Category: Celebs

Sly Stallone Directed Films, Ranked

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Jake Dee at ScreenRant looked at the IMDb to come up with Every Movie Sylvester Stallone Has Directed, Ranked.  I decided to compare the IMDb rankings with my own.  After the chart are my thoughts…

Jake Dee (ScreenRant)

Zablo

1. Rocky II

1. Rocky Balboa

2. Rocky Balboa

2. Rocky III

3. Rambo

3. Rambo

4. Rocky IV

4. Paradise Alley

5. Rocky III

5. The Expendables

6. The Expendables

6. Rocky II

7. Paradise Alley

7. Rocky IV

8. Staying Alive

8. Staying Alive

Dee and I agreed on two rankings: #3 – Rambo and #8 – Staying Alive.

I placed Rocky Balboa in the #1 spot for a few reasons. Sly did a wonderful job of capturing the feel of the first movie, but making sure that it also captured how things had changed with the passing of time. I also have a special place for Rocky Balboa because it was such a longshot to be made and it gave the series a wonderful bookend closing.

Rocky III made the #2 spot because Sly was able to take the classic Rocky format (from 1 and 2) and modernize it. It was a dangerous move (Rocky loses, Mickey dies, new music, fast pace, add pro-wrestling) but it worked.

Rambo is #3. Sly placed Rambo with a team and made the battle scenes more graphic. Many thought an older Rambo wouldn’t work, but Sly showed that it would not only work but be one of the best films in the Rambo series.

Paradise Alley comes in at #4. Paradise Alley doesn’t get enough love. Sly’s directorial debut and he chooses a period piece that walks the fine line between drama and comedy. I’m a huge Paradise Alley fan.

#5 is The Expendables. Don’t call it a comeback. What a cool idea. Sly brings together fan favorite action stars and he makes it work not only for this film, but also a new movie series.

Rocky 2 is #6. Sly taking over the directing chores from the man who won the Oscar for directing Rocky. It was a big step, but Sly didn’t falter. Rocky II is a worthy follow-up.

Rocky IV comes in at #7. I like the idea for Rocky IV but it falters just a bit with the Miami Vice quick-cut editing to music. I have grown to enjoy Rocky IV more over time and especially with the way it sets up Creed.

The final spot goes to Stayin’ Alive. I enjoyed this film, but one of Sly’s movies has to come in at #8. Taking on this movie was a huge challenge and props to Sly for stepping up.

“Mike Mignola: Drawing Monsters” – The Teaser Trailer is Here!

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Even if you don’t recognize the name, Mike Mignola, you know his creation, Hellboy.  Perhaps the most popular comic character created in the last 40 years, Hellboy has been adapted into several movies, games, comic series and more.  A documentary about Hellboy’s creator, Mike Mignola, is in the works.  The first teaser trailer is here!

When Actors Return to Play Their Most Popular Characters

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MeTV posted an interesting piece called 9 Times Actors Revived Their Beloved TV Characters Long After the Show was Over.  It’s always interesting when this happens since it is like trying to recapture lighting in a bottle.  It is hard to recreate the magic.  Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.  Before you click over, here are my three favorites from their list and my thoughts to go with each…

  • Jackie Gleason as Ralph Kramden.  (I’m a huge fan of the original Honeymooners series from the 50s.  I fondly remember watching reruns of the show with my grandparents.  I have the original 39 episodes on dvd and still watch ’em.  I haven’t seen any of the Honeymooners reunion specials, but would love to… even if they don’t live up to the high bar set by the original series. – Craig)
  • Leonard Nimoy as Spock.  (I’m a fan of the original Star Trek series,  I’ve seen the movies with the original crew as well as the rebooted Star Trek featuring Kirk, Spock and McCoy.  I’ve not watched any of the Star Trek spin offs.  I loved seeing Leonard Nimoy return to play Spock in the  J.J. Abrams’ reboot! This was a revisit that worked! – Craig)
  • Peter Falk as Columbo.  (I’m not sure this should really count as a revisit since Falk continued to play Columbo in movies over the years.  I’ve seen all of the Falk Columbo‘s and what a joy it is to see the same actor play the same character over a span of 30+ years.  Revisit or not, it doesn’t get better. – Craig)

