Category: First Blood

Hope Celebrates 25th Anniversary of First Blood

Craig / / 2007, First Blood, Honors

This came in the e-mail this week…

Hope Celebrates 25th Anniversary of First Blood

Over 25 years have passed since First Blood wrapped filming in Hope, British Columbia, Canada – but residents, local crew and Rambo enthusiasts agree it doesn’t feel like a quarter century has passed. Back in 1981, British Columbia’s film industry was in itsinfancy when the Ministry of Tourism’s Film Promotion Office, helmed by Dianne Neufeld and Justis Greene, received a call from a production company interested in shooting First Blood, a $15 million action movie in B.C..

After scouting several different locations in BC, the producers found the exact look they had been searching for in the small town of Hope. Soon after, a crew of approximately 100 people (many of whom still work in the BC Film industry) began to transform the town of Hope into the birthplace of John Rambo. The Sheriff’s Office was constructed on the lawn of Hope’s District Hall, a gun shop and gas station were built and American flags, mailboxes, and US Army billboards were placed on downtown streets.

During the filming, the cast and crew had to deal with bitter cold, the theft of over 50 firearms needed for the movie, Stallone’s injuries and the escape of a wild boar on its way to set. Despite these challenges, First Blood, which was released on Friday October 22, 1982was a major box office success, earning a record breaking $14.8 million in the first 12 days of its release.

To mark the film’s 25th anniversary, the Hope Visitor Centre & Museum Complex (operated by Destination Hope & Beyond Services) is celebrating the occasion with a number of events and activities over the Canadian Thanksgiving long weekend, beginning October 5th. The anniversary celebration plans currently include a welcome reception at a Hope pub, the premiere of the REEL PLACES “First Blood” travelogue/documentary by Seattle’s Gas Light Alley Entertainment, film location tours, a Rambo look-a-like contest, an art competition, a pig roast dinner, and the publication of a souvenir “First Blood” booklet as a keepsake.

Anyone that would like to contribute stories, photos or trivia for the souvenir booklet is invited to send them to destinationhope@telus.net. Plus anyone that was involved in this film project is encouraged to take part in the events celebrating this pivotal BC film project.

For further information, please contact: Inge Wilson, Manager-Hope Visitor Centre & Museum Complex Phone: 604-869-2021 or 1-866-HOPEVIC or E-mail:destinationhope@telus.net

First Blood Celebration

Craig / / 2007, First Blood, Honors

Hey SZoners, This came in and I thought many of you would be interested…

___

Greetings from Hope, British Columbia, Canada … birthplace of John Rambo as a world renowned film screen character!


“First Blood” was filmed in our community in 1981 and the film was released into theatres in 1982 – so 2007 marks the 25th anniversary of the film and we are celebrating that October 5th to 8th, 2007 with a variety of activities … do you think your website readers would like to know more about the special film screening, the souvenirs that will be available, the film location tours, the Rambo look-alike contest, the First Blood art contest & more!?

They can email me at destinationhope@telus.net and I will fill them in on the details….

Inge Wilson

Destination Hope & Beyond Services

___

Hard to believe it’s been 25 years! – Craig

First Blood 2nd Best

Craig / / 2007, First Blood, Honors

The June 24, 2007 issue of The Calgary Sun has an article by Kevin Williamson who lists his choices for the Top Ten Action Films of the 80’s. First Blood comes in second and here’s what he has to say:

2. FIRST BLOOD (1982): Sylvester Stallone’s brutish, brooding alter-ego is now indefensible as anything but a churlish Reagan-era joke. But this inaugural outing, in which the psychologically scarred Vietnam vet John Rambo runs afoul of a hick police force, is, in retrospect, remarkable for its comparative restraint.

Click HERE for the full article. – Craig

Gerardo Moreno’s Rocky and Rambo DVD Packages!

Craig / / 2006, First Blood, Rambo 2, Rambo 3, Rocky, Rocky 2, Rocky 3, Rocky 4, Rocky 5, Sly Fan

Gerardo Moreno checked in to the SZ with pics of his design work for a Rocky and Rambo dvd packages sold
overseas.

If you’d like to see more of Gerardo’s work; he specializes in illustrations [traditional and digital], graphic design,  as well as sculpture and photography; then check out his website and tell him I sent you! – Craig

Rambo Action Figures

Craig / / 2005, First Blood, Rambo

My buddy, Randy Martin [who has the coolest art collection] gave me a heads-up on a couple of new Rambo action figures that would soon be available.

The first is actually Colonel Troutman from First Blood and the second is John Rambo. Although a bit pricey,
they would look cool in any Stallone fan’s collection.

You can see more about the figures HERE and HERE.

Mark Dambach just wrote in to say that they are now available for pre-order. Mark went HERE and Randy
said that he uses THIS PLACE.

– Craig

POW – “First Blood” Rare Behind-the-Scenes

Craig / / 2005, First Blood, POW [Picture of the Week]

Our extremely rare POW [Picture of the Week] of Sly on location for filming of First Blood comes to us from the collection of Oliver Wegner who lives in Germany.

Some of you long time SZoners may remember Oliver was the webmaster of “The Sly World“, which unfortunately has been down for some years now.

Oliver is a huge “First Blood” fan and got this picture from a shop owner in Hope, British Columbia who took it when Sly was there filming First Bood.

Oliver is back with a very, very cool new website dedicated to First Blood called Rambotown. Check it out!

Thanks Oliver! – Craig