Movies
Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins
“Being a rabid fan that grew up on the franchise created by James Cameron, the idea of McG getting behind the camera for this sequel was slightly nauseating, and yet, by some miracle, the fourth film in the franchise is (barely) passable.”
Spoilers follow
After the fun-yet-disappointing Terminator 3, I had extremely high hopes for Warner Bros. Pictures’ new trilogy that kicks off this May with Terminator Salvation. Being a rabid fan that grew up on the franchise created by James Cameron, the idea of McG getting behind the camera for this sequel was slightly nauseating, and yet, by some miracle, the fourth film in the franchise is (barely) passable.
The film takes place after Skynet has destroyed much of humanity in the apparently unavoidable nuclear holocaust, as a group of survivors, led by John Connor (Christian Bale), struggle to keep the machines from finishing the job (by killing a young Kyle Reese).
The most impressive aspect of Salvation is that it wasn’t anything I thought it would be. From the trailers and footage I was led to believe McG was going to deliver some Michael Bay non-stop action version of Terminator, only the uncredited (on IMDB) rewrites by Jonathan Nolan have brought a much-needed heavy dose of character development to the table (even though it still wasn’t enough). While there is solid story structure and (some) quality character development, there are odd holes stringing through the entire feature. For some reason, Salvation takes zero time to delve into the past of Kyle Reese or really illustrate Connor’s hinted-at romantic relationship. It also fails to reference time travel at all (I guess it wasn’t developed yet?) and skims over what exactly Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington) is and more importantly when the machines decided to make him what he is. The screenplay gives the machines more logic and humanity than I was willing to believe; it was my observation that they were cold, calculating and omnipotent – almost God-like. Furthermore, my brain almost exploded as I tried to understand why the machines were after Kyle Reese. John Connor was an important figure in the war; hence their need to destroy him, but Reese is just a nomad running through the ashes of Los Angeles with his little friend. If time travel wasn’t invented yet, how would the machines even know what Reese was destined to do? They couldn’t. I can only hope that the next two films in the new trilogy address these glaring plot holes and missteps and bring it all together in the end.
Still, the fact that so much time and energy was put into the story as opposed to the action was refreshing. But don’t get me wrong – there is plenty of action that takes to the sky, the highway and even to the water as we are introduced to an array of new robots from bikes and planes to underwater robo-snakes.
And yet, even with all of these “new” robots, one inherent issue is that while this is a sequel, technically the robots themselves are younger than any that have ever graced the big screen before. So while the definition of a sequel should read “bigger and better”, Salvation doesn’t have a choice but to go backwards and be “lesser than.” Only at the end of the film to we get to see the T-800 in action, and while it’s overwhelming to John Connor, we’ve been there, done that.
Speaking of the T-800, super fans get ready to geek out as the big battle at the end features John Connor doing hand-to-hand combat with the first of the Arnie-T-800-bots. For the idiots who bitch about the CG face smacked onto the body of another actor, think about this logically as this would be the Terminator featured in the 1984 movie (making Arnold Schwarzenegger 25 years younger).
While some of the situations were underdeveloped (like the fact that Connor knows Reese is his dad, but Reese has no clue; this could – and should – have been an increasingly uncomfortable situation), the new Terminator film is just passable, maybe even a little lackluster. I think the best way to look at Salvation is as a plot builder for the first two films. Maybe when it’s all said and done it can be watched in the same order as the Star Wars films (starting at 4 and ending at 3 – maybe even including the TV series?). The only majorly disappointing aspect of McG’s effort is that it really, really, reallllly feels like a one time see and I don’t think I’ll be revisiting it until at least the next one hits theaters.
The holiday weekend means a light week for new horror releases, but it does bring the return of Dark Castle Entertainment to select theaters. It’s being joined by 6 new horror movies.
Here’s all the new horror releasing June 29, 2026 – July 3, 2026!
For daily reminders about new horror releases, be sure to follow @HorrorCalendar.
You wished for it. The highest-grossing horror movie of the year (so far), Curry Barker’s Obsession, arrived on Digital on June 30.
In Curry Barker’s theatrical debut Obsession, after breaking the mysterious One Wish Willow to win his crush’s heart, a hopeless romantic finds himself getting exactly what he asked for but soon discovers that some desires come at a dark, sinister price.
Michael Johnston (“Teen Wolf”), Inde Navarette (“Superman & Lois”), Cooper Tomlinson (“That’s a Bad Idea,” Milk & Serial), Megan Lawless (The Death That Awaits), and Emmy Award-nominee Andy Richter (“Conan,” Elf) star.
Based on a story by director James Kondelik (Behind The Walls) and a screenplay by Canadian writer Victor Rose, survival thriller Pitfall headed home to Digital on June 30. Family is murder in this Cineverse release.
