Rambo: First Blood, Part 2 - Starring Sylvester Stallone, Richard Crenna, Charles Napier, and Steven Berkoff - Released in 1985

Undoubtedly the most successful film in the Rambo series, First Blood II is the 1985 sequel to First Blood, directed by George Cosmatos, starring Sylvester Stallone playing John Rambo, a Vietnam veteran awarded the coveted Medal of Honor. Both films have been co-written by Stallone. Rambo was arrested at the end of First Blood, after waging a one man battle against the Sherriff of the small town of Hope.

First Blood II opens to the audience with Rambo being released from prison – he is appointed by the US Government to go back to Vietnam and search leftover POWs; not knowing that he is being used as a pawn in a federal conspiracy to hush up the matter – the feds are relying on him not finding anyone there. Colonel Sam Trautman (Richard Crenna) , his former CO from Nam, offers him the opportunity to earn clemency on the one condition that he go back and search for POWs.

The operation will be overseen by a bureaucra t- Marshal Murdock (Charles Napier), who sugar coats the details, flattering Rambo about how dependable the US  Citizens think he is, and him being a trained commando - they believe none other can carry out the job as well!

He is also briefed strictly that all he must do is photograph the presence of POWs, he must, under no circumstance, carry out a rescue mission, or engage with the Vietnamese in any form of combat. Feeling frustrated that he has no way he can help the POWs, Rambo gets ready to leave for Nam, where a US official will meet him.

Whilst being airdropped, Rambo loses much of his gear since the parachute line is caught on the plane on exit. He now has his arsenal of knives, bows and arrows on his person. The agent who is there to receive him is Co-Bao (Julia Nickson), she is offered asylum in the US and agrees to guide Rambo through the jungles of Nam, along with river pirates.

When they arrive at the camp where the alleged POWs are being held, Rambo, in keeping with his training and temperament, is appalled to see the torture being meted out on  the  US inmates of the camp. A night patrol of the Vietcong discovers that a sentry has been killed - they launch a search operation in the jungles. Meanwhile, Rambo along with the native girl and POWs, escape into the thicket, they are attacked by a navy gunboat after the river pirates betray them to the enemy.

The lone ranger mows down the enemy with an RPG, killing the pirates. In need of aerial help, he calls in on Murdock, who is now worried that the US and the public will get to know the truth about the operation - the chopper does not make  a rescue landing. As a result, Rambo and the POWs are recaptured and returned to the camp.

All sorts of torture are meted out on Rambo, unspeakable indignity is doled out to the POWs as well. Another layer is added to the plot when Rambo discovers that the Russians are aiding the Vietcong, two personnel of the Soviet army are present in the camp, and they relish torturing Rambo.

In a brave attempt to escape his captors and get even with the US officials - Rambo escapes , taking Co with him; the two are once more attacked, just as soon as they realize how emotionally connected they are - unfortunately, Co is mercilessly gunned down in the standoff with the Vietcong. Enraged, Rambo hammers a full blown attack on the soldiers, killing all, including the commander. He then buried Co in the jungles.

Despite not getting rave reviews from the critics, First Blood II is a favorite with audiences worldwide, infact, it is a more beloved character than Rocky and has a cult following the world over!

Rocky 4 - Starring Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, Brigitte Nielsen and Tony Burton - Released in 1985

