Category: Movies
MetaCritics Rankings of Every “Rocky” Movie
Mark Birrell at ScreenRant looked at Metacritic ratings for all eight Rocky movies. I thought it would be interesting to compare Metacritics’ rankings with mine. Your mileage may differ.
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Metacritic |
Craig |
8. Rocky IV (40) |
8. Rocky V (55) |
7. Rocky V (55) |
7. Rocky IV (40) |
6. Rocky III (57) |
6. Rocky II (61) |
5. Rocky II (61) |
5. Creed II (66) |
4. Rocky Balboa (63) |
4. Rocky III (57) |
3. Creed II (66) |
3. Rocky Balboa (63) |
2. Rocky (70) |
2. Creed (82) |
1. Creed (82) |
1. Rocky (70) |
“Jaws” Trivia!
Dan Grant, at Top 10 Films, in honor of the 45th anniversary of the release of the first summer blockbuster presents: 45 Things About “Jaws” You Might Not Know. Before you click over, here are three of my favorite Jaws facts as well as my thoughts on each…
4. Richard Dreyfuss’ casting – Richard Dreyfuss originally turned down the role of Hooper because he thought making the movie would be a pain in the ass. After he saw himself on big screen in the Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz he thought he was so awful that his career would be over and he immediately called Steven Spielberg to ask if he could have the role.
(Funny the difference a day or perceived poor performance can make. – Craig)
9. Percy Rodriguez’s iconic trailer voice-over – Percy Rodriguez did the voice-over in the trailer for Jaws. When the producers first came to him, they wanted an upbeat, happy-sounding and almost adventurous voice-over for the trailer. It was Percy’s idea to have a darker and brooding and ominous sounding tone. It worked a treat.
He eventually got his way and many people credit lines in the trailer like “there is a creature that is alive today which has survived millions of years of evolution” and “it was as if God created the devil and gave him (dramatic pause) Jaws”, as major reasons why people flocked to the theatre to see it.
(Watching the “Jaws” trailer attached to this fact at Grant’s post it reminded me of how, in the pre-internet days, important a trailer was to the success of a film. The “Jaws” trailer made you want to see the film. Much credit needs to go to Percy Rodriguez. He was right to push for a darker, more ominous tone! – Craig)
14. Dreyfuss’ surprise – Richard Dreyfuss was so disillusioned with the movie that after his time on set was done, he proceeded to trash it on several different talk shows in the United States. But when he saw the film opening day, after he left the theatre, he jumped into Roy Scheider’s arms and exclaimed “He did it! He did it!” Roy asked him who he meant and he said “Spielberg, Spielberg actually did it!”
(Sounds like Dreyfuss was going through a period of seeing the glass half-full. He only agreed to star in “Jaws” because he thought he was so terrible in his previous film that he wouldn’t be offered more roles. Then filming wraps on “Jaws” and Dreyfess downplays how good it is… until he sees it with an audience. – Craig)
“Devil’s Night: Dawn of the Nain Rouge” – the Poster and Trailer are Here!
Here are the poster and trailer for Devil’s Night: Dawn of the Nain Rouge. Yeah, the poster is pretty generic and the movie looks like it would be the second feature at a drive-in, but sometimes those second features were fun!
DEVIL’S NIGHT DAWN OF THE NAIN ROUGE Exclusive Trailer
PLOT: A military veteran who returns home, works in law enforcement and she’s assigned to a supernatural case that’s surrounded by urban myth and legend.
CAST: Jesi Jensen, Nathan Mathers, Sam Logan Khaleghi
DIRECTOR: Sam Logan Khaleghi
“Valley of the Gods” Trailer is Here!
Check out the Valley of the Gods trailer below, read the plot summary and then please tell me what we’ve just seen.
Starring Josh Hartnett, Bérénice Marlohe, and John Malkovich, Valley of the Gods contrasts abundance and poverty through three separate storylines, featuring a middle-class writer (Hartnett), an eccentric trillionaire (Malkovich), and a struggling Navajo community. Post-divorce, copywriter John Ecas undertakes the biography of the richest man on earth, who is dead-set on mining sacred lands for uranium. When modern advance runs afoul of long-dormant guardians from ancient legend, even the most unimaginable wealth may soon meet its match.
Sly Stallone, LeRoy Neiman and Happy Birthday America!
Today Sly Stallone posted this rarely seen Rocky art by LeRoy Neiman with the message:
Happy birthday!! Keep Punching America!
The only thing I’ll add is: Have fun and stay safe!
“The Old Guard” – New Poster and Trailer!
Here’s a new poster and trailer for The Old Guard.
In Highlander it was said, “There can only be one!” I’m looking forward to The Old Guard.
Led by a warrior named Andy (Charlize Theron), a covert group of tight-knit mercenaries with a mysterious inability to die have fought to protect the mortal world for centuries. But when the team is recruited to take on an emergency mission and their extraordinary abilities are suddenly exposed, it’s up to Andy and Nile (Kiki Layne), the newest soldier to join their ranks, to help the group eliminate the threat of those who seek to replicate and monetize their power by any means necessary. Based on the acclaimed graphic novel by Greg Rucka and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood (LOVE & BASKETBALL, BEYOND THE LIGHTS), THE OLD GUARD is a gritty, grounded, action-packed story that shows living forever is harder than it looks.
David Ayer’s “Tax Collector” Poster and Trailer are Here!
Here’s the poster and trailer for David Ayer’s Tax Collector. I’m an Ayer fan and will check out anything he does. Tax Collector looks to add to the reasons why I follow Ayer’s films.
