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)

 

“Kolchak: The Night Stalker” Trivia

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Let me take you back to the days when there was no cable tv, no streaming services and except for the rare local channel or two, your choices were CBS, NBC and ABC.  There were no DVRs, heck there weren’t even VHS machines yet. (And stay off my lawn!)

In those days a new tv movie that you really wanted to see was a big deal. You had to make sure you were home to watch it!  As a kid growing up in those times, Kolchak: The Night Stalker was one of those must-see tv movies.

The Night Stalker premiered in January 1972. I was 13 and fit the perfect demographic for a modern day vampire tale. I wasn’t the only one.  When the ratings came in, it turned out that most of the viewing audience that night was watching!  This led to another Kolchak tv movie and an on-going tv series.

And that brings us to Me-TV’s 11 Reasons ‘Kolchak: The Night Stalker‘ is the Coolest, Creepiest Show on 1970s Television. Sadly the post is no longer available. But here are three of my favorite trivia items from the article and a thought on each.

There was an unmade third TV movie, ‘The Night Killers.’ (I really liked the first movie and can’t remember much about the second. I’d like to see both again. – Craig)

Horror and sci-fi legend Richard Matheson wrote the two TV movies… but was skeptical of the series.  (I wasn’t a fan of the tv series.  The monster of the week idea just didn’t work for me at the time.  I would have rather seen a series of Kolchak movies or story arcs that would involve a monster(s) for a longer period of time. – Craig)

Darren McGavin did a little bit of everything for the show. (According to the piece, McGavin assisted in every way possible to make the series work, but became frustrated and was excused from his contract early.  Seems like Matheson was right that the “monster of the week” idea just wouldn’t work. – 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.”