Ruckus (1980)

A Vietnam veteran passing through a small town is harassed by local bullies but he fights back, using his wartime skills, and triggers a full-scale police manhunt.

Director:

Max Kleven

Writer:

Max Kleven

Stars:

Dirk Benedict, Linda Blair, Richard Farnsworth

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dirk Benedict	...	Kyle Hanson
Linda Blair	...	Jenny Bellows
Richard Farnsworth	...	Sheriff Jethro Pough
Matt Clark	...	Cece
Jon Van Ness	...	Deputy Dave
Taylor Lacher	...	Sarge
Clifford A. Pellow	...	Homer (as Cliff Pellow)
Ben Bates	...	Big Ben
Jerry Gatlin	...	Bubba
Bennie E. Dobbins	...	Joe (as Benny Dobbins)
Bobby Hughes	...	Bobby Bellows
A.J. Blake	...	Sally the Barmaid
Melanie Weeks	...	Counter Girl
Patrick Connolly	...	Gas Station Attendant
Bob Peeler	...	Farmer At Fair

Storyline

Kyle Hanson is a Vietnam veteran whose traumatic war-time experiences have left him unable to rejoin mainstream society. When Kyle, unkempt and in dirty fatigues, stops in a small town for some food, the local bullies can't wait for an opportunity to harass him. After Kyle uses his Special Forces training to escape the bullies, he becomes the subject of a community-wide manhunt. Only Jenny Bellows, a local girl whose husband was declared missing in action in Vietnam, is willing to give Kyle a chance.

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Plot Keywords:

bully | vietnam | missing in action | manhunt | vietnam veteran | 

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Taglines:

The chase was on! Him against them. Well, so much for them.

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

March 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

Big Ruckus in a Small Town

Filming Locations:

Knights Landing, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

International Vision

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

After Kyle is first chased off the road, he quickly assembles a bow and arrow from wood. Dirk Benedict actually built the makeshift weapon in one take, but unfortunately this cannot be seen as the film cuts between him and the other characters. The handmade bow really worked, and was used in the following scene rather than being replaced by another prop.

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Goofs

Shots of Kyle driving red pick-up that he escapes in are shown mirrored back-to-front in several shots - the steering wheel is clearly on the wrong side.

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Quotes

Jenny Bellows: You don't talk much, do you?
Kyle Hanson: I lived in the jungle 8 months, never talked to anybody. I'd like to.

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Connections

References Giant (1956)

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Soundtracks

SALLY WAS A GOOD OLD GIRL
Written by Harlan Howard (as Harland Howard)
Tree Publishing Co.

User Reviews

Low-budget drama with curious, unsuccessful comedic asides

Dirk Benedict is fairly colorless playing a disturbed Vietnam vet who causes chaos in a backwater town. Odd but not especially interesting B-movie does features fetching Linda Blair as a single mother and love-interest--and a hilariously sincere romantic montage wherein Benedict and Blair bond over some off-roading. Casual comparisons to Sylvester Stallone's "First Blood" are inevitable, however this one surely could've used more of John Rambo's inner-torment; Benedict is such a sad sack, he acts like a homeless puppy in an Army jacket. Forgettable trifle has a good supporting cast but needed a bigger budget and more action to enliven this scenario. *1/2 from ****