THE TERMINATOR scene analysis NIGHT CLUB SHOOT OUT

Detailed study of one of the best action sequences ever filmed.
UPDATE 2017 RE: ADDITIONAL CONTENT. I have almost ten hours worth of unlisted KZbin videos that can only be viewed via their links on my website (those videos don’t appear publicly on my channel or in KZbin searches, but are still to free to watch). I no longer sell DVD sets, instead I sell digital downloads on my site - quicker and cheaper (dozens of hours worth of extra content, the bulk of my work). I also have a Patreon account for folks who are interesting in crowd-funding future videos and accessing more exclusive content. If you follow me on Facebook and Twitter you can get updates about the latest special offers and frebies. All links below.
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[@Smeginator]

I've watched this movie multiple times over the past 20-ish years, and I never noticed that The Terminator actually gets off a shot at Sarah in the club, until I was watching it randomly on television this summer. Unbe-freaking-lievable.

[@bulanet271]

Ive noticed him getting a shot off but did u ever notice dat arnie face at 6:44-6:45? It goes away too fast u need slow speed and pause the video. I once saw a picture like that and was very surprised. Wait a SECOND! I know this movie by heart! when did arnie ever make such a creepy face??

[@cv507]

you lörrn näschink xxxP >?< there in our leidt dämpell -.- they häve the pürse ovt. semi bröse 0vi hä€LP äm... phasevvi$€ -:- 4 eväiR?? ^ ^

[@BillyNunez2]

T2 was also supposed to have a similar twist where you don't realize who the Terminator is until they confront each other but the twist was spoiled in the trailers

[@collativelearning]

Yeah it would have been a good surprise. Still a great action sequence though.

[@kailee87]

i watched Terminator 2 in 92 and we didnt have trailers back then in my country just in cinema ofc..so i watched it on VHS and blowed away..epic twist

[@mroctober2978]

The Guns n Roses video for 'You could be mine' spoiled it too.

[@Evaquiel]

But if you saw the first movie it would be pretty obvious from the start.

[@LukeLovesRose]

Well it was gonna come out no matter what.

[@LukeLovesRose]

This one scene should be required learning in film school. On this small budget, Cameron made a timelessly tense scene, launching Arnold, Linda and Michael into stardom.

[@cv507]

you lörrn näschink xxxP -:- there in our leidt dämpell -.- they häve the pürse ovt. semi bröse 0vi hä€LP äm... phasevvi$€ -:- 4 eväiR?? ^ ^

[@BigMac8000]

This is a really underrated channel.

[@claudettes9697]

BigMac8000 Who says so? I love this channel!

[@kylereese1042]

Is it though?

[@SPACECOWBOY_Hej]

Really is super underrated, Rob’s website is dogshit though. It works though.

[@williamdon3442]

Yes indeed, first vid i watched was about “the shining”. Loved it after that

[@Procket12]

I disagree. Reese is trying to move him out of the way to get another shot off. Its why after the guy gets hit, Reese dives behind the bar since he lost the window to fire.

[@RAG3Xbox]

i agree as ive seen this movie over 100 times and dont u got a 8:30 rez at dorsia?

[@UC4AQUgrQ9EwVIGoF0w7xHXg]

@@RAG3Xbox Paul Allen is dead

[@AM-zd7pu]

That was also my take

[@LukewarmTauntaun]

One the best parts of this scene is when when Sarah knocked over the bottle on the table and when she reaches down for it the terminator walks by. Such a great moment

[@dangrippi3179]

That glass/bottle she knocks off the table can be considered the most important element of the scene. If she didn't duck to pick it back up the terminator could have quickly spotted and killed her right there on the spot. It's like the whole future of humanity hinges on that glass/bottle being there for that crucial moment. Maybe. lol

[@mackcarlo]

Canada Dry

[@anubusx]

Glass Ex Machina.

[@cv507]

why döes he x wise repair his arm / eye ^??^ eh tempell Fillistin€ß ^^ -:- häl maybee itz wörth ävery (ours??) pännie öpen the ;Döörß öFF pürrZeppschenn FööR vs pliez ^jn^ sörry tv haijäck u2 ^ ^

[@Psyfi85]

@@dangrippi3179as we call it “the holy Canada Dry bottle”. Literally saved humanity.

[@TheSchmuck2]

I was browsing through a video streaming site and found a room where people were watching The Thing (1982) and some guy in the room was going on an on talking about the symbolism and the plot structure and the color palette and everything. I said "hey so-and-so, you sound like a Rob Ager fan." and then we spent about five minutes talking about how Rob Ager changed our lives.

[@collativelearning]

Haha. Good stuff. A friend of mine has introduced quite a few friends to my work and it always seems to be the Was Childs The Thing video that sold them :)

[@JagerFrostTroll]

@This is going to make me sound like a bitch but Lol..

