Category: Movies

Andrew Farago Takes on Jack Carter and John Wick!

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I recently saw that several artists were doing commissions at reduced rates in support of The Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco.  How could I pass on a chance to get a new commission for my Stallone-themed Sketch Collection AND support a good cause at the same time?

I couldn’t.

I looked at the list and decided to go with Andrew Farago.  Andrew is not only an artist and author but also the Chairman of the Northern California chapter of the National Cartoonists Society and the curator of the Cartoon Art Museum! I asked for Jack Carter and John Wick and Andrew came through like a champ!

If you’re a sketch collector, The Cartoon Museum’s Sketch-A-Thon gets my highest recommendation.  The prices are super reasonable, there are several artists to choose from and there is even a digital sketch option!

Thanks again to Andrew Farago for the cool sketch and super service!

Chris Peterson’s Stanley from “Lords of Flatbush”!

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Christopher Peterson is a Shuster-nominated comic artist who has worked for Dark Horse, Boom Studios, Image, Black Mask, and other companies.

Back in 2016, I saw that Chris’ computer died and he was sketching to raise money to replace his work station.  I set up a commission with Chris and he sent me this cool digital rendition of his take on Sly from Lords of Flatbush.  You can check out more of Chris’ art here or follow him on Twitter.

“Yakuza” Starring Robert Mitchum

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Rob Hunter at Film School Rejects presents 35 Things We Learned from Sydney Pollack’s The Yakuza Commentary.  I like the Yakuza and think it was ahead of its time as far as the subject matter.  Having a legend like Robert Mitchum as your star doesn’t hurt either.  Before you click over, here are three of my favorite comments…

He (Director Sydney Pollack) loved Brian Keith and describes him as a sadly underrated actor for most of his life.

(I 100% agree.  Growing up I just knew Brian Keith from the tv sitcom Family Affair where he played good old Uncle Bill.  It wasn’t until I became an adult and started seeing Keith in westerns and crime movies that I realized his talent.  – Craig)

He (Director Sydney Pollack) was concerned that American audiences “don’t really like to read subtitles,” and Warner Bros. was hoping he could avoid using them all together.

(I think that subtitles, so you can hear the natural dialogue, adds  depth to a film.  Would The Godfather or Godfather II lost something without them?  I think they would have.  – Craig)

“He was capable of a lot,” says Pollack about Mitchum, “but you had to push him.” He thinks the actor, who often referred to himself as “an actress,” didn’t consider himself to be all the good without being ridden hard. “He was a real mule. He would give you what you wanted, but you had to beat him.”

(Mitchum comes off as a tough guy in film and I think that was just a reflection of his true life persona.  I also think that he and guys like Bogart felt that acting wasn’t a manly profession, but it was their calling. – Craig)

Sly Stallone & John Herzfeld’s “Horses” Gets New Art by John Rivoli!

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If the art from the print above looks familiar, it probably means you’re a long-time reader here or StalloneZone or you’re a fan of Sly Stallone.  Sly recently posted the art above on his personal Instagram site.

The painting was created by John Rivoli based on the movie poster created for Sly and John Herzfeld’s small budget student film, Horses, created in 1970!  You can learn more about the film Horses here.

“The Comeback Trail” Starring R. DeNiro, T.L. Jones & M. Freeman – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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The poster and trailer for The Comeback Trail are here.  Ignore the poster and check out the trailer.

Two movie producers who owe money to the mob set up their aging movie star for an insurance scam to try and save themselves. But they wind up getting more than they ever imagined.

Starring Academy Award winner Robert De Niro, Academy Award winner Tommy Lee Jones, Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman, Zach Braff, Emile Hirsch, Eddie Griffin & Kate Katzman.

Directed by George Gallo

“Challenger: The Final Flight” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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The Challenger explosion is one of those moments, like 9/11, that if you’re old enough, you remember exactly where you were when you heard the news.  I was a second year science teacher in Holly Hill, Florida.  Although I’ve always had an interest in space exploration, being a science teacher in Florida made following the progress of our shuttle program a natural.  For the first time ever, a civilian, a teacher was riding along!

I had just taken my students to lunch and was heading in to the teacher’s lounge when the lift-off occurred.  Most of us went outside because we knew we’d be able to see the trail left as the shuttle headed up.  As we watched we could see what appeared to be a separation and two different trails forming.  Someone said what I was thinking, “This doesn’t look right.”  We all headed to the tv to learn that the shuttle had exploded.  We were stunned.  Afterwards, it felt like the nation was in mourning.  We had lost true American heroes.

I look forward to Challenger: The Final Flight.

Executive produced by J.J. Abrams and Glen Zipper, Challenger: The Final Flight is a four-part docuseries that examines the 1986 Challenger space shuttle, which tragically broke apart 73 seconds after launch as millions of Americans watched live on television. Incorporating never-before-seen interviews and rare archival material, this series offers an in-depth look at one of the most diverse crews NASA assembled, including high school teacher Christa McAuliffe, who was selected to be the first private citizen in space.

John Woo’s “The Killer” Trivia!

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I remember the first time I saw John Woo’s The Killer.  My mind was blown.  I called my best bud, John Beatty to talk about the amazing action movie I had just seen.  This cat Chow Yun Fat was just too cool and the director John Woo?  Forget about it.  This dude had guys shooting with two guns while doing crazy stunts, gun to gun stand-offs from guys close enough to touch each other, and just all out over the top action.  I still have my The Killer poster (the same as the one above and a gift from Mr. Beatty) hanging in my fortress of solitude (right behind me).

