M. Knight Shyamalan Loves “Rocky”

Ernest “Jazzman” Resendes sent in the following:

This week’s [August 5, 2002] issue of NEWSWEEK contains a real cool article on M. Night Shyamalan. In it he lists his TOP 10 Films and whatta ya know Mr. Balboa’s film made da list. I agree with what he said too …:-)

Now kid Night needs to give Sly a buzz ya know what I mean?”


Jazz, I couldn’t agree with you more!

 Craig Zablo
[August 4, 2002]

Sly Tidbits

People Magazine has a special edition out now listing the Top 100 Stars of our Century [or something like that]… anyway, in the section that lists ACTION STARS, Sly appears first… ahead of Clint Eastwood, Bruce Willis, and others.

In the July 16, 2002 issue of Star, a Stallone tidbit appears in Janet Charlton’s Star People section.

Hot Property
House this for connections? Sylvester Stallone has sold his $16 million, 15,000-square-foot, BevHills mansion to Viacom chief Summer Redstone. Although Sly didn’t work out a movie deal with Viacom’s Paramount studio into the contract, he can still chat up the entertainment mogul. Rambo owns another 20,000-square-foot, seven-bedroom house next door.

– This was reported at the SZ on July 6th! Craig Zablo July 13, 2002

The Height Report

The July 8-15 issue of US Weekly features an article entitled “The Height Report” which takes a look at how tall [or short] stars really are. Sly is featured in the picture to the left in an insert on the cover.

How tall is Sly? This is one of the most asked questions that we get at the SZ.

The article has this to say about Sly’s height: “According to his spokesperson, Arnold Schwarzenegger is 6-foot-2; Sylvester Stallone is reportedly 5-foot-10. But industry insiders who have stood next to the actors claim that the Terminator is closer to 5-foot-10 and that Rambo may be as short as 5-foot-7.

The article looks at the height of many celebrities including: Sly, ArnoldTobyMaguireTom CruiseDanny DevitoClint EastwoodNicole KidmanSandra Bullock, Sigourney Weaver, Cameron Diaz, as well as quite a few others.

While this article will probably stir up a bit of discussion, I’m sure that many fans will still question how tall certain celebrities really are. My feeling has always been, “you don’t measure talent in inches.”

Sly is mentioned two other times in the same issue. In a comparison of “Men in Black” to “Men in Black II,” Sly is listed as the celebrity outed as an alien in the orginal movie. In another article looking at leading men, Vin Diesel is described as Sylvester Stallone with a sense of humor [and a Mr. Clean haircut].

Thanks to Ernest “Jazzman” Resendes for the heads-up on the article and the pics above!

– Craig Zablo [June 29, 2002]

Three Sly Tidbits

Two SLY items appear in the June 11, 2002 issue of STAR. The first is in the EAVES DROPPING section:

SLY STALLONE at a celebrity gala tellng a friend: “I’m the anti-Fred MacMurray.” Sly, who has his third daughter due any day now, says: “I should have a show called ‘My Three Daughters.'”

In the same issue in the STAR PEOPLE section:

Psst… Want to know the secret to SYLVESTER STALLONE‘S knockout hair? Rocky gets his curly locks straightened at the Yuki salon in West Hollywood.

In the June 14, 2002 issue of ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY‘sTIME CAPSULE section for June 11, 1993:

At the movies: SYLVESTER STALLONE clings to his fading superstardom in CLIFFHANGER, the week’s No. 2 movie.

As to the comment, “fading superstardom,” how many stars fade for 9 years? Puh-leaze!

 Craig Zablo [June 8, 2002]

“Shade” Update

It’s in the cards: Griffith hustled into ‘Shade’ role
Mon May 27, 7:13 PM ET by Zorianna Kit

LOS ANGELES (The Hollywood Reporter) — Melanie Griffith has joined the cast of RKO Pictures/Merv Griffin Entertainment’s crime thriller “Shade” for first-time writer-director Damian Nieman. Production begins Thursday in Los Angeles.

Shade” is set in the world of poker hustlers working the clubs and martini bars of Los Angeles. The tale unfolds as the hustlers — Thandie Newton, Stuart Townsend and Gabriel Byrne — encounter “The Dean” (Sylvester Stallone) and pull off a successful sting that results in their pursuit by a vengeful gangster. Jamie Foxx also stars as a man who wants to become a hustler but ends up getting hustled. Griffith will star as a Stallone‘s ex-flame who rekindles her romance with him when he arrives in the city.