[@TheNextStep851]

"Can't stop, my body's aching. Hear these words there's no mistaking, I'm the victim of your passion. Now you're burning too" That line meshed so well with the moment where the Terminator walks past Sarah in slow motion while scanning the club. He can't and won't stop until he finds her and kills her, along with any hope humanity has of survival. Machines in the future lose the war because her passion and inner strength are passed down to John, enabling him to become the great leader of humankind. Great video.

[@cv507]

-:- there in our leidt dämpell -.- they häve the pürse ovt. semi bröse 0vi hä€LP äm... phasevvi$€ -:- 4 eväiR?? ^ ^

[@SeaTac411]

9:39 I am in total agreement with you on the crappy audio re-edits of classic films. The one that drove me nuts was the up grade of The Good The Bad And The Ugly; they took all of the power from the gun shots and replaced them with generic gun shots from some sound library.

[@Fenris30]

Sean McDougall I think the re-edits were going for realism over meatiness. Personally I prefer the original for the brutality of how it sounds.

[@geonerd]

I've got something like 3 different 'versions' of GBU, and all have at least one thing wrong with the sound. :(

[@Robert399]

The one I hated most was A Better Tomorrow 2. The original almost laser gun sound effects were silly as hell but that was fine given it was a John Woo film. And frankly, the generic, rapid fire stapler sounds are even worse. For Terminator I think both are fine.

[@mrKWJones]

HAHA your justification of the guy getting used as a human shield for Reese is priceless!

[@Zellio2011]

@@simond7225 He pulls a gun onReese, you can see it on the 4k version easily

[@systemanic]

Great analysis. Never noticed those police sirens used for the lighting in the Tech Noir club scene before, nor the other curious observations from this scene, and I've seen The Terminator countless times. Another curious thing I've noticed with the Terminator (which may or may not be relevant) is the year the film is set and the year the film was made, which of course is 1984. For those who are more of a conspiratorial/NWO mind set will know 1984 is the title of Orwell's famous and prophetic book. Co-incidence or not I don't know. And the Terminator's model number is 101; 101 being the room number of the character Winston Smith in 1984. And also the man who created the Terminator animatronic was Stan Winston.

[@decimated550]

the movie is about technology gone mad. 1:50 look over sarah's shoulder at the pulsing TECH TECH TECH TECH TECH TECH sign....

[@DevilDogMuNky]

I always figured that Kyle was pushing the bystander out of the way to keep getting more shots in....? Also, I just discovered that the dvd version I have from 2001 MGM release has the option(Mono) to hear the original gun sounds.

[@Rohan-bw1lh]

DevilDogMuNky can you upload the clip of tunnel chase scene please?????

[@johnmarshall2439]

@@Rohan-bw1lh I know this is old. But I believe I have the original sound as well. I can if you are still interested.

[@Rohan-bw1lh]

@@johnmarshall2439 yup Absolutely! I am in! Thanks

[@GTL5427]

@@johnmarshall2439 I second that 😅

[@Ass_Burgers_Syndrome]

Is that the 2 disc special edition? I have the R2 of that one, and the Hemdale release (R1) from late 90's with mono only soundtrack

[@Joker-mq7zr]

6:15 never knew the terminator actually shot his weapon and had Reese not shot a second later he would have fail his mission

[@aegisgfx]

Ive always thought JC was a lot more than just an action film maker, these little touches prove it.

[@garabitochuchequero]

I agree, there are crappy film analyses that get almost a million views, Rob Ager is the real film decoder!

[@rpprt3]

I always thought Kyle was trying to protect that guy, throw him out of the way for his protection but because he was standing there, grappling with him (trying to maybe disarm Kyle), he got shot. Don’t see Kyle as someone willing to let people get killed or let them be human shields.

[@blueonblack83]

Yeah, I doubt Kyle would waste someone like that.

[@LetsPlayPC]

This is a fantastic scene. This and the police station shootout.

[@Loader2K1]

I only disagree with one thing about this video on the Terminator, and it's about Kyle Reese using the innocent bystander as a human shield. To me, it has always looked like he was trying to move the guy out of the way, and the guy unfortunately gets killed in the crossfire anyway. Beyond that, this analysis, like the kids say today, is on point.

[@marcuspowell8142]

Loader2K1 it's all about perspective. It's a great debate to start up. Lol.

[@holden6104]

This is just one of the greatest sequences ever put to film, period.

[@leakycheese]

Agree on the rant, they also completely ruined the sound of the futuristic weapons in the scene where Reese fights the future Terminator in the underground bunker. On that point, it just struck me the club is a visual mirror of that future bunker and Reese is depicted fighting and losing her in the future (the burnt photo) and saving her (in real life) in the present. Almost got some yin and yang thing going on there.

