Some additional criticisms about RAMBO 3 that I've read on IMDb: - Afghans are portrayed as bumbling peasants who need outside intervention to win. Rambo is their savior; w/o Rambo, they would be helpless & hopeless. He wins where they couldn't. - The Afghan conflict is shown in simple Cold-War era black/white simplicity. - Soviets are portrayed as cookie-cutter "evil empire" drones bent on torture & destruction.
Good idea. Cutthroat Island, Ishtar, Heaven's Gate, John Carter, The Alamo, The Adventures of Pluto Nash, One from the Heart, Speed Racer, Battlefield Earth, Waterworld, Leonard Part 6, Howard the Duck, Shanghai Surprise, The Bonfire of the Vanities, Hudson Hawk, Showgirls, 1941 and hey, I love The Postman!
It's funny that Eric talks about movies about the heroes teaming up w/ the people w/ limited resources against the tyrants because it reminds me of the Ewoks in "Return of the Jedi" going up against the Stormtroopers on Endor.
I agree with Edwin. Rambo V was the best. When i saw the Trailer to that I jizzed my pants. After seeing it at the theater I was so loved that movie. It's one of the best "GUY" or "MAN" Movies ever. Just a true Hollywood Blood and Guts, Action Packed movie. It's just a badass movie. I love when Hollywood gives us these types of movies.
... and the final confrontation between a chopper and a tank, in my opinion, has to be acknowledged as one of the highlights in action film history. Also, the supporting characters werent too bad, and the story, though simple, was ok. Even the onliners were enjoyable. I watched all 4 Rambo films for the first time just a couple of days ago. I saw the first 3 in one sitting and Rambo 4 the next day. Even though First blood has a more thoughtful story, I enjoyed Part III the most.
Eric, I can see what you're saying about the mixed message with violence in Rambo but I think Stallone knows there's a desire by some audiences for less of the gray villains and more of the 80s style masculine good guy vs bad guy type action films. Evil people like the villains in Rambo do exist in the world and most people find it satisfying to see them get absolutely destroyed on screen. I look forward to future episodes
Great review, i agree with Edwin that the last film was fricking hilarious. loved every minute of it. and jeez Eric loves the sound of his own voice doesnt he?! Whats will all that interrupting?!
yeah, i thought the final installment was just fantastic. the action and kills were just insane. i also loved the final scene of rambo on the road, and at long last, home. full circle from first blood. almost brought a tear to my eye :(
Seen all your Videos, u guys are Great, Guys wat about doing a segment on Tarantino, The Coens & i Know u did the Dollars Trilogy, wat about Leone's "Once Upon a Time" Triogy, Peace
Funny how the tagline ‘God would have mercy. John Rambo won't!’ was stuck to the latest Rambo. It made me think of spaghetti westerns like GOD FORGIVES I DON’T. Never saw it , though. The trailer looked too stupid and Stallone looked pathetic.
I love First Blood part 2, and George P. Cosmatos does a great job. Its such a fun movie, but at the same time its so cold. Its just wrong on so many levels. Cosmatos son have by the way made this years best flick, Beyond the Black Rainbow.
I remember at one point there was talk that Rambo was going to concern him hunting down and killing Osama Bin Laden. I'm SO glad they didn't go with that one.
Apparently, Sylvester Stallone himself, actually directed RAMBO II. A similar thing was rumored to have happened to George P. Cosmatos (where his leading man "ghost directed" it) w/ Kurt Russell on TOMBSTONE. Hell, TANGO & CASH, w/ Stallone & Russell was apparently ghost directed too. There's a Den of Geek article that goes into more detail about ghost directed films.
Another argument can be made for why Rambo 3 underperformed at the box office is because it didn't really deal w/ an American problem (it's the only Rambo film to not have a scene in the USA). Rambo 2 was the most successful commercially (just like Rocky 4) more than likely because of the then current, general political situation (i.e. the USA vs. the USSR).
