What’s Aged the Worst?
Trautman–Teasle bar scene; unused Korea–Vietnam veteran tension; Dan Hill's end song "It's a Long Road"
In the discussion (10)
Approx. transcript time · 00:45:57Read transcript
- Research: the first rough cut ran over three hours, Stallone wanted to buy and destroy it, and it was recut to 93 minutes.
- The 93-minute cut is fine, though ten more minutes in the woods would be welcome.
- The cuts show, as when Teasle is told the deputies were rough on Rambo and a state cop just says "those assholes."
- The Troutman–Teasle drink at the bar feels forced.
- The long version probably had Teasle's war service; the book's Korea-versus-Vietnam veteran tension was an easy thing the film did not use.
- Counterpoint: the bar scene is loved for putting the two actors together.
- There are almost no women and the one woman is also the only person of color, raised explicitly as an interesting point rather than an aged-worst pick.
- The number-one aged-worst pick is the Dan Hill end song "It's a Long Road," which is played on air.
- Dan Hill, of "Sometimes When We Touch," is defended; the other side wishes for a band like Foreigner.
- Partial concession: there is no reason an American movie should have a Canadian singing the end song.