RIP: Mac Davis

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Mac Davis, the multi-talented singer-songwriter and actor died yesterday at age 78 from complications of a recent heart surgery.

Davis was an award-winning song writer who first came to notice for writing the popular Elvis Presley songs, In the Ghetto, Don’t Cry Daddy and A Little Less Conversation.  Other singers such as Kenny Rogers, B.J. Thomas, Perry Como, and Helen Reddy (to name just a few) were happy to cover Mac Davis songs.

Davis wrote hits for himself such as Baby Don’t Get Hooked on Me, Stop and Smell the Roses and One Hell of a Woman.  In 1974, Davis was named the Academy of Country Music’s Entertainer of the Year.  This success led to The Mac Davis Show which ran from 1974-1976.  Davis caught the acting bug and began his career in North Dallas Forty.  Davis would spend the rest of his life singing and acting alternating between movies and television and live concerts.

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

Update: Craig’s Medical Emergency

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I went to my doctor/surgeon for a follow-up this morning.  Originally, I was scheduled to go in tomorrow, but one of my incisions started to look infected so, he brought me in a day early.  My vitals (blood pressure, temperature, oxygen levels) were all great.

So was the incision.  There were no signs of infection.  The doctor said that what we thought was infection was just a material expected to be found in surgical recovery wounds.  He removed the drainage tube from my side.  I felt like I was in a magic act when he took it out – he kept pulling and pulling until a tube about 1 1/2 – 2 feet long was removed from my side!

My doctor said that he has shared my charts, scans, etc. with a few other doctors and they agreed that it was lucky that I had not been sent home with meds.  One of the doctors with 30 years experience said he would have definitely sent me home based on the evidence they were seeing.  That could have proven fatal!  Hopefully, this will help others in a similar circumstance in the future.

The doctor said I am recovering at a great pace.  I won’t have to see him again unless something develops.  Fingers crossed that won’t happen.  So this should be my last medical update.  Thanks again for all the prayers and kind thoughts.  I hope to be back to full interaction on the site and message boards soon.

best,

Craig

Sly Scouting Locations for His Next Movie?

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There is speculation at JoBlo.com that…

Sly (Stallone) himself may be about to make another action movie with frequent purveyors of gunplay and heist flicks Randall Emmet and George Furla. According to a new Instagram pic posted by Emmet himself, the producer and his partner are currently scouting locations for an unnamed movie. Joining them is none other than Sylvester Stallone.

ANY movie added to Sly’s schedule is ALWAYS welcome.  Fingers crossed it is for Hunter based on the James Byron Huggins’ novel of the same name written for Sly!

Craig’s Medical Emergency

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I was admitted to the emergency room on Sunday, September 20th at 7pm after suffering from excruciating stomach pain for five hours.  It didn’t take long before I was given a room and they began to poke, prod, administer blood tests and scans to determine the cause of my pain. 

This went on until Tuesday morning.  Results showed my white blood cell count was high, but scans were inconclusive as to the exact problem.  It could be my gall bladder, an ulcer, diverticulosis, or something else.  The meds they gave me to control pain helped for about three hours, but another dose couldn’t come for five hours.  I hadn’t ate (ok, since I had no appetite) or drank (I would have loved some water) since Sunday afternoon.  The reason for no food or water was in case I needed to be rushed to surgery.

I met with my doctor who said that they couldn’t determine the exact cause of the issue but were leaning towards the gallbladder.  There were two courses of action to consider:  1) Continue to bring down the infection and control the pain through medication.  When appropriate I would be released to go home to continue with the meds.  I would follow-up regularly with his office and then when things were clear we would move forward to remove the gallbladder.   2)  Go in now and remove the gallbladder.

He was leaning towards the first option but wanted to consult with a colleague with more experience. 

When my doctor returned from his consultation his opinion had changed.  Due to the intense pain, white blood count, etc., it was probably best to go ahead and remove the gallbladder.  I was all for it.  The doctor said that since the scans didn’t show any trouble spots things should go smoothly.  If they did, the surgery would be done arthroscopy and take about one and a half hours.

A little over three hours later I came out of surgery.  When the doctor got in he discovered that my gallbladder had basically exploded,  That was why nothing was showing up on the scans!  Gangrene had set in.  That is why the surgery took so long.  He said he had done over 500 gallbladder operations and mine was in the top three worst.

I seemed to be on a fairly quick road to recovery once out of surgery.  My white blood cell count returned to normal and the pain was what you’d expect from surgery.

I’m home now and feeling better day by day.  I’ve got a drainage tube in my side and there is still discomfort from movement.  I can’t sleep in my bed and it’s hard to get comfortable but those are minor complaints compared to where I was.  I return to the doctor for a check-up on Thursday and I’ll keep you posted.   

Thank each of you for your kind words, thoughts and prayers.  

RIP: Jacqueline Stallone

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Jacqueline Stallone passed away this morning at the age of 98.  Best known as the mother of Sylvester and Frank Stallone, she was much more than just the parent of famous brothers.

Here is part of what Frank posted on his Instagram…

This morning my brothers and I lost our mother Jackie Stallone . She was the mother to four children, Tommy, Sylvester, Frankie and my late sister Toni Ann. She was a remarkable woman working out everyday full of spunk and fearless . She died in her sleep as she had wished. It was hard not to like her, she was very eccentric and flamboyant person.