Let It Die: Rambo lebeauleblog.com/2019/07/05/let-it-die-rambo/ The backbone of Sylvester Stallone’s movie career is undoubtedly the Rocky series. The first Rocky made Stallone a household name way back in 1976 and as recently as last year, the actor was still portraying his most famous alter ego in the sequel to a series spin-off, Creed II. How Stallone managed to milk eight movies out of the story of an underdog boxer is one of life’s great mysteries. But almost as puzzling is how thirty-seven years after First Blood, Stallone is still playing Rambo.
Rambo 4 was the grittiest and was super violent but it was very well made and fun to watch. Easily the second best. The first guest of the show was too hard on it.
I forgot that Jack Cardiff was the cinematographer on 'Rambo: FB - PII'. I agree the film looks great, but why would you think of Jack Cardiff for that film. It's like saying: "The only person to direct this film would have to be David Lean"!!!!
How did Rambo 4 (basically an ok straight to video sequel) get the most discussion time!? :) The only message Rambo sequels ever had was "Live for nothing or die for something". Not much else there. As Ed said - the sequels are cartoons for grownups, and they work for the most part as such. There's a great indepth podcast episode (with interviews) about the first movie. Every fan should hear it. projection-booth blogspot / 2012 / 05 / episode-64-flooding-with-love-for-first
I actually prefers Rambo III to the last one, John Rambo. The last one was so heavy and dreary from the characters to the cinematography. While Rambo 3 was pure escapism action picture. It did not try to be anything else.
I don't agree about Unforgiven. It's just as guilty of cashing in on what it ostensibly condemns. I didn't see anyone in the theatre 'not wanting to see the action' at the end of that. They cheered when he killed Little Bill.
Fuck me, was this episode filmed on a cameraphone and then transferred to VHS or something? If it's supposed to be an 80's tribute style, then I can see what you were trying to do, but it simply looks dreadful, almost to the point of unwatchable. On the plus side, great choice of subject, and I really enjoy the 'retrospective' episodes, I think you guys are at your best giving your unique take on classic film series, everyone has an opinion on these and can take sides, even watching from home.
Just type projection-booth blogspot / 2012 / 05 / episode-64-flooding-with-love-for-first into Google. The guy who wrote the story talks about the movie, among others.
It should never have been called RAMBO III! It actually should be RAMBO II, FIRST BLOOD PART III. Like I STILL KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER should have been called I STILL KNOW WHAT YOU DID THE SUMMER BEFORE LAST.
Nah. This show isn't about current releases. It's about talking over the stuff we either all know and love or recommending little-known gems of the past. I'd be a lot less interested if they were talking about stuff I haven't seen yet.
It woul'd be a GOOD film, If; they took out the unecessary intro of a 1oo people slaughterd, make it a bit more funny, bitt more collore, making a film bleak doesn't make it sirius, and maybe M. Gibson for the last guy, a surprise for the end, as a secret sponsor of the war in the area, maybe he gets badly wounded and walks off into the dark or the "monster" floded river, bleeding ending on him dying or NOT.
Although First Blood had an interesting idea, I dont think it was made really well. Plot wise it seems a bit incoherent, the same with characters. Why did Art Galt become a dick towards Rambo once he found out he is a soldier was never even hinted. Also, I think you guys are confusing Rambo 2 with Rambo 3, because the fight scenes in 2 are poorly done (especially in the last chopper scene, where some of the shots are used more than once), but in 3 they all are quite excellent, ...
thedissolve.com/features/forgotbusters/939-a-1996-double-feature-looks-at-the-year-of-john-tr/#comment-1879555835 First Blood is interesting because it's thematically the opposite of the other Rambo movies: the steady escalation of violence is obviously pointless (and ultimately pathetic). There's not much political subtext, and the movie gets its antisocial thrills from watching an unstoppable killing machine take on a small-town police force. Then Stallone took over the series and made it about a right-wing superhero murdering Communists. Oh, the 80s...
sorry...love rambo 2... as much today as when it came out... love all of them.... 3 was the weakest but all are great blockbuster movies that accomplished exactly what they are meant to accomplish... you guys tend to take things waaaay out of context...
after three films with comedic references in them...why go to the same well yet again.... of course this 4th film was more serious and gruesome... that's the film we all wanted in the first place ... and it was delivered... now you look at that as some kind of a slight AGAINST it? sorry... i completely disagree with that analysis.... vehemently...
the level of violence in rambo 4 offended you...ergo... you hated saving private ryan which used the same exact methods to portray it's violence... your arguement stinks...
