Runaway Train


1h 51m 1985

Brief Synopsis

Two escaped convicts inadvertantly jump aboard a freight train that they discover is barreling out of control, without an engineer.

Film Details

Also Known As
à bout de course
MPAA Rating
Genre
Action
Adventure
Drama
Prison
Thriller
Release Date
1985
Distribution Company
Cannon Releasing
Location
Alaska, USA

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 51m

Synopsis

Two escaped convicts inadvertantly jump aboard a freight train that they discover is barreling out of control, without an engineer.

Crew

Gale Adler

Photography

Paul Ayers

Grip

Jim Bachelor

Production Assistant

Clement Barclay

Sound Editor

Connie Barzaghi

Script Supervisor

Jim Bauman

Other

Tassilo Baur

Special Effects

Ken Beauchene

Boom Operator

Lily Benyair-gart

Makeup

Ermanno Biamonte

Other

Ray Bilger

Electrician

Peter Borck

Props

Peter Borck

Set Decorator

Bobby Bremner

Gaffer

Ray Brown

Special Effects

Heather Buchanan

Production Assistant

Perry Bullington

Casting Associate

Edward Bunker

Screenplay

Roy Burge

Sound Editor

Don Burgess

Photography

Jay Burkhart

Scenic Artist

Dwight Campbell

Key Grip

Mike Carr

Carpenter

John Casino

Stunts

Alan Caso

Camera Operator

Steve Cates

Special Effects Assistant

Phil Christon

Location Manager

Carl Ciarfalio

Stunts

Dave Clark

Painter

Dorree Cooper

Assistant Set Dresser

Keith Corder

Sound Editor

Stephen Crawford

Electrician

Peter Culverwell

Sound Editor

Jack Cummins

Assistant Director

Peter Dansie

Assistant Editor

Phil Davidson

Art Assistant

Phil Davidson

Special Effects Assistant

Mike Davis

Driver

Mark Davison

Assistant Camera Operator

Kelly Deco

Scenic Artist

Sasha Dillon

Craft Service

Catherine Dixon

Other

Lynnda Donelson

Other

Katherine Dover

Costume Designer

Anita Dreike

Assistant

Doc Duhame

Stunts

Joe Dunton

Camera

Dick Durock

Stunts

Paul Elman

Sound Editor

Susan Emshwiller

On-Set Dresser

Dan Engstrom

Sound Editor

Martin Evans

Sound Editor

Lisa Finkbohner

Other

Marc S. Fischer

Production Auditor

Edward Flotard

Driver

Richard Foreman

Photography

Warren Fox

Electrician

Mike Frift

Camera Operator

Nigel Galt

Adr Editor

Owen Garner

Hair

Owen Garner

Makeup

Owen Garner

Wardrobe

Joseph T. Garrity

Art Director

Yoram Globus

Producer

Menahem Golan

Producer

Robert A Goldston

Executive Producer

Geoffrey Griffin

Best Boy Grip

Steve Grnya

Grip

Tony Guadioz

Assistant Camera Operator

Stephan Gudju

Stunts

Amy J Hall

Production Assistant

Lynn Harrison

Assistant

Michael Hart

Sound Effects Editor

Bruce Hauer

Driver

Harry Hauss

Helicopter Pilot

John Hayward

Sound Mixer

John Hayward

Sound

Roy Helmrich

Assistant Editor

Ted Hewitt

Other

Chick Hicks

Stunts

Raymond Hirsch

Video Assist/Playback

Rick Holley

Helicopter Pilot

Beth Holmes

Costumes

Stephen Homsy

Assistant Art Director

Alan Howarth

Sound Effects

Carol Howerton

Other

Paul Hulme

Other

Alan Hume

Director Of Photography

Simon Hume

Assistant Camera Operator

Terry Jackson

Stunts

Loren Janes

Stunt Coordinator

Tony Jefferson

Grip

Soren Elung Jensen

Helicopter Pilot

Jackie Johnson

Costumes

Ken J Johnson

Sound Effects

Mike Johnson

Stunts

James Jones

Driver

James P Jones

Transportation Coordinator

Mark Jones

Production Assistant

Trevor Jones

Music Conductor

Trevor Jones

Music

Rick H Josephsen

Special Effects

Joe Killian

Driver

Nancy Jane King

Assistant Director

Robert M Klempner

Consultant

Anne Kuljian

Set Decorator

Akira Kurosawa

From Story

Christine Larson-nitzsche

Dga Trainee

Paul Laufer

Other

Dwight Lavers

Dolly Grip

Michael Laviolette

Electrician

Kara Lindstrom

Assistant Set Dresser

Larry Litton

Location Manager

Saskia Lodder

Other

Julio Macat

Camera Operator

Robert Macdonald

Casting

Colin Macrae

Art Assistant

Colin Macrae

Special Effects Assistant

Tommy Magglos

Assistant Camera Operator

Jean Malahni

Stunts

Marilyn Maney

Other

Colin Manning

Dolly Grip

Peter Manos

Auditor

Dee Mansano

