establishing characters, expanding the backstory, or heightening the genre each part is tied to (action/horror/survival). Again, this movie is a perfect example of the classic hero's journey, with character building, failure, improvisation/learning/improving, and overcoming. The hero is only as strong as the villain/obstacle he has to overcome, and the predator is a one of the best antagonists ever conceived. It's not just a mindless uber powerful villain, but has set rules and personality, with a code of honor, making it complex and believable. It's so well made that it enabled other creators to establish an entire expanded universe outside the movies, with some stories where other Yautja (the predator species) are actually allies to humans. There's a reason why the sequels failed to live up to the first movie, because it was damn near perfect, even though modern Hollywood is nigh incapable of making a decent movie, much less a perfect one.

[@Hashbrown1682]

An example for a great invention of Cgi is violet's hair in 'The Incredibles'. There was no way to do her hair and the shade of it, so they invented a way to do it.

[@Nova-sama420]

''cgi requires no skills''

[@dicksuekkerre4326]

Ive lierally never heard someone say cgi takes no skills. They are saying if not completed with care and implemented perfectly it looks flawed regardless of effort and skill. Unless you all love spy kids 3d

[@DarkXVenator]

@@dicksuekkerre4326 return of the king vs battle of the 5 armies

[@Hashbrown1682]

@@dicksuekkerre4326 oh I did. It's garbage but I find it fun

[@jkfozul2316]

Same thing with the balrog, if I remember correctly (big if) on one of the many commentaries they mention that weta digital made the code for CGI fire and smoke shortly before the film was supposed to be ready.

[@themetalpig7613]

Probably still in my top 5 of all time with Terminator 2. I think the only tiny knitpicking criticism I have of Predator is the first scene showing something (the Predator) coming into Earth's atmosphere from space. It doesn't bother me, but I think the movie would work better without revealing this at the start...although the kid version of me probably didn't even notice this or make the connection. I used to write stories using the characters as a kid before being aware of 'fan fiction' as a thing. Had a big crush on Anna too!

[@lancebaylis3169]

Yeah that always bothered me too. Smacks of a studio suit requesting it at a late stage because they were afraid the audience wouldn't "get it" (when, honestly, I think part of the movie's brilliance is that it feels like Commando until suddenly its all about... something else, and that shift in tone is brilliantly executed.

[@themetalpig7613]

@@lancebaylis3169 yeah definitely

[@och70]

@@lancebaylis3169 The "big brain" studio execs didn't think the dirty little peasants could possibly grasp that concept without it being spoon fed to them.

[@beardedbjorn5520]

yep, my thoughts too. I remember reading somewhere that they added that to the final cut after the test audience thought that it was some secret Russian Spetsnaz with an invisibility suit and they were confused when it turned into a sci-fi slasher. Take that with a grain of salt though.

[@themetalpig7613]

@@beardedbjorn5520 I wanna know where they find these test audiences. They always seem to be full of imbeciles. Lol

[@theduxabides9274]

1:15:03 I wouldn't say it's "one hundred percent correct" when we're talking about two different environments. The Table scene in Good Fellas has physical actors and a setting in a relatively confined space, the opening sequence of ROTS required creating an entire environment and setting from the ground up and then focusing on objects that are incredibly small compared to those around them, while still acknowledging interactions going on in the background so that the scene feals like a real battle taking place. Both are legitimately good examples of cinematography, they just involve different technologies...

[@FutureAlien]

I remember watching this when I was around 12 or so and immediately feeling it's different somehow. There were two reasons for this: 1. I couldn't fully articulate it at the time, but that was my first experience with what I would understand as a "cross-genre" film. Up to then, my films were neatly sorted in separate categories - military action film, sci-fi film, comedy film, etc. With Predator, I was like, "It has the action of Rambo, but also an alien... what is it?!". I grew up to appreciate films/series that successfully combine multiple genre elements. 2. This was one of the first films I saw where I appreciated that the action is limited to a specific location at a specific time - the other being Die Hard, also directed by John McTiernan. In both cases, the limited location and timeframe creates immersion and tension that are not possible in, say, a James Bond film. This made me appreciate later efforts that do this same thing, like e.g. games Metal Gear Solid, the Tomb Raider 2013 reboot.

