Terminator 2 & The Forgotten Art of Blockbuster Cinema - Mike Hill

[@TheTammanytiger]

this is blowing my mind. 60 minutes have never felt so quick. please, please make more video

[@jamircoen649]

i know I am pretty off topic but does anyone know of a good site to stream newly released tv shows online ?

[@kohencarlos1522]

@Jamir Coen Flixportal =)

[@jamircoen649]

@Kohen Carlos thanks, signed up and it seems like a nice service =) Appreciate it!!

[@kohencarlos1522]

@Jamir Coen Happy to help :)

[@sadderthanyou7793]

They never should have deleted the chip scene. John's decision to flip the switch is what gives the T-800 an edge over T-1000 because an "it" becomes a "he" with more than just a mission to protect John - the T-800 learns to care about John and go beyond its programming to save him.

[@pglagowski]

The scene is weighty, but a much shorter line earlier in the film already establishes that the T-800 can learn from human action. You can cut the scene and not lose the meaning.

[@moseschung3220]

The special edition is the definitive version of T2 for me. I found that extra 15 mins to make such an impact to the story, made Miles Dyson a more sympathetic character to me and I wish that’s what was released in the theater. The chip seen was also such an incredible piece to the movie. One interesting thing I also noticed was when John tried to reach the T-800 to smile, that didn’t make it into the theatrical release. But later, when they are looking at guns and Arnie picks up the mini-cannon, that smirk he gives makes so much more sense with the added scene prior.

[@ryanhunter226]

Brilliant analysis. If I may, I'd add that during the scene after John confronts his mother (after she confronts Dyson) Its shown that Dyson and his wife can't look after their son Danny. This shows John's growing maturity as he recognises that and he almost sternly but still very gently takes Danny, away (to protect him from any psychological harm) to his room. Danny is never seen again, this implies that John was successful in comforting him. John has proved he already has the potential to empathise, connect with and protect other people, which is the polar opposite of the reckless, lost, unguided child, with no real (apart from his friend who appears to be just like him) emotional bonds or intimate connections with other human beings. That was a very subtle but clever moment.

[@mattfojtik7130]

This, along with your Jurassic Park analysis, has completely changed the way I look at storytelling. You have an incredible talent. I've probably seen both of these movies a dozen times, but was never able to see on a conscious level the nuance and detail that you've exposed here.

[@NathanFarkas]

When I as a kid watched this film with my best friend, we used to comment on it all the time. "They crashed his bike! There goes the childhood", "You're riding with the big kids now, John!", "Feeling sane much, Dr. Silverman?", "This scrapyard feels like something already out of the dead future! They're living in it already", and some such. We were really obnoxious about all of these conclusions we made and felt like we were the only ones who saw these things. It took me over 15 years to appreciate that all of these ideas and conclusions were specifically designed to pop up in our heads. I miss my childhood, and all the good films that spoiled us in the 90s and early 2000s. I include the earlier films, but 90s were when I saw them.

[@therantingboy]

This is the greatest piece of film analysis.

[@thegreatnative]

T2 is my favourite film of all time. I’ve seen it literally over 100 times, Now I know why, thanks so much

[@craignicholas4167]

I know now why*

[@peteyd1984]

It's my favorite film also. It's perfect.

[@Anamnesis]

I am late to the game here but this is just incredible. Cameron has understood the monomyth for decades and Mike is on a whole other level explaining why.

[@adrianbiber5340]

This stuff is incredible. I KNEW there was a reason Jurassic Park and T2 always moved me the most, when all else fell short. Very inspiring! Thank you!

[@traviscartwright9448]

I dont study film, but this is amazing and I watch it often

[@ironmanjakarta8601]

“If it’s a good movie, the sound could go off and the audience would still have a pretty clear idea of what was going on.” - Alfred Hitchcock

[@DJDALTON24]

Maximilian Dood brought me here🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@ajayarjunk]

This stuff is not taught anywhere. Thankyou so much. Your passion towards movies is inspiring.

[@nickmattedwards]

Dear Mike, you're a total f*cking dude for this. Many thanks.

[@user-dd9is6iy9m]

This video is mind-blowing, I even posted it on facebook which I never usually do. You are incredible, Mike. Thank you for explaining things to me which I missed after almost 30 years of viewings.

