Image by Frank Browning
Murdoch... I'm coming to get YOU!!!
Written by Shawn Savage
Website: The Liberal Dead
Facebook: The Liberal Dead
I was an odd child, I fear. Sure, if
you're reading this, you probably grew up watching movies that you
probably shouldn't have been watching at a very young age. But, for
me, I had an unquenchable thirst for on-screen violence in my films.
My father allowed me to watch Rambo: First Blood Part II when it was
first released, and I just recall being completely enthralled. I was
something like 8 years old when Rambo was released to home video, if
memory serves me correctly. Even at that age, I had a conscious
“violence meter” that had to be filled each week, and Rambo 2 was
always my go-to movie if said meter ever ran low. Watching it again
today, I realize that the violence in this film was not even remotely
as insane as I remember it being. It is still a violent, over-the-top
film, with the perfect amount of exploitative cheese to leave a
lasting impression. But, with technology the way it is today, and a
legion of filmmakers, like myself, that grew up on these violent R
rated action/horror films, I've become a bit desensitized to
understated violence.
I was also allowed to see the first
film in the series, First Blood. That film, though, I wouldn't be
able to appreciate until I gained a few years. I am under no delusion
that First Blood part two is a better film that its predecessor, but
I honestly feel as if it has a larger visceral impact on an
impressionable young mind. First Blood is a touching drama, mixed
with a groundbreaking(at the time) action movie. The character of
Rambo encompasses the feelings of a lot of Vietnam veterans, who came
home from the war only to be spat upon. I am not going to make any
sort of argument that suggests the Vietnam war was a good idea. But,
people have to realize that a soldier doesn't make the decisions that
put boots on the ground in these places. They just show up and fight
for what they are told is a good cause. At some point or another,
people lost sight of that fact. This is briefly touched upon in First
Blood II, but not nearly as much as it was the first time around.
Print by Ridd Sorensen
A lot of the cheese factor that was
mentioned above, comes from small, but absurd, little details that,
to the casual viewer are bought without question. Things such as
Stallone firing a belt-fed M60 Light Machine Gun one-handed. Or the
fact that he's able to pilot a helicopter back to the original base
camp with no coordinates, or honestly any way at all to know which
direction he needs to travel to reach his destination. These things
are absolutely ridiculous, and I wouldn't change any of them. Too
often, action filmmakers take an absurd concept, and try to morph it
into a gritty, realistic event. You almost have to turn to Science
Fiction these days, to get a healthy dose of over-the-top action. Don't
get me wrong, I love gritty, realistic shootouts just as much as the
next guy, but every now and then, I need to relive the glory days of
the 1980s. When I get the desire to do so, Rambo: First Blood Part II
is at the top of the list to quench that thirst.
Part of what makes this film such a
fond memory for me is definitely the thought of my father allowing me
to watch it at such a young age. This is the same father that took me
to the drive-in to see Robocop for the first time. Cheesy action
movies are something that bonded us together at that age, and an
interest we still share to this day. Sadly, there aren't as many
options to choose from in this category, but every now and then
something pops up that fits the bill. People often ask me why it is
that I'm so obsessed with movies. And while that's partially true, I
spend most of my days either talking about movies that I have seen,
or reading up about movies I wish to see. But it's more than that.
Movies for me are memories. Each movie I view represents a part of my
life, and all of the emotions that I was feeling at that time. A
movie like Rambo, allows me to revisit my childhood for just a few
minutes, and remember how awesome it was to be a young kid, amazed by
on-screen violence and explosions.
--
Shawn Savage