Rob Hunter at Film School Rejects reminded me of all this with his post, 26 Things We Learned from ‘The Killer’ Commentary.  Before you click over, here are three of my favorites…

Woo has previously acknowledged that the film was inspired by Jean-Pierre Melville’s Le Samurai (1967) which was in turn inspired by a novel titled The Ronin by Joan McLeod. Other inspirations mentioned include Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets (1973), Francois Truffaut’s Jules and Jim (1962), and the films of Sam Peckinpah.

(I haven’t seen Le Samurai, but it does show up on TCM, so I will.  Jules and Jim is another I’ll have to watch for.  I’ve seen Mean Streets and of course many of the films of Sam Peckinpah. – Craig)

The commentary was recorded in 2002, and even back then there’s mention of rumored US remakes of the film. He mentions supposed remakes with Denzel Washington & Richard Gere and Michelle Yeoh & Sharon Stone. A Hollywood redo is still currently listed on IMDB.

(Sly Stallone was also attached to a US remake — he was working on the screenplay and it was titled Maggie’s Eyes. – Craig)

Fat turned down offers to star in Alien: Resurrection (1997) and as Morpheus in The Matrix (1999). He chose The Replacement Killers (1998) and The Corruptor (1999) instead.

(I always thought that Chow Yun Fat should/could have been a much bigger star in the US.  I actually would have preferred him in Alien Resurrection (which I really liked) or The Matrix (the first one I loved). – Craig)

“Nighthawks” – Best Movie You Never Saw by Chris Bumbray

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Chris Bumbray at JoBlo.com has put together a cool video overview of Nighthawks starring Sly Stallone, Rutgar Hauer and Billy Dee Williams.  It’s more than worth a look!

Here’s their intro and the video…

Welcome to The Best Movie You NEVER Saw, a column dedicated to examining films that have flown under the radar or gained traction throughout the years, earning them a place as a cult classic or underrated gem that was either before it’s time and/or has aged like a fine wine.

The history behind NIGHTHAWKS is compelling stuff. Originally conceived as a third FRENCH CONNECTION sequel, which would have pitted Gene Hackman’s Popeye Doyle up against a terrorist modeled on the infamous Carlos the Jackal, while also pairing him with a partner that producers hoped would be played by Richard Pryor, the project went kaput when Hackman decided he had enough of the role. The script made its way to Universal, where it was redeveloped into a project for Sylvester Stallone, then coming off the first two ROCKY movies, meaning he was a star, but not quite the icon he would become. In this episode we look at the movie’s reception, as well as it’s place in Stallone’s filmography.

“John Wick” Trivia

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Jake Rosen at Mental Floss presents 8 Fully-Loaded Facts About John Wick. Before you click over, here are three of my favorites and my thoughts on each.

1. JOHN WICK WAS ORIGINALLY TITLED SCORN.
Screenwriter Derek Kolstad wrote a revenge thriller titled Scorn that first circulated back in 2012. Kolstad said he was inspired by films like 2008’s Taken and 2004’s Man on Fire, which both featured determined men with special skills out for revenge. By the time the movie was released in 2014, it had become John Wick. The reason, Kolstad explained, was that Keanu Reeves kept referring to the script by the character’s name and distributor Lionsgate believed it would be too much free publicity to lose.

(I did not know this.  Scorn is nowhere near as good a title as John Wick.  Thank you Keanu! – Craig)

7. JOHN WICK HAS A HOBBY THAT DIDN’T MAKE THE FINAL CUT.
While John Wick’s interests in life seem to be mostly restricted to killing people in creative ways, he’s apparently able to express himself through less violent means, too. According to Reeves, the script for John Wick included a scene in which Wick works on restoring old leather-bound books. It was filmed but didn’t make the final edit.

(I understand why the scene didn’t make the movie, but what a cool choice for a hobby for Wick.  – Craig)

8. A JOHN WICK TELEVISION SERIES—MINUS JOHN WICK—IS IN THE WORKS.
Each John Wick film reveals more about the professional code of conduct governing the assassin’s trade. Their common ground is the Continental, a hotel designed to cater to killers without fear of being attacked. (This sometimes doesn’t work, as people try to kill John Wick there anyway.) Lionsgate is pursuing a television series, The Continental, based on the hotel, that’s expected to premiere sometime following the release of John Wick 4, which is currently scheduled for May 2022.

(I love the idea of a tv series set in John Wick’s world as long as it doesn’t become “the hit <as in execution assignment> of the week.  – Craig)

“The Doorman” Starring Ruby Rose and Jean Reno – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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Here are the poster and trailer to The Doorman.  The poster is basically a cool logo and I’d rather see that than another poster of Photoshopped star heads.  The trailer pretty much tells the story — nothing groundbreaking here, but it does look like fun.  I want in.

US Release Date: October 9, 2020
Starring: Ruby Rose, Jean Reno, Louis Mandylor
Directed By: Ryûhei Kitamura
Synopsis: A woman returns from combat and befriends a family in NYC, a gang of thieves plot to take the family’s valuables, she is all that stands between them and their lives.

“Alone” – The Poster & 1st Trailer are Here!

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Here are the poster and first trailer to Alone.  Looks very similar to Alive, the Korean zombie movie coming out soon.

US Release Date: October 16, 2020
Starring: Donald Sutherland, Tyler Posey, Robert Ri’chard
Directed By: Johnny Martin
Synopsis: When an outbreak hits, Aidan barricades himself inside his apartment and starts rationing food. His complex is overrun by infected Screamers, and with the world falling apart into chaos, he is left completely alone fighting for his life.