Hair

Monty Mansano

Makeup

Monty Mansano

Hair

Stephen Marsh

Production Designer

Mary Mclaglen

Production Coordinator

Brian Mcmillan

Animal Wrangler

Ted Mehous

Transportation Captain

Charlie Messenger

Casting

Djordje Milicevic

Screenplay

Robin L Miller

Property Master

Sharon Morov

Other

Alan Munro

Storyboard Artist

Kassie O'connell

Production Coordinator

Michael D Pariser

Assistant Director

Christopher Pearce

Unit Production Manager

Phil Peters

Construction Coordinator

Eric Piper

Special Effects Assistant

Norman Pomeroy

Consultant

Tom Priestley

Camera Operator

Mati Raz

Associate Producer

Henry Richardson

Editor

Keith Richins

Special Effects

Bob Riggs

Special Effects

James Roddan

Sound Editor

Dennis Rose

Other

Richard Sands

Key Grip

Gary Schoeneck

Scenic Artist

Doug Schwartz

Art Assistant

Douglas Schwartz

Special Effects Assistant

Douglas Schwartz

Other

Stephen A Schwartz

Props

John-clay Scott

Stunts

Suzette Sheets

Art Assistant

Larry Shepard

Driver

Jay Sherrick

Production Assistant

Robert Skogerboe

Driver

Laura Smith

Production Assistant

Russell Solberg

Stunts

Zacharay Spoon

Production Assistant

Scott Sproule

Grip

Rina Sternfeld-allon

Other Writer

Rina Sternfeld-allon

Script Supervisor

Mick Strawn

Construction Coordinator

Pat Tagliaferro

Assistant Art Director

Greg Tavenner

Grip

Bob Terhune

Stunts

Neal Thomas

Sound Mixer

Susumu Tokunow

Sound

Sean Toohey

Production Assistant

Christina Volz

Art Assistant

Kevin Wadowski

Grip

Peter Weatherley

Editor

Henry T. Weinstein

Executive Producer

William Weppler

Other

Roger Whitmore

Executive Producer

Michael Wymore

Carpenter

Jonathan Yarborough

Driver

Paul Zindel

Screenplay

John Zumpano

Electrician

Film Details

Also Known As
à bout de course
MPAA Rating
Genre
Action
Adventure
Drama
Prison
Thriller
Release Date
1985
Distribution Company
Cannon Releasing
Location
Alaska, USA

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 51m

Award Nominations

Best Actor

1985
Jon Voight

Best Editing

1985
Henry Richardson

Best Supporting Actor

1985

Articles

Edward Bunker (1933-2005)


Edward Bunker, the tough, charismatic ex-convict who eventaully turned his life around and became a respected writer, (No Beast So Fierce) and actor (Resevoir Dogs), died in Burbank on July 19 after complications developed from a surgical procedure to improve circulation in his legs. He was 71.

He was born on December 31, 1933 in Hollywood, California to a mother who was a chorus girl in a few Busby Berkely musicals, and a father who was a studio grip; two of the lesser positions in the Hollywood hierarchy. After his parents divorced when he was four, he spent the next several years in various foster homes and juvenile reform schools. By 14, he notched his first criminal conviction for burglery; at 17, he stabbed a youth prison guard; and by 19, he was considered so violent a felon, that he became the youngest inmate ever at San Quentin.

For the next 20 years, Bunker would be in and out of prison for numerous felonies: robbery, battery, and check forgery, just to name a few. While in prison, he read the novel of another San Quentin inmate, Caryl Chessman, whose book, Cell 2455, Death Row, was a reveleation to Bunker, so he set about devoting himself to writing.

He enrolled in a correspondence course in freshman English from the University of California, and after several years of unpublished novels, he struck gold in 1973 with No Beast So Fierce. The novel, about a paroled thief whose attempt to reenter mainstream society fails, was as tough and unforgiving as anything ever written about a parolee's readjustment to the outside, and it rightfully earned Bunker acclaim as a writer to watch.

After he was released from prison in 1975, Bunker concentrated on writing and acting. His big film break happened when No Beast So Fierce was turned into the movie Straight Time (1978) starring Dustin Hoffman. He co-wrote the screenplay, and also had a small part as one of Hoffman's cronies.

