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The Running Man
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Predator
Predator
Predator
Predator
Predator
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Commando
Commando
Film credit
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Also referred to as Schwarzenegger, Arnold
Stats
- Episodes featuring their films
- 8
- Movies in this archive
- 8
Rewatchables episodes featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger’s films
Displaying all 8 episodes
Mentioned in discussions
What’s Aged the Best?
The future-setting graphic, invented reality shows, first ten minutes, Richard Bachman name, old-age Mick Fleetwood, Captain Freedom, net tasers, dystopian Los Angeles, and Faltermeyer’s score (some qualified)
In the discussion (16)
Approx. transcript time · 00:43:04Read transcript
- The opening graphic that declares society collapsed by 2017 immediately sells the premise. — Bill Simmons
- Climbing for Dollars feels like a plausible modern streaming competition show despite its blunt name. — Bill Simmons
- The unexplained Hate Boat is praised as a reality-show concept that could work now. — Bill Simmons
- Captain Freedom is compared to a steroidal modern sideline reporter. — Bill Simmons
- The first ten minutes move efficiently from the future graphic through the helicopter, prison, Chico, and Dawson. — Kyle Brandt
- Stephen King publishing as Richard Bachman is praised as a pen-name power move. — Kyle Brandt
- Mick Fleetwood’s future-age makeup is said to resemble how he looks decades later. — Bill Simmons
- Dynamo’s vehicle is compared to a contemporary Tesla truck. — Bill Simmons
- Arnold’s conspicuously fake early beard exemplifies an enjoyable 1980s action-movie convention. — Kyle Brandt
- The conveniently fitted World’s Gym shirt and construction hat make Richards’s escape outfit funny. — Kyle Brandt
- The net tasers used on the airport tarmac are praised as useful futuristic weapons. — Kyle Brandt
- The film’s run-down future Los Angeles looks uncomfortably close to present-day Los Angeles. — Bill Simmons
- Harold Faltermeyer’s score gives the movie weight; its similarity to cop two prompts speculation that musical ideas were reused. — Bill Simmons
- 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. — Bill Simmons
- American Gladiators is said to have drawn direct inspiration from The Running Man. — Bill Simmons
- 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. — Bill Simmons
Casting What-Ifs
Arnold Schwarzenegger as John Patrick Mason; Tony Scott as director
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:01:15Read transcript
- Schwarzenegger was offered the part of John Patrick Mason and said in a Reddit AMA he regrets not taking it; relief is expressed that he did not.
- Tony Scott was supposed to direct but turned it down and did The Fan; a Scott version would be tighter but lose the over-the-top layer, including the air conditioner falling on the guy's head.
Who Won the Movie?
The panel split between Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bill Duke/Mac.
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:31:02Read transcript
Picking Nits
Dutch’s name, the missing team dinner, mud thermodynamics, absent extraction, restored bodies, Arnold’s durability, and Old Painless’s stealth value
In the discussion (9)
Approx. transcript time · 01:16:55Read transcript
- The origin and full form of Dutch’s name were unclear.
- Sunny Landham’s character could simply have been named Sunny rather than Billy. — Chris Ryan
- The film could have used a pre-mission team dinner to deepen the ensemble. — Chris Ryan
- MythBusters reportedly found that mud would not conceal body heat. — Chris Ryan
- The lack of extraction effort for an elite team was questioned.
- Mac’s destroyed head later appears restored.
- The same weapon that removes Dillon’s arm barely harms Dutch.
- A galaxy-traveling alien failing to understand mud camouflage seemed implausible.
- Old Painless seems poorly suited to stealth extraction. — Kyle Brandt
In the discussion (11)
Approx. transcript time · 01:08:49Read transcript
- Predator was distinguished as the apex of Arnold’s films, while Terminator 2 remained his personal apex.
- Carl Weathers was assessed separately as an apex case. — Chris Ryan
- Jesse Ventura was assessed as an apex case for his movie career.
- Sunny Landham was assessed as an apex case.