[@crazyralph6386]

Spot on! I remember seeing it around the same age back in the 80’s and was blown away how quickly it went from Commando to Halloween in the 3rd act. It really felt like a horror film, especially when Blaine gets wasted. The biggest and baddest firepower of the unit, getting reduced to a squashed ant, really scared the hell out of me, but when Mac got half his head blown off, I nearly pissed myself at the slow building tension.

[@erikdolnack2737]

"Predator" [1987] is a GREAT film! It has aged so well over the years. I love it more today than I did in the 80s. It never gets old.

[@Bow-to-the-absurd]

Me and my friends used to quote predator in the early 90's at school I was the first person to master' get to the chopper' in the south east of England. True story. Was on the front page of the Frimley and Camberley gazette.

[@Mr_Smith618]

There's an indie movie on youtube with Predator in medieval times. Haven't had the chance to watch the whole thing but heard it was good

[@stevennewlands2978]

Predator dark ages bud. Give it watch its ace.

[@matthiasthulman4058]

It's very good. Better than every sequel after the original Predator

[@andrewlindner8783]

I love when, after the massive carnage at the guerilla camp, Dutch says to Mack 'Clear the area. No traces' ... Like after all those bullets and grenades fired, poor Mack has to try and cover up that they'd ever been there. And he does it in a few minutes the Boss

[@darksunwithin]

Az is spot on with the T-Rex comparison. 30 years and that cgi still looks better and more believable than pretty much everything in the movies that are shat out of Hollywood these days.

[@MilkT0ast]

Ahh I remember ad a kid, my parents wouldn't allow me and my bro to watch this movie. So we would sneak out side the house and watch from the TV room window. Our neighbors always wondered what we were doing. Then when we finally got to watch it, it blew our little minds. Oh... amd the Predator is so well designed it inspired so many things today. The protoss from starcraft, the sanghelli from halo, and the Tau and kroot from warhammer.

[@TheReelDealwithTomKonkle]

This movie is increasingly well crafted in all areas. John McTiernan was on a roll!

[@johnmcternan4157]

Thank you. :P

[@OptimusJedi]

Predator. Easily one of the greatest movies of all time. Love the commentary and it makes me want to watch the movie again.

[@Adino1]

Talked my parents into taking me to see this just before my 8th birthday, my first R rated movie theater experience.

[@fermentedcinema4892]

I actually want to catch one of these live one day… My Japanese time zone doesn’t help.

[@ulisesvalenzuela7667]

F

[@paulhigham2394]

You'll struggle catching a predator in Japan. They rarely visit there.

[@jsb1944]

Im 10 years old. Its 1989. I recorded this off tv on vhs while out at a basketball game. I come home and rewind it a tiny bit to verify it taped. I hit play right at the point where the unmasked predator roars at arnie. I have a minor panic attack, turn off the movie and dont have the balls to watch it for a few weeks. I pretend i watched it to my friends at school. Months later my friend sleeps over and im forced to actually watch it. Im terrified. I play it off like its nothing. I dont sleep well for years, convinced a invisible alien is in my room waiting to kill me. This movie is burned into my mind. Im 42 now. Its my favorite movie monster of all time because it was so convincing. They dont make em like they used to. Even the sequel creatures dont look as good as this OG masterpiece from Stan.

[@lawrenceweymouth1588]

Just want to say you three are truly great entertainment. Thanks for filling the void hollywood left in me

[@ErikDeMann]

Stan Winston and James Cameron sat next to eachother on a plane, when the suggestion to the Predator's look was brought up, because Winston were doing various initial versions in his sketchbook on that trip.

[@Hashbrown1682]

So the reason the predator showed itself to Arny during the final showdown is because of predator law, when hunting and find and worthy opponent you reveal yourself to them and face them in an honorable duel

[@kalash_nikov]

It's not a "law" per se. It's just something they do. He wouldn't be punished by his cast for not doing it, I don't think they would even think less of him for it. I need to re-read AvP and AvP2 comics, I loved the lore behind Predators' lives.

[@Hashbrown1682]

@@kalash_nikov wouldn't he be labeled a bad blood if he didn't do that?

[@kalash_nikov]

@@Hashbrown1682 Honestly, I don't remember. I remember the basic principles, but I need to re-read it to be able to say I'm certain. You might be right. All I know, is that whoever came up with that lore, made it fit perfectly with what we knew about Predators from 2 movies. Did you read Alien: Labyrinth?

