We Move. Five Meter Spread. No Sound

Has it really been seventeen years since Predator was released? Oy but I'm getting old.

Just rented the DVD from Netflix, along with the bonus disc. Interesting commentary from director John McTiernan, who tries to make a case for how unviolent his film was; the scene where the boys literally mow down the jungle in an orgy of full-auto glory was supposed to be "ironic."

Um, yeah.

My college buddy Kent had a bit of an obsession with this film back in the day. Kent was a pretty avid body-builder, so anything with Arnold was a must-see. But mostly, I think, he loved the dialogue -- it was so silly, and so over-the-top, but still worked. He even transcribed the script for fun (this was pre-web, remember). Of course, he didn't speak Spanish, so his transcription of the local dialogue was a hoot ("Moohair! Moohair! Kay Pasoh ah kee?").

The behind-the-scenes stuff is great: Jesse Ventura talking about shooting the gattling gun; Carl Weathers becoming addicted to cigars courtesy of Arnold; McTiernan's dismay at the first monster; the late Kevin Peter Hall not just being a guy in a suit, but actually creating a personality for the creature. Very fun. Hall really comes across as a professional -- and a fun fellow -- in his cameos. The suit apparently weighed 200 lbs, they were shooting in a jungle, and the guy is cracking jokes. Amazing.

Kent would eat this stuff up...