History NightmareFuel / TheTerminator

** The T-800's endoskeleton is also animated in stop motion that clashes with the rest of the film.

** The T-800 doesn't just rip the guy's heart out; it punches through the guy's ribcage, grabs him, and lifts him into the air before dropping the poor bastard ([[VideoGame/MortalKombat1 which may be a bit familiar to 90s video game fans]]).

[[caption-width-right:350:Terminators were the newest. And worst.]]

** As Sarah scrambles to get away, the T-800 ''crawls over Kyle's dead body'' in pursuit. This was a man who was willing to die protecting Sarah, up to and including [[TakingYouWithMe taking the terminator with him.]] As scary as the situation was, deep down the audience likely figured how this was going to end. Kyle was almost as tough as the terminator himself, and likewise would ''never'' stop [[HeroicResolve until he knew his mission was complete]]. This is going to end with a spectacular double-kill, right? Wrong. There's no HeroicSacrifice, just Kyle dying ''without'' having fulfilled his mission, and the T-800 crawling over his body almost feels like a mockery of that.

** As Sarah scrambles to get away, the T-800 ''crawls over Kyle's dead body'' in pursuit. This was a man who was willing to die protecting Sarah, up to and including [[TakingYouWithMe taking the terminator with him.]] As scary as the situation seemed, the audience was still inspired by his HeroicResolve - that Sarah had a protector who was almost as tough as the terminator itself, and likewise would ''never'' stop until he knew she was safe. Except not here. There's no HeroicSacrifice that saves the day; he just dies, leaving Sarah on her own, and the T-800 crawling over his body almost feels like a mockery of that fact.

** As Sarah scrambles to get away, the T-800 ''crawls over Kyle's dead body'' in pursuit. The man was willing to die to protect her, and he did. This is what happens when it ''doesn't end there.''

-->LOW WIDE ANGLE as she crawls forward, gasping, drowning. The implacable figure looms behind her. Her expression is agony and reeling, nauseating terror. And incomprehension: Why am I suddenly dying? Her eyes roll, showing the whites, like a horse tethered in a burning stable.

* Even at the end, with the T-800 destroyed and Sarah victorious, [[BitterSweetEnding there is no hope]]. The same PredestinationParadox that ensured John Connor's conception has also ensured that the nightmare vision glimpsed in Kyle's memory ''is going to happen''. There's a storm coming. For all of us.

'''Kyle:''' No. I grew up after. In the ruins, [[ReducedToRatburgers starving]], hiding from H-K's.\\

->''" '''Listen!''' And '''understand.''' That '''Terminator''' is '''out there!''' It can't be '''bargained''' with, it can't be '''reasoned''' with. It doesn't feel '''pity,''' or '''remorse,''' or '''fear!''' And it absolutely '''will not stop, EVER,''' until you are '''dead!'''"''

* The scene where Sarah is talking to her mother, before it's revealed that it's actually [[ParanoiaFuel the T-800 using her mother's voice]]. It even does a good impersonation of a concerned parent!

** Later on comes Kyle's flashback of a Terminator attack on a Resistance base. The door guards let a group of refugees into the shelter when, suddenly, one of them throws up his garments to reveal a massive gun. Before anyone can react, the cyborg opens fire on the soldiers, as well as on women, children, and guard dogs. Kyle attempts to fight back, but an explosion knocks him to the ground, sending his photograph of Sarah into the inferno. As he watches it burn, he gazes up to see the silhouette of the Terminator, [[RedEyesTakeWarning eyes burning fiendishly red]] as it continues methodically gunning people down.

* And now the context behind the page image: After the T-800 is run over by a truck, it is left with a limp, optical damage, and even more flesh wounds. It then proceeds to incapacitate the driver, get into the truck...and slowly turns over to the passenger.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/getout.PNG]]
[[caption-width-right:350:'''[[GetOut Get out.]]''']]

->''"Now '''listen!''' And '''understand.''' That '''Terminator''' is '''out there!''' It can't be '''bargained''' with, it can't be '''reasoned''' with. It doesn't feel '''pity,''' or '''remorse,''' or '''fear!''' And it absolutely '''will not stop, ever,''' until you are '''dead!'''"''

** The T-800's endoskeleton is also animated in stop motion that [[UncannyValley clashes with the rest of the film]].

* The mere fact that the T-800 is seemingly unstoppable. True to Kyle's description, it looks like anything they do will NOT stop it. Shotgun blast that knocks it over? It takes a few seconds to get back up. Get it into a traffic wreck? It repairs itself and goes right back to the chase. Run it over with a truck, then blow the hell out of it? It stands back up, without its flesh or even full use of both legs. Even blow off its entire lower body? The screen screeches with a deafening ScareChord as it reactivates to possibly the most nerve-shattering JumpScare in history, as it slithers over Kyle's corpse like a gleaming metal scorpion to strangle the life out of Sarah with what little remains of its shattered form.
* In the moments before the intact half of the T-800 wakes back up, Sarah is crying over Kyle's corpse. Right now, it still looks like it's all over, the BittersweetEnding ready to set in. Behind Sarah, you see the chassis move, only slightly, but noticeably. Seconds before it happens, it hits you that she's still in grave danger.
* [[WhatCouldHaveBeen In the first script draft for the film]], Kyle wasn't the only human solider sent back in time, as another one named Sumner was sent in as well. Unfortunately for Sumner, he ends up materializing in a fire escape room [[BodyHorror ''fused'' with a fire hydrant]], suffering a horrible and agonizing death in the process.

