Rebel

Believe it or not, I was pumped up to see this movie after seeing a preview for it on another tape. My hopes, however, were quickly dashed as I found it hard to get through the first 10 minutes with my eyes still open. Dreadfully boring and slow moving, the only redeemable factors are when Sly attacks a chair and his final run through a field......clad head to toe in denim. After watching this, my friends and I took a trip down to the shore and buried it in the sand. That was the only enjoyment we got out of this movie, which is truly one of the worst pieces of work I have ever seen. Enjoyment may be slightly higher if you make bad Stallone impressions while watching it.

First of all, when i saw it listed in the TV guide, the year was listed as 1973. But the movie was re-released in 1980, with some extra footage added. However, the extra footage mostly covers the FBI office scenes. This movie had all unknown actors, including an unknown Sylvester Stallone. Sly looked so youthful and handsome. The film was based on a true story about 1960s radical, Jerry Savage, who infiltrates a terrorist group who plan on blowing up a building in New York. He also falls for a beautiful country girl, who's opposed to his association with the group. It would've been nice for Sly to be the first unknown actor to be nominated for an Oscar for this film. The end is a very emotional one for Sly as he's seen stumbling through fields.

REBEL" (aka "NO PLACE TO HIDE") is mostly like an independent film that when it came out had little to no interest, but as decades passed it somewhat caught the eye of a ''few'' for the casting of its upcoming star. Still I wouldn't bother with it, unless you're a fan of Sylvester Stallone and want to see everything he's done. Outside of that, there's not much to recommend. The story follows a college dropout Jerry Savage, turned homegrown terrorist involved in an underground movement wanting to take down the corporate war machine while the FBI closes in.

This clunky low-budgeter is very much a product of its era. The movement of the late 1960s shines through and the backdrop of New York City is authentically brought across. Be it through stock footage, or gritty location shooting with its documentary-like style. Being made during the Vietnam era the political tailoring is at the forefront, yet the narrative is pretty long on its build-up consisting of numerous exchanges (capitalism, propaganda, spiritualism & etc) and tactical scheming of what needs to be done for this group to get their point across. Also the FBI is in the same boat in trying to weed out these organized bombers. Editing between scenes can be ragged and the script is more talk and ideas, than anything of action. So tension, or its attempts of it stems mainly from the character interactions. In spite of one or two minor visual moments towards the end. Even so there's a lot of sitting around and trivial waxing, causing it drag at times. Strangely though, the presence of Stallone keeps you watching. It's a raw, yet affecting performance of confliction that you can see why he went onto bigger, better things.

I recall the filming of this film in my upstate NY town of Livingston Manor in 1972. So the making date is inaccurate. The scene of them driving up to the country is on Route 17 which is now Interstate 86 at the exit near Parksville,NY. The old boarding house is actually a bed and breakfast now and they make no claims to this pretty awful film. It was definitely a period piece and fun to see how Sly started in this industry. He was a looker even then before all the excesses. Does anyone else remember this film from the Catskills of Sullivan County? The Bed and Breakfast is located on Debruce Road in Livingston Manor and is known as the Debruce Inn. It has been restored but still the structure looks like it did in the film. As I watched this film I realized how much of our area in the country is timeless and other than trees being bigger the road is unchanged. I still would like to know how many people actually paid to see this one?

I own this movie under a different title "REBEL". It's ok. A bit slow, but it does have a plot. It tells the story of a young man having to choose between his desire to be part of a social movement in the late sixties. Or the love of a country girl, a true "flower child" he meets on his way to Manhatten. I liked it because it shows Sly before he became so pretty