Cast your mind back to the late eighties/early nineties when Arnold Schwarzenegger was the biggest star on the planet. The Austrian-born bodybuilder-cum-toast of Tinseltown had an incredible run at the box office, and managed that rare feat of transcending his nationality (little explanation was ever attributed to his character’s thick Teutonic accents) and somehow became an all-American icon.

He established that mould for future contenders to the action throne, such as The Rock and Vin Diesel, and they even tried to emulate his career path by applying the same tactical steps in trying to reach out to an even wider fan base by appearing in family-friendly fare (and somehow making an even more ham-fisted attempt at it than Arnie himself).

Having stepped down from his seven year role of Governor of California at the beginning of this year (failing to adequately tackle the state’s disastrously escalating budget deficit) and after speculation in the blogosphere for months as to whether he would step back in front of the cameras (cameo roles notwithstanding) the recent announcement that he was returning to leading man status in border-set pseudo western The Last Stand was quickly followed by images taken from the film’s set. These cropped up last week, showing the Austrian Oak looking relaxed and in good shape for his 64 years.

The word ‘comeback’ inevitably gets bandied around in these instances, and it’s definitely a title which is applicable to Schwarzenegger (the recent revelations of his dalliances with the family’s housemaid didn’t help the actor’s already shaky PR record) but the truth of the matter is Schwarzenegger’s popularity was on the wane well before he took up office. In fact, his career began a downwards trajectory from as way back as 1993 when his attempts at subverting his image in the meta action-comedy The Last Action Hero floundered at the box office (having been stamped on and torn to shreds by those mighty CGI’d Spielberg dinosaurs) . With the exception of James Cameron’s True Lies the following year, Schwarzenegger attempts to capitalise on his earlier success were met, largely, with audience indifference.

The likes of Eraser and Collateral Damage tried (and failed) to emulate his persona from that more simplistic, black-and-white era of action heroics. Even those family-friendly films in which the audience had indulged the star at the height of his popularity were shunned (George Clooney routinely takes the blame for the woeful Batman and Robin, but Schwarzenegger as the one-dimensional, quip-horrific villain Mr Freeze, should be culpable for at least some of the failing of the film). Perhaps most apparent that he’d lost that minus touch at the box office came in the form of his return to his most famous and well-loved character with 2003’s Terminator 3: The Rise of the Machine. What must have looked like a no-brainer for the actor (and indeed the studio) was a tired and unadventurous rehash, failing to match anywhere near the hype and ultimate success of the previous film. Schwarzenegger’s price tag for reprising the role (a reported $29.25 million “pay or play” fee) also shined a spotlight on the increasingly bloated salaries of A-list actors, and whether they were fully justifiable in helping to guarantee strong box office returns.

This isn’t to say that opportunities to revisit former glories are completely out of reach for the star. The unexpected box office success of The Expendables, which has spawned a forthcoming sequel (featuring a sprightly 70-year-old Chuck Norris!) is somewhat of an indication that there’s a novelty in seeing these stars of yesteryear back in action. While genre peer Sylvester Stallone seems intent on recapturing his former box office glory days (seemingly at all costs), Schwarzenegger might benefit from taking the advice of another past master Clint Eastwood, whose ‘Dirty’ Harry Callahan once uttered the words, “a man’s got to know his limitations”. It’s a phrase which was probably far from Schwarzenegger’s mind when he initially set off on that Yellow Brick Road to Hollywoodland (and indeed the first half of his career wouldn’t have happened if he subscribed to that theory) but in recent months, where it’s pretty clear that star power is beginning to lose its lustre (and the increasingly youth-obsessed business he’s returning to), the actor will have to rely on the extreme goodwill of an audience if he intends to replicate the kind of success which is now two decades behind him.

Shedding that Hollywood hubris can sometimes yield positive and fruitful results for A-list megastars (just look at Tom Cruise’s blistering turn in Magnolia) and it’s perhaps no surprise that, although top-billed, his character in The Last Stand looks like he’s part of an ensemble (the cast list consists of such dependable characters actors as Forest Whitaker, Harry Dean Stanton and Luis Guzmán, alongside established comic relief sidekick, Johnny Knoxville). Admittedly, Schwarzenegger has never shown the chops Cruise has, but surrounding himself with better actors, can’t harm the chances of him bringing something of quality to the table (remember Stallone in Copland?)

Maybe this is the way forward for Schwarzenegger’s career. As he enters retirement age, he should perhaps leave the heavy-lifting (literally and figuratively) to his future co-stars and director. Unlike Stallone, who has had the opportunity to call on his two iconic roles from the past to see him through the tough times, past franchises fundamental to Schwarzenegger’s standing  (Conan and The Terminator) have already been plundered by the studio and been given unnecessary facelifts, with below-par results.

Whatever challenges lay ahead, for the moment, Schwarzenegger may indeed ‘be back’, but it could take more that a burst of ammunition and an archaic wisecrack in order for it to stay that way.

London-based Tremulant Design have created an awesome infographic of how the future might pan out if the predictions of movies prove to be anything like correct. It covers a whole range of futuristic movies such as Blade Runner, V for Vendetta and WALL-E and also covers all of the big movie series such as Terminator, Aliens and Star Trek. That brief description doesn’t do justice to this epic project though as it has over 70 movies listed!

With so many films in the list with a lot of well-known titles some of the films covering the same space, or should that be time, don’t entirely share the same future vision and if I had to pick one of these conflicts then it would be the year 3,000 when the opposing views of the future come from Futurama and John Travlota’s “Battlefield Earth”! Before you scream in offended anguish I know Futurama is technically a TV show but I, and probably lots of other people, would forgive it anything if it can save us from “Battlefield Earth”!