Jackie, as she was known, was indeed a remarkable woman.  She was always into fitness and training.  As a young woman she performed as a trapeze artist!  She was also a nightclub dancer.  Jackie Stallone was the first woman to have a daily exercise and fitness show in Washington, D.C. Later in her career she owned Barbella’s, a gym for women.

Jackie became a popular guest on talk shows where she discussed not only her famous sons but also her astrology books and psychic hotline.  She also became involved with GLOW – the Gorgeous Women of Wrestling!

Jackie Stallone was a powerhouse.  Frank was right in describing her as eccentric, flamboyant, fearless and hard not to like. 

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jacqueline Stallone’s family, friends and fans.

“Rocky” Meat Locker Print by Guy Stauber!

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Check out this cool Rocky print created by Guy Stauber.  Stauber is the creative genius behind Shogun Graphic Systems™ which provides digital illustration and graphic design services to a wide range of international clients.  Stauber’s clients include Sports Illustrated, The Wall Street Journal, DC, Marvel, Lucasfilm, Disney & Fox TV to name a few.

The Rocky print above comes in various sizes and is available through Guy Stauber’s store on his website.  Plan to spend some time checking out Stauber’s amazing art in his online portfolio.

John Beatty Cataract Surgeries GoFundMe

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I’m going to shift gears this morning.  This post isn’t about a movie, comic, tv show, or novel.  My buddy, John Beatty, is running a GoFundMe to raise enough money to get much-needed cataract surgeries.

John makes his living as an artist.  He has worked on all the major characters and some of the most groundbreaking and loved comics of all time – Secret Wars, Captain America, Batman, the first Punisher mini-series, the Nam and so many more.

Some of you may know John since he helped me with the early development of the StalloneZone and when he had more free time was a regular on our message boards.  I know some of our older members will remember the fun posts John provided.

If you’re in the position where you can donate, please consider doing so.  Every dollar counts and will be appreciated.  Here is the link if you can help out. Thank you for any consideration you can give.

“The Phenomenon” – Poster and Trailer are Here!

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The poster and trailer to The Phenomenon is here.  I am a sucker for UFO documentaries (well, good ones any way).  I hope The Phenomenon falls into that category.

Director James Fox’s explosive documentary is being hailed as the most credible examination of the longstanding cover-up and global mystery involving unidentified aerial phenomenon. Including shocking testimony from high-ranking government and military officials, NASA Astronauts, other credible sources, and riveting never-before seen footage, the timely film also reveals the monumental events behind the NY Times’ recent bombshell disclosure of The Pentagon’s secret UFO Program, and provides eye-opening evidence that mankind is not alone in the universe.

Senator Harry Reid calls it “Meritorious. It makes the incredible credible.” Former Senior CIA Officer Jim Semivan, calls it “The most important documentary of the year.” Dr. Jacques Vallee says “70 years of secrecy has led to this. The most credible documentary ever made about UFOs.” George Knapp calls it, “A definitive examination of an enduring global mystery. This film will land on an unsuspecting Earth with the force of an alien invasion.“

Narrated by Peter Coyote, the film includes Senator Harry Reid, President Clinton, John Podesta, White House Chief of Staff for Clinton and advisor to Obama, Governor Bill Richardson, former U.S Department of Defense Senior Intelligence Official, Christopher Mellon, NASA Astronauts, Governor Fife Symington, and Dr. Jacques Vallee, who was portrayed in Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

JOE LANSDALE’S HAP AND LEONARD: An Overview by Scott Montgomery

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THE EVOLUTION OF JOE LANSDALE’S HAP AND LEONARD by Scott Montgomery at CrimeReads is well worth a read.  If you’re already a fan, you might get a little more insight into the stories and if you’re not a fan, you should be.  Well done, Mr. Montgomery.

Our header art today is a detail from the cover of the Subterranean Press trade edition for Dead Aim and was created by Glen Orbik.

“The Wolf of Snow Hollow” – Poster and Trailer are Here!

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I’m always up for a good werewolf movie.  Whether we have one in The Wolf of Snow Hollow, only time (and a viewing) will tell.  We do have the poster and trailer for a taste to hold us over.  And the fact that Robert Forster is in it (in his final role) is a BIG plus!

Welcome to Snow Hollow. From acclaimed filmmaker Jim Cummings comes The Wolf of Snow Hollow, On Demand and in theaters October 9.

“Black Box” – The Poster and Trailer are Here

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The Black Box poster and trailer are here.  I’ll give it a go.

Directed by Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour Jr. (Born With It) and script by Osei-Kuffour Jr. and Stephen Herman, Black Box stars Mamoudou Athie (Jurassic World 3, The Circle), Phylicia Rashad (Creed), Amanda Christine (Colony), Tosin Morohunfola (The Chi, The 24th), Charmaine Bingwa (Trees of Peace, Little Sista), and Troy James (The Flash, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark). After losing his wife and his memory in a car accident, a single father undergoes an agonizing experimental treatment that causes him to question who he really is. Executive produced by Jason Blum, Jay Ellis, Aaron Bergman, Lisa Bruce, Marci Wiseman, Jeremy Gold, Mynette Louie and William Marks.