Apex Mountain · 1:08:49
Predator among Arnold movies
Predator was distinguished as the apex of Arnold’s films, while Terminator 2 remained his personal apex.
Chris Ryan: Carl Weathers was assessed separately as an apex case.
‹ All movies
23:18
38:24
53:46
56:33
58:11
59:19
59:39
59:39
1:02:39
1:04:07
1:08:49
1:16:55
1:21:50
1:21:50
1:29:22
1:31:02
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Dion Waiters Award
Carl Weathers
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“That Guy” Award
R. G. Armstrong
What Piece of Memorabilia Would You Want From This Movie? · 1:29:22
Old Painless
Chris Ryan: Old Painless was the first choice.
Cast
Selected cast credits · Film reference
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Alan "Dutch" Schaefer
Carl Weathers
Al Dillon
Elpidia Carrillo
Anna Gonsalves
Bill Duke
Mac Eliot
Jesse Ventura
Blain Cooper
Sonny Landham
Billy Sole
Richard Chaves
Jorge "Poncho" Ramirez
R. G. Armstrong
General Homer Phillips
Shane Black
Rick Hawkins
Kevin Peter Hall
the Predator
Everything from the episode
In the order the hosts got to it. Open a row for the discussion.
23:18
Most Rewatchable Scene
No consensus: jungle gunfire; Dutch–Predator finale; the slasher section
No consensus: jungle gunfire; Dutch–Predator finale; the slasher section
In the discussion (12)
Approx. transcript time · 00:23:18Read transcript
- Dutch and Dillon’s arm-wrestling greeting was nominated. — Chris Ryan
- The discovery of the skinned bodies was nominated. — Chris Ryan
- The compound rescue was nominated.
- Billy sensing that something is wrong in the jungle was nominated. — Chris Ryan
- Blaine’s death was nominated. — Chris Ryan
- Mac’s grief response after Blaine dies was nominated.
- The team’s indiscriminate sustained gunfire into the jungle was nominated.
- Dutch discovering that mud hides him from the Predator was nominated. — Chris Ryan
- The helicopter-arrival wardrobe breakdown was introduced as a “Zapruder scene.”
- The slasher-style sequence where the team is hunted one by one was nominated.
- Dutch’s final one-on-one trap sequence against the Predator was nominated.
- One host chose the jungle firing; another chose Dutch versus Predator; another chose the slasher section.
38:24
What’s Aged the Best?
Arnold’s iconography and battle cry, Old Painless, one-liners, production mythology, Sunny Landham, Jesse Ventura, Po...
Arnold’s iconography and battle cry, Old Painless, one-liners, production mythology, Sunny Landham, Jesse Ventura, Poncho, the creature fix, structure, score, and heat vision
In the discussion (16)
Approx. transcript time · 00:38:24Read transcript
- Arnold’s first cigar shot remains effective action-star iconography.
- Dutch’s battle cry remains effective. — Chris Ryan
- Old Painless remains an iconic action-movie weapon. — Chris Ryan
- The movie’s compact one-liners remain effective. — Chris Ryan
- Arnold plays the escalating threat with unusual seriousness. — Chris Ryan
- The cold, wet jungle shoot became durable production mythology. — Chris Ryan
- Van Damme’s firing from the original creature role became durable production mythology. — Chris Ryan
- The cast’s dawn workouts and physical competition became durable production mythology. — Chris Ryan
- The reshot final third created a cleaner creature confrontation.
- Sunny Landham was praised as a uniquely authentic and unpredictable screen presence.
- Jesse Ventura’s wrestling persona translated into an unusually memorable supporting action role. — Chris Ryan
- Poncho’s reactions and supporting presence were praised.
- Stan Winston’s replacement creature design was treated as essential to the film’s success. — Chris Ryan
- The shift from ensemble combat movie to slasher and then one-on-one duel was praised.
- Alan Silvestri’s score was praised. — Kyle Brandt
- The thermal-vision effect was praised as both legible and durable.
53:46
What’s Aged the Worst?
Mud-disguise continuity, Anna’s thinly explained role, contrived cleavage, and Predator 2
Mud-disguise continuity, Anna’s thinly explained role, contrived cleavage, and Predator 2
In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 00:53:46Read transcript
- The amount of mud covering Arnold changes implausibly between shots. — Chris Ryan
- Anna’s political or guerrilla role is never clearly explained. — Chris Ryan
- Anna’s survival function never fully coheres, though her fear exposition was defended.
