Search - The Running Man

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" (Prof. 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, All Movie Guide

Arnold Schwarzenegger - Ben "Butcher of Bakersfield" Richards
Maria Conchita Alonso - Amber Mendez
Richard Dawson - Damon Killian, Running Man Game-Show Host
Yaphet Kotto - Laughlin
Jim Brown - Fireball, Stalker

Paul Michael Glaser's The Running Man, a loose adaptation of a Stephen King story, comes to DVD with a standard full-frame transfer that fails to preserve the original theatrical aspect ratio. The English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital Surround. There are no subtitles, but the soundtrack is closed-captioned. Supplemental materials include the theatrical trailer. The lack of a widescreen image hurts this Artisan release. Hopefully Schwarzenegger fans will one day be given a better DVD than this one. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

These movies have the touch and feel of The Running Man...
41	Commando [Widescreen] (R)
4	Survival Quest (R)
1	Sword of Gideon
S	The Inglorious Bastards (NR)
2	Circuitry Man/Plughead-Rewired: Circuitry Man II (R)
1	Iron Eagle III: Aces (R)
These movies have the subject or theme of The Running Man...
1	Each Dawn I Die (NR)
4	Passage to Marseille (NR)
35	Rollerball (R)
22	Ricochet (R)
13	King of New York [Widescreen] (R)
1	Kill Line [Blackbelt Edition] (NR)
27	North by Northwest (NR)
60	Tango and Cash (R)
61	Star Wars: Episode V: Empire Strikes Back [1980 & 1997 Versions] [Widescreen] (PG)
14	Stir Crazy [Widescreen/Fullscreen] (R)
These movies share cast/crew with The Running Man...
53	The Last Action Hero [Widescreen/Fullscreen] (PG-13)
80	Predator [Widescreen] (R)
14	Raw Deal (R)
9	Abraxas (NR)
39	Red Heat (R)
2	Slaughter's Big Ripoff (R)
41	Commando [Widescreen] (R)
95	The Terminator (R)
8	Extreme Prejudice (R)
19	Colors [Widescreen] (R)
22	The Dirty Dozen [Widescreen]
1	Eye of the Tiger (R)
1	Pacific Inferno (NR)
5	Ice Station Zebra (G)
S	One Down, Two to Go (R)
3	Take a Hard Ride (PG)
8	Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (PG-13)
1	Black Gunn (R)
These movies cover the same subjects as The Running Man...
3	Wedlock (NR)
These movies are similar to The Running Man...
2	The 10th Victim (NR)
11	Death Race 2000 (R)
45	Logan's Run [Special Edition] (PG)
35	Rollerball (R)
122	Total Recall (R)
10	Futuresport [Widescreen/Fullscreen] (R)
6	Battle Royale
4	Series 7: The Contenders (R)
174	I, Robot [Widescreen]
3	Subterano (R)
S	Outlaw Prophet
3	Alive (R)
S	Escape 2000 (NR)
12	The Condemned [Widescreen] (R)