It was Michael Hobson of Tremulant who compiled this amazing piece of work, although I should point out that in doing so he has incurred my everlasting loathing for coming up with such an outstanding illustration before me, and just to add insult to injury he says it’s his first attempt at an infographic too! Seeing as I never won a fight at school I’m always averse to engaging in fisticuffs so, putting our differences to one side, I’d recommend that you scroll down (click to view) or head on over to their site to see the whole list in it’s full glory.

It was rumoured for some time that Justin Lin’s next big screen project would be an attempt at getting the Terminator franchise back on track with a returning Arnold Schwarzenegger, however Indiewire’s The Playlist are exclusively reporting that Lin’s next project will be a sixth entry to the Fast and Furious series.

Lin met with both James Cameron and Schwarzenegger and he still appears to be the director of choice for the next terminator feature but given Schwarzenegger’s priorities resting firmly with his role in The Last Stand for some time which frees Lin up to return to the franchise that has made him such a sought after director.

Lin has reportedly also had conversations regarding directing a Highlander re-boot as well as Die Hard 5 but passed on both of those, with Lin hinting at lack of creative control being the main reason, although he will act as executive producer for Highlander. It’s great to see a director refusing to accept a job unless he’s allowed to make the film according to his vision.

Given the massive commercial success of Fast 5 as well as a warm critical response another instalment to the series was always going to happen, and it’s pleasing that Lin will be at the helm once again.

Without spoiling too much; the end of Fast 5 did hint strongly at a continuation of the series and it would appear that the film will focus more on the heist element rather than the street races that helped establish the franchise. Given the fact that Fast 5 is the strongest instalment this makes sense.

Regulars Vin Diesel and Paul Walker will return alongside Dwayne Johnson and the film has been pencilled in for a release date of 24^th May 2013 so there’s a bit of a wait.

As always we’ll bring you updates as and when they become available.

It’s the strangest thing – when Arnold Schwarzenegger exited public office there was a keen flurry of activity regarding his supposedly inevitable return to the big screen. Rumours and remakes flew around our heads, a barely credible cartoon entity was teased but now comes a report that one of the most recognisable faces and names in the business will be reprising a role which made him famous.

Deadline are reporting that Arnie is attaching himself to the Terminator package which will be shipped around to the studios in the coming days. Justin Lin, the man behind the critical juggernaut that is Fast Five has been strategically placed on the roster and there’s no doubt the man knows his way around an action set piece, but there is a lot more to the (successful) Terminator films than that.

It’s a common trend in Hollywood to revisit characters, Gordon Gekko and Indiana Jones are two recent examples and the third Bill and Ted films will see the Wyld Stallyns pushing 50, so Arnie returning to the franchise which made his name isn’t particularly surprising – given that it was teased a few months ago along with various other remakes and reboots.

He put in an appearance of sorts in the recent McG film, Terminator: Salvation as a CGI version of the original model, unless there’s a return to the past for the series instead of sticking with the post Salvation world who knows where an aged Terminator would fit?

Last week Gary posted this exhaustive look at the cinematic death dealt out by the main actors in Slyvester Stallone’s bombastic 80s action heroes class reunion, The Expendables.

Taking the gory initiative artist Stephen Wildish compiled this excellent infographic to illustrate the macabre tally and we wanted to share it with you.

You can read Gary’s review of the Expendables here, and check out Stephen’s work below.

There’s a link on Stephen’s site for a large version of it and I’d recommend checking it out here.

For anyone who doesn’t want their memories of James Cameron’s much-loved violent and edgy 1984 sci-fi classic sullied forever, please don’t read on.

Comingsoon are reporting that a US production company are seeking the rights to allow them to develop a CG 3D animated movie, featuring Sarah Connor, Kyle Reese and the Arnie Terminator.

To make matter worse, the report claims the companies have sent out a press release which states they’re aiming for a PG-13 rating, and violence will be kept down to a minimal. Oh dear!

I know McG’s take on the Terminator mythology didn’t do the franchise any favours, but this sounds like a truly horrendous idea and one which is sure to turn fans away as opposed to winning them back!

It’s not the first time a promising first feature (and sequel in this case) has given way to a case of diminishing returns and kid-friendly content  (hello Robocop!) but you would have thought the lessons had been learned from examples like this.

Sadly it seems nothing is sacred as long as Hollywood can keep pulling at the teats of these popular cash cows.

With the biggest, greatest, most over the top action film of all time coming out on 19th August in the form of The Expendables (our review here), HeyUGuys is bringing you the ultimate run down of the kill count that these historic action actors have each tallied up.

From throat rips to decapitations, martial art assassins to robotic killers and Yippee Ki-Yay’s to Asta La Vista’s, they have dealt death in every way possible with every weapon imaginable.

Each death reaches the same conclusion but each actor carries it off in their own unique style, often adding a personal touch. Be it an Arnie verbal send off like “Stick Around” after being stuck with a huge knife against a post or adding some humour by playing games with the baddies like John McClane in Die Hard ” Now I have a machine gun, Ho Ho Ho”. A memorable death greatly adds to the enjoyment of watching baddies/goodies perish at the hands, feet, guns, knives, robotic limbs of these iconic action movie stars.

Although this rundown is never going to be 100% accurate I have tried to find as much information to build the most definitive totals of bloody deaths in action film lore. I’ve also added a guess of how many kills each actor racked up in The Expendables, it was an impossible task, but I think Jason Statham came out on top after recording 41 kills in one scene pushing him ahead of his nearest competitor.

This is the Expendables body count run down that totals over 2000 dead bodies in over 300 films combined.

You can read our extensive coverage including our review for The Expendables here.

MICKEY ROUKE

First up is the rejuvenated Mickey Rourke who never really started off as an action movie star but has slowly become a very dominant actor in the action movie genre.

With starring roles in the excellent Sin City as Marv and as Ivan Vanko in Iron Man 2 being recent highlights, Rourke has shown an incredible natural ability to add a villainous menace or a convincing powerful force to his roles which makes him such a watchable actor in action films. Rourke again gives a great performance as ‘Tool’ in the Expendables, easily the best actor in the whole film.

