Category: 2013

Are Stallone And Schwarzenegger’s Careers Over?

Craig / / 2013, Bullet to the Head, Celebs

On February 4, 2013, Sean O’Connell at Cinema Blend asked (and answered), Are Sylvester Stallone And Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Careers Over?

No doubt that this article was brought on by the much lower than expected box office of Arnold’s The Last Stand and Sly’s Bullet to the Head.  Here are a few tidbits from O’Connell’s piece…

Stallone’s Expendables franchise, for starters, proves that ticket buyers will show up to see these action icons kicking ass on screen.

… you can also point to Liam Neeson’s Taken franchise as a lucrative property built on the shoulders of an older action hero. The 60-year-old Irishman’s only a few years behind Schwarzenegger (65) and Stallone (66), yet he doesn’t lean on his seniority as a punchline, and audiences have very little trouble accepting him as a lethal weapon.

I’d say that both men have some life in their action-hero legs, and these two abysmal openings just coincidentally occurred within weeks of each other.

 

Felice Cantatore & the Rocky Spirit

Craig / / 2013, Sly Fan

Felice Cantatore is a long time Sly Stallone fan who, like many SZoners, has found inspiration from the Rocky movies that has carried over to his life.  Felice was an extra on the set of Rocky Balboa and later wrote an article about the experience.  His article earned Felice a Press Club of Long Island (PCLI) First-Place journalism award for Best Arts Story.

Much like SZoner, Mike Kunda [Cue the Rocky Music], Felice saw many coincidences/connections to the Rocky films and a belief that if you have the “Rocky Spirit” nothing is impossible.  Felice has written Rocky Spirit to inspire others!  – Craig


Sly Backs Banning Assault Weapons

Craig / / 2013

On February 1, 2013, Sly was quoted by the Associated Press as being in favor of a ban on assault weapons.

Stallone supported the 1994 “Brady bill” that included a now-expired ban on assault weapons, and hopes that ban can be reinstated.

 

“I know people get (upset) and go, `They’re going to take away the assault weapon.’ Who … needs an assault weapon? Like really, unless you’re carrying out an assault. … You can’t hunt with it. … Who’s going to attack your house, a (expletive) army?”

 

Sylvester Stallone: 5 Awesome Performances and 5 That Sucked.

Craig / / 2013, Cliffhanger, Cobra, Cop Land, Demolition Man, Get Carter, John Rambo, Judge Dredd, Nighthawks, Rambo, Rambo 2, Rambo 3, Rhinestone, Rocky, Rocky 2, Rocky 3, Rocky 4, Rocky 5, Rocky 6, Rocky Balboa, Stop Or My Mom Will Shoot

On February 1, 2013, WhatCulture! posted Sylvester Stallone: 5 Awesome Performances and 5 That Sucked.

  • According to WhatCulture! 5 that were Awesome: Rambo [First Blood and sequels], John Spartan [Demolition Man], Gabe Walker [Cliffhanger], Freddy Heflin [Cop Land], and Rocky Balboa [Rocky and sequels].
  • Their Choices for Not-So-Awesome: Judge Dredd [same name], Ray Quick [The Specialist], Marion Cobretti [Cobra], Jack Carter [Get Carter], and Joe Bomoski [Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot!].

To Awesome I would delete Spartan and Walker to make room for Jack Carter and Deke Dasilva [Nighthawks].  To Not-So-Awesome I would delete Carter and add Nick from Rhinestone. – Craig

“Bullet to the Head” Reviews

Craig / / 2013, Bullet to the Head

Bullet to Head is out and the reviews are in…

“Bullet to the Head” opened to mixed reviews and a projected six place slot.  While I wasn’t surprised by the mixed reviews, I was by the box office.  Perhaps the Sandy Hook tragedy is just too fresh in folks’ minds.  Maybe guys made this an all sports weekend with the UFC fights last night and the Super Bowl today.

I enjoyed the movie and while the story isn’t realistic (nor was it meant to be) and has some plot holes — it is a fun action movie and accomplishes what Walter Hill and Sly set out to do.  I plan to see it again this week.  It will be interesting to see what happens during week two at the box office. – Craig