Category: Celebs

“Predator” Gets the Cinephilia & Beyond Treatment

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Did you know that Sly Stallone’s Rocky IV provided the spark of inspiration for Predator?  It did.  You’ll learn that and more if you check out Predator: John McTiernan’s First Studio Gig that Became an Epic Action Classic at Cinephilia and Beyond.

Click on the link and you’ll find…

  • Predator‘s original script when it was titled HUNTER (not to be confused with James Byron Huggins’ novel of the same name)
  • John McTiernan Interview
  • An Oral History of Predator
  • Rare Magazine Articles
  • “If It Bleeds We Can Kill It” – The Making of Predator
  • Hand Drawn Storyboards and Creature Designs
  • John McTiernan on Filmmaking Philosophy
  • Rare behind-the-scenes photos
  • and much more!

The Lost Scenes from “Rocky”

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If you’re a Rocky or Stallone fan, then you probably noticed right away that the scene in the photo above doesn’t appear in the movie.  Sadly, although the scene was filmed, it and all of the other Rocky deleted scenes and outtakes were destroyed some time in the 1980s.  

Luckily for fans who’d love to see what could have been, The Edit Room Floor features rare and unpublished stills from classic films… and they have coverage of The Lost Scenes from Rocky.

So what are you waiting for?  Click over!

George Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead” Special 50th Anniversary Event

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George Romero’s remastered and restored Night of the Living Dead is returning to life in a theater near you!  

To commemorate Night of the Living Dead‘s 50th anniversary, on October 24th and 25th theaters around the country will present special showings of the restored and remastered classic.  George Romero oversaw the restoration through a collaboration with the Museum of Modern Art and the George Lucas Family Foundation.

I plan to attend a showing near me.  It’ll be the first time seeing NOTLD in a theater and I’m looking forward to the audience experience.

To find a theater near you showing Night of the Living Dead, visit the Fathom Events website.

5 Leroy Neiman Rocky Paintings and a Mystery!

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Leroy Neiman, the world famous sports artist, made cameo appearances in Rocky 3, 4, 5 and Rocky Balboa. Neiman’s art could also be seen in several of the Rocky movies.   The most famous Neiman Rocky art is the painting shown above.  You’ll see copies hanging in many sports bars and man caves throughout the world.  I own one of the original release prints that my wife surprised me with when I was in college. 

The painting above is the second most known Neiman Rocky painting.  It appeared at the very end of Rocky III.  To the best of my knowledge it was never released as an official Neiman print although there are many knock-offs and other artists’ copies out there.

Neiman created the painting above for Rocky V.  My understanding is that it was released as a limited edition print for a fundraiser.  The print above was signed by Tommy Morrison.

The Neiman watercolor study above was offered up for auction and hopefully won by a Stallone fan.

And now for the mystery.  The very bad image above is of a Neiman Rocky piece that sharp-eyed fans spotted during a vintage Barbara Walters interview with Sly Stallone.  The art was/is in Sly Stallone’s personal collection.  Here’s the mystery — was the piece ever released as a print or shown anywhere else?  Are there any good copies of it around?  If anyone knows, please forward the information and I’ll be sure to share it.

Thomas Boatwright Makes a “F.I.S.T.

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I really like Thomas Boatwright’s riff on Sly from F.I.S.T.  Hopefully, you do as well.

Over the years I’ve gotten several Stallone pieces from Thomas.  Click on the link to see what has been posted so far… there are more to come.

If you’d like to see more of Thomas Boatwright’s art check out his blog and his instagram. Send him some love.

If you get commissions, you should consider a piece from Thomas. He keeps you totally in the loop on his progress, finishes his commissions on or ahead of schedule, has very reasonable prices, is a fantastic artist and always gives you more than you’re expecting!   – Craig

Sly Stallone’s Personal Note to Burt Reynolds

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Here’s a gem from the Zablo vault.  A few years ago, Burt Reynolds held an auction to thin out his personal collection.  One of the items for bid was this personal letter from Sly Stallone to Burt.  I think it’s cool that Sly and Burt were hanging out and that Burt thought enough of Sly to keep the note.  Click on the photo to see a much bigger version.

PS – I agree with Sly’s assessment of Sharkey’s Machine.  It’s a favorite!

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 5 Best Non-Terminator Films

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Over at Syfy.com, Tim Grierson and Will Leitch posted their choices for Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 5 Best Non-Terminator Films. Let’s cut to the chase.  Here’s their selections:

5.  The Running Man
4.  Kindergarten Cop
3.  True Lies
2.  Total Recall
1.  Predator

Here’s mine.

5.  Sabotage
4.  True Lies
3.  Conan
2.  Commando
1.  Predator

How could they leave off Conan and Commando?

21 Cancelled Shows Netflix Should Bring Back.

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Leon Hurley and GamesRadar present 21 Cancelled Shows Netflix Should Bring Back.  Using just their choices, here are my top three picks and two that didn’t make the list, but should have.

11. Almost Human

The TV show: While at times hit-n-miss, Almost Human braved the cold of Monday nights on Fox and sadly didn’t survive. A sci-fi police procedural about a belligerent cop (Karl Urban) and his android partner (Michael Ealy) the show struck out into some unique territory with its gritty genre storytelling.
Why Netflix needs to bring it back: For Karl Urban’s sanity. Between this and Dredd, the guy needs a break when it comes to steady work.