[@jaymagoo336]

Yeah, that was easily the worst audio re-edit in the entire movie. I can overlook the other stuff, but the bunker scene was shockingly awful. Sound editor #1: So, in this scene the Terminator is firing a massive full-auto plasma cannon that's almost as tall as he is. What should something like that sound like? Sound editor #2: Um ... there's a foosball table in the cafeteria. Why don't we just rattle it around a bit and use that? Sound editor #1: Sure, whatever. Also: I never even thought about that parallel between the Technoir shootout and the bunker. Wow. In thirty years I must've watched this movie a thousand times and I never caught that.

[@jameshitt3263]

I like to call this James Cameron's "John Carpenter" film, what with the close, dark, urban settings for one thing. Cameron at his most "auteur", and his most substantial film.

[@LukeLovesRose]

LOL. I think you like so many people here aren't giving him a chance. Titanic and Aliens were his Citizen Kane.

[@lankey6969]

The damn song from the night club is stuck in my head now! Burning in the 3rd degree!! Thanks for another awesome video!

[@Whoa802]

Your film analysis videos make the likes of nerdwriter1, Channel Criswell, wisecrack, and even Every Frame a Painting seem like kindergarten readings of cinema by comparison. Well done, sir.

[@Whoa802]

His videos are all right, I guess. There's some stuff he's done that are very obvious and cliche, like that recent one he did on movie violence. But he does do some solid work here and there like his analysis on Donald Trump's vocabulary and way of speech for instance. Channel Criswell though, comes off very superficial and lame to me as he sounds as though he's more concerned with making his videos look flashy and pretty and sounding deep with that constant fucking wise sage-like tone of his than actually discussing anything worthwhile. Rarely have I found myself ever learning anything new from his channel. He's better than Wisecrack, at least, whose videos, while funny, are pure garbage in terms of actual content. Every Frame a Painting is decent, I guess, but the guy seems only interested in film form and not in the actual substance of a movie. He's worth a watch but he's more for folks who've just begun wanting to learn about the craft of moviemaking as opposed to those who want a deeper insight into art. Ager, Darren Foley, and Leon Thomas are probably the best and most underrated of all the film analysis types on this site.

[@apedas]

well said alan

[@Whoa802]

He's very good at analyzing film FORM, but in regards to the actual substance of movies, he's negligible. I do like and respect the guy for how much he's brought the art of mise-en-scene to the attention of the mainstream, but his content is barely scratching the surface in regards to how complex and multi-layered cinema can be. Like I said earlier, he's good for those who want to learn about the CRAFT of filmmaking, but not those who want a truly deeper insight into art. And I highly doubt Rob himself thinks the world of Tony when their styles and content are so different from one another.

[@Whoa802]

Who? Every Frame a Painting? In regards to what he posts on Twitter, I agree.

[@Kazak999]

Rob and Jay Dyer are the best at in depth analysis of movies.

[@WAX1138]

All other KZbin film analyzers wish they had your ability. Love your work Rob!

[@original_Imori]

I completely agree about the sound mix. The original mono sounds great, but a lot of the effects they changed for the 5.1 take me out of the film while watching it. The worst offender I feel is the .45. Enjoyed the analysis.

[@Nativeboi2119]

Also in the police department massacre when the t-800 walks down the first hallway he puts his shotgun in a doorway alsmost out of sight. When it shoots it makes the machine gun sound, in the original it has the correct sound

[@Nativeboi2119]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKPWpKOKidV0pqs right at 1:33

[@michaelovitch]

Terminator's slow speed is mainly to emphasis the fact it's a machine as steady it can be on the long run : it's efficient : like its facial expressions,head movements ,or minimal speech. As a machine,speed is a not a priority,it's working non stop contrary to the human,running,and taking rests all along the movie,wasting energy ,ineficiently. It's to describe it, as implacable,the equivalent of determination for humans. That's why it's not trying to get the uzi once it went through the window : its goal is to get the chick in sight first ,since she is running away, it is PROGRAMMED for that first. It's its goal : get close to the chick first ,and as soon as the movie starts. The same when it gets stabbed by the punk : it doesn't give a shit and uses ONE arm at a time to fight THREE punks with minimal body movements. Same efficiency when the terminator arrives through time : it's in a very clean practical nearly aesthetic body position just above the whole city ,walk slowly again (and already ) having a very practical and global ,wide field of view for scanning fast. On the opposite the human arrives in a narrow dirty back alley ,and is falling to the ground like a piece of shit, running everywhere as soon as arrived. organic opposed to metallic : feelings opposed to programming Wich leads to the tech noir ,where the organic ,the human animality,sensuality is completly mixed with the sexual instinct,the human strongest PROGRAMMED basic need to survive as a specie.

[@DzinkyDzink]

Yeah the kind of programming that doesn't take into account basic planning. He would've shot them dead in the back in the alley if he picked up the oozie nein milimitah. It's not "efficient" it's "straightforward". But in T2 it is revealed that T-800 is designed to learn on the go yet the higher functions are blocked by the inhibitor.

