Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Eraser stands as a significant juncture in his career, as it more or less marked the end of his movie star phase. The Austrian star’s rise to Hollywood stardom began with The Terminator, transforming him from a bodybuilder turned actor into a bona fide movie icon. Even in Eraser, his star power was on full display, especially after the fact that he used a futuristic weapon that will become a reality soon as well.
Unfortunately, replicating the success he got from Terminator 2 proved impossible for him. This is because his next movie Last Action Hero, received criticism and underperformed at the box office, overshadowed by the success of Jurassic Park.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Eraser Was Built On His Name Alone
During his peak, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s name alone could sell a movie, which was the case for the 1996 action flick Eraser. In this film, he portrayed John Kruger, a federal marshal specializing in faking witnesses’ deaths to provide them with new identities. The story unfolds as Kruger encounters challenges when his witness, played by Vanessa Williams, becomes a target after discovering an experimental rifle.
The ‘rail-gun’ featured in the film as a key plot device was obviously an integral part of the movie. Arnold Schwarzenegger even talked about the importance of the experimental weapon in the movie in the past.
“We paid a lot of attention to making the audience feel the danger of this weapon, that anyone can be outside of your house, looking right through the walls. It really leaves you nowhere to hide,” he explains. “But, on top of that, we show the sophistication of the weapon in a lot of fun ways: you not only see through a building, you see a person’s skeleton and even their heart beating inside. There are some great visual effects there.”
As already established above, the film was a successful star vehicle for Schwarzenegger, relying on his popularity despite lukewarm reviews. Regardless, it truly marked his last major, non-franchise success and that hasn’t changed even now.
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The Weapon Featured in Eraser Will Become A Reality Soon
As already noted, the rail-gun in Eraser was a weapon of mass destruction, capable of a lot of harm to anyone who stood in its way. According to Newscientist, Arcflash Labs, a Los Angeles-based company specializing in industrial pulsed power devices, is offering pre-orders for the GR-1 ANVIL, a coilgun that uses electromagnetic coils to propel a steel projectile. The handheld rifle, priced at $3,375, features eight sets of coils in the barrel, providing a muzzle energy of around 85 joules—comparable to high-end air rifles.
Arcflash co-founder David Wirth cites advancements in low-cost semiconductor switches and the company’s patented inverter for making the GR-1 possible. The rifle’s advantages include stealth, simplified ammunition, and potential use in non-lethal applications, such as firing rubber bullets for law enforcement or tranquillizer darts for animal control. He suggested that increased kinetic energy could make Gauss rifles ideal for sniper use and potentially replace traditional conical bullets with ring-airfoil projectiles. Regardless, the railgun will be making its way to markets soon – thereby bringing Eraser‘s gun to life.
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