Brian Dennehy killed John Rambo in First Blood. Don't deny my reality! All sequels are blasphemous and false teachings. Rambo died for your sins! You guys will go to Heaven... even Gallashaw! HAHAHA (I know this makes no sense to anyone.)
Who no more Cinefiles? Wheres Edwin?
The first Rambo movie had a couple of legitimate points to make about how Vietnam vets and police brutality. The later films were just body counts.
I agree with edwin Rambo 4 was alot of fun and i was like a kid again when i see it
Hey, as a kid, I loved it, as did many others. That's one reason it had a toy line, video games and a cartoon.
This is the most important thing to happen today. In my humble opinion.
Some additional criticisms about RAMBO 3 that I've read on IMDb: - Afghans are portrayed as bumbling peasants who need outside intervention to win. Rambo is their savior; w/o Rambo, they would be helpless & hopeless. He wins where they couldn't. - The Afghan conflict is shown in simple Cold-War era black/white simplicity. - Soviets are portrayed as cookie-cutter "evil empire" drones bent on torture & destruction.
Saw Rambo films last night and I have to say all three are great. I have yet to see the fourth one.
Good idea. Cutthroat Island, Ishtar, Heaven's Gate, John Carter, The Alamo, The Adventures of Pluto Nash, One from the Heart, Speed Racer, Battlefield Earth, Waterworld, Leonard Part 6, Howard the Duck, Shanghai Surprise, The Bonfire of the Vanities, Hudson Hawk, Showgirls, 1941 and hey, I love The Postman!
Hello please bring back the show
It's funny that Eric talks about movies about the heroes teaming up w/ the people w/ limited resources against the tyrants because it reminds me of the Ewoks in "Return of the Jedi" going up against the Stormtroopers on Endor.
FInally!!!! you made the episode everyone was waiting for,
Stallone was great in Lock Up which was a fantastic film probably his best in the last 20 years.
It's amazing how one film can break a company
I agree with Edwin. Rambo V was the best. When i saw the Trailer to that I jizzed my pants. After seeing it at the theater I was so loved that movie. It's one of the best "GUY" or "MAN" Movies ever. Just a true Hollywood Blood and Guts, Action Packed movie. It's just a badass movie. I love when Hollywood gives us these types of movies.
I love the new layout for the show guys, and I agree with edwin on rambo 4
Rambo 2 is a masterpiece
... and the final confrontation between a chopper and a tank, in my opinion, has to be acknowledged as one of the highlights in action film history. Also, the supporting characters werent too bad, and the story, though simple, was ok. Even the onliners were enjoyable. I watched all 4 Rambo films for the first time just a couple of days ago. I saw the first 3 in one sitting and Rambo 4 the next day. Even though First blood has a more thoughtful story, I enjoyed Part III the most.
The Australian film they were referring to is Wake in Fright.
Goldsmith rules. Should won more than one Oscar.
Eric, I can see what you're saying about the mixed message with violence in Rambo but I think Stallone knows there's a desire by some audiences for less of the gray villains and more of the 80s style masculine good guy vs bad guy type action films. Evil people like the villains in Rambo do exist in the world and most people find it satisfying to see them get absolutely destroyed on screen. I look forward to future episodes
When I saw Rambo 2, I saw it as a comedy.
Absolutely, there has to be a Cinefiles episode on Syl Stallone's other well known character/franchise!
I always think of Weird Al blowing shit up in UHF when Rambo II + III are mentioned.
Interesting to consider how Stallone's career might have been different if Rambo had died at the end of the first film.
