Exploder

Exploder is a 1984 film starring Jack Howitzer and was featured in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. The film was followed by two sequels: Exploder: Evacuator Part II (1986) and Special Needs Cop (1992).

Summary

The plot centers around Tim (played by Jack Howitzer), a mentally unstable military veteran who is suffering from flashbacks of his time in the Viet Nam War, including torching villages and raping school girls. At some point Tim is recruited to rescue prisoners of war still being held captive in Vietnam due to the liberals turning their back on the veterans. Tim teams up with old friends Ho-Chi and Wandering Hands (Asian and Native American stereotypes, respectively) to rescue the prisoners and kill Vietnamese soldiers.

Merchandising

A large amount of products were released with the movie, including action figures and playsets of the characters featured in the film.

Quotes

"After i torched those villages and raped those school girls, i just can't seem to get those images out of my head!! - Tim experiencing flashbacks.

"What do you smell, Wandering Hands?"

"Hmm. Smell fear."

"Good. Let's arm-wrestle"

"That be different film."

"Then let's kill some commies!"

"Hmm. Me find Vietnamese squaw" - Tim and Wandering Hands.

"He's wrestling the chopper down! Shoot him!"

"I'm an American, and you're not! So fucking die!!"

"Aah, he's too strong!" - Vietnamese soldier and Tim.

GTA IV

As a sample video to promote Rockstar Games Social Club TV and Grand Theft Auto IV's (PC) video editor, a trailer for Exploder was made.

Trivia

The first two Exploder films could be spoofs of the Sylvester Stallone films Rambo: First Blood and Rambo: First Blood Part II because the first two Exploder films have a similar storyline (an unstable Viet Nam War veteran wilding a bazooka and waging a one-man war against a whole army).

In contrast, the third Exploder film is not based on the Sylvester Stallone film Rambo III, and does not retain the "Exploder" title. Instead, the third film is titled "Special Needs Cop" and is based on the Arnold Schwarzenegger film Kindergarten Cop.