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Capt. Nemo
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
630 Posts |
 Posted - 08/12/2006 : 6:37:55 PM
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For those of you who wanted to see it and couldn't rent the proper DVD and didn't want to buy it, here it is:
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg7wy4X0Y8c"]First Blood's Alternate Ending.[/url]
As I said before, I don't think it works because it doesn't fit with the overall theme of the film.
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"Ward, the Beaver blew up the 7-11 again."
"I'll have a talk with him Dear" |
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Neville
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
Spain
1590 Posts |
Posted - 08/13/2006 : 5:04:00 PM
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It would have worked if they had been doing a straight adaptation of the book by David Morrell. In it, Rambo is not vindicated, nor his exploits have any clear political interpretation. He is simply a Vietnam vet who's gone through all sorts of thraumatic experiences and is losing it.
I once read an interview with Stallone where he said he always felt doing "First Blood" would be the end of his career, as he couldn't expect audiences would like Rambo as much as they did. I don't think they would have done if they hadn't changed so many things from the book. |
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Capt. Nemo
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
630 Posts |
Posted - 08/13/2006 : 9:50:47 PM
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David Morrell said the story was "Vietnam in miniature."
I think the movie captured that beautifully.
And that's why I think the ending they went with works. In Vietnam, we fought battles here and there. People were hurt on both sides. Even though we won most of the battles, in the end, our soldiers were told to stand down and walk away.
Which is why I think the scenes of Rambo being told "this mission is over," his mental breakdown, and then being led off the battlefield in handcuffs works.
The fact the sheriff also lived was a good move because neither side was destroyed by the war. The Communist Vietnamese were still alive when we left and America would go on to prosperity and defeating the Russians.
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"Ward, the Beaver blew up the 7-11 again."
"I'll have a talk with him Dear" |
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Neville
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
Spain
1590 Posts |
Posted - 08/14/2006 : 04:21:07 AM
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| I still don't like some things on the movie, such as the Sheriff being a movie villain, whereas in the book his actions, although still questionable, had a reason, or more specially turning Rambo into a hero. In the book he murders in cold blood all those cops and even civilians who try to track him down in the forest. |
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Capt. Nemo
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
630 Posts |
Posted - 08/14/2006 : 09:06:13 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Neville
I still don't like some things on the movie, such as the Sheriff being a movie villain, whereas in the book his actions, although still questionable, had a reason, or more specially turning Rambo into a hero. In the book he murders in cold blood all those cops and even civilians who try to track him down in the forest.
I guess I would need to know what your interpretation of a "movie villian" is. That term I take to mean scumy, rich and powerful types who punch ladies and slap babies.
Sheriff Teasle is an interesting character because he is such a nice guy. When we first see him he's walking out of the police station and saying "Good Morning" to everyone he meets. He just happens to have a mean streak whenever someone disrespects his authority. When Rambo first escapes, the sheriff is only interested in capturing Rambo. But that changes when his friend falls out of the helicopter. From then on, his plans are to kill Rambo by his own hand.
And secondly, this movie has no heroes. This movie is about two guys who let their egos get out of control. That's another reason this movie is interesting. Both guys are trying to prove who the better man is.
As for the book, you definately have a point. In fact, I'll bet they were thinking of that when they remade First Blood with the Benicio Del Toro and Tommy Lee Jones movie The Hunted. In that one, the Rambo-esce character definately kills innocent people because he can no longer interpret civilian life from his missions.
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"Ward, the Beaver blew up the 7-11 again."
"I'll have a talk with him Dear" |
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Neville
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
Spain
1590 Posts |
Posted - 08/14/2006 : 10:07:48 AM
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Yeah, I was about to mention The hunted as well, as it shows a Rambo-esque character in a much darker fashion. Now, regarding Sheriff Teasle, I said they turned him into a movie villain because in the book he is a round character, with his light and dark places, whereas in the movie he turns out much more cartoonish.
BTW, I'm starting to remember more things from the book (it's been years since I last read it), and I think the Rambo-Teasle confrontation was also built around a generational conflict. Teasle is an integrated Korea veteran, whereas Rambo is an non-integrated Vietnam veteran, and despite their animadversion there's also traces of respect in the way they think of each other. At least I remember a paragraph where Rambo is shocked to know Teasle was in Choisin Reservoir.
I can't remember any of this being in the movie. The way I remember is that from a point on (the moment they try to shoot Rambo from a chopter, I think), we're supposed to be in Rambo's side and hate Teasle. |
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BradH812
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
1294 Posts |
Posted - 08/14/2006 : 10:37:34 PM
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| If I recall, there was some evidence that Teasle was a Korea veteran, although it wasn't mentioned overtly in the film. There was, I believe, a series of medals and maybe some old pictures in his office showing a record of his service. |
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Capt. Nemo
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
630 Posts |
Posted - 08/15/2006 : 12:27:00 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by BradH812
If I recall, there was some evidence that Teasle was a Korea veteran, although it wasn't mentioned overtly in the film. There was, I believe, a series of medals and maybe some old pictures in his office showing a record of his service.
Stallone commented on this on they commentary track of one of the DVD's. He said that the Korean War stuff was there but it was lost during script rewrites. What we finally see are the left overs. Stallone sites the conversation in the cop car where Teasle is suppose to drops hints that his war(Korea) was better than Rambo's(Vietnam). There are definately metals(one is a purple heart) behind him when he sits down at his desk to reflect on Rambo being dead.
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"Ward, the Beaver blew up the 7-11 again."
"I'll have a talk with him Dear" |
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Renfield
Minister of the Sacraments of Jabootu
USA
27 Posts |
Posted - 08/17/2006 : 8:43:27 PM
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Regardless, when the film was in production, there was always the possibiity that it would be a big success and, in that case, you just can't kill off the lead.
It was one of the first not entirely anti-Vietnam flicks in a long time (since The Green Berets), and that's another factor that shaped the ending, I'm sure.
--Joe "Renfield" Meadows
HORROR-WOOD Webzine
http://www.horror-wood.com |
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Greenhornet
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
1791 Posts |
Posted - 08/20/2006 : 6:08:50 PM
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Don't think too much when watching this movie, because you'll see to much crap. It's yet another 'the EEEEEEVIL insane vets bring the war back to kill us' treatment.
Truth to tell, it was the American Communists, hippies and "war protesters" who brought the war to America with their riots.
"The Queen is testing poisons." CLEOPATRA, 1935 |
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zombiewhacker
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
1475 Posts |
Posted - 08/20/2006 : 11:44:04 PM
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Ironically, Morrell himself was tapped to write the novelizations for both movie sequels.
"In my novel, Rambo dies. In the movies, he lives."
I never cared for Morrell's original vision. Virtually everyone in his novel was either unhinged or evil, except for Rambo's victims, like Galt the janitor.
But as I get older, I find it too hard to stomach the movie version either, particularly when the National Guard shows up. I don't buy Sheriff Teasle (a civilian) barking orders to Guardsmen (military) or Guardsmen doing police work, like conducting a manhunt when that's the state police's job. And, of course, when Guardsmen do perform their manhunt, they make sure to carry a rocket launcher with them. Just in case. |
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Capt. Nemo
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
630 Posts |
Posted - 08/21/2006 : 01:30:15 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Renfield
Regardless, when the film was in production, there was always the possibiity that it would be a big success and, in that case, you just can't kill off the lead.
Stallone, in an interview, said that the reason the kill Rambo thing was aborted in the first place was because he didn't agree with the idea that "you can escape your demons by dying." That was not a message he wanted to send. He said that it might tell veterans that they're damaged goods and that everyone would be better off if they killed themselves.
That is were the idea that Rambo should live first came up.
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"Ward, the Beaver blew up the 7-11 again."
"I'll have a talk with him Dear" |
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Capt. Nemo
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
630 Posts |
Posted - 08/21/2006 : 01:37:24 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Greenhornet
Don't think too much when watching this movie, because you'll see to much crap. It's yet another 'the EEEEEEVIL insane vets bring the war back to kill us' treatment.
Truth to tell, it was the American Communists, hippies and "war protesters" who brought the war to America with their riots.
"The Queen is testing poisons." CLEOPATRA, 1935
Remember that PBS series, Vietnam: A Television History ?
In that one, a couple of interviewees made references to bringing home violent tendencies from Vietnam.
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"Ward, the Beaver blew up the 7-11 again."
"I'll have a talk with him Dear" |
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