2023-08-18
47 分钟In the early 1980s, as America is grappling with the fallout of Vietnam, a troubled big-screen vet named John Rambo launches an unlikely movie franchise—and leads a wave of make-believe soldiers who are ready to fight the war all over again. Other films we talk about in this episode include ‘First Blood’ (1982), ‘Uncommon Valor’ (1983), ‘Missing in Action’ (1984), and ‘Rambo: First Blood Part II’ (1985). Host: Brian Raftery Producers: Devon Manze, Mike Wargon, Amanda Dobbins, and Vikram Patel Sound Design: Bobby Wagner Mixing and Mastering: Scott Somerville All interviews for this series were conducted before the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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To help understand why the Vietnam War and Vietnam movies dominated the 80s, we need to spend one last moment in the 70s, specifically the moment in early 1979 when a veteran named Jan Scruggs walked into a movie theater in suburban Maryland.
Scruggs had been a teenager when he joined the army and headed to Vietnam.
Not long after arriving in May 1969, he was injured by shrapnel from a rocket propelled grenade.
Scruggs found himself under a tree, bleeding to death, his arm so damaged he couldn't fire his gun.
You know, I'm losing consciousness and I'm looking down and seeing your body.
There's a word for that.
Well, that's what that's happened to me.
And I just kind of was floating up through the clouds, praying that I could get out of this mess.