By Travis Maynard
Taken as a whole, it is readily apparent that Terminator the Second is a product of remediation, as it represents a science-fiction film in the medium of theater. In this instance, rather than newer media drawing upon features of the old, the new media text is being retro-fitted for the stage in a chronologically “backwards” remediation. This is accomplished in a few different ways. First, the plot from Terminator 2 is wholly lifted and moved stage, retaining the immediacy of watching the film. However, when we consider the script and spectacle, we see that Terminator the Second primarily functions under the logic of hypermediacy, as shown in the YouTube video here.
While the script of Terminator the Second may stand on its own, much of the pleasure of watching the play comes from seeing how familiar lines—either from Shakespeare or Terminator 2—are adapted in this context. At the end of this clip, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s iconic line “I’ll be back” becomes “I shall return,” from a sonnet of the same name. Moments such as this cause the viewer to revel in mediation not as a faithful recreation of the film but as an experience in itself, functioning as a hypermediated text. This hypermediacy is compounded by the spectacle of special effects for the stage. Much of Terminator 2’s success can be attributed to its special effects and groundbreaking use of Computer Generated Imagery, but the stage doesn’t allow for CGI. Instead, producers had to revert special effects to practical effects. In the Terminator intel file, we see how the T-1000 liquid metal appendages become plastic props and in the minigun scene, heavy weaponry becomes a modified household appliance. Again, viewers are enticed to marvel at the ingenuity of Husky Jackal for making these Analog effects, primarily functioning under the logic of hypermediacy.