Category: Paradise Alley

POW: “Paradise Alley”

Posted on August 29, 2021August 29, 2021 by Craig

Our POW [Picture of the Week] this week is a rare photo from Paradise Alley of Sly and Lee Canalito.. Click on the photo to see a bigger version.

Sly Stallone’s Most Underrated Characters!

Posted on May 23, 2021May 23, 2021 by Craig

Kacie Lillejord, at ScreenRant created her list of the 10 Best Underrated Sylvester Stallone Characters. I love lists, so I decided to play along. Using just Lillejord’s choices, I ranked the same characters. (Please note that the higher on the list, the more underrated.) Afterwards I mention three Stallone characters that didn’t make her list, but would have made mine.

Lillejord	Zablo
10/10 Sergeant Joseph “Joe” Bomowski from Stop or My Mom Will Shoot	10/10 Sheriff Freddy Heflin from Cop Land
9/10 Sergeant Deke DaSilva from Nighthawks	09/10 Sergeant Deke DaSilva from Nighthawks
8/10 Judge Joseph Dredd from Judge Dredd	08/10 Gabriel “Gabe” Walker from Cliffhanger
7/10 Frank The Repairman from Las Vegas	07/10 Lieutenant Marion Cobretti from Cobra
6/10 Sheriff Freddy Heflin from Cop Land	06/10 Frank The Repairman from Las Vegas
5/10 Gabriel “Gabe” Walker from Cliffhanger	05/10 Lincoln Hawk from Over the Top
4/10 Lieutenant Marion Cobretti from Cobra	04/10 Ray Tango from Tango & Cash
3/10 Sergeant John Spartan from Demolition Man	03/10 Sergeant John Spartan from Demolition Man
2/10 Ray Tango from Tango & Cash	02/10 Judge Joseph Dredd from Judge Dredd
1/10 Lincoln Hawk from Over the Top	01/10 Sergeant Joseph “Joe” Bomowski from Stop or My Mom Will Shoot

Characters that didn’t make Lillejord’s list that would have made mine:

Jack Carter from Get Carter: Jack Carter has so much potential plus Sly had scenes that showcased some of his best acting.
Cosmo Carboni from Paradise Alley: Wise-cracking and cynical but with a kind heart.
Robert Rath from Assassins: Sly played an intelligent assassin who wanted out. This character had a lot of potential.
Jimmy “Bobo” Bonomo from Bullet to the Head: Sly played an assassin who came up from the streets and wasn’t ready for the “modern” world. I liked the character and would have liked to have seen more.

Who’d I miss?

Sly Stallone Directed Films, Ranked

Posted on March 10, 2021March 10, 2021 by Craig

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.