Monday, September 10, 2012

EX2 Red Carpet

Friday, July 6, 2012

Happy Birthday Stallone.........

Sylvester Stallone has established worldwide recognition as an actor, writer and director since he played the title role in his own screenplay of Rocky, which won the Academy Award in 1976 for Best Picture.

Recently, Stallone wrote, directed and starred in Rambo, which continued the saga of Vietnam vet John Rambo twenty five years after the debut of First Blood. Recently, Stallone released his most ambitious project to date, the action thriller The Expendables, which he has written, directs and stars in. The film opened at number one at the box office – making him the only actor to open a number one film across five decades. Sly took the company on location to the interior of Brazil and the city streets New Orleans, filming over just a few short months.

Born in New York City, Stallone attended school in suburban Philadelphia where he first started acting and also became a star football player. He then spent two years instructing at the American College of Switzerland in Geneva.

Returning to the United States, he enrolled as a drama major at the University of Miami and also began to write. Stallone left college to pursue an acting career in New York City, but the jobs did not come easily. By 1973, Stallone had auditioned for almost every casting agent in New York and had gone on thousands of acting calls, with little success.

During this period, he turned more and more to writing, churning out numerous screenplays while waiting for his acting break. The opportunity first came in 1974 when he was cast as one of the leads inThe Lords of Flatbush. He also received his first writing credit for additional dialogue on this film.

With the money earned from that film, Stallone left New York for Hollywood. He again began to make the rounds of studios and casting agents, managing to get a few small roles in television and movies. He also continued to pursue writing.

Prize fighter Rocky Balboa was born and given life in a script Stallone wrote in longhand. Several producers offered to buy the screenplay, wanting to cast a name star in the title role, which Stallone insisted on playing himself.

In anticipation of the upcoming August 2010 release of The Expendables, Stallone was honored at the Spike TV’s Guy’s Choice Awards with the coveted Guy Con Award, presented by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. He was also feted at the 2010 Los Angeles Film Festival as the event’s Honored Guest and received the Visionary Award at the Hollywood Reporter Key Arts 2010 Event. And at the 2010 Comicon Convention, he will be the first inductee into the IGN Action Hero Hall of Fame.

Stallone is one of the founding partners in Planet Hollywood, the internationally famous chain of entertainment complexes which includes the Planet Hollywood Las Vegas Resort and Casino.

Monday, June 25, 2012

The Expendables 2 is an upcoming 2012 American ensemble action film directed by Simon West and written by Sylvester Stallone and Richard Wenk, based on a story by Ken Kaufman, David Agosto and Wenk. It is a sequel to the 2010 action film The Expendables, and stars Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Norris, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Liam Hemsworth, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Bruce Willis, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. The film is due to be released on August 17, 2012, by Lions Gate Entertainment.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Italian Stallion South Paw Stallone

Friday, May 4, 2012

Mission Imossible 4

The IMF is shut down when it's implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin, causing Ethan Hunt and his new team to go rogue to clear their organization's name.

Director:

Brad Bird

Writers:

Josh Appelbaum, André Nemec, and 1 more credit »

Stars:

Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner and Simon Pegg

Sylvester Stallone Working On 'Rambo 5'

Sylvester Stallone

Working On

'Rambo 5'

Sylvester Stallone is set to don his famed red headband once more - he's working on a fifth Rambo blockbuster.

The action star last reprised his role of the Vietnam veteran in 2008's Rambo, and he's revealed he's writing a draft for one final installment for his classic character to give him a fitting send off.

When asked if there are more Rambo stories to tell, the 65-year-old told MTV, "I know there is. It's one thing where you lay down the final culmination of your life where you can articulate it, but also act on it where he realizes what his destiny really is. It's not to be a farmer, it's not to be obscure - it's to go out in a blaze of glory in a heroic fashion..."

"That's who he is. I'm working on a formula for it right now."

Stallone family members and list of all movies he palyed

Father: Frank Stallone, Sr. (hairdresser, d. 11-Jul-2011)
Mother: Jacqueline Labofish (astrologer, b. 29-Nov-1921)
Brother: Frank Stallone (actor, b. 30-Jul-1950)
Father: Anthony Filiti ("Tony", stepfather, married Stallone's mother)
Sister: Toni Ann Filiti-Schaub (half-sister, daughter of Jackie and Tony Filiti)
Wife: Sasha Czack (theater usher, m. 28-Dec-1974, div. 1985)
Son: Sage Stallone (actor, b. 5-May-1976, with Czack)
Son: Seargeoh (b. 1979, autistic, with Czack)
Wife: Brigitte Nielsen (m. 15-Dec-1985, div. 1987)
Girlfriend: Angie Everhart (model, engaged Apr-1995, broke up Jun-1995)
Girlfriend: Janice Dickinson (model)
Girlfriend: Andrea Wieser (Austrian model)
Wife: Jennifer Flavin (model, b. 1968, m. May-1997)
Daughter: Sophia (b. 27-Aug-1996, with Flavin)
Daughter: Sistine Rose (b. 27-Jun-1998, with Flavin)
Daughter: Scarlet Rose (b. 25-May-2002, with Flavin)

