Exploring Running Scared (1986) - Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines in an action movie? 

When I was 11 or possibly 12, I met both Gregory Hines and Billy Crystal during the filming of this movie. It was the funeral scene. The cemetary was on Clark st, in Chicago, 2 blocks away from my house. 2 of the nicest, most down to earth guys I've ever met. Billy even indulged my little brother and I in his famous "You look Maaahvelous" line and Gregory, when telling him I wanted to be dancer when I grew up, showed me a tap step or two. He told me I could be whatever I wanted to be as long as I had the passion, determination and drive. It has always stuck with me. RIP, Gregory.

This was a great film. RIP Gregory Hines.

Best buddy cop movie ever. The chemistry between Crystal and Hines seems so natural. I love the part where the little boy is flipping Gregory Hines off behind his mom’s back.

"Oh hey I love this movie, I wonder what became of those involved" "Oh no, liver cancer" "WAIT NO HANDS?"

This movie reminds me of my parents and all of us watching it on VHS in the late 80s. Gregory Hines was an icon gone too soon.

I love this movie Hines and Crystal made a great team.

I know it sounds weird but for years my go to for "Cop Movies" was "Action Jackson" & "Running Scared" they just felt more enjoyable than everything that came out at the time. Both are definitely underated.

Can't believe this movie celebrates its 35th Anniversary!! I'm glad that MGM didn't make a sequel, because the chemistry and tone setting from Gregory Hines and Billy Crystal makes this buddy cop action comedy works. That's why I miss the ones that faded into obscurity and are overshadowed. Movies like Running Scared and Midnight Run, you can watch over and over again, and still love the characters! Thanks, Cecil!!

Also henchman extraordinaire Al Leong has a brief uncredited appearance in Running Scared. He plays a henchman.

One of my favorite quotes that nobody ever recognizes: "You are the detectives. Go, and detect!"

This movie has always had a special place in my heart. It is brilliant.

A few years back, my father (who, unfortunately, has passed away) showed "Running Scared" to me, and I have loved the movie ever since. There's not a dull moment in "Running Scared," mainly because of the humorous interactions between Bill Crystal and Gregory Hines; what a great pairing of actors! Thank you for giving this movie some coverage, which it greatly deserves!

This and 2 years later Midnight Run are good pair for me.

Running Scared was such a fun and entertaining film with a wonderful cast!

I used to watch this all the time on HBO back then. There is a really funny moment in the "making of" short that was also on HBO. Hines and Crystal were supposed to burst into a room shooting guns, but in the first take they both couldn't resist instinctively making "bang bang" sounds, much to their own surprise! They looked like they were having a great time.

Shine sweet freedom Shine your light on me You are the magic You're right where I want to be Oh sweet freedom carry me along We'll keep the spirit alive on and on!

The car chase was phenomenal, one of the finest of the 80s

I love this movie so much. The chemistry between Hines and Crystal is simply amazing!

I love this movie. Billy and Gregory had great chemistry and I wished they worked on more projects together. RIP, Gregory.

I saw this one in the theater. And DAMN, that song was huge even for 1986.

I love this movie, and used to watch it on TV whenever it was on. Also, can we just acknowledge how many great films and scenes exist because Alan Ladd Jr. gave directors the green light?

One of my favorite movies of all time. Without Running Scared, there would be no Lethal Weapon, which I also love. But not as much as Running Scared. Thanks for this Cecil!!

That's the fun thing about cold Midwest winters, anything below freezing = no snow. Freezing, grey, dark, dead grass. Gotta love it

I watched this in a theater with my best friend. We laughed, we were entertained, we bought this on VHS and DVD; this really set a benchmark for buddy-cop movies. If you have not seen it, please - do yourself a favor, watch and discover this gem.

Love this movie. Favorite scene is when Gregory Hines gives the celebratory middle fingers to the little kid in the apartment. That cracks me up every time because that’s something I would probably do.

This is a nice little gem of the 80s. The action isn’t the best frankly but Crystal and Hines make such a great buddy cop team.