[@leonefurlan137]

it found Arnie to be an admirable opponent,and decided to fight it on "equal grounds"!

[@theduxabides9274]

1:15:16 The reason they made practical wroshyrr trees for the Kashyyk sequence in ROTS is because the computers at the time were deemed incapable of storing that much data and in such detail, the same reason why the sinkhole city on Utapau and the lava plain and flows on Mustafar were practical miniatures also. It's clearly more than just the quality of one's computer... Here's a BTS documentary short from ROTS for anyone interested: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gaaaYWOEr7eIirM

[@jaymcd8577]

Showing the spaceship at the start should have never been done, it ruins the surprise right off the bat. First time I saw Predator I'm glad to say I missed that bit and made the reveal all the more epic and memorable

[@EngineeredTheMind]

Predator still ranks in my top 5 of all time favorite movies. Maybe only Last of the Mohicans i've seen more times, but both movies still epic to watch every single time.

[@spenser9908]

Respect for CGI animators aside, what it all boils down to is, no one's ever said, "shit, we can't do this in CGI, let's just do it practically." Practical effects have never been used as a crutch, only CGI has. And that answers the question of which is more difficult and inventive.

[@jpdominator]

Lol. I would love to see a woke Predator parody. US military’s recent ad target demographic. Just the weakest bunch of people in the jungle. The Predator not seeing any of them as a threat. Takes out one alpha male character, then all the weak people create their own traps, but eventually get wiped out by their own traps.

[@compostsmurf5519]

🤣

[@Hyper_Light_Grifter]

“There’s something out there waiting for us it’s probably a toxic man!”

[@reaperezekial5168]

Wasn’t that the plot of the most recent Predator flop?

[@jpdominator]

@@reaperezekial5168 ha! I suppose you’re right!

[@Sam-xr8ne]

there's a funny animation out there...

[@monnimonnickendam7289]

Its the Don of 80's Films. Possibly one of the best action films made. It never takes a breath, its relentlessly paced and the twists are brutal. You are always looking in the foliage for the Predator. "You one ugly muthafucka"

[@ryanwilliams9712]

The Longman is so long that he is stretched across the entire internet

[@david3551]

Well according to the Hollywood Reporter Netflix is currently eyeballing Ruby Rose to play Alan "Dutch" Schaefer (originally played by Arnold Schwarzenegger) in a Predator remake.

[@Payne1971]

I remember a friend trying to describe what the Predator's cloaking effect was like because for me it was the first time I'd ever been made aware of cloaking.

[@SuperLloyd84]

I'd love to see a Predator movie set on their homeworld where the MC is a human who hitched a ride on of their ships and gets stranded. Nothing would be explained about their culture, he would just be stumbling through their world and experiencing it while trying to stay alive.

[@josephm8294]

You gotta see Better Call Saul. It has good dialogue, location, set design, costume, lighting, sound, and casting.

[@reikun86]

I liked the first season. Been meaning to catch up on the rest

[@timi_ro]

Somehow I was more interested in Mike story then Jimmy's! Can't wait for the final season!

[@phluphie]

Damn you, whippersnappers! I was about 16 and saw Predator in theaters. Now, get off my lawn, you kids!

[@samzilla567]

I still love that when Stan Winston was designing the Predator, James Cameron was with him on a plane ride and just lazily suggested that he should add the iconic mandibles for the Predator design. James Cameron just farts out great ideas left and right.

[@mt0068]

Az - I would love to see a medieval predator film Hollywood - We listen - just a few small changes.. It will be set in America, featuring Native Americans and the main hero will be a small woman... other than that - exactly the same

[@matthiasthulman4058]

Ugh, I had completely forgotten about that until I saw this. Also, have you watched Predator - Dark Age? It is medieval Predator. It's on KZbin and absolutely great

[@JellyfaceProductions]

The space dinosaurs tangent was unexpected and hilarious 😂 great stream, great film

[@thunderwarrior1759]

Johnny Depp owned all the penthouses in the Eastern building from Predator 2. I love to know how he felt about living where an iconic bit from the sequel was done

[@GarrethandPipa]

Billy: I'm scared Poncho. Poncho: Bullshit. You ain't afraid of no man. billy: It aint no man

[@monkeymagic00001]

Jesus Christ every time I watch a KZbin video AZ is right there, can't escape him, good job I find him very amusing, the stress hair growth bit in one of his recent Batwoman reviews was hilarious.

