Rewatchables Reference

• Bill: The sequence of the slutty aerobics cheerleaders (choreographed by Paula Abdul) into Buzz Saw's entrance into Killian's entrance into the doctored Bakersfield Massacre deep-fake video. 'An elite 6 minutes.'
• Craig: Anytime they cut to Dawson hosting the game show.
• Other candidates: The escape from Wilshire Detention Zone (Chico's head exploding), Captain Freedom's Workout tape, the Sub Zero battle.

• The movie's prescient predictions: reality TV, deep fakes, fake news, in-game gambling, dystopian society.
• Two future governors in the movie (Ventura and Arnold).
• Captain Freedom as a sideline reporter (like Tom Rinaldi on steroids).
• The first 10 minutes of the movie (Tristar logo, font porn, helicopter, prison, Chico's head exploding, Dawson).
• Mick Fleetwood in old-age makeup that ended up looking like the real Mick Fleetwood in 2024.
• The cars looking like the Tesla Cybertruck.

• The opening graphics (mid-80s quality).
• Richard Dawson stunt casting is hard to explain to younger audiences who don't know him.
• Dynamo trying to assault Amber ('gets super weird for like 10 seconds').
• Yaphet Kotto's death scene dialogue: 'Push the uplink to the communications. Take care of my travel arrangements' – terrible line for a real actor.
• The Faltermeyer score sounds very similar to 'Beverly Hills Cop' 2.

Killian going through the Cadre Cola sign (with unexplained explosion, no net at the end).

Simultaneously best and worst: 'Restless Heart' by John Parr over the closing credits – 'one of the worst songs you've ever heard in your life.'

• The fight scenes aren't as good as you want them to be – compared to 'John Wick'-era choreography, they're lacking.
• The Sven scene at the end: his one unintelligible line that even closed captioning couldn't figure out.

• Kyle's stalker power rankings: #4 Fireball (doesn't catch anyone, doesn't kill anyone, dies immediately), #3 Dynamo, #2 Sub Zero, #1 Buzz Saw.
• Bill: 'The Running Man' premise should have been one of the greatest video games ever made (proto-Grand Theft Auto).

• Christopher Reeve was originally attached (darker version, closer to the book).
• Andrew Davis was the original director (fired after 2 weeks).
• Chuck Woolery was the original choice for Killian (unavailable; Arnold suggested Dawson).

• Jesse Ventura and Richard Dawson's back-and-forth: 'I was killing guys like this ten years ago with my bare hands' / 'What's the matter, steroids make you deaf?'
• Arnold's speech about ramming his fist up Killian's stomach and breaking his spine.

Kurt Fuller (Killian's right-hand man). Also played the Vince McMahon proxy in No Holds Barred, the director in 'Wayne's World'. Always plays a sniveling evil TV executive.

• Mrs. McArdle (the old lady): 'I could pick anyone I choose, and I choose Ben Richards... he's one mean motherfucker.'
• The '$200 on Richards' gambling guy.

The third escapee (the accountant with no personality) should have been Anthony Michael Hall or Robert Downey Jr.

• Steven E. de Souza wrote 15 drafts of the script.
• When Arnold ran for Governor, his campaign bus was named 'The Running Man.'
• Paula Abdul choreographed the cheerleader dances.
• Erland van Lidth (Dynamo) was a real baritone opera singer who died the same year the movie came out.
• The film inspired American Gladiators.

• Arnold: No – not yet, setting up for Terminator 2 / 'Total Recall' era.
• Richard Dawson: No – his apex was Match Game and Family Feud simultaneously. This was his last movie.
• Jesse Ventura: Maybe – WrestleMania 3 announcer, 'Predator', Running Man all the same year.
• Fake reality TV shows that predicted the future: Yes, definitely.

• Arnold's name is Ben Richards (least realistic Arnold character name – he's Austrian).
• Ben Richards murders 60 people but just gets thrown in detention, no death sentence.
• The gambling odds: 100-to-1 on Richards after he's already killed multiple stalkers.
• Amber goes from terrified to Uzi-wielding action hero in 6 minutes.
• The 'raw' Bakersfield video has cinematic multi-angle shots including a POV of Richards.

• Bill is good with a sequel, especially given deep fakes and reality TV developments.
• Kyle wants a prequel: The Rise of Killian, how he created the show, young Captain Freedom.

• Will a show where people are actually killed on TV ever happen?
• Who is Fireball in the remake? (Marshawn Lynch suggested).
• Did Arnold and Maria Conchita Alonso have an affair during filming?

• Kyle: A VHS copy of Captain Freedom's Workout – 'I want to do it unironically in my house.'
• Bill: The Hate Boat poster.

Deep fakes are dangerous, even in 1987.

Kyle: 'The Running Man' + 'Predator' 2 (Maria Conchita Alonso connection).

Richard Dawson. Both agree – Arnold had already won 'Predator' earlier that year. 'You're walking out of the theater like, fucking Richard Dawson was awesome in that movie. Who knew?'

• Craig had never seen the movie before. Called it 'the most rewatchable Arnold movie outside of the Terminator.'
• 'I'm not convinced this movie wasn't just a Mad Lib that they filled out in an hour.'
• Called Killian a 'terrible GM' for putting Arnold on the show without considering he could take down all the stalkers.