Arnold Schwarzenegger has been making the rounds as of late to promote his autobiography “Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story,” which is on bookshelves now.

Honestly, we don’t need to watch Arnold going on 60 Minutes or every morning news show to know his so-called unbelievable life story. He was a bodybuilding Austrian immigrant who went on to become Mr. Universe. Later, he became one of the biggest names in Hollywood. More recently, he was governor of California. The guy has pretty much done it all.

Sure. Arnold’s autobiography has some juicer interesting moments, like keeping secrets from his ex-wife Maria Shriver, his hot fling with Brigitte Nielsen during the shooing of 1984’s Red Sonja, and the affair with housekeeper Mildred Baena that led to to the birth of his son Joseph, but we only really care about what movies the man starred in.

Are any of Arnold’s films Oscar-winning classics? Of course none. But, he has some of the greatest action flicks of all time. Movies that are so timeless that they have been remade, parodied, and continuously referenced by fans even up to today. So, in honor of the man, the myth and the legend known as Arnold Schwarzenegger, here are his seven greatest films.

7. Pumping Iron (1977)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3J4rNWHeuW0[/youtube]

While not an actual feature film, Pumping Iron has become a must-see documentary for bodybuilders and for people who like to watch Arnie lift weights and party. Actually, this could very well be the greatest documentary ever.

6. Kindergarten Cop (1990)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8AJdfzCw3U[/youtube]

Arnold proved that he could be funny, charming, and a little more sensitive in 1988’s Twins. While that movie almost made our list, Kindergarten Cop showed the world that Arnold could do a family-friendly film on his own. While many of you may not care for these types of movies, they have to be done, and Kindergarten Cop is one of the best kid-friendly movies. Besides, it sparked one of the most classic Arnold-one-liners ever with “Its not a tumour!”

5. Conan The Barbarian (1982)



[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1XmZ9_ckdw[/youtube]

Not only was this an honest film adaptation of Robert E. Howard’s sword and sorcery adventures, it was also the film where Arnold really got his acting career going. Simply put, this is still a favorite amongst fans. It’s an intense fantasy flick with awesome fighting scenes with a perfect leading man.

4. Total Recall (1990)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFMLGEHdIjE[/youtube]

Based on a short story by Phillip K. Dick titled “We’ll Remember It for You Wholesale,” Total Recall is another Arnold film that has it all—an interesting storyline, non-stop action, amazing special effects, and a solid performance by the man himself. It also had a ‘three-breasted hooker’ and a hot, young Sharon Stone.

3. True Lies (1994)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3B7HG8_xbDw[/youtube]

James Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger made gold with The Terminator and T2, but True Lies is just as awesome. Yes, there was plenty of action, but Arnold actually had to act, since he was a spy and just couldn’t break necks the whole time. Also, the supporting cast all played off of each other perfectly. Jamie Lee Curtis had real chemistry with Arnold, plus Tom Arnold and Bill Paxton added the perfect amount of comic relief.

2. Predator (1987)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrDsvVKY_d4[/youtube]

This is such timeless sci-fi /action classic that it spawned countless amounts of spinoffs, including comics, video games, and sequels, all of which haven’t even come close to the original. Besides that, it’s suspenseful and features one of the coolest aliens on screen. And, let’s not forget the that fact that Arnie was not only the only survivor in a group of bad-asses (Carl Weathers, Jessie Ventura, Bill Duke, and Sonny Landham), he also killed a freaking hunter alien with essentially his bare hands.



1. Terminator Trilogy (1984/1991/2003)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eajuMYNYtuY[/youtube]

Is there any other choice? The original was not only one of the greatest science fiction films ever, it also starred Arnold as the villain. Then, T2 came along and surpassed the original. I don’t think we need to discuss how awesome T2 was, because it was pretty much flawless. T2 was followed up by Rise of the Machines in 2003. It may not be as good as the first two installments, but it was still a decent popcorn flick that featured one of the greatest car chases in cinematic history.

Image Source: ScreenCrave