Real-Life Tough Guy: Ward Bond

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That’s John Wayne, John Ford and Ward Bond.  They’re considered three real-life tough guys.

Most folks know a bunch about John Wayne and to a lesser extent, director John Ford.  If you’re like me, you know that Ward Bond appeared in dozens (and dozens) of movies and starred in the TV series Wagon Train. But that’s about it… until I read  13 fascinating facts about Ward Bond and “Wagon Train” at MeTV. Sadly the post is now longer available but here are three of my favorite facts and my thoughts…

Bond appears in more films on the American Film Institute’s 100 Greatest American Movies than any other actor.  Bond has perhaps the most enviable filmography of any actor, past or present. Just look at his credits. He acted in seven of the 100 Greatest American Films according to the AFI — It Happened One Night (1934), Bringing Up Baby (1938), Gone with the Wind (1939), The Grapes of Wrath (1940), The Maltese Falcon (1941), It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) and The Searchers (1956).

(Wow!  I had no idea Bond appeared in more of the 100 Greatest American Films than any other actor!  THAT is an amazing fact and a testament to his abilities as an actor. – Craig)

John Wayne accidentally shot Ward Bond on a hunting trip. Even a gun wound could not break up the best friends. Ward left the shotgun to Wayne in his will.

(That’s how tough Ward Bond was – not even John Wayne shooting him could put him down! – Craig)

Bond appeared on ‘Wagon Train’ in crutches after injuring his leg.  At the end of “The Clara Beauchamp Story,” Bond stands in a row of military men on a pair of crutches. It was no prop. The actor had suffered an injury in a car accident. The poor (but certainly tough) guy was also hit by a car on his way to John Wayne’s wedding, but he performed his best man duties on crutches.

(Ward Bond was one tough son of a buck!  That dude was Marv from Sin City come to life. – Craig)

RIP – Mort Drucker

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Mort Drucker, perhaps the world’s best and best known caricaturist has died at the age of 91.  Odds are even if you don’t know Mr. Drucker’s name, you know his art.  Starting in 1956 and for over fifty years after that Drucker’s art appeared in Mad Magazine’s wildly popular movie and tv satires.

Mr. Drucker’s work also appeared in comic books, movie posters and advertising.  His distinctive style made his art recognizable often before you saw his signature.  In 2014, Mort Drucker received the National Society of Cartoonists’ Medal of Honor for lifetime achievement.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Mort Drucker’s family, friends and fans.

Scariest Two Sentence Horror Stories

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Two Sentence Horror Stories are pretty popular.  Here are three of the best from a batch of the best…

It’s been almost a decade since I last saw my mother.
And she still reminds me everyday that if I misbehave she’ll take my hearing too.

I gazed into his adoring eyes as I watched him take every bite with such enjoyment.
I waited for the poison to kick in, but was caught off guard by his evil grin as I sipped my wine.

For my last wish,  I wished for my dad to be alive again.
I stood atop his grave and smiled, imagining him screaming and clawing at his coffin lid as he did the previous two times I wished him back.

The Best End of the World “Plague” Movies

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Ward Hazel at Listverse took a look at his choices for the Top 10 Movies About Plague, Pestilence, And Deadly Disease.  Using just Hazel’s list, let’s see how I’d rank them…

Hazel

Zablo
10. The Omega Man, 1971 10. Death in Venice, 1971 (I have never seen this.)
09. Blindness, 2008 09. Blindness, 2008 (I haven’t seen this either, but it sounds more appealing than Death in Venice.)
08. Outbreak, 1995 08. The Andromeda Strain. 1971. (It’s been a while since I’ve seen TAS. It was okay.)
07. I Am Legend 07. I Am Legend (2007). (The special effects hurt my enjoyment of this one.)
06. The Andromeda Strain 06. The Omega Man, 1971 (I loved this as a kid, but TOM hasn’t held up as well – still a fun romp.)
05. Contagion, 2011 05. Contagion, 2011 (I remember liking this a lot but feeling it wrapped up the ending a bit too fast. Perhaps another viewing is due.)
04. 28 Days Later, 2003 04. 12 Monkeys, 1995 (Brad Pitt steals this one!)
03. Train to Busan, 2016 03. Outbreak, 1995 (Hard to believe it’s been 25 years. Definitely ahead of the curve.)
02. 12 Monkeys, 1995 02. Train to Busan, 2016 (The biggest surprise of 2018. I’m looking forward to Pennisula – the follow-up set in the same universe, but with different characters.)
01. Death in Venice, 1971 01. 28 Days Later, 2003 (I love this one and it gets better with each viewing.)

For this list I would have definitely included World War Z, Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead (remake) and The Crazies.  Seems like I’m forgetting a few others…

“Extraction” Trailer and New Poster!

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How about a new Extraction poster and a trailer.  I like the looks of this and will be watching come April 24th.

Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth) is a fearless black market mercenary who embarks on the deadliest mission of his career when he’s enlisted to rescue the kidnapped son of an international crime lord. Directed by Sam Hargrave, this action-packed, edge-of-your-seat thriller is produced by Joe and Anthony Russo, the visionary directors of Avengers: Endgame.

Frank Frazetta’s “Dusk Til Dawn” Poster!

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Here’s a Frazetta painting you don’t see often.  Frazetta was commissioned to create a poster for Robert Rdriguez’s From Dusk Til Dawn.  Sadly, according to Frazetta’s granddughter, his health prevented him from finishing it in time for it to be used to promote the film.

I’m a huge Frazetta fan. (Who isn’t?)  I’m also a fan of Robert Rodriguez. (I guess you could say I ride with El Rey.)  It’s cool that Rodriguez commissioned the poster and now owns it.  I wonder the reason the creatures in Frazetta’s painting don’t match those in the film.

Speaking of Dusk Til Dawn, I think it is greatly underrated.  I love the mashup of crime and horror.  Hats off to Rodriguez, Tarantino and all involved.

Source: Frank Frazetta Art.

“True Lies” Trivia!

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Joey Pauer at GeekTyrant posted 23 Fun Facts About James Cameron’s TRUE LIES with Behind the Scenes “Making Of” Videos.  Here are three of my favorite facts and my comments on each…

Jodie Foster was originally cast as Helen Tasker, but was forced to turn the role down because she was signed on to star in Nell. Rosanna Arquette, Kim Basinger, Annette Bening, Joan Cusack, Geena Davis, Melanie Griffith, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Madonna, Demi Moore, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sharon Stone, Emma Thompson, Lea Thompson, Debra Winger, Sigourney Weaver, Julianne Moore, Julia Roberts, Claudia Wells, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Sandra Bullock and Madeleine Stowe were also all considered for the role of Helen.

(Sometimes casting is perfect and it’s hard to imagine anyone else in the role.  Look at the number of actresses considered and we can begin to realize sometimes it’s just luck to get the right person. – Craig)

Curtis said that in his contract Schwarzenegger gets top billing then the title then it would have said starring Jamie Lee Curtis but when Cameron finished editing the film and he saw that the film was really “a domestic epic, it’s a film about a marriage.” So Cameron called Schwarzenegger and asked him if it would be ok to put Jamie Lee Curtis’ name before the title, to which Schwarzenegger immediately agreed. In the world of show business, as Curtis said, “The credit is such a coveted, negotiable, commodity” that for Schwarzenegger to give her billing before the title “was a real mensch move on his part.”

(Don’t you love it when you hear a star not acting like a sterotypical star? – Craig)

The appearance and traits of Spencer Trilby (Charlton Heston) is based on Nick Fury. Like Fury, Trilby has an eyepatch, and the same mannerisms; as well as heading a peacekeeping organization.

(Interesting.  So Cameron is a comic book fan?  – Craig)

Don’t forget to click over and check out the rest of 23 Fun Facts About James Cameron’s TRUE LIES with Behind the Scenes “Making Of” Videos.

Quentin Tarantino’s Top 5 Boxing Movies

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Boxing Clever at the Boxing Scene recently posted Quentin Tarantino Breaks Down His Top 5 Boxing Movies.  The first one mentioned was Rocky and here is what Tarantino had to say…

“If we talk about boxing and cinema, the first thing that comes to mind is Rocky. By far the most successful boxing film in history. The story of the Italian-American boxer Rocky Balboa was written by and starred Sylvester Stallone, in the role that catapulted him to stardom.

“The history of cinema mixes the necessary ingredients to be liked by most of the public. The humble man who attains fame by pure heart, a love story behind the rise of relevance in a super emotional finale. And some action in a fight worthy of the great boxing evenings in boxing history.

“The film won 3 Oscars and was a huge box office success, as well as being the kickoff for its sequels.”

Tarantino rounded out his top five with Million Dollar Baby, The Fighter, Cinderella Man and Raging Bull.  Click over and check out Tarantino’s thoughts on each film.  (If it was my list I would have found a spot for The Set-up! – Craig)

Ranking All Eight Movies in ‘Rocky’ Series

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Peter Botte at the New York Post took on the task of Ranking All Eight Movies in ‘Rocky’ Series with his comments.  I thought it would be interesting to compare Botte’s rankings with mine.

Botte

Zablo
1. Rocky (1976) 1. Rocky (1976)
2. Creed (2015) 2. Rocky Balboa (2006)
3. Rocky II (1979) 3. Creed (2015)
4. Rocky III (1982) 4. Rocky III (1982)
5. Creed II (2018) 5. Creed II (2018)
6. Rocky Balboa (2006) 6. Rocky II (1979)
7. Rocky IV (1985) 7. Rocky IV (1985)
8. Rocky V (1990) 8. Rocky V (1990)

So, what do you think? (And for those of you following closely, my rankings have changed just a bit since the last time I did this!)