[@pierresaelen3097]

33 minutes in and you've got a new subscriber. This is eye-opening.

[@osaka_daioh]

SO glad I got to see this. Also brought by Max to watch this and I am not disappointed. I'm reminded of exactly why I enjoyed it so much and why Film School can be so dumb. People were hating the movie for our assignment in watching it and here I was like "What? This is awesome!" but I never understood or can put it to words why. This feeling of enjoyment, when the class was thinking of it as a dumb action film. This is the best and the fact that this doesn't have high views may actually speak volumes of the information here. It's very specific and not exactly mass appeal explaining these things, but it's great.

[@lex.cordis]

Also, Sarah is a "mother of the savior" archetype. Consider John Connor's initials (JC). Also, she is incarcerated at "Pescadero", which basically means "one who deals with fish". This is not a real place, but a fictional one created for the film. The "Birth of Christ" is synchronous with the beginning of the "Age of Pisces" ~2000 years ago, hence the Jesus fish, etc.

[@mikehilldesignstudio]

Insightful… thanks

[@lex.cordis]

@@mikehilldesignstudio Certainly.

[@nox8747]

We love you Mike! All the generations of the industry gonna be grateful for your researches and generosity!

[@Eternitum]

I have rewatch this film analisys way more times than the movie itself. Your ability and dedication to truly, objectively, structurely deconstruct with knowledge and arguments this masterpiece of cinema speaks itself that you are truly a professional DESIGNER, and not just an artist who makes "beautiful" images. Very well done, and thank you for sharing with us this keynote. We need more designers/artists like you to resurrect the forgotten art of blockbuster cinema, and make the theatrical experience something truly worth to experience, and not just to enternain and turn off our brains for a couple of hours.

[@Sidionian]

I have only watched 5 minutes, and I am already thumbing up and subscribing. That should speak for itself. Well done.

[@CG-sv6pe]

Wonderful analysis. Thank you for showing me why this is one of my favorite movies of all time.

[@Vaporvice84]

Man, I'm only halfway through and had to stop just to say that I really hope you do something like this for the first film. The Terminator is pretty much my favorite movie of all time, and it seems like every time I just think about the film (not even re-watch it for hundred thousandth time) I always find something I didn't pick up before. For example: The electricity that appears in the sky before the Terminator appears. As a 12 year old, upon seeing the Universal Pictures version of Frankenstein from 1931, I noticed the close-up of the monster's hand with the fingers twitching reminded me of the close-up of Arnold's hand before he gets back up and starts shooting back at Michael Beihn in the Tech-noir club ( I saw the first Temrinator at a very young age). When Frankenstein brings his monster to life, there's electricity in the sky. The monster was meant to be Frankenstein's creation that seemed human. Likewise, the Endoskeleton is Skynet's "monster". As if both character's are playing God. Frankenstein's monster is the reanimation of dead tissue. The T-800 is living flesh over a dead human-like machine.

[@ironmanjakarta8601]

“All good ideas start out as bad ideas, that’s why it takes so long.” - Steven Spielberg

[@dietaube6898]

Man, this needs to be seen by more people.

[@josephparry]

I’ve been watching this video for the last 4 years. I honestly cannot explain just how thankful I am for your time and willingness to share this information. Thank you so much!

[@AlexMurphyVideos]

Please more, your analysis is illumination. I'd love to attend a seminar.

[@zombiecupcakes01]

Excellent discussion! I wish it were longer. This is worth a dozen everyframeapaintings.

[@Sharingan1230]

Maximilian_DOOD brought me here from reacting to this video live on twitch

[@derekrose3328]

God damn this is one of the best film (or show) analyses I’ve watched! And, I’ve watched A LOT 🤝 Well done my friend! 🥳

[@LeoTopol]

I mean, I'm literally speechless here.... Really....How do you notice all of these AMAZING NUGGETS in this incredible film, and I didn't... You are truly talented, sir! Now I know why this film is my most favorite film of all time!