->''"Now '''listen'''! And '''understand'''. That '''Terminator''' is '''out there'''! It can't be '''bargained''' with, it can't be '''reasoned''' with. It doesn't feel '''pity''', or '''remorse''', or '''fear'''! And it absolutely '''will not stop, ever''', until you are '''dead'''!"''

Behold, the very film that propelled Creator/JamesCameron to stardom, and the one that left millions terrified of homicidal robots and A.I. to this day. Ironically, said movie was inspired by a nightmare of his.

* The fact that Reese is not even remotely joking, exaggerating, or lying when he says that a Terminator will never, ever, ''ever'', '''ever''', '''''ever''''', '''''EVER''''' stop trying to '''''kill''''' you. No matter how badly damaged it is, it will not falter. No matter how many times you escape, it will not give up. No matter how many times you put it down, it will not despair. From its activation to its total destruction, that thing is programmed to be your '''''death'''''. Reading the page quote will be enough for you to be terrified.

* Even at the end, with the T-800 destroyed and Sarah victorious, [[DownerEnding there is no hope]]. The same PredestinationParadox that ensured John Connor's conception has also ensured that the nightmare vision glimpsed in Kyle's memory ''is going to happen''. There's a storm coming. For all of us.

* Hell, the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpMg1upld0w theme]] can inspire fear because there's something so primal about it. CHNKCHNK CHNK CHNKCHNK. CHNKCHNK CHNK CHNKCHNK. CHNKCHNK CHNK CHNKCHNK. CHNKCHNK CHNK CHNKCHNK. ''[[Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay T2]]'''s more famous and arguably more accessible theme is written in 12/8, which is basically a variation of classic 6/8, but the original's is in 13/8. It's not immediately noticeable on the first hearing, but that extra tick in the rhythm creates an auditory UncannyValley sensation, a sense that there's just something "off."

* Hell, the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpMg1upld0w theme]] can inspire fear because there's something so primal about it. CHNKCHNK CHNK CHNKCHNK. CHNKCHNK CHNK CHNKCHNK. CHNKCHNK CHNK CHNKCHNK. CHNKCHNK CHNK CHNKCHNK. ''[[Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay T2]]'''s more famous and arguably more accessible theme is written in 12/8, but the original's is in 13/8. It's not immediately noticeable on the first hearing, but that extra tick in the rhythm creates an auditory UncannyValley sensation, a sense that there's just something "off."

* Hell, the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpMg1upld0w theme]] can inspire fear because there's something so primal about it. CHNKCHNK CHNK CHNKCHNK. CHNKCHNK CHNK CHNKCHNK. CHNKCHNK CHNK CHNKCHNK. CHNKCHNK CHNK CHNKCHNK. ''[[Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay T2]]'''s more famous and arguably more accessible theme is written in classic 6/8, but the original's is in 13/16, or 6/8 plus an additional 16th note. It's not immediately noticeable on the first hearing, but that extra tick in the rhythm creates an auditory UncannyValley sensation, a sense that there's just something "off."

* Even at the end, with the T-800 destroyed and Sarah victorious, [[DownerEnding there is no hope]]. The same PredestinationParadox that ensured John Connor's conception has also ensured that the nightmare vision glimpsed in Kyle's memory ''is going to happen''. There's a storm coming. For all of us. Until T2 undoes everything.

** The scene in Tech Noir really drives home what makes the Terminator such a nightmarish adversary, even before Kyle delivers his speech. Sarah has just called the cops to tell them someone is following her, and Ed Traxler gives her advice and reassurances (that if she stays in a public place where lots of people can see her, no one can hurt her) that would, under normal circumstances, be very reasonable. However, the Terminator doesn't care about witnesses. It doesn't care about collateral damage or innocent civilians. It doesn't care about consequences. It exists for one purpose and one purpose ''only'': To find its target and ''terminate them''. Everything else is meaningless. If it sees you, it will try to kill you, right in the middle of a crowded room. It has as much idea of self-preservation and consequences as a cruise missile with les. '''''[[ParanoiaFuel Nowhere]]'' [[ParanoiaFuel is safe while it's still walking around]]'''.

** The scene in Tech Noir really drives home what makes the Terminator such a nightmarish adversary, even before Kyle delivers his speech. Sarah has just called the cops to tell them someone is following her, and Ed Traxler gives her advice and reassurances (that if she stays in a public place where lots of people can see her, no one can hurt her) that would, under normal circumstances, be very reasonable. However, the Terminator doesn't care about witnesses. It doesn't care about collateral damage or innocent civilians. It doesn't care about consequences. It exists for one purpose and one purpose ''only'': To find its target and ''terminate them''. Everything else is meaningless. If it sees you, it will try to kill you, right in the middle of a crowded room. '''''[[ParanoiaFuel Nowhere]]'' [[ParanoiaFuel is safe while it's still walking around]]'''.