It's never left.

Rating: 8/10 (7 June 2004)

The Terminator is a 1984 movie starring Arnold Schwarzennegar and Linda Hamilton, and it is independent. James Cameron made this before he got the big bucks from Aliens and went on to make Terminator 2: Judgment Day. But to this day I consider this his best movie, because of the independent qualities that it has. Arnold's character has become classic now, and Cameron builds tension and real, actual horror from this creation instead of relying solely on special effects. This movie is called a thriller but should also be called a horror, because the way the Terminator chases Linda Hamilton and Nick Stahl is something to be truly feared, even if he is a robot. This movie is a futuristic allegory, full of meaning, full of thrills. One of cinema's most famous lines is "I'll be back." and it is from this movie. But this movie has never left. It's remained and grown stronger, and it will for quite a while.
My grade: 9/10