RKO chairman and CEO Ted Hartley is producing with Hammond Entertainment’s David Schnepp and Chris Hammond. Merv Griffin and Joe Nicolo will executive produce with actor Bo Hopkins, who also is in the film.

Cobalt Media Group’s Peter Rogers and Ralpho Borgos are handling international sales.

Shade” will mark the second RKO-related project for Griffith, who starred as Marion Davies in the 1999 HBO feature “RKO 281,” about the battle between William Randolph Hearst and Orson Welles over the 1941 feature film “Citizen Kane,” which was produced by RKO, at that time known as RKO Radio Pictures Inc.

Griffith, repped by WMA, was nominated for a best actress Oscar for her role in “Working Girl.” She next voices a character in Columbia Pictures’ “Stuart Little 2” and stars in the indie feature “Tempo” opposite Rachael Leigh Cook.


Craig Zablo [May 31, 2002]

Sly Scores as a Lover

Alain from France sent in the following:

Fun on the Sly! Stallone scores a KO for his bed work with Dickinson By Amy Reiter

Feb. 13, 2002 |

Guess they don’t call Sylvester Stallone “Rocky” for nothin’.

In her upcoming autobiography, “Car Wreck Woman: The Accidental Life of the World’s First Supermodel,” excerpted on Glamour.com, model and serial celebrity-dater Janice Dickinson says that of all the men she’s slept with — John Kennedy Jr., John Cusack, Mick Jagger and Jack Nicholson included — sassy Sly was able to go the most rounds in the sack.

Stallone is the most incredible lover I’ve ever known,” Dickinson gushes. “Until you’ve been thrown in bed and Rambo-ed all night, you cannot understand the meaning of great sex. I had bells going off in my head.”

So considerate a lover was the heavy-lidded heavyweight, he offered to treat Dickinson to a new set of breast implants.

But the model refused the gesture.

“I already had my own,” she said.

Translation: Just send a check, Sly.


For more details check out Salon.com.

Thanks to Alain.

Craig Zablo (May 19, 2002)

Sly is The Dean

Thriller ‘Shade’ hustles cast for dealer Nieman
Tue May 14, 2:16 AM ET by Zorianna Kit

LOS ANGELES (The Hollywood Reporter) — Sylvester Stallone, Thandie Newton, Gabriel Byrne and Stuart Townsend will star in RKO Pictures’ crime thriller “Shade” from first-time writer-director Damian Nieman. Production begins May 30 in Los Angeles.

“Shade” is set in the world of poker hustlers working the clubs and martini bars of Los Angeles. The tale unfolds as the hustlers — Newton, Townsend and Byrne — encounter “The Dean” (Stallone) and pull off a successful sting that results in their pursuit by a vengeful gangster.

RKO chairman and CEO Ted Hartley is producing with Hammond Entertainment’s David Schnepp and Chris Hammond. Merv Griffin and Joe Nicolo will executive produce with actor Bo Hopkins, who also will appear in the film.

“It’s been a long time since there has been a cool L.A. movie; we hope this film does for modern Los Angeles what ‘L.A. Confidential’ did for 1950s Los Angeles,” Hammond said. He said that the producers plan to feature numerous local landmarks in the film, including the Argyle Hotel, the Magic Castle and the Roosevelt Hotel.

Hammond said the project takes its roots in an underworld that very much exists in Los Angeles today.

“There is a network of card hustlers and gamblers who use sleight of hand and card manipulation to get what they want,” he said. “Damian is a former top-card ‘mechanic’ and is drawing on his own personal knowledge for this film.”

Said Hartley: “I could not think of a better group of talented actors coming together on this RKO picture. I believe this will be the first of a number of truly exciting pictures that RKO will produce this year. We all fell in love with Damian Nieman‘s screenplay with its colorful cast of characters.”

Cobalt Media Group’s Peter Rogers and Ralpho Borgos will handle international sales for the film, which debuts on their sales slate at this month’s Festival de Cannes.

Craig Zablo (May 14, 2002)