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

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...

YouTube Link

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

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)...

YouTube Link