Monday, March 15, 2010

"Come with me if you want to blog": Terminator week on The Agitation of the Mind

Colleague (incredulously): You’ve not seen ‘Terminator Salvation’?

Me: No. Missed it when it was at the cinema. Didn’t know if it was worth shelling for on DVD.

Colleague: But you’ve not seen ‘Terminator Salvation’!

At this point in the conversation, yours truly reflects on whether colleague’s aghast response isn’t perhaps a little excessive. After all, it’s not like I’m admitting to having never seen ‘Citizen Kane’, ‘Jules et Jim’, ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ or ‘The Godfather’*.

Yours truly’s response is carefully considered.

Me: You know what? I’ve never seen ‘Rise of the Machines’, either.

Colleague (spluttering): But you’ve only seen half of the ‘Terminator’ saga.

(Yeah, he called it that. An honest to God saga.) Which is why I now have a plastic bag containing the entire, ahem, saga on DVD sitting on my desk. I rather think that in renewing my acquaintance with ‘The Terminator’ and ‘Terminator 2: Judgement Day’, my conviction that I’ve seen the good half of the saga will be strengthened. Let’s face it, we’re talking two films by James Cameron, followed by un film de Jonathon Mostow followed by something directed by a man with one name that’s not even a proper fucking name to boot (I mean, McG; yeah, right, like there’s Scottish clan called the McGs; I think fucking not) who directed the ‘Charlie’s Angels’ movies.

But hey ho, for the sake of fairness, completism and the fact that it’ll give me something to blog about other than Operation 101010 picks, I’ll blast through all four of them this week and post reviews, one a night, from tomorrow.




*For the record, I have seen these particular movies. Confidentially, I find ‘Citizen Kane’ a tad overrated.

5 comments:

Bryce Wilson said...

Looking forward to it Neil.

It's funny to read about Terminator since my views end up usually being the polar opposite of most peoples.

I genuinely think the original Terminator is from a technical stand point one of the most impressive movies ever made. (No I'm not drunk. Well not very).

Just the fact that Cameron was able to take what was basically a Corman budget and turn it into that, blows my mind each time I watch it. That movie's pure editing and it blows me away.

Terminator 2 on the other hand is aside from its CGI and canal chase. Tosh.

The thing about Cameron is I genuinely do think he's one of the greatest innovater's who has ever lived. But the more money you give him, the less impressive his innovations become.

Bryce Wilson said...

Oh and your friends not alone in enjoying "The Saga".

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/new_terminator_movie_brings_j_d

Also he's not Nick Frost is he?

Thomas Pluck said...

If you've seen 1 & 2 you've seen the 'saga.' And admittedly, the first one is the most satisfying. I like T2 quite a bit, but the first is still the best.

Neil Fulwood said...

Bryce - I think, by the end of this little project, our opinions might be quite similar. (BTW, is it okay if I quote your line about Cameron's achievement on "what was basically a Corman budget" in tomorrow's article?) And no, my colleague isn't Nick Frost. Unless he's wearing a really good disguise.

Tommy - I kinda figured that I'd already seen the best of them, but I will admit to a perverse curiosity in approaching 'Rise of the Machines' and 'Terminator Salvation'. Who's going to make the balls-out worst movie: Mostow or McG? I have a feeling both films are going to have all the aesthetics and sick fascination of a car crash.

Bryce Wilson said...

I'd be honored.

I actually remember Rise Of The Machines not being that bad (or at the very least having some fun moments and good action beats).

Couldn't bring myself to watch Salvation though. Every time I approached the theater to sneak in after watching something else my brain started screaming.