List of movies

The Expendables (3-Aug-2010)
Rambo (24-Jan-2008)
Rocky Balboa (20-Dec-2006)
Rocky IV (27-Nov-1985)
Staying Alive (15-Jul-1983)
Rocky III (28-May-1982)
Rocky II (15-Jun-1979)
Paradise Alley (22-Sep-1978)
FILMOGRAPHY AS ACTOR
Zookeeper (6-Jul-2011) [VOICE]
The Expendables (3-Aug-2010) · Barney Ross
Kambakkht Ishq (3-Jul-2009) · Himself
Rambo (24-Jan-2008)
Rocky Balboa (20-Dec-2006)
Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (25-Jul-2003)
Shade (21-Jun-2003) · Stevens
Avenging Angelo (30-Aug-2002)
D-Tox (4-Jan-2002) · Malloy
America: A Tribute to Heroes (21-Sep-2001) · Himself
Driven (16-Apr-2001)
Get Carter (4-Oct-2000) · Jack Carter
Antz (19-Sep-1998) [VOICE]
An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn (29-Sep-1997) · Himself
Cop Land (15-Aug-1997) · Freddy Heflin
Daylight (6-Dec-1996) · Kit Latura
Assassins (6-Oct-1995)
Judge Dredd (30-Jun-1995) · Judge Dredd
The Specialist (7-Oct-1994)
Demolition Man (8-Oct-1993) · John Spartan
Cliffhanger (28-May-1993) · Gabe Walker
Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (21-Feb-1992)
Oscar (26-Apr-1991)
Rocky V (16-Nov-1990)
Tango & Cash (22-Dec-1989) · Tango
Lock Up (4-Aug-1989)
Rambo III (25-May-1988)
Over the Top (13-Feb-1987)
Cobra (23-May-1986) · Marion Cobretti
Rocky IV (27-Nov-1985) · Rocky Balboa
Rambo: First Blood Part II (24-May-1985)
Rhinestone (22-Jun-1984) · Nick
Rambo: First Blood (31-Oct-1982) · Rambo
Rocky III (28-May-1982)
Victory (30-Jul-1981)
Nighthawks (4-Apr-1981) · Deke DaSilva
Rocky II (15-Jun-1979) · Rocky Balboa
Paradise Alley (22-Sep-1978)
F.I.S.T. (13-Apr-1978)
Rocky (21-Nov-1976) · Rocky
The Party at Kitty and Stud's (6-Jul-1976)
Farewell, My Lovely (8-Aug-1975)
Death Race 2000 (27-Apr-1975)
Capone (Apr-1975)
The Prisoner of Second Avenue (14-Mar-1975)
The Lords of Flatbush (1-May-1974)
No Place to Hide (22-Dec-1970)

New Trailor for The Expendables 2

May 3, 2012

New trailer for The Expendables 2

Movie website IGN has debuted the brand new trailer for The Expendables 2! In the movie, Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) and his team of Expendables including Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Yin Yang (Jet Li), Gunnar Jensen (Dolph Lundgren),Toll Road (Randy Couture) and Hale Caesar (Terry Crews), along with newcomers Billy the Kid (Liam Hemsworth) and Maggie (Yu Nan), seek payback when a mission they’re carrying out for Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) goes wrong. Needless to say, mayhem ensues. The stellar cast also includes action legends Chuck Norris, Jean Claude Van Damme and Arnold Schwarzenegger!

SYLVESTER STALLONE the Rocky

Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone (pronounced /stəˈloʊn/; born July 6, 1946), commonly known as Sylvester Stallone, and nicknamed Sly Stallone,is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Stallone is known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. Two of the notable characters he has portrayed are boxer Rocky Balboa and soldier John Rambo. The Rocky and Rambo franchises, along with several other films, strengthened his reputation as an actor and his box office earnings.
Stallone's film Rocky was inducted into the National Film Registry as well as having its film props placed in the Smithsonian Museum. Stallone's use of the front entrance to the Philadelphia Museum of Art in the Rocky series led the area to be nicknamed the Rocky Steps. Philadelphia has a statue of his Rocky character placed permanently near the museum, on the right side before the steps. It was announced on December 7, 2010 that Stallone was voted into boxing's Hall of Fame.