[@DarthBiomech]

The more important question I ask myself - how TF do you put all these details and the possible metaphors, repetitions, subconscious clues ETC into a film? All those thousands of important details that need to rhytme with each other, have correct symbolic meanings, and so on... How do writers and directors manage to create something like this and not spend a decade on just planning things out?

[@Fenris30]

Well done. I was riveted throughout the whole lecture.

[@HomeroSantosThe_Terrible_Kiten]

Love this and this type of analysis! Please do more on both films and maybe video game storytelling.

[@halocinematic3127]

My question is, how much of these poetic details (Like the meaning behind the shot of the sunglasses being crushed for example) are strategic and purposeful from the careful consideration and planning of James Cameron, and how much of those decisions are purely instinctual? There are so many layers and precise mapping throughout, it makes me wonder if people like James Cameron or Stanley Kubrick partially function on pure storytelling instinct. Like a computer whose operating system was inherently designed for storytelling.

[@blented]

Fantastic presentation, definitely one of my favorite directors, great work man!

[@sgist7824]

Wow this is excellent and so many things I did not know or understand. I'd love to see a similar video on Silent of the Lambs.

[@hariprasadm]

This was brilliant! Sincere thanks to you Mr. Mike Hill!

[@halocinematic3127]

I'd like to add... The costuming. Arnie wears head to toe leather. Literally clad head to toe in skin. Thus, mirroring the fact that he's wearing a human skin suit, and perhaps symbolically, more human than his previous iteration in T1. The T1000 wears a shiny metal badge on his chest... Might be a stretch, but perhaps symbolic of his metal skin?

[@jamieclarke321]

This was an awesome analysis, ive seen this film tonnes of times and never noticed the themes of a terminator crushing an object underfoot, the whole fricken film opens with a terminator crushing a human skull underfoot! The motif of the glasses and sarah becoming a terminator and in the end when she is wearing kyles coat was amazing. As they enter into the final sequence in the film i really like the duality of hot and cold where the t1000 is frozen by liquid nitrogen and then descends into a pit of lava really show casing the power of duality. Thanks for an awesome in depth look at T2

[@thejudgeholden]

this deserves much more views!

[@Sundstr8m]

Wow this was great! How this only has 4k views is beyond me

[@DrMurdercock]

I think James Cameron is a guy who has natural god given talent and abilities to just happen to know what is going to work and be cool and go together. Whereas I think someone like Kubrick is the same, only he understands why the things will work, be cool and go together. If that makes any sense? Both amazing film makers, but I think worked way differently. Anyways, my 2 random pennies.

[@zimmermandzb5569]

Brilliant analysis. It's funny how it seems so obvious once it's pointed out, how clearly these scenes mirror each other and the standard archetypes of the Hero's Journey. And yet it doesn't really register consciously. Would be very interested to consider how much Cameron considered ideas like these consciously and how much of them weave their way into storytelling naturally through the subconscious- just as we subconsciously pick up on them. Which begs the question of how much conversation are our subconscious minds having with each other absent are awareness?

[@smarkhenry3165]

I would love to see one of these for the original terminator as well. Fantastic video essay.

[@Tagraff]

YOU ARE A GENIUS! A clear needlehole for the thread to go in and out!

[@alexrechkin7]

Super useful! Still rewatching it and taking notes, thank you so much

[@ARVIND7066]

This video is better than any film school. And film students would do well to begin with Mike's analysis of T2 and Jurassic Park

[@lelandubs]

Wonderful presentation! Thank you for making this and making it available.

[@tomjsmith000]

I just imagine James Cameron watching thinking saying "uhh yep I totally meant to do all that... Yep it's all figurative! Ahem."

[@xtraspecialmango]

It was my Star Wars as a kid.

[@catdevereux1274]

Really insightful. It's one my favourite movies too

[@MickeRamone]

And through all the years when others found out my favorite movie of all time is T2, a lot of head shakes and perplexed faces, "oh I don't watch those action movies, I like movies with a good story"..haha, they all missed out cause this movie has it all

[@kriskristensen2200]

This was outstanding. More please.

[@WIN73RMU73]

This was amazing. I don't think I've ever FINISHED a 60 minute KZbin video before today. Between this and your Jurassic Park analysis I have decided I need you to explain to me what all my favorite childhood films were actually about...