The movies in the Rocky series have captivated audiences since 1976; little known to people is the fact that novelizations of the screenplay are also available, beginning with the first film. These have been published by Ballantine Books, and written by Rosalyn Drexler, Robert.E.Hoban, and two of the novelizations based on Rocky II and IV were written by Stallone himself. Rocky 4 has once again been scripted and stars Sylvester Stallone in the lead role of the boxer Rocky Balboa. It is also the most financially successful film in the Rocky series.
The year is 1985, and a Russian fighter Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) with his wife Lumdilla (Brigitte Nielsen), a champion swimmer and a coach at a guest boxing championship match, arrive in the US.
It is believed that Drago has been scientifically trained by the Soviets and is called the ‘Siberian Express’ by the Russians. The boxer’s manager Nicolai Koloff (Michael Pataki) leaves no stone unturned to sell Drago’s macho image to the Americans, exhibiting it to be the hallmark of Soviet perfectionism.
Foe turned friend Apollo Creed, although he has been out of the ring for several years, challenges Drago to an exhibition bout - against Balboa’s reservations. The match takes place in Vegas to the background of ‘Living in America’. Not prepared for the Russian’s steely defense and rock solid physical fitness to get in the way - Apollo is in for a surprise. His blows have no effect on the Siberian Express, who remains calm and unaffected - even warning Creed that he will lose, after the first round.
Unfortunately, the Russian’s warning serves its purpose - the fighting legend and friend, is mercilessly beaten and killed by Drago, who is least affected by his death - ‘If he dies, he dies.’ Rocky, still not over the death of Mickey, his former coach, now loses both his friend and trainer - Apollo Creed. He is spurred to action by this sad event and takes on the mantle of fighting for retribution.
Drago cites safety concerns and decides that the best place for the match would be his homeland - Moscow. Rocky agrees to fight the Russian in a fifteen bout round on Christmas Day. Meanwhile, Creed’s trainer Duke (Tony Burton) decides to train Rocky in far off Russia, sans Adrian and Rocky Jr. Accompanying them is Paulie (Burt Young), his brother-in-law. Those were the days when the Iron Curtain was still in place, and as expected, Balboa has to rough it out, and trains despite the vagaries of Nature stacked up against him. His perseverance is rewarded when his wife Adrian (Talia Shire) comes to visit him.
In order to put him on the back foot, the Russian is introduced to the audience with a lot of pomp and fanfare. When the bout begins, Rocky is crushed by the strength, stealth and skill of the Russian.
In a crazy blood bath lasting twelve rounds, Rocky maintains his secure stance, and the crowd admires his resilience against the bigger opponent. The loss of home support ruffles Drago’s calm demeanor, he roughs up his manager. Ivan loses his cool and this becomes his undoing- as Rocky delivers a KO punch in the fifteenth round.
Although the film eluded praise from critics, yet it has endured over the years, endearing fans of all ages. It has also been hailed as one of the few sports biopic with such lasting appeal. The movie ends with a politically correct Rocky Balboa mumbling ‘If I can change, and you can change, then everybody can change.’

Reunion At Fairborough (released in 1985) - Starring Robert Mitchum, Deborah Kerr and Judi Trott

The  bitter sweet emotions of star crossed lovers, the sentimentality lent to celluloid by the script, backdrops and background score - makes you want to grab a handkerchief and a bowl of popcorn. Many movies of the war-romance genre have been made through the ages, the return of the war veteran, a recurrent and beloved theme in Hollywood is extended to the much latter part of the veterans lives as well - they seem to be in a constant search for fellow comrades-in-arms, and seeking lost loves of their lives on distant shores.
WWII saw some of the worst atrocities that mankind would ever witness, and the Allies suffered many setbacks before the White Cliffs of Dover and the sandy beaches along the seas were truly free. And whilst they were at the bidding of their respective motherlands, officers and men alike would remember lovers and wives, carry faded pictures of their sweethearts, drown their sorrows in wine and rekindle romance in the arms of exotic foreign beauties.
Casablanca was undoubtedly the most memorable movie in this genre, A Farewell to Arms, sourced from Hemingway’s book of the same name starring Rock Hudson was also a real tear jerker. And then there is Reunion at Fairborough (1985), directed by Herbert Wise and written by Albert Ruben, this is the story of Carl Hostrup (played by Robert Mitchum). Carl is a WWII veteran, who flew with an Air Force Squadron as Captain of a fleet. He is currently leading an apparently cushy life as a high level executive, however, beneath the surface of success are the remnants of a bitter divorce and unrequited love.




