Just in case you forgot that it's the most wonderful time of the year our host for Thursday Movie Picks, Wanderer at Wandering Through the Shelves, gave us a rather festive topic for this week. We're talking holiday action movies. When I found this out, my mind immediately went to that movie. Yeah, that one. I promise I didn't pick that one. No, no, I love that one. I just didn't pick that one. I picked these...
First Blood
(l982)
This only happened because, as our protagonist says, "They drew first blood!" Starting with the very next movie in this franchise, main character John Rambo is more or less a superhero. This makes it easy to forget that the original movie treats him like a real person. In his most endearing performance outside the Rocky franchise, Sylvester Stallone stars as a Vietnam vet home from the war...during Christmas.
Rocky IV
(1985)
Did I mention Rocky? Here, Sylvester Stallone is back for his fourth turn as the immortal boxer. Yes, I'm counting this as an action movie. Boxing scenes are nothing, if not action sequences, after all. This time, our hero travels behind The Iron Curtain to end the Cold War with his legendary pugilistic skills. I mean, "If I can change and you change, everybody can change." Sly's eternal David takes on the Goliath known as Ivan Drago...in Russia...on Christmas Day.
Cobra
(1986)
"You're the disease, and I'm the cure," says our titular character. He's one of those tough guy cops who doesn't play by the rules. He does things like use excessive force whenever the opportunity presents itself, which includes whipping his car around to drive backwards on a crowded freeway while shooting at bad guys. Ya know, normal cop stuff. Sylvester Stallone plays this particular renegade who's trying to stop an extra dangerous psycho...during the Christmas season.
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