John,

Not sure if you have answered this question before, but where does the Talk To Me Johnnie tagline, “It’s a long road” come from and what is the meaning?

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The tagline is taken from the theme song for First Blood.  The original Rambo was one of Stallone’s greatest works and one of my favorite movie.  He plays a pivotal character for the time when the movie was made.  The loner fighting against the establishment, refusing to conform to societies pressures and generally kicking ass for the 2 hours.  I believe the success of the movie comes from being able to identify with the struggle and perseverance of the character.  Even when he gets cornered in an old mine shaft and hammered by a rocket, he finds a way out.

This character of the disenfranchised anti-hero, John Rambo, is not much different than another great character Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver.  Robert De Niro plays the character of Bickle, a recently returned solider from Vietnam who takes a job as a taxi drive turned vigilante.  This movie is considered to be one of the greatest movies of all.

“Are you talkin’ to me? Well, I’m the only one here”

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First Blood is a transitional piece for the time as it starts in the dark movies of the 70’s and kicks in the door of the big action movies we have come to love and associate with the 80’s.  Think Rambo II, Terminator, another awesome movie Uncommon Valor and the list goes on and on.

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It’s a long road…