Great review, i agree with Edwin that the last film was fricking hilarious. loved every minute of it. and jeez Eric loves the sound of his own voice doesnt he?! Whats will all that interrupting?!
yeah, i thought the final installment was just fantastic. the action and kills were just insane. i also loved the final scene of rambo on the road, and at long last, home. full circle from first blood. almost brought a tear to my eye :(
They drew first blood, not me!
Seen all your Videos, u guys are Great, Guys wat about doing a segment on Tarantino, The Coens & i Know u did the Dollars Trilogy, wat about Leone's "Once Upon a Time" Triogy, Peace
Not Rambo related in the slightest.. but you KNOW you want to do a show on Skyfall for us... btw huge fan of you guys keep it up!
Funny how the tagline ‘God would have mercy. John Rambo won't!’ was stuck to the latest Rambo. It made me think of spaghetti westerns like GOD FORGIVES I DON’T. Never saw it , though. The trailer looked too stupid and Stallone looked pathetic.
the sheriff will teasle (brian dennehy) is a korean war veteran
You can also do an episode about notorious box office bombs also like CUTTHROAT ISLAND (the movie that killed off Carolco).
I loved the last Rambo.
trautmen is a war veteran that is trained to survive torture....
thats D.P. Andew Laszlo in the pic shown at 3:46 ..., not Ted Kotcheff.Good show by the way.
I love First Blood part 2, and George P. Cosmatos does a great job. Its such a fun movie, but at the same time its so cold. Its just wrong on so many levels. Cosmatos son have by the way made this years best flick, Beyond the Black Rainbow.
Oh, you mentioned Cutthroat Island! Please do a show about pirates (Nate and Hayze) or sea faring movie (Bounty). Please, please, please!
I remember at one point there was talk that Rambo was going to concern him hunting down and killing Osama Bin Laden. I'm SO glad they didn't go with that one.
Apparently, Sylvester Stallone himself, actually directed RAMBO II. A similar thing was rumored to have happened to George P. Cosmatos (where his leading man "ghost directed" it) w/ Kurt Russell on TOMBSTONE. Hell, TANGO & CASH, w/ Stallone & Russell was apparently ghost directed too. There's a Den of Geek article that goes into more detail about ghost directed films.
Can't remember, but I do think the entire film rules.
Another argument can be made for why Rambo 3 underperformed at the box office is because it didn't really deal w/ an American problem (it's the only Rambo film to not have a scene in the USA). Rambo 2 was the most successful commercially (just like Rocky 4) more than likely because of the then current, general political situation (i.e. the USA vs. the USSR).
Let It Die: Rambo
lebeauleblog.com/2019/07/05/let-it-die-rambo/
The backbone of Sylvester Stallone’s movie career is undoubtedly the Rocky series. The first Rocky made Stallone a household name way back in 1976 and as recently as last year, the actor was still portraying his most famous alter ego in the sequel to a series spin-off, Creed II. How Stallone managed to milk eight movies out of the story of an underdog boxer is one of life’s great mysteries. But almost as puzzling is how thirty-seven years after First Blood, Stallone is still playing Rambo.
Rambo 1st blood part 2 was hilarious! And it wasn;t meant to be funnny!
But it was funny as hell!
Rambo, you manly man you!
what was the good scene at the beginning of the RAMBO film that Edwin was going to speak about at 26:26...?
Rambo 4 was the grittiest and was super violent but it was very well made and fun to watch. Easily the second best. The first guest of the show was too hard on it.
We're just don't have the time to go the movies these days. It's very costly - plus we like to focus on older films.
I forgot that Jack Cardiff was the cinematographer on 'Rambo: FB - PII'. I agree the film looks great, but why would you think of Jack Cardiff for that film. It's like saying: "The only person to direct this film would have to be David Lean"!!!!
How did Rambo 4 (basically an ok straight to video sequel) get the most discussion time!? :)
The only message Rambo sequels ever had was "Live for nothing or die for something". Not much else there. As Ed said - the sequels are cartoons for grownups, and they work for the most part as such.
