History Trivia / TheTerminator

* CreatorBacklash: Not the movie itself but rather Creator/HarlanEllison's writing credit which he got after a settlement over perceived similarities to his Series/TheOuterLimits episode "Soldier". Creator/JamesCameron writing years later in ''The Futurist'' would note:
-->"It was a nuisance suit that could easily have been fought. [[ScrewedByTheStudio I expected Hemdale and Orion to fight for my rights, but they abandoned me.]] The insurance company told me if I didn't agree to the settlement, they would come after me personally for the damages if they lost the suit. Having no money at the time, I had no choice but to agree to the settlement. Of course there was a gag order as well, so I couldn't tell this story but now I frankly don't care. It's the truth. [[TakeThat Harlan Ellison is a parasite who can kiss my ass.]]"

** Schwarzenegger apparently got a haircut in the middle of the Tech Noir shootout because his hair is in a crewcut by the time he chases Sarah and Kyle outside, as opposed to the longer style he had until then.
** The T-800's hair got singed when it ran through the fire caused by a car explosion which also burns off its eyebrows. Notice the T-800's hair is longer when it begins chasing Kyle and Sarah, when it jumps on the windshield its hairstyle has changed.

* DuelingMovies: ''Film/{{Runaway}}'', a film also about robots and starring Creator/TomSelleck and [[Music/{{KISS}} Gene Simmons]] (''and'' written/directed by Creator/MichaelCrichton), was projected to be the big sci-fi film of 1984. Who would have thought that it would be overshadowed by a low-budget film, with B-list actors, written and directed by an unknown who got the idea while having a nightmare? Not to mention one actor was mostly a theater actor (Biehn), the other one was a bodybuilder with a thick Astrian accent who had more bad movies than good ones, and Cameron only had one directorial credit to boot before doing ''The Terminator'': the film ''Film/PiranhaPartTwoTheSpawning''.

** One of Reese, who only knows the world as a ruined wasteland, breaking down over being unable to handle simply standing in some grass once he gets the chance to slow down and notice all the normal things he was never meant to see. This was part of a scene where he and Sarah, who is now trying to be more proactive and forward thinking, got into an argument over trying to destroy Cyberdyne, the company that would create the Terminators, thus completely averting the war (which of course was revisited in ''Terminator 2''), where he refused to go along with her idea simply because, in his words, "That's not my mission." Sarah angrily tries to run away from Reese, Reese chases her down and she hits him, which causes him to reflexively pull the gun on her; when Sarah points out to him what he's doing - and goes on a rant about how she doesn't want to spend the rest of her life living in fear of the Terminator and the big bad future - Reese completely falls apart and has a NoPlaceForMeThere monologue where he quite literally says "I don't belong here" before he laments how painful it is for him to see the world as it once was, which causes Sarah to feel more sympathy for him before he points out that Sarah doesn't understand what it feels like to know that "it's all gone." The scene ends with Sarah reminding Reese that together they have the chance to save the future by changing the past. This changes the crafting of the pipe bombs from a deterrent against the Terminator to a means of destroying Cyberdyne.

* DuelingMovies: ''Film/{{Runaway}}'', a film also about robots and starring Creator/TomSelleck and [[Music/{{KISS}} Gene Simmons]] (''and'' written/directed by Creator/MichaelCrichton), was projected to be the big sci-fi film of 1984. Who would have thought that it would be overshadowed by a low-budget film, with B-list actors, written and directed by an unknown who got the idea while having a fever? Not to mention one actor was mostly a theater actor (Biehn), the other one was a bodybuilder with a thick accent who had more bad movies than good ones then (Arnold), and Cameron only had one directorial credit to boot before doing ''The Terminator'': the film ''Film/PiranhaPartTwoTheSpawning''.

* CreatorBacklash: Not the movie itself but rather Creator/HarlanEllison's writing credit which he got after a settlement over perceived similarities to his Series/TheOuterLimits episode "Soldier". Creator/JamesCameron writing years later in ''The Futurist'' would note
-->"It was a nuisance suit that could easily have been fought. [[ScrewedByTheStudio I expected Hemdale and Orion to fight for my rights, but they abandoned me.]] The insurance company told me if I didn't agree to the settlement, they would come after me personally for the damages if they lost the suit. Having no money at the time, I had no choice but to agree to the settlement. Of course there was a gag order as well, so I couldn't tell this story but now I frankly don't care. It's the truth. [[TakeThat Harlan Ellison is a parasite who can kiss my ass]]"

* ActorInspiredElement: It was Creator/MichaelBiehn's idea that Kyle should go up to the wall and scream into the camera when he's being questioned by Dr. Silberman.

* QuoteSource:
** {{Cyborg}}

* TheForeignSubtitle:
** Finland: ''Terminator: The Destroyer''
** Hungary: ''Terminator: The Death Dealer''

** The T800's hair got singed when it ran through the fire caused by a car explosion which also burns off its eyebrows. Notice the T800's hair is longer when it begins chasing Kyle and Sarah, when it jumps on the windshield its hairstyle has changed.

* SleeperHit: No one involved had much faith in the movie. Orion buried it with InvisibleAdvertising, Arnold Schwarzenegger thought the script was schlock and only signed on for the money, and James Cameron's only previous director credit was for the infamously terrible ''Film/PiranhaPartTwoTheSpawning''. Furthermore, the entire production was on a shoestring budget and a rushed schedule.

