The Running Man (1987) | Lead Up
- Forgotten Cinema
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
“Here is Subzero… Now Plain Zero!”
This week on Forgotten Cinema: Lead Up, we gear up for some old-school dystopian mayhem with The Running Man (1987) an Arnold Schwarzenegger sci-fi action flick that’s as over-the-top as it is endlessly entertaining.
We still get a kick out of this wild slice of 80s action, even while admitting it’s far from perfect. The movie is packed with odd story beats, plot holes big enough to drive Dynamo's garbage mini-carthrough, and yet... nostalgia (and Arnold’s charisma) make it work.
Sometimes style, attitude, and one-liners are all you need.
In this episode about The Running Man (1987), we discuss:
Why The Running Man remains such a fun, re-watchable piece of 80s sci-fi.
How Schwarzenegger’s screen presence, physicality, and underrated comedic timing made him one of the biggest stars of the era.
How Hollywood has shifted away from the era of true action icons, when heroes weren’t just muscles and explosions, but larger-than-life personalities.
The movie’s blend of dystopian satire, game-show absurdity, and gloriously cheesy violence that could only exist in the late 80s.
From exploding collars to killer one-liners, The Running Man might be messy, but it’s never boring and it’s a perfect reminder of why Arnold ruled the box office for so long.
Explore More Forgotten Cinema Lead Up Episodes: From Tron to The Conjuring, our Lead Up Series revisits the films that built the franchises and genres we still love today.
Check out the full Lead Up Hub.
💬 What’s your favorite 80s Arnold moment—The Running Man, Predator, or Commando? Let us know in the comments below!
I'll be back! Only in a Rerun baby.
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