There's a great indepth podcast episode (with interviews) about the first movie. Every fan should hear it.
projection-booth blogspot / 2012 / 05 / episode-64-flooding-with-love-for-first
Dig it and go vote
I actually prefers Rambo III to the last one, John Rambo. The last one was so heavy and dreary from the characters to the cinematography. While Rambo 3 was pure escapism action picture. It did not try to be anything else.
Do a Rocky series also.
One thing: Jerry Goldsmith
You heard the call........
do a video on the rocky series
First Blood: 8.5/10
First Blood part II: 6/10
Rambo III: 6.5/10
Rambo: 8/10
You guys are great but i think that you would be far more popular if you stayed a little more up to date: please review The Master!
I don't agree about Unforgiven. It's just as guilty of cashing in on what it ostensibly condemns. I didn't see anyone in the theatre 'not wanting to see the action' at the end of that. They cheered when he killed Little Bill.
Only a black guy can imitate Stallone properly. jk
Fuck me, was this episode filmed on a cameraphone and then transferred to VHS or something? If it's supposed to be an 80's tribute style, then I can see what you were trying to do, but it simply looks dreadful, almost to the point of unwatchable.
On the plus side, great choice of subject, and I really enjoy the 'retrospective' episodes, I think you guys are at your best giving your unique take on classic film series, everyone has an opinion on these and can take sides, even watching from home.
04:11 wake in fright
Just type projection-booth blogspot / 2012 / 05 / episode-64-flooding-with-love-for-first into Google. The guy who wrote the story talks about the movie, among others.
It should never have been called RAMBO III! It actually should be RAMBO II, FIRST BLOOD PART III. Like I STILL KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER should have been called I STILL KNOW WHAT YOU DID THE SUMMER BEFORE LAST.
Nah. This show isn't about current releases. It's about talking over the stuff we either all know and love or recommending little-known gems of the past. I'd be a lot less interested if they were talking about stuff I haven't seen yet.
It woul'd be a GOOD film, If; they took out the unecessary intro of a 1oo people slaughterd, make it a bit more funny, bitt more collore, making a film bleak doesn't make it sirius, and maybe M. Gibson for the last guy, a surprise for the end, as a secret sponsor of the war in the area, maybe he gets badly wounded and walks off into the dark or the "monster" floded river, bleeding ending on him dying or NOT.
DEVIL'S REJECTS was completely different as it had you rooting for psychos murdering innocent people.
Although First Blood had an interesting idea, I dont think it was made really well. Plot wise it seems a bit incoherent, the same with characters. Why did Art Galt become a dick towards Rambo once he found out he is a soldier was never even hinted. Also, I think you guys are confusing Rambo 2 with Rambo 3, because the fight scenes in 2 are poorly done (especially in the last chopper scene, where some of the shots are used more than once), but in 3 they all are quite excellent, ...
M-60
thedissolve.com/features/forgotbusters/939-a-1996-double-feature-looks-at-the-year-of-john-tr/#comment-1879555835
First Blood is interesting because it's thematically the opposite of the other Rambo movies: the steady escalation of violence is obviously pointless (and ultimately pathetic). There's not much political subtext, and the movie gets its antisocial thrills from watching an unstoppable killing machine take on a small-town police force. Then Stallone took over the series and made it about a right-wing superhero murdering Communists. Oh, the 80s...
sorry...love rambo 2... as much today as when it came out... love all of them.... 3 was the weakest but all are great blockbuster movies that accomplished exactly what they are meant to accomplish... you guys tend to take things waaaay out of context...
after three films with comedic references in them...why go to the same well yet again.... of course this 4th film was more serious and gruesome... that's the film we all wanted in the first place ... and it was delivered... now you look at that as some kind of a slight AGAINST it? sorry... i completely disagree with that analysis.... vehemently...
the level of violence in rambo 4 offended you...ergo... you hated saving private ryan which used the same exact methods to portray it's violence... your arguement stinks...
Brian Dennehy killed John Rambo in First Blood. Don't deny my reality! All sequels are blasphemous and false teachings. Rambo died for your sins! You guys will go to Heaven... even Gallashaw! HAHAHA
(I know this makes no sense to anyone.)