1991 winners in movies: T2 at the box office, Lambs at the Oscars

 

As with Batman, I made it to the theatres a little late to see Terminator 2. I was very fond of the first one, and it's not like I had a career or anything to worry about at the time, so who knows what I was thinking. I distinctly remember going with a group of people, some whom had already seen it.

Well. It's still stunning to watch after all these years, and the feeling of watching it for the first time still lingers with the viewing. It was enough back in '91 to watch a new chapter unfold, of course, but to see it take everything that worked in the first movie and amplify it all so perfectly was thrilling. It's a rare sequel, certainly in a conversation of the best of them, and almost does to the Terminator franchise what Empire Strikes Back did to Star Wars which was set the bar too high for everything else to come. Mind you, as far as I knew then, there was nothing more to come for The Terminator.

I watched it on laserdisc where the Special Edition makes sure to re-insert the scene of Arnie learning to smile, which is both funny and sets up his smile when he picks out his favourite gun. Beyond that, honestly, I'd take this movie in its theatrical form because it's just that much leaner. 

It also provided an amazing array of sounds to use in a Doom mod file back in the early days.

Now for something really scary. 

I saw this Best Picture in a theatrical re-release sometime last year, and up to that point I'd only seen it on video. The first time was shortly after its VHS release at a friend's house, and it's exactly my kind of thriller. It's gross, but not gory; it's scary, but not jumpy; and it's such a smart script. 

Foster is just as fantastic, of course, and knew when to break out in shock and when to keep tight-lipped so as to not overplay it. 

Hopkins carries the weight of this performance into a somewhat unexpected and powerful Hollywood run. He automatically brought a layered performance to everything he did, because even when he was speaking pleasantly or politely you just knew there was another actor underneath it all. 

Banner week for movies.