[@rupamchakraverty]

oozie nein milimitah 😂

[@Memorial_Moments]

Nice one. But yet, as Nick said - it's wasn't efficient. The whole plot of confrontation of machines against humans is based on fantasy, because Skynet would win in an infinite number of options as a whole System, also as in this special case of T-800 assassination act. Human agility and feelings stand no chance against cold-blooded analysis and predications of a machine. You can see that almost in every confrontation scene. For example - T-800 wouldn't try to "outplay" Kyle by shooting out the whole clip into a bar counter, or while he dodges. It would just approach, take an angle and kill him with one precise shot. Thats what was efficient. Kyle stood no chance by trying to hold him - he is out of covers. Or, while awakening from being stunned T-800 wouldn't even need that Uzi - it had a damn pistol with it. Or, while running for them in the alley - it could do the same thing. Just do it while you run. Also - look what is he doing when ammo is out shooting Kyle. He holding his hand high with his uzi approaching Sarah - like it couldn't do reload right away while walking towards her. Or, again, just take the pistol out and shoot. I can proceed forever =) Being a machine - doesn't mean being dumb and straightforward. Its being an opposite - maximum efficiency being almost invulnarable.

[@EroticOnion23]

@@DzinkyDzink But the terminator didn't know they would be running through an alley, they could of also ran into another building and it would have lost them. Reacquiring Sarah's location was his #1 priority at that time...

[@DzinkyDzink]

@@EroticOnion23and that's not how a human would think. We are almost hardwired to keep our tools with us, especially during a stressful situation like a shoot out.

[@ConsideringPhlebas]

Could be worse. They might have redone the film with a load of shitty and unnecessary CGI like in Star Wars.

[@LukeLovesRose]

Yes but they killed the power of those gunshots, killing the overall feeling of the Terminator's blunt attacks

[@RAG3Xbox]

as a insane fan of this movie ive seen this movie over 100 times i wouldnt mind some subtle cgi or improvements in the stop motion like interpolation and the stunt doubles lmao

[@Cyborganna]

@@RAG3Xbox Blasphemer.

[@HarrysMovingMedia]

Fantastic video Rob, I honestly never thought much of all the elements inside the nightclub scene, but you once again show how every element has a purpose. Really tempted to give this movie a re-watch now and see what other details there are hidden away.

[@TheJwwinter]

If you didn't notice all that those extra elements and the scene was still great for you, probably those additional stuff don't mean much to most of the general public as well and this guy is trying to do a forced joining of dots. For example 3:07 his skeleton T shirt, would the scene had been any less better if he was wearing something else (not saying something totally out of place). I mean I never noticed it and I don't think it adds anything to the scene.

[@supremeownage8995]

A great video. I hoped to find you'd also done one on my favourite scenes from Terminator, the police station shoot out! From a film making perspective, that scene in particular has always stood out for me. The wonderful use of music to build that sense of growing dread in the face of such an attack, and how it shifts when Sarah and Reece are reunited. Plus Arnold nails the cold hard robotic nature of the Terminator itself, as it tears through them.

[@StanAlter]

I saw the first Terminator in the theater when it first came out with my brother and dad. I new what it was about only because the trailer explained the story. Even why back then everytime I hear that "you got me burnin" song I always think of the Terminator chasing Reese and Sarah while he's on fire.

[@flamesphere3144]

Note the gun, which has been used in most of the murders to this point, has a red laser eye and cold steel frame. We then find out the T800 has a cold steel frame and red eyes. A psychological trick to show the Terminator is a murder machine, like the gun. "Point the laser where ya want the bullet to go. Ya can't miss."

[@finally_startingtopost]

Everyone in this club is doing the "Molly Ringwald" dance from Breakfast Club - 80s style rules!

[@jbellflower83]

I could be wrong but isnt that a pat benatar style dance?

[@ibelieveicansoar]

Check out members of the Cali band Necropolis Of Love doing that dance in a live clip from ‘84: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j6XSaYOCr7Cln9E Would’ve been a perfect song for the Tech-Noir shootout scene.

[@LukeLovesRose]

Yes but this came before Breakfast Club. Molly Ringwald was imitating this scene

[@negativeindustrial]

@@LukeLovesRose All the girls danced like that before both of these movies came out. That’s like the typical white girl 80s dance.

[@TCGView]

I've always felt the Tech Noir scene from T1 was glorious, a real product of its time, but it also showed what more you could do with a scene. The slow motion and the music were spot on and the fading in and out as Reese and Sarah look at each other was amazing.

[@granitesevan6243]

This is class. People instinctively know an awesome scene when they see it, but might not be educated or sensitised to exactly why it touches them until it's explained. It's the same with great music/bad music - something might sound passable (in tune, all the right words and notes), but if the timing is slightly out it won't FEEL right and you won't be able to sense precisely why. And vice versa...

