Author: Craig

June is “Cobra” Month

Craig / / 2010, Cobra

Nick Martinolich and the fine folks over a Media Potluck have declared June to be Cobra month!  They’ve created a podcast, are filming a fan made version of Cobra, are having a double feature night [Cobra and Cop Land] and are even going to post an interview with me.

They are asking all Stallone and Cobra fans to get involved and send their thoughts, opinions, and critiques of the film to mediapotluck@gmail.com or on Twitter with #cobrafilm.

Working with Pony Ghost Productions the team is setting out to work with the online community to re-imagine a low budget “sweded” version of Cobra. Everyone involved will get to direct a sequence from the film and put their own twist on this classic. No money, a love for explosions, and a whole lot of match sticks. Head over to http://www.facebook.com/l/1c88d;www.mediapotluck.net to get involved in the festivities!

Want to join in on the fun?  Just click here.

Stallone vs Schwarzenegger

Craig / / 2010, Celebs

On June 9, 2010, AMC TV blog decided to settle the Stallone vs Schwarzenegger debate once and for all.  They came up with six silly categories to rate each star in.  Of course the results ended in a tie.  Here are the categories with some of their comments:

Who’s Got the More Impressive Physique? Stallone and Arnold looked like statues of Greek gods… Stallone reached critical muscle mass in the early nineties, making co-stars like Wesley Snipes look puny, by comparison. But Schwarzenegger was a freak…
Winner: Schwarzenegger

Who’s Signature Action Flick Was Better? down to the nitty-gritty: Terminator 2 or Rambo: First Blood Part II?
Winner: Schwarzenegger

Who Does Comedy Better? Sly’s more comedic turns — think Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot — were a bit uneven, to say the least.
Winner: Schwarzenegger

Who Does Drama Better? Stallone actually achieved greatness in drama, not action. It was Rocky that catapulted the Italian stallion to superstardom. Say what you will about Sly’s acting chops, but Rocky is one of the greatest movies of all time, and Stallone is the reason why. There’s nary a dramatic turn on Arnold’s résumé, so Sly wins this one easily.
Winner: Stallone

Who Hit Rock Bottom Hardest? In Stallone’s misfires, the movies were bad to begin with, and he didn’t make them any worse. Arnold was one of the main reasons Batman & Robin was so atrocious.
Winner: Stallone

Who’d Win in a Fight? Arnold had a bit of additional physical heft, as detailed above. Both are quite savvy with all types of weaponry. But Stallone has boxing smarts and pedigree from Rocky, as well as street smarts from Philly. That’s the kind of gritty toughness Schwarzenegger probably never acquired in Austria.
Winner: Stallone

If you’d like to see the entire post and vote for your choice, then simply click here.

Why Rambo Matters

Craig / / 2010, Rambo, Rambo 2

On June 2, 2010, Winona 360 posted a piece titled, “Why Rambo Matters’ written by Nathan Wardinski.  Here are a few excerpts from the well written article:

First Blood Part II didn’t win any Academy Awards; the Best Picture Oscar for films of 1985 went to Out of Africa. But First Blood Part II did take Golden Raspberry Awards for Worst Picture, Actor, and Screenplay. With the amount of effort and emphasis placed on the Hollywood awards circuit, we would expect the Oscar winner to be enshrined in cultural immortality and the Razzie “winner” to sink into obscurity. But, 25 years later, nothing could be further from the truth.

Is First Blood Part II a good movie? Perhaps, in its own way it is. But that’s really beside the point, which is that First Blood Part II is an important movie. I would go so far as to argue it is among the most important movies of the last 25 years.

First Blood Part II stands out in several ways, not the least of which is its impact on filmmaking itself… Later action films like Die Hard, Bad Boys, Braveheart, Black Hawk Down and even Avatar owe their style in whole or in part to First Blood Part II.

You can read the rest of Nathan Wardinski’s piece here.