Arena Wars (DVD) – Here is a fun sci-fi B-flick that is set in the future… 2045 to be exact that has appearances of some cool stars in Michael Madsen, Eric Roberts, and Robert Lasardo. The film revolves a streaming TV show called “Arena Wars”: Seven rooms, seven extreme murderers, with a group of death row prisoners being sent through without weapons to survive. If they make it through the violence of course they are promised freedom. If not it’s no big loss to the legal system since the inmates are on death row. Of course everyone from all walks of life watches the show but TV execs are very concern with ratings as they seem to be in a downslide. So why not make a hero for the people to get behind? In comes Luke Bender who is innocent and undercover but to the TV execs this doesn’t matter as they have access to all prisoner info for their TV show. What also doesn’t help the execs ultimate financial goal is their killers or ‘specially formulated soldiers’ formula may not be working any longer? The execs are all in on Bender but Bender is not all in on their idea as he and his group are gaining support as they move through the rooms. Many small and big Indy projects have tried this “The Running Man” formula and failed. ‘Arena Wars’ has found an entertaining and watchable way of presenting itself as to me it feels like Arnold’s “The Running Man” of course, mixed with the lesser known “Final Round” with Lorenzo Lamas, with a splash of the recent horror film “Haunt” which means some good bloodshed! Sounds like a great screwed up future to me so I’m in as I give this action filled flick 3 out of 4 stars.