[@choosetolivefree]

Very good analyses, many things I didn't notice after seeing this movie for the last 25 years... Also you're very clever, and your knowledge of firearms is impressive.. for a Brit ;)

[@KEYSERSOZE1965]

Also note how the people in the club go from dancing under the lights to running for their lives among the gunfire, paralleling how they will be herded up in camps by the machines after surviving the nuclear blast.

[@ImpartialDawn]

+Rachel Eade and when the windows gets broken, it evokes feelings of how the windows will be broken when the terminators take over

[@dedomenici]

My favourite fact about this scene is that Michael Biehn and Arnie were filmed on completely separate nights, due to availability and scheduling issues. You’ll notice that Terminator and Reece barely appear in any shots together (those few in which they do were achieved with body doubles) and it’s a testament to Cameron’s filmmaking that I didn’t notice this for decades, until someone explained it to me.

[@roadwarrior1459]

The police station scene is the most iconic

[@The.cycling.firefighter]

Its the subtle sneaky entrance of Kyle Reese, running into the club on the left as you watch the Terminator crushing the bouncers hands, that makes its all that more you know , amazing haha. Epic film.

[@FreeThinkAlways]

Wait is that Kyle who dashes into the club on the left?

[@beefknuckles]

Wonderful analysis. I've always loved the song Burnin in the Third Degree but never made any connection with the lyrics to the movie. I really don't think James Cameron gets enough credit for the subconscious elements he places in his older films.

[@bijibadness]

_The Terminator_ is James Cameron's masterpiece, and by far the best 'Terminator' movie. By FAR.

[@SuperNiceteeth]

You mean besides the second one.

[@NellzM60]

Only three scenes made me truly T1, though the whole movie was indeed a masterpiece: 1. Sarah walks out bar after discovering she’s a target and she pauses to see Kyle Reese for the first time on the sidewalk (the background theme played perfectly); 2. Sarah, Kyle and T101 all converging together in Tech Noir (love that name) just before the battle begins; 3. Kyle Reese telling Sarah his story in the second stolen car in the parking garage just before T101 zeroes in on them.

[@MustafaKulle]

I never realised how much attention to detail went into one scene.

[@blackjack67576]

Being a Canadian myself I noticed something funny. The director James Cameron is from Canada. What is the drink that Sarah conveniently knocks over to prevent the Terminator from first spotting her? A Canada Dry ginger ale.

[@jotade2098]

The tension build-up until the T800 is pointing the laser scope at Sarah's face in the club is just perfect. When Reese starts shooting you feel a physical release. The film also conveys the idea that being oblivious is dangerous, for yourself and everyone else. The club is called "Tech-Noir" which, I'd say, could be a perfect definition of the film's genre.

[@vanleeuwenhoek]

James Cameron had a fever dream about a robot's unrelenting pursuit of him--something akin to the ending scene in the factory. He acquired this fever after spending nights re-editing a film from which he was fired (Piranha 2: The Spawning) in Italy.

[@HailAnts]

What’s really amazing is every single thing mentioned here was conceived, written down, blocked out, and deliberately filmed exactly that way by Cameron right from the start!

[@dougmasters4579]

Reese doesn't use the guy as a human shield, he's trying to get him out of there by grabbing him ie move your ass.

[@Skligmund]

You were great in Iron Eagle!

[@dougmasters4579]

Thanks!

[@Eastsid3]

I agree, it looks like he was using him as a shield but that wouldn't make sense causing human casualties. Also he jumped behind the bar anyway.

[@dougmasters4579]

@@Eastsid3 Yep, if Reese was using him as a human shield then he would've pulled the dude and held him right in front of him. Reese is clearly just pushing him out the way, you wouldn't push a human shield, you'd hold. It's not in Reese's character to use a human shield as it makes him look unlikable which is not what Cameron would want for a heroic character, I reckon.

[@dougmasters4579]

@This is going to make me sound like a bitch but Can you hear me now?

[@MrHereWeGoYo]

The worst change in the gun sounds is when the Terminator kills the first Sarah Conner. In the original cut that gun is loud as shit but they changed it to a silenced pistol. As if the Terminator was ever concerned with concealing it's gunfire.

[@drg111yt]

Well done - intelligent, meticulous and imaginative analysis of a great film scene. I'll be back!

[@toolthoughts]

damn that's a cool film. despite its limitations, it's one of those pictures that just feel like a real film. the later ones are more like you're on a ride. and then things like avatar, that's like being force read a bad comic book with someone voicing all the sound effects. nice analysis, I hadn't noticed many of those little details.

