If It Bleeds We Can Kill It: The Making of 'Predator' (2001 Video) User Reviews

pretty good

[movieman_kev · 8/10 · 25 September 2005]

This 28 minute, 46 second documentary on the making of "Predator" can be found on the second disc of the 2-DVD set special Edition of the aforementioned movie. Combining behind the scenes footage and vintage interviews from the time of the making of the film with new (well new as in 2001) interviews with the cast and crew members, this packs a lot of information in under 30 minutes. And yes there's a bit of the typical Hollywood back-slapping to be found in this, but thankfully the kept it to a minimum. It also features clips from "Commando" (another great Arnold vehicle). The Sonny Landham story was a bit creepy in it's connotations. There's a few humorous stories as well. All in all a great documentary on a great action movie.

My Grade: A-

Nifty retrospective documentary

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 31 March 2016]

This thirty minute documentary offers a fast paced and informative glimpse at the making of the 80's sci-fi/action classic "Predator." Director John McTiernan reveals that he wanted to make an old-fashioned popcorn movie and loves actors over cars and guns. Shane Black admits that although he was cast as an actor he was nonetheless asked to rewrite the script. The best story told herein concerns the fact that Sonny Landham had a bodyguard with him throughout the shooting of the picture due to his notorious reputation as a troublemaker. Moreover, we also learn that the actors underwent military training prior to the filming of the movie (ex-Navy Seal Jesse Ventura found said training to be a breeze), it took up to six hours to get a single three second shot for the heat vision scenes, the original predator design was a goofy disaster, Keven Peter Hall had to sleep on two mattresses because he was so big and tall, and shooting on location in Mexico was grueling in the extreme thanks to the intense heat alone. Recommended viewing for fans of the film.

No, that's the Shatner version

[TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews · 8/10 · 20 September 2019]

This consists of interviews(some from when it was made, some from when this documentary was being put together, in 2001) with the cast and crew, all of whom have something compelling to add within their area of expertise(and there is a very clear love of what they're working on), clips from the movie, behind-the-scenes footage, and incomplete effects shots.

It's 29 minutes long. This is found on the second disc of the special edition DVD release of Predator. It spoils a lot of the film, and so will this review, so that I can go into more detail.

They talk about the origins of the concept. How the script was picked up. The similarity to The Wild Bunch and The Magnificent Seven. Ventura had to be told to be more subdued, at first. The big personalities on set. Arnie was who got Duke onto this, after they enjoyed working together in Commando(he also brought Winston on, due to their experience on The Terminator). Sonny could only work on it if there was a bodyguard - not for him, for everyone else, to protect them from him. Elpidia really understood her character, and had great instincts, never had to be corrected. They had to be taught how to be convincing as SEALs... except Jesse, who was one, and, well, he "wouldn't want to take these guys into combat". Competitive iron-pumping. Schwarzenegger bet The Body a bottle of champagne on who has the bigger arm. The jungle was intense. How they approached the FX. Black's mother didn't leave during the jokes about female genitalia, though she did when she realized his character was about to die. The flick remains beloved 15 years after, and Bill gets recognized on the street from his role in this. As the credits run, several of the people involved do their version of the line, "you're one ugly motherf'r".

I recommend this to any fan of the property. 8/10

Interesting to watch for a Predator-fan

[HunterDK · 26 July 2002]

A friend of mine bought "Predator - Special Edition" on DVD today, and I watched almost all the stuff on the two DVDs.

"If it bleeds we can kill it" was an interesting show about how "Predator" was made. There were interviews with most of the people who were much involved in the movie, some of the interviews were old but still interesting. It takes about half an hour, and you are well entertained if you like "Predator". I would rate this half hour show 7/10.

There is also much other stuff on the two DVDs, I really liked watching "Predator" with McTiernan comment on the movie. He mentions how scenes were done and what problems they were facing during the shooting. Actors, writers and other people are also mentioned during this commentary, and some of the funny things that the crew experienced. Personally I was happy to see that Sven-Ole Thorsen was mentioned by McTiernan, he is the bearded actor who always appears in a few seconds in almost every Schwarzenegger-movie.

"If it bleeds we can kill it" was entertaining like the rest of the stuff on the two DVDs, and I would certainly recommend it for all fans of "Predator".

Okay for what it is

[Horst_In_Translation · 6/10 · 11 September 2018]

The second part of the title here "If It Bleeds We Can Kill It: The Making of 'Predator'", is the one that summarized pretty well what this little documentary is about, while the first half is more for the coolness really with this memorable quote. Yes it is a really long title for a pretty short movie as it stays comfortably under the half-hour mark and is about the famous film Predator. I am careful with the term "classic" here as critics really do not enjoy this film half as much as fans do. So if you are among the latter, then maybe go check it out. This was released back in 2001, so less than 15 years after the actually movie, which means that gap is smaller than the one from now back to 2001, just to show you how time has passed. But even as somebody who does not know a lot, not to say nothing, about Predator, I found it was an okay watch, not on a groundbreaking level where I want to watch the film immediately, but it is entertaining from start to finish, insightful here and there and it certainly helps that it is actors and other closely linked to the project talking about it here and not just film experts and historians. Also pay attention to the charming connection between Harry (from Harry and the Hendersons) and Predator. All in all, a decent watch I would say and I give it a thumbs-up, also nice to see other intentions here than just people saying how amazing everything related to the film is. Go check it out.

"If It Bleeds We Can Kill It: The Making of 'Predator'" is a very interesting documentary.

[MovieAddict2016 · 1 March 2003]

"If It Bleeds We Can Kill It: The Making of 'Predator'" is a very interesting documentary.

I saw it on AMC a while back (I hope I'm commenting on the right thing, at least!), and it was very informative and engaging.

The short documentary interviews actors from the film such as Jesse Ventura and Bill Duke, as well as director John McTiernan.

It tells us of what the cast had to endure to bring us such a great film; and let me tell you, they had to endure a lot.

I definitely recommend this little short "making-of" to you. It's very good; one of the best behind-the-scenes I've ever...well...seen :).

4.5/5 stars -

John Ulmer