Although it didn’t make the list, The Wild, Wild West is perhaps my all-time favorite tv show,  It ran for 104 episodes over four seasons starting in 1965 and ending in 1969.  There were two tv movie revisits: The Wild Wild West Revisited (1979) and More Wild Wild West (1980).  I remember being disappointed in them, but plan to, uh, revisit them someday. – Craig)

RIP: Frank Lupo

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It has been announced that Frank Lupo, the creator, writer and producer of many popular television series, died on February 17, 2021, at the age of 66.  No cause of death was given.  Lupo started as a writer on Battlestar Galactica and BJ and the Bear.  Lupo then teamed with Stephen Cannell to create The Greatest American Hero, Hunter, Riptide and my personal favorite, Wiseguy.  Other productions that Lupo was involved in as a writer or producer include The A-Team, Walker, Texas Ranger, and Magnum, PI and those are just the highlights.  What a career!

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Frank Lupo’s family, friends and fans. 

 

Muhammad Ali: Kinshasa 1974 – “The Rumble in the Jungle”

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Muhammad Ali: Kinshasa 1974 is a new graphic novel that combines the famous Abbas photographs with a story by writer JD Morvan and artist Rafael Ortiz that gives context to the pictures.  Abbas was in Kinshasa, Zaire to photograph the political unrest at the same time the famed Rumble in the Jungle fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman took place.  As things worked out Abbas was able to chronicle events leading up to an including the fight.

Muhammad Ali: Kinshasa 1974 is an interesting idea and looks like a well done book.  If you’d like to see more than the cover above and preview page below, click over to an interview with JD Morvan which provides more insight and preview pages.  If you’d like to order Muhammad Ali: Kinshasa 1974, it is available now.  (I will get a small percentage of each sale made using the link.)

RIP: Joan Weldon

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Joan Weldon’s family announced yesterday that the singer and actress, died on February 11, 2021, at the age of 90.  No cause of death was given.

Weldon was best known for her co-starring role in the sci-fi, horror classic Them!  Weldon’s career began her singing in the San Francisco Grand Opera Company. She later sang in the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera and on Broadway,  Weldon’s acting career began in 1953.  She appeared in eleven films and made eleven guest appearances on television shows including roles on Cheyenne, Perry Mason, Have Gun Will Travel and Maverick.

After her acting career, Weldon returned to her first love, singing. She appeared in many road show productions including The Music Man and Oklahoma.  Joan Weldon retired in 1980.

I had no idea that Joan Weldon was a singer.  I knew her best from her role in Them!  I thought she was excellent.  I appreciate that she came off as smart (if not smarter) than the men in the movie and she wasn’t there to be saved.  Weldon’s career in movies and television was relatively short, but what an impact she made.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family, friends and fans.

“Without Remorse” starring Michael B. Jordan – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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Wow!  Wow!  Wow!  Finally a movie I cannot wait to see.  Check out the poster above and trailer below for Without Remorse starring Michael B. Jordan and Guy Pearce based on character created by Tom Clancy.  I know what I’ll be watching on April 30th.

In a war-torn region of Syria, an elite team of Navy SEALs led by Sr. Chief John Kelly (Michael B. Jordan) rescues a CIA operative taken hostage by ex-Russian military forces. Three months later, in apparent retaliation for his role in the mission, Kelly’s pregnant wife Pam (Lauren London) is murdered in the U.S. by a squad of masked Russian assassins. Despite being shot multiple times himself, Kelly manages to kill all but one of the attackers before being rushed to the hospital.

Meanwhile in Washington D.C., Kelly’s friend and former SEAL team member Lt. Commander Karen Greer (Jodie Turner-Smith) meets with CIA agent Robert Ritter (Jamie Bell) and Secretary of Defense Thomas Clay (Guy Pearce) to discuss their response options. Leaked news of Russia’s unprecedented attack on American soil has caused the already-strained relations between the two nations to sour further. If something isn’t done soon the result could be a full-scale war.

Healed from his injuries, a rogue Kelly tracks down the corrupt Russian diplomat who issued the passports to his wife’s murderers, and forces him at gunpoint to give up the name of the surviving assassin. Sent to prison for the crime, Kelly bargains his way out by revealing the escaped operative is one Victor Rykov (Brett Gelman), an ex-Special Forces officer currently hiding in Murmansk, Russia.