- Helicopter insertions were assessed as an apex action-movie device. — Chris Ryan
- Aliens in jungles were assessed as an apex premise. — Chris Ryan
- Body butter on action stars was assessed as an apex styling choice. — Chris Ryan
- Rocky IV beat Predator for Carl Weathers’s apex death scene. — Chris Ryan
- Alabama ticks were jokingly declared an apex.
- Billy’s final stand and Bruce Willis in Armageddon were compared as self-sacrifice peaks.
- The smiling character-credit sequence was celebrated as an apex closing-credit device.
Half-Assed Internet Research
The miserable jungle shoot, arm-size prank, Predator blood/sound, Sunny Landham’s required bodyguard, screen time, Seiko watch, and Kevin Peter Hall’s death
In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 01:04:07Read transcript
- The cold, wet, leech-filled shoot and weightlifting culture were described. — Chris Ryan
- The cast staged an arm-size prank at Jesse Ventura’s expense. — Chris Ryan
- Predator blood used Mountain Dew, glow sticks, and lubricant. — Chris Ryan
- The Predator’s vocal sound imitated a dying horseshoe crab. — Chris Ryan
- Insurers required a bodyguard to protect other people from Sunny Landham. — Chris Ryan
- The Predator appears on screen for roughly eight minutes. — Chris Ryan
- Arnold’s Seiko watch became a collector model nicknamed for the film. — Chris Ryan
- Kevin Peter Hall died at 35 after contracting HIV through a blood transfusion. — Chris Ryan
What’s Aged the Worst?
Mud-disguise continuity, Anna’s thinly explained role, contrived cleavage, and Predator 2
In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 00:53:46Read transcript
- The amount of mud covering Arnold changes implausibly between shots. — Chris Ryan
- Anna’s political or guerrilla role is never clearly explained. — Chris Ryan
- Anna’s survival function never fully coheres, though her fear exposition was defended.
- Her costume loses buttons without story justification. — Chris Ryan
What’s Aged the Best?
Arnold’s iconography and battle cry, Old Painless, one-liners, production mythology, Sunny Landham, Jesse Ventura, Poncho, the creature fix, structure, score, and heat vision
In the discussion (16)
Approx. transcript time · 00:38:24Read transcript
- Arnold’s first cigar shot remains effective action-star iconography.
- Dutch’s battle cry remains effective. — Chris Ryan
- Old Painless remains an iconic action-movie weapon. — Chris Ryan
- The movie’s compact one-liners remain effective. — Chris Ryan
- Arnold plays the escalating threat with unusual seriousness. — Chris Ryan
- The cold, wet jungle shoot became durable production mythology. — Chris Ryan
- Van Damme’s firing from the original creature role became durable production mythology. — Chris Ryan
- The cast’s dawn workouts and physical competition became durable production mythology. — Chris Ryan
- The reshot final third created a cleaner creature confrontation.
- Sunny Landham was praised as a uniquely authentic and unpredictable screen presence.
- Jesse Ventura’s wrestling persona translated into an unusually memorable supporting action role. — Chris Ryan
- Poncho’s reactions and supporting presence were praised.
- Stan Winston’s replacement creature design was treated as essential to the film’s success. — Chris Ryan
- The shift from ensemble combat movie to slasher and then one-on-one duel was praised.
- Alan Silvestri’s score was praised. — Kyle Brandt
- The thermal-vision effect was praised as both legible and durable.
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:25:06Read transcript
- Arnold Schwarzenegger is declared as the shared answer, and another voice cannot come up with a joke answer and agrees it is Arnold. — Kyle Brandt
Podcast choices
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Why no Commando 2; what happened to Val Verde; life after the plane lands; the most indefensible non-sequel
In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 01:20:22Read transcript
- Why no Commando 2, when sequels such as Rambo 2, Lethal Weapon 2, Rocky IV and a long-planned Terminator 2 were working? Maybe Arnold was uninterested or annoyed he only got a thumbs up instead of a full review. — Bill Simmons
- Arnold's schedule (Raw Deal in 86, Predator and Running Man in 87, Red Heat in 88) left room if Raw Deal or Red Heat were swapped out.
