Category: Movies

Want to See the Original Cut of Sly Stallone’s “Cobra”?

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                 Cobra poster by Salvador Anguiano

Would you like to see the original cut of Sly Stallone’s Cobra?  J​.​D. Harlock would and he’s started a petition to get it.

Many Stallone fans know that there was initially a much longer and more violent version of Cobra than the one that ended up being released.  Click over to J.D. Harlock’s RELEASE THE X CUT OF STALLONE’S COBRA to get the full details and if you’re so inclined, sign the petition.

I’m not usually one for petitions, but if we can get another version of Cobra, then deal me in.

LeRoy Neiman’s Rarely Seen “Rocky” Movie Art!

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Mike Kunda is a super Rocky fan, the #1 Rocky impersonator in the world and the owner of the Yo Philly! Rocky Film Tour.  Recently Mike posted several seldom seen LeRoy Neiman sketches from behind the scenes filming of Rocky movies.  They were too good not to share.

LeRoy Neiman is considered the most famous sports artist in the world.  His painting of Rocky used in Rocky III is without a doubt his most famous Rocky art, but it isn’t the only Rocky art Neiman created.  In addition, to finished paintings, Neiman created preliminary sketches like the ones above of Drago slugging Rocky and Rocky in a defensive stance.

I love this sketch that Neiman labeled, Face Hit Two, Rocky II, c. 1980.  It was created using felt pen, acrylic, ink and pencil.

Neiman titled this Round XV, Rocky IV created in Vancouver, BC. May 1, 1985.

As you can see above, even the movie call sheet was material for a quick sketch of Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed!

LeRoy Neiman was always a dashing figure (and seldom seen without a cigar).  Here he is seen creating more prelim sketches for Rocky IV art.

The photo above was turned into a Neiman Rocky IV painting that is rarely seen!

I love the amount of details that appear in this loose LeRoy Neiman prelim that he labeled: Sylvester Stallone in Rocky IV, May 1, 1985.  felt, pen and acrylic on paper. 20 1/4 x 26 in.  51.4 x 66 cm.

Above is a Neiman sketch he titled, Sly, Rocky II, March 13, 1990.

Thanks again to Mike Kunda for sharing these finds. If you’d like to see more of LeRoy Neiman’s amazing artwork, please check out his official site.

Samuel L. Jackson Trivia!

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Samuel L. Jackson is an actor that always makes a movie better.  Michele Debczak posted 10 Fascinating Facts About Samuel L. Jackson at Mental Floss.  Before you click over, here are three of my favorites with my thoughts on each…

SAMUEL L. JACKSON WAS AN USHER AT MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.’S FUNERAL. (This surprised me because I didn’t think Jackson would have been old enough to be an usher at Martin Luther King, Jr.’s funeral. – Craig)

SAMUEL L. JACKSON WAS A STAND-IN ON THE COSBY SHOW. (Oh, from such humble beginnings… – Craig)

SAMUEL L. JACKSON IS THE HIGHEST GROSSING ACTOR OF ALL TIME. (This also surprised me.  I would have guessed Tom Cruise, Stallone, Schwarzenegger or the Rock would have been ahead of SLJ. – Craig)

 

“The Marksman” Starring Liam Neeson – The Trailer is Here!

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Liam Neeson is back as The Marksman.  I like the looks of this one.  Check out the trailer and see if you agree.

Hardened Arizona rancher Jim Hanson (Liam Neeson) simply wants to be left alone as he fends off eviction notices and tries to make a living on an isolated stretch of borderland. But everything changes when Hanson, an ex-Marine sharpshooter, witnesses 11-year-old migrant Miguel (Jacob Perez) fleeing with his mother Rosa (Teresa Ruiz) from drug cartel assassins led by the ruthless Mauricio (Juan Pablo Raba). After being caught in a shoot-out, a dying Rosa begs Jim to take her son to safety to her family in Chicago. Defying his cop daughter Sarah (Katheryn Winnick), Jim sneaks Miguel out of the local U.S. Customs and Border Patrol station and together, they hit the road with the group of killers in pursuit. Jim and Miguel slowly begin to overcome their differences and begin to forge an unlikely friendship, while Mauricio and his fellow assassins blaze a cold-blooded trail, hot on their heels. When they finally meet on a Midwestern farm, a fight to the death ensues as Jim uses his military skills and code of honor to defend the boy he’s come to love.

The All-Time Best Gangster Movies!

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Todd Gilchrist at Mental Floss posted his choices for the 20 Best Gangster Movies of All Time.  I’ve seen 14 of the 20, so his list has added to my future viewing plans.

