Arnold Schwarzenegger Birthday Special: From Terminator to Predator, 5 Best Films Of the Actor That Turned Him Into A Household Name!
Schwarzenegger was THE movie star back in the early days of films that were just balls-to-the-wall action flicks. Starring in some of the most influential and outright loud movies of all time, the man built up a reputation for being one of the most imposing leads you could have in your film.
Oh, the action movie eras of the ‘70s, ‘80s and the ‘90s. What a time to be alive they were. Filled with some of the biggest names in Hollywood like Sylvester Stallone, Kurt Russell, Harrison Ford and more, that was a time period that saw the birth of stars. Among them was a man made out of just pure muscle and reinforced steel. His name? Arnold Schwarzenegger. Arnold Schwarzenegger Birthday Special: From Terminator to Commando, 10 Movie Quotes by the Superstar That Are Just Bang On!
Schwarzenegger was THE movie star back in the early days of films that were just balls-to-the-wall action flicks. Starring in some of the most influential and outright loud movies of all time, the man built up a reputation for being one of the most imposing leads you could have in your film. So, to celebrate Arnie’s 75th birthday, here are five of his best films that turned into a Hollywood household name.
Pumping Iron
A docudrama about the world of bodybuilding, Pumping Iron is a deep dive that will grab your attention right from its opening. Centering around the rivalry between Arnold and Lou Ferrigno, the movie established Schwarzenegger as a force to be reconned with. The dedication, the skill and the absolute sheer will, it doesn’t get more inspiring than this.
True Lies
One of the earliest director-actor team ups, Arnold and James Cameron would reunite for the spy-action film, True Lies. Following US agent Harry Tasker, the movie sees him take the double life of being a family man, but at the same time being a spy, and the weight of both the worlds finally start weighing on his shoulders. It’s a great film with some great action that gives us a great Arnold performance.
Predator
In the same vein as how Alien and Aliens gave us an iconic movie monster, the same way Predator followed in their footsteps as well. Featuring a special ops unit in a jungle taking on an alien creature that hunts for sport, this is John McTiernan giving us 107 minutes of pure led being shot out from some damn big guns (not as big as Arnie’s guns though, nothing is bigger than them). It also features some of Schwarzenegger’s most famous movie catchphrases too.
The Terminator
Changing the game with what is one of the finest sci-fi films to come out in the ‘80s, the team of Arnold and Cameron provided us a with a classic that has stood the test of time. An action movie that blends some horror elements into it as well, The Terminator features an android being sent back to the ‘80s to kill Sarah Connor, whose unborn son would save humanity in the future from Skynet.
Terminator 2: Judgement Day
James Cameron is known for making sequels and flipping the genre completely over their head. Where Alien was a slow burn horror film, Aliens directed by him was a straight up action flick. In the same vein, he took The Terminator and gave us Terminator 2: Judgement Day. A sequel that not only improved vastly upon the first one, but became the blueprint for many action films of our time, Terminator 2: Judgement Day is a classic that everyone should watch at least once. Arnold Schwarzenegger Appeals to Russian President Vladimir Putin to Stop War in Ukraine.
Arnie truly is one of the biggest Hollywood stars of our time. While his breed of action heroes is dying in Hollywood, his legacy will always live on. With this, we finish off the list and wish him a very happy birthday.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 30, 2022 01:53 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).