Rest In Power Gregory Hines. This movie and WHITE NIGHTS were among his best.

Going to screen this for the whole apartment building.

Love this movie. Own it on all media. So freaking good, and I don't understand why it's largely forgotten.

My favorite cop buddy movie of all time. Must have seen it dozens of times!

I *still* get Sweet Freedom stuck in my head on occasion.

Remains one of my absolute favorites of the genre. So underrated.

I love this movie. Larry Hankin was great as "Ace", the police mechanic. He was in a couple of episodes of Breaking Bad as the owner of a scrap yard. I like to think that his character in Running Scared got tired of the Chicago winters and he moved to New Mexico. I love Wolfen, too! You should do that movie next!

My buddies and I used to go to a local theater where it was easy to sneak into other movies. We'd watch 3 movies each visit. This was one of the movies we snuck into on a lark, and ended up enjoying it.

This has gotta be the most underrated of the entire line of 80s Buddy Cop movies. And one of my all-time favorites as a Chicagoan.

Can everyone just take a moment to realize how much hard work Cecil puts into these videos all the little facts that he comes up with etc etc etc. That's what makes your channel stick out from the rest.

Kicking back listening to good bad flicks and feeling cozy with an amazing story teller at the helm. Thanks!

One of my all time favorite films. I don't think it would have been as good as if they cast anyone other than Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines (RIP). And holy shit Sweet Freedom. I've never been much of a fan of the adult contemporary genre but this film made me a believer of Michael McDonald. Him and Christopher Cross. Sailing and Arthur's Theme, man. Total guilty pleasures.

This has been one of my ABSOLUTE favorite 80’s movies and I believe I’ve seen it at least thirty times (it was CONSTANTLY on HBO for Years)

This was one of the films that started the buddy cop action comedy genre!

All I knew about this picture as a kid was my woodworks teacher in High School with other students who saw the film, recreated the "Oh Nooooo" exchange and laughed at their own joke. So naturally, I avoided this film and never wanted to see it.

One of my all time favourite films. Effortlessly witty, intelligent and exciting, all topped off with a great soundtrack. It's a crime that this isn't more lauded than it is.

I absolutely loved this film when I was a teenager. And the terrible pan-and-scan VHS transfer helped convince me that letterbox was better.

This 'exploration' took me back to the 80's....I was a teenager when this flick came out and I remember not wanting to see it but my girlfriend convinced me. Man, was I wrong! Crystal and Hines were amazing as the leads, and I wore out my VHS copy of it. I never knew the work involved in making it so thank you for shedding some light on it, Cecil. It's a must watch for anyone who wants to see to see a buddy cop film with some real heart, some rugged action and laughter to spare. Always wanted that sequel, but sometimes just being able to watch it again is good enough.

Remember watching this on HBO and surprisingly loving it.

This has always been one of my favorite comedies ever.

I love that they set the film in Chicago. It had great dialogue and jokes.

I’ve been watching your vids for awhile now. I’m so glad you picked this movie!! My dad took me to see this when I was a kid and I loved it. (Saw plenty of movies as a little kid growing up in NYC I shouldn’t have…ahhh the ‘80’s were a different time lol) I always felt “Lethal Weapon” owed a lot to this film even though they released pretty close to one another. Thanks again for this!!

As someone who grew up in the subs of Chicago but now lives and works in the city proper, it's nice seeing some of the scenery of the city from when I was still too young to see it myself. The Thompson center....still looks pretty much the same.

Featuring the Michael McDonald hit Sweet Freedom, which is hilariously fun to figure out the lyrics to.

The studio didn't think Crystal could carry a film? Did they SEE that rainbow sweater? !

Oh my gosh!!!!! This is one of my favorite buddy cop movie of all time!!!!! Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines chemistry was absolutely amazing and they played off each other so well. So many quotable lines in this movie as well. "Turn to your left.....not you sir the suspect" "That Is Him.... You Bastard!!!" Super funny movie thank you for covering it

This was an excellent movie. Nice to get a reminder that it even existed

How have I never seen or even heard of this movie!??! Thank you Cecil for once again for putting this gem on my radar.

