Cinema Shock

After TERMINATOR 2 became the biggest hit of James Cameron's career — and the third highest grossing movie of all time — the director felt like he needed a change of direction. Maybe a small character-based drama?

Well, that didn't work out. His next film would end up being a pseudo-remake of a French comedy called LA TOTALE! that he was introduced to by his friend Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Their version of the story — which they called TRUE LIES — would be Cameron's first foray into comedy, but he didn't abandon his action movie roots, using his biggest budget yet to craft some of the most ambitious action set pieces of his career. 

In this episode, we trace the film's production, from concept to release and reception, and we dive into the film's legacy, including a lot of the controversy that still surrounds the film to this day.

Next Episode: TITANIC.

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop, and Todd A. Davis.

Episode archives, merchandise & more: cinemashock.net

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It's time for another Bonus Episode! This time around, we're talking about our thoughts going into our episode where we'll be covering James Cameron's TRUE LIES!

We also talk about lots of other stuff we've been watching lately, including THE BOYS, MS. MARVEL, STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS, THOR: LOVE & THUNDER, and much much more!

After the modestly budgeted success of THE TERMINATOR, James Cameron spent the next few years proving himself as one of the most visionary directors in Hollywood. But when he finally returned to the franchise that launched his career, he didn’t just make another sci-fi action film — he redefined what a blockbuster could be.

In this episode, we dive deep into the making of TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY — from its record-breaking budget and revolutionary visual effects to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s return as a reprogrammed killing machine. We’ll also explore how Cameron transformed the genre, how Linda Hamilton delivered one of the most iconic performances of her career, and how the film forever changed the summer movie landscape.

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop, and Todd A. Davis.

For episode archives, merchandise & more, please visit cinemashock.net

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After conquering the box office with ALIENS, James Cameron turned his attention to an original idea—an underwater science fiction adventure inspired by his childhood fascination with the deep sea. But making THE ABYSS would prove to be anything but smooth sailing.

In this episode, we explore the turbulent production of THE ABYSS, a film that tested the limits of filmmaking technology—and the patience of everyone involved. We’ll cover how Cameron’s obsession with realism led to one of the most grueling shoots in Hollywood history, how the film’s groundbreaking digital effects changed the game, and why its release left both audiences and critics divided.

From cast mutinies to leaky sets, THE ABYSS nearly sank under its own weight—but it also set the stage for Cameron’s next decade of innovation and dominance.

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop, and Todd A. Davis.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After the surprise success of THE TERMINATOR, James Cameron was suddenly a hot commodity in Hollywood. While prepping his next project, THE ABYSS, Cameron took a detour into sequel territory—and not just any sequel, but a follow-up to one of the most beloved science fiction horror films of all time.

In this episode, we’re diving deep into the creation of ALIENS, the 1986 action-horror juggernaut that cemented Cameron’s reputation as one of Hollywood’s top genre filmmakers.

We’ll explore how Cameron landed the job, how he transformed Ridley Scott’s slow-burn horror into a full-blown combat film, and how Sigourney Weaver’s iconic performance as Ripley helped redefine what an action hero could look like.

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop, and Todd A. Davis.

Find more at cinemashock.net.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, we're previewing the next episode in our James Cameron series, and discussing other things we've been watching and reading recently!

Before he became the king of the world with TITANIC and broke box office records with AVATAR, James Cameron was just a former truck driver with a fever dream about a killer robot from the future.

In this episode, we’re kicking off our new series James Cameron: Man of Tomorrow with the 1984 film that put him on the map: THE TERMINATOR.

We’ll trace the story’s origins in a nightmare during Cameron’s fever-ridden trip to Rome, his early years working with Roger Corman, and how he clawed his way into the director’s chair. Plus, we’ll explore how THE TERMINATOR almost didn’t happen, the behind-the-scenes chaos, and how a scrappy low-budget sci-fi film became one of the most influential action movies of all time.

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop, and Todd A. Davis.

Find more at cinemashock.net.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this bonus episode, we preview our upcoming James Cameron series and the first entry in that series, THE TERMINATOR

For this entry in our Cinema Shock Roulette series, we’re digging into one of the weirdest cult musicals to ever sprout up in mainstream Hollywood: LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS.

We’ll explore the origins of the story — from its roots as a Roger Corman B-movie, to the off-Broadway musical adaptation, and finally to Frank Oz’s lavish 1986 film version. Along the way, we’ll examine how this bizarre tale of a man-eating plant got greenlit by a major studio, how the jaw-dropping puppetry brought Audrey II to life, and how the film’s original ending proved to be way too dark for test audiences.

It’s a tale of practical effects wizardry, showstopping songs, and one of the biggest compromises in cult film history.

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop, & Todd Davis.

Visit our website for episode archives, merchandise, and more: http://cinemashock.net

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this bonus episode, the guys discuss their thoughts going into the LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS Cinema Shock Roulette episode, as well as discuss things they've been reading and watching lately!