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Runaway Train
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Runaway Train (1985) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
7.3/10   7,811 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 21% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Writers:
Djordje Milicevic (screenplay) &
Paul Zindel (screenplay) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for Runaway Train on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
17 January 1986 (USA) more
Tagline:
Once it starts, nothing can stop it! more
Plot:
Two escaped convicts and a female railway worker find themselves trapped on a train with no brakes and nobody driving. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 4 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(7 articles)
The Butcher Comes to DVD July 14th
 (From MoviesOnline. 26 June 2009, 8:00 PM, PDT)

Cinematical Seven: Terrific Train Thrills
 (From Cinematical. 11 June 2009, 8:02 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
Strong contender for the best action movie of all time! more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Jon Voight ... Manny

Eric Roberts ... Buck

Rebecca De Mornay ... Sara

Kyle T. Heffner ... Frank Barstow
John P. Ryan ... Ranken
T.K. Carter ... Dave Prince
Kenneth McMillan ... Eddie MacDonald
Stacey Pickren ... Ruby
Walter Wyatt ... Conlan
Edward Bunker ... Jonah
Reid Cruickshanks ... Al Turner (as Reid Cruikshanks)
Dan Wray ... Fat Con
Michael Lee Gogin ... Short Con
John Bloom ... Tall Con

Hank Worden ... Old Con (as Norton E. 'Hank' Warden)
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Additional Details

Runtime:
111 min
Country:
USA | Israel
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Rankcolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby
Filming Locations:
Montana, USA more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
In preparing for the role of Manny, Jon Voight spent time with prisoners in San Quentin prison. He remained in contact with some of them for years afterwards. more
Goofs:
Continuity: Near the end of the movie, the train is routed onto an unused siding (and in fact crashes through a boarded-up tunnel). But once on the other side, the track ahead of the train is clearly seen to be free of snow as another train has recently passed over it. The amount of snow observed in the previous scenes should have completely covered the tracks. more
Quotes:
Jonah: [while talking with Manny about Buck] He's a pretty good youngster, besides that he pushes the laundry cart.
[followed by Jonah and Manny laughing out loud]
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Death Wish 4: The Crackdown (1987) more
Soundtrack:
'Gloria' in D Major by Vivaldi more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
55 out of 78 people found the following comment useful:-
Strong contender for the best action movie of all time!, 2 February 2004
Author: Infofreak from Perth, Australia

'Runaway Train' is a rare thing, an intelligent action movie, full of both exciting sequences and strong character development. This combination makes it all that much more suspenseful and powerful. For me it could well be the best action movie of all time. Interestingly enough it's based on a screenplay by Kurosawa, but criminal turned novelist Edward Bunker (who plays Jonah here but is best known to most people as Mr. Blue in 'Reservoir Dogs') gets the main writing credit. Jon Voight gives one of his very best performances as Manny, but Eric Roberts is also just great. Roberts is overlooked these days, making too many b-grade and straight-to-video movies to be taken seriously, but boy, back in the day this guy was GOOD! Check him out here, and in 'Star 80', and especially 'The Pope Of Greenwich Village' with Mickey Rourke. Roberts actually scored an Oscar nomination for 'Runaway Train'. Just why his career subsequently went in the direction it did is one of the great mysteries of Hollywood. Voight and Roberts are supported by Rebecca De Mornay, super tough guy John P. Ryan ('It's Alive') and well loved character actor Kenneth McMillan. Also keep an eye out for Danny Trejo in the boxing sequence towards the very beginning of the film. 'Runaway Train' is a movie I never tire of watching. The interplay between Voight and Roberts is wonderful to watch, the action sequences are breathtaking, and the ending is one of the all time greats!

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Runaway Train (1985)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Deadman's Switch? dragonslayer_
why didn't manni just step across? (Spoilers) fergusg
'Wizard of Oz' Symbolism neojon
Would be much better without Eric Roberts madjohnw
Akira Kurosawa? ringholt
Ultimate Favourite Line from? rpdevo-2
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