MovieChat Forums > Running Scared (1986) Discussion > A forgotten classic?

A forgotten classic?

posted 9 years ago by sully-woodley
8 replies | jump to latest

Being such a fan if 80s movies, especially the buddy movie sub genre I'm surprised thus one took so long to come to my attention.
Maybe it's because I'm only 25, I don't know.

Anyway.
Midnight Run was my all time favourite until a few weeks ago. This one is now top of the list!
I've watched it 3 times in as many weeks.

As far as I'm concerned, the 80s were the best years for Hollywood.
Anything with Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Billy Crystal, Eddie Murphy, Danny Devito, Charlie Sheen and so so many more is just pure gold.

[–] HowYaLikeDemApplesWill 9 years ago

You had me at Charlie Sheen....

Whose idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have an "S" in it?

[–] arnomation 9 years ago

Not forgotten by me!! I've seen this movie fifty times (along with Midnight Run) but I think the late 60's and 70's are generally considered Hollywood's best years... the 80's... not so much

[–] sully-woodley 9 years ago

I meant the 80's were the best for comedy's ! Sorry.

[–] TMC-4 (20488) 5 years ago

https://thedissolve.com/features/compulsory-viewing/200-paul-scheer-on-the-forgotten-buddy-cop-movie-every/

The Dissolve: So why do you think Running Scared has fallen so far off the radar? Do you think it’s because people got in the habit of thinking of Billy Crystal as being Mr. Romantic Comedy after When Harry Met Sally, and never got out of it?

Scheer: You know, I think it’s odd. It came out in ’86, Beverly Hills Cop came out in ’84, and I’m sure there were a glut of movies where there are elements that make you feel like, “Okay, this is just kind of a riff on Beverly Hills Cop.” But it’s not. It got mixed reviews, but I think at the time it was surprisingly successful, so much so that they wanted to do a sequel. I remember reading about that when I was a kid. They wanted to do it, but they never found the right script for it. Which I’m very, very happy about, actually. I feel like that was the characters’ journey.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jViErBCuYg

[–] franzkabuki 8 years ago

I think saying that something is a "classic" implies that it's being held in high esteem by either critics or crowds or both - that it ISN'T forgotten. So, a contradiction of terms. But, yes, Running Scared looks better than most comedic cop/action movies to come out in the 1980's (and god knows there's no shortage of those); it doesn't exactly deviate from the cliches, but does the trite things reasonably well. Most importantly, about a half of the banter between Crystal and Hines is quite witty and that goes some ways. As do the A-OK action scenes, especially the railroad chase. On the other hand, the one thing that really, truly sucks, is the soundtrack saturated with those godawful 1980's power ballads with dreadful lyrics.

"facts are stupid things" Ronald Reagan

[–] arnomation 8 years ago

Agreed on the music... I would say that the soundtrack is "Classic"... classic 80's drek....

[–] MikeCable (1915) 4 years ago

I saw this movie for the first time just yesterday and don't know why I didn't see it sooner, it was fabulous. I loved Crystal and Hines together. The movie was done very well and I wish there was a sequel made. A lot of great supporting actors in it and a cool car chase.

[–] TMC-4 (20488) 4 years ago

I kind of wish that Billy Crystal had done more action movies. Running Scared is to me, to Billy Crystal, what Beverly Hills Cop was to Eddie Murphy (except that the former didn't get a sequel). Maybe because he was shortly there after, starting to make a name for himself in light, middle-aged comedies like When Harry Met Sally and City Slickers. So to go back and make gritty crime thrillers like Running Scared wouldn't have a lot of logical sense career wise. So Running Scared has more or less, become a curious blip on his resume.