Probably one of the toughest actors on the list, as an amateur boxer he reportedly had 12 consecutive first round knockouts and also went undefeated in 8 professional boxing matches from 1991 -1995 winning 6 and drawing 2 bouts before retiring to go back to acting. Rourke needed facial surgery to correct his disfigurement due to injuries suffered from boxing and a balls up from his plastic surgeon left him with his drastically different looking features.

Rourke’s first film was alongside Jon Belushi and Dan Akroyd in Spielberg’s war spoof ’1941′ and he went on to star in 9 1/2 weeks, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Sin City, The Wrestler and Iron Man 2 and he also turned down the roles of Axel Foley in Beverly Hills Cop, Stuntman Mike in Tarantino’s Grindhouse episode Death Proof, Johnny Ringo in Tombstone and Butch Coolidge in Pulp Fiction.

Along with Stallone, they are the only Oscar nominated actors from the Expendables and Rourke got his Oscar nod for the role of Randy Robinson in the Wrestler

Mickey Rourke – 28 Kills on screen in 61 Films – 0.45 kills per film

Most Kills:- 15 as Marv in Sin City

Kills in The Expendables: 0

JASON STATHAM

Jason Statham is our next hard man in the list and a surprise action star considering he came from nowhere to appear in Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and two years after that starred in Snatch. All of a sudden he became a martial artist action movie star who took off in ‘The Transporter’ a film which spawned two further sequels, which Stathem then topped with the insane, ridiculous and guilty pleasures ‘Crank’ and ‘Crank 2: High Voltage’ where he played the delightfully named Chev Chelios, a man trying to keep his ticker ticking by doing adrenaline pumping antics or otherwise he dies. Love it.

He has already faced off against Expendables Jet Li in War and The One as well as Mickey Rourke in 13 and has had leading roles in Bank Job, Revolver, Deathrace with further supporting roles in Italian Job, Mean Machine, Ghost of Mars and as the lead villain in Cellular.

When you watch a Statham film you can expect a few things from them. 1, there will be action and some very OTT action at that. 2, there will be some very well choreographed martial arts that include props and the scenery around him which is very reminiscent of the classic Jackie Chan films which it makes his films more than your average martial art film and very accessible. And 3, there will some quirky humour.

Statham has blossomed into a well loved Hollywood actor who must be in heaven starring in The Expendables with such iconic action movie heroes and fully deserves his major role as the co-star alongside Stallone. For me he was one of the many highlights of The Expendables with his knife killing skills.

Jason Statham – 147 Kills on screen in 23 Films – 6.4 kills per film

Most Kills:- 60 as ‘Farmer’ in ‘In the name of the King’

Approximate kills in The Expendables: 80

BRUCE WILLIS

Bruce Willis is only third in the list of the action stars in terms of on screen kills but is easily one of the most loved due to his success as John McClane in the Die Hard movies; despite how poorly received the fourth movie was, the lure of seeing McClane back on the screen was the main draw, and that’s thanks to Willis.

He had his first staring role in the non action movie ‘The Return of Bruno’, a “Hilarious Rock Comedy” which was followed by Rom-Com ‘Blind Date’ starring alongside Kim Basinger. It looked like Bruce Willis was heading towards being a comedy actor with his next role being in ‘Sunset’ with James Garner, but after that the legend was born with Bruce Willis being cast as Detective John McClane in 1988′s Die Hard apparently beating actors Richard Gere, Don Johnson and Richard Dean Anderson in the process and the rest is history.

Willis has performed in over 60 films and numerous TV shows with highlights being Pulp Fiction, 12 Monkeys, The Fifth Element, Sin City, Armageddon, Sixth Sense and Unbreakable. Moonlighting was the highlight of his TV Career winning a Global Globe with his performance as David Addison and also had appearances in Friends and Ally McBeal, but in the end he will always be known as John ‘Die Hard’ McClane.

Bruce Willis 168 Kills on screen in 62 Films – 2.7 per film

Most Kills – 26 as Korban Dallas in Fifth Element

Approximate kills in The Expendables: 0

JET LI

Next on the list is Jet Li and it’s also a step up in kill rates per film for the action stars, in fact Triple the amount of Bruce Willis.

Jet Li (real name Li Lian Jie) is arguably the most natural action fighting star in the film with an incredible knowledge of martial arts under his belt with the mastery of Wushu, Tai Chi, Drunken Fist, Praying Mantis Fist as well as weapon skills that make him the real fighting machine who could probably take on any of the guys on this list and win.

Jet Li’s first entry into movies was the successful Shaolin Temple films that were followed by the Once upon a time in China trilogy, Fist of Legend and High Risk that developed him into one of the greatest martial artists on the big screen of all time. Inevitably it wasn’t long before Hollywood came calling when he appeared in Lethal Weapon 4 in his first ever role as a villain which was then followed by his first Hollywood leading role in Romeo Must Die.

Li continued to make films back in China as well as in Hollywood with the pick being the stunning Hero but also he starred in The One, Cradle 2 the Grave, Unleashed, The Mummy 3, Fearless and The Forbidden Kingdom which would all be pretty abysmal or average films if it wasn’t for the killer moves and presence of the great Jet Li appearing in them.

Not many martial art actors have earned world wide recognition but Jet Li has fully earned his place alongside the greats of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan as the best.

Jet Li – 327 Kills on screen – 39 Films – 8.3 per film

Most Kills – 50 as Kit Li in High Risk

Approximate kills in The Expendables: 30

SYLVESTER STALLONE

The man who brought them all together in Expendables and the man who holds the second highest amount of kills in one movie for his throat ripping, machine gun firing and knife chopping killing spree in 2008′s Rambo. From his most innocent kill from dropping dead weight in Cliff Hanger to shooting a soldier pointblank repeatedly with the biggest machine gun in Rambo 4, Sylvester Stallone is quite possibly the first name that would spring to mind if you were asked to name an action movie star on Family Fortunes, he is and always will be an action movie star.

