If It Bleeds, We Can Kill It: The Making of Predator is a 2004 documentary that details the production of the 1987 film Predator. Created for the Predator: Special Edition DVD set, it uses interviews with the film's cast and crew, as well as behind the scenes footage and imagery, to examine the development, filming and release of the movie.
Overview[]
The documentary is divided into seven separate chapters, each dealing with a different aspect of Predator's production. It features no formal narration but instead relies on newly-filmed and archive interview clips to tell the story of the film's development, interspersed with behind-the-scenes footage and images.
Genesis[]
The first chapter covers the development of the film's story, the hiring of the director, and the assembly of the production team.
Includes interviews with producer John Davis, and actors Bill Duke and Shane Black, as well as archive interviews with director John McTiernan and writer Jim Thomas.
Casting[]
The second chapter examines the casting of the film's characters, in particular the need to hire actors who could stand convincingly alongside star Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Includes interviews with John McTiernan, John David, Bill Duke and Shane Black, as well as archive interviews with actors Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Jesse Ventura, Sonny Landham and Richard Chaves.
Preparations[]
The third chapter briefly covers the training program the actors were put through to prepare them for their roles, before moving on to the competitive training and weightlifting many of the cast members took part in during filming.
Includes interviews with John Davis, Carl Weathers, Bill Duke and Shane Black, as well as archive interviews with John McTiernan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jesse Ventura, Sonny Landham and Richard Chaves.
On Location[]
The fourth chapter looks at the rigors and challenges of filming on location in the Mexican jungle. In particular, the documentary looks at the shooting of the dramatic guerrilla camp raid near the start of the film.
Includes interviews with John McTiernan, Bill Duke and Shane Black, as well as archive interviews with Carl Weathers, Jesse Ventura, Richard Chaves, production designer John Vallone, director of photography Donald McAlpine, and stunt coordinator Craig R. Baxley.
The Creature[]
The fifth chapter looks at the problems experienced with the original design of the Predator, including the extensive delays with the suit and the cast and crew's dismay when it arrived and proved to be less than convincing.
Includes interviews with John McTiernan, John Davis, Carl Weathers and Bill Duke, as well as archive interviews with assistant director Beau Marks, John Vallone, and visual effects supervisor Joel Hynek.
Enter Stan Winston[]
The sixth chapter examines the hiring of Stan Winston to come up with a new design for the film's titular creature, as well as the hiring of Kevin Peter Hall to play the alien hunter.
Includes interviews with John McTiernan, John Davis, Bill Duke, Shane Black, and Predator designer Stan Winston, as well as an archive interview with actor Kevin Peter Hall.
Release[]
The final chapter covers the film's release, including the experiences of several members of cast and crew on opening night, before examining the movie's longevity and classic status.
Includes intervenes with John McTiernan, John Davis, Carl Weathers, Bill Duke and Shane Black.
Inside the Predator[]
Alongside the documentary, the Predator: Special Edition DVD also included several Inside the Predator featurettes, essentially deleted scenes from If It Bleeds, We Can Kill It. These cover a range of topics, many of which are already mentioned in the documentary itself, and provide additional detail and trivia.
- Classified Action
- The Unseen Arnold
- Old Painless
- The Life Inside (Tribute to Kevin Peter Hall)
- Camouflage
- Welcome to the Jungle
- Character Design
Trivia[]
- The documentary's end credits are interspersed with clips of the newly-interviewed cast and crew attempting impressions of Arnold Schwarzenegger's famous, "You're one ugly motherfucker..." line — except for director John McTiernan, who refuses to even try.