The Terminator turned 40 in 2024 and there had been a couple of releases commemorating this event. The most prominent is the release of the film in the 4K format in 2 different editions - a limited edition Steelbook and a standard edition slipcover. Let's start with the Steelbook then.
Ever since the cover for the steelbook has been released, there were and still are a very mixed reactions to it. Some people hated it for certain reasons, some really enjoyed it. Personally, I don't like it. I don't hate it, but I don't like it. It's good as a fanart, but certainly not good as a cover to this film. Why?
First of all, the movie is a low budget Noir horror - Noir is a technique from the early 20th Century where shadows are very prominent and the interplay between shadow and light is very sharp. The shadows define the visuals. They also create a dark mood. The cover is bright and explosive, not in the style of the film at all, even thought the movie does feature explosions, it's a (Tech)Noir scifi Slasher. Sure, the image of an endoskeleton in the fire is an iconic image but more so associated with the second film. Not to mention the cover does not actually feature an endoskeleton engulfed in flames.
The cover looks like a cool fanart made in photoshop, but there's plenty of interesting and good fanarts around. And it's good as a modern computer art featuring the Terminator, but fit a dark 80s film locked within it it does not.
But again, as a clearly modern fanart, it does look pretty neat especially with its sheen. Another thing is that the artwork is a fusion of 2 previously used images. That shot of the skull with metal instead of human teeth had been already used as a booklet cover in UK's 2005 DVD.
Also the artwork featuring Sarah Connor and Kyle Reese escaping from TechNoir in a dark alley with Terminator trailing them is basically another take on a officially licensed Limited Edition Terminator poster by a company called DaVinci's Dreams
The Steelbook artwork however is inferior to the poster for couple reasons. One, as oppose to the poster, the Steelbook copies a well known movie still. Other than the fact that it redoes it, it creates a weird pose for Reese who is shown running yet his shotgun is being held awkwardly behind him because in the photo it copies from, Reese is squatting and trying to keep the gun away from Sarah. Also, in the poster, the Terminator chasing them is accurate to the scene - running unarmed behind them in his first grey punk jacket. On the cover he is trailing behind them with a rifle and in his second black leather outfit he acquired later in the film.
And then there's the inside "art", which might be the worst modern graphic design around. It takes a promo shot of Arnold Schwarzenegger, which was shot in a very dark and shadowy setup, with a light source imitating a light bulb hung above, cuts the figure out like the 70's and 80's magazines did - seemingly with scissors because the hairline is so childishly cut out - and pastes it in the most unfitting background - a lazy, bright fire.
The back features a 2015 fanart that's been used on dvd and Bluray released of the first film since then
So to summarize, I do like the modern artwork as a fanart and it has a nice sheen effect (I wouldn't get it if I didn't like it), but I don't feel it represents the look, the palette and the feel of the film.
I couldn't have a more different opinion on the standard, slipcover version. I can't have enough praise for it. You know, in my opinion, every 4K cover of any movie I\'ve seen so far has some of the worst cover art of any format, and the covers of Blurays also, for the most part, got progressively worse with time (although that is certainly not true for every movie). For some reason companies just refuse to use the actual poster art created for the theatrical run and VHS covers for the Bluray/4K releases, which is even more baffling considering the god awful new cover designs they use instead. The standard edition of the 4K packaging for The Terminator actually does it right, without even using the Theatrical poster. It creates a retro-looking poster without it looking like an intentionally retro looking poster made 40 years later. It fits, it looks great and it uses the original material. So let's go back to what doesn't work with the Steelbook cover. The Steelbook did not represent the visual look of the film, the Standard edition does - it features a closeup of the Terminator seemingly lit by a single light bulb above, as in his seedy, run down motel hideout in the film. It's dark, it's moody, and it isn't overly "loud" and busy. It has the simplicity of the Theatrical poster with a little classic horror element added - the victim reflected in the monster's eyes.
The cover is also a fusion of two images, and theyre both from outtakes of the photoshoot for the Theatrical poster. Interestingly enough, the original photo features the Terminator without sunglasses, which are added from another shot.
In another great move, another retro-element makes a comeback - the model designation of the Terminator on its sunglasses - CSM-101, gone from dvd and bluray covers for well over two decades.
The US and UK versions differ. The US slipcover itself has a great effect - it has a matte finish, but under direct light some elements pop out as if in 3D, such as fire sparks, reflections in the sunglasses and sunglasses frame. I tried in many ways but it's not possible to fully capture the effect in pictures, and this is the closest I could get which doesn't really show how much the shining elements pop out
The cover design also perfectly matches the artwork for T2 4K Steelbook
The UK version of the slipcase edition differs significantly. First of all, it's cropped differently because it doesn't have a silver line with the "4K ULTRA HD + DIGITAL CODE" on it. Instead it's on a hype sticker. You can see the shadow the hair makes on his forehead and even some hair. Second, the UK version is not matte and has a standard, "normal" glossy finish. because of it, it also lacks the silvery effect in the fire sparks and sunglasses reflection
In conclusion, I think I'll go as far as to say it's my favorite post VHS cover of the original movie. I absolutely love it
As far as the actual disc content, the set includes few short documentaries. One is the same one featured in all of The Terminator Blu-Ray releases - 'Creating The Terminator: Visuals & Music", is just a single chapter in what used to be a full, extensive documentary made on making The Terminator back in 2001 (Read all about it HERE). Allegedly because of some rights issues, only a segment on miniature effects and music is featured on Blu Ray releases. Also coming from 2001 DVD are Deleted Scenes WITH James Cameron's audio commentary - so fat the only audio commentary for The Terminator footage. The deleted scenes were always featured on BluRay releases but not with the audio commentary.
The inclusion of other two mini documentaries are a big head scratcher to me. 'The Terminator: Close To The Real Thing' is about as outdated documentary as it can be for multiple reasons. One, it's topic is how modern technology is getting closer to what we see in Terminator movies and how it increasingly becomes a part of our every day life. Great and relevant topic right? The problem is, this documentary is from 2005. So yes, they're talking about the 2005 tech in a 2024 release when AI and technology is now closer than ever and ages beyond what was in 2005. It's not only the tech that's outdated in this 2005 documentary. The documentary features James Cameron of course and....Jonathan Mostow and the writers of the third film. Why? because at the time, the third movie was the latest Terminator film and still a new movie that was just released a year prior on home media. Another element that dates the documentary. They're featured in the other 2005 documentary on the disc as well, 'The Legacy of The Terminator', which is purely offensive considering the fact that few years after that documentary the writers admitted to not only disliking, but hating the Terminator films and having an attitude toward Cameron as well. By their own admission they only agreed to write the 3rd film for money and Mostow, their school friend (See the quotes HERE).
Either way, both 2005 featurettes had not been released on any Bluray before.
The color grade is reportedly the exact same as on the current BluRay version, with only sharpness turned up with the help of AI in places. From what I've read the reviews are very positive, mostly praising the fact that the grain was not completely removed
As far as visual alterations/enhancements, there is only one, and it's The Terminator's first and only digitally altered scene. Recently in his Online Masterclass, James Cameron pointed out that in one quick shot when the Terminator gets his blade close to his eye for the first time, the x acto knife does not actually have a blade. That was done for obvious reasons. Quick move toward the eye with an actual scalpel was not safe at all to perform, but in this quick move somehow it slipped the audience that the knife has no blade in that particular shot. The 4K release digitally added the blade to that particular shot (screenshots from Oliver Harper's channel)
Different looks, alterations and versions of The Terminator are covered HERE
You can read about my first experience of watching The Terminator HERE
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