I went and saw Edgar Wright’s new adaptation of The Running Man earlier – I absolutely love the original (older viewers will remember we used to give away copies on DVD as competition prizes), we enjoyed this in a different way – pleased to see it has retained its dystopian TV show gags (including a running joke built around an unexpected reference to Holly Johnson’s 1989 hit Americanos) and it hits a lot of familiar beats in a remixed way, although it’s certainly feels much closer to the Richard Bachman book where it’s more of a long-form open-world reality show. There’s an element of having its cake and eating it with the ending, which without spoiling too much, looks like it might end the same way as the book but then… doesn’t. Some fun world building and direction (and an unusual bit where it basically turns into Home Alone), and fans of Glen Powell not wearing clothes are catered for.
For me I think I will always prefer the 80s futurism of the original, Arnie, the Faltermeyer soundtrack, Richard Dawson, Mick Fleetwood, but it’s pleasing that another version that has been made that’s both very similar yet completely different and is well worth a watch.
I guess while we’re on the topic, what did you think of The Long Walk 2025? Didn’t you once say you were going to see it?
Yes it was good, although if The Running Man is bleak but comic, The Long Walk is pretty relentlessly bleak.
Not on topic – but Samsung TV has a Who Wants To Be A Millionaire FAST channel. If only they’d bring back Cash Cab Canada/US on So Real
Yes this seems to have recently popped up on LG TVs as well.