Steve Railsback, Peter O’Toole and Barbara Hershey headline the genre-defying film, The Stuntman, that sees a fugitive finding a place to hide… on a film set. Railsback is Cameron who is on the run from the police, seen in a wonderfully extended opening sequence that lays out a whole bunch of narrative threads before tying…
Tag: vietnam vet
You Like It Darker (2024) – Stephen King
I love Stephen King books, the bigger the better, I love the heft of them in my hand, the weight of them as I carry them with me, the turning of each page revealing some new wonder or terror, and the way I connect to the characters and his stories. But sometimes you just need…
Hill Street Blues (1986) – Slum Enchanted Evening, and Come and Get It
Slum Enchanted Evening, the penultimate episode of the sixth season of Hill Street Blues first aired 27 March, 1986 and was written by Walon Green and Robert Ward from a story by Jonathan Lemkin and Micheal Wagner. There’s a lot (A LOT) of melodrama but there’s also some nice character beats. Furillo (Daniel J. Travanti)…
Hill Street Blues (1982) – Stan the Man, and Little Boil Blue
David Milch penned Stan the Man, which had an original airdate of 4 November, 1982. Joyce (Veronica Hamel) is assaulted at the precinct by a perp who gets away from his arresting officer, landing her in the hospital after Furillo (Daniel J. Travanti) takes the suspect down. And that is just the tip of the…
Rambo: Last Blood (2019) – Adrian Grunberg
Sylvester Stallone is back for one last go-round as John Rambo. It has to be, it’s right there in the title! Once again Stallone involves himself in the film’s script, crafting a story that shows that Rambo, no matter the age, is still the same man he has always been, but he’s just better at…
Rambo (2008) – Sylvester Stallone
Stallone not only returns in one of his most iconic roles, but he also settles into the director’s chair to bring the grittiest incarnation of Vietnam vet to the screen. Continuity is key, and Rambo (Stallone) is still in the Far East, attempting to live a quiet life as best as he can, when, like…
Rambo III (1988) – Peter MacDonald
Sylvester Stallone’s third outing as Vietnam vet John Rambo came racing on the heels of the second film. Watching it now, it’s interesting to see how the political times have changed, as Rambo’s adventure takes him to Afghanistan this time. Living in the Far East, Rambo is found by his old CO, Trautman (Richard Crenna)…
Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) – George P. Cosmatos
It had been a while since I settled in for any of the Rambo films and thought it would be fun to take a look at the sequels. So I was excited to settle in for Rambo: First Blood Part II, the first of four sequels to 1982’s First Blood. The second film eschews some…
Mission: Impossible (1970) – The Innocent, and Homecoming
This week, we have a pair of episodes that feature a couple of recognizable guest stars, who went on to become series regulars on M*A*S*H, and The Innocent features a cool new title music arrangement, and it took me a moment to recognize him, but Sam Elliott as IMF agent Doug. Written by Marc Norman…
Miami Vice (1985) – Golden Triangle: Part 2, and Smuggler’s Blues
This week we dive further into Castillo’s (Edward James Olmos) with the second part of the Golden Triangle. Written by Maurice Hurley and Micheal Mann the episode debuted on 18 January, 1985. Castillo works to protect his wife, May Ying (Joan Chen) from General Lao Li (Keye Luke) and his family that run the human…
The Mind Reels 