With Secretary Clay’s reluctant approval, Kelly joins Greer and Ritter on a top-secret mission to capture Rykov and bring him back to the U.S. to face justice. But en route to Murmansk, their plane is shot down by the Russian Air Force and plummets into the Bering Sea. Using their SEAL skills to survive the crash, they eventually make their way to Rykov’s location, only to discover that the murder of Kelly’s family was part of a vast international conspiracy orchestrated by powerful political figures. Torn between personal honor and loyalty to his country, and with the fate of nations hanging in the balance, Kelly has no choice but to expose the truth, no matter the cost. The explosive origin story of action hero John Clark, one of the most popular characters in author Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan universe, Without Remorse is directed by acclaimed filmmaker Stefano Sollima (Sicario: Day of the Soldado, Gomorrah, ZeroZeroZero).

“The 7th Day” Starring Guy Pearce – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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I’m a Guy Pearce and Keith David fan so I am looking forward to The 7th Day.  The fact that Keith didn’t make the poster doesn’t bode well for him living to the end of the film.  As to the poster it is okay.  I did like the trailer.  If I watch The 7th Day, I know that I’ll be doing it without my wife.  She hates exorcism movies.

A renowned exorcist who teams up with a rookie priest for his first day of training. As they plunge deeper into hell on earth, the lines between good and evil blur, and their own demons emerge.

Starring: Guy Pearce, Keith David, Stephen Lang
Directed by: Justin P. Lange

How Tom Cruise Pulled Off All Those Crazy Stunts – Video is Here!

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The video below on How Tom Cruise Pulled Off All Those Crazy Stunts is worth a watch.  Say what you will about Tom Cruise, but you have to admit that no one else in the movie business takes it to the limits that Cruise does almost every time out.  He must truly be an adrenaline junkie.

Tom Cruise is perhaps most famous for doing almost all of his own stunts, which have intensified throughout his career. In the “Mission: Impossible” franchise, he climbed part of a 2,000-foot cliff in “Mission: Impossible 2” and then climbed 1,700 feet up the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, in “Ghost Protocol.” In “Rogue Nation,” Cruise did not one, but two dangerous stunts. First, he hung off the side of a plane that took him up 1,000 feet in the air. He then had to hold his breath underwater for about six minutes, a stunt that required military-style preparation. In “Fallout,” he jumped 25,000 feet out of a plane and filmed a helicopter stunt that required him to get 2,000 hours of training and learn how to do a 360-degree corkscrew dive. Outside the “Mission” franchise, he filmed a scene on a real zero-gravity plane instead of a soundstage in “The Mummy” and learned how to do action in an 85-pound suit in “Edge of Tomorrow.” He is soon set to return to one of his most iconic roles in “Top Gun: Maverick.“

Keanu Reeves’ BRZRKR Trailer is Here!

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Here’s something you don’t see very often,  No, not the cover to BRZRKR #1 above (although that’s pretty rare, too).  I’m talking about a trailer for a comic book.

Yep, a trailer for a comic book.  And it is narrated by Keanu Reeves!

BOOM! Studios is proud to announce BRZRKR, a twelve-issue limited series from the iconic Keanu Reeves in his Must Read comic book writing debut, alongside New York Times bestselling co-writer Matt Kindt (Folklords, Bang!) and acclaimed artist Ron Garney (Wolverine, Captain America), colorist Bill Crabtree (BRPD), and letterer Clem Robins (Hellboy) in a brutally violent new series about one immortal warrior’s fight through the ages. BRZRKR #1 is available in comic shops March 3rd. The man known only as B. is half-mortal and half-god, cursed and compelled to violence…even at the sacrifice of his sanity. But after wandering the world for centuries, B. may have finally found a refuge – working for the U.S. government to fight the battles too violent and too dangerous for anyone else. In exchange, B. will be granted the one thing he desires—the truth about his endless blood-soaked existence…and how to end it.

Read a sneak peek: https://bit.ly/3cDtQam

​ To find a comic shop near you, visit www.comicshoplocator.com

The “Army of the Dead” Trailer is Here (and so are Craig’s thoughts on it)

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Today the Army of the Dead trailer dropped.  I like Zack Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead remake, 300 and Watchmen.  So I’m looking forward to seeing what Snyder will do with Army of the Dead.  The story holds a lot of potential and Dave Bautista will make a good lead.  My only concerns are that it doesn’t get silly.  I like some humor in my horror, but the focus needs to be on the scary stuff.  Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead had the right balance, I hope that Army of the Dead does as well.

