Isn’t it a hoot to think about Sylvester Stallone back in the day, when he had a streak, however inconsistent, of playing anti-war and anti-authoritarian figures? There’s Rebel*, also known as Nowhere to Hide; there’s Rambo: First Blood; there’s Demolition Man, which, admittedly, embraces mindless violence and wanton property destruction as a means to a hero’s end, but also has Stallone growling dialogue about how fascism makes him puke while sympathizing with society’s homeless and hungry population.
My older brother and I watched this film religiously as kids. None of the true “good guy” motifs made a terribly large impression on us. We knew John Spartan was a “good guy” because he was out there taking down psychotic and over-the-top cartoon character villains; we appreciated his commitment to a free and fair society, but it wasn’t at the top of our “why this movie rules” list. Three decades later, I’m happy to embrace this movie all over again for the egalitarian compassion. And also, yes, for the mindless violence.
Read my piece on Arrow Video’s 4K release over at Cool Material.
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