In Theaters, VOD and Digital HD August 7th
Written and Directed by David Ayer
Starring Bobby Soto, Cinthya Carmona, George Lopez and Shia LeBeoufSynopsis: David (Bobby Soto) and Creeper (Shia LaBeouf), are “tax collectors” for the crime lord Wizard, collecting his cut from the profits of local gangs’ illicit dealings. But when Wizard’s old rival returns to Los Angeles from Mexico, the business is upended, and David finds himself desperate to protect what matters more to him than anything else: his family.
Art Livestream: Rocky Balboa & Apollo Creed by Jarrod Alberich & Mark Hatherley
Hey! I just wanted to let everyone know that my buddy, Jarrod Alberich aka the Yardsale Artist, is teaming with his pal Bermuda Mark Hatherley for an Art Livestream. Jarrod will be drawing Sly Stallone as Rocky with Mark creating a Carl Weathers as Apollo companion piece. You can tune in at 5pm CENTRAL using this link. I hope to “see” you there!
Sly Stallone’s All-Time 10 Best Movies!
Colin McCormick at ScreenRant decided to do a little research and came up with the 10 Best Sylvester Stallone Films, According To IMDb. Well, you know me and lists. Below I’ve compared the IMDb rankings to mine followed by my thoughts…
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IMD Rating |
Craig |
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10. Rocky IV (1985:) 6.9 |
10. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 2 (2017) |
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9. Cop Land (1997): 6.9 |
9. Rocky IV (1985) |
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8. Rambo (2008): 7.0 |
8. Creed II (2018) |
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7. Rocky Balboa (2006): 7.1 |
7. Rocky II (1979) |
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6. Creed II (2018): 7.1 |
6. Creed (2015) |
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5. Rocky II (1979) 7.3 |
5. First Blood (1982) |
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4. Creed (2015): 7.6 |
4. Rocky Balboa (2006) |
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3. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 2 (2017): 7.6 |
3. Rambo (2008) |
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2. First Blood (1982): 7.7 |
2. Cop Land (1997) |
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1. Rocky (1976): 8.1 |
1. Rocky (1976) |
The IMDb list is a good one. For my rankings, I put a little more emphasis on the films that starred Sly than for one’s where he co-starred or had a cameo (GotG2). Creed rated higher than Rocky 2 because of Sly’s performance. He should have received the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
Had I made the Top Ten List I would have tried to find a way to include Nighthawks and Get Carter… Paradise Alley and FIST… but there are just too many Stallone favorites to list just ten. Still, it was a fun exercise. Your mileage may differ, but give it a shot!
“Greenland” – New Poster and Trailer!
I like the look of the poster and trailer for Greenland.
A reformed hunter (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and a sheriff (Annabelle Wallis) are caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse when they set out to track a killer who may have kidnapped the hunter’s daughter five years ago. Also starring Hero Fiennes Tiffin. On DirecTV July 16, 2020. In theaters, On Demand and on digital August 14, 2020.
“The Silencing” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!
Here are the poster and trailer for The Silencing.
A reformed hunter (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and a sheriff (Annabelle Wallis) are caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse when they set out to track a killer who may have kidnapped the hunter’s daughter five years ago. Also starring Hero Fiennes Tiffin. On DirecTV July 16, 2020. In theaters, On Demand and on digital August 14, 2020.
Chuck Norris Trivia!
Jake Rossen from Mental Floss is back and this time he brought Chuck Norris with him. Check out 8 Surprising Facts About Chuck Norris. Here are three of my favorite facts and my thoughts on each…
STEVE MCQUEEN GOT CHUCK NORRIS INTO ACTING.
(This one surprised me. I would have thought Bruce Lee would have gotten credit for this since it was Lee who gave Chuck Norris his first big break. Maybe it was McQueen who first suggested that Norris give acting a try. – Craig)
CHUCK NORRIS NEEDED TO OBEY A PRODUCER’S REQUEST IN ORDER TO FACE OFF AGAINST BRUCE LEE.
(Chuck Norris tells the story that when Bruce Lee contacted him about co-starring in Way of the Dragon, Norris jokingly asked who would win the climatic fight. Lee replied that he would. Norris said, “So you want to beat the World Karate Champion?” Lee’s response: “No, I want to kill the World Karate Champion.” 🙂 – Craig)
CHUCK NORRIS HAD HIS OWN CARTOON SERIES.
(It’s easy to forget just how popular Chuck Norris was. At one point he had his own line of jeans, a cartoon, a comic book series, a television series, made movies, created his own style of martial arts and more. Oh, and let’s not forget the ever popular Chuck Norris jokes. – Craig)
If you’ve read this far, you’ll enjoy Rossen’s 8 Surprising Facts About Chuck Norris.
“Lethal Weapon” Print by Yvan Quinet!
Yvan Quinet created this Lethal Weapon print. Perfection! If you’re so inclined, you can check out more of Yvan’s art.
“The King’s Man” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!
The poster and trailer for The King’s Man are here! I’m diggin’ that trailer!
As a collection of history’s worst tyrants and criminal masterminds gather to plot a war to wipe out millions, one man must race against time to stop them. Discover the origins of the very first independent intelligence agency in The King’s Man.
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Based on the Comic Book “The Secret Service” by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons
Produced by: Matthew Vaughn, David Reid, Adam Bohling
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Rhys Ifans, Matthew Goode, Tom Hollander, Harris Dickinson, Daniel Brühl, with Djimon Hounsou, and Charles Dance