Sylvester Stallone was born Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone in New York City, the elder son of Frank Stallone, Sr., a hairdresser, and Jackie Stallone (born Jacqueline Labofish), an astrologer, former dancer, and promoter of women's wrestling. His younger brother is actor and musician Frank Stallone. Stallone's father was born in Gioia del Colle, Apulia, Italy, and emigrated to the United States as a child. Stallone's mother is of half Russian Jewish and half French descent.
Complications his mother suffered during labor forced her obstetricians to use two pairs of forceps during his birth; misuse of these accidentally severed a nerve and caused paralysis in parts of Stallone's face. As a result, the lower left side of his face is paralyzed - including parts of his lip, tongue, and chin - an accident which has given Stallone his snarling look and slightly slurred speech. Stallone was baptized and raised Catholic. He spent his first five years in Hell's Kitchen, bouncing between foster homes while his parents endured a troubled marriage.^{[citation needed]} His father, a beautician, moved the family to Washington, D.C., where he opened a beauty school. His mother opened a women's gymnasium called Barbella's in 1954. His parents divorced when he was nine, and he eventually lived with his mother. He attended Notre Dame Academy and Lincoln High School in Philadelphia.He attended Charlotte Hall Military Academy prior to attending Miami Dade College^.

Hollywood career

When Stallone was nearly broke in New York, barely $50 to his name, he sold the script to Paradise Alley for $100.

Italian Stallion and Score

Stallone had his first starring role in the soft core pornography feature film The Party at Kitty and Stud's (1970). He was paid US $200 for two days' work. Stallone later explained that he had done the film out of desperation after being evicted from his apartment and finding himself homeless for several days. He has also said that he slept three weeks in the New York City Port Authority bus station prior to seeing a casting notice for the film. In the actor's words, "it was either do that movie or rob someone, because I was at the end – the very end – of my rope".The film was released several years later as Italian Stallion, in order to cash in on Stallone's new found fame (the new title was taken from Stallone's nickname since Rocky and a line from the film).
Stallone also starred in the erotic off-Broadway stage play Score which ran for 23 performances at the Martinique Theatre from October 28 – November 15, 1971 and was later made into a film by Radley Metzger.

Early film roles, 1970–1975

In 1970, Stallone appeared in the film No Place to Hide, which was re-cut and retitled Rebel, the second version featuring Stallone as its star. After the style of Woody Allen's What's Up, Tiger Lily?, this film, in 1990, was re-edited from outtakes from the original movie and newly shot matching footage, then redubbed into an award-winning parody of itself titled A Man Called... Rainbo. Again starring Stallone, this self-parody was directed by David Casci and produced by Jeffrey Hilton. A Man Called...Rainbo won Silver Awards at the Chicago International Film Festival and Worldfest – Houston, and was featured on Entertainment Tonight along with its credited star, Sylvester Stallone. It received a Thumbs-Up on Siskel & Ebert, and was recommended by Michael Medved on the popular movie review show, Sneak Previews.
Stallone's other first few film roles were minor, and included brief uncredited appearances in Woody Allen's Bananas (1971) as a subway thug, in the psychological thriller Klute (1971) as an extra dancing in a club, and in the Jack Lemmon film The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975) as a youth. In the Lemmon film, Jack Lemmon's character chases, tackles and mugs Stallone, thinking that Stallone's character is a pickpocket. He had his second starring role in The Lords of Flatbush, in 1974. In 1975, he played supporting roles in Farewell, My Lovely; Capone; and Death Race 2000. He made guest appearances on the TV series Police Story and Kojak.

Success with Rocky, 1976

Stallone at the Oscars in 1978

Stallone gained worldwide fame with his starring role in the smash hit Rocky (1976). On March 24, 1975, Stallone saw the Muhammad Ali–Chuck Wepner fight, which inspired the foundation idea of Rocky. That night Stallone went home, and after three days, 20 straight hours^, he had written the script for Rocky. After that, he tried to sell the script with the intention of playing the lead role Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler in particular liked the script.^{[citation needed]} Stallone was offered increasingly larger fees to sell the script and allow a different actor to star in the film, but he turned the offers down until the studio agreed to let Stallone himself play the role. Rocky was nominated for ten Academy Awards, including Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay nominations for Stallone. The film went on to win the Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Directing and Best Film Editing.

Rocky, Rambo, and new film roles, 1978–1989

Following the success of Rocky, Stallone made his directorial debut and starred in the 1978 film Paradise Alley, a family drama in which he played one of three brothers who enter the world of wrestling. That same year he starred in Norman Jewison's F.I.S.T., a social drama in which he plays a warehouse worker, very loosely modeled on James Hoffa, who becomes involved in the labor union leadership.
In 1979 he wrote, directed and starred in the sequel to his 1976 hit: Rocky II (replacing John G. Avildsen, who won an Academy Award for directing the first film), which also became a major success,grossing $200 million.

