THEZEPHEROUS ARCHIVE

On This Day Film & TV

The Terminator. The artists behind the machine.

Practical effects, full-size puppets and stop motion in the original film, with a later T2 arm replica as the collecting target.

The original feature 35 seconds. The story is also available in the slides and text below.

The Feature Film

The Terminator. The artists behind the machine.

Forty-two years of The Terminator.

James Cameron's original film opened in U.S. theaters on October 26, 1984, with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton and Michael Biehn leading the cast.

The Photo Essay

5 slides from the feature.

The story behind the images.

Its $6.5 million production relied on effects artists making the impossible work in front of the camera. Stan Winston's team built full-size endoskeleton puppets, while a two-foot stop-motion model handled wide walking shots. For moving close-ups, Shane Mahan carried an 85-pound head-and-torso rig on his back.

Seeking for the Archive: a life-size T-800 endoskeleton arm replica. The pictured Blitzway/Sideshow example represents Terminator 2: Judgment Day and is a product reference, not an Archive holding.

Wanted for the Archive

A life-size T-800 endoskeleton arm.

A life-size T-800 endoskeleton arm replica. The original feature uses a Blitzway/Sideshow Terminator 2 reference, distinct from the 1984 film.

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