Category: 2004

Two Stallone Film Rumors

Craig / / 2004, Celebs, Unmade Films

Two really cool film project rumors are floating around today and both involve Sly.

The first film rumor about Sly is that James Cameron has a part for him in Cameron‘s next movie which is starting to gear up. Sly‘s part may just be a cameo but according to what’s being said Brian Cox and Arnold Schwarzenegger will also have roles and the film will be shot in 3D. For full details click HERE or HERE.

The second is a stop motion project [think Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas] called AUTOMATONS. The story involves two killer robots designed by the US during WWII to kill Hitler. When it appears that Hitler has taken his own life the robots are left on the ocean floor… only the robots didn’t “die” and have for the last sixty years been looking for Hitler on the bottom of the ocean.

Wait! It gets crazier because Hitler, Tojo and Mussolini have been in a Top Secret Cryo-Chamber… and when they are thawed out decide that they were really wrong with “that whole rule the world thing, so Adolphdecides to put on the greatest play version of YOU’RE A GOOD MAN CHARLIE BROWN…”

So how does Sly fit into all of this you ask? It seems that he will voice Mussolini. Jack Black and John C Reilly will voice the killer bots, John Cleese provides Hitler‘s voice and there are voice roles for Billy Bob Thorton, William H. Macy and Holly Hunter as well. According to Harry at AICN [and who has seen some of the film work], most of the voice work is done!

This is one film too crazy NOT to be true. For full details click HERE.

– Craig

“Victory” Named Greatest Soccer Movie of All Time!

Craig / / 2004, Honors, Victory

Escape to Victory thrashes rivals [from Ananova.com, June 20, 2004]

Escape to Victory has been named the greatest football movie of all time.

The 1981 film starred Brazilian football legend Pele, England‘s 1966 World Cup captain Bobby Moore and actors Michael Caine and Sylvester Stallone.

They played allied PoWs preparing for a match against a German team in Nazi-occupied Paris while French Resistance and British officers make plans for the team’s escape.

British comedy Bend it Like Beckham, starring Parminder Nagra and Keira Knightley, came second in the poll.

The most recent soccer movie Football Factory, about football hooliganism, which was criticised for scenes of explicit violence, came 10th in the UCI Cinema poll with only 1%.

Fever Pitch, based on Nick Hornby‘s best selling semi-autobiography, came third, followed by When Saturday Comes, the 1996 movie starring Sean Bean and Emily Lloyd, about a hard-drinking brewery worker who has a trial at Sheffield United.

Other films in the top 10 include Cup Fever (1965), in sixth place, starring Manchester United manager Matt Busby.

Mean Machine (2001), which starred Vinnie Jones as a soccer star who leads a match against prison guards after being jailed for assault, came ninth.

UCI Cinemas spokeswoman Lianne Butterfield said: “As a nation we love football and films about our favourite passion have always been popular with cinemagoers.

“Escape to Victory and Bend it Like Beckham are great feel-good films that everyone can enjoy, even if they don’t understand the offside rule.”

– Craig

Sly Carries Olympic Torch!

Craig / / 2004, Honors

On Wednesday, June 16, 2004,  Sylvester Stallone carried the Olympic torch to the edge of the Pacific Ocean in Venice Beach in Los Angeles after it arrived in the U.S. from Mexico.

The Olympic Flame will travel to 34 cities in 27 countries en route to the 2004 Olympic Games.

Sly Proud to Carry the Torch!

Craig / / 2004, Honors

From Hellomagazine.com, June 17, 2004

A slew of American celebs including screen star Tom Cruise and action man Sylvester Stallone have been doing their bit towards helping the Olympic torch on its epic journey to the Athens 2004 Games.

The two Hollywood favourites were among those who carried the torch as it passed through California. The eternally fit Sly, who turns 58 on July 6, proudly bore the flame along Venice Beach in Los Angeles.

Tom, meanwhile, was sporting his trademark toothy grin when he carried it around the Dodger Stadium, also in LA. The flame will have travelled to 34 cities in 27 countries by the time it reaches Athens for the Olympics in August.

– Craig

Hollywood Rolls Out Red Carpet for Olympic Flame

Craig / / 2004

Hollywood rolls out red carpet for Olympic flame

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Hollywood rolled out the red carpet for the Olympic flame as actor Sylvester Stallone launched the Los Angeles leg of the torch relay that will end at the Athens Olympics opening ceremony.

Under overcast skies, Los Angeles Mayor Jim Hahn ignited the torch from the Olympic flame that arrived overnight from Mexico.

The flame had been carried through the streets of Mexico City on Tuesday.

Hahn handed off to Stallone, who jogged through a boistrous crowd, many carrying blue balloons, at Los Angeles’ Venice Beach.

In all, 140 Angelenos were carry the torch throughout Los Angeles – the first of four US cities that will participate in the relay. From Los Angeles the flame will head to St. Louis, Missouri, then to the site of the 1996 Summer Games – Atlanta, Georgia – and New York.

Stallone was not the only celebrity taking part in the celebrations.

Shortly before 7pm, actor Tom Cruise was to carry the torch into Dodger Stadium, then hand the flame to World Boxing Council heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko, who was to pass it on to four-time Olympic swimming gold medallist Janet Evans.

Evans was to turn it over to Olympic track and field gold medalist Rafer Johnson, who will light the ceremonial cauldron before the start of the Dodgers baseball game against Baltimore.

Johnson, 69, won the gold in the decathlon at the 1960 Olympics in Rome and was part of the torch relay at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta and the final torchbearer for the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.

Johnson, Hahn and International Olympic Committee member Anita DeFrantz were scheduled to speak.

But before that, the torch had to wind its way through Los Angeles, carried not only by celebrities but also by local “heroes” selected for their contributions to their communities.

“We have three great sites, it’s moving from the west to the east,” relay spokesman Tim Lebercht said. “We’re going to the LA City Hall to the Coliseum, we’re going to be on Hollywood Boulevard, and we also have a strong involvement of the Greek community here greeting the flame coming from Athens.”

Comedian Ellen DeGeneres predicted being an Olympic torchbearer would be “a real thrill,” while Cruise called it an honor.

“The Olympic Games are a vital and much needed activity to support and bolster international goodwill and cooperation, and I am proud to do what I can to help,” he said.

The flame’s 46,800-mile (75,317-km) journey began June 4. It passed through Africa and South America for the first time. The relay will make a final trip around Greece before arriving in Athens for the opening ceremony August 13.

– Craig

POW – “Farewell, My Lovely”

Craig / / 2004, Farewell, POW [Picture of the Week]

Sly in a rare shot from “Farewell, My Lovely.”

First, thanks to Ernest “Jazzman” Resendes for watching over the SZ while I was away. Great updates, Jazz! [Also congrats to the man on his wedding! We all wish you and the Misses the best!]

Thanks also to SZoner, Hinse, for the great photo!

I’d post more but I’m still reeling from a two week car trip in which we visited seven states and drove over 3,000 miles [including a drive from Charleston, North Carolina to Daytona Florida from 8pm – 4am after a weekend at Heroes Con. I’ve got car lag! LOL!]

– Craig

Sly All Over Flex Magazine

Craig / / 2004, Training

Ernest “Jazzman” Resendes sent in the following pic and message: Doren was nice enough to mention that Sly was all over the current issue of Joe Weider’s FLEX ( June 2004 ). I scanned one of the many INSTONE ads in the mag and a cool behind the scenes pic of Stallone and bodybuilder Mike Matarazzo at the 2004 Arnold Classic.

Have a great one !

Thanks to Doren and Ernest “Jazzman” Resendes!

– Craig