- Her costume loses buttons without story justification. — Chris Ryan
56:33
Casting What-Ifs
Jean-Claude Van Damme as the Predator; conflicting firing accounts
Jean-Claude Van Damme as the Predator; conflicting firing accounts
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:56:33Read transcript
- Van Damme was reportedly too short for the creature concept and may also have passed out or objected to the suit.
- The finished Predator actor Kevin Peter Hall also appears as the helicopter pilot. — Chris Ryan
58:11
The Joey Pants “That Guy” Award
R. G. Armstrong
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:58:11Read transcript
- Armstrong’s long character-actor résumé and weathered face made him the quintessential choice. — Chris Ryan
- Richard Chaves and Elpidia Carrillo were alternatives. — Chris Ryan
59:19
The Ruffalo / Hanna / Rubinek / Partridge Overacting Award
Bill Duke won for Mac’s grief-fueled “I’m gonna have me some fun” turn.
Bill Duke won for Mac’s grief-fueled “I’m gonna have me some fun” turn.
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:59:19Read transcript
- Duke’s escalation after Blaine’s death was the decisive example. — Chris Ryan
59:39
The Teddy KGB Award for the Actor in a Completely Different Movie
Anna/the hostage won for seeming to occupy a different movie from the commandos.
Anna/the hostage won for seeming to occupy a different movie from the commandos.
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:59:39Read transcript
- The hostage was compared to a character who could have been moved into Proof of Life. — Chris Ryan
59:39
The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance
Carl Weathers
In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 00:59:39Read transcript
- Carl Weathers was praised for playing an unfamiliar compromised, physically vulnerable version of his Apollo persona.
- Sunny Landham was the passionate early pick.
- Jesse Ventura fit the classic low-minute heat-check definition.
- The group’s final spoken choice was Carl Weathers.
1:02:39
Recasting Couch
Ideas included Apollonia or Elisabeth Shue as Anna and Bill Paxton, Damon Wayans, or an early Chris Rock as Hawkins.
Ideas included Apollonia or Elisabeth Shue as Anna and Bill Paxton, Damon Wayans, or an early Chris Rock as Hawkins.
In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:02:39Read transcript
- Apollonia was proposed for the hostage role.
- Elisabeth Shue was proposed for the hostage role.
- Bill Paxton was the most enthusiastic Hawkins proposal.
- Damon Wayans was proposed for a sharper wisecracking Hawkins. — Chris Ryan
- An early Chris Rock was proposed for a sharper wisecracking Hawkins. — Chris Ryan
1:04:07
Half-Assed Internet Research
The miserable jungle shoot, arm-size prank, Predator blood/sound, Sunny Landham’s required bodyguard, screen time, Se...
The miserable jungle shoot, arm-size prank, Predator blood/sound, Sunny Landham’s required bodyguard, screen time, Seiko watch, and Kevin Peter Hall’s death
In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 01:04:07Read transcript
- The cold, wet, leech-filled shoot and weightlifting culture were described. — Chris Ryan
- The cast staged an arm-size prank at Jesse Ventura’s expense. — Chris Ryan
- Predator blood used Mountain Dew, glow sticks, and lubricant. — Chris Ryan
- The Predator’s vocal sound imitated a dying horseshoe crab. — Chris Ryan
- Insurers required a bodyguard to protect other people from Sunny Landham. — Chris Ryan
- The Predator appears on screen for roughly eight minutes. — Chris Ryan
- Arnold’s Seiko watch became a collector model nicknamed for the film. — Chris Ryan
- Kevin Peter Hall died at 35 after contracting HIV through a blood transfusion. — Chris Ryan
1:08:49
Apex Mountain
Predator among Arnold movies; Alabama ticks; smiling character-credit sequences
Predator among Arnold movies; Alabama ticks; smiling character-credit sequences
In the discussion (11)
Approx. transcript time · 01:08:49Read transcript
- Predator was distinguished as the apex of Arnold’s films, while Terminator 2 remained his personal apex.
- Carl Weathers was assessed separately as an apex case. — Chris Ryan
- Jesse Ventura was assessed as an apex case for his movie career.
- Sunny Landham was assessed as an apex case.
- Helicopter insertions were assessed as an apex action-movie device. — Chris Ryan
- Aliens in jungles were assessed as an apex premise. — Chris Ryan
- Body butter on action stars was assessed as an apex styling choice. — Chris Ryan
- Rocky IV beat Predator for Carl Weathers’s apex death scene. — Chris Ryan
- Alabama ticks were jokingly declared an apex.
- Billy’s final stand and Bruce Willis in Armageddon were compared as self-sacrifice peaks.
- The smiling character-credit sequence was celebrated as an apex closing-credit device.
