The Poster Memorabilia blog

A Great Night for Terminator 2: Judgment Day

The T-1000, John Connor, and one late-arriving T-800 — Judgment Day gets its due in San Jose.

By an anonymous Hollywood insider

Very few sequels have found equal or more success than the first movie. The Godfather Part II is one, as was The Empire Strikes Back. There's also Terminator 2: Judgment Day, but I don't think it has received as much prestige over the years as the other two. It was still a massive hit when it came out, but I feel like its legacy has waned since then.

You tell me! Do you think Terminator 2 is as revered as The Godfather Part II or The Empire Strikes Back? Even its most fervent fans won't say yes. And I'm one of them! I loved that movie so much that I honestly think it's better than the first one. However, there's no denying that the film doesn't get enough credit.

At least, I confirmed that the cast knows just how much we, the fans, loved it. I remember going to the Terminator reunion at the Silicon Valley Comic Con in 2019 and saw, firsthand, how many people still enjoyed the franchise. The hall was jam-packed with fans, and some even went in cosplay.

I should clarify that the event reunited various cast members throughout the Terminator franchise. But luckily for me, most of the actors who attended were from Judgment Day. They included Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick, Jenette Goldstein, Danny Cooksey, and of course, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The big man himself didn't appear at the main event, either. He went to the convention later on and only appeared for the photograph and fan-signing sessions. And perhaps an even bigger shame: Linda Hamilton was a no-show. She was as much the star of the movies as Schwarzenegger was, but unfortunately, she had other engagements.

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Now that I think about it, I ended up liking how the other cast members got to shine that night. Schwarzenegger and Hamilton get the bulk of the attention and praise for the franchise, while the others barely got mentioned over the years. At that Terminator panel, they finally got to tell their stories and bask in the glory of their work.

“They finally got to tell their stories and bask in the glory of their work.”

I enjoyed listening to them and hearing how hard they worked on the film and how it impacted their careers upon its release. Their stories were so enlightening, and I loved learning about how the movie changed their lives, much like how it changed ours.

The best part was meeting them afterward. I was so happy to discover that the cast is full of good and kind people. All of them enthusiastically met with fans, took selfies, and shook hands. They all signed my Judgment Day poster, too. Every single one I asked signed it happily.

The same goes for Schwarzenegger. His autograph more than made up for his absence during the main panel, and I think he did it intentionally. He gave everyone an autograph, a selfie, and even a hug. He accepted every request that was asked of him, within reason, of course.

I eventually met the rest of the cast who weren't there when they appeared at other conventions later down the line, including Linda Hamilton. All their autographs remind me of the star power this sequel has, and why it deserves more recognition than it has received over the years.

Some things you watch. This one you keep.

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