Edgar Wright's adaptation sucked serious ass.
While I had so much more to say in my review, I purposely kept schtum for reasons that will soon become clear.
1982 novel
Welcome to America in 2025 when the best men don't run for President. They run for their lives - in the ultimate death game.
Each night all Americans tune in to the nation's favorite TV game show - The Running Man.
Each night they see if the contestant has evaded death at the hands of the Hunters just one more day. Thirty days of survival takes the prize - one billion dollars.
The record is eight days....
But now a new contestant, Ben Richards, has set out to beat the brutal odds, beat the rigged game, beat the entire savage system. He's betting his life that he can....
Stephen King (as Richard Bachman), was no doubt inspired by Richard Connell's 1924 short story The Most Dangerous Game and 1975 films Death Race 2000 and Rollerball.
Years later came Battle Royale and The Hunger Games (both books before becoming movie franchises).
Finally, The Condemned (2007) is a really bad rip off of The Most Dangerous Game and the first Battle Royale film.
Getting back on track.
Das Millionspiel (1970)
West German TV film (translated as The Million Dollar Game) adapted Robert Sheckley's 1958 story The Prize of Peril.
To win one million marks, Bernhard Lotz has to survive 7 days, while being hunted by a gang.
While it's likely King stole idea from Sheckley, I can't see him having access to film.
1987 film
Apart from main character and basic premise, Schwarzenegger classic had almost nothing to do with source material.
Prologue begins in 2017, but meat takes place 18 months later in 2019.
Just for shits and geeky giggles, The House of the Dead III (2002) is also set in 2019.
A lawsuit determined filmmakers plagiarized French film Le Prix du Danger (1983), the second adaptation of Sheckley's story.
King didn't face any action.
So coming full circle, 2025 film is arguably an unofficial adaptation of Das Millionspiel.
Official game
Emerald Software's shitty side-scrolling beat 'em up was released for Amiga, Atari ST, C64, Spectrum and Amstrad CPC in 1989.
We play Ben Richards (obviously), but Amber Mendez, William Laughlin and Harold Weiss are MIA.
To be fair, Subzero, Buzzsaw, Dynamo, Fireball and even Killian made the effort.
Smash T.V. (1990)
The year is 1999.
Television has adapted to the more violent nature of man. The most popular form of television remains the game show.
One show in particular has dominated the ratings. That show is Smash T.V. The most violent game show of all time.
Two lucky contestants compete for cash and prizes. Each contestant is armed with an assortment of powerful weapons and sent into a closed arena.
The action takes place in front of a studio audience and is broadcast live via satellite around the world.
Intro presumably used an excerpt of film's prologue as template.
"Television is controlled by the state and a sadistic game show called 'The Running Man' has become the most popular program in history."
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| Unlike Robotron: 2084, spirtual successor didn't hold back on gore. |
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| Big money. Big prizes. I LOVE IT! |
Evil MC can also say: "I'd buy that for a dollar," confirming devs were fans of Robocop.
Flashback (1992)
Conrad B. Hart is told by his friend Ian that TV show Death Tower is literally his ticket back to Earth.
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| 10000 credits is up for grabs. |
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| Conrad is presented as the winner. |
A sequel, Fade to Black, was released for PC and PS1 in 1995.
Original was remade in 2013, and ten years later, we got Flashback 2, set eight years before original in 2134.
How prequel fits into timeline remains unclear.
Other numbered video game prequels include Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, Suikoden IV and Dead to Rights II.
Films are more prolific, such as Puppet Master III: Toulon's Revenge, Tremors 4: The Legend Begins, Paranormal Activity 3, Insidious: Chapter 3 and From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter.
Finally, let's look Paul Michael Glaser's film in more detail.
Spelling police
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| Accomodations should be accommodations. |
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| Retreval should be retrieval. |
Miscellany
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| When the runners arrive in the game zone on vacuum sleds (just in case you missed name), END IS HERE is written on a wall. |
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| 'Professor' Subzero is wearing one hell of a jock strap. |
Here's something pretty odd.
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| After Richards takes care of Subzero, we can clearly see Laughlin taking hockey stick. |
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| But as he and Richards are freeing Weiss, weapon has vanished, and never seen again. |
Later, Richards could've easily taken Buzzsaw's chainsaw, but doesn't.
You could say weapon would be a hindrance, but if I was in their situation, I'd like to fight back with more than fists and feet.
The Magnificent 10
Before getting his hands on Richards and co, Killian searches for potential contestants.
Some things are impossible to appreciate in real-time, hence why the pause button is used for more than toilet breaks.
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Pete Rodriguez Conv: Agent provacateur Occu: Technical writer Hobb: Criminal poetry
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John Doe Conv: Unauthorized outdoor activities Occu: Anti fire worker Hobb: Arson, pyromania |
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Jason 'Jay Man' Argo Conv: International espionage Occu: Interpretor Hobb: Golf, scuba, TV |
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Spike Mackenzie Conv: Industrial terrorism Occu: Copy machine repair Hobb: Collecting antique phones, guns |
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Brad 'Pepsi' Yamamoto Conv: Anti state prop inciting a riot Occu: Industrial waste Hobb: Morbid interest in intellectual games ie. chess |
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Eddi 'Ed' Fisher Conv: Religious crimes unsanc. worship Occu: Collective framer Hobb: Collector anti state icons |
Advertisement break.
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| Mado 'Baby Face' March |
Are you kidding me?
Next.
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Peggy 'Now What' Vinetz Conv: Anti state prop inciting a riot Occu: Industrial waste Hobb: Morbid interest in intellectual games ie. chess |
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Jeffry 'DJ' Winsted Conv: Religious crimes unsanc. worship Occu: Collective framer Hobb: Collector anti state icons |
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Wanda Zorn Conv: Agent provacateur Occu: Technical writer Hobb: Criminal poetry |
What do Eddi and Jeffry, Pete and Wanda have in common?
Well, quite a lot actually.
As do Peggy and Brad, who are industrial waste and have a morbid interest in chess.
Awww, that's cute.
But the prize goes to John Doe.
What constitutes as unauthorized outdoor activities?
Err, I dread to think.
Considering geezer's profession is against fire, I find it hilarious that he's into arson and pyromania.