TOP 5 MOVIES: ARNOLD SCHWARZENNEGER
While these Top 5 Lists have typically been reserved for actors who aren’t necessarily on the same level of celebrity as Arnie, I had to do this in honor of the fact that the Gubbenator has announced he is returning to acting. He has informed his agents at CAA to officially start listening to film offers and even said he has a passion project about a German officer sent to kill a group of kids in WWII (who ends up saving them).
Arnie is all about the cheese and we love him for it… that and the fact that his accent hasn’t changed at all in the 4 decades he’s lived in the states… so, let’s honor him by discussing his Top 5 Films. Here are mine:
5. THE RUNNING MAN.
The Running Man is what made the 80’s great in that it is a completely lame 80’s action film. However, the thing that made it great was that it pitted Arnie against a bunch of different types of bad guys each with their own unique talent. In a lot of ways, it was like a movie version of playing Street Fighter.
4. TRUE LIES.
Who would ever have thought that Tom Arnold and Arnold would make a great on-screen pairing? And who knew Arnie could pull off funny? Apparently, James Cameron! This film is liked by all who watch it and is still severely underrated. The only thing it lacked was getting Jaime Lee Curtis to do that strip tease about 10 years earlier.
3. PREDATOR.
I don’t know why I don’t dote on the Predator films more. I guess it’s because after the end of Predator 2, I took Aliens in the divorce. Still, this film has everything a Sci-Fi Fanboy like myself loves wrapped up in an 80’s action film.
2. T2: JUDGEMENT DAY.
Admittedly, I do not love the Terminator films as much as most people but it’s hard to ignore a film this good. Not to mention the effect it had on not only the box office when it came out but what it did technologically for film. Without this film, we wouldn’t have many of the films we’ve come to love since.
1. TOTAL RECALL.
What can I say? I’m a sucker for a good ol’ Phillip K. Dick story! And this is one of his finest. It’s really kind of a strange movie for Arnold to do but he was perfect for it. A remake with Colin Farrell is due out next year but, if you haven’t seen it, go back and start with the original. It’s that good.
So, what are your favorites???
March 26, 2011 at 6:24 am
great call on true lies…bill paxton is also great in that film….
March 26, 2011 at 7:43 am
I would have to add Twins to the list. By far, Ahnold’s best comedy.
March 26, 2011 at 1:05 pm
Great List! Total Recall really is one of his better films by all means.
March 26, 2011 at 3:21 pm
No Jingle All The Way? 😛
Put that cookie down! NOW!
March 26, 2011 at 5:37 pm
T2 is the greatest action movie of all time!!! But Total Recall is a pretty solid choice too. And Predators is fun (killer main musical theme) despite the FLAGRANT homoeroticism 😛
March 26, 2011 at 9:46 pm
Love True Lies. If Heather was still around, she would massacre you for omitting the Terminators! 😉 I probably would have put Commando and Predators somewhere up here.
March 27, 2011 at 8:14 am
T2 is up there.
March 27, 2011 at 1:48 pm
…I see T2 up there…don’t tell me you’re referring to part 3 are you Castor! Of course, The Terminator is my favorite Arnie film but Total Recall is great fun so can’t argue with its spot in the list. My top 10 Arnie films is here: http://www.top10films.co.uk/archives/6386
March 27, 2011 at 2:00 pm
Forgive me, it was late 🙂
March 27, 2011 at 3:54 am
The Running Man actually holds up pretty well especially when you consider all the reality TV that started littering our screens in the years that followed it. My top five:
1 -The Terminator
2 – Terminator 2
3 – Predator
4 – Total Recall
5 – The Running Man
March 27, 2011 at 8:15 am
Pretty similar. Great minds and all! 🙂
March 27, 2011 at 11:04 am
Except I a big fan of The Terminator, probably Cameron’s best movie, sorry Heather!
March 27, 2011 at 2:22 pm
I too love The Running Man. Predators my favorite. My favorite scene: the ultimate swole guy high-five between Arnold and Carl Weathers towards the beginning. The sound/foley of the hands clapping together is unbelievable. And so swole…..
March 28, 2011 at 12:00 am
“And who knew Arnie could pull off funny?”
Clearly, you need to watch Kindergarten Cop and Twins again. Of course, both are kind of terrible, but they’re fun as hell to watch anyway. I bring them up because both came out before True Lies.
My list has Predator at the top, followed by Recall, followed by T2.
I really need to watch Running Man again. Been waaaaaaay too long.