Studio Entertainment released Lady Terminator on VHS in 1989. But it had its theatrical premiere in New York on 10 June 1989. So that’s the date we are going with.

It is an amazing film. It was part of a stream of psychotronic films coming out of Indonesia in the 1970s and 1980s. As usual, this was the result of government policies that made independent film production easier and more profitable. But they also made imported films contingent on local productions.

I haven’t managed to see many of the films of this period. But based on clips, they were often wild. In one, a martial arts master throws a hat with a string onto an opponent’s head. When he pulls the string, the hat and the guy’s head comes with it. We are left with his bloody neck.

And even though Lady Terminator came at the far end of this period, it is no exception. You might think it is a rip-off or parody of The Terminator. And it definitely is that! There are a number of scenes that parody specific ones in the earlier film. But it is more than that. Because it’s about gods.

In particular, it is about the sex goddess Nyai Roro Kidul. She is constantly unsatisfied with her human lovers. But it isn’t their fault. She has an eel that lives in her vagina that bites off the penises of her lovers. But one resourceful man grabs the eel and kills it. So the goddess curses the man’s great-granddaughter.

A few things here. First, this seems unfair. Did she like going unfulfilled? And why not curse the man? But I guess gods are just like that.

Many years later, an anthropologist is studying the goddess, which leads to her being taken over. And she goes a-hunting for the great-granddaughter, much like Arnold did in the original. But she looks a lot better doing it!

I highly recommend watching this film. It is one of my favorites!

Other 10 June Anniversaries

Filmmakers

• José Luis Merino (1927-2019): Spanish writer-director of lots of films including horror.
• Jürgen Prochnow (1941-): Actor in a number of interesting films but I associate him mostly as Sutter Cane in In the Mouth of Madness.

Films

• Octopussy (1983): Roger Moore Bond with the cringiest movie title ever.
• Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985): By far the weakest of the original trilogy.
• The Believers (1987): A police psychologist is on the trail of a ritual murderer.
• Poltergeist III (1988): Now in a high-rise.
• Speed (1994): A bus must travel above 50 mph or explode.
• Bloodsucking Redneck Vampires (2004): A vampire hides out in a small town.
• Rottweiler (2004): Chase film from Brian Yuzna.
• The Slaughter (2006): College students cleaning an abandoned house release a demon.
• Super 8 (2011): Young filmmakers record a train crash caused by space aliens or something.

Lady Terminator (1989) poster via IMDb under Fair Use.