The buddy cop action-comedy movie hit its heyday by the end of the 1980s with genre-defining box office winners like "48 Hrs." and "Lethal Weapon." The formula is pretty straightforward - two wise-cracking detectives, who share almost nothing in common, team up and face a barrage of messy violent drama before coming together to fight the bad guys and save the day. This formula has proven to be effective, resulting in a lot of success, with occasional bright spots in the modern era.
In 1986, a year before "Lethal Weapon" changed the game, director Peter Hyams directed this 80s flick starring two up-and-coming actors of the day, dancer Gregory Hines, and comedian Billy Crystal. Although the film didn't make any significant impact on cinema and has become largely forgotten, it remains a quality example of the genre and an entertaining film with a solid story and a memorable cast.
So jump in the spray-painted unmarked police car, don’t lose your pants, and crank up Michael McDonald’s “Sweet Freedom” as Tim Williams and guest co-hosts Gerry D from "Totally Rad Christmas" Podcast and Nicholas Pepin from "Pop Culture Roulette" Podcast I discuss “Running Scared” from 1986 on this special replay episode of the 80’s Flick Flashback podcast!
Here are some additional behind-the-scenes trivia we were unable to cover in this episode:
• When Ray and Danny were targeted by two muggers, it was obvious that the thugs were not experienced in their field. If you closely observe the tall thug in the black leather jacket, you will notice that his "pistol" was actually made up of a piece of wood with a metal rod that was kept in place by electrical tape.
• After returning from Florida, Ray wears a Tampa Bay Buccaneers hat. At the time the movie was filmed, the Buccaneers and Chicago Bears were division rivals.
Sources:
Wikipedia, IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes
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