THE TERMINATOR Turns 30 Today!

"Nice night for a walk." That simple line was Arnold's first dialogue in what would be a pivotal role as the cyborg killing machine, "The Terminator," which was released in theaters October 26, 1984, 30 years ago. Conan was two years prior and was also a key film for Arnold, but Terminator is what really launched him into superstardom. The Terminator was a different kind of action film, deftly utilizing horror and sci-fi elements to bring a real sense of dread and suspense to the usual chase scenes and shoot-outs. It also had characters that you actually cared about and felt real. It was great science fiction, though it wasn't bogged down with technical blab-- it kept things simple (as Kyle says, "I don't know tech stuff"). 

But of course, the two key things that made "The Terminator" the iconic, memorable film it is: Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Cameron. Both were men with big visions and ambitions to go beyond where they were at in their careers. They were at their hungriest and had something to prove to all the naysayers who thought The Terminator was a horrible idea that would bomb. Instead, it was praised by critics and audience alike and made over 6x its original budget. The rest is history. 

To celebrate this landmark anniversary, we have devoted a whole episode of our new Arnold Radio News podcast to Terminator talk, going over our favorite things about the movie in detail after just having watched it again. Plus we listen to the audio of James Cameron talking during the Hollywood 30th Anniversary screening (thanks again to Klasodeth for providng that audio!). If you haven't checked out our podcast yet, this is a good one to start with, then go back and download the past 11 episodes for more great Arnold talk and interviews with celebs. If you like it, please subscribe in iTunes or your favorite podcast listening app, rate/review us on iTunes, and give us feedback or share your memories of "The Terminator" at our new email for ARN: ArnoldRadioNews@gmail.com.

So go grab your Terminator DVD or Blu-ray and watch it tonight! Happy 30th to the T-800 and its creator!