More power to you!!
Genesis of LMR & HPR.
Movie Special Effects
- The Running Man -
Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold is boosted into the transportation tube to the game field. Three solid rocket motors boost the man sized and man weight sled. These scenes were shot in a Hollywood, CA studio.
Killian (Richard Dawson) announces the new participant in the game field and rocket boost can be seen in the launch tube. These scenes were shot in a Hollywood, CA studio.
Once the sled enters the game field retro rockets decelerated the man sized actual real sled (no wimpy cgi here) with a pair of J1000 solid rocket motors. These scenes were shot in a downtown Los Angeles, CA flood control basin with a large proximate audience of set extras and movie crew numbering in the hundreds. The net was the final breaking system and was never burned through in many takes.
The character who had a flamethrower and rocket pack power was played by football legend Jim Brown. We boosted him with dual solid rocket motors thrusting to both sides and his Nomex pants kept him safe if a bit toasty. These scenes were shot in two locations. One in Fontana, CA at the former Kaiser Steel Plant on a quarry pile and near a furnace building, and another in downtown Los Angeles, CA at the Museum of Contemporary Art. About a dozen takes in all were done with no misfires or incidents, and we managed to not even kill Jim Brown. Thanks Jim. You are a real trooper!.
Jim Brown fires the flamethrower WHILE under rocket power for maximum effect and to enter the game in style!
The finale of the movie has the character played by Arnold Schwarzenegger putting Killian played by Richard Dawson into a man size and weight sled and boosting him into the game zone. Except the retro motors and safety apparatus were disabled, and in a bit of irony, Killian is boosted to his death through a billboard with his own image hocking the sponsor's beverage. We shot this scene on location in Fontana, CA at the former Kaiser Steel Plant near a quarry pile and he is boosted by 2 K675 and 2 J1000. The sled was launched from a ramp over 100 feet through the air to get the segment you see in the movie and if I dare say so myself, we hit the bullseye on the first take. We hit the spot! I love it when a plan comes together!
Our screen credits from The Running man - Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, includes Jerry Irvine who did all of the pyro and mechanical work, "Crazy-Chuck" Rogers who co-wrote with Jerry Irvine a special program to estimate the ballistics on the finale shot including wheel drag on the dolly used to roll the sled up the ramp, and Tom Johnson who made some of the earlier motors for the first set of takes and the legendary K675's. Not mentioned was Scott Dixon of Vulcan Systems (the production company would only give us the top 3 choices of credits) who made some really kick-ass J1000 motors by contract, and Tom Kolis who did in-house photography for USR and has some cool behind the scenes slides of production.
Here is a short video of our screen credits from The Running man - Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. It is a 2.0mb quicktime video. "Cadre Cola, it hits the spot!"
| Top Gun - Starring Tom Cruise |
U.S. Rockets (Dealer)
Box 1242
Claremont, CA 91711 USA
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