Gale Anne Hurd and ALIENS (1986) – AFI Catalog Spotlight

July 1, 2026 Gale Anne Hurd and ALIENS (1986) – AFI Catalog Spotlight Produced by AFI Trustee Emerita Gale Anne Hurd, ALIENS (1986) became the sci-fi sensation of the summer when its horde of slavering xenomorphs invaded cinemas 40 years ago this month. A follow-up to Ridley Scott’s slow-burn 1979 masterpiece ALIEN, the action-packed sequel...
TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY film still

TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY (1991) – AFI Movie Club

Hardened after the events of THE TERMINATOR (1984) and by the burden of raising the future leader of mankind’s resistance against the machines, Linda Hamilton’s Sarah Connor returned to forge her own fate in TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY (1991) – the groundbreaking sequel from director and co-writer James Cameron, which was included on the American...
TITANIC film still

TITANIC (1997) – AFI Movie Club

TITANIC (1997) was named by AFI as one of the greatest American films and greatest American epics – as well as one of the most enduring love stories and heart-pounding cinematic thrills. “My Heart Will Go On” is ranked at #14 on AFI’s 100 Years…100 Songs list, and Jack’s triumphant declaration – “I’m the King...
ALIENS film still

ALIENS (1986) – AFI Movie Club

Discovered in cryo-sleep decades after the events of the first film and tasked with returning to the now-terraformed LV-426, Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley squares off against an infestation of titular extraterrestrial killers – earning her a place on AFI’s list of cinema’s greatest heroes. Written and directed by James Cameron, the explosive science-fiction masterpiece was...
AVATAR film still

AVATAR (2009) – AFI Movie Club

An immersive interplanetary trip to the intoxicating alien world of Pandora, director James Cameron’s AVATAR (2009) was a cultural phenomenon brought to the screen by armies of innovative artists – among whom were two graduates of the AFI Conservatory, supervising art director Todd Cherniawsky (AFI Class of 1993) and visual effects producer Maricel Pargulayan (AFI...
THE TERMINATOR film still

THE TERMINATOR (1984) – AFI Movie Club

Directed by James Cameron, produced by AFI Trustee Emeritus Gale Anne Hurd and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger in a breakout role, THE TERMINATOR (1984) earned a place on the AFI’s ranking of the art form’s greatest thrills – with Schwarzenegger’s portrayal of the inexorable, unstoppable cybernetic assassin appearing among cinema’s most terrifying villains. A machine of...
Shrek Film Still

AFI Movie Club: SHREK

SHREK, produced by AFI honorary degree recipient Jeffery Katzenberg, was honored with an AFI AWARD in 2001, recognizing it as one of the 10 best films of the year. According to the official rationale, the colorful fantasy comedy, “takes an eraser to traditional fairy tale characters and situations. Moving at a fast pace with wit…
Titanic Film Still - Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet

AFI Movie Club: TITANIC

TITANIC was named by AFI as one of the greatest American films – as well as one of the most enduring love stories and heart-pounding cinematic thrills. “My Heart Will Go On” is ranked at #14 on AFI’s 100 Years…100 Songs list, and Jack’s triumphant declaration – “I’m the King of the World!” – appears on…
Donate today and join the nation’s strongest community of film lovers.
DONATE

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER

American Film Institute
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

You can adjust all of your cookie settings by navigating the tabs on the left hand side.