Stallone with Brigitte Nielsen, Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan at the White House, 1985

Stallone launched another major franchise success, starring as Vietnam veteran John Rambo, a former Green Beret, in the action-war film First Blood (1982).The first installment of Rambo was both a critical and box office success. Critics praised Stallone's performance, saying he made Rambo seem human, as opposed to the way he is portrayed in the book of the same name. Two Rambo sequels, Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) and Rambo III (1988), followed. Although box office hits, they met with much less critical praise than the original.^{[citation needed]} He also continued his box office success with the Rocky franchise and wrote, directed, and starred in two more sequels to the series: Rocky III (1982) and Rocky IV (1985). Stallone has portrayed these two characters in a total of ten films. In preparation for these roles, Stallone embarked upon a vigorous training regimen which often meant six days a week in the gym and further sit ups in the evenings. Stallone claims to have gotten his body fat percentage down to his all time low of 2.8% for Rocky III.
It was during this time period that Stallone's work cultivated a strong overseas following. He also attempted, albeit unsuccessfully, roles in different genres. In 1984 he co-wrote and starred in the comedy film Rhinestone where he played a wannabe country music singer and in 1987 he starred in the drama film Over the Top where he played a struggling trucker who, after the death of his wife, tries to make amends with his son who he left behind years earlier. His son does not think too highly of him until he sees him compete in a nation-wide arm wrestling competition. For the Rhinestone soundtrack, he performed a song. These films did not do well at the box office and were poorly received by critics. It was around 1985 that Stallone was signed to a remake of the 1939 James Cagney classic Angels With Dirty Faces. The film would form part of his multi-picture deal with Cannon Pictures and was to co-star Christopher Reeve and be directed by Menahem Golan. The re-making of such a beloved classic was met with disapproval by Variety Magazine and horror by top critic Roger Ebert and so Cannon opted to make Cobra instead. Cobra (1986) and the buddy cop action film Tango and Cash (1989) alongside Kurt Russell did solid business domestically but overseas they did blockbuster business grossing over $100 million in foreign markets and over $160 million worldwide.

1990–2002

Stallone at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival.

With the then-recent success of Lock Up^{[citation needed]} and Tango and Cash at the start of the 1990s, Stallone starred in the fifth installment of the Rocky franchise, Rocky V, which was considered a box office disappointment and was also disliked by fans as an unworthy entry in the series.^{[citation needed]}
After starring in the critical and commercial disasters Oscar (1991) and Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (1992) during the early 90s, he made a comeback in 1993 with the hit Cliffhanger, which was a success in the U.S., grossing $84 million, but even more successful worldwide, grossing $171 million, for a total over US$255 million. Later that year, he starred with Wesley Snipes in the futuristic action film Demolition Man, which grossed in excess of $158 million worldwide. His string of hits continued with 1994's The Specialist (over $170 million worldwide gross).
In 1995, he played the comic book-based title character Judge Dredd, which was taken from the British comic book 2000 AD in the film of the same name. His overseas box office appeal saved the domestic box office disappointment of Judge Dredd, which cost almost $100 million and barely made its budget back, with a worldwide tally of $113 million. He also appeared in the thriller Assassins (1995), with Julianne Moore and Antonio Banderas. In 1996, he starred in the disaster film Daylight, which was not very successful in the US, but grossed $126 million overseas.^{[citation needed]}
That same year, Stallone, along with an all-star cast of celebrities, appeared in the Trey Parker and Matt Stone short comedy film Your Studio and You commissioned by the Seagram Company for a party celebrating their acquisition of Universal Studios and the MCA Corporation. Stallone speaks in his Rocky Balboa voice with subtitles translating what he is saying. At one point, Stallone starts yelling about how can they use his Balboa character, that he left it in the past; the narrator calms him with a wine cooler and calling him, "brainiac." In response, Stallone says, "Thank you very much." He then looks at the wine cooler and exclaims, "Stupid cheap studio!"
Following his breakthrough performance in Rocky, critic Roger Ebert had stated that Stallone could become the next Marlon Brando, though he never recaptured the critical acclaim achieved with Rocky. Stallone did go on to receive much acclaim for his role in the low-budget crime drama Cop Land (1997), in which he starred alongside Robert De Niro and Ray Liotta, but the film was only a minor success at the box office.^{[citation needed]} His performance led him to win the Stockholm International Film Festival Best Actor Award. In 1998 he did voice-over work for the computer-animated film Antz, which was a big hit domestically.
In 2000, Stallone starred in the thriller Get Carter – a remake of the 1971 British Michael Caine film of the same name—but the film was poorly received by both critics and audiences. Stallone's career declined considerably after his subsequent films Driven (2001), Avenging Angelo (2002) and D-Tox (2002) also underachieved expectations to do well at the box office and were poorly received by critics.