In Pitfall, a young man becomes separated from his friends in the woods and plunges into a ten-foot pit lined with spikes, impaling his leg and leaving him helpless. As reality sinks in and his situation grows dire, he realizes the fall wasn’t an accident.
The film stars Richard Harmon (Final Destination: Bloodlines), Alexandra Essoe (The Pope’s Exorcist), and UFC champion Randy Couture (The Expendables) as the ruthless killer who stalks his prey in the woods. Marshall Williams (The Ice Road), Jordan Claire Robbins (The Umbrella Academy), and Matt Hamilton (Murder for Sale) also star.
The Amityville IP leans into Jaws with Amityville Shark House, just in time for the Fourth of July holiday too, as it released on Digital June 30.
Will Collazo Jr. (Amityville Thanksgiving) and Shawn C. Phillips (Amityville Karen) co-direct from a script they wrote with Julie Anne Prescott.
In the movie, after discovering an ominous shark idol hidden beneath the decaying floorboards, Richard unknowingly awakens an ancient and savage force. As the entity begins to merge with him, a quiet coastal town descends into blood-soaked chaos.
With each victim claimed, the monstrous predator grows stronger, fueling a cult’s belief that their dark god has been reborn. Now, the race is on to stop the carnage before evil consumes everything in its path.
Phillips and Prescott also star alongside Tasha Tacosa, Maritza Brikisak, Gigi Gustin (The Retaliators), Adam Marino, and Carl Solomon.
Available on Digital, Blu-ray, and DVD as of June 30 is Jacked, directed by John Fucile from a script he co-wrote with Simon Fraser.
The synopsis: “Set in the summer of 1987, JACKED follows two small-town teenagers whose day at the lake turns into a fight for survival after their car breaks down and they encounter a violent stalker.”
Marla Jean Robison, Tom Koch, Anthony Cipriani, Wynn Reichert, Kam Perez and Bella Marie star.
Get ready to work up a killer sweat and maybe spill some blood with Slashercise, a workout meets slasher hybrid that arrived exclusively on Bloodstream on July 1.
Written and directed by Ama Lea (Deathcember), the retro-styled feature follows “a masked killer known only as Meathead as he stalks the fitness clubs of Los Angeles, turning workout sessions into blood-soaked nightmares. As the city’s top trainers are picked off one by one, a group of determined fitness fanatics must fight back before they become the next bodies on the mat.”
Vanessa Decker (Stiletto), John Bloom (The Last Drive-In With Joe Bob Briggs), Spencer Charnas (Ice Nine Kills), Sarah French (Blind), Kelli Maroney (Night of the Comet), Sarah Nicklin (V/H/S/Halloween), Diana Prince (The Last Drive-In With Joe Bob Briggs), Jared Rivet (The Once and Future Smash), Felissa Rose (Sleepaway Camp), Tiffany Shepis (Victor Crowley), and Lisa Wilcox (A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master) star.
After a record-breaking box office run, A24 and director Kane Parsons’ feature debut is heading back to theaters with bonus footage. AMC Theatres is unleashing Backrooms: Everything Must Go Editiontoday, July 3.
In the film written by Will Soodik, the owner of Cap’n Clark’s Ottoman Empire discovers a strange doorway in the basement of the furniture showroom. He sets out to explore the mysterious, liminal space, walking headfirst into a creepypasta nightmare.
Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsvestar.
AMC describes this release as a “theatrically exclusive post-credit” with additional footage from Kane Parsons. Expect 16 minutes of bonus footage, with the new version clocking in at 2 hours and 6 minutes.
The Last Exorcism director Daniel Stamm and Dark Castle Entertainment are back with Lockbox, in select theaters July 3. It adapts Soren Narnia‘s Knifepoint Horror Podcast story “Winthrop” by Emmy-winning playwright Justin Yoffe.
In Lockbox, “Seeking peace after her mother’s death, Ellen retreats to a rural town and takes in her severely traumatized cousin Winthrop. Their fragile domestic balance shatters when an erratic neighbor warns that Winthrop is dangerous. As strange phenomena escalate, Ellen must put everything on the line to defend Winthrop from a dangerous otherworldly entity determined to track him down.”
Lou Taylor Pucci (Touch Me, Evil Dead), Carla Gugino (The Haunting of Hill House, Gerald’s Game, The Fall of the House of Usher) and Katharine Isabelle (Ginger Snaps, Backrooms) star.
This week’s new release roundups are presented by Lockbox.
Be careful who you let in. Carla Gugino and Lou Taylor Pucci star in Lockbox, only in select theaters this Friday. Get tickets.
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