[@alessiocataldi2434]

You forgot to mention that instant frame, barely visible at 9:21 and on 0,25x speed when Arnie is landed, shows Kyle Reese's shadow behind lights, like as he was a new messiah

[@Moledmc]

Wow! What a treat. Cheers Rob. This film is still amazing. The love scene between Kyle & Sarah is notable as well; can't recall a sex scene as 'tasteful' or so emotive.

[@collativelearning]

Yeah it was well done. Romantic and erotic.

[@HarvNuTZ1]

Legit. The updated gun fire audio killed me on this. I've seen this movie dozens of times. My favorite love story.

[@PlasmaKong2]

Great analysis, as always

[@chrismagnum06]

I was thought the guy was trying to wrestle kyle for his shotgun and kyle was pushing him away.the distraction costed kyle a few seconds so to save himself he dodges behind the guy and over the bar.the guy was trying to be a "hero".awesome and very thought out scene.My favorite film of all time!

[@Eliel20117]

Terminator 1 > Terminator 2

[@collativelearning]

Some great individual scenes in T2, but it's not a well balanced film. Tries too much for cutesy and nostalgia. The first film stuck to its guns all the way.

[@WAX1138]

+Collative Learning agreed! though they are the two best in the series. I like T2 more than I do now when I was a kid but nowadays I feel young John Connor is just too whiny.

[@collativelearning]

He def wasn't leader material. Too mouthy, too concerned with his image.

[@Eliel20117]

Collative Learning also too punky

[@robotfireman9054]

Nostalgia? How so? Or do you mean just the reusing of elements from the first film?

[@robcohen7678]

nice job noticing all these details. I'm so bad at picking up on these things.

[@lsjshez6940]

Nice analysis, Rob. It showed some real details I'd never picked up on before, especially The Terminator getting hit in the arm and his gun actually firing. I'd always tied the arm wound to the car chase/crash, so hard are the gunshots to spot. The points I had a problem with: The possibility of Reese also being a robotic killing machine - We know this not to be the case as when he arrives he's in pain, and takes a moment to get himself together. The Terminator just stands and walks away. Also, if Reese was that no nonsense, he'd have had a lot less trouble handling the cops at the department store. Reese using a human shield at the bar - For me, he was trying to move him out of the way, knowing full well he needs plenty of space to use his speed to outfox The Terminator. As is the case in real life, getting someone who's had too much to drink, in a bar, to do anything is hard work. The Terminator running out of bullets/not being able to count etc - It could just be that it knew that the clip was coming up to empty, so threw the last few at Reese to occupy him, before giving itself a full clip for Sarah. The patrons were hitting the exit, so spraying a full clip into a group would have better odds of killing or winging it's target. Anyway, I know it's in the eye of the beholder, and it's just how I view it. I'm loving the videos - Good meat for the mind.

[@wichito8736]

As great as the club scene was, the police station scene blew my mind. Great movie.

[@theatlasproductions1]

FINALLY!!! Someone else who's pissed off about the gun sounds being fucked with. Between the films mentioned and especially JAWS, I despise this "cleaning up" of great old school sound effects. They are old movies, let them be old.

[@old_romans]

I watched this on Pay Per View when PPV first started. I was like 9 years old. Great job mentioning the artists and music.

[@leecroft7311]

3:22 look in the background towards the left, Reese taking the advantage to sneak in (I think)

[@davewolf6256]

"If you wanna live, then subscribe"

[@DickRileyTheConquistador]

I was 12 too. Had friends spending the night. They told me to watch it, telling me its great. I fell asleep for half the movie, woke up when the action started and it became my favorite movie for many yrs.

[@JShades18]

I always thought Reese was just trying to push the panicked people out of the way

[@AshtonCoolman]

About the audio, I have an older DVD version that has both the stereo and mono versions of the soundtrack. I always watch it in mono because because of the quality gun sounds.

[@ajmittendorf]

Well done to the costume department for not giving Sarah a bra. ;)

[@marcuspowell8142]

You're right about the gun fire changes. The original was perfect. I just subscribed. Your analysis is on point. Keep up the great work.

[@dumbcat]

for me it was the music and the idea that people were dancing and having fun. every kid who watched it thought, "man i wish there was a tech noir club down the street for where i live"

[@lucasharris5727]

Finally a movie made after I was actually born.

[@napluvr4173]

I bought the terminator on VHS and a VCR just so, I could hear the original shotgun sound effects. when I bought the DVD I was so disappointed with the new sound effects. watching on vhs brings me back to my childhood watching the copy my dad recorded from hbo back in the 80's.

[@thethirdview7098]

There was also a huge blooper. The girl in the orange dress who was dancing is suddenly sitting at the table as the Terminator closes in on Sarah.

[@damianstarks3338]

Great analysis of this iconic Terminator scene

[@Lestat21500]

Wow! after all my viewings i never noticed he actually shoots Sara in this scene but misses. Amazing.

[@cinemalego]

Very intricate and interesting, this also used to be one of my favorite scenes when watching T1 for the first few times.