2003–2005

In 2003, he played a villainous role in the third installment of the Spy Kids trilogy Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over which was a huge box office success (almost $200 million worldwide). Stallone also had a cameo appearance in the 2003 French film Taxi 3 as a passenger.
Following several poorly reviewed box office flops, Stallone started to regain prominence for his supporting role in the neo-noir crime drama Shade (2003) which was only released in a limited fashion but was praised by critics. He was also attached to star and direct a film tentatively titled Rampart Scandal, which was to be about the murder of rappers Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. and the surrounding Los Angeles Police Department corruption scandal.It was later titled Notorious but was shelved.
In 2005, he was the co-presenter, alongside Sugar Ray Leonard, of the NBC Reality television boxing series The Contender. That same year he also made a guest appearance in two episodes of the television series Las Vegas. In 2005, Stallone also inducted wrestling icon Hulk Hogan, who appeared in Rocky III as a wrestler named Thunderlips, into the WWE Hall of Fame; Stallone was also the person who offered Hogan the cameo in Rocky III.

Revisiting Rocky and Rambo, 2006–2008

Sylvester Stallone Hollywood Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

After a three year hiatus from films, Stallone made a comeback in 2006 with the sixth installment of his successful Rocky series, Rocky Balboa, which was a critical and commercial hit. After the critical and box office failure of the previous installment Rocky V, Stallone had decided to write, direct and star in a sixth installment which would be a more appropriate climax to the series. The total domestic box office came to $70.3 million (and $155.7 million worldwide).The budget of the movie was only $24 million. His performance in Rocky Balboa has been praised and garnered mostly positive reviews.
Stallone's fourth installment of his other successful movie franchise, Rambo, with the sequel being titled simply Rambo. The film opened in 2,751 theaters on January 25, 2008, grossing $6,490,000 on its opening day and $18,200,000 over its opening weekend. Its box office was $113,244,290 worldwide with a budget of $50 million.
Asked in February 2008 which of the icons he would rather be remembered for, Stallone said "it's a tough one, but Rocky is my first baby, so Rocky."

Other film work

Stallone in 2009 at the 66th Venice

2010 onwards

The Expendables was Stallone's big success of 2010. The movie, which was filmed during summer/winter 2009, was released on August 13, 2010. Stallone wrote, directed and stars in the movie. Joining him in the film were fellow action stars Jason Statham, Jet Li, and Dolph Lundgren plus Terry Crews, Mickey Rourke, Randy Couture, Eric Roberts, and Stone Cold Steve Austin as well as much anticipated cameos for fellow '80s action icons Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Due to the overwhelmingly positive reaction to early test footage and trailers, producer Avi Lerner has reported that there is already talk of making two more sequels, or at least some sort of a longer franchise, based on the members of the team. The movie took $34,825,135 in its opening weekend, going straight in at No.1 in the US box office. The figure marked the biggest opening weekend in Stallone's 35 year career. In summer 2010, Brazilian company O2 Filmes released a statement saying it was still owed more than $2 million US for its work on the film.Stallone stars in the action film Bullet to the Head, directed by Walter Hill based upon Alexis Nolent's French graphic novel Du Plomb Dans La Tete.The sequel to The Expendables, The Expendables 2 is scheduled for release on August 17, 2012. In 2013, he will be starring in the action thriller film The Tomb along with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jim Caviezel. Stallone expressed interest in making a remake of the Spanish film No Rest for the Wicked and to star in a fifth Rambo film.

Tobacco promotion

In 1983, Stallone entered into an agreement with Associated Film Promotions, Inc. representing their client, cigarette manufacturer Brown & Williamson Corp., to use or place B&W products in five of his feature films. In exchange, Stallone was paid a total of $500,000, disbursed as $250,000 up front and $50,000 "payable at the inception of production of each participating film." In the initial correspondences Stallone guaranteed that he would "use Brown and Williamson tobacco products in no less than five feature films"but later, to be consistent with the character of Rocky Balboa, it was decided that "other leads will have product usage" in Rocky IV.In 2002 documentation of the agreement was made publicly available through the Legacy Tobacco Documents Library at the University of California, San Francisco.

Personal life

Handprints of Sylvester Stallone

Stallone has been married three times. At age 28, on December 28, 1974, he married Sasha Czack. The couple had two sons, Sage Moonblood (b. May 5, 1976) and Seargeoh (b. 1979). His younger son was diagnosed with autism at an early age. The couple divorced on February 14, 1985. He married model and actress Brigitte Nielsen, on December 15, 1985, in Beverly Hills, California. Stallone and Nielsen's marriage, which lasted two years, and their subsequent divorce, were highly publicized by the tabloid press. In May 1997, Stallone married Jennifer Flavin, with whom he has three daughters: Sophia Rose (b. August 27, 1996), Sistine Rose (b. June 27, 1998), and Scarlet Rose (b. May 25, 2002).^{[citation needed]}
In 2007, he was caught in Australia with 48 vials of the synthetic human growth hormone Jintropin.
After Stallone's request that his acting and life experiences be accepted in exchange for his remaining credits, he was granted a Bachelors of Fine Arts (BFA) degree by the President of the University of Miami in 1999.
Stallone stopped going to church as his acting career progressed. He began to rediscover his childhood faith when his daughter was born ill in 1996, and is now a churchgoing Catholic.
Since his appearance in Escape To Victory, Stallone has been a keen soccer fan, attending games involving the United States at various World Cups. He has also expressed his support for English club Everton, since attending a game in 2007 and then also when Everton played in the United States in 2009. Stallone supported Everton colours on both occasions and also sent the club a good luck message prior to the 2009 FA Cup final, which he expressed disappointment at being unable to attend. His team lost 1-2.

