| | | | Thunder Run
(1986) |
h, the action icons of the 1980's... Sylvester Stallone, Arnold
Schwarzenegger, Chuck Norris, Mel Gibson, Forrest Tucker....
Forrest Tucker??!
Yes, Cannon does it again! After pretty much cornering the market on martial arts superstars during the 1980s (Chuck Norris, the American Ninja series) they set out to corner the market on the "elder statesmen" of action, first by signing Charles Bronson to an exclusive contract, then by signing veteran action icon (and former "F Troop" star) Forrest Tucker to star in the "Mad Max" inspired "Thunder Run".
Tucker plays Charlie Morrison, a retired trucker and former Korean War vet, who is trying (and pretty much failing) to make a go of a cobalt mine in his retirement. Desperate for money, he is approached by his old war friend George, now a successful independent contractor, to help lure a terrorist group (led by Alan Rachins, later of "Dharma and Greg") out of hiding by acting as "bait".
Charlie will be paid $250,000 to transport a shipment of plutonium through 200 miles of desert to a military base, with the terrorists waiting in ambush. But they soon find out the old man has a few tricks up his sleeve, including molatov cocktails, oversized stacks, a rig that can jump over trains (!) and, as Charlie explains after one head-scratching escape, "Spage Age Plastic, Son!".
Suffice to say, if watching one of Cannon's typical multi-racial terrorist groups (their makeup is similar to that of the "inner-city gang" in DEATH WISH 3) led by Dharma's dad (almost unrecognizable with the facial scar used to easily identify him as a "bad guy") and utilizing an arsenal of weapons including Volkswagen buggies with mounted heat-seeking missiles to attack Sergeant O'Rourke of "F Troop", "Thunder Run" is right up your alley!
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Easily identifiable as a classic piece of 1980's cheese with its "twist" ending (think DEATH WISH 4 for a similar one), its synth-heavy soundtrack and its youthful sidekick, and with the added appeal of being Forrest Tucker's final theatrical release, "Thunder Run" developed a cult following with repeated cable showings on Showtime and The Movie Channel in the late 1980s.
Tucker is his usual solid self, some 45 years (!) after his debut as an action hero (1941's EMERGENCY LANDING) and he has an old pro to work with in John Ireland (later of Bronson's MESSENGER OF DEATH, also from Cannon). The stunt with a truck jumping a train is truly exciting, and the aforementioned VW's account for one of the truly memorable sights in 1980's action.
On the minus side, there are some lousy performances among the obviously inexperienced supporting cast, and it takes about half the film to get to the real action. Also, the low budget hurts at times.
But on the whole, another fond mid-1980s memory, courtesy of Cannon.
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THUNDER RUN was Forrest Tucker's final theatrical film. He died of cancer on October 25, 1986, just five months after it was released. 
Stunt Co-ordinator Rod Amateau was well-known as a TV director from the 1950's (DOBIE GILLIS, BURNS & ALLEN) to the 1980s (DUKES OF HAZZARD).
A suprising number of the stunts are identical to ones seen in "The Fast and The Furious" (2001).
Clifford Wenger, Jr., to whom the film was dedicated, was the son of producer/writer Carol Lynn and Clifford Wenger, Sr. who wrote and handled special effects on "Thunder Run". A special effects artist himself, the younger Wenger died in an accident during the filming of RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD PART TWO.
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check out this list: ..... Angel ..... Raiders of the Lost Ark ..... Beverly Hills Cop ..... Die Hard ..... Predator ..... Terminator ..... Black Rain ..... 48 HRS ..... Untouchables ..... Lethal Weapon ..... Rocky IV ..... Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior ..... Top Gun ..... Highlander ..... Streets Of Fire ..... Commando .....[More]
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For the scene in which the prospective buyer's (of the cobalt mine) car is demolished, Eric Roberts' convertible was used. Although the car had just been fitted with a new engine, Roberts was never really fond of it (obviously!).
It took ten days to construct the set and film the scene in which the truck "Thunder" jumps over a train.
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|  |  |  | | Thunder Run
Locations |
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Thunder Run was filmed in Laughlin, Nevada (the casino scenes) and in Bullhead City, Arizona.
Can you help? Do you know any of the filming locations used for Thunder Run? [Please send them in]
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No information known about the release of the soundtrack, though there are the following synth-heavy, VERY 1980s songs heard during the film:
"Thunder Run", "Born to Rock" and "Hard Times" were performed by David Morgan. "Little Black Book" was performed by Geoff Leib.
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Soundtrack Available:
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