Dear Movies, I Love You

Episode Summary: Predator (1987)! Plus, Vera Drew!

Hosts: Millie De Chirico & Casey O'Brien
Guest: Vera Drew
Date: November 11, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into John McTiernan’s iconic 1987 action/sci-fi classic Predator, featuring a characteristically vibrant breakdown from hosts Millie De Chirico and Casey O'Brien. The hosts talk about Predator's legacy, hyper-masculine tone, meme-worthy scenes, and Arnold’s star persona. The episode also features a fascinating interview with filmmaker Vera Drew (The People's Joker), who explores the archetype of “the Woman with No Name.” The team wraps with Arnold and action film recommendations, fun anecdotes, and a definitive ranking of all Predator films.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Predator’s Place in 80s Action Canon

[28:05–35:40]

• Overview & Cast:

  • Millie and Casey break down Predator’s high concept: elite military operatives (led by Arnold Schwarzenegger as “Dutch”) become prey to an alien hunter in the Central American jungle.
  • The cast includes Carl Weathers, Bill Duke, Jesse “The Body” Ventura, and Shane Black.
  • Predator as a blend of action, sci-fi, and horror, with a touch of Cold War paranoia.

• Quotable, Memeable Dialogue:

  • Casey: “Famous quotes. I ain’t got time to bleed. Get to the choppa. You’re one ugly motherfucker.” [28:50]
  • Millie notes the film is “such a memeable movie,” especially the iconic handshake and one-liners.

• Masculinity & Camaraderie:

  • The hosts discuss Predator’s “cartoonish hyper-masculinity” and how it both satirizes and enshrines the machismo of 80s blockbusters.
  • Millie: “These guys look like two pigs on a spit. Their shirts are hugging every muscle…” [47:18]

2. Personal Connections to Predator and Arnold

• Millie’s Take:

  • A latecomer to 80s action, she “gravitated towards Arnold,” citing his star power, charisma, and preference for “less aggressively violent” personas compared to Stallone.
  • “I always had to caveat it… Sorry everybody, but I love Arnold in the 80s and 90s.” [32:29]

• Casey’s Take:

  • As someone who doesn’t fit the hyper-masculine archetype (“I’m five-seven, always been small”), Predator’s team is an “other species.”
  • Casey shares stories of real-world masculinity confrontations and reflects on never quite fitting that mold.
  • “I don’t think I’d fit in with this group if they were all at a lunch table.” [42:42]

3. Plot Breakdown & Unpacking Predator’s Mythos

[38:08–67:49]

• Plot Recap:

  • Dutch and his team are tricked into attacking a guerrilla encampment under the pretense of saving hostages; soon, they realize they're being hunted by a thermal-visioned, cloaked alien "for sport."
  • The only woman, Anna (Elpidia Carrillo), serves primarily as a hostage, and the hosts comment on her underwritten role.
  • The infamous “mud camouflage” sequence allows Arnold to level the playing field against the Predator.

• Predator Tech (and Limitations):

  • Predator’s “thermal vision is a hindrance,” notes Casey.
  • Millie finds the “cartoonishly stupid” minigun (“Old Painless”) played for excess.

• Predator as a Villain:

  • Discussion of the Predator’s code of honor, its sporting approach, and why it ultimately forsakes its technological advantage for a fair, physical showdown with Dutch.
  • Millie: “What’s his motivation? Why does he care about being fair at all?” [66:10]

4. The Final Showdown & Pacing

• Both hosts note the last third as noticeably slower, “like a Kelly Reichardt movie out there… it’s like we’re watching Old Joy…” [67:11]
• Millie jokes about checking the progress bar to see “how much more of this silent, brooding jungle” remains.

5. Ranking the Predator Franchise

[69:03–72:10]

Casey reveals his Predator film ranking, worst-to-best:

1. The Predator (2018, Shane Black) – “So bad. Thinks it’s so funny.”
2. Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
3. Predators (2010, Adrien Brody)
4. Prey (2022, Hulu)
5. Alien vs. Predator (2004)
6. Predator (1987)
7. Predator 2 (1990, Danny Glover) – his personal favorite for its “Predator in LA” setting.

6. Vera Drew Interview: The ‘Woman with No Name’ Archetype

[74:27–96:51]

• Origins & Connection:

  • Vera describes being inspired by Showgirls’ Nomi Malone, who enters the story with untold backstory and exits still enigmatic.
  • She likens this to Clint Eastwood’s Man with No Name—characters who drop into narratives already fully formed.