Injuries

Known for physically demanding roles, and his willingness to do a majority of his own stunts, Stallone has suffered numerous injuries during his acting career. For a scene in Rocky IV, he told Dolph Lundgren "Punch me as hard as you can in the chest." "Next thing I know, I was in intensive care at St. John’s Hospital for four days. It’s stupid!"^{[citation needed]} While filming a fight scene with actor Steve Austin in The Expendables, he broke his neck, which required the insertion of a metal plate.

Friday, April 27, 2012

Jason Statham Out, ‘Haywire’s’ Gina Carano In for ‘Fast Six’

For a while back in October 2011, the Fast and the Furious franchise looked to become for Generation Y what The Expendables is for those who grew up in the 1980s and ’90; namely, an adrenaline-fueled, macho star-studded event, with a collection of action fan-favorites – such as Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, and possibly Jason Statham – all together and tearing up the screen (or each other, on occasion).
However, earlier this month, word got out that a deal to snag Statham for Fast Six (or Fast and Furious 6, depending on who you ask) failed to materialize. Today though, we can also offer some good news: the badass index for the new Fast and the Furious flick still looks to increase something fierce (even without Statham), now that Gina Carano is in talks for a ...

Saturday, April 21, 2012

RIP Dick Clark, Dead at 82

It’s a sad day in the world of television as Dick Clark, “America’s Oldest Teenager,” passed away this morning at the age of 82.
According to Clark’s representative, the famed television icon suffered a massive heart attack this morning, following an outpatient procedure Clark underwent last night.
Over the course of Clark’s amazing 66 year-long career, he is credited with producing 170 television series, many of which he himself hosted. Clark’s Career began in 1945 by working in the mail room of WRUN at the age of 16. Two years later, he was an on air announcer.
While employed as a disc jockey at the radio station WFIL in 1952, Clark got his first break on television when he was asked to serve as a regular substitute host on Bob Horn’s Bandstand, which was later renamed American Bandstand after Clark was brought ...

Monday, April 9, 2012

‘Skyfall’ Extended Featurette; Trailer Attached to ‘Men in Black 3′

Columbia Pictures/MGM has so far favored an ingenious marketing approach for the twenty-third installment in the James Bond franchise, Skyfall. Several featurettes and video blogs for 007′s anticipated return to theaters have trickled out over the past couple of months, so as to keep the film continually on the public’s radar. Yet, the movie’s various secrets and plot twists remain largely under wraps (not that we’re complaining, mind you).
That’s also the case today, as ET unveils an extended version of its Skyfall set visit video. Despite including interviews with central cast members like Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, and newbie Bond girl Bérénice Marlohe, this new featurette avoids shedding much light on anything about the movie. Well, besides that Craig once again dons his Casino Royale speedo at some point (something this image already “spoiled”).

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

The Expendables (Sylvester Stallone, 2010)