[@jimmysgameclips]

Off topic realisation here... I was young when the third film came out so it butchering the good ending this film had didn't hit me but now I think about it it still doesn't seem like such a bad thing because it makes sense that the progression of AI would still continue and it's very socially relevant. We're getting warnings of this today from various tech heads about the dangers of AI but it's still being worked on by a lot of groups

[@BentoBoxBobbyTV]

Mike please do a panel on Verehoven’s RoboCop 1987 thanks.

[@deliardd]

20 thumbs up! Great work!

[@BentoBoxBobbyTV]

Mostly Fidel’s soundtrack and Cameron’s lighting and blue hues, night sequences and direction made it such an iconic movie. The t1000 is still a scary maniac these days since Patrick said he had to portray the baddest mf on the planet. The soundtrack and sound made it great while this was in the realm of the Roger Corman style of direction. Other movies now don’t carry the same life wholeheartedly as the golden age of action movies from 1977 to at least 2000. RoboCop 1987 made it to Criterion Collection which is also a visual, musical sound and psychological masterpiece. Predator (Yautja) had released in the same year. Alita was also great as a manga to screen movie and a lot of the best movies have layers of cerebral structure in their scripts.

[@ironmanjakarta8601]

“Create your own visual style… let it be unique for yourself and yet identifiable to others.” - Orson Welles

[@MrGflan]

Brilliant!! It’s funny, because I’ve been watching Jordan Peterson’s Maps of Meaning lectures for a few years now and this is where I first learned about Carl Jung. All of you should check out that lecture series if you like this!! Great video, thank you!!

[@ScottyKoz78]

I'm going to refer to this video every time someone asked me why Terminator 2 is my favorite movie.

[@gaznawiali]

How much of this is: 1) Intentionally designed and crafted by the director 2) The director's intuition, instincts and experience guiding him to what looks and feels right (but it is not a conscious process). Sort of like the way a footballer might dribble past players. 3) Random things onto which we the viewers impose significance later. And what about goofs? If directors can be this meticulous why do goofs occur?

[@空白-o1h]

god dam!what a wonderfull video!please upload more!

[@chrisbestavs]

Excellent video

[@thomaskishmanii2675]

Also the T-1000 killing the Cop in the mental institution on the black and white floor that was a duality also.

[@thomasandersonrittberg2903]

Decoded by Mike Thanks i have that piece of movie

[@ironmanjakarta8601]

“Almost anything can be justified as a style of film making if it works.” - Doug Liman

[@HelderP1337]

Amazing stuff man!

[@Dr4ko555]

Mike Thank you ! you are a Master keep it up

[@Drachwill]

Amazing video, thank you!

[@jamesskinnercouk]

I think these directors don’t really know exactly what they are doing from an analytical perspective, they let themselves become embodied by the spirit of art. You often find these directors struggling to capture what they did in the past because they come from a head and not a heart approach later in old age. But I could be wrong.

[@alielhashimi]

While this is a great analysis, I think a lot of the time directors are basing things off intuition. As Roger Deakins would say sometimes a shot is just a shot.

[@craignicholas4167]

I loved this. Only negative about it was that it was an hour longer and going deeper. Although I know it fulfilled its purpose and mission

[@TheOlympia75]

The glasses explanation just fucked me up

[@LouisMedina]

Thanks for sharing

[@ElevenYearz]

Excellent

[@atore]

Incredible break down. Amazing job.

[@reecord2]

Do you do these speaking engagements often? I'd love to come see one.

[@ArtofLunatik]

Lmao i love how he throws michael bay under the bus

[@smurglerer]

Requesting (humbly) a video on Vladimir Propp and the actant model / the narrative structure?

[@evgenybondarenko]

How is this legal? The lecture is phenomenal, watching it third time 💥❤🤯

[@ironmanjakarta8601]

“Self-plagiarism is style.” - Alfred Hitchcock

[@AKU_inc]

This is very useful knowlegde. I will bring it to my work, thanks!

[@amjoshuaf]

Socrates: 'I decided that it was not wisdom that enabled poets to write their poetry, but a kind of instinct or inspiration, such as you find in seers and prophets who deliver all their sublime messages without knowing in the least what they mean.'