[@antpatrick2635]

I believe there's several tiers of honour with regards to the weapons, killing with the spear is the most honourable way of killing. The plasma is the least

[@braindead5283]

I suppose it comes back to the whole "If you can do the task with just a thought, it loses the meaning of the act"

[@danelynch7171]

The level of threat and number of enemies is goina have baring as well. If you're going up against a horde of xenomorphs, I think a plasma cannon would be acceptable but you're goina get more "points" for using a spear or wrist blades.

[@princeofruins3287]

Predator, Terminator 2 and Aliens, the holy trinity of movies . I can watch you guys talk about them all day. Also, that joke about everyone liking the Predator at the beginning.... Or was it ?

[@jeremiahdansereau2950]

...Don't Forget Die Hard

[@deanvanjaarsveld3415]

I think the biggest let down of modern cgi is that the actor is just put in front of a blue or green screen, but in the past even when it involved cgi there would be a person or prop of some kind for them to look at and focus on, and our acceptance as viewers is dependent on their reaction to the thing they're looking at

[@1982Obsidian]

Wow, I thought I was the only one who had seen Season of the Witch! It's an ace film, with the mighty Ron Perlman to boot!

[@garethdavies2093]

CGI almost has the exact inverse to live actions problem points. Light / Weight / Surface interaction all crazy difficult in CG but "free" irl. Building a 8 mile tall monolith, or a swarm of 10 million alien craft is very very hard irl, but trivial in CG. They of course have things in common too, colour grading / shot composition, occasionally compositing etc. A long one shot take is incredibly hard irl, and long shot in CG is absolutly no more cost that a 1000 shots spliced together (single take is probably 'cheaper'). CGI artists aren't the same people that build renderers, the same way directors of photography don't make video cameras (i'm sure there's exceptions, but as a general point). There's dozens of roles that work with CG as much as there's dozens of specialist roles that build sets etc. We're now at the point where advanced CG is easily in reach of a hobbist, let alone major studios. There are students that can/do produce better work than Marvel does, there's no particulary good excuse for Marvel either (bad planning is still their fault). I very much doubt the issue is with the CG Artist(s) though, it'll always be a time gated factor. The difference between cheap cgi (BP) and really expensive cgi (LotR) is immense, probably a few orders of magnitude in cost (which of course is on the sliding scale of technology). Oddly enough, machine learning 'Ai' might be the fixing factor. As training it enough on reality can actually teach it how to 'mess up' CG so it fits all together much better. There's an example Intel created on GTA5 that makes the in game footage look like it's camera footage just by using an 'Ai' to paste the style of realism onto it.

[@williamderamus9862]

Yes I decree by the end of September 2022 I will move forward spiritually physically and financially! And so be it! Thank you in divine gratitude 🙏🏾 Father God

[@thorinhannahs4614]

The bit about CGI is pretty interesting. I have made 3D assets in my time. You can make anything but give someone the ability to make anything and see how they flounder. There are poly count limits, creating everything to have squares for its vertice grid so you can tessalate it or not. You have to model in a way that when you unwrap it you can apply your textures in a way that makes sense. I am sure the industry has changed a great deal since I last used 3ds Max. Maybe a lot of it has gotten easier but it is a lot of work. You can make an amazing model but if someone else textures it and then someone else rigs it and then someone else animates it and someone else adds in the effects and lighting and someone else directs it like damn think about that.

[@phluphie]

When you turn the speed down to 75%, Drinker sounds drunk off his ass.

[@drdeadbeat1604]

Then when you turn it back to normal he still sounds drunk off his ass

[@Wicked061]

2x he sounds drunk still but also like he just blasted through an 8 ball of blow. It's actually pretty funny.

[@anthonymcgrath]

so much of the Predator is cool - the netting-like suit... the armour.. the tech.. the mandibles... but the cable-like dreads are the coolest part of the Predator design - they were just so out of place at first glance but then seem completely in character for it and give it extra mass and bulk. total genius

[@pwnedddddd]

love how Drinker says "Predator".

[@calimarine92]

The Balrog was actually a combo piece. They carved the head out of styrofoam and painted it. Then the mouth, eyes and body were a green screen with the head on a pole above Ian Mckellen.