The first thing one might notice about The Expendables is its cast, a collection of tough guys from the past and present. The all-star cast is so often seen as a mere marketing ploy, but in The Expendables, it serves a finer, more poignant function. At the core of this film is a rather remarkable scene that finds Mickey Rourke’s character Tool–what a name!–delivering a heartbreaking monologue on finitude and entropy. The name Tool is perfect: these are men who have given their bodies in service of other’s aims, all in exchange for money and, perhaps, their souls. We’ve heard this theme many times before, but Stallone here pushes it to a scabrous breaking point–before ultimately pulling back somewhat through the requisite narrative closure of the film’s ending. Stallone has casted men who have endured these same toils as part of their careers. So there are not only the action stars whose bodies provide them their livelihood and mythical personae, but there is also a football player, a UFC champion, and a professional wrestler. Though these men don’t possess acting ability in the conventional sense, their bodies no doubt tell countless stories. And Rourke’s presence at the film’s narrative core is similarly appropriate: his career has witnessed a resurrection after being left for dead. In this scene, he articulates the fear of nearly everyone that, in the end, one’s limitations (physical, mental, emotional) will surpass one’s will, leaving behind more failure than success, more instances of caving to fear and apathy than moments of grandeur or transcendence. Rourke’s Tool doesn’t so much fear the disintegration of his own body–these men probably have come to terms with their own mortality more than most have–he fears that the soul’s memory is greater than the body’s, that the headlong rush towards death cannot mask the deeper levels of suffering that only grow louder and more intense with age. The effect is an awareness of one’s futility suffused with the knowledge that one doubtlessly could have done better.
As a complement to Rourke’s Tool, Jason Statham’s Lee Christmas embodies the similar concerns of a younger, more able man. In the beginning of the film, after returning from the team’s most recent job, Christmas finds his girlfriend with another man. This subplot shows the inverse of Rourke’s confusion: even if you make something of a life for yourself, there is always the fear that you will be replaced. What is poignant is the way this drama is acted out by men who are like the cinematic equivalent of machines (tools), needing to be replaced after years of wear and tear, and by the looks of it, some of the men in this film are due for a tune-up, if not a visit to the junkyard. Arnold Schwarzenegger makes a cameo in one scene, but his presence is like a phantom’s, a reminder that the world of action films is no longer his domain–leaving the cast to suffer the aches and bruises of their work while he enjoys his new life as a hologram in the world of politics. Statham’s Lee Christmas is later able to find some sort of victory when he beats up the man who replaced him (and who has been abusing Christmas’ ex-girlfriend). But even here, these are men condemned to find physical solutions to their metaphysical dilemmas. In the final scene, Lee Christmas displays his relatively youthful physical prowess in a knife-throwing game with Tool, the team having returned from yet another job completed. This scene is somewhat of a diversion, a spectacle to conclude the film without resolving its deeper tensions. And anyways, how else to end the film other than with a display of male camaraderie? But it’s not enough to make us forget the scars these men are hiding behind their communal bonds. The film begins with the conclusion of one job and ends with a brief celebration after their next job; how are we to ignore the paucity of life lived in between? The mask they put on to deflect this reality is now leathery and worn, fraying at the edges. This reality is always slipping out from underneath, just as some of the cast at times slip out of believability and appear too old and weary to smoothly blend in with the sets and stunts that give them the illusion of immortality.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Sylvester Stallone Says ‘The Expendables 2′ Will Be Rated R

Countless people around the Interwebz were stirred up into a virtual riot (pun intended) in the early goings of 2012, when word got out that The Expendables 2 - a macho action throwback flick that writer/star Sylvester Stallone has described as a “Barbeque of Grand scale Ass Bashing” – was shaping up to be a PG-13 Rated affair, due largely to co-star Chuck Norris objecting to the “hardcore language” present in Stallone’s script draft.
While Stallone was fairly quick to confirm that rumor as being true rather than the result of a mistranslation, the beefy sexagenarian has since back-peddled on his claim. Sly is now reported as having said that the sequel to The Expendables will indeed be an R-Rated affair, like its predecessor – not to mention the innumerable manly action titles of the 1980s and ...

‘Prometheus’ International Trailer Teases Horrifying Events in Space

In case you didn’t get your fill of ominous sci-fi spectacle and horrifying events while watching the amazing full-length trailer for Prometheus (which premiered over the weekend), today we can offer a new international theatrical promo for filmmaker Sir Ridley Scott’s return venture to the Alien universe.
The marketing for Prometheus has so far been great, thanks to previous trailers having successfully teased the grand scope of the visuals and ideas explored in Scott’s project, without also divulging so many of the film’s secrets as to make viewers feel like they’ve already seen a truncated version of the movie. We’re happy to report that the latest international preview (which takes its time setting up the storyline and boasts new footage to boot) doesn’t break away from that approach.
Prometheus takes place in the relatively-distant future, as a pair ...

Megan Fox and Zoe Saldana Will ‘Swindle’ Moviegoers

That header image says it all, no?
In what is either a shrewd marketing ploy or the worst exploitation of the male psyche since the McRib was invented, Paramount has paired salt-and-pepper bombshells Megan Fox and Zoe Saldana in the upcoming action-heist pic, Swindle.

The film was born out of a spec script by Scott Wilson and Enzo Mileti, which became the object of a competition between Universal and Paramount, with the latter stuido ultimately walking away with the prize. The film is being produced by Michael De Luca, who helped usher last year’s Moneyball from boring-sounding baseball stats movie to critically-acclaimed Oscar nominee for Best Picture. Deadline reports that both Saldana and Fox have been looking for a project to star in together, and the pair will produce Swindle alongside De Luca, ...

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Lionsgate (Obviously) Interested in More ‘Twilight’ Films

After Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 grossed over $700 million worldwide (on roughly a $110 million budget) and projections for Part 2 forecasting an equally (if not more) profitable box office run, it’s no surprise to hear that Lionsgate would love to dole out even more movies in Stephenie Meyer’s world of vampires and werewolves.
Of course, at this point, Meyer has been hesitant to confirm any plans to extend the series beyond the fourth (Breaking Dawn) book but, should she decide to revisit her Twilight creations, Lionsgate is once again making it clear that they’ll be anxiously waiting in the wings to turn the would-be book into another cinematic cash

grab
cow.
According to THR, the official word from Lionsgate (who recently purchased Twilight ...