Complications during his birth left Stallone with a severed a nerve in his head which left him with partial paralysis in his face, slurred speech and his sagging lower lip, but something that could have seriously limited most actors chances to succeed, it  has become as much a part of his character as his bulging muscles and killing machine personality.

His career has had its up and downs with Stop! or my Mom will Shoot being a horrible low and Rocky being a triple Oscar winning high. Stallone has a fine collection of franchise movies with Rocky producing six highly enjoyable films and Rambo forging four well loved movies with Rambo 4 giving Stallone the second highest kill rate in one film from our list with a staggering 87, he just knows how to create iconic characters in his movies.

Stallone is one of the biggest box office earners, one of the greatest movie stars of all time and one of the most recognisable actors in the world. Action movies wouldn’t be anywhere near as enjoyable without his contribution.

Sylvester Stallone – 334 Kills on Screen – 50 Films – 6.7 per film

Most Kills – 87 as John Rambo (2008)

Approximate kills in The Expendables: 60

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER

Although having little screen time in the Expendables, the Guvnor of California will be rightfully represented in the movie and he will forever been known as one of the best and most consistently enjoyable action movie stars that there ever will be. If not for his amazing array of movies, he is memorable for his quotable and trademark one liners or the characters he has portrayed; the man is an action hero.

Arnie started off as a body builder winning Mr. Universe at the age of 22 and entering movies in his debut as Arnold Strong in Hercules in New York. Arnie then went on to get a ‘Best acting debut’ Golden Globe for his role in Stay Hungry (1976) alongside Jeff Bridges and Sally Field but it was Conan the Barbarian that launched him into the Action Movie Hall of Fame which subsequently lead to his role as The Terminator. After dominating the movie business for 20 years he then did the unthinkable and became Governor of California where he has served to this day.

Arnie holds the record for most kills in one film with the awesome Commando where he slaughtered a phenomenal 102 bad guys. It’s the ultimate display of killing but it was no way his greatest moment, most people will instantly say Terminator is his defining moment and it’s hard to argue with that. His turn as the killing machine sent from the future to kill Sarah Connor, then protect her son John Connor in James Cameron’s sequel, is one of the finest in Sci-Fi history and one he will be forever remembered for.

In his prime Arnie made arguably the finest collection of Action movies that have ever been made by one actor, easily beating everyone on this list in terms of variety, enjoyment, cult status and personality in his films, Arnie has proven to be possibly the most popular action movie star of all time. Listing the films just proves this:

Conan, The Terminator, Commando, Raw Deal, Predator, Running Man, Red Heat, Total Recall, Terminator 2 and True Lies that (for me) was his last true classic Action Movie. Arnie is my favourite action movie star of all time and in my opinion, No one comes close.

Arnold Schwarzenegger – 513 Kills on screen – 31 Films – 16.5 per film

Most Kills – 102 as Matrix in Commando

Approximate kills in The Expendables: 0

DOLPH LUNDGREN

And finally the winner of the most kills combined and with a staggering 632 kills in an average of 17.5 people per film, it’s Dolph ‘He-Man’ Lundgren.

To be honest I know little of Lundgren’s films, I know he was in Masters of the Universe, Rocky 4, The Punisher, Universal Soldier films and Blackjack but apart from those, the others I’ve never seen or ever really heard of but that doesn’t make his career insignificant. Dolph is a killing machine and has killed almost more people than Rourke, Statham, Willis and Jet Li put together and has a higher average per film to boot.

Dolph Lundgren was born in Sweden and it the largest of the Expendables at 6’5″ who has a third Degree Black Belt. His career in action films started in a small role in James Bond A View to a Kill due to being the real life body guard to Grace Jones, but it was his best and most well remembered role as Ivan Drago in Rocky IV that set him onto the path of becoming a major action movie star.

He followed Rocky with his most high profile role with the live adaptation of He-Man, he played the lead role of Adam Prince of Eternia in a fantasy/action movie that I still have fond memories of seeing, but one that I haven’t seen since the late 80′s, It can’t be that bad…

After Masters of the Universe, Lundgren went on to star in Red Scorpion, The Punisher and Universal Soldier alongside Jean Claude Van Damme that turned out to be his last major movie for many years as he slipped into low profile straight to DVD movies where he has made a living from since including turning to directing in 2004 with the movie Defender.

Lundgren was considered for the role of Ben Richards in The Running Man and was also offered the role of Captain America in the 1980 version but due to doing the Punisher, he turned it down. It’s a shame as he could have easily of had a career like Schwarzenegger, but he made a better villain than a hero and the bad guy rarely becomes the big star.

Dolph Lundgren – 632 Kills on screen – 36 Films – 17.5 per film

Most Kills – 60 as Frank in the Punisher

Approximate kills in The Expendables: 10

THE BLOODY FACTS:

TOTALS: 2149 Combined Kills in 302 Films.

1. HOW HIGH – If you laid all the bodies these guys have racked up in their movies and stack em up like a single tower morbid game of Jenga it would be the height of 2149 feet, 655 metres or 0.4 of a mile which is roughly the same size as five London Eye big wheels, Two Eiffel Towers or as tall as 13 Godzilla’s (Japanese 1954 original version)..

2. HOW FAR- Alternatively if you don’t fancy stacking you could lay each body-bag head to toe (presuming each guy exterminated was 6 foot tall, which is about right height for your average villain) it will total up to about 12,894 feet, 2.5 Miles or 3,930 metres in Length. That’s 9.8 times around an Olympic track that would take Usain Bolt about six minutes to reach the end of running at full pelt..

3. BLOODBATH! – If the average human body contains 5.6 litres of blood and presuming after each life our action stars takes the bodies loses around half that, then there would be enough blood to fill 10,588 pints of beer, 22.3 baths of water and is three times the amount of blood used to blast out of the bed in A Nightmare on Elm Street!

