Rewatchables Reference

• Bill: Rambo escapes from jail through to the cliff sequence – a ~30 minute stretch.
• Also discussed: Rambo hunting the posse at night, Trautman's entrance ('God didn't make Rambo, I made him'), the rats in the cave/mine, Rambo escaping in the Jeep and blowing up the gas station, the ending monologue.

• The premise – unassailable.
• PTSD concept with an action hero.
• David Caruso – early career, foundation visible.
• Police brutality theme.
• John Rambo 1.0 character – before the sequels turned him into a cartoon.
• Will Teasle slowly standing when he learns Rambo is alive.
• The dumb National Guard guys posing for photos.
• 'They drew first blood' – title in dialogue.
• Little realistic details (painting the jail, guy reading magazine).

• No women in the movie – one woman in the opening, then all men for the remaining 85 minutes.
• No people of color.
• The Trautman/Teasle bar scene feels forced.
• Not exploring the Korea vs. Vietnam veteran tension (from the book).
• 'It's a Long Road' end credits song by Dan Hill.
• The PTSD flashback filmmaking technique (the visual flashbacks, not the concept).

• Steve McQueen considered in 1975 (rejected as too old).
• Kris Kristofferson also considered.
• Gene Hackman and Robert Duvall turned down the Dennehy role.
• Lee Marvin turned down Colonel Trautman.
• Kirk Douglas was hired as Trautman but quit on set.

• Bill: Stallone's last monologue.
• Koppelman: David Caruso.

• Chris Mulkey.
• The cop who gets hit by the wooden stake trap – also appeared on 'Miami Vice'.

• Replacing Richard Crenna as Trautman: Roy Scheider, James Garner, or William Devane discussed.
• Koppelman prefers James Garner for the light comic touch.

• Blade Magazine credited the Rambo franchise with revitalizing the cutlery industry.
• The canvas tarp was a real piece of rotten canvas, not a prop. Stallone still has it.
• Stallone broke an actor's nose during the jail escape. Motorcycle stuntman suffered a broken back on the first take.
• Brian Dennehy's false Vietnam claims.
• A deleted scene featured Penthouse Pet Susie Pie as a Vietnamese prostitute in a flashback.

• Stallone – not yet (his Apex is 1985 with Rambo II + 'Rocky IV' in the same year).
• Brian Dennehy – maybe (major role in huge movie, set up the rest of his decade).
• Richard Crenna – yes (led to Rambo sequels, Hot Shots! parody, career-defining).
• David Morrell (author) – yes, all his books became bestsellers after this.
• Hunting knives – yes.
• Vietnam action movies – yes.

• Unclear how Rambo gets covered in mud then not, scales 15-foot trees instantly.
• How quickly he builds booby traps and gets a boar haunch.
• Local cops running the mission when FBI should've taken over.
• Teasle should recognize Rambo as a veteran from his jacket.
• Convenient supplies always appearing (gasoline, M60 in exact truck).
• Day/night continuity errors in final 20 minutes.
• Should have been set in ~1977 instead of 1981 (6 years after Vietnam).

Yes – a 10-episode Netflix show. First episodes would be Rambo drifting town to town like Bruce Banner. Episode 5-6 would be when the conflict erupts.

• Does Will Teasle work again? (Koppelman: he puts in for retirement.)
• Does Teasle realize it was his fault?
• Would Rambo have eventually snapped even without Teasle? (Both agree yes.)
• How did Trautman get there so quickly?

Koppelman: the knife, and Trautman's hat/beret.

Sylvester Stallone – unanimously. Started the franchise, made him a billion dollars long-term, cemented him as the biggest action star alongside Schwarzenegger.