Click to continue reading Lionsgate (Obviously) Interested in More ‘Twilight’ Films

Saturday, March 17, 2012

‘Spartacus: Vengeance’ Episode 3: ‘The Greater Good’ Recap

‘The Greater Good’ is the first episode of this young Spartacus: Vengeance season to allow advancement of the various plotlines, now that the necessary exposition and set up has been handled by the premiere and last week’s episode: ‘A Place in This World.’
Here, Spartacus is determined as ever to help Crixus locate the missing Naevia, although it may mean putting the lives of those who follow them at great risk. Seeing this as a detriment to the cause, and his own life, Spartacus’ close ally, Agron (Daniel Feuerriegel), deceives Crixus by telling him that the woman he seeks is dead. Agron and his newfound Syrian friend Nasir/Tiberius (Pana Hema Taylor) fabricate Naevia’s demise under the belief that a prolonged search for one slave is contrary to the group’s ultimate goal.

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance

Sony’s Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance has been earning some decent buzz of late, thanks to a fairly well-received official teaser trailer, a good showing at the 2011 New York Comic-Con, and a circulating collection of unofficial one-sheets that stylishly recreate some of the more memorable imagery on display in the film’s initial theatrical promo (ex. Johnny Blaze spewing a flaming wave of bullets).
Today, we have a new official poster for the Ghost Rider sequel, along with some reactions from those who got an early look at the flick recently – while attending Harry Knowles’ annual “Butt-Numb-A-Thon” screening event.

Here is an official synopsis for Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance:

Johnny (Nicolas Cage) – still struggling with his curse as the devil’s bounty hunter – is hiding out in a remote part of ...

Win A ‘Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows’ Mega Prize Pack

Johnny (Nicolas Cage) – still struggling with his curse as the devil’s bounty hunter – is hiding out in a remote part of ...

‘Rock of Ages’ Trailer: Don’t Stop Believin’ in Tom Cruise

The revival of the movie musical is not dead yet – The Muppets sang their way through their big comeback film this past Thanksgiving, and next summer, the speakers in a theater near you will be thumping to the familiar rock n roll music that has pretty much defined all-American youth since the 1970s, thanks to the movie adaptation of the hit Broadway production, Rock of Ages.

Today we have the Rock of Ages trailer to share, and it features more famous faces and famous tunes than a Hollywood karaoke bar.
Check out the synopsis for Rock of Ages below, and then, the trailer:

Set in 1987 Los Angeles, Drew and Sherrie are two young people chasing their dreams in the big city. When they meet, ...

Daniel Craig: ‘Skyfall’ Better Than ‘Quantum of Solace’ & ‘Casino Royale’

Martin Cambell may have let us down this summer with Green Lantern but there’s no debating his masterful job in rejuvenating the James Bond franchise with Daniel Craig as the new 007 in 2006′s Casino Royale. It not only earned the love of fans new and old with a grounded take on the British super spy, but it earned a sequel, one that wasn’t so well received.
Titled Quantum of Solace, the more action-focused sequel earned the same success at the box office as its predecessor, but it did not earn the same respect from fans and critics. As it turns out, star Daniel Craig wasn’t too fond of it either and promises better with his third outing: Skyfall.
In ...

Man in Black 3

One of the more memorable extraterrestrials who popped up in the original Men in Black movie was that of the villainous Bug (Vincent D’Onofrio) whose “Edgar suit” was quite hilariously ill-fitting. The MIB sequel went the opposite route by featuring bad

guy
gal “Serleena” (Lara Flynn Boyle) whose human disguise was that of a Victoria’s Secret model – but, unfortunately, the end result was considered far less amusing.
The upcoming Men in Black III returns back to the “bizarre human” design of the first film’s villain with Boris: a bike-riding, time-traveling, alien brought to life by New Zealand comedic actor Jemaine Clement (The Flight of the Conchords). But will the end result be better or worse for it?

A set pic of Clement as the (according to the actor) “creepy but charming” Boris in the MIB ...

Friday, March 16, 2012

World War Z

Paramount Pictures’ adaptation of Max Brooks’ popular allegorical zombie novel, World War Z, has attracted its fair share of controversy due to a handful of issues – including, plans for the $125 million project to be Rated PG-13 and the substantial narrative differences between Brooks’ book and its cinematic counterpart.
Today, we have another piece of World War Z-related news that is also bound to be divisive; it turns out that the Brad Pitt-starring movie could kick off a new trilogy of zombpocalyptic flicks.

The LA Times is reporting that Paramount executives and World War Z helmer Marc Forster view the project as the first in three flicks which would blend “the grounded, gun-metal realism of [the Jason Bourne series with] the unsettling end-times vibe of AMC’s The Walking Dead.” The ...