Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
Bookmark this pageThe Running Man (1987)
Director: Paul Michael Glaser
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
Pretty warmed-over stuff, this future world of the terminal TV game shows, and director Glaser fails to muster much pace and punch. Lifer Schwarzenegger, framed for a massacre he didn't commit, hops the hutch with fellow con (Kotto), hooks up with love interest (Alonso), and briefly takes refuge with the underground revolutionaries before being betrayed and recaptured. Offered up to the bloodthirsty populace as a sacrificial contestant on TV's Running Man show, he is shot down a chute on to the wasteland killing floor to be hunted by big, grotesquely specialised assassins - Buzzsaw, Subzero, Dynamo, Fireball. None is unstoppable, and each is awarded the appropriate jokey payoff line. The film doesn't look good; it's as if the flat lighting and boring set of the TV show had infected everything else. And Big Arnie's quilted outfit makes him look like a duvet. (From the novel by Richard Bachman, i.e. Stephen King.Author: BC
Cast & crew
Director: Paul Michael Glaser
Producer: Tim Zinnemann, George Linder
Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Maria Conchita Alonso, Yaphet Kotto, Jim Brown, Jesse Ventura, Erland Van Lidth, Marvin J McIntyre, Richard Dawson full cast
Genre(s): Action/Adventure
Duration: 101 mins
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Stephen Poliakoff discusses 'Glorious 39'
Stephen Poliakoff’s ‘Glorious 39’ is his first film for cinema since ‘Food of Love’ in 1997. Dave Calhoun met him
Is 'Paranormal Activity' the new 'Blair Witch'?
How does a film go from DIY experiment to box-office smash? 'Paranormal Activity' director Oren Peli explains
Steven Soderbergh on 'The Informant!' and 'The Girlfriend Experience'
We talk to Steven Soderbergh about his two forthcoming films: one featuring a porn star, the other a chubby Matt Damon
A gateway to all things 'New Moon'
In anticipation of 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon', Time Out is offering the chance to pick up a limited edition pack with three exclusive magazines and a free poster.
London Children's Film Festival
Read our exclusive reviews of films playing at the 2009 London Children’s Film Festival
The films that deserve a TV spin-off
With Roland Emmerich suggesting he'd like to make a '2012' TV spin-off, we propose some more movie-to-TV serialisations
The Coen brothers discuss 'A Serious Man'
Masters of contrary comedy, Joel and Ethan Coen have struck gold again with their latest, ‘A Serious Man’
Michael Haneke discusses 'The White Ribbon'
Dave Calhoun met with Michael Haneke in Munich to mull over the details of his Palme d'Or winner, 'The White Ribbon'
Ten inspirations behind 'Avatar'?
Time Out ponders the influences behind James Cameron's anticipated space-opera on the basis of the trailer
Time Out's 50 greatest animated films with commentary by Terry Gilliam
In celebration of the release of Pixar's 'Up' and Wes Anderson's 'Fantastic Mr Fox', read our rundown of fifty classic feature length animations
What do you think?
Post your review now