Bunker's next big hit as a screenwriter and actor was Runaway Train (1985), a pulsating drama about two escaped convicts (Jon Voight and Eric Roberts) where again, he had a small role as Jonah. It was obvious by now that Bunker, with his gruff voice, unnerving gaze, broken nose, and his signature feature - a scar from a knife wound that ran from his forehead to his lip - would make a most enigmatic movie villian.

A few more roles in prominent pictures followed: The Running Man, Shy People (both 1987), Tango & Cash (1989), before he scored the best role of his career, Mr. Blue in Quentin Tarantino's celebrated cult caper Reservoir Dogs (1992). It couldn't have been easy for Bunker to hold his own in a cast of heavyweights (Harvey Keitel, Lawrence Tierney, Tim Roth and Steve Buscemi), but he did - and with a muscularly lithe style that was all his own.

After Reservoir Dogs, Bunker was in demand as a villian. His next few films: Distant Cousins (1993), Somebody to Love (1994), were routine, but he proved that he could deliver with professional, if familiar performances. Actor Steve Buscemi helped Bunker get his novel Animal Factory to the screen in 2000, with Bunker again adapting his own work for film. He was last seen as a convict, although with sharp comedic overtones, in the recent Adam Sandler farce The Longest Yard (2005). He is survived by his son, Brendan.

by Michael "Mitch" Toole
Edward Bunker (1933-2005)

Edward Bunker (1933-2005)

Edward Bunker, the tough, charismatic ex-convict who eventaully turned his life around and became a respected writer, (No Beast So Fierce) and actor (Resevoir Dogs), died in Burbank on July 19 after complications developed from a surgical procedure to improve circulation in his legs. He was 71. He was born on December 31, 1933 in Hollywood, California to a mother who was a chorus girl in a few Busby Berkely musicals, and a father who was a studio grip; two of the lesser positions in the Hollywood hierarchy. After his parents divorced when he was four, he spent the next several years in various foster homes and juvenile reform schools. By 14, he notched his first criminal conviction for burglery; at 17, he stabbed a youth prison guard; and by 19, he was considered so violent a felon, that he became the youngest inmate ever at San Quentin. For the next 20 years, Bunker would be in and out of prison for numerous felonies: robbery, battery, and check forgery, just to name a few. While in prison, he read the novel of another San Quentin inmate, Caryl Chessman, whose book, Cell 2455, Death Row, was a reveleation to Bunker, so he set about devoting himself to writing. He enrolled in a correspondence course in freshman English from the University of California, and after several years of unpublished novels, he struck gold in 1973 with No Beast So Fierce. The novel, about a paroled thief whose attempt to reenter mainstream society fails, was as tough and unforgiving as anything ever written about a parolee's readjustment to the outside, and it rightfully earned Bunker acclaim as a writer to watch. After he was released from prison in 1975, Bunker concentrated on writing and acting. His big film break happened when No Beast So Fierce was turned into the movie Straight Time (1978) starring Dustin Hoffman. He co-wrote the screenplay, and also had a small part as one of Hoffman's cronies. Bunker's next big hit as a screenwriter and actor was Runaway Train (1985), a pulsating drama about two escaped convicts (Jon Voight and Eric Roberts) where again, he had a small role as Jonah. It was obvious by now that Bunker, with his gruff voice, unnerving gaze, broken nose, and his signature feature - a scar from a knife wound that ran from his forehead to his lip - would make a most enigmatic movie villian. A few more roles in prominent pictures followed: The Running Man, Shy People (both 1987), Tango & Cash (1989), before he scored the best role of his career, Mr. Blue in Quentin Tarantino's celebrated cult caper Reservoir Dogs (1992). It couldn't have been easy for Bunker to hold his own in a cast of heavyweights (Harvey Keitel, Lawrence Tierney, Tim Roth and Steve Buscemi), but he did - and with a muscularly lithe style that was all his own. After Reservoir Dogs, Bunker was in demand as a villian. His next few films: Distant Cousins (1993), Somebody to Love (1994), were routine, but he proved that he could deliver with professional, if familiar performances. Actor Steve Buscemi helped Bunker get his novel Animal Factory to the screen in 2000, with Bunker again adapting his own work for film. He was last seen as a convict, although with sharp comedic overtones, in the recent Adam Sandler farce The Longest Yard (2005). He is survived by his son, Brendan. by Michael "Mitch" Toole

Quotes

Trivia

Miscellaneous Notes

Wide Release in United States December 6, 1985

Released in United States Fall January 17, 1986

Began shooting February 25, 1985.

Film is dedicated to the memory of Rick Holley.

Wide Release in United States December 6, 1985

Released in United States Fall January 17, 1986