First Blood is a 1982 American action adventure movie, directed by Ted Kotcheff, co-written by and starring Sylvester Stallone as John Rambo, a mentally unstable Vietnam war vet, abused with a small town's police force, begins a one man war with it. Brian Dennehy and Richard Crenna appeared in supporting roles. 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.