Terminator (1984) stereo track reconstruction

[bronan]

Wow, that's crazy, I never knew about that cut end sequence. It definitely makes sense though from a storytelling standpoint, coming full circle and ending where you begin. It would definitely be cool to see fully realized

[Tylerdurden389]

Well, an extended edition - adding also the Terminator construction found in the T2 trailer that, probably, will not find a right place in the sequel - could be a nice idea IMHO

Oh, I beg to differ. This is the opening credits (albeit, a rough, unfinished blueprint since I gotta add sound effects, do a few animation effects to fix Arnie's eyes when he opens them, and switch the font to the classic T1 "Modern Vision" font) to my in-the-works fan edit to take T2 back to its roots. A fully revamped synth score (Complete with cover versions of familiar themes/cues from T1), added blood effects, removal of the steel blue color timing to something more neutral like part 1, sound effects from part 1 that are much 'rawer' than the clean sounds of T2 (Yes, the Dirty Harry magnum WILL be the sound of some of the handguns, as well as the MONO sound effects of the shotguns from T1), no social commentary shoved down our throats, no doggy tricks, no live action Bart Simpson from John, and a much shorter run-time (my first draft I made many years ago clocks in at a minute under 2 hours. This time I'm confident I can get it down to about an hour 50) :



Sorry for derailing the thread lol.

[Ronster]

What's wrong with the original opening credits of Terminator 2?

Terminator built where he was destroyed makes sense story wise the whole thing is impossible but that was the point every time you thought the terminator was dead he would come back to life.

So even when he was destroyed this was the point at which he was created.

Also why spend precious screen time focusing on the actual machines in the factory right at the climax if it was not significant.  It was very important to the story that's why it was given screen time.

Mobius Loop.


Except we only see in the film the part about Kyle being John Connors dad and if he is not sent back then he would not be born.

That Skynet pyramid bears an uncanny resemblance to the atmosphere processor in Aliens also which uncannily get's nuked

[Ronster]

I think the only way to Handle this idea is keep it very simple.... After all it is a B-movie with high production values.

So going by the script this is how it should go...

Sarah loaded into ambulance Door slams (Echo Effect) pan up to see Logo "Cyberdyne Systems"

Cut Back to Factory The Micro Processor is found so on Terminator music in Background Bom Bom Bom - Bom on Black Screen. Let music do the work.

Cut to Sarah in Jeep. Restore missing Monologue music (Yeah it has to be for this part)

End Credits.

The extra Bit...

After Credits sequence Terminator Built and goes back through time.

Finish

This would keep the restoration element in tact but add that little something at the end to bring it full circle. Also it plays into just when you thought it was over it still is not over which is perfect and is least damaging course on this.

Meanwhile I also found some of the missing shots for the Future Flashback sequence in the VFX Documentary also that does away with the repeated footage from the introduction.

Upon running from the HK's in the flashback earlier when the Tank is destroyed there is a missing shot of a Dead Soldier in the Pit as the Craft fly's over with deafening noise of engines... You can bet it's at the point the sound mix stutters.

So Really I Just need help with the Terminator Vision simply making the shots Red is not enough, not sure how they processed the Vision at all?

There is scope for a few other tweaks or changes but Like I said after all it's a Horror B-movie. And although tweaks are interesting I would think it goes against the aesthetic of the film.

Anything that makes it that bit scarier I would consider. But essentially it must be cheap and B-movie grade no flashy stuff.

The Tweaks I would Possibly to consider.

When Reese Arrives show Animation within the Black blank Matte Ball (Like Terminator 2)
When Terminator Cut's his Eye out show Bad Terminator Garbled Vision Signal shown in trailer with a nasty sound of Messed up audio.
When Terminator in Police Station you can see his eyes at the desk Replace Left Eye with Switched of unlit Robot Eye (Matte)

Aside from trying to do Terminator Vision this above ^ Is probably as far as the list would go on tweaks.

Anyway that is where I am at with Video Ideas I am now Audio wise at the Infiltrator Future Flashback scene.

The thing that I forgot about is When Sarah is going to Help Reese with First aid she say "Talk about something Else" Resse say's "What?" but this particular line is not Michael Biehns voice so I want to fix that If I can....

[spoRv]

There is a cinescope simulator avisynth script on doom9 that recreates scanlines; probably could help.

[Ronster]

Well It would be nice if you could test it. Useless with avisynth Perhaps the best test would be the shot from the trailer where there is no effects applied and compare it to the finished film?

See at 31 seconds on link below,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ib7uYOoOs8

and the original at 29 seconds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_IYeL4LtYY

No scan lines on the Terminator vision it's like degraded or darkened though.... what would color match do?

Although not opposed to the scan lines that was the sequeal...




The thing is I think people would go crazy though for simply seeing a red dot behind the sunglasses?

[Image: theterminator.jpg?itok=dfpsF_qg&resize=1100x619]

That would be proper fan stuff there are so many posters and never once you see a red light behind the sunglasses it does make him scarier?

Well think I have got the grading did a quick test....

https://vimeo.com/268209284

Needs Fonts!

EDIT

a few things I noticed...

I think the shots of the university Pass when you apply Terminator Vision should be consecutive.
Hope you like color grading for Technoir club?
Noticed that Arnold get's a shot off just after Reese blasts him so the "dirty Harry" gun sound is missing and it's also why Sarah or should I say Linda Hamilton Body Double falls off her chair...

So I think it works what do you think? A bit creepier?

In terms of the Apartment Terminator Vision I imagine he is scanning the address book matches the handwriting to the university pass and then confirms "Target Identified"

In the club I imagined just having a broken square on Sarah "Target Aquired" with the usual numbers and stuff running on the vision mode before this point.

