The Running Man (Special Edition)

The Running Man is the top-rated TV show in the future, where condemned criminals fight for survival. Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as a military pilot, wrongly accused of the massacre of innocent civilians, who finds himself its latest contestant. Can he defeat a series of bizarre adversaries, clear his name, and take down the show's smarmy emcee (Richard Dawson)? With Maria Conchita Alonso, Jesse Ventura, and Yaphet Kotto; based on a story by Stephen King. 101 min. Standard and Widescreen; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1 EX, 6.1 DTS-ES Surround; audio commentary; featurettes; documentary; more. Two-disc set.

In this action thriller based on an early story by Stephen King, Los Angeles in the year 2017 has become a police state in the wake of the global economy's total collapse. All forms of entertainment are government controlled, and the most popular show on television is an elaborate game show in which convicted criminals are given a chance to escape by running through a gauntlet of brutal killers known as "Stalkers." Anyone who survives is given their freedom and a condominium in Hawaii, so when a wrongly accused citizen (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is chosen as a contestant, all hell breaks loose. Cheesy sets and a slimy role for game-show host Richard Dawson make this violent mess of mayhem a candidate for guilty pleasure; it is the kind of movie that truly devoted Arnold fans will want to watch more than once. And check those credits--choreography by Paula Abdul! i--Jeff Shannon/i