Well, I’m not sure where such a rumor originated, but I’m afraid I don’t know the answer.  We never discussed it!

I discussed this with T3 director Brent Maddock.   He does not remember any time he was on an actual T2 location. I don’t remember the comment you refer to, but I THINK what I may have meant was that the two movies were shot in the same GENERAL area north of Los Angeles.  When we shot T2, there had been a record wet year and everything was very green.  When we shot T3, the same area was more typical: dry and brown.  I  don’t think there are two scenes that were literally shot in the same spot.  Sorry for sending you on a wild goose chase.

Ah, but Burt also points out that shriekers multiply just by eating.  If a shrieker gets enough food, it splits into two shriekers.  When Jodie asks how ther can be more of them, Burt points out that they are probably eating small animals; so two shriekers ate enough to split, resulting in the total of eight.

S S Wilson actually still owns the tank, but apparently the prop department removed any brand names and marks.  Brand name on the controller is Futaba.  But here’s a couple of pix that may help you figure it out.

It is actually both things.  Earl has called Pedro to pick up him and Grady (more than their truck). And Grady is convinced that, once Pedro gets there, they’ll be able to winch the graboid onto Pedro’s flat bed.  And Grady is probably right that he could talk Earl into it once Pedro gets there.

We assume you mean the ones on the counter in front of Jodie.  They are auto hood ornaments, like the one you see on the hood of Desert Jack’s truck.

I am somewhat embarrassed to say that, because the movie was to take place in Mexico, we felt it would be too cumbersome to have a threesome on the hunt (plus adding Burt later).  We felt we had to return to the pure team of Val and Earl, and flip things around introduce a woman for Earl to meet.  So we wrote various versions of an early scene in which we learn Val and Rhonda broke up, and Val came back to live with Earl and help raise ostriches. In retrospect it seems something of a disservice to the wonderful character Finn Carter gave us as Rhonda. In any case,  none of it was ever shot, since Kevin Bacon decided not to come back for T2.

The part had an interesting genesis. In the script, Black Hand was a young gunfighter.  But, with many younger guys, the casting director brought in Billy Drago and said, “Wouldn’t going with him be unexpected and more interesting?”  At first director S.S.Wilson was unsure of the idea, but fortunately got behind it, especially after seeing Billy read for the part.  It’s been gratifying to see how well-loved the character became.  As for backstory, we confess we didn’t focus on it much. We just wanted him to be legendary. That’s why Tecopa gets all wide-eyed when he sees him and says, “Black Hand Kelly?!”  It sort of tells the audience all they need to know.  Getting this question, I wish we had more ideas.  Because he’s older, Black Hand certainly must have had many adventures and gun fights before he got to Rejection, Nevada! Prequel!  The Black Hand story!

We only know what has been documented about the animals.  The odd thing about graboids is that their life cycle is more like an insect’s  than like other large vertebrate animals.  For example, a mosquito goes from egg to larva, to pupa, to adult mosquito.  Graboid to shrieker to ass blaster is similar.  Why graboids evolved in this way scientists just don’t know.  Only Mother Nature has the answer.

Good question. And actually a two part question.  ABs are the most rarely seen form of the graboid life cycle and there’s very little hard evidence on their abilities.  Since, after they launch, they glide, their range-per-launch is highly variable.  Normally a flight is less than a mile, but with the right conditions they can catch thermals and glide for extreme distances (many miles).  With multiple launches, they can theoretically cover hundreds of miles.  But they probably don’t. That’s why  part two of the question is significant:  It is believed graboid eggs require geothermal heat to hatch.  That means the options an AB has for laying its egg are VERY limited.  What they probably do is circle the area in which they were “born” trying to find the location where their parent graboids hatched.

In hunting, it’s all about shot placement.  Even today, the science is a little murky on where graboids’ most vital areas are, as they have very strange lungs and circulatory systems.  And of course getting a clean shot is hard with a creature that’s usually at least half underground.   But we feel certain Burt could down a graboid with one shot from the .50 BMG if he had the right opportunity.  That said, he would also happily opt for those larger calibers. “When it comes to graboids,” he’d say, “You can’t have too much gun.”