Thanks to excellent site www.allouttabubblegum.com for an invaluable source of information on movie deaths. Check them out, I had almost as much fun reading their site as I did watching the Expendables!

HeyUGuys has had the privilege of interviewing some phenomenal movie talent since it started in 2008, and they don’t come much more talented then the phenomenal Linda Hamilton.

Speaking exclusively for HeyUGuys at Showmasters ‘Collectormania’, the UK’s premiere film, comic and sci-fi convention. Linda was amongst the likes of Sir Patrick ‘Star Trek’ Stewart, Jeffrey ‘Reanimator’ Combs and Michelle ‘True Blood’ Forbes to name but a few, signing autographs, picture posing and generally ‘making the day’ of film fans
in their thousands.

Linda talked to us about her portrayal of the iconic character ‘Sarah Connor’, why she got into acting, HER favourite Terminator movie and how she got one up on Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger himself.

Press play if you wanna live!

The IMDb250. A list of the top 250 films, as ranked by the users of the biggest movie Internet site on the web. It is based upon the ratings provided by the users of The Internet Movie Database, which number into the millions. As such, it’s a perfect representation of the opinions of the movie masses, and arguably the most comprehensive ranking system on the Internet.

It’s because of this that we at HeyUGuys (and in this case, we, is myself and Barry) have decided to set ourselves a project. To watch and review all 250 movies on the list! We’ve frozen the list as of 1st January this year. It’s not as simple as it sounds, as we’ll be watching them in one year, 125 each.

This is our eighteenth update, a rundown of my next five movies watched for the project. Again another week of great films all deserving there place on the IMDb 250 best films ever and it was an absolute treat to watch Terminator and Terminator 2 back to back which really showed the quality of the films as a pair and less said about the following films the better, Chaplin shone with The Kid and Pixar again delivered a stunning animated film this time about rats, I finished with another first time viewed film in Frank Capra’s brilliant and highly entertaining Arsenic and Old Lace.

(You can find all previous week updates here)

No.160 – Ratatouille (2007) – Rating 8.1

The wonder of Pixar strikes again. Ratatouille again shows the brilliance of Pixar running at full steam creating one of the most visually and beautifully told stories of 2007. The story of a Rat named Remi that has a taste for fine dining and the skills of a Michelin star chef who after being split from his extended family and arriving in Paris, uses a clueless chef wannabe named Linguini to be his way into his cooking ambition at the world famous Gusteau’s Restaurant.

The Way Remi and Linguini team up to cook is hilarious as the little rat sits under his hat using Linguini’s hair to control him like a marionette doll and as his fame rises so does the suspicions of head Chef Skinner (voiced immaculately by Ian Holm) who will do anything to stop Linguini becoming the rightful owner of the restaurant when it’s found that Linguini is the son and heir to Gusteau’s.

Remi also has his problems, with the way humans treat rodents especially in restaurants and the reuniting with his hungry family, Remi has to fight to stay alive and keep his family content which jeopardizes his friendship and partnership with Linguini. It’s such an incredibly impressive animated movie that just stuns throughout with its typical Pixar attention to detail and animation and mixed with a wonderful story with the pacing, humor, excitement and enjoyment perfect to suit children and adults alike. Then add to all that a faultless and extremely memorable list of characters found throughout like Anton Ego the food critic and the other chefs like Horst, Colette and the Ratzenberger voiced Mustafa, Ratatouille is easily one of the greatest animated films of all time and fully deserving of its place on the IMDb 250 list.

No.193 – The Kid (1921) – Rating 8.0

Chaplin makes another appearance in the IMDb list with his 1921 classic The Kid. For me it has nothing on the comic genius of City Lights or Modern Times but as a warm and heart breaking story it beats Chaplin’s other films by miles.

The Kid was Chaplin’s first full length feature film and was a huge breakthrough for the comic legend as he was no longer confined to limit his creativity to the twenty minute short films he previous made and although lacking the comic genius that filled his later films The Kid certainly has a wonderful feeling to it and plenty of laughs.

The story is of a confused and desperate mother abandoning her newborn baby inside of a limousine hoping the child will have a better chance in the home of a wealthy family; however thieves steal the limousine and find the baby dumping it in an alley where the iconic Tramp finds the baby and raises it himself. Five years later, the Tramp and the boy, John (Jackie Coogan) live together and survive by using a con routine where the boy smashes windows and Chaplin arrives to fix them. This catches up with them when the law catch them at it which leads to a truly heart wrenching scene where they come to take his son away from him and Chaplin battles to save him.

Chaplin and Coogan’s onscreen relationship is not only one of the funniest and endearing father son bonding I have ever seen on film, but also one of the most genuinely authentic which makes the film work so well. There is a brilliant child fight scene which is hilarious as Chaplin watches his son beat the hell out of the other kid whilst the other kid’s BIG brother tells Chaplin he will beat the hell out the father of that kid causing Chaplin to try and influence the fight so his boy loses. The heart wrenching adoption fight scene is unforgettable and even the surreal dream sequence at the end which seems out of place is nicely done and from what I’ve read is reference to the fact Chaplin lost his own son shortly before filming and his state of mind due to it.

The star of the film was Jackie Coogan, the little kid showed incredible talent to mimic Chaplin’s mannerisms and put in the perfect performance especially during the adoption scene where he looked genuinely terrified and distressed, Coogan eventually went on to play Fester in the Addams Family TV series after a . Not the best Chaplin film but still deserving of its place on the list.

No.159 – Terminator (1984) – Rating 8.1

Dun Dun Dun, Der Dun. Dun Dun Dun, Der Dun. And repeat in increasing volumes.

The music of Terminator is so simple, recognizable and so dam cool that as soon as it kicks in at the start of the film I was filled with excitement to be watching it again after a pretty long hiatus from the early franchise films.

