#77: TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY (1991)

THRILL SCALE 1-10

10

HAVE I SEEN IT BEFORE?

Yes, but so long ago that I really can't remember when. I have fond memories of watching it, but it might have been in high school or it might have been in university or it might have been even more recent than that

BEST SEQUENCE

Sarah Connor's escape from the hospital and her first run-in with the T-800 (this T-800, anyway) and the T-1000. I almost went with the truck and motorcycle chase through the flood channel. But really, you could pick nearly any sequence from this movie as the best and I'd find it hard to argue.

BEST LINE

"Hasta la vista, baby"

ROTTEN TOMATOES SCORE

93%

ROTTEN TOMATOES CRITICS CONSENSUS

"T2 features thrilling action sequences and eye-popping visual effects, but what takes this sci-fi/ action landmark to the next level is the depth of the human (and cyborg) characters."

IMDB SYNOPSIS

"A cyborg, identical to the one who failed to kill Sarah Connor, must now protect her ten-year-old son John from a more advanced and powerful cyborg."

THOUGHTS

• This movie kicks so much ass
• I have seen both T1 and T2 before, and the first movie really didn't make much of an impression on me. As mentioned above, though, while my memory was a little fuzzy, I remembered having a great time with T2. So, it was reassuring to watch it again and see how incredibly well it holds up
• When I first checked out the AFI list it surprised me that they placed The Terminator higher than Terminator 2, and by a fair margin. The Terminator is #42. I'll be rewatching The Terminator eventually and maybe I'll reassess, but in terms of action and thrills I just don't think it's going to stack up with this one
• The practical effects are incredible. Terminator 2 is noteworthy because it was a huge turning point for computer-generated effects, but I think it's important to note how sparingly the CGI is used. Part of that would have surely been for budgetary reasons and the technological limitations of the time, but it also means that when a stunt could be practically achieved, it was. And as someone who will always take practical over CGI, it makes a big difference
• Plus, let's be honest, the computer animation of the T-1000 looks a little ReBoot-y at times. But it doesn't really have a negative impact, because these effects are used with intention and they pretty much just serve to supplement one of the great movie villains of all time
• Robert Patrick is amazing as the T-1000. Terrifying, steely-eyed and unstoppable. And I could watch him run all day
• Linda Hamilton, as Sarah Connor, puts in one of the greatest action movie heroine performances of all time. She's powerful and ruthless and just such a badass
• And you know what, Arnold's here too, and he's fine! There's absolutely nothing wrong with his performance, but he's a tool. He facilitates the action, and that's all he needs to do
• And then...there's John. John Connor, as played by Edward Furlong, is truly one of the most annoying, grating, insufferable movie characters I can think of. But it's not entirely Edward Furlong's fault. Some of his line readings are awful, but the script does him no favours. For your consideration:
• 
  
• But hey, I can't think of how anyone could deliver those lines without making me cringe, can you? 
  
• Obnoxious child actor aside, though, the action in this movie is nearly unparalleled. And it's a heck of a gun movie. In real life, I am not a gun lover. I strongly support gun control. I don't ignore the impact that violent media can have on the issue. But boy oh boy, when Arnold's riding his motorcycle and he flips his shotgun around in one hand to reload it? When he shoots the T-1000 right in the head? When he pulls out a goddamn Minigun? It gets the heart racing
• Similarly, in real life I couldn't care less about cars. I see zero appeal in car racing, and I can't even remember the last time I drove. But if there's one thing that's been shown to me in watching all these action movies, I certainly appreciate a good car stunt, and this movie is full of them
• So, if you haven't seen Terminator 2: Judgment Day in a while, give it a revisit. If you haven't seen it ever, watch it; I don't really think it's necessary to watch the first one before you do, either. And if you do decide to give it a go, might I suggest this upcoming Monday, August 29th? You can watch the movie and rejoice in the fact that 25 years ago, on August 29th, 1997, the prophesied Judgment Day was narrowly averted

Up next: Another well-known movie from 1991, but this time it's a new one for me: Thelma & Louise!

#78: GASLIGHT (1944)

THRILL SCALE 1-10

9

HAVE I SEEN IT BEFORE?

No

BEST SEQUENCE

The scene when Paula (Ingrid Bergman) has a mental breakdown at a fancy piano recital

BEST LINE

I don't want to give any direct quotes in order to avoid giving too much away, but I liked a lot of Paula's lines during the climactic confrontation

ROTTEN TOMATOES SCORE

88%

ROTTEN TOMATOES CRITICS CONSENSUS

None to be found

IMDB SYNOPSIS

"After the death of her famous opera-singing aunt, Paula (Ingrid Bergman) is sent to study in Italy to become a great opera singer as well. While there, she falls in love with the charming Gregory Anton (Charles Boyer). The two return to London, and Paula begins to notice strange goings-on: missing pictures, strange footsteps in the night and gaslights that dim without being touched."

THOUGHTS

• I really liked this one!
• It's an interesting situation in that I feel like the title of the movie has had a longer lasting impact than the movie itself. It was quite well received when it came out, getting seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and several acting categories (and Ingrid Bergman won for Best Actress). Despite this, at least to me it doesn't really feel like a movie that people talk about much these days. I never regarded it as a must-see classic, but now that I've seen it it's one I'll probably come back to! I found it to be really gripping and well done
• As alluded to above, the term "gaslighting" comes directly from this movie's title. There's no other source for it (except for the play and British movie which preceded this one). Because of this, despite never having seen the movie and having very little idea of what it was about, I had a pretty good sense of what was happening throughout. It's still immensely entertaining because of the performances and the way that the gaslighting concept is used for the plot, but it would have been interesting to watch with absolutely no idea of what was really happening
• When I first heard of the concept of gaslighting someone, I didn't even know there was a movie with that title, and I bet that applies to a lot of people reading this as well
• Ingrid Bergman was really excellent in this, and she earned her Oscar, but for me the real standout performance was Charles Boyer. He's an actor I wasn't familiar with, but when you start to understand what's going on with the movie's plot his character is just fascinating to watch. And there's something about his French accent that really adds to the performance. Boyer was also nominated for Best Actor, incidentally, but he didn't win
• Going into the list of the 100 most thrilling movies ever made, I definitely didn't expect to see so much Angela Lansbury! But this is her second appearance so far (after The Picture of Dorian Gray) and she'll be showing up at least once more (The Manchurian Candidate). I gotta say, though, I love you Angie, but I have no idea why she got an Oscar nomination for Gaslight. She really wasn't an important part of the movie. I had similar thoughts about Dorian Gray, for that matter. But hey, Gaslight was her first movie, so kudos to her on the acting nom
• To sum up, you might already know what gaslighting means, but if you haven't seen the movie that inspired it, I really do strongly recommend it! As far as movies I've now reviewed upon watching for the first time, this is really high up there (maybe the highest score, but I didn't go back to check). Although, be warned: normally I complain about annoying child actors in these old-timey movies. This movie has an annoying old woman character. Take a hike, Miss Thwaites, and stop sticking your nose in other peoples' business!

Up next: It's a big one! Terminator 2: Judgement Day. Can't wait!