[@SrdjanPavlovic11080]

Another excellent lecture!!

[@gaznawiali]

This is truly magnificent! I am trying to write a fantasy novel. Can these principles be applied to books too or are they mainly for visual storytelling? Cheers buddy.

[@Tentacular]

Legendary

[@BentoBoxBobbyTV]

Billy Idol could’ve been the T1000 but he had a motorcycle accident. :(

[@zfoxfire]

I'm surprised you didn't mention the scene where they are driving across the desert in a station wagon. Obvious family symbolism there.

[@alexjaybrady]

Good stuff

[@batman88ironman]

This is why. 1. To much emphasis on pushing an agenda. Whether its global warming or immigration or sexual assault movies are not a platform for these issues they are pure entertainment. 2. To much use of CGI. CGI is a very useful tool for sure but it should not have replaced miniatures or puppets or scifi creature effects. It takes the audience out of the experience when all of a sudden the monster is a cartoon, also the actors dont react as real as if they see the prop. 3. Good stories can't be substituted for action and explosions. If the story sucks it sucks it's the backbone of the whole movie but writing in Hollywood has really sucked ever since the writers strike. Not to say everything is badly written just on average most things are. 4. Acting used to be an actual skill now it seems anyone can do it. Hollywood has definitely let the bar on acting abilities go lately. You always have your greats but beyond the 20 or so great actors a lot of new talent really relies on quick scene changes and short dialogue to make it work and we notice. Long gone are the days of 10-15min monologues. 5. Music, the epic music of movies used to really set the mood. Terminator, batman, superman, robocop, star wars, star trek, conan, X files. James bond, Indiana Jones And countless others you could just listen to the music and immediately know what movie it was, and the music set up the scenes perfectly. But can you remember the music of movies from the last 10 years? Maybe watchman and man of steel. Also music doesn't flow in the scenes like it used to. 6. Breaking the mold. It seems Hollywood has got a system to movie making now and they are to afraid to stray to far from it, the result is every movie feels flat and forgettable. Now this doesn't mean that every movie now sucks it just means that Hollywood has become stale and stagnant of ideas.

[@phantomfire8228]

3:50

[@thomaskishmanii2675]

This is where T3, Salvation, Genesis, and DARK FATE lacked

[@GillFrank]

So awsome!

[@mattfletchall6634]

Not sure if someone has mentioned this already, or if I’m even correct, but I’m pretty sure that the scene or Sarah Connor had a dream about Kyle Reese was deleted from the original theatrical version. Someone please correct me If I’m wrong.

[@sickre]

Why the hell does this only have 3.7k views?!?!?!

[@greene1911]

sickre because people care more about memes

[@pascalbourelier3463]

because it has 50k views on the hosting chanel, this is just his own account -it seems

[@contactojaime]

Brilliant!

[@АлёнаНаумова-с1ю]

У меня двойственное ощущение, потому что он говорит и верные вещи, и странные вещи. Например, розы. Разве это не всего лишь качание по эмоциям? Розы должны были вопить, что этот человек (терминатор) опасен, он давит что-то живое, но потом эмоциональный маятник качнулся, потому что (хоба!) Арни защитник, а не убийца. Или пороги. Это, конечно, классно. И разделение на зоны отличная операторская и режиссерская работа по нагнетанию атмосферы, но перебежка через порог из зала игровых автоматов в коридор это же не тот самый переход из прошлой жизни в новую, переход это смерть приёмных родителей и возвращение настоящей матери. Хотя бы потому, что в коридор мальчик выбежал вряд ли в первый раз, его по контексту фильма часто искала полиция. А смерть приёмных родителей означает, что в нормальный мир больше хода нет. Спасение же матери из психушки это подтверждает. Во многом другом это классная лекция, но не из-за пути героя, а из-за мозга, и как он смотрит блокбастеры. Про путь героя я читала тысячу раз. Но про триединый мозг я слышала, знала некоторые приёмчики по управлению вниманием на основе рептильного мозга, но то, что он отвечает за экшен, для меня открытие открытий. Спасибо автору. Thank you!

[@phantomfire8228]

45:00

[@JustAPrinnyDood]

Wait, Luke wanted to join the Empire like his best friend Biggs did.