The Running Man (1987)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Paul Michael Glaser

Writers:

Stephen King (novel)
Steven E. de Souza (screenplay)

Release Date:

13 November 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

The year is 2019. The finest men in America don't run for President. They run for their lives.

Plot:

A wrongly-convicted man must try to survive a public execution gauntlet staged as a TV game show.

Plot Keywords:

Police | Prison | Police State | Massacre | Framed

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Arnold Schwarzenegger	...	Ben Richards
Maria Conchita Alonso	...	Amber Mendez
Yaphet Kotto	...	William Laughlin
Jim Brown	...	Fireball
Jesse Ventura	...	Captain Freedom
Erland van Lidth	...	Dynamo (as Erland Van Lidth)
Marvin J. McIntyre	...	Harold Weiss
Gus Rethwisch	...	Buzzsaw (as Bernard Gus Rethwisch)
Professor Toru Tanaka	...	Subzero
Mick Fleetwood	...	Mic
Dweezil Zappa	...	Stevie
Richard Dawson	...	Damon Killian
Karen Leigh Hopkins	...	Brenda
Sven-Ole Thorsen	...	Sven (as Sven Thorsen)
Edward Bunker	...	Lenny (as Eddie Bunker)

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) (re-rating) (2003) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia) (original rating) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Ontario) | Iceland:16 | South Korea:15 | Australia:R | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Ireland:18 | Norway:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R (f) | West Germany:18

Company:

Braveworld Productions

Trivia:

Maria Conchita Alonso and Arnold Schwarzenegger have both starred (and survived) in the Predator movies. Jesse Ventura starred in the first Predator film, but didn't survive.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Richards is fighting Fireball, he throws several 55 gal barrels at him. The barrels he picks up are made of lightweight polyethylene; however in the following shot, they have been replaced by much heavier steel drums.

Quotes:

Ben Richards: [to Killian] One of us is in deep trouble.
[Sven enters]
Damon Killian: [Laughs] Sven, do you wanna talk to Mr. Richards?
[long pause]
Damon Killian: Well?
Sven: I've got to score some steroids.
[Sven leaves]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Final Round (1994)

Soundtrack:

THE RIDE OF THE VALKYRIES

Dated, But still entertains

This Arnie veichle made in his 80's heyday is one of his better ones, It's a movie based on a Stephen King book of the same name. It stars Arnie as a convicted killer (framed of course!)in the near future - Where TV is everything, He's forced to take part in a sadistic game show called 'The Running man' with an equally sadistic host played by real life game show host Richard Dawson in which convicted killers are chased by 'Stalkers' with Chainsaw's and flametorches who aim to kill the bad guys on National Live TV with the audience going wild and choosing which stalker will make their next kill to win board games and other crap, Stalkers have NEVER been killed on the show - Will Arnie & CO in their silly lycra pants kick the crap outta them? Of course they will

All in all a likeable if dated 80's Arnie Flick

My Rating 8/10