[@krzysrys1762]

you are the first person other than me that complained about sound effects from dvd. as a kid i watched terminator countless times on vhs and sometime in 2000s i bought a dvd and to this day when i watch it, sound effects feel wrong. my friends looked at me like a maniac when i was complaining about those sound effects.

[@raseli4066]

Only you two, no other person in the world.

[@rotazd]

Tech Noir = Dark technology. A theme often used in James Camerons movies.

[@PoletBally]

Yeah, it sucks that they removed the mono soundtrack. These should ALWAYS be included, it's not like they can't easily fit on a 50GB blu ray disc. It's unacceptable that you have to go to a LaserDisc release of The Terminator to get the original mono mix. I'm pretty sure that my Scarface blu ray has an option for the original audio mix though, I remember selecting an alternative track on it and being more satisfied with the gun sounds. And speaking of audio mixes, there is a brand new USA blu ray release of The Thing (that I know you're a huge fan of) coming out soon which will have the original 70mm 4.1 audio mix. The early reviews say that it blows away the audio mix found on the previous DVD and blu ray releases. It has a brand new transfer too and looks way better than ever plus A LOT of new bonus material spread over two blu rays. It sucks that it's region locked so you have to have an American or region free blu ray player though.

[@hafabee]

Thanks for the heads-up about the new Blu Ray release of The Thing, I'd love to see that.

[@J-S.P]

Actually the Special Edition has the option of original mono English audio www.amazon.com/The-Terminator-Special-Edition/dp/B00006ILCC/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1518587216&sr=1-1&keywords=the+terminator+special+edition+dvd

[@LukeLovesRose]

Let's just hope now that Cameron has the rights back, he'll fix this shit and give us a great print.

[@garvinchinnia2438]

that would have been a cool "what if". Reese fails his mission, forcing him to take on the mantle of John Connor. So he has to send his younger self back in time (when that time comes) just to preserve time itself. sounds like a certain time paradox, maybe the grandfather paradox. I hope someone out there made a comic about that.

[@thepodbaydoorshal]

This was an excellent analysis. I've seen this film over a hundred times and still missed some of the symbolism. Such a great film.

[@omnibune3828]

found this by mistake lol, but I don't agree Reese grabbed the guy. The guy actually grabbed him trying to take the gun away and got shot while the terminator tried to kill Reese. As for the sound only thing I can think of is do to rating system. If you want to keep a movie below R and keep bad words you can lower the sound of the guns. These movies were extremely ( by todays standered ) violent but normal for us. Compare Die Hard 1 to Live free or die hard, more fast paste action but, you don't get that blood splatter on the wall or as much blood as you use to. Don't see people falling from a building and practically land, or dead body's hitting cars. Holes in heads with camera actually looking threw them. Nice videos by the way. Underrated sir

[@VIRGOLEGACY]

Once again great analysis over the 20 years ive been watching this movie i never noticed Reese used the club patron as a human shield

[@Motoko1134]

this movie is criminally underrated... one of the best sci fis ever, if not the best. better than terminator 2.

[@HansGrub]

This scene as the most iconic is debatable. A lot articles and fans seem to reference the police station massacre as the most iconic. It's even referenced to Sarah Conor in Terminator 2, in the wake of Terminator's return. Anyways, when I of iconic scenes in the film, I often think of the police station shootout. However, the "come with me if you want to live" line is one of the, if not, most iconic lines.

[@dbholly160C]

One of the reasons Reese fires that shotgun so fast is that it is an Ithica 37 shotgun which can be “slamfired” - meaning if the hold down on the trigger while you pump the action it will fire until the gun is empty. Unlike a normal shotgun where you must reset the trigger before firing the next shell. Fun fact.

[@BatmanBoss]

I really enjoy your work! Thanks!

[@erikt19g5]

Even at 12 when I first saw this movie, I loved how the Terminator entered the club right as the song lyrics “feel the heat of your desire” play. Of course, desire to reach Sarah first is strong for both the machine and the hero. But also it was like the Terminator sensed the heat of its prey and was closing in. That was one of the first details I ever picked up on.

[@TBONEtheBESTBONE]

at 8:20, for about 1 to 2 frames there is a small electric shock on the terminators left shoulder after he was shot. Another hint that he's a machine? Even though he's already been shot multiple times with a shotgun. Blink and you'll miss it.

[@Yamatocyberdark]

Great analysis! I never noticed the Terminator did not pick up the Uzi before. Learn something everyday.

