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Based on a fanciful page-turner written (pseudonymously) by Stephen King, this futuristic thriller -- crammed with action and breathlessly paced -- shows Arnold Schwarzenegger at his bone-crunching best. The Running Man, originally released in 1987, took a drubbing from overly sensitive critics who fretted that it glorified violence and wallowed in gore. Their protests certainly didn’t inhibit the film’s box-office performance, as it proved an international smash and enhanced Arnold’s burgeoning rep as a top draw. It also influenced at least a half dozen similarly themed sci-fi flicks that have followed. It takes place in the year 2019, with the United States under totalitarian control and its increasingly restive populace thirsting for violent entertainment. Unfairly imprisoned Ben Richards (Schwarzenegger) is chosen to participate in a bizarre show that pits convicts against ruthless assassins known as "stalkers." Prisoners who evade their murderous pursuers can earn their freedom, and Ben is determined to make the most of his opportunity. Directed with verve by former cop-show star Paul Michael Glaser (The Cutting Edge), Running Man doesn’t offer much by way of social commentary. It does, though, dazzle viewers with a series of bloody battles and mind-blowing stunts. Maria Conchita Alonso, Yaphet Kotto, and Jim Brown all afford Schwarzenegger able support, with Richard Dawson (parodying his TV-host trade) and Jesse Ventura (in his WWF prime) both adding to the fun. Unabashedly trashy, The Running Man is mindless fun that shows one of the screen’s greatest action heroes in peak form. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Directed by former Starsky and Hutch TV star Paul Michael Glaser, this post-apocalyptic science fiction yarn satirized American entertainment, mocking pro wrestling, game shows, and law-and-order reality programming. Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as Ben Richards, a cop in the totalitarian America of 2019, framed for massacring rioting civilians during a famine. After escaping from jail, Richards tries to prove his innocence, but his efforts are thwarted at every turn by a regime in need of a scapegoat. Richards is captured along with an innocent civilian, Amber Mendez (Maria Conchita Alonso), and they are forced to participate in a violent game show called "The Running Man" hosted by the unctuous Damon Killian (Richard Dawson). The object of the game for Richards and Mendez: obtain freedom by staying alive against a gauntlet of skillful assassins like "Subzero" (Professor Toru Tanaka) and "Captain Freedom" (Jesse Ventura), each armed with unique weapons like razor-sharp hockey sticks and chainsaws. With the help of some fellow "contestants," Richards is able to tap into government computers and prove his innocence. The Running Man was very loosely based on a short story by Stephen King, who wrote it under the name Richard Bachman. Karl Williams

Product Details

• UPC: 017153584127
• Source: LIVE / ARTISAN
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Theatre Wide-Screen (1.85.1)
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: stereo
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English
• Time: 1:41:00

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• Terminator 2: Judgment Day/Total Recall/Red Heat/the Running Man

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