The iconic story of Sarah Connor’s fight to stay alive when a robot from the future is sent back to kill her to prevent her from having her son John who will turn out to be the leader of the resistance in the war of humans vs. machines is a brilliant one that has continued to spawn sequels and TV series (although no word yet on the supposed continuation of the story after the rights are in limbo) for over 25 years since the release of The Terminator in 1984.

James Cameron well and truly launched his career by writing and directing Terminator and what could have been another unsuccessful B-Movie following on from Piranha 2, The Terminator turned into one of the most popular and well loved Sci-Fi films of all time. The action is immense, the tension is stunning and although the Special FX is extremely dated, particularly Arnie’s animatronic face, it gives the film a real unique feel that just works from start to finish.

Michael Biehn has never performed better than when he played Kyle Reese, the solider sent by future John Connor to protect Sarah, excellently carrying the burden of his mission against an almost indestructible enemy, Linda Hamilton starred as the unlikely heroine and Arnold Schwarzenegger is stunning as the emotionless cyborg killer that will always be his most greatest role in both iconic terms and verbally as The Terminator was when he first uttered the line “I’ll Be Back”.

The ending of the film is just utter magic, the long long chase scene going from vehicle to vehicle then on foot as the incredible Stan Winston created Terminator metallic skeleton rises from the flames to chase Sarah Connor is one of the best action scenes ever that probably helped make the film so popular and give it that push it needed to set it above all the other Sci-Fi films of the time, I loved it.

No.45 – Terminator 2 (1991) – Rating 8.5

This is how you make a sequel and just like Alien, James Cameron took on a very well respected film and made a sequel that splits opinions as to which is best. For me I prefer the original Terminator in terms of story but Terminator 2 has such incredible action set pieces that it’s a far more enjoyable ride.

Following 11-13 years after the end of Terminator (depending on what timeline you follow) we are introduced to two Terminators this time, one an original Arnie killing machine and a new type of Terminator taking the form of ‘That guy from Terminator 2’ Robert Patrick. This time Arnie Terminator is sent back to 1994 to protect John Connor from being terminated by a new liquid metal shape shifting Terminator.

On route they pick up Sarah Connor from a mental ward, flee from the Terminator and try to stop Skynet from being born by destroying the man responsible and the items recovered from the destroyed Terminator in part 1. The story ties the two movies together brilliantly and James Cameron again raises the bar for Special FX, very similar to what he did with Avatar, by using digital morphing techniques that were jaw dropping at the time and still very effective today and fully deserving of the Oscar’s it won.

Linda Hamilton puts in a brilliant character changing performance from the original film as Sarah Connor is hard as nails ready for the war, Arnie is superb as the good Terminator but still having elements of his original emotionless performance, his relationship with Edward Furlong’s John Connor worked 100% and was the heart of the film which spawned another iconic phrase in “Hasta La Vista, Baby” which was probably the most used saying in the early 1990’s. Robert Patrick as the T-1000 was also excellent and offered a really interesting alternative to Arnie’s huge figure and presence with a smaller, intimidating, faster and evil looking model that Arnie’s T-800 could ever offer.

James Cameron really created something special with both Terminator movies creating a wonderful story, exceptional characters and a superb sci-fi mythology and by using new technologies he took film making to new level but that led to some good and some very bad films following with the new dependence on CGI. It’s a shame the films have been tainted somewhat by their further sequels and the TV Series which all had some really good elements to them but on their own offered nothing anywhere close to the original two movies.

No.246 – Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) – Rating 7.9

Recipe for Murder: 1 teaspoon of arsenic, half a teaspoon of strychnine, and a just a pinch of cyanide to 1 litre of elderberry wine.

Never did I expect a movie like this. It had Cary Grant in an over the top outrageous comic performance, lovely old women being serial killers, the creepiest looking bad guy ever and a story so entertainingly funny that I was still chuckling to myself for days afterwards.

Arsenic and Old lace is a wonderful film from director legend Frank Capra (It’s A Wonderful Life) based on the play by Joseph Kesselring where Cary Grant plays well known drama critic Mortimer Brewster who has just married his childhood sweetheart Elaine (Priscilla Lane) and on returning to home to tell his Aunts Abby (Josephine Hull) and Martha (Jean Adair) of the news he discovers his adorable sweet aunts, who raised him as child, have actually murdered thirteen men and buried them in their basement with the innocent help of his slightly insane brother Teddy (John Alexander), who believes himself to be Teddy Roosevelt with regular calls to “CHARGE” shouted as he runs from room to room.

Being a shocking revelation to Mortimer, especially as the women seem so jovial about the murders, he attempts to try to understand, hide, solve and reason with what is happening, but when Jonathan (Raymond Massey) his long estranged escaped convict brother turns up at the family home with his associate and personal plastic surgeon Dr Einstein (Peter Lorre) and a dead body of their own things start to get out of hand.

The film roars along at a fast pace set almost entirely in the Brewster home with Cary Grant being highly enjoyable and completely over the top with his lines and quips that had me laughing throughout and suits the film perfectly and one of my favourite Cary Grant roles ever. The two murdering Aunts are exceptionally performed by Josephine Hull and Jean Adair, never have two serial killers been so likable and as funny as this as their explanations and justifications for killing the men are delivered in the funniest deadpan way possible. But the star of the film for me was the returning son Jonathan played by Raymond Massey; he looked like Boris Karloff’s Frankenstein and offered such a wonderful intimidating performance opposed to Grant’s zany antics that he stole the film from the murderous Aunts and Mortimer’s panic stricken dilemma’s. A truly wonderful film.

Don’t forget, you can follow our progress on Twitter at http://twitter.com/baz_mann andhttp://twitter.com/gary_phillips_.

We’ve all done it.  Anyone who’s a fan of film has integrated film quotes into everyday conversation.  It’s all part of pop culture.  The film could be one that everyone has seen, or it could be one that falls under the cult status.  No matter which part of the spectrum, there are always those films that inhabit your everyday conversations.

