I DVR a lot of stuff for workouts and this was on HBO the other day and recorded it. And after I rewatched it, something hit me.
In the summer of 87 I was 13 and somehow we got a friends mom to buy us tickets to see this rated R film. Me and my friends were completely blown away. At the time it was slick as hell, top of the line for Hollywood and would eventually become known as an Arnold/80's classic. The special effects don't hold up well and the spin offs and reboots suck (at least the couple I have seen). But in the summer of 87, Arnold and the gang of spec op guys with MP5's, drum fed 40mm grenade launchers, an M203, 240, an infantry mobile GE mini-gun, etc, killing commies in central America and fighting an alien on safari was seriously cool AF.
What's the point? Me and my lilly white early teen buddies walked out of the theatre completely jacked up, like testosterone pumping young men should be, about a kick ass movie. Not one of us ever considered having a discussion about the topics that absolutely permeate the minds of like aged young people today.
The cast of 1987 Predator:
Arnold/Dutch - White (please note, extra points for being an immigrant from a formerly commie controlled country)
Carl Weathers/Dillon - (aka Apollo Creed - extra 'Murica points) - black
Some hot no name latina/Anna - hispanic
Bill Duke/Sgt Mac - black
Richard Chavez/Ramirez - hispanic
Ventura/Blain - white (and also future whackjob gov of MN)
Sonny Landham/Billy - Native American
Some no name white guy/Hawkins - obviously white
John McTiernan, despite his personal problems, was a great director. Epic. And this was the mid 80's. I can't believe for a moment that the guy gave a sh** about being woke at a time when woke didn't exist. He put together what he thought was a badass cast for a badass movie (also see Die Hard, The Hunt for Red October).
No one cared. No one showered praise on McTiernan, Schwarzenegger, Fox, anyone, for this incredibly diverse cast.
And before anyone says "yeah well it was still Arnold" I feel like I need to point out that the #3 box office grossing film of 1987 was Beverly Hills Cop 2, starring Eddie Murphy.
When Gen X says "we had this all moving in the right direction" we are not lying. We kids of the 70's, 80's and 90's didn't care. We didn't even notice. We just had a lot of fun. We laughed all the time. I tell my teenage sons this all the time. I'll shut up now.
In the summer of 87 I was 13 and somehow we got a friends mom to buy us tickets to see this rated R film. Me and my friends were completely blown away. At the time it was slick as hell, top of the line for Hollywood and would eventually become known as an Arnold/80's classic. The special effects don't hold up well and the spin offs and reboots suck (at least the couple I have seen). But in the summer of 87, Arnold and the gang of spec op guys with MP5's, drum fed 40mm grenade launchers, an M203, 240, an infantry mobile GE mini-gun, etc, killing commies in central America and fighting an alien on safari was seriously cool AF.
What's the point? Me and my lilly white early teen buddies walked out of the theatre completely jacked up, like testosterone pumping young men should be, about a kick ass movie. Not one of us ever considered having a discussion about the topics that absolutely permeate the minds of like aged young people today.
The cast of 1987 Predator:
Arnold/Dutch - White (please note, extra points for being an immigrant from a formerly commie controlled country)
Carl Weathers/Dillon - (aka Apollo Creed - extra 'Murica points) - black
Some hot no name latina/Anna - hispanic
Bill Duke/Sgt Mac - black
Richard Chavez/Ramirez - hispanic
Ventura/Blain - white (and also future whackjob gov of MN)
Sonny Landham/Billy - Native American
Some no name white guy/Hawkins - obviously white
John McTiernan, despite his personal problems, was a great director. Epic. And this was the mid 80's. I can't believe for a moment that the guy gave a sh** about being woke at a time when woke didn't exist. He put together what he thought was a badass cast for a badass movie (also see Die Hard, The Hunt for Red October).
No one cared. No one showered praise on McTiernan, Schwarzenegger, Fox, anyone, for this incredibly diverse cast.
And before anyone says "yeah well it was still Arnold" I feel like I need to point out that the #3 box office grossing film of 1987 was Beverly Hills Cop 2, starring Eddie Murphy.
When Gen X says "we had this all moving in the right direction" we are not lying. We kids of the 70's, 80's and 90's didn't care. We didn't even notice. We just had a lot of fun. We laughed all the time. I tell my teenage sons this all the time. I'll shut up now.
