Ruckus (1981)

Director:

Max Kleven

Writer:

Max Kleven (writer)

Release Date:

March 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Thriller | Drama

Tagline:

On the long lonely journey from a past he wanted to forget, to the uncertain future which awaited, he wanted to be left alone... but only she understood. So if they wanted trouble, there was bound to be a ruckus.

Plot:

Kyle Hanson is a Vietnam veteran whose traumatic war-time experiences have left him unable to rejoin mainstream society...

Plot Keywords:

Vietnam | Vietnam Veteran | Veteran | Small Town | Man Hunt

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Dirk Benedict	...	Kyle Hanson
Linda Blair	...	Jenny Bellows
Richard Farnsworth	...	Sheriff Jethro Pough
Matt Clark	...	Cecil 'Cece' Grant
Jon Van Ness	...	Deputy Dave
Taylor Lacher	...	Sarge
Clifford A. Pellow	...	Homer
Ben Bates	...	Big Ben
Jerry Gatlin	...	Bubba
Bennie E. Dobbins	...	Joe
Bobby Hughes	...	Bobby Bellows
A.J. Blake	...	Sally the Barmaid
Melanie Weeks	...	Counter Girl
Patrick Connolly	...	Gas Station Attendant
Bob Peeler	...	Farmer at Fair

Also Known As:

Big Ruckus in a Small Town (USA) (video title)
Ruckus in Madoc Country
The Loner

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1982) | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Knights Landing, California, USA

Company:

International Vision

Trivia:

Director 'Max Kleven (I)' considered 'Tom Selleck (I)' for the lead role of Kyle Hanson, but decided against him as he was too big for the role.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Shots of Kyle driving red pick-up that he escapes in are shown mirrored back-to-front in several shots - the steering wheel is clearly on the wrong side.

Quotes:

Kyle Hanson: Gimme a hamburger... raw.
Counter Girl: Excuse me, sir... did you say "Rare"?
Kyle Hanson: RAW!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in A Stuntman for All Seasons: A Tribute to Bennie Dobbins (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

YOU COMB HER HAIR

The REAL first Rambo movie

Having read "First Blood" I told everyone what a tremendous movie it would make. Imagine my surprise when I watched this movie. The hero's name was different but there was no doubt that this was the same story. Linda Blair had been added as a love interest but the battle against the small town sheriff by a disturbed Vietnam vet was definitely the story of John Rambo later made famous by Sylvester Stallone. I have spent years trying to convince others that this movie existed. It didn't help that I forgot its name. Fortunately I did remember it starred Dirk Benedict. Although not a great movie, it does satisfy the "machismo" ethos. In a way, Stallone's version was a let down. The book has a much grimmer ending than either movie. If Stallone-Rambo had suffered the fate portrayed in the book there could have been no sequels.