I love this movie. These two actors riffed off of each other so well.

I’m 45. I saw This film in the theater with my day so it holds a special pace for me as my father passed in 2009. Thanks for this. Thanks for an amazing channel as well.

This was my favorite buddy copy movie and watched it on VHS about 20 times as a kid. Their chemistry is amazing.

Gregory Hines went on to play a cop a couple more times in 1988's "Off Limits" and 1991's "Eve of Destruction" (really liked that one, and enjoyed Hines in many of his roles in general).

I’ve been waiting for someone to review this movie, this is a gem of a movie. It’s the precursor to all 80 / 90 buddy cop movies. Love this gem

Yes! "Running Scared" is one of my favorite 80's flicks. Thanks for exploring!

This movie is one of my all-time favorites.

This movie is great. I went to see it in the theatre as a kid and loved it. I’m often shocked when people haven’t heard of it.

Seeing this as a teen in the 80's ... it was one of those movies that you talked about for a long time, and informed your library of quotes and in-jokes. And you are absolutely right, the balance of tone was perfect.

Fantastic movie. I discovered it by accident when I left the TV on and TVLand aired it one weekend. Since then it's been a personal favorite. Great chemistry, great soundtrack, the best carchase ever filmed and a wonderfully feel-good ending. Underrated doesn't begin to describe it

This was a fun film. I remember my high school film class showed it because the teacher wanted to show a Chicago film, but one no one in the class knew about. It's funny how both film classes I took both had showed films that had Gregory Hines in it. High school was this, College they showed us the Cotton Club. My personal favorite Gregory Hines flick though is Eve of Destruction. He was such an underrated actor.

Love Gregory Hines. Love Billy Crystal. Love Peter Hyams. Love Rod Temperton (he was a genius). Love Michael McDonald. Love GBF. Why haven't I seen this movie yet?!

Ah, loved this back in the day. Saw it on VHS multiple times too. Thanks for the great memories!

As a kid when this started coming on tv, it was one of first regular movies my mom and dad liked and recommended to me. I usually stuck to sci-fi, horror and Mel Brooks. Coincidentally History of the World Part 1 was the first film I sat and watched with my dad.

I need a 10 hour clip of Gregory Hines flipping that kid off with the double birds ASAP

Oh, love this movie! Watched it like 20 times on the MGM network last year!

This movie really got it right. Great chemistry between the Crystal and Hines. I was expecting a sequel but never got it.

Running Scared is in the top five of my favorite cop buddy films. I say it is #5 after Stakeout, 48hrs and Lethal Weapon 1 & 2. I love this film and I loved reading Gary DeVore's original screenplay set in NYC with the two old cops. I have to say, though, that 90% of the comic situations were in his script! Taking Snake's money in the beginning, going to the funeral w/the two muggers, etc...granted Crystal & Huston added to the comedy, but they stayed very faithful to DeVore's script which is amazing considering how often writer's are rewritten. A side note: This was NOT Peter Hyams first foray into the cop buddy film genre. He made the underrated film Busting in 1974 with Elliot Gould and Robert Blake.

I loved this film when I first discovered it years ago, and I love it just as much now.

Back then me and my friends would go out to see a movie every Friday night, especially during the Summer. We loved the hell out of this movie.

Perfect summation of this film. First time I caught it was on a flight to the US in the 80's. It was the airplane version so the swearing was replaced but I got the humour. I finally saw it a couple years later on VHS and it blew my mind that the film wasn't more popular at the time. Very underrated.