When quoting films, one of two things will happen.  The person you’re dropping this little gem on will either get it, or they won’t.  To be in the know is priceless.  To be on the outside is confusing and may cause you to blush.  You’ll either get the high five or the “I can’t believe you haven’t seen that yet!”.

Certain quotes can be worked into the most mundane everyday conversation.  If done properly, the user will be admired for the cunning use of the quote.  When used incorrectly, the user will have to bow their head in shame and wear an “I Love Jar-Jar” T-shirt.  No one wants that.  So please, read on for a list of 10 quotes and examples of how they can be used.

“I’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse.” – The Godfather
This one works great with favors.  If you need someone to help you do something that would otherwise garner a “hell no” from the other party.

Example:
Guy 1: So dude, I was going to ask John to help me move this weekend.
Guy 2: Dude.  No way is he going to help.  He gets mad when people ask him to help just because he has a truck.
Guy 1: yeah, but I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse.

This will normally get you an approving nod of the head and an understanding that nothing else needs to be said.

“Go that way really fast, if somethings gets in your way…turn.” – Better Off Dead
I use this typically in the directional sense.  For example: Hey, which direction do I need to go?

Example:
Buddy 1: Dude, I need directions to where we’re going.
Buddy 2: Dude, go that way. Really fast. If something gets in your way, turn.

This one will most likely result in an eye roll and dismissive shake of the head.  Even though the user will most likely be giggling.

“Keep it secret, keep is safe.” – LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring
This one is good for girlie gossip that concerns scandal.

Example:
Girl 1: OMG! Did you hear about Jane?
Girl 2: No
Girl 1: Really? OMG you HAVE to hear this.  But you have to promise to keep it secret, keep it safe ok?
Girl 2: Ok my Precious.

There is no greater promise than to keep it secret, keep it safe.  This is most effective when used in conjunction with a pinky swear.

“That’s a negative, Ghost Rider, the pattern is full” – Top Gun
Normally used when there just isn’t anymore space….for anything.  Or can also be used on kids when they ask permission to do something and the answer is no. Use of this phrase however may result in confusion.  Which will most likely result in eye rolling on the users part.

Example 1:
Girl: Hey guys, I heard you’re all headed out to the club.  Can I ride with you?
Guy: That’s a negative, Ghost Rider, the pattern is full.
Girl: Huh?

Example 2:
Kid: Dad, Kari wants to know if I can stay over tonight.
Dad: That’s a negative, Ghost Rider, the pattern is full.
Kid: Huh?

While Top Gun is a classic in it’s own right, most people come up with the other well known quotes.  That’s what makes this one such a gem.  It mostly receives the questioning look, but is best used if shrugged off as if it’s a perfectly normal phrase to use.  For those who use this, it is part of everyday speech.

“Sometimes you just gotta say, ‘What the f**k, make your move’.”  – Risky Business
This is typical of a peer pressure situation.  Like, say you really want to go that concert your buddy is going to, but it’s on a night you have to work.

Example:
Buddy 1: Dude, you have to go to the concert!
Buddy 2: Dude, I have to work. No way can I call in sick again.  I already called in sick when you got that hair brained idea to drive to Vegas at midnight.
Buddy 1: Dude, it’s called L-I-V-I-N! Sometimes you just gotta say, “What the f**k, make your move.” . CALL IN SICK!
Buddy 2: OK.

This phrase is normally associated with trying to convince someone to do something that is most likely going to result in a sever case of bad judgment.  Use sparingly and with caution.

“These aren’t the droids you’re looking for.” – Star Wars

This can be used a couple of different ways.  When you’re looking for something and think you found it only to realize that it’s not what you wanted.  When something unexpected comes up or when a certain 12 year old is trying to pull the Jedi mind trick on her parents.

Example 1:
Girl: Oh good.  I’ve been looking for this forev….oh wait.  These aren’t the droids I was looking for. Damn!

Example 2:
Guy: So you hear about Jack?  He had a meeting with the boss today. He thought he was getting a promotion and he got laid off.
Guy 2: That sucks.  Guess he wasn’t the droid they were looking for eh?

Example 3:
Mom: Do your homework.
Kid: ::Jedi hand movement:: You don’t need to see my identification.
Mom: I said, do your homework!
Kid: ::Jedi hand movement:: These aren’t the droids your looking for.
Mom: DO YOUR HOMEWORK!!!!
Kid: Alright! Jeez……..

I’m sure there are many other uses for this phrase, but these are the ones that come to mind.

“Come with me if you want to live”  – All of the Terminator films & The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
This should really be used by an extremely agitated parent.  Had this been big when I was young, I’m sure one of my parents, or both, would have used this.

Example:
Mom: C’mon Tracy, it’s time to leave.
Tracy: But I don’t wannnnaaa goooooooooooo.
Mom: COME WITH ME IF YOU WANT TO LIVE!
Tracy: er, ok.

There isn’t anything more frightening than an irritated Mom.  Don’t make her use this.  It never turns out good.

“That right R2, we’re going to the Degoba System.” – Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

Ok, I’m going to be honest and tell you I’ve actually used this.  On my cat.  You read that right.  My cat (the official HUG mascot) is strong willed.  After being particularly naughty, she looked up at me as if to say, “What are you going to do about it”. I responded by saying “That’s right Kitty, you’re going to the Degoba System”. And promptly removed her from whatever havoc she was creating.

This one can be use similarly with children, friends, relatives and the like.  Anytime someone asks, “Where are we going”, it’s a prime time to bust out this little nugget.

“They’re here.” – Poltergeist

This one is best used when big family gatherings are about to take place.  I’ve heard it used with a touch of dread and a hint of forewarning of what is about to take place.

Example:
Mom: Dinner is almost ready.  The family should be here any minute.
Dad: (from his recliner) THEY’RE HEEEEERRREREEEEEEE.
Mom: ::facepalm::

Depending on the inflection of tone, this phrase can be used in a positive and a negative way.  In the example, or any time it’s used in conjunction with a family gathering….it’s most likely leaning toward the negative.