• Examples and Analysis:

  • Mad Max: Fury Road’s Furiosa (“dropped in feeling like an anthologized character”)
  • Trinity from The Matrix (“feels like she has a whole other story before the Matrix begins”)
  • Corky in Bound, Dorothy in Blue Velvet, Joan Chen in Twin Peaks, and even Sarah Connor in T2—characters who are not defined solely by relationships or morality, but propel the stories with mystery and flaws.

• Identity and Flawed Protagonists:

  • Vera: “So often women characters and queer characters aren’t allowed to start from this flawed, imperfect place.” [90:10]
  • She discusses her own film with a trans antihero and why it matters to depict complexity, not just perfection, in marginalized characters.

• Memorable Quote:

  • “When we meet Linda Hamilton, you’re meeting Sarah Connor while she’s doing pull ups in a mental institution—that is so fucking awesome. It doesn’t matter that we don’t know she was a waitress or who Kyle Reese is.” (Vera Drew, [88:44])

• Plugs:

  • The People’s Joker (available on Mubi, physical media, VHS, Blu-ray)
  • Edited Alice Mayo McKay’s The Serpent’s Skin (“psycho, witchy, lesbian, toxic romance”)
  • Acted alongside Josh Fadem in Every Heavy Thing (premiering at Beyond Fest)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Meme Culture & Predator’s Enduring Appeal:

  “You just see these two guys, like… look like two pigs on a spit. Their shirts, their tight shirts are, like, hugging the curves of their muscles… that famous meme of the handshake…” — Millie De Chirico [47:18]

• On Predator’s Power Imbalance:

  “He could never be killed. No one would ever know he was there… It’s kind of this weird improbability where I’m like, oh, these guys would be dead in five seconds. How did this even go past the first ten minutes?” — Millie De Chirico [55:01]

• On Masculinity in Predator:

  “I can’t fight someone. I just can’t. I’ve always felt like an other to that type of masculinity.” — Casey O'Brien [44:25]

• On Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Unique Action Persona:

  “He has an undercurrent of… I wish I didn’t have to be violent. There’s a peacefulness. He’s like, I don’t like this.” — Casey O’Brien [35:17]

• On Flawed Female Leads:

  “So often women characters and queer characters aren’t allowed to start from this flawed, imperfect place. Characters are flawed.” — Vera Drew [90:10]

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|---------| | 28:05 | Predator overview, cast, and iconic lines | | 31:04 | Millie’s personal connection to Arnold | | 38:08 | Predator plot breakdown starts | | 47:18 | Discussion of the meme-handshake scene | | 55:01 | Unpacking Predator as an indestructible villain | | 66:10 | The Predator’s “code of sportsmanship” and hand-to-hand final battle | | 69:03 | Casey’s full Predator film ranking | | 74:27 | Vera Drew interview begins | | 88:44 | Sarah Connor as the “woman with no name” | | 90:10 | Vera’s reflection on character flaws in marginalized leads | | 97:04 | Staff Picks segment: Arnold & action recommendations |

Arnold & Action Movie Recommendations (Staff Picks)

[97:04–101:17]

• Millie’s Pick:

  • Conan the Destroyer (1984) – "Just a display of Arnold’s body in a way you cannot fathom… Over the top. Grace Jones and Wilt Chamberlain star. If you haven’t entered the world of these movies, start here.”

• Casey’s Pick:

  • Total Recall (1990, dir. Paul Verhoeven) – “Very imaginative and weird and dark and set on Mars. A real sci-fi movie that wouldn’t have been made if Arnold hadn’t been attached.”

Flow & Tone

The episode is unpretentious, joyful, and peppered with playful banter (“Get to the choppa!”). Millie and Casey bring a conversational and often self-deprecating humor, whether geeking out over 80s action absurdity or interrogating the genre’s gender politics. Vera Drew’s segment adds a thoughtful, cinephile layer, connecting character archetypes across genres and eras.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode is an encyclopedic yet accessible walk through one of the most beloved 80s action films, examining everything from its cultural impact (and memes) to its gender presentation and genre-blending. The addition of Vera Drew’s deep-dive into the “woman with no name” enriches the chat, making it both entertaining and insightful for diehard fans and newcomers alike.

Next time: Thanksgiving movies—specifically, Ang Lee’s The Ice Storm!

For more insights and lively discussion, follow @dearmoviesiloveyou on Instagram, or email the hosts at dearmovies@exactlyrightmedia.com.