True Lies is a 1994 film, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis. Harry Tasker (Arnold) : devoted father, husband, and computer salesman. Or so everyone thinks. In reality, Tasker is a spy in one of the United States government’s highest branches. As Tasker continues to keep his profession a secret from his family, his wife, Helen, begins to surreptitiously meet with a used car salesman, Simon. Upon discovering this, Tasker sets out on a personal mission to win his wife back and find out Simon’s true motives. Meanwhile, a Middle Eastern terrorist organization known as “Crimson Jihad” is on the rise, threatening nuclear war with the United States if their demands are not met. As the clock winds down, Tasker must not only fight against the bloodthirsty terrorists, but also fight to regain the trust of his family.

Budget: $120 million
Director: James Cameron
Starring:
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Tom Arnold
Jamie Lee Curtis
Bill Paxton
Tia Carrere
Eliza Dushku

This 1990 film was at the high end of special effect, action, and sci-fi back in the day. Way back in the day. Even with it’s age, it’s still a great and entertaining film. It star Arnold Schwarzenegger as an average guy who dreams of going on a real vacation. Since he can’t get that, he does the next best thing, he takes a virtual vacation. This trip of a lifetime quickly turns into a real life nightmare, as Schwarzenegger soon discovers that the people closest to him can’t be trusted, including his wife.

The quickly picks up pace as the guy tries to figure out if he’s just having a bad trip from his virtual vacation or if what’s happening to him is real. The plot comes to a head when he makes it to Mars and discovers that he is the one that had his own memories erased and sent to earth.

Budget: $65 million
Director: Paul Verhoeven
Starring:
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Rachel Ticotin
Sharon Stone
Ronny Cox
Michael Ironside

The Running Man is a premonition of two things. First, it is about a reality show, long before reality shows were a fad. The movie is all about a game show called The Running Man where convicts get a chance to regain their freedom if they outwit their pursuing killers in the TV show. That may sound barbaric enough but this is how Stephen King pictures the futuristic society as it is in his book which is the adapted basis of the movie. The other premonition the movie has pointed out to us? There was a line in which star Arnold Schwarzenegger delivered in the movie and it went like this – “I’m not into politics. I’m into survival.” Look at where he is now.

TRIVIA:

This film is loosely based on a novel written by Stephen King that he penned under the pseudonym of Richard Bachman. He wrote the story in 72 hours.