The Terminator (1984)

“I came across time for you, Sarah”

James Cameron, now a titan of Hollywood, got his start in the film industry making models for VFX departments, working his way up to special effects director on John Carpenter’s Escape from New York (1981). He stepped up to direct Piranhas II after the original director quit, and during the production he had a fever dream about a robot assassin. He turned his dream into a script and leveraged the script to get his first shot at directing a big budget studio film — which is how the world was finally blessed with the legendary sci-fi / horror / action film The Terminator.

Cameron was deeply inspired by Carpenter’s Halloween while making this movie, and you can see its influence in the tension-filled pacing. The movie is full of deep shadows and piercing blue lighting, something that would become a bit of a trademark for Cameron. The Terminator serves us the best combination of camp and suspense — yes, it’s about a leather clad murder robot and everyone has full blown mullets, but the action is incredible and the final chase sequence still keeps me on the edge of my seat.

Upon release, The Terminator out performed everyone’s expectations, and box office tickets surpassed its entire budget in less than two weeks. It takes a meticulous skill set to craft a great action movie, and it’s so fun to go back and watch something so iconic that holds up 40 years later.