A Zack Snyder film. On Netflix May 21.

Following a zombie outbreak in Las Vegas, a group of mercenaries take the ultimate gamble, venturing into the quarantine zone to pull off the greatest heist ever attempted.

Starring Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Ana de la Reguera, Matthias Schweighöfer, Nora Arnezeder, Hiroyuki Sanada, Raúl Castillo, Michael Cassidy, and Garret Dillahunt.

Story by Zack Snyder
Screenplay by Zack Snyder & Shay Hatten and Joby Harold
Directed by Zack Snyder

The Bee Gees’ Record-Breaking Trivia!

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Me-TV posted There’s no jive talkin’ in these 12 fascinating facts about the Bee Gees. As an unabashed Bee Gees fan, I’m happy to see it.

Unfortunately I don’t think enough people give the Bee Gees enough credit for their impact on music and culture.  Although they were making and releasing great music in the 60s, they peaked in the 70s and then continued to write and produce hits well after.  I was (and am) a Bee Gees fan.  I still love their music — it brings back great memories and makes me smile.  Before you click over, here are my three favorite facts from the Me-TV post…

  • They released eight songs in 1978 that reached number one.  (Their #1 hits were “How Deep Is Your Love,” “Stayin’ Alive,” “Night Fever” and “Too Much Heaven.” They wrote and produced the hits “(Love Is) Thicker Than Water” and “Shadow Dancing,” for their little brother, Andy Gibb.  That year they also are credited for Frankie Valli’s “Grease” and Yvonne Elliman’s “If I Can’t Have You.” – Craig)
  • In 1978, they accounted for 2% of the entire record industry.  (Please see above! If the Bee Gees had done nothing else before or after 1978, their success in that one year would have put them in the record books.- Craig)
  • After the public lost interest in the Bee Gees, the Gibbs quietly wrote and produced massive hits for other artists.  (Hits that they wrote for other artists include: Barbara Streisand’s “Woman in Love“, “Islands in the Stream” for Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers, “Emotion” for Samantha Sang, “Chain Reaction” for Diana Ross, ‘If I Can’t Have You‘ for Yvonne Elliman and many more. – Craig)

RIP: Peter S. Davis

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Peter S. Davis, best known as the producer of the Highlander movie, television and video game franchise died on February 21st.  Mr. Davis was 79.

Peter S. Davis was CEO and President of Davis-Panzer Productions (DPP) and Davis Merchandising.  He was a former lawyer on Wall Street as well as an  entrepreneur who owned several business’ outside of movie-making.  Davis began his Hollywood career in 1976 as an Executive Producer of The Death Collector which featured Joe Pesci in a co-starring role.  Davis followed that up as Executive Producer of the movie Stunts starring Robert Forester and Ray Sharkey.  Peter Davis was producer of Sam Peckinpah’s last film (The Osterman Weekend) as well as one of Brad Pitt’s first films (Cutting Class), but it is the Highlander series where Davis made his biggest and best contribution.

Davis pushed to get Highlander to the big screen.  He is also credited for getting Sean Connery in the co-starring role that gave the film gravitas.  The success of Highlander created a franchise that included a sequel, an animated series, a television series, tv movies and video games.

The original Highlander film is one of my all-time favorite films.  Everything from the screenplay to the acting, direction and soundtrack/score came together.  Although I wasn’t a fan of the sequel and didn’t get into the other Highlander ventures, I am such a fan of the original Highlander film, if that was the only contribution that Peter S. Davis made in his career, it would be worth noting here.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Peter S. Davis’ family, friends and fans.

“The Penthouse” Poster and Trailer are Here!

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I like both the poster and trailer for The Penthouse.  Michael Pare and Nicholas Turturro may have a winner.  This looks like a pretty good film.

This dark, gripping thriller shows that evil lurks where we least expect it. In sunny Carolina Beach, Peter and Amanda’s new penthouse condo has a perfect view of the marina. One day they notice a couple bickering aboard a docked sailboat. Amanda befriends frightened Tess, but soon afterwards Tess vanishes without a trace. After Peter confronts her boyfriend Charles (Michael Paré, GONE), Charles vows to make the nosy couple’s life a living hell, stopping at nothing until he gets revenge.