- Val Verde was reused in more than one movie by the same producer, so why did it not become the go-to fictional country like Wakanda or Zamunda? — Bill Simmons
- After landing, do they face charges, since she might have killed two cops with the rocket launcher, and what becomes of Ray Dawn and Arnold? One view says she is falling for him; another says she stayed only to see the girl.
- Of Commando 2, Roadhouse 2 with Swayze and Point Break 2 with Reeves, Point Break 2 is the bigger miss; Bodhi should return only in Point Break 4, and Fast and Furious shows the formula works. — Bill Simmons
- A Commando sequel with Danny Glover replacing Arnold is not the formula. — Kyle Brandt
Picking Nits
Healed shoulder wound; Jenny's schooling; uncomfortable father-daughter scenes; unfazed car crash; convenient seaplane pilot; flight attendant flying a seaplane; barefoot hike
In the discussion (9)
Approx. transcript time · 01:14:03Read transcript
- Arnold is shot in the shoulder, offers to fight one-armed, and two minutes later uses both arms as if the wound healed.
- The wound was needed to make the Bennett fight plausible at all, like the end of Gladiator, where Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) will not fight Russell Crowe's character unless he is wounded. — Kyle Brandt
- It is unclear whether Jenny goes to school or whether they are in hiding while still getting ice cream; the house was easy for the killers to find. — Bill Simmons
- The father-daughter opening is uncomfortable, shot like a harlequin romance with kisses on the lips and an 'I love you' sign; he carries her like a small child at the end. — Kyle Brandt
- Rae Dawn Chong's character is not upset enough when her British sports car is wrecked, and nobody is hurt in the crash. — Bill Simmons
- They conveniently find a seaplane she can fly, and she seemingly naps through the shootout. — Bill Simmons
- The seaplane base guarded by Uzi fire is in L.A., and a flight attendant trained only on a Cessna flying a seaplane is doubted. — Bill Simmons
- Why the villains did not kill the daughter once Arnold escaped is raised, then withdrawn after it is explained that they learn of the escape late; the host likens missing it to Tom Brady missing a read.
- In the opening, Arnold carries his barefoot daughter across rocks on a hike. — Shea Serrano
Apex Mountain
Rae Dawn Chong; Vernon Wells; mid-80s yellow Porsches; missile launchers; Val Verde; Bennett's chain mail
In the discussion (11)
Approx. transcript time · 01:09:09Read transcript
- Arnold is not at Apex Mountain here. — Shea Serrano
- Rae Dawn Chong is at Apex Mountain because this is what she is known for; she should have been bigger.
- Alyssa Milano is a no; the debate is whether her apex is Who's the Boss or Charmed, which airs all morning on TNT ('T&T' in the transcript), with Melrose Place also mentioned. — Bill Simmons
- Bill Duke is a no. — Bill Simmons
- For Vernon Wells, among Mad Max, Weird Science and this movie, this is probably the one people reference. — Bill Simmons
- Creem magazine is a no; mid-80s yellow Porsches are a yes, as this is probably their best use. — Bill Simmons
- Dan Hedaya is definitely not; missile launchers and bazookas are a yes as the first one that comes to mind. — Bill Simmons
- The Harold Lloyd Estate is a no because of Beverly Hills Cop; Val Verde, a fictional country made for this movie, is a yes.
- Bennett's chain mail is volunteered for Apex Mountain along with his physique; he lacks muscle for a fistfight with Arnold, possibly wearing slim-fit chain mail, and looks like he needs more steroids. — Kyle Brandt
- The wardrobe choice is blamed on 1985 cocaine; his thin arms are distracting in the fight. — Bill Simmons
- Still, Bennett is one of Arnold's toughest movie enemies and blew a 10-point lead by not simply killing him. — Shea Serrano
Displaying discussions 37 - 48 of 91 in total
Films in the archive
Commando
1985
Kindergarten Cop
1990
Predator
1987
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
1991
The Running Man
1987
The Terminator
1984
Total Recall
1990
True Lies
1994