Misery and loneliness drive him almost to the point of suicide, when fortunately, his macabre decision is stalled by a phone call from his old crew mate from the War Nathan Barsky (Barry Morse), who is now a professor and has organized a reunion for the 8th Air Force, 323rd Bombardment Squadron, in Fairborough, England where the old base was.
Carl is hesitant to go, but eventually agrees, and when they reach Fairborough, memories of an old love, from forty years ago. Sally Wells Grant (Deborah Kerr) is a shopkeeper is not pleasantly surprised to find Carl at her doorstep, memories of yesteryear flood her mind, and she is vocally bitter about how she was left by him, and how it has taken her years to become emotionally stronger, despite the heartbreak.
Sally also confronts Carl with two shockers - one, he is the father of a daughter, and two - he is grandfather to a granddaughter. Stunned by the revelations, and hurt by her caginess, Carl decides to make headway with the youngest woman in his life: Sheila, his grandchild. The film follows the relationships of the three, Sally and Carl light up the moments with their easy charm and panache, so readily on hand for older stars. Sheila is the young rebel with a cause, whom Carl has to tame.
Mitchum and Kerr deliver one of the most touching performances, her quiet dismissal in the face of reality - at conflict with the love she has secretly harbored for Carl - are easily portrayed by Kerr, whereas the American businessman with nothing–to-look-forward-to-in-life war veteran Carl is convincingly real.
A poignant, emotive and sweet movie – about how love can change lives, and remains alive no matter what the distances in space or time.

Promises to keep (released in 1985) - Starring 3 generations of Mitchums - Robert, Christopher and Bentley

Directed by Noel Black, the film stars three generations of Mitchums - Robert, Christopher and Bentley. Jack Palmer (Robert Mitchum) is the patriarch who abandoned his family three decades ago, a true blue roustabout, who ends up being a foreman at a Wyoming ranch. His son Tom Palmer (played by Christopher Mitchum) resents his father for having walked out on them. Going through a difficult time, Tom is the captain of a boat called the Genoa. A fisherman by trade, he is having an engine problem, which threatens to shut down the Genoa. To make matters worse, the catch that season has been dismally low - top it with having wages to pay, its no surprise that Tom is having a harrowing time. Staying abreast of the other competition in Santa Barbara is now an impossible feat he somehow must accomplish. Meanwhile, the father Jack Palmer discovers he is terminally and like most people who discover the end is near - he is inevitably drawn to his roots, back home in Santa Barbara, delaying his treatment by a week or so in Wyoming.
“There he was, the mystery man, he’d come back.”
As he would already have anticipated, Jack’s homecoming is met with cool indifference and extreme scorn by Tom; his wife Sally (Claire Bloom) retains her dignified composure, though she still gets misty eyed thinking of him. Tom has many other demons to battle, the worst being the fact that Gwen (Tess Harper), his wife, is forced to put their home up for sale. Johnny is in rebel mode, a typical teenager who wants to have to do nothing with an old grandparent; he doesn’t realize how he has in common with Jack. He has undoubtedly inherited his streak for adventure and wanderlust -Tom has a difficult time reining in his son’s wild dreams.




Their adversities seem to get the better of them, as their relationships are compromised at the altar of the past. Jack’s decisions of yesteryear haunt the present, and he sees his family’s fabric disintegrate before him - united only in their resentment and scorn. Tom refuses to reconcile with the father he hardly knows, and would rather hold his son close to him - trying hard to keep him from following his dream. Johnny is at loggerheads with his father and girlfriend for wanting to harness him with the cares of the world.
All in all it is the usual family pot boiler, with the mundane frustrations of three generations of Palmers reflecting what most people in life have to face. The ‘blood is thicker than water’ message of the film is obvious, a tear jerker through and through, it is a true blue HBO TV movie, melodramatic and sentimental.
Robert Mitchum is known for his cameo characters, although ‘The Ambassador’ and ‘Promises to Keep’ are two films in which we see him assay the lead roles. Although Mitchum is believed to have commented on the actual purpose of making the film because he ‘…thought it would be good for the family bank account.’ Caring not for the business of the film, but the moolah it rakes in for him and his - Mitchum, in known for his characteristic forthrightness – just believed in the fun he had with the film, that and the er.., bank account bit, of course!

Witness (released in 1985) - Starring Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis, protecting a young witness

A thriller directed by Peter Weir starring Harrison Ford, Kelly Macgillis and Lukas Haas, it was released in 1985 to critical and box office acclaim.
The plot involves a young Amish widow Rachel Lapp who is taking her son Samuel for a trip to Baltimore to see the outside world. Samuel in the rest room witness a murder of a police officer Zenovich. Samuel sees only one of the murderers who happens to be a tall black man. Rachel and Samuel are taken by the police as witnesses and are introduced to captain John Book and Sergeant Carter. Samuel as the principal witness has to identify the killer and fails to find the right man in the police line-up. As he saunters around in the police head quarters he sees a newspaper clipping of a police officer Mcfee and recognizes him as the killer.
Book reports this development to his superior, Captain Paul Schaffer and is asked to investigate further. He informs Book, that Mcfee had raided a drug hideout and did not report his findings. Zenovich was killed for investigating Mcfee's drug offenses. Schaffer advices Book to keep the report a secret, till they can find some clinching evidence.



