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Title: The Running Man (1987)
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| 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 | |
| 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) | |
In the year 2017, the world economy has collapsed. The great freedoms of the United States are no longer, as the once great nation has sealed off its borders and become a militarized police state, censoring all film, art, literature, and communications. Even so, a small resistance force led by two revolutionaries manages to fight the oppression. With full control over the media, the government attempts to quell the nation's yearning for freedom by broadcasting a number of game shows on which convicted criminals fight for their lives. The most popular and sadistic of these programs is "The Running Man," hosted by Damon Killian. When a peaceful protest of starving citizens gathers in Bakersfield, California, a police officer named Ben Richards is ordered to fire on the crowd, which he refuses to do. Subdued by the other officers, the attack is carried out, and Richards is framed for the murder of almost a hundred unarmed civilians. Following a daring jail break months later, Richards is... Written by Curly Q. Link
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This is a classic action flick from the '80s featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger in one of his most memorable roles. Set in a futuristic police state where the government controls everything, including the television networks. One of their most popular TV shows is "The Running Man", where convicted felons are hunted down and killed for the entertainment of millions. It's set up like a game show, where the audience votes for their favorite "stalkers", trained killers who hunt down and kill the show's unlucky "contestants". Audience members also win prizes for correctly predicting who will be killed by whom. And the host is played by none other than Family Feud's Richard Dawson, who's game show experience makes him well suited for this role. When Ben Richards (Arnold) is falsely accused of mass murder, he is forced to play this sadistic game.
This movie is chock full of classic Arnold one-liners, such as his famous "I'll be back" right before he enters the arena. And he taunts a stalker armed with a flamethrower with "How about a light?" I could go on and on, but I don't want to spoil the movie. It's funny stuff!
Whether it was intended or not, this movie serves as a great parody of today's "Reality TV" craze. Already there are numerous programs that show people enduring pain and humiliation for the entertainment of viewers, and even court cases are televised for their "entertainment value". Running Man demonstrates what would happen if reality TV hit rock bottom, and it is a scary picture. One can only hope that the networks have the common sense not to let it go that far.
Overall, this is a fun film & I highly recommend it. 9 out of 10!