Category: Celebs

The Inside Story of “Who Framed Roger Rabbit”

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If you’re a fan of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, you’ll want to check out Eddie Deezen’s Who Framed Roger Rabbit: The Inside Story.

If you do, you’ll learn…

  • Why the title to Who Framed Roger Rabbit doesn’t end with a question mark.
  • That before Bob Hoskins earned the starring role that Harrison Ford, Bill Murray, Sylvester Stallone, Robert Redford, Jack Nicholson, and Ed Harris were all considered.  You’ll also learn who the comedian was that was never offered the role, but would have “happily taken on the role of Eddie.”
  • The silly reason John Cleese didn’t get the role that ultimately went to Christopher Lloyd.
  • Why Who Framed Roger Rabbit had the most cartoon characters from different companies in the same project, “yet  Popeye, Tom & Jerry, Little Lulu, Caspar the Friendly Ghost, and the Terrytoon characters (except for Mighty Mouse)” didn’t make it into the film.
  • And a whole lot more.

 

Source: Neatorama.

“Farewell, My Lovely” – Pulp Writer, Jim Thompson’s Only Acting Role

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I’m sure you’re aware that this version of Raymond Chandler’s classic  Farewell, My Lovely  has an all-star cast that includes Robert Mitchum, Charlotte Rampling, John Ireland, Sylvia Miles, Anthony Zerbe, Harry Dean Stanton. Jack O’Halloran, Joe Spinell, and Sylvester Stallone. Did you know that it also features pulp writer Jim Thompson in his first and last acting role!

R.I.P. – Tom Laughlin

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Tom Laughlin’s family announced via his website that Mr. Laughlin passed away on Thursday.  Mr. Laughlin was 82.  Tom Laughlin was a writer, director, producer and actor.

Best known for his role as Billy Jack, Laughlin played the character in four films.  Billy Jack was a half-white/half native American, former Green Beret solider looking for a peaceful way through life who more often than not found himself in violent situations not of his making.

Although Tom Laughlin has over 35 acting credits it was Billy Jack that made him an international superstar.

Laughin first played the role in the 1967 film The Born Losers.  Billy Jack found himself the only person willing to make a stand against a violent motorcycle gang.

In 1971, Laughlin returned as Billy Jack in the film of the same name.  This time out Billy Jack finds himself going against corrupt city officials, including cops as he tries to find justice for a rape victim and protect the students of the Freedom School.

The Trial of Billy Jack was released in 1974.  After his release from prison Billy Jack returns to the Freedom School only to find things are worse than ever.  Corrupt cops and politicians decide to put a permanent end to Billy Jack and the school.

In 1977, Billy Jack Goes to Washington received a couple of showings but was never given a widescreen release.

After the Billy Jack series Tom Laughlin starred in The Master Gunfighter and played a few small roles, but he never found another character that resonated with the viewing public like Billy Jack.

How could he?  Billy Jack had become an American icon and Tom Laughlin was Billy Jack.

Tom Laughlin is survived by his wife of 60 years, Delores [who co-starred in the Billy Jack films], his three children, and his five grandchildren. His family has asked that in lieu of flowers or gifts, please make donations to: Friends of Pine Ridge in Tom’s honor or the Alzheimer’s Foundation in honor of  Delores Laughlin.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Tom Laughlin’s family, friends and fans.

Jerry Gaylord and Rambo

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Jerry Gaylord aka The Franchize makes his fourth, but not his last appearance in my Stallone Sketch Gallery with his take on Sly as John Rambo.

I highly recommend Jerry to all sketch collectors. He quickly responds to e-mails, his turnaround time is quick and he packages the art to ensure it arrives safely.

To check out more of Jerry’s art, head here. – Craig

“Homefront” / Z-View

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The Pitch: “Hey, Sly has a great action screenplay that he was gonna use for Rambo available.  It’s based on a book by Chuck Hogan.  Sly says Jason Statham is up for the lead.”

“Let’s do it!”

The Tagline:  “How far would you go to protect your home?”

The Overview:  Jason Statham plays Phil Broker, a retired under-cover DEA agent who moved to rural Louisiana to raise his 9 year old daughter after the death of his wife.  When his daughter bloodies the nose of a class bully (who happens the be the child of the local meth dealer) things quickly escalate and Statham’s past as a DEA agent becomes known. Soon an outlaw motorcycle gang and local thugs are both looking for revenge.

*** Beware – minor spoilers can be found below ***

The Good:

  • The cast.  Kate Bosworth kills in her role as, Cassie Bodine Klum, a redneck, methhead who is used to getting her way thanks to her brother being the local “Walter White.”  James Franco as “Gator” Bodine is surprisingly effective in a role that wouldn’t at first seem to fit him.  Winona Ryder, Clancy Brown and Chuck Zito all make welcome appearances.  Jason Statham is of course Jason Statham (that’s good).
  • Broker does his best to avoid trouble, but there is a line he won’t cross and God help you if you cross it!
  • The fight scenes and the fact that they avoided Statham giving “wise-cracks.”
  • Broker mistakenly thinks that Jimmy Klum is behind the threats to him.

The Bad:

  • What happens when you don’t let Broker finish filling his tank.
  • When you are a friend of Broker’s and go to pick up his horses.
  • If you’re the class bully and you decide to pick on Broker’s daughter.
  • Being married to Cassie Bodine Klum.

The Ugly:

  • One of Gator Bodine’s thugs ankles after Broker has had enough.
  • When you raise your gun towards dozens of cops who are armed, hyped up and have warned you to drop it.
  • That Homefront is doing better at the box office.

Rating: 4 out of 5

(Re)Discovering Hitchcock’s Rope

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When movie fans talk about the films of Alfred Hitchock the first ones mentioned are usually, Vertigo, Psycho, North by Northwest, and Rear Window.  Often the list goes on a bit more before Rope is mentioned.  And that’s too bad because many folks never get around to seeing it.

Rope stars Jimmy Stewart in Hitchock’s adaptation of a play based on the infamous Leopold-Loeb murder case.  (Another excellent movie based on the Leopold-Loeb murder case is Compulsion starring Orson Welles, Dean Stockwell and Bradford Dillman.)  It’s interesting to note that Hitchcock filmed Rope as if it was done with one continuous shot to keep the feel of a stage play!

Rare “Thing from Another World” Photos

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One of my favorite sci-fi movies/monster movies is The Thing from Another World.

Jame Arness (who would later go to fame as Marshall Matt Dillon in the long-running western series Gunsmoke) played the Thing.  Arness is seen in a rare photo above without full make-up as they prep him for a shot.

The photo below is Arness in full Thing make-up (and in a shot clearer than any ever seen in the movie)!

Source: Vic’s Movie Den and Classic Horror Movies.