9. Deadwood

The TV show: As the drunken, bristling Al Swearengen, Ian McShane delivers his finest role to date in HBO’s uber-violent western. Being set shortly after the Civil War in a period of lawlessness allows for the series to fly off the rails. Interestingly enough, the crazy activities taking place in the small town of Deadwood, South Dakota are based on actual people who lived there.
Why Netflix needs to bring it back: Oh man, have you not seen the fan petitions for this one? Word is that HBO caved and agreed to wrap up the dangling plots with a movie – but this was arguably the cable network’s best genre show. Why not keep it serialised? Oh well, there’s always Westworld season 2…

2. Firefly

The TV show: You knew this was going to be at number one. Joss Whedon’s cowboys in space serial only squeezed out one season. And boy, is it a corker. Taking the typical Whedon tropes (ragtag bunch of misfits, genre setting, punchy dialogue) he spins a great blend of sci-fi and action following the crew of the Serenity across the universe. The cast’s at the top of their game and the storylines feel fresh.
Why Netflix needs to bring it back: Let’s pretend the wrap-up movie Serenity doesn’t exist. Netflix would score MAJOR points for reviving this series. Even if the amount of fans who’ve petitioned for its return aren’t in the millions, the word-of-mouth and social media activity would generate tons of free press for them. But really, they need to bring it back for this one reason:  *spoiler alert*… to correct Wash’s fate.

I almost left Deadwood off the list since HBO is bringing it back as a movie, but then decided that it should be left on because I’d really love to see it return as a series.

Two that should have been included on the list but weren’t are: 1.  Justified and 2. The Shield.

Cosmo Carboni, Mumbles and Thomas Boatwright

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Thomas Boatwright created the piece above when I requested Sly from Paradise Alley.  Boatwright is such a Tom Waits fan that he felt compelled to add him since Waits played Mumbles in the movie.  How cool is that?

Over the years I’ve gotten several Stallone pieces from Thomas.  Click on the link to see what has been posted so far… there are more to come.

If you’d like to see more of Thomas Boatwright’s art check out his blog and his instagram. Send him some love.

If you get commissions, you should consider a piece from Thomas. He keeps you totally in the loop on his progress, finishes his commissions on or ahead of schedule, has very reasonable prices, is a fantastic artist and always gives you more than you’re expecting!   – Craig

RIP – Burt Reynolds

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I was sad to read that Burt Reynolds died yesterday at the age of 82 from cardiac arrest.

Like most of you reading this, I was a huge Burt Reynolds fan and have many fond memories watching him on television and at the movies.  My favorite Burt Reynolds’ films include Sharkey’s Machine; The Longest Yard, The Last Movie Star and of course, Smokey and the Bandit.  Keep in mind that’s just the tip of the Reynolds acting iceberg.

Part of Reynolds’ charm was his charm.  His appearances on Carson and other talk shows of the era allowed us to see Reynolds as a self-deprecating celebrity who never took himself too seriously.  He came off as a guy with a great sense of humor that would be fun to be with.  And he was.  At least he was every time he’d turn up in a movie or television role.

If you haven’t seen Reynolds in The Last Movie Star, give it a go.  He’s really good in it and it serves as a nice capper to his career.

Rest in Peace Burt Reynolds.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Mr. Reynolds family, friends and fans.

15 Things to Look For the Next Time You Watch “The Warriors”

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Paul Schrodt and Mental Floss present 15 Things to Look For the Next Time You Watch The Warriors.  Here are three of my favorites…

8. THIS IS ONE LONG CHASE FROM A CHASE MASTER.
The Warriors is one of the more exceptional works from director Walter Hill, who earned a deserved reputation for his hard-boiled tough-guy movies made with elegance. While he’ll always be most famous for 48 Hrs., the hit starring Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte, his other features like The Driver and The Long Riders are worth seeking out. In particular, The Driver, featuring Ryan O’Neal and Bruce Dern, perfected the car-chase move long before Ryan Gosling’s Drive liberally took inspiration from it.

9. YOU’RE WATCHING REAL GANG MEMBERS.
The real action in The Warriors kicks off with an impressively epic meeting of various gangs in the Bronx’s Van Cortlandt Park (though it was actually filmed in Riverside Park). Cyrus, the leader of the city’s most powerful gang, invites everyone in an attempt to forge an alliance and increase the gangs’ leverage over police, before being abruptly shot and killed. Hill refers to it as “our big production number.” In order to pull off the sequence, the filmmakers asked real gangs to be extras. So The Warriors feels legit for good reason.

2. IT’S NOT A VERY FAITHFUL ADAPTATION, THOUGH.
After being handed Yurick’s novel, director Walter Hill immediately had an idea for a fun movie. “I felt very strongly that it certainly was not a very realistic book, and I wanted to make it even less so,” he told Esquire. “I wanted to take it into a fantasy element, but at the same time add some contemporary flash.” The Warriors in the novel are actually the Coney Island Dominators, a black and Hispanic gang. In Hill’s cinematic rendering, the main crew is a diverse group of white and nonwhite misfits.