Of Gilchrist’s picks my top three would be:
1.  Godfather
2.  Godfather II
3.  Carlito’s Way

My first two slots were easy choices (although a case could be made to reverse their order).  The third slot was tougher and I also gave strong consideration to Bonnie and Clyde, The Untouchables, Goodfellas and Miller’s Crossing.  It has also made me want to give Eastern Promises another viewing.  The original Get Carter made Gilchrist’s list.  If it had been the Stallone version, it would have made mine.

“Fatale” Starring Hilary Swank & Michael Ealy – The Trailer is Here

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Hilary Swank and Michael Ealy star in Fatale.  It has a strong Fatal Attraction vibe.  I plan to check it out.  Here’s the trailer.

After a wild one-night stand, Derrick (Michael Ealy), a successful sports agent, watches his perfect life slowly disappear when he discovers that the sexy and mysterious woman he risked everything for, is a determined police detective (Hilary Swank) who entangles him in her latest investigation. As he tries desperately to put the pieces together, he falls deeper into her trap, risking his family, his career, and even his life. FATALE is a suspenseful and provocative psychological thriller and an unpredictable game of cat and mouse where one mistake can change your life.

“Stallone: Frank, That Is” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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The poster and trailer for Stallone: Frank, That Is, is here.  I’m looking forward to seeing this one.  My guess, is you are as well.

The official trailer for Stallone: Frank, That Is.

An inside look into the fascinating life, career and survival of the most unknown famous entertainer in Hollywood

Frank Stallone has seen it all. Frank Stallone has done it all. But, who is Frank Stallone?

You know the name, now discover the Grammy and Golden Globe nominated singer, songwriter, musician and actor who has been entertaining audiences for over fifty years, all the while living in a giant shadow.

Often regarded as “Rocky’s brother” and long living in Sylvester Stallone’s giant shadow, Frank Stallone has spent more than 50 years carving out a career as a multi-faceted entertainer.

Jack Carter / John Wick by John Beatty!

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How cool is this Jack Carter / John Wick piece that my buddy, John Beatty drew for me?

John has created several Stallone pieces for me over the years, but this one is perhaps the most creative.  Using the Jack of Spades… with each J standing for Jack (Carter) and John (Wick)… the spades suit symbolizing death… the Carter and Wick figures mirror images of the other.  The drawing can work from any position – Carter or Wick on top or viewed from the horizontal angle that I’ve used (and prefer).  I also have to give John Beatty props for the research he did to make sure both Carter and Wick have their preferred guns.

You can see a bigger version of the art by clicking on the image above.  You can also find John at his Twitter, his website or even his Facebook page.

Stallone & Schwarzenegger in “Modern Times” DeepFake Classic!

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This is one of the best (and most inspired) DeepFake videos yet.  Hats off to Brian Monarch.

Thanks to StalloneZoner, Steve Reeves for the heads-up!

For more deepfake videos, please follow on insta at BrianMonarch 🙂

They did make a movie before The Expendables and Escape Plan! Haha… Check out Arnold and Sly in this classic scene from Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times!

This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published in the United States between 1925 and 1977, inclusive, without a copyright notice.

Fig Leaf Rag – distressed by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/…

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-…

Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Comparing the Rankings of All 8 “Rocky” Movies by /Film & Rotten Tomatoes & Zablo

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Yesterday we compared Evan Saathoff’s (of /Film) rankings all of the Rocky/Creed movies to mine.  By coincidence, Rotten Tomatoes just posted their readers rankings of the Rocky/Creed movies.  I thought it’d be interesting to see how those matched up to Saathoff’s and mine.  So, let’s take a look.

Saathoff

Zablo

Rotten Tomatoes

8. Rocky IV

8. Rocky V

8. Rocky V

7. Rocky V

7. Rocky IV

7. Rocky IV

6. Creed II

6. Rocky II 

6. Rocky III

5. Rocky II

5. Creed II

5. Rocky II

4. Rocky III 

4. Creed

4. Rocky Balboa

3. Rocky Balboa

3. Rocky Balboa 

3. Creed II

2. Creed

2. Rocky III 

2. Rocky

1. Rocky

1. Rocky 

1. Creed

Movie Rankings in Agreement:
#8 for Rocky V by Zablo & Rotten Tomatoes
#7 for Rocky IV by Zablo & Rotten Tomatoes
#5 for Rocky II by Saathoff and Rotten Tomatoes
#3 for Rocky Balboa by Saathoff and Zablo
#1 for Rocky by Saathoff and Zablo

There was no movie that had complete consensus. This surprises me, since I thought that Rocky would come in at #1 on all three rankings.

Ranking & Thoughts on All 8 “Rocky” Movies!

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Evan Saathoff at /Film ranked all of the Rocky/Creed movies in his post Butkus to Punchy: Ranking All 8 ‘Rocky’ Movies from Worst to Best.  Here is a comparison of his order with my rankings and thoughts about each.

