{"id":26379,"date":"2025-02-03T21:47:10","date_gmt":"2025-02-03T21:47:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/?p=26379"},"modified":"2025-02-04T07:42:49","modified_gmt":"2025-02-04T07:42:49","slug":"film-rambo-first-blood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/?p=26379","title":{"rendered":"FiLM: Rambo, First Blood"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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I have to admit I love Rambo, First Blood<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Okay, it\u2019s a bit gonzo. But it\u2019s great entertainment. Stallone is perfect as the taciturn Nam vet, John Rambo, who freaks out and goes native, when uptight local Sherriff, Will Teasle tries to boot him out of town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hope!? Ha!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Dennehey\u2019s Teasle is a real Jerkwater jerk.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Based on the 1972 novel, First Blood<\/em>, by Canadian author David Morrell, you could actually make a case, as nutso Hollywood as the movie is, that the story is a little bit prophetic, in terms of the idea of America\u2019s exported wars coming home to roost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Morrell himself puts it (read more here<\/a>): <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I decided to write a novel about a returning Vietnam veteran who brings the war to the United States\u2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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On screen\u2026<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Setting aside the basic idea of the story, based on the idea of spurned \u2018war hero\u2019 veterans, unable to assimilate, it\u2019s just a damn well put together piece of movie making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Terrific actors giving really solid performances, in great locations. Well shot and directed. Nicely paced, and with loads of terrific scenarios: from chases, to hunting in the woods, or ravines; mining tunnel exploration; even a siege of the local police station!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Behind the camera.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Once again, author and Rambo creator Morrell puts it well:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2026 I love the movie. Ted Kotcheff\u2019s direction, Jerry Goldsmith\u2019s music, Andrew Laszlo\u2019s photography, Sylvester Stallone\u2019s acting, Richard Crenna, on and on. It\u2019s a terrific movie that seems more realistic with each year because its action scenes don\u2019t use computer effects. The realism of the stunts is amazing.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

In Morell\u2019s book, Col. Trautman kills Rambo. In the movie, he doesn\u2019t. Allowing the sequels\/franchise. Watching this makes me want to re-watch the sequels. And plenty of other Sly stuff, like Rocky, and that early movie with the Tom Waits tunes\u2026 what\u2019s it called?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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