Thrillers over time

1980s
First Blood
First Blood (also known as Rambo: First Blood Part 1 outside the United States) is a 1982 action/thriller film directed by Ted Kotcheff. The film stars Sylvester Stallone as John Rambo, a troubled and misunderstood Vietnam War veteran, with Sheriff Will Teasle (Brian Dennehy) as his nemesis and Colonel Samuel Trautman (Richard Crenna) as his former commander and only ally. It was released on October 22, 1982. Based on David Morrell's 1972 novel of the same name, it was the first of the Rambo series. Unlike the sequels, which were war adventure films set in foreign countries, First Blood was a post-Vietnam War psychological thriller set in the United States. First Blood lacks the gore and violence that would become a trademark of the series.
Since its release, First Blood has been a critical and commercial success and has had a lasting influence on the genre. It has also spurred countless parodies. The film is notable for its psychological portrayal of the after-effects of the Vietnam War, particularly the challenges faced by American veterans attempting to re-integrate into society, something not deeply examined in subsequent Rambo movies.

Cast

Sylvester Stallone as John Rambo
Richard Crenna as Colonel Sam Trautman
Brian Dennehy as Sheriff Will Teasle
Bill McKinney as State Police Capt. Dave Kern
Jack Starrett as Deputy Sgt. Arthur Galt
Michael Talbott as Deputy Balford
Chris Mulkey as Deputy Ward
John McLiam as Orval the Dog Man
Alf Humphreys as Deputy Lester
David Crowley as Shingleton
Don MacKay as Preston

Escape from New York

Escape from New York is a 1981 American science fiction action film directed and scored by John Carpenter. He also co-wrote the screenplay with Nick Castle. The film is set in the near future in a crime-ridden United States that has converted Manhattan Island in New York City into a maximum security prison. Ex-soldier and legendary fugitive "Snake" Plissken (Kurt Russell) is given 24 hours to find the President of the United States, who has been captured by inmates after Air Force One crashed on the island.
Carpenter originally wrote the film in the mid-1970s as a reaction to the Watergate scandal, but no studio wanted to make it because Carpenter proved unable to articulate just how this film could relate to the Watergate scandal. After the success of Halloween, he had enough influence to get the film made and shot most of it in St. Louis, Missouri, where significant portions of the city were used in place of New York City.

Cast

Kurt Russell as Snake Plissken
Lee Van Cleef as Bob Hauk
Ernest Borgnine as Cabbie
Donald Pleasence as President of the United States of America
Isaac Hayes as The Duke of New York City
Season Hubley as The Girl in the Chock full o'Nuts
Harry Dean Stanton as Harold "Brain"
Adrienne Barbeau as Maggie
Tom Atkins as Rehme
Charles Cyphers as the Secretary of State
Joe Unger as Tayler (deleted scenes only)
Frank Doubleday as Romero
John Strobel as Cronenberg 


Summary:

In the 1980s thriller films were getting bigger budgets and better effects with a large range of multiple
of thriller genres.