Saathoff

Zablo

8. Rocky IV: “…is silly fun, a skeleton of a film held together through a series of montages. Candy is cool, but you shouldn’t make a meal of it.”

8. Rocky V: I totally agree that binging Rocky back to the street level was a good idea.  Fans hated Rocky has to lose everything to get him there, so it was a tough needle to thread.  I also think that Sly’s Rocky mannerisms go to over the top in spots. 

7. Rocky V: “…Bringing Rocky back to the street level is a good decision, though much of the film feels like a superfluous dry run for both Rocky Balboa and Creed (if you love those films, Rocky V is kind of a necessary beast).”

7. Rocky IV:  is very much a product of the 80s with the music and montages.  I’ve grown to appreciate Rocky IV even more because it sets up the return of Drago in Creed II and we get to see the results of Rocky’s win in IV from Drago’s perspective. 

6. Creed II: “ …the film runs through a mild remake of Rocky II and leads to a good training montage.”

 6. Rocky II:  Rocky II is a worthy follow-up to Rocky.  Sly in the director’s chair!

5. Rocky II: “…Rocky II is special for other reasons. It’s the last bit of “human” Rocky Balboa we’ll see for a while.  “

5. Creed II:  Some fans were upset that an altercation between Rocky and Drago that was filmed didn’t make the final cut of the movie.  I may be in the minority, but I don’t think the scene was needed.

4. Rocky III: “…He’s transformed from a street-level thug to full-on Stallone megastardom. He’s still Rocky, but you have to use your imagination.
That would be fatal if not for Mr. T’s incredible Clubber Lang, the most underrated character in the series.”

4. Creed:  Saathoff’s summary of Creed is perfectly stated.  I couldn’t agree more.

3. Rocky Balboa: “…In 2006, the idea of making an old man Rocky movie was a joke. Yet here comes Stallone, visibly aged and hurting from a long string of flops, delivering the second best film to wear the Rocky title.”

3. Rocky Balboa  Never under-estimate or doubt Sly Sallone.  Despite all odds, Sly brought back Rocky and showed that there was more to his story!

2. Creed: “…the greatest thing happened: a creative handoff to a young and hungry talent capable of seeing the character through new eyes. Ryan Coogler managed the impossible with 2015’s Creed, which simultaneously started a new franchise while offering a deeply respectful seventh entry to Stallone’s. Creed is very much a sequel to Rocky Balboa and yet yields Balboa to a main character who seems his opposite: cocky, smart and brash.”

 2. Rocky III   Rocky is transformed from a street-level, journeyman fighter into a world champion celebrity and I loved it!

1. Rocky: “…No number of decades or sequels can dull the feeling of triumph Rocky delivers in its final moments. It’s one of those rare films that make you cry because you’re happy rather than upset.“

1. Rocky  I’m simply going to go with Saathoff’s quote:  “No number of decades or sequels can dull the feeling of triumph Rocky delivers.”

Michael Mann’s “Collateral” Trivia!

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Rob Hunter at Film School Rejects posted 31 Things We Learned from Michael Mann’s ‘Collateral‘ Commentary.  Before you click over, here are three of my favorites…

One of the big reasons why he chose to make Collateral was the way Stuart Beattie’s script captures an entire story in a very short period of time. The whole movie is “like the third act of a traditional drama.” He likes how it doesn’t go backward to offer more detail into these characters’ lives, and instead we’re just catching them at this moment. (I like movies that movie in real time or that all the action takes place during a short, specific time frame.  Movies with those parameters seems to really move and probably because of necessity to get the story told. – Craig)

Vincent is being intentionally rude upon first entering Max’s cab, but it’s not because he’s a jerk — he’s testing Max to see if he’s a man with an aggressive streak. Had he been, Vincent would have quickly changed cabs. (And we just thought Vincent was rude.  It’s these little touches that make viewing a movie repeatedly fun. – Craig)

He and Cruise worked out where exactly Vincent came from, and while nearly none of it is mentioned in the film their collaborative backstory is pretty detailed. “If he was in a foster home for part of his childhood, and he was back in public school at age 11, that would have been sometime in the 70s. He would have been dressed very awkwardly. He would’ve probably been ostracized ’cause he’d have looked odd. We postulated an alcoholic, abusive father who was culturally very progressive, he was probably part of Ed Sadlowski’s Steelworkers Local, he was a Vietnam veteran, he had friends who were African-American on the South side of Chicago. The Checkerboard Lounge is thirty minutes away on the Calumet Skyway. The father was probably an aficionado of jazz. There was a great jazz scene on the South side of Chicago, but it’s almost as if the father blamed the son for what happened to the mother. The father never tutored the boy in jazz…” And so on. (Look at the attention to detail!  Funny thing is there are other actors who’d be like, let’s do the scene, I don’t need the background stuff.  – Craig)