The Running Man
(The Running Man)
The Story
Full Story
In2017, the world economy has collapsed and the shortage touches all natural resources. America has become a totalitarian state where the media, andmore particularly the television, have all authorities. Controlled and encouraged by the government to galvanize crowds, a barbarous televised gamerages. Just as the game gladiators of the ancien Rome, candidates, thirsty of money or needy to gain a new conduct beside society, are thrown in thearena where it is nearly impossible to exit alive. Its name « Running Man ». This sanguinary games is presented by Damon Killian, a vil social-climberwho worries only about his scores to the detriment of justice and truth.
 | Always in search of exceptional candidates that would allowhim to increase any more the popularity of his emission, Killian comes to find the rare pearl. Former policeman, Ben Richards has been condemnee toforced works. Nicknamed as « the Bakersfield butcher » he is the victim of a governmental plot that made out of him a the sanguinary murderer of aweeky crowd demonstrators. |
Truth being different, it is because he refused toaccomply this unnamable order to shoot at women and children that he became the scapegoat of a repressive government bathed by daily lies. After aspectacular escape in company of two other convicts, William Laughlin and Harold Weiss, Richards is arrested again while he is on the point to leavethe country, refusing to join a group of resistant that succeeded in remaining clandestine.
In flawless operator, Killian obligesBen Richards to play in the emission in company of his two escape friends. As the show as just begun under applauses and shouts of the transedpublic, it sees the arrival of a new candidate; Amber Mendez, the girl who gave Richards to the police and that her turn, wanting to find the truthconcerning Richards's affair, is disguised in real danger for the company.
But during this pitilesspublic hunt, the events take an unexpected turn. The runaway team neutralizes one after the other the fierce gladiators who nevertheless precipitateLaughlin and Weiss's death. Before to be executed by Dynamo, this one will profit the unexpected access to the antenna of one of thecommunication satellites to extract the security codes that will allow the resistance to hoard the power of the tv media.
Ben and Amber will eliminate the last Traker and join the resistance. For Damon Killian this exit is notforeseeable. he changes the distributed images to the public with the result that fugitives perish under Fireball's flames, a more common resultallowing him to preserve his credibility…
Spoiler ! the end of the story is revealed below…
Well decided to put a term to the dictator's schemes of this fallacious government and tothe career of the presenter, Richards takes the arms and returns on the tray of « Runnning Man ». Thanks to the codes recuperated by Weiss, theresistance pirates the TV channels, distributes the real images of the Richards's affair and the testimonies certifying Killian's pretenses. Ben will thenmake undergo the sordid presenter the fate he was reserved a few hours ago.
DoctorSF's Words
"Running Man" subject is not new. The themewas already exploited in the film "The Tenth Victim" with the gorgeous Ursula Andress. In France, five years earlier in 1982, Gérard Lanvin had ArnoldScharzeneger's place in Yves Boisset film "The Prize of Peril". An Italian version of by Lucio Fulci titled "Fighting Centurions" was also produced in1983. "Runnig Man" is the adaptation of a novel by Richard Bachman. Behind this pseudonym hides the famous name of Stephen King, who,according to his says, had just wanted to attempt an experiment... Playing Stevie's character, fans will appreciate Dweezil Zappa, bestows FrankZappa's son. And speaking about music, it is Harold Faltermeyer who signed the music, the composer of the famous hymn from "Beverley HillsCop".