Search - The Running Man [Special Edition] on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Violence, Graphic Violence, Not For Children, Adult Language, Profanity Movie Release: 1987 DVD Release: 03/16/2004 Format: DVD - Pan and Scan,Soft-Matted WSE for 16x9 TV - Closed Captioned Edition: Restored/Remastered Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: English, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 2 Number of Discs: 2 Run Time: 1 hrs 41 mins Studio: Republic Pictures Total Copies: 8 Genres: Action, Science Fiction, Chase Movie, Sci-Fi Action, Media Satire See Also: 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

Schwarzenegger's cheese-fueled action epic The Running Man charges its way to DVD in a two-disc Special Edition from Artisan Entertainment. The remastered picture comes in both a 1.85:1 widescreen image as well as the full-screen version, while the audio has been upgraded to an incredible 6.1 DTS-ES Surround Sound and 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround EX tracks. With a remarkable new picture and crystal-clear sound options, it's unbelievable to see how much time has been put into this schlock-fest -- as evidenced also in the staggering amount of extras included on this edition. The fun begins with not one, but two, commentary tracks, the first including producer Tim Zinnemann and none other than the original Starsky himself, director Paul Michael Glaser! The second track is the perfect companion to the first, as executive producer Rob Cohen (director of XXX and The Fast and the Furious) details the production's troubles with the countless initial directors who were all fired before Glaser had the pleasure of picking up the pieces after only the second week of shooting. Those two tracks alone (plus maybe a trailer, which is also included) would make for a fine edition for the film, but strangely enough, the DVD just doesn't quit there!

Also awaiting courageous viewers are two documentaries, each dealing with the similarities between the film and the culture in which this disc finds itself released. While the idea sounds strange enough -- and also quite humorous -- the pair actually do make a nice companion to Arnold's neon-tinged gem. First off is "Lockdown on Main Street," an engaging 25-minute look at American citizens' privacy after the tragedy of 9/11. With the help of various professors and scholars, it gives the viewer a front-row seat into the vagueness that has infected the country since the controversial Patriot Act was hastily adopted into law and shows how the rights of the people have been slashed mostly without their knowledge. Compounded with that, the "Game Theory" documentary takes a magnifying glass to reality TV programming in the new century, dissecting the trends that have been sold as entertainment and what the future of television might hold. While extreme in their possibilities, both share an interesting look at what has happened since The Running Man burst onto theater screens and just how absurdly on-target the film's depiction of the future seems now. With the end in sight, one more feature comes barreling at viewers, this time a more fun throwaway bonus that comes in the form of "Meet the Stalkers," an interactive area where you can select each villain and view their highlights all the way to their costume specs. Sure, it's worthless and cheap-looking, but so is the movie -- thus, it makes even more sense that it was included! For a film that never really deserved this much credit, this two-disc release ends up being a wealth of fun and actually worthy of merit thanks to the people over at Artisan. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide