First Blood (1982)

Former Green Beret John Rambo is pursued into the mountains surrounding a small town by a tyrannical sheriff and his deputies, forcing him to survive using his combat skills.

Director:

Ted Kotcheff

Writers:

David Morrell (based on the novel by), Michael Kozoll (screenplay by)

Stars:

Sylvester Stallone, Brian Dennehy, Richard Crenna

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sylvester Stallone	...	Rambo
Richard Crenna	...	Trautman
Brian Dennehy	...	Teasle
Bill McKinney	...	Kern
Jack Starrett	...	Galt
Michael Talbott	...	Balford
Chris Mulkey	...	Ward
John McLiam	...	Orval
Alf Humphreys	...	Lester
David Caruso	...	Mitch
David L. Crowley	...	Shingleton (as David Crowley)
Don MacKay	...	Preston (as Don Mackay)
Charles A. Tamburro	...	Pilot (as Chuck Tamburro)
David Petersen	...	Trooper
Craig Huston	...	Radio Operator (as Craig Wright Huston)

Storyline

John J. Rambo is a former United States Special Forces soldier who fought in Vietnam and won the Congressional Medal of Honor, but his time in Vietnam still haunts him. As he came to Hope, Washington to visit a friend, he was guided out of town by the Sheriff William Teasel who insults Rambo, but what Teasel does not know that his insult angered Rambo to the point where Rambo became violent and was arrested. As he was at the county jail being cleaned, he escapes and goes on a rampage through the forest to try to escape from the sheriffs who want to kill him. Then, as Rambo's commanding officer, Colonel Samuel Trautman tries to save both the Sheriff's department and Rambo before the situation gets out of hand.

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Plot Keywords:

sweat | rambo | 1980s | ammo belt | cartridge belt | 

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Taglines:

One war against one man.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure

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Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

Instagram

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 October 1982 (USA)

Also Known As:

Rambo: First Blood

Filming Locations:

Golden Ears Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,642,005, 24 October 1982, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$47,212,904

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$125,212,904

Company Credits

Production Co:

Anabasis N.V.,Elcajo Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo (4 channels)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film was remade as In a Valley of Violence (2016).

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Goofs

The helicopter than man falls from clearly has a Canadian registry on the bottom, even though it is supposed to be a US registered police helicopter.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Rambo: Can you tell me if Delmar Berry lives here?

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Alternate Versions

Some TV edits include a scene in the beginning of the movie where Rambo enters a town diner to buy some takeout, and the cashiers hassle him, first not serving him, then charging him for condiments. Finally he just leaves.

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Connections

Featured in Ultimate Fights from the Movies (2002)

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Soundtracks

It's a Long Road
Music by Jerry Goldsmith
Lyrics by Hal Shaper
Arranged by David Paich and Marty Paich
Produced by Bruce Botnick
Sung by Dan Hill

User Reviews

Rambo is an icon.

The adaptation of this novel to the big screen is a great accomplishment. The film is not only the beginning of one of the greatest action trilogies of all-time, but it charts the developments of its characters, something rarely done by an action movie. "First Blood" is a moving story about the realities of post-Vietnam America and is very underrated as a film.