1:16:55
Picking Nits
Dutch’s name, the missing team dinner, mud thermodynamics, absent extraction, restored bodies, Arnold’s durability, a...
Dutch’s name, the missing team dinner, mud thermodynamics, absent extraction, restored bodies, Arnold’s durability, and Old Painless’s stealth value
In the discussion (9)
Approx. transcript time · 01:16:55Read transcript
- The origin and full form of Dutch’s name were unclear.
- Sunny Landham’s character could simply have been named Sunny rather than Billy. — Chris Ryan
- The film could have used a pre-mission team dinner to deepen the ensemble. — Chris Ryan
- MythBusters reportedly found that mud would not conceal body heat. — Chris Ryan
- The lack of extraction effort for an elite team was questioned.
- Mac’s destroyed head later appears restored.
- The same weapon that removes Dillon’s arm barely harms Dutch.
- A galaxy-traveling alien failing to understand mud camouflage seemed implausible.
- Old Painless seems poorly suited to stealth extraction. — Kyle Brandt
1:21:50
Sequel, Prequel, Limited Series, or All-Black Remake
No ten-episode remake
No ten-episode remake
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:21:50Read transcript
- The panel did not want the simple premise expanded into a series. — Chris Ryan
1:21:50
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Billy’s perception, Predator biology, the Rock’s missing equivalent, the Predator’s mission, the opening spaceship, t...
Billy’s perception, Predator biology, the Rock’s missing equivalent, the Predator’s mission, the opening spaceship, the creature’s perspective, and a Sunny Landham documentary/life story
In the discussion (19)
Approx. transcript time · 01:21:50Read transcript
- Did Billy have supernatural perception or only elite tracking skill? — Chris Ryan
- How did the Predator handle bodily functions?
- Is Predator the movie the Rock most wishes he had made? — Chris Ryan
- Was the Predator on a hunting trip?
- Was the Predator on an exploration mission?
- Did the Predator have a larger plan for humanity or the jungle?
- Did the opening spaceship shot reveal too much?
- Was the Predator’s echoed “what the hell are you?” evidence that humans were equally alien to it?
- Did the invisible-Predator effects arrive at exactly the right point in visual-effects history? — Chris Ryan
- Would a documentary about Sunny Landham’s volatile life be compelling? — Chris Ryan
- What position did Sunny Landham play during his year at the University of Georgia?
- Landham played football for one year at the University of Georgia.
- Landham served in the Army and later worked in an oil field. — Chris Ryan
- Landham worked as an ordained Baptist minister and model and appeared in adult films and Playgirl. — Chris Ryan
- His cited film run included The Warriors, 48 Hrs., Predator, Action Jackson, and Lock Up. — Chris Ryan
- Landham later ran for governor of Kentucky. — Chris Ryan
- The discussion reported five marriages and a federal conviction for threatening phone calls to his wife. — Chris Ryan
- A four-car crash badly injured Landham before his death at 76. — Chris Ryan
- How should the darker parts of Landham’s political and personal record affect the documentary? — Chris Ryan
1:29:22
What Piece of Memorabilia Would You Want From This Movie?
Old Painless; Mac’s razor or flask; the Predator mask
Old Painless; Mac’s razor or flask; the Predator mask
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:29:22Read transcript
- Old Painless was the first choice. — Chris Ryan
- Mac’s razor and flask were personal alternatives.
- The Predator mask was argued as the obvious iconic object.
1:31:02
Who Won the Movie?
The panel split between Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bill Duke/Mac.
The panel split between Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bill Duke/Mac.
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:31:02Read transcript
More from the conversation
Predator was framed as a maximally rewatchable, influential, testosterone-heavy action/horror film with unusual seriousness and simplicity.
Approx. transcript time · 00:02:49Read transcript
The ensemble was praised as a video-game-like set of complementary roles descended from men-on-a-mission films.
Approx. transcript time · 00:10:55Read transcript
The film’s creature design and final third were substantially reworked, while McTiernan’s next film, Die Hard, cemented an extraordinary action run.
Approx. transcript time · 00:12:14Read transcript
The script’s origin was attributed to a Hollywood joke that Rocky’s next opponent after Russia would have to be an alien.
Approx. transcript time · 00:16:41Read transcript
The franchise sequels and the film’s unusual connection to two elected governors were reviewed.
Approx. transcript time · 00:17:45Read transcript
Ebert’s positive review, the start of Arnold’s legendary run, and Carl Weathers’s transition from Apollo to action roles were discussed.
Approx. transcript time · 00:19:45Read transcript
The closing discussion credited Predator’s concise premise and asked why modern action movies use dangerous jungle locations less often.
Approx. transcript time · 01:31:58Read transcript