How About Behind-the-Scenes Facts from the “Rambo” Movies?

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Ben Sherlock, at ScreenRant, posted They Drew First Blood: 10 Behind-The-Scenes Facts About The Rambo Movies.   Before you click over, here are three of my favorite facts and my comments on each…

The Fifth Movie Had A Ton Of Unused Scripts.
…A script called Rambo 5: Savage Hunt was a horror movie in which Rambo led a Special Forces team into the Arctic Circle to track down a flesh-eating mutant creature.

…Another script called Rambo 5: Last Stand pitted Rambo against a band of meth dealers who were terrorizing a small town. There were also a few drafts about Rambo saving a kidnapped girl from a Mexican cartel before the final script was written.

(The Rambo 5: Savage Hunt script was based on James Byron Huggins’ Hunter novel.  While this would have made an interesting Rambo movie, it might have been too much of a genre change.  I hope that someday Sly will turn Hunter into the film it deserves.  Rambo 5: Last Stand sounds a lot like Arnold’s Last Stand movie. – Craig)

Dolph Lundgren Was Initially Cast As The Villain In First Blood Part II. The role of Russian Lieutenant Colonel Sergei Podovsky, the only villain in Rambo: First Blood Part II with any lines in English, was originally offered to Dolph Lundgren. Lundgren even accepted the part and signed a contract.

(I did not know this. – Craig)

…Burmese Freedom Fighters even adopted some dialogue from the movie to use as battle cries. In particular, they were known to say, “Live for nothing, or die for something.” When he heard about this, Sylvester Stallone said, “That, to me, is one of the proudest moments I’ve ever had in film.”

(And we thought people only quoted Rocky for inspiration!  – Craig)

The Poster and Trailer for “Last Moment of Clarity” is Here!

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The poster and trailer for Last Moment of Clarity is here!

After his girlfriend Georgia (Samara Weaving, Ready or Not) is murdered by European mobsters, Sam (Zach Avery, Fury) flees to Paris to hide out. Years later, he sees a woman in a Hollywood film who he’s certain is Georgia. In L.A. to investigate, he encounters enigmatic Kat (Carly Chaikin, “Mr. Robot”), who impulsively decides to help him on his quest. But when Sam meets the mystery actress face-to-face, his life spins out of control. Also starring Golden Globe® winner Brian Cox (2020, Best Television Actor – Drama Series, Succession) and Udo Kier, this twisty Hitchcockian thriller will keep you guessing until the final frame.

The Poster for “Extraction” Starring Chris Hemsworth is Here!

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A little over eight years I posted The Rock Heads to Ciudad.  You can head over to see the original post or I can save you the mouse click and summarize it:

Dwayne Johnson has signed to star in the big screen film adaptation of the upcoming graphic novel, Ciudad [co-written by Anthony and Joe Russo and Ande Parks]

Johnson will play a “black market mercenary” hired by a drug lord to rescue his kidnapped daughter in one of the most “dangerous and corrupt cities in the world.”

All I want to know is where is the line to buy a ticket?

What does this have to do with the poster for Extraction starring Chris Hemsworth, you ask?  (And I’m glad you did.)

Dwayne Johnson left the project and it ultimately was greenlit with Hemsworth.  Extraction premieres April 24th on Netflix.

James Arness Trivia!

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MeTV posted 8 Out-of-this-World Facts about James Arness.  Here are three of my favorite facts and my comments on each…

He appeared in two classic sci-fi movies.  Though he is synonymous with Marshal Matt Dillon, Arness appeared in two classic science fiction films early on in his career: The Thing From Another World (1951) and Them! (1954). In The Thing, the 6′ 7″ actor was a perfect fit for the titular “thing,” a murderous alien that wreaks havoc on a North Pole scientific outpost. Of course, Arness is heavily made-up and unrecognizable as the honest do-gooder he would soon become.

(The Thing from Another World and Them! are two of the best horror / scifi movies ever made! – Craig)

He was good friends with John Wayne.  The screen tough guys were good friends in real life and Arness co-starred with Wayne in Big Jim McLain (1952), Hondo (1953), Island in the Sky (1953) and The Sea Chase (1955). John Wayne even recommended that Arness star in Gunsmoke and introduces his friend in a prologue to the first episode of the series.

(John Wayne was the first choice to play Matt Dillon in Gunsmoke.  The fact that Wayne recommended Arness and then did a special introduction to the first episode says a lot about their friendship. – Craig)

His character Zeb Macahan reached cult status in Europe.  While American audiences will forever know Arness as Marshal Matt Dillon, the actor reached cult status in Europe as Zeb Macahan in How the West Was Won. The late-’70s Western television series found its audience in Europe and was rebroadcast many times on networks in France, Germany, Italy and Sweden.

(I prefer his Zeb Macahan character to Matt Dillon!  – Craig)