On this day June 6, 1986, Raw Deal premiered in theaters, adding another chapter to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s rise in 80s action cinema. Directed by John Irvin, the film followed a disgraced former FBI agent who is recruited to infiltrate the Chicago mob under a false identity in exchange for a shot at redemption.
With a budget of 11.5 million dollars, Raw Deal earned 16.2 million at the box office. While it didn’t reach the commercial heights of some of Schwarzenegger’s other 80s hits, the film delivered on the gritty action, shootouts, and tough guy one liners fans had come to expect.
The movie combined mob drama with explosive violence and served as a transitional project for Schwarzenegger between his science fiction blockbusters and more grounded crime thrillers. It also helped maintain his on screen momentum leading into later classics like Predator and The Running Man.
80s insight: Raw Deal showed the wide range of action styles that filled 80s theaters. Even without a futuristic setting or fantasy angle, the film fit right into the era’s appetite for lone wolf heroes and hard hitting justice.
With a budget of 11.5 million dollars, Raw Deal earned 16.2 million at the box office. While it didn’t reach the commercial heights of some of Schwarzenegger’s other 80s hits, the film delivered on the gritty action, shootouts, and tough guy one liners fans had come to expect.
The movie combined mob drama with explosive violence and served as a transitional project for Schwarzenegger between his science fiction blockbusters and more grounded crime thrillers. It also helped maintain his on screen momentum leading into later classics like Predator and The Running Man.
80s insight: Raw Deal showed the wide range of action styles that filled 80s theaters. Even without a futuristic setting or fantasy angle, the film fit right into the era’s appetite for lone wolf heroes and hard hitting justice.