[@hylianbatman3153]

I think one of the missed parts of the movie is the SMALL CIA spook subplot. Adds weight and urgency to Dutch and his crew

[@Jaded.Hero.Worship]

On the CGI vs. Practical, specifically the Lord of the Rings CGI Creatures, the real key was that all of those creatures were created as first a concept drawing, then a clay maquette, which was then fully detail painted by a master makeup artist and THEN surface scanned so that CGI artists had a full digital detail map. So something as simple as harsh lighting, the CGI artists could constantly reference the real physical balrog sculpture which I believe was 7 feet tall. Same with Gollum, the Uruk Hai, the Watcher in the Water. As has been said in many other places, it’s that key of time and effort being put into all areas and using all tools at your disposal.

[@zachmileshydra]

I remember seeing the idea of a Predator movie, under premise of a seasoned master Predator with a younger trainee as they travel on a planet and hunt smaller game until the master deems ready the true game. An Alien hive to hunt an Alien Queen. As they go thru the hive they run into a group of human survivors where they dont intervene but observe, moments where the trainee learns of how the xenomorphs hunt the humans to strategize and counter hunt the Aliens. The human numbers get picked off by the Aliens till the duo deem them no longer a factor that interferes with their hunt. The duo splits, the trainee goes to hunt an isolated apex alien in a confined area with limited gear (as a rite of passage) after a hard fought battle ,trainee is sucessful and reports back to the master with the kill. He is recognized and officially given a title and caster. Then the two gear up and seige to Hive to hunt the Queen and nuke to place. As they slash thru hordes of xenos the master takes a hit that was meant for his student. The two split once again, the Master after glory and great death to fight the Queen, the Student to find the hive center to plant the nuke. As the Student fights tooth and nail, the Master finds and Duels the Queen. The student escapes and detonates the nuke and runs into a small group of humans but chooses not to kill them. The Fight between the Master and Queen is left ambiguous, but if he lives or dies could be up to how you want it to end. The master could pull a hudini and appear with the Queens head outside the hive or die a glorious death.

[@theafflictionvhs17]

I think between which one I love more Aliens or Predator.

[@dangiambrone7350]

I struggle to split them. If pushed, I might go for Aliens simply on account of the special edition giving us 154 minutes of excellence as opposed to Predator's excellence lasting for only 107 minutes.

[@WayStedYou]

As much as i love predator i have to go with aliens

[@chrisweldon3476]

Predator, aliens and terminator 2 are the sci fi holy trinity

[@JiggyGnorrus]

I go back and forth.

[@BirdsElopeWithTheSun09]

Alien is better than both of them.

[@mariaberovic356]

57:30 I'm pretty sure the skull Predator polished was Billy's

[@chrisbingley]

What I would love to see for Predator 3: Set in the future, humans land on a planet and end up teaming up with the predators to take down an bigger threat.

[@joshuapetersen4960]

First off I love your channel, secondly everything you spoke about why this film is so good compared to not only the inferior sequels, but also compared to most movies is just spot on. This film is what 35 years now, and it still works and feels pretty much not dated at all. The part where you spoke about the cloaking device they used in the first film is spot on; it has a near ghostly shape to it in the trees that is way more haunting and disturbing than the sequels and why....because they tried to perfect it and in doing so they lost that thing that made it worked but great point!

[@trevor7962]

The pistol Danny Glover gets in Predator 2 is a reference to the Dark Horse Predator comic. RazörFist talks about it in his review of that movie.

[@morte_dave]

Just to clarify, Jason's mother was not abusive, if anything she was overprotective. He had disabilities and wasn't looked after at the camp with his propensity to be bullied.

[@RustCole01]

The only way to stop the Predator is to confront it and say, "why don't you have a seat?"

[@michaeldavis2001]

There is a fan film, 'Predator: Dark Ages' set in medieval times. It's 27 minutes long and, I believe, available on KZbin.

[@phluphie]

Not "Battle Beyond the Stars", "Galaxy of Terror" was the Corman film Camron got his start as Art Director. And I think Bill Paxton was on Cameron's crew for that film.

[@BMFOTP3]

Man predator, I remember when my dad had my brother and me watch it with him. Great times!

[@weepingeye]

Great conversation. For mine, on the point of the opening shot, it was only after I'd watched the movie as a grown up that I considered the movie would have been stronger without the shot of the inbound ship. Would have really put us in the same WTF head space as the humans.