“Soylent Green is people!” – Soylent Green

This one is great because it’s a bit obscure and not a lot of people know about it.  It’s best used when trying to figure out what an unidentified food item is.  The set up for this one usually pays off for the user, but the other party may just fall into that “confused” category.  If you’re lucky however, the other party will raise fist to the sky and say it with you loud and proud.

Example:
Guy: Ewww, what is this stuff?
Girl: Gross.  It looks like Soylent Green.
Guy: What’s Soylent Green?
Girl: SOYLENT GREEN IS PEOPLE!!!!

You can see where the humor comes in.  It makes me giggle every time.  BUT….this is to be used only when it applies.  Do not under any circumstances toss this out as any old response.  Respect the phrase and it will serve you well.

So there you have it class.  I hope you found today’s lesson informative and will go forth and wisely unleash film quotes on the world!  Your homework is to let me know which quotes you use the most and to cite them in an example.  Thanks for joining, class dismissed.

For more of my musings, you can find me on Twitter here: @baddladd

Terminator Salvation did little to improve the fortunes of the ailing Terminator franchise, despite excellent work from Sam Worthington and Anton Yelchin, McG’s direction failed to excite and rights to the Terminator series are being lined up for sale to the highest bidder.

It seems a long time ago since Arnie promised that He’d Be Back.

It’s surprising then to learn from a Blu-ray BD-Live chat for Terminator Salvation that McG plans on directing the next two Terminator films, according to the report at Comingsoon.net.

While the world McG’s team created for Salvation was interesting a dour performance from Christian Bale and a lack of narrative cohesion made it hard to imagine another Terminator film when the credits rolled on the fourth film. 

Each franchise runs its course, and it usually runs it into the ground. The lo-fi chase thriller in a neon tinged 1980s is a million miles from the tower block sized killing machines of the McG directed film and when the Terminator rights are settled early next year there is a good chance it won’t be McG stepping behind the camera to revive the fortunes of this series.

With the explosive end to the first season of T:TSSC all we were left with, excepting a charred robot corpse, were questions, and given the seemingly constant threat of cancellation most US TV shows seem to live with it’s gratifying that giving T:TSSC a second series allowed the creators to delve further into the Terminator mythology and spend more time in industrial labyrinths and watching things get blown up. And it looks beautiful in Blu-ray.

What I enjoyed most about the first series was the glimpses of the future world, so evocatively rendered in the first two Terminator films, and how the present is informed by our knowledge of the future world, and how the extended Connor family survive under the weight of the expectation that knowledge bought. Now with Cameron, the friendly Terminator, fizzing and popping a spark or two and her possibly sinister agenda is given more air to breathe, further soldiers from the future sent back to help, or hinder, Sarah Connor and her son John becoming the future leader of the resistance, and the formative years of Skynet and Cyberdyne and their AI experiments, the second series of T:TSSC is an improvement on the first in every way.

There is no better way to discover a new series than on a DVD box set, and if you’ve not yet caught up with this show I’d recommend it, particularly if Terminator: Salvation left you colder than a red-eyed exoskeleton. The trials and tribulations of the present and future John Connor are enhanced greatly by the luxury of time a 22 episode run allows, and the more we learn of the birth of the software and systems which become the murderous Terminator AI and the ethical questions it poses adds considerable depth to the original Terminator films.

Though they cannot compete on an action level, and often lapse (but never dally for too long) into family soap opera territory, each episode is a self contained part of the Terminator puzzle, and this series becomes more about the machines than the humans. And – yes, there is the patented Terminator hunt with stone faced chases and shotguns taking chunks out of everything and lots of staring at computer screens and talk of destiny and fate, but it works, and you’ll find yourself sucked in.

The sad news is that this series was canceled after this season, and would have benefited from another season or a final mini series. While not many people mourned its, seemingly inevitable, fall from the network’s graces it is far less trivial and ephemeral than much that survived on the TV schedules. Don’t mistake me – this is not The Wire, nor does it do too well in the comparisons with the recent Battlestar Galactica series (which it shares themes of paranoia and conflict between man and machine), but it is a solid world and asks interesting questions and has a lot to say about the themes of the Terminator series.

It’s worth your time, and worth seeking out on Blu-ray. You’ll get 22 episodes of which only a few are throwaway, characters that may take their time in settling down but by the end they are comfortable in their skin and the writers allow them to drive the story, making for an enjoyable watch. And casting Garbage diva Shirley Manson may seem an odd choice but it works.

There are the obligatory gag reels, deleted scenes and commentaries on the discs, and it’s well presented and strong enough to make it worthwhile watch. We’ve got a couple of clips below and the Blu-ray and DVDs are out now.

The Terminator franchise is one of the most iconic of our generation, spanning three decades and three directors and giving us catchphrases, mind-bending time travel plot-lines and a enemy that is the Frankenstein of the 20th century. The cultural impact of these films is evident as we recognise the metal skeletons with the red unblinking eyes instantly; Arnie with shades uttering his famous ‘I’ll be back’ is one of 80s cinema classic moments.

James Cameron’s follow up T2: Judgment Day pushed the boundaries of special effects and remains an electrifying film today. Jonathan Mostow’s Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines may have been an unnecessary extension of the franchise but its use of the Terminator property was still engaging.

I’ve yet to see Terminator: Salvation so can’t pass judgement but the story of John Connor can be enjoyed from the first frame to the last, with all the portentous nuclear rumblings and punk hearts of the early films to the CG heavy war stories of the recent Terminator films courtesy of the BFI.

They will be playing the films back to back this Saturday, the 3rd of October beginning at an insomnia busting 11.30.

This is an excellent chance for those of you close to London to take in the whole series in one night. Click here to read more about this epic night and to book tickets.