There are a few questions being repeatedly asked in various places - about Predator movies, their culture, and a few technical queries in general.
This page attempts to answer these questions once and for all, and also let people know what would make someone dedicate a whole website to the Yautja.
Q: In Predator when Arnie and his boys are being carried out to the dropzone in the chopper, what is the name of the song playing in the background?
A: The song is by Little Richard and called Long Tall Sally. It was originally recorded in 1956 but covered by many other bands since - and apart from being a good solid rock tune, I always think of Predator when I hear it.
Long Tall Sally actually appears on the first version of the Predator soundtrack (bootleg)... there's about 2 or 3 bootlegs all together, but only one has the Little Richard track along with the Silvestri music.
I like the part in the movie, just after Mac loses it and chases the Pred (with Dillon close behind), Mac tries to sing it - 'Long tall Sally, she's built fo' speed - she got everything, that Uncle John needs... oh baby... yeah baby... gonna have me some fun... gonna have me some fun... gonna have me some fun...'
Q: In Predator before Blain gets killed, what hits him in the neck? He hears something moving in the undergrowth and turns, but it's just a little animal coming out of the bushes. He smirks - then something hits him in the neck, spinning him around, and the plasma bolt hits him from behind. What was the neck thing?
A: There are many theories on this subject. Some say that just before the Pred takes out Blain, he blasts that critter (whatever it is) with the plasma caster - and the resulting 'splat' is what hits Blain. Others say that it's some of Hawkin's remains that the Pred throws at him - although exactly why the Pred would do that is a mystery to me.
But each of these theories is just that: a theory. Reading through the original script, it seems it was some form of Predator weaponry that hit Blain (like a speargun) that just grazes his neck, and I believe this is closest to the truth - that it was either a speargun or a light plasma bolt, like a 'warning shot' from the Pred, to give Blain a sporting chance at return fire. A very slight chance.
Q: Whatever happened to the actor who played the Predator in both movies? Why didn't he appear in Aliens Vs Predator?
A: The 7-foot college basketball player and actor who played the Predator in both movies, Kevin Peter Hall, has sadly left this earth - he contracted HIV through a blood transfusion (due to a car accident) a few months before production of Predator 2, and died from an AIDS-related illness in April of 1991.
Kevin had also previously portrayed an alien on safari for human quarry in the low-budgeted Without Warning (1980). He actually appears at the end of Predator, after the self-destruction and the helicopter comes to view... he is the pilot, the black man who says 'what the?'
Q: What is the name on the antique gun in the Predator 2 movie? Does it hold any real significance to the movie or the Yautja themselves?
A: The flintlock pistol from Predator 2 was inscribed Raphael Adolini 1715, thus proving that either Yautja are very long-lifed creatures, or just that their clans have been hunting on Earth for hundreds of years. According to a Dark Horse story Predator: 1718, which features in Decade of Dark Horse #1 (of 4) and the collected edition Decade: A Dark Horse Short Story Collection TPB, the pistol was a trophy taken by a Yautja who hunted a band of pirates in 1718.
As the story goes: dropping anchor at an island in Guinea in 1718, the Captain of the small band of pirates suddenly faced mutiny over a stolen case of gold which was destined for a church. The Captain wanted the gold returned, much to the anger of his crew who turned against him. In the following battle, a watching Predator joined the fray and fought back-to-back with the Captain - attacking the rebellious crew with an extendable sword.
In the climactic scene, with the crew dead and the Predator and Captain about to battle mano e mano, the Captain is suddenly shot in the back by the last member of his crew, who was in hiding. Denied his trophy, the Predator angrily blasts the final crewman to hell. With his dying breath, the Captain whispers 'take it...' to the Predator, throwing him his beautifully engraved pistol. With the Captain dead, the Predator takes a moment to think about this battle - and with some curious respect, leaves the dead Captain his extendable sword... 'Take it.'
The final scene sees what looks like a shooting star moving across the evening sky, far above a now silent island - and a pirate ship in the bay, never to leave anchor again.
Q: In Predator 2, the Predator has his mask/helmet taken, yet he still sees in heat vision - in Predator, he takes it off and sees in a new red vision. How can this be?
A: It's never been fully explained exactly what kind of 'normal' vision an unmasked Predator has, although I theorised some points in the Homeworld section. But using the theory that the DO have a form of natural infra-red vision: the Predator's vision changed in the first film because the 'high-tech' mask filtered most of the infrared waves, creating a clearer view. In other words, Predators see infrared emitted by warm surroundings, such as the tropical rainforest. The vision without the mask didn't change much in the second film because he was in a meat storage house - being kept cool and emitting little infrared, his vision didn't change much with or without the mask.
Q: In Predator 2, when the predator has his helmet/mask taken, he occasionally uses a smaller mask to keep breathing - in Predator, the Predator takes off his mask yet breathes perfectly. How?
A: I assume that he needed the emergency breather in the second movie due to the toxic nature of the city pollution. Yautja need a nitrogen/methane mix to breathe, and some of this must have occurred naturally in the jungle, which is why the first Yauja didn't need the mask. I don't know if he could have survived for too long without it at all, tho.
Q: On your site, you keep mentioning some 'Weyland-Yutani Empire'. Just what is that?
A: The Weyland-Yutani Empire refers to the exploits of the Weyland-Yutani corporation, otherwise known as The Company. This is the company that created the base-settlement LV426 in Alien among others, and build the androids used in all Alien movies... and it is also the driving force behind wanting to capture an Alien to use for military experiments.
The first name in the company (Weyland) refers to Charles Bishop Weyland from the Aliens Vs Predator movie, and it's this man who was said to be the pioneer, and founding father, of android technology. Proof of his achiements is the android "Bishop" in Aliens. This movie was set hundreds of years after Weyland's death, and this model of Android was made with Weyland's image (and name) as a sign of respect for the great man.
