Previews and Reviews that are Z's Views
The poster and trailer for Rambo: Last Blood are here.
Check ’em out and let me know what you think. As for me, I like what we’re seeing today and have been seeing on Sly’s Instagram. Rambo: Last Blood seems like a natural progression from the previous Rambo movies. I can’t wait for September 20th.
The 47 Meters Down: Uncaged poster and trailer are here. Stallone fans should note that Sistine Stallone is one of the stars of the movie.
Rob Hunter and Film School Rejects present 27 Things We Learned from Brian Helgeland’s ‘Payback’ Commentary. But first some background…
Payback is one of the very rare films that has more than one version available. Brian Helgeland was fired from the film when he refused to make changes ordered by the studio. The studio then ordered additional scenes changing the tone and ending of the film. That version was released to great success both theatrically and on video/dvd. And thanks to the video/dvd market, Helgeland was able to have his version released and it was also successful. I have both versions in my collection and like both.
With all that said, here are my three favorites from Helgeland’s commentary:
12. He was in post-production on this film the night of the Academy Awards, and having been nominated for his L.A. Confidential (1997) script he really hoped he would be named the winner. “I knew that they were getting close to finally removing me off this movie,” and he thought winning the Oscar would mean they couldn’t fire him. He won, Sean Connery tussled his hair backstage while congratulating him, and that was his Sunday night. “And on Tuesday I got fired. So much for the magic of an Academy Award.”
13. Walter Matthau handed him his Oscar. Matthau starred in Charley Varrick (1973). The restaurant scene at 32:53 was filmed in a place called Varricks.
17. An early teaser strung together the film’s funnier scenes, and both audiences and the studio responded favorably. He protested and was told by the marketing department that “what it is is one thing, and selling it is another thing.” The studio clearly wished the movie “was more like our trailer, and I didn’t know it at first but it became this struggle for what the heart of the movie was about.” Re-shoots began leaning heavily toward the teaser’s tone, and the writing was on the wall.
Patrick Galvan and Syfy present Michael Biehn Looks Back at The Terminator and More. It is definitely worth a read. Here are a couple of tidbits…
The reason I took the role (in Terminator) was because I really liked the character of Kyle Reese and I knew I could play that character really well. Even if the movie didn’t do well, that was a really good character: a great fighter in love with the woman he was sent to protect. That part made me think, “Well, I can probably come out of this unscathed.”
You know, a lot of movies have been made throughout the years and a lot of them have been forgotten. But The Terminator, Aliens, and another movie I did called Tombstone… people still, to this day, come up and tell me how much they loved them. And their children love them, too. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had some kid come up to me and say, “My name’s Kyle. My parents named me after your character from The Terminator.” It’s fun to see those kind of movies pass from generation to generation.
Sid Natividad and ScreenRant take a look at Arnold Schwarzenegger’s toughest characters. Here are his rankings and mine:
|
Natividad |
Zablo |
|
10. Ray Owens (The Last Stand) |
10. Ben Richards (The Running Man) |
|
09. Emil Rottmayer (Escape Plan) |
09. Ray Owens (The Last Stand) |
|
08. Jack Slater (The Last Action Hero) |
08. Jack Slater (The Last Action Hero) |
|
07. Ben Richards (The Running Man) |
07. Dennis Quaid (Total Recall) |
|
06. Dennis Quaid (Total Recall) |
06. Emil Rottmayer (Escape Plan) |
|
05. Harry Tasker (True Lies) |
05. Harry Tasker (True Lies) |
|
04. John Matrix (Commando) |
04. John Matrix (Commando) |
|
03. Conan (Conan the Barbarian) |
03. Conan (Conan the Barbarian) |
|
02. Dutch Schaefer (Predator) |
02. Dutch Schaefer (Predator) |
|
01. T-800 (Terminator 2) |
01. T-800 (Terminator 2) |
I would have also included John Wharton from Sabotage in the 6th spot had he been on Natividad’s list.
Source: ScreenRant.
Here’s an overseas poster for Escape Plan 3: The Extractors.
Sly Stallone was a guests a the Cannes Film Festival where he talked about Rambo: Last Blood and two potential projects:
Rambo: Last Blood – “We pick it up, he’s out in this storm, a horrible storm. He’s trying to rescue people… He’s still dealing with survivor guilt, b/c he couldn’t save his friends in Vietnam. A result of PTSD. He has a hard time. He has a beautiful ranch, but he lives underground… He has an adopted family there. His father has passed on. The housekeeper who is 70 has a granddaughter. He’s her surrogate father… Bad things happen…There’s going to be some serious vengeance in this movie. A lot of people getting hurt.”
Cobra – “That (conceit) was what if Bruce Springsteen had a gun? That was rock n’ roll meets drama. That should have been another franchise because that character was so cool. And I blew it. My personal life got in the way. But we’re trying to bring it back as a streaming TV series. Bring out the zombie squad. I’m long gone, but the idea is really good…”
Rocky (Not Creed III): “I have a great idea for Rocky. He finds this fella in the country illegally and it becomes a whole thing…”
Sly talks about more in the article but there were two quotes I want to share:
“Failures just make you smarter. Sometimes success makes you dumber.”
“Never stop punching. That’s how I roll. You always have something to prove.”
The one project I wish we’d hear more about is Hunter based on James Byron Huggins best-selling novel written for Sly!
Source: Deadline.
I’m usually not a fan of baseball movies, but Stano looks pretty good. (Side note – growing up in Daytona Beach, I first thought Stano might be about the serial killer.)
The Terminator: Dark Fate poster is here… and I like it!
From Sly Stallone’s Official Instagram:
officialslystallone
Verified
Returning September 20th # rambo5
Quoting the late, great, Stan Lee: ‘Nuff Said.
Here’s the poster and trailer for Daughter of the Wolf starring Gina Carano. I’m surprised she’s not a bigger star. She should be.