* ActorInspiredElement: It was Creator/MichaelBiehn's idea that Kyle goes up to the wall and scream into the wall when he's being questioned by Dr. Silberman.

* CastTheRunnerUp:
** Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger was originally considered for the role of Kyle Reese, as Cameron originally envisioned the killing machine as [[TheyLookJustLikeEveryoneElse having a more ordinary appearance]] in order to blend in with the rest of society, but changed his mind when he met Arnold and felt that he was in the presence of "a living machine".
** In a similar manner, Creator/LanceHenriksen was the original choice for the Terminator to the point that Cameron started drawing up concept art with Henriksen as the Terminator. Henriksen was later cast as Detective Vukhovich.

* EconomyCast: The girl soldier in the first future flashback is played by Jean Malahni, who was Linda Hamilton's stunt double

** Likewise, Creator/OJSimpson was [[https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2019-10-25/o-j-simpson-terminator-james-cameron-arnold-schwarzenegger never seriously considered]] for the Terminator, although again there's a grain of truth to this claim. After Cameron's original choices (Creator/MelGibson and Creator/SylvesterStallone) turned down the role, Creaator/OrionPictures executive Mike Medavoy mentioned Simpson in a chat with Cameron. Cameron dismissed the idea as "the stupidest thing (I'd) ever heard"; Medavoy then suggested Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger, who was already being considered for Reese.[[note]]If Medavoy was serious, it's probably because Simpson's career was stalled at the time and the studio could hire him for relatively cheap.[[/note]] This story became embellished over the years, with Arnold himself claiming at one point that Simpson was actually ''cast'' as Terminator but backed out at the last minute; of course, the [[HarsherInHindsight retroactive irony]] of Simpson being deemed unsuitable to play a ruthless killer ensures that people repeat this story.

** Likewise, Creator/OJSimpson was never seriously considered for the Terminator, although again there's a grain of truth to this claim. Creator/OrionPictures executive Michael Medavoy mentioned Simpson as a possibility in a chat with Cameron after his original choices (Creator/MelGibson and Creator/SylvesterStallone) turned down the role, but Cameron dismissed the idea without a second thought before Medavoy turned to Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger, who was already being considered for Reese.[[note]]It should be noted that Simpson's acting career had stalled by the time ''Terminator'' was in production, so Medavoy probably named him as a recognizable actor who wouldn't cost the studio too much money.[[/note]] Cameron's story was embellished over the years, with Arnold himself claiming that Simpson was actually ''cast'' as Terminator but backed out at the last minute; of course, the [[HarsherInHindsight retroactive irony]] of Simpson being deemed unsuitable to play a ruthless killer ensures that the story retains traction.

* TroubledProduction: The action scenes were shot at a tight schedule given the nighttime setting, Linda Hamilton spraining her ankle at the beginning of the shoot and spending the rest of the movie in pain, and the Terminator endoskeleton being heavy and hard for Creator/StanWinston's team to carry (as they found out that building a prop robot out of metal is realistic, but not practical). Also, Creator/JamesCameron's MeanBoss tendencies started to show, leading to the first T-shirts written "You can't scare me, I work for James Cameron" among the crew.

** Contrary to popular belief, Creator/LanceHenriksen was never going to be the Terminator. However, Creator/JamesCameron did base some of his early sketches of the Terminator on Henriksen's likeness, and Henriksen also helped Cameron pitching the film's idea to the producers in a rather unique way. He prepared himself for the meeting by dressing up in some leathers, adding a cut on his head and putting gold foil on his teeth. Fifteen minutes before the meeting, he kicked the door to the office in. He then just silently sat there while staring at the producers, making them gradually uncomfortable. When Cameron arrived, Henriksen left the room. He later overheard that one of the producers even said "I don't care who you use for the Terminator, not him."

* {{Blooper}}: Schwarzenegger apparently got a haircut in the middle of the Tech Noir shootout because his hair is in a crewcut by the time he chases Sarah and Kyle outside, as opposed to the longer style he had until then.

* PopCultureUrbanLegends: Contrary to popular belief, Creator/LanceHenriksen was never going to be the Terminator. However, Creator/JamesCameron did base some of his early sketches of the Terminator on Henriksen's likeness, and Henriksen also helped Cameron pitching the film's idea to the producers in a rather unique way. He prepared himself for the meeting by dressing up in some leathers, adding a cut on his head and putting gold foil on his teeth. Fifteen minutes before the meeting, he kicked the door to the office in. He then just silently sat there while staring at the producers, making them gradually uncomfortable. When Cameron arrived, Henriksen left the room. He later overheard that one of the producers even said "I don't care who you use for the Terminator, not him."

* CastTheRunnerUp: Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger was originally considered for the role of Kyle Reese, as Cameron originally envisioned the killing machine as [[TheyLookJustLikeEveryoneElse having a more ordinary appearance]] in order to blend in with the rest of society, but changed his mind when he met Arnold and felt that he was in the presence of "a living machine".

* UsefulNotes/AFIS100YearsSeries:
** AFIS100Years100Thrills: #42
** AFIS100Years100HeroesAndVillains: #22 Villain, T800 Model 101
** AFIS100Years100MovieQuotes: #37, "I'll be back"

* AFIS100YearsSeries:

** ''The Exterminator of the Future'' (Brazil)