[@garybaker5322]

You Probably know this by now but the thx laserdisc version has all the original sounds in it and is still my favourite way to watch this film

[@zesty2023]

Great video mate. I gotta totally agree with you about the sound engineering on the later releases, not only the Blu-Ray but I think any of the releases outside of VHS. I used to watch this movie to hell and back as a kid on an original VHS, so I've noticed something else. Not only did they mess up the gun sounds, but they completely re-did the soundtrack as well. For the most part they did a good job, I'll admit that. But there were definitely some tracks they screwed up, namely the tracks towards the end in the factory. Some of the most haunting electronic music in the movie was during those scenes and they just don't sound right at all, the whole movie had an amazingly haunting soundtrack actually. Needless to say they also for some reason changed the sound of the hydraulic press that crushes the Terminator. That sound is iconic to the scene and they changed it!

[@williamsorokes5351]

8:20 The Terminator reacts to being shot in it's left shoulder region. A quick bright white flash - in the shape of an electrical surge/lightning bolt - can be seen. Could be interpreted as proof there's something circuitry based under that living tissue.

[@strangegaming3060]

A recurring theme throughout Jim Cameron's Terminator movies is the idea that humans living in the present day are largely blind to the dangers of the technology that simultaneously surrounds and distracts them. This nightclub scene is perhaps the most obvious example of this in T1. The whole point of a nightclub is to be entertained, to enjoy the flashing lights (plasma-gunfire) the energetic music, (the sound of the flying HK's) and of course, dancing, (running for your life.) This idea is even more blatant in Terminator 2, when John Connor first encounters the T-1000 behind (of all things) an arcade, filled with video-games that no-so-subtly foreshadow John's role in the machine war. I love these touches, because it gives Skynet an ethereal, ominous and all-encompassing presence throughout these films, even though both films take place years before Skynet is invented. It's as if Skynet is lulling humanity into a distracted stupor so it can one day lash out and kill them.

[@thethoughtcriminal8786]

You are totally right about the change in sound effects for the shotgun and Uzi....pissed me off and changed the tone for the scene.....fortunately the mono tone version is available on the first DVD release.

[@user-lq8sf4gg8c]

How this video is really amazing!!!

[@judsongaiden9878]

4:08 Reese is wearing mostly OD green with some gray and beige (apart from his black and white Nike Vandals). In the future scenes, his Tech Com uniform is mostly gray with black accents. 5:50 There a track on Tommy Tallarico's OST for the Sega CD version of 'The Terminator' called 'On Your Side'. 8:16 Firing, reloading, AND cocking! He does it all like a pro (because he is). 9:02 (pellets)

[@finally_startingtopost]

Damn you do a great job Rob......always interesting and I really like that you are bouncing around in subjects/movies..

[@atiashaunbaker3792]

Fun Fact about the anatomy of the T-800 models : Although an upgrade from the T-600s, the T-800s had 2 major weaknesses, being heavy which made them slower in mobility(Skynet corrected this problem with the T-1000 models) and a flawed targeting system and vision. The T-850s got a better version of both. I thought the T-800 here wore shades to look more human but they served a more technical purpose. The tint in the shades countered the infrared red lighting used by the T-800 giving it better vision and a more crisp , sharp pixel of every image it sees. The battery cells of the T-800 lasted about 20 years and the T-850 series lasted even longer . Skynet had to adapt and keep what works while scrapping what doesnt

[@OZ88]

The funny thing is that if skynet didn't send back the t800 John its main antagonist would never have been born in the future. The predestination paradox happened maybe because skynet wasn't smart enough or an abstract thinker to imagine that with interfering with the past, by sending back a t800 to kill someone instead of an advantage this act could be an act against its own existence in the future (birth of John). And by the way where did Kyle find the money to pay for the ticket?

[@whiskeygiro8448]

Kyle knew the back way out of, and into the club. He's a soldier from the future used to evading H/Ks. He'd have easily been able to scout the entrances/exits and circumvent club security, and had every reason to do so. But yeah, the predestination paradox in particular (okay, as well as all the other things!) makes The Terminator a beautiful film. The concept of SkyNet being John Connor's creator, if not uber-father, with their fated paradoxical fight to the death, is so dark and fatalistic it's supreme. Really was made to be a stand-alone movie, yet the fact Cameron was able to take something that self-contained and make an epic sequel is a testament to the message of the second film.

[@OZ88]

What if evil little Johnny knew who his father was from his mother and always picked up evil Reese sacrificing humanity in order for the predestination paradox to keep going on? What if the machines were on our side and wanted to bring humanity back to normality by getting rid of John's paradox? Of course this theory assumes that there is only one universe meaning that there is only one timeline and as prophesied in John's apocalypse ''he (John) knows his time is short ...''. Johnny knew his father, was aware that his existence was a paradox and the since he existed judgment day was inevitable and a plus ++ he knew who his father was in order to pick him up and send him back in order for him to exist in the future.

[@jimmijames4551]

@@whiskeygiro8448 not to mention the Terminator put the only security out of commission by breaking his puny little girly man hand.

[@subarusumeragikun]

@@OZ88 You can see him slip in through the front right after the bouncer gets his hand broken. It's very subtle and easy to miss.