The Running Man (1987)

So, I caught this flick on cable last night—probably the most obscure, low-profile movie the former California governor ever made. As far as I know, you can't even find it in any decent video rental spots anymore. The concept and vision of the future were interesting, sure, but totally naive. It’s packed with those standard Schwarzenegger tropes, like him dropping a "Killian...I'll be back!" only for the guy to snap back, "Only in a rerun..." It’s full of those classic clichés too (like some guy shouting about having a 😁 red hot head), so it doesn't feel much different from Commando or Red Hot. Look, I don't want a bunch of self-proclaimed experts coming in here to lecture me on why this movie is trash; I want to hear from actual action fans. Why is this movie impossible to track down, especially since it was filmed during the "golden era" when most of Arnie's stuff was hitting? And why didn't Jesse Ventura get a bigger role? Having two governors go head-to-head should have been huge, but his part was totally insignificant.

Yeah, I realized I botched the title in the heading. It's IDE, not IIDE...

nimblemarlin17 said:...and why doesn't Jesse Ventura (as a former Minnesota governor, having two governors go head-to-head) have a bigger role since this one is so insignificant?

That Ventura guy was some kind of wrestler, right... I had no idea he was actually the governor of Minnesota, Americans really are something else... Anyway, that actor who played Fireball is supposedly the greatest football player in history, though the guy was already in his fifties when he starred in the Running Man...

My favorite little cinematic moment has to be when Fireball makes his entrance, leaving the girl completely stunned, gasping, "Jesus Christ!"
But then Arnie just gives her this incredibly cool, effortless response: "Guess again." 😂

Just your typical, mindless action flick that I used to be absolutely obsessed with back when I was a kid (like, REALLY young)...
From the moment I hit play
I actually sat through the whole thing, mostly just because I felt bad about the time I'd already wasted before realizing the movie wasn't actually all that special...
Look, there are definitely better Schwarzenegger movies out there than this one.😁

Is that based on the book by Richard Bachman?
As far as I know, that's just a pseudonym used by Stephen King.

If you're wondering why it isn't available in video rental stores, you really have to ask the distributor (I can't quite recall who handles the Fox catalog here in the States); honestly, it's not that surprising—there are plenty of much more famous movies that you just can't find in the local video shops.👎

Justin Patel said:Is that based on the Richard Bachman book?
As far as I know, that's just one of Stephen King's pseudonyms.

You really think the Governor is going to take just any script? They only deal with the big studios... 😉 😁

Ethan Perez97 said:That Ventura guy was some kind of wrestler, right? I had no idea he was the Governor of Minnesota. Americans are truly something else... Anyway, the guy who played Fireball is actually one of the most famous football players in history; he was already in his 50s when he starred in Running Man.

Yeah, and a pretty well-known one at that, since he was also in Predator. But what's actually surprising about the whole thing is how much respect he earned as Governor of Minnesota. He wasn't even affiliated with a political party, served two terms, and then just stepped down. I doubt the Governor of California will have a political career quite that successful, though anything can happen in the USA...

Back when I was visiting the States, he was still serving as Governor, and he even made an appearance as a referee at WrestleMania. Once a wrestler, always a wrestler...😁

They played the governors in a much better movie—Predator.

I know, I’ve seen them. Most of his Blockbusters, actually—I even have them on VHS.

Hey everyone, has anyone actually sat down and read the book—well, the novella—"The Running Man"?
It’s only loosely connected to the movie; for starters, the "real" King's (Bachman's) version of the Running Man is some kind of scrawny guy struggling with tuberculosis...
But man, that ending where they fly a jet straight into a TV company skyscraper—you really have to wonder what kind of reading material bin Laden was into...
"Heeling over slightly, the Lockheed struck the Games Building dead on, three quarters of the way up. Its tanks were still better than a quarter full. Its speed was slightly over five hundred miles an hour.
The explosion was tremendous, lighting up the night like the wrath of God, and it rained fire twenty blocks away."

First off, I’m not even sure if "The Running Man" is the right title for this movie.
If it were up to me, I’d call it something like "The Fugitive" or "Human Prey."

See, those "running men" aren't actually out for a jog or competing in some race; they're just sprinting for their lives from assassins while the state-run TV networks broadcast the whole thing like some twisted reality show.

The acting? Absolute garbage. The "heroes" chasing him are basically caricatures, but the actual concept and plot are pretty gripping. I can already see a society like this taking shape, even here in the States. Sure, our reality shows don't hunt people for sport yet, but the mindless masses are always hungry for blood and live coverage of the carnage.

Just look at all those so-called "wrestling" stars. In the US, just like in the movie, they're nothing but clowns and caricatures wearing ridiculous masks. Same goes for the UFC crowd—just guys hitting each other for views. Meanwhile, the real "heroes" are national icons like M. Filipović, or worse, congressmen, senators, and governors...

The more pathetic, unfree, and totalitarian a society becomes, the more "bread and circuses" takes center stage. Nowadays, we might not be throwing Christians to the lions, but we find plenty of ways to exploit hungry kids in Africa, Palestinian civilians, or Iraqis and Arabs in general.

In America, the whole reality show lifestyle is still finding its footing. For now, people are playing for stakes like jobs, apartments, cars, or a shot at being a singer or host—maybe even a trip to Egypt (which is cheap right now, mostly because it's dangerous for Westerners).

But honestly, the best part of "The Running Man" is how it perfectly parodies everything. You've got Maria Conchita Alonso playing an American, a Mexican woman who, after a hundred
B-movies, still hasn't managed to shake that thick accent, paired with her Schwarzenegger counterpart, that famously clumsy guy.

Watching the two of them try to "act" and trade lines was pure comedy gold! 👍

This ranks among Arnie's best, right up there with Predator, Terminator, and True Lies.
Fireball is played by Jim Brown, who was easily one of the greatest football players ever—especially famous for walking away while he was still at the absolute top of his game.

My childhood favorite 👍
I look back at it with pure nostalgia rather than the critical eye I have now.
It’s the reason I fell in love with action movies and, of course, Schwarzenegger.
(Though I eventually grew to hate him, and the whole genre for that matter)

Anthony Kim18 said:Childhood favorite 👍

Same here. I remember watching this during some old New Year's special with my siblings, and we all just laughed at Arnie. It was pure chaos. I actually picked it up at a Blockbuster a few months back just to see if it still held up. It was pretty much the same experience, though I wasn't quite as terrified of the chainsaw as I was when I was a kid. Realistically, the odds of someone chasing you down with one of those are probably slim to none...😍 😍 😍

One of the biggest lessons you can take from that movie is this: if someone asks you to cover for them by signing something they aren't comfortable with, just don't do it...

What happened to Jaws?
- He had to bail. 😂

Arnie for prez!