Book escorts Rachel and Samuel to a safe hotel where they are ambushed by Mcfee. Book shoots Mcfee and realizes that Schaffer would be the traitor. Book seriously wounded decides to go in to hiding with the Lapps. He calls up Carter and asks him to remove all the files relating to the Lapp's and his investigations. Book informs Rachel about the situation and escorts them to their home in Lancaster city.
A severely wounded Book, tries to leave the Amish colony after he ha safely escorted the Lapps. But he faints having lost a lot of blood and Rachel's father in-law reluctantly agrees to keep him there. As he recovers he helps Eli, Rachel's father-in-law around the house doing small carpentry and other odd jobs. He finds it difficult to adjust to the Amish way of life, but soon it grows on him. He takes Samuel under his wing and bond starts to develop between them.
Various culture clashes happens as Book adjusts himself to the Amish way. He is forced to surrender his fire arm as the Amish believe in non violence. He does the community jobs like building towers for residents and Samuel helps him to work the machines like a silo. Book enjoys his life with the Amish and also develops a soft corner for Rachel. He also fights others who mock the Amish. Rachel and Book are attracted to each other to the discomfiture of her suiter Hockleitner. Eli and other residents also disapprove of this alliance.
Book in the mean time telephones Carter for information and the villains kill him. Realizing that the game has gone too far, he calls up Schaffer and challenges him. Soon Schaffer and Co reach Lancaster and both Mcfee and Fergie are killed. Schaffer holds Rachel hostage, but the arrival of all residents, make him realize that his game is up. Book arrests and hands him to the Sheriff. But he also comes to the understanding that he cannot be part of the Amish for ever, and returns to the world with his love for Rachel.
Witness was a box office winner and was also nominated for 8 academy awards wining two for the best screen play and editing. It was also a toast at the BAFTA Awards. A good simple movie.

After Hours (released in 1985) - A dark comedy film, directed by Martin Scorsese, the misadventures of a man

From viewing Martin Scorsese's movies, it would seem that Robert De Niro was a perpetual favorite of Scorsese, so when he would make a movie without De Niro, it was always a surprise, like the movie After Hours, which was the first movie in a decade by Scorsese that did not star De Niro. Martin Scorsese was not supposed to be the original director for this movie, which was based on a screenplay that Joseph Minion wrote (given that he was only 26 years old when the movie was made); the screenplay was wrote when Minion was doing an assignment as part of a film course at Columbia University. The movie also faced a court case after release since the radio host Joe Frank claimed that the screenplay and parts of the dialog were based on his radio monologue (and there was a settlement in which he must have got a good settlement). The movie was a fairly low budget movie, costing around $4.5 million to make, and made around $10 million; and of course, like many other movies, this was not very acclaimed when it was released, and only later was classified as a cult movie.



The movie deals with the sudden happenings in the life of Paul Hackett (although the night finally ends with everything turning out okay in the end). He meets a lady called Marcy Franklin (Rosanna Arquette) while in a cafe and they discover that they have a common interest in Henry Miller. They exchange phone numbers, and Paul also gets to know that Marcy lives with Kiki Bridges (Linda Fiorentino) - a person who sells Plaster of Paris paperweights. Paul is interested, and goes to meet Marcy, but he loses his $20, and has no money left to pay the cab, which of course means that Paul has to face the hostility of the cab driver. And then in the apartment, Paul comes across some photos of Marcy which imply that she has serious burns; he leaves soon after, with the would-be-relationship between them ending, and then he learns that those photos were not true.
No longer able to afford a cab, he tries to use the subway, but with a fare increase coming into effect just at the stroke of midnight, he no longer has enough money. He goes to a bar, but the owner does not have the keys to the cash register to help him, so he takes the keys to the apartment to get the keys to the cash register, but then things keep on happening .. which eventually ends with him being turned into a plaster of paris cast, which is then stolen and falls off at his place of work, and he is ready to start a fresh day. Interesting movie ..