What’s Aged the Best?
The long future-setting graphic, invented reality shows, first ten minutes, Richard Bachman pen name, old-age Mick Fleetwood makeup, Captain Freedom, net tasers, the dystopian Los Angeles setting, and Harold Faltermeyer’s score are praised; several observations also have mixed or negative qualifications.
In the discussion (16)
Approx. transcript time · 00:43:04Read transcript
- The opening graphic that declares society collapsed by 2017 immediately sells the premise.
- Climbing for Dollars feels like a plausible modern streaming competition show despite its blunt name.
- The unexplained Hate Boat is praised as a reality-show concept that could work now.
- Captain Freedom is compared to a steroidal modern sideline reporter.
- The first ten minutes move efficiently from the future graphic through the helicopter, prison, Chico, and Dawson.
- Stephen King publishing as Richard Bachman is praised as a pen-name power move.
- Mick Fleetwood’s future-age makeup is said to resemble how he looks decades later.
- Dynamo’s vehicle is compared to a contemporary Tesla truck.
- Arnold’s conspicuously fake early beard exemplifies an enjoyable 1980s action-movie convention.
- The conveniently fitted World’s Gym shirt and construction hat make Richards’s escape outfit funny.
- The net tasers used on the airport tarmac are praised as useful futuristic weapons.
- The film’s run-down future Los Angeles looks uncomfortably close to present-day Los Angeles.
- Harold Faltermeyer’s score gives the movie weight; its similarity to cop two prompts speculation that musical ideas were reused.
- The podcast says the actor it names as “Erlin Van Liff” was a real baritone, performed Dynamo’s singing, and died in the film’s release year.
- American Gladiators is said to have drawn direct inspiration from The Running Man.
- Possible Hate Boat formats include people who already hate each other, loving couples breaking apart, and separated couples forced to get along with their children at sea.