My all time favourite buddy cop film which I think is totally underrated. I had a copy on pirate VHS in the 80's and pretty much wore the tape out. Brilliant chemistry between Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines and handed with style and pace by the ever excellent Peter Hyams. Me and friends would quote lines from the film - much to the annoyance of parents and teachers ;)

I attended a screening of this film during my high school years. From a genre perspective, it can be considered the pioneering "buddy cop/comedy/action" movie before Lethal Weapon. Distinguishing itself from "48 Hours," which was more of a buddy movie than a buddy cop film due to the dynamic between Nick, a police officer, and Eddie, a convict. This distinction becomes evident as Eddie ultimately returns to prison by the movie's conclusion. Running scared was technically the 1st

I saw _Running Scared_ when it came out; I loved it. I always remember Crystal speaking to the gang below, referring to Pantoliano's character having "hair like a parakeet," about which I always think whenever I see Joe Pantoliano...

I saw the film when it was first released and thought it was GREAT! Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines were a great team on screen and I wish we could have had more! I totally would have watched this had they decided to turn it into a TV series - with the original leads of course!

This is a video store classic, my family rented in the nineties so many times.

Born and raised in Chicago. I loved seeing the city and actual places and locations I knew in the movie.

Thanks for covering this, it's a favorite movie that seemingly no one has heard of.

Peter Hyams is F..ing AMAZING director!

After years of watching, I finally got the Mrs. to watch your channel with me. She loves your explore series and I’m glad that I get to share my favorite movie buff with my favorite lady. Hope you are doing well, brother.

used to love this film as a kid, was on TV every now and again but never knew what it was called to track it down at the video store so it was a real treat when we stumbled across it on the TV.

Such an underrated movie. I could watch this over and over with the chemistry between Hines and Crystal.

There are some Peter Hyams movies I love despite their assorted flaws _(Capricorn One, The Star Chamber, 2010, Stay Tuned),_ some I tolerate _(Outland, The Presidio, Narrow Margin),_ and some I _wish_ I could just forget _(The Relic, Timecop, Sudden Death, End of Days)._ The ultimate factor is _almost_ always the cast--or rather, the ratio of the quality of the cast versus the idiocy of the story or rushed feel of the script--but I didn't realize that until watching this video. _Running Scared_ is the only one I have always loved unequivocally. It's an absolute gem. Every moment Crystal or Hines is onscreen is a delight, and when they're together it is glorious. The soundtrack has been glued to the wall in my brain since the movie came out on VHS.

This is one of my favorite movies ever.

Fun Fact: Gary Loftin, the famous stunt driver for the picture, was also the mysterious truck driver for Duel. Spielberg's first film.

Awesome, buddy cop movie! They played off each so well, flawless and seamless. Their chemistry just draws you in laughing no matter what!

Wow, what a forgotten gem... Thanx for brininging it back, Cecil!!

this movie is a hidden gem great cast and so funny

I remember watching this movie on HBO as a kid. Thanks for putting a name with my memory!

"This is crazy!" "We're making great time"

00:45* Hyams is also a cinematographer as well, having used real or natural lighting in all his movies to give it a more realistic feel.

I loved this film when I viewed with on HBO with my parents in the 1980s, and when I re-visited it as an adult, my fondness for it grew. Yeah, I thought Billy Crystal & Gregory Hines were magic together, and I don't recall another role in which Crystal was any cooler. What a fantastic cast overall, with Jimmy Smits, Steven Bauer, Darlanne Fluegel, Jon Gries, Dan Hedaya, Joe Pantoliano...geez. Great content as usual, with really enlightening information!

Yep, a highly underrated good *good* flick. 😉 I remember watching it a few times, since it was something new in its time.

This movie was BADDASS‼️ You’re right it was lightning in a bottle. This is one movie that deserves 2 sequels. It’s a shame they couldn’t come to a compromise. ABSOLUTELY hilarious! “Habla Smith & Wesson?” 🤣🤣🤣🤣

I still love, and watch, this movie. Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines' best movie, IMO Just finished the vid and thank you for this. I've never heard all of this good behind the scenes info before and I'm amazed. 👏👏👏 That tag is one of my favorite parts of the movie 😂🤣🙃 Thanks again, man

What a boost of nostalgia this has given me. I loved this movie as a teenager. Great to hear so much about how it was made now that I'm old enough to appreciate such things. Thanks a mil Cecil :D