Another Bishop model android also appeared in Alien3, posing as the real Weyland, trying to convince Ripley to let the Alien be taken by the Company - they used him to appeal to Ripley in the hope she would go to someone she remembered and trusted. This failed of course. And before Alien vs Predator, people thought it might have been the real Weyland, as it bled red blood instead of white fluid - but it's since been shown that the new Androids have a red fluid to appear more human-like.
Q: I've seen that Varese Sarabande finally released an official Predator soundtrack (which sold out in 3 months or so), but for years I've been looking for the original version of the bootleg Predator soundtrack. Any idea where I could get either of the Predator soundtracks from?
A: They're not easy to find, I agree. One place you can try is www.ebay.com - but you'd need to check it regularly, as they'd be snapped up quickly when (if) they appear.
You could also try to search for the particular music tracks on a file-sharing music program like Kazaa or WinMX, as it's possible that people might be willing to share these hard-to-find classic soundtracks.
However, if you've tried everything and still have no luck, email me and we'll see if there's any way I can help.
Q: This question has been asked many times in many places, so please tell me once and for all... how exactly do you pronounce Yautja?
A: Well for starters, let me say that it's definately not easy to get non-English word pronunciations correct, especially oriental languages. The same word can sound very different, depending on which province, which accent, and which speaker! And I'd assume the Predator language would have the same difficulties.
There have been many different pronunciations put out there, amongst them are:
Yoo-jah, Your-jar, Yoot-Cha, Yaw-Ja, You-Char, Yot-cha ... and the list goes on.
Personally I've always pronounced it Yaught-Jah (to ryhyme with Caught Ya) but being Australian, I'd even pronounce that differently to an American! So I guess there's no 'definate' way to say it - whichever way feels more comfortable and authentic to you.
Q: How do the Predator's wrist blades work - do they use springs or motors or what? The problem with springs is, how can they be easily retracted?
A: Interesting question, one that I can only guess. Popular belief is that all electrical items on a Yautja's person (plasma cannon, camoflauge suit, wrist computer etc) are powered by a mainframe battery in their backpack. Yautja mechanics and machinery is all guesswork, but probably similar to human technology - so I'd say wristblade ejection is motorised electrically, or maybe by a pneumatic (air propelled) system.
Q: I've read all through your Predator Comics and Books library, and I'm convinced I should read some... but where can I get these Comics or Books from?
A: Some of the Dark Horse volumes might be hard to find... many are out of print, and Dark Horse are not permitted by Fox to reprint them, as Fox want the focus on the new film. But they can definately be found - most bookstores and comic shops will have a few TPBs on hand, and www.darkhorse.com has many back issues for sale. You can also try these other online comic stores that have many Predator comics:
Q: There are a few major problems concerning the Predator books AvP: Hunter's Planet and AvP: War. What do you think of the discrepancy between the two authors/stories?
A: I've never read any of the novels, but one thing I've learnt is that AvP: War book takes place BEFORE AvP: Hunter's Planet - it fills in the time when Noguchi was with the Predators, before she rejoined human society - picking up a year after AvP: Prey, and two years before AvP: Hunter's Planet. I'll reply to this question again when (or if) I read the novels.
Q: Just who is behind this website, and why would you make a whole site dedicated to all things Predator?
A: The designer and maintainer of Predator: The Hunted is nobody but my good self, Joker. And yes, I'm a one-man team, which is why sometimes the site isn't quite updated as much as it should be - but it always happens in the end.
And why did I do it? Well, what started as a small section of my site (a tribute to my favourite movie character Predator), sort of 'snow-balled' from a hobby into what some might call an obsession - I have to collect all the info there is to know about everyone's favourite high-tech hunter. And with so many loyal Predator: The Hunted fans, I need to try even harder to make sure a good site stays up and running!
Q: Why do you insist on using so much information from the Comics and Novels? Everyone knows that that stuff isn't canon, only the movies have the genuine info!
A: I hear this a lot. For some reason, many people seem to hate the Predator comics and books so much (or maybe just comics in general) that they don't think the word Yautja should even be used!
Well, everyone has their own view, so I won't argue one way or the other - but my personal view is, even though the comics aren't genuine, they've been published and have entered into popular Predator culture... so I've collected all that info and integrated it into the site.
And I might not have read ALL the Comics and Books, but I actually enjoy most of the Comic stories (I still think Concrete Jungle should have been used as the plot for the Predator 2 movie)... and besides that, Fox themselves had some say in the writing of the stories - so maybe that makes Predator Comics and Books almost 'canon' on some level?
Q: Why don't you update The Hunted more often? Why don't you add more images? Why don't you put on more stuff? How come you don't do this? Or that? And everything in between? Well? Why?
A: Like I said, I'm a one-man team. And believe it or not, I have a life other than online, so sometimes the site can stall for a week or three. But aside from that, I dedicate myself to adding to the site as often and as much as I can - so if that's not good enough for ya, I hope a Predator comes looking for a trophy with your face on it! But seriously, I just hope I can keep this site constantly fresh and info-filled for all my fellow Yautja fans out there in Internet Land!
Enjoy Predator: The Hunted? Want to see it keep expanding, with new info and downloads added more often? Then please consider a donation - no amount is too small. Your help will ensure the growth and survival of the site, and you'll enter the Donator Hall of Fame, forever known as a true Yautja follower. Thank you!!
Last modified 20th February 2011. Best viewed at a screen resolution 1024x768 or higher.
Questions? Check out Joker's
Homepage and you might find answers. Comments? Email
me!