Here we are, in the home stretch to Terminator Genisys finally hitting theaters on July 1st (night of June 30th in most theaters, get tickets HERE), and man the world will sure know that it is arriving! Let's just go through some of the promotional tie-ins and marketing blitz that is occurring!
First off, just yesterday Arnold stopped by the U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in California and treated the troops there to the first full screening of the completed film in the U.S. Arnold has always shown BIG respect and appreciation to the men and women serving in the military, so allowing them to be the first ones to see the new Terminator movie is a pretty awesome thing. Before the film, he spoke to them, saying, "This is the land of opportunity and the greatest country in the world because of you," and took time to shake hands and say hi to his fans. Here's a local news report about the event:
Now let's look at all the tie-ins happening! The mobile game for iOS and Android is now released, Terminator Genisys Revolution, where you can blast away at Terminators and other Skynet defenses in this free-to-play future-war centric shooter where you play a new resistance recruit helping the cause in various cities. I've played a bit and it's pretty fun, though nothing too "revolutionary," and no Arnold-likeness or direct tie-in to the movie's plot appears to be used (though perhaps there is later in the game). Still, worth giving a try being free!
If you're feeling like a nice juicy burger and beverage worthy of the Terminator name, you can get one at Red Robin! From their press release:
Now through August 23, Red Robin guests can feast their eyes on the limited-time Genisys Burger, a fire-grilled beef patty topped with roasted jalapeno, pepper-jack cheese, shredded romaine, bacon, tomatoes and jalapeno aioli, served on a new jalapeno-cornmeal bun or sip on the signature Blue Haze in celebration of the film. The Blue Haze is indeed the "T-800" of cocktails and steals the show, served in a captivating tiki glass filled to the brim with Captain Morgan® spiced rum, blue curacao, pineapple juice, agave nectar, sweet and sour with a lemon squeeze and a strategically-placed cherry to mimic the Terminator's infamous red eye.
I just ate this new burger, and it is quite good, especially if you like a spicy kick with the jalapenos, plus it comes with a special sandwich stick with an endo eye on one side and "I'll be back" on the other. It's kind of a throwback to the old Planet Hollywood menu (though nothing can beat the PH Terminator drink). Red Robin is also offering a free ticket to see Genisys when you purchase a $25 gift card. Here's their special Terminator themed page.
Need driving directions to the nearest Red Robin? Well, why settle for the normal GPS voices when you can now have The Terminator himself guide you there? The popular Waze app now has an option to have Arnold himself give commands like "Exit right, I insist," "Hazard ahead, GET DOWN!" and then of course "Hasta la vista, baby," when you've arrived. Waze is free to download on iOS, Android, or Windows Phone, then go into the Sound menu in Settings, and for Voice Language, you'll see "English (US) Terminator Genisys" as an option. I tried this on my morning commute today, and yes, it is awesome. I kept hoping for more unusual circumstances to hear what Arnold would say about it. He keeps it mostly Terminator, but there was at least one Jack Slater quip worked in: "Police ahead. Speeding would be a BIG mistake." Check out this USA Today article for a video clip of Arnold recording some of the lines.
A trio of new TV spots have been released, and they are good- really ramping up the excitement and cool scenes we will be seeing. My favorite is the one titled "Non-Stop" where the new Terminator model (if you've managed to avoid the spoiler first revealed in the 2nd trailer, keep away from these as well-- really just blindfold and plug your ears until you're in the theater opening day!) gives a version of the great Kyle Reese "It can't be bargained with..." speech. Here are all 3 below.
I'll wrap up this mega-roundup with some news on the film's score. If you didn't know, it is being composed by Lorne Balfe with Hans Zimmer as "Executive Music Producer." Balfe has been kind of an apprentice to Zimmer for a while, helping out with such awesome scores as "Inception," "The Dark Knight," and "Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man's Chest" and doing scores for the TV series "A.D." and video games like "Assassin's Creed 3." We don't know much about his score for Genisys, except that the version of Fiedel's T2 theme currently heard on the official website is appantly his, and he confirmed that the album release will be June 30th. He has mentioned providing some more samples soon on his Twitter, so we'll keep you posted when that happens.
Finally, how about a fresh episode of Arnold Radio News? On this one I'm joined by regular TAFs contributor Cromisgod, aka Rick Henriques! Lots of great Terminator AND Conan discussion is had!
That's all for this Genisys Report! Stayed tuned for much more cool interviews and news in the lead-up to its release! No fate but what we make!