Mom's Cabin is the best place to put a red eye behind the sunglasses I think as it would make that scene more freakish.

The other thing is We never see Arnolds eyes ever glow through Red in the film but it is something Terminators do especially in low light conditions. i.e. the infiltrator.

Anyway I think someone else should handle the Video if they care enough to do so I don't mind making a crappy DVD for myself but it is not something I would share. But I will do the Audio Mix. Happy to share the Lut settings for the Terminator Vision if anyone wants them.

[Ronster]

Ok nearly at the end for the Audio should be done this week at some point....

Although I am a bit stuck with the font's for the Terminator Vision I am pretty sure there is a after effects pack out there for this so if anyone wants to have a go that would be great! But if not that is ok n problem.

Like I said I am making a SD version and this is outside the audio mix... I know all people crave these days are HD versions and I can understand that but I have to say I love the old DVD for the grit and grime off the print it really suits the film. Everyone wan'ts scrubbed clean versions which I don't think really suits "The Terminator"... It looks better with the dirt. Does anyone out there feel the same way? that transfer is wonderful i's not quite grindhouse but it's got grit!

Anyway as far as video goes I have been thinking about sort of lacing in some celebration of the 80's...

The Terminator - Sort of Party Version and a sort of Ultimate fun cut Brief snippets that could be laced in are....

Skynet - Wargames HQ Screens Footage
Nukes - The Day after + message from the stars (Kaiju))
Brief Helicopter scene - Blue Thunder ( When Reese hides in the Parking Lot a standard police Helicopter shot would increase the budget and I think that makes hiding in the Parking lot make sense)

This is kind of a fun idea and I am not so sure about it but with also more focus on restoring actual material from the Terminator In terms of giving it a broader scope and budget It would be subtle but perhaps a lot of fun also?

Basically a visual prologue and a few snippets to expand some scenes nothing more.

Here is a quick edit of the flying Hunter Killer missing Shots. Which is purely restoration of original cut material.

https://vimeo.com/268615027

This sort of edit I find more interesting than pulling material from other films but I do think using other material does have the means to be both fun whilst keeping things also serious and doing a good job of the nuts and bolts of the film i.e. Terminator Vision shots and adding the missing optical effect in the matte circle the for Reese Arrival and as above some missing model shots like I said filling in the Blanks and so on.

But as Stated and I agree we don't want CGI we want 80's special effects don't we?

Basically any help with terminator Vision shot fonts or if anyone wants to do the whole film with the Vision shots as there own project Great!

[Ronster]

Uh, I think we first see the thermovision in the film during the chase for a reason. To put it there before ruins the storytelling.

What Thermovision?

You mean Terminator Vision?

Yeah I thought about this and the guy who did that youtube clip said James Cameron showed restraint and so on. But if you saw a trailer or even looked at the movie poster you knew straight away that Arnold was an Android or Machine.

I don't think the restraint theory holds up. It's not like there is any doubt who the good guy or the Bad guy is either.... But I don't mind your opinion I just think sometimes get away from the fact it is a B-movie and even if it's not in the script it was shot in such a way that it could have been Terminator Vision and I believe budget has more to do with it than Pretending Arnold was not the Bad Robot or Mean machine or installing any doubt that he was the Bad Guy he had already Killed 3 women by this point in the film so seeing he is a Robot after killing 3 women makes sense and if anything installs a sense of comfort that he had to be non human.

But like I said I don't mind your opinion all opinions welcome and I do understand why you think that too

Also Terminator 2 did what Terminator 1 was meant to do "Target Ident" and "Target aquired" so Cameron did what he did not have the budget for in Terminator 2....In the comfort we get in finding that Arnold is not human but looks human we also get freaked by that but the reveal coming a bit earlier I think works on a number of levels but that is just my opinion.

[Ronster]

In the original the whole idea is that we don't get he is a robot until he is shot and wakes up.
In the second, we don't get he is the good guy until he grabs Connor to protect him.

Marketing doesn't matter, about 70% of the audience back then went to the movies without seeing any marketing.

I don't think you have to be systematic to the POV thermovision shots. In T2, also many shots are without his red tint.

It's ok man what you are saying is "you don't like it" because it is different and I get that....

But you can't get away from the fact that it does actually work or at least I think it does.... Saying people would not even see a poster for the film before going in is stretching things I think a bit...

[Image: sd3596-the-terminator-british-movie-post...ci-fi.jpeg]

I might struggle to find people that feel the same way but I really do Believe the reveal should have come that little bit earlier...

We already know full well all the Terminator vision shots were not done and I don't feel the Technoir club is any different from the end of the film which is also missing a bunch of them.

[Tylerdurden389]

In the first trailer to T2, Arnold looks right into the camera, holds up his hand and says "I swear I will not kill anyone". That's not even a scene in the movie. I've heard people say "You don't know Arnold is the good Terminator until the critical moment where John is in between the 2 Terminators", and I'm shrugging my shoulders, thinking back on my 7 year old experience of seeing Terminator 2 on the big screen upon initial release, and hearing "Bad to the Bone" playing when Arnold first gets dressed. The same song I had heard the year before in the family comedy "Problem Child", and everyone laughing. Everyone in the theater was also laughing (along with the biker bar patrons in the movie) in the prior scene when Arnold is walking naked. No context in the film, of course. It's funny to us because it's Arnold, the epitome of 'manly' at the time, in a position of helplessness/embarrassment.

TLDR: Forget the posters. There is absolutely NO indication in the context of the film, that Arnold is the bad Terminator during the first half hour of the film.