The Running Man... 1987 vision of America's Police State (2017)

The year is 2017. The world economy has collapsed. The United States has sealed off it's borders and has become a military controlled police state which controls TV, movies, art, books, communication and censorship. In the police state America has become, criminals have a choice. They can serve their sentences in prison or they can take part in "The Running Man" a government owned violent game-show where contestants running for freedom are pursued by "Stalkers" wrestler-like bounty hunters. "The Running Man" is the top rating show on network TV and Damon Killian, the creator and host is the most popular entertainer in the US. But one man has yet to play... Former L.A. police officer Ben Richards, framed for the massacre of innocent people, when disobeyed orders is recaptured, after escaping from prison. Ben is forced to appear on "The Running Man", joined by resistance fighters William Laughlin and Harold Weiss and Amber Mendez, (a network employee who Richards took hostage and she turned Richards into the authorities) are chased by The Stalkers, as they search for the secret base of the resistance, as they bid to broadcast the truth about the government and prove Ben's innocence.

www.imdb.com...

Has anybody seen this movie?

You take out the violent game show, and it looks more and more like this movie got it right.

It's funny how Jesse Ventura plays "Captain Freedom" also.

Also, I never knew that this was a Stephen King novel.


BTW:

Also look at what movies Arnold chose to act in:

Terminator (machines take over the world)
Predator (Alien Threat)
Total Recall (Mind Science / Police State)
The 6th Day (Cloning)
True Lies (Government Operations / Terrorism)
Eraser (Government Operations)
Collateral Damage (Terrorism)
End of Days (Satan)


That's a great list...

(Almost comparable to Mel Gibson, and Bruce Willis)

I have beeen thinking of The Running Man lately, weird. Looks like Arnie was somehow 'in the know.'

Hey
you left out
Twins= Nazi cloning
Devito was the left overs

Comando= terrorist

Kindergarten cop = Tiny terrors " It's not a tumor'

Yeah it seems that Arnie has become a poster boy for the fourth reich.

I still love his films though, especially Predator.

Oh and Jingle all the Way could go on that list to for promoting mass consumption

Its funny that the movie takes place in 2017.

My personal prediction is that the U.S. will resemble a police state, with Sarah Palin as president in 2017. I also say the economy will have pretty much tanked by then, the entire world in a deep recession.

I say "The Running Man" isn't too far off the mark.

IF the governement could control the betting you can guarentee a blood-sport like that. It's the next thing up from the UFC.

I don't think it's a much a guide to show what it'd be like in 2017, I thought the novel 1984 was far better at that. But it is a great glimpse as to what it could be.

The original story is by Stephen King, the movie version is a completely inferior re-write loosely based on his story.

I think that's what caused Stephen King to film his own movies from as soon as he was able to.

Really, read the book, if you are lucky it will be an edition that holds several storys, among which 'the running man' and 'Marathon Man', both must-reads really.. won't discuss much to avoid spoiling the books for ya..

The Running Man was published by Stephen King under the pen name Richard Bachmann. The stories that he published under Bachmann are, along with the short story collection 'Different Seasons' his finest work. The book, unlike the film, places far more emphasis on the role of the media (TV) in the disintergration of social norms, the 'blood lust' of a bored audience (fall of Rome) and the willingness of the desperate to humilate and even die before the camera for money (although as events have had it, celebrity has become a commodity in itself, but King is not a science fiction writer so he can be excused for not getting that right. William Gibson far better predicted the celebrity culture in his novels...).

Brilliant short story, mediocre film.

NB The Long Walk, from the Bachmann books is one of the best short stories ever written (IMO).

EDIT TO ADD: For an acute representation of the cultural dimensions of the police state see Philip K Dick's Flow my Tears the Policemen Said, and to a lesser and different extent, The Man in the High Castle (a newly contemporary twist, PKD really did see the path we are on - if we don't jump off - the details may not be spot on but the understanding of intent is beyond question).

[edit on 2-12-2008 by KilgoreTrout]

Well the movie is on youtube... i haven't seen it in over 10 years...

I'm gonna give it a watch.

www.youtube.com...

Part 2/10 has some intersting conversations in it... Atleast in the first four minutes.

Gotta Love Hollywood.

Arnold has been groomed from the get go by the marrionetistas, and the move to softer more comedic roles in the latter part of his career were necessary for image purposes. They had to soften him up for mom & pop, you can't go into politics with a negative image.

Didn't he recently do a cover for a propagandic magazine with an angle shot of him portruding forward with a nice shiny belt buckle so everyone can take a good look at his crotch? wonder what he's implying.

See Alan Watt and predictive programming, it all makes sense what he says.

I am off to moon

Originally posted by Anonymous ATS

Didn't he recently do a cover for a propagandic magazine with an angle shot of him portruding forward with a nice shiny belt buckle so everyone can take a good look at his crotch? wonder what he's implying.

He's showing his Nazi belt buckle.

Find that picture and look at it again. You will see what I mean.

No wait, you won't believe me. I'll post it below..






Arnold's Chair.


*You see he's not a Nazi, he just like Nazi things

[edit on 8-12-2008 by Canadianduder]

stephen king wrote it under a psuedonym -as someone previously said - because he thought the only reason he was getting published was because of his name and he wanted to prove people wrong. i loved that movie(esp the girl forget what her name is)book is better-skeleton crew one of my fave books ever(made 2 creepshow movies) but personally find his books much better even if he is long winded in them

Have you seen the show Cha$e on Sci-Fi?

It's a game show where you get chased by agents (Matrix or DHS, you decide)...

This thread deserves an update.

It's from back in 2008 but 2017 is getting closer,
and some of us think food riots (like shown in the clip)
may be possible in the near future.




The movie "The Running Man" shows

face mapping software
militarized police
and urban riots.

Not to mention a ruling class
that uses lies and propaganda.


Mike Grouchy

This is one of my favorite Arnold movies. Doesn't seem any more realistic that other campy movies like death race or the longest yard. Simple movies playing off the corruption behind the scenes of America's prisons.

ETA***Don't misconstrue what I'm saying, I get the original sentiment of the OP. To me movies like this are just a directors way of being edgy or making some kind of anti-authoritarian statement (IE - The Police Academy Movies).

reply to post by mikegrouchy



don't forget the head-exploding sonic weapon controlled via laptop,
travel-passes accessed through the TV like Wii,
armed, watchful "agents" at the airport,
I guess that's all I can think of but its got some things in it I never noticed as a kid. and as a kid, I knew people would never make human death into sport but now, re-watching the move, I'm not so sure anymore....

and I'd swear that the infamous woman-costume in the 1st Total Recall is based on the woman ehind them in at the airport- she looks just like her.

reply to post by Doomsday 2029

You take out the violent game show, and it looks more and more like this movie got it right.

No need,

its reality TV of the future.

In Roman times it was Gladiators in the Coliseum, Now its survivor and other grueling reality TV

soon with a more and more violent world, The running man Tv show will be the gladiators the Romans watched in those days come to life pay per view.

Mixed martial arts already has a rather large following,