Operamania 101: Dy-Na-Mo!

Raise your hand if you've watched an Arnold Schwarzenneger movie? Raise your hand if you like at least one Arnie movie? C'mon, I know you're out there.

I won't deny it. I like watching "save the day" action movies because of the IMAX sized screen, Dolby/THX surround sound and the larger than life stars who are all about the kicking a** and taking names.

In 1987, a Stephen King novel called The Running Man made its way to the big screens, starring Arnie, Maria Conchita Alonso, ex-wrestler Jesse Ventura and Mr Velveeta himself, Richard Dawson of Family Feud fame.

In the not too distant future, convicted criminals known as "runners" could seek a pardon by out-dodging/outwitting executioners aka "stalkers" in a gladiator-type, reality tv game show being broadcasted from underground.

Influenced by the 80s popularity of WWF, I'm sure, these stalkers are outfitted in ridiculous costumes and weaponry, as well as having cheesy alias' such as Sub-Zero, Fireball, Buzzsaw, Captain Freedom and...Dynamo, the opera-singing stalker.



Click here to see Dynamo make his entrance by singing the aria from Act III of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro.

Now click play to hear the real deal, Vedro, mentr'io sospiro.

Dynamo is perhaps the most comical of all the hitmen. His gladiator-like costume consists of flashing lights, reminiscent of a Christmas tree and a Marvin the Martian/hoplite helmet. His weapon of choice is the Wainwright Electrical Launcher, a taser type gun. Dynamo hunts down his prey in a dune buggy, all while singing arias from Italian operettas.

In the pursuit of Arnie, Dynamo's dune buggy is flipped, pinning him inside the vehicle. Arnie refuses to kill Dynamo.

However, Dynamo does bite it spectacularly in the end, in a laugh out loud electrocution scene when he tries to rape Maria Conchita Alonso and she shoots up the sprinkler system above them thus short-circuitng his electrical power pack. But not before the viewers sees him in all his glory; the opera-singing Dynamo in his granny panties.

You can't beat the 80s in action movies with its body counts and wisecracking one-liners. Hello, Bruce Willis and Sly Stallone?

Ah, they just don't make movies like that anymore.

Thanks to Sean for letting me know about this opera related find!

~ Ling Chan