Category: Honors

Sly Presents Rocky

Craig / / 2007, Honors, Rocky
From American Film Institute Press Release – Wednesday September 12, 1:48 pm ET LOS ANGELES, Sept. 12 /PRNewswire/

The American Film Institute today announced a historic public event to mark the institute’s 40th anniversary. Target Presents AFI’s 40th Anniversary is an event of unprecedented scale — even for Hollywood. Eleven classic American films will screen on a single night, in a single location — each with a live introduction by the film’s legendary star or filmmaker.

The event will be held October 3 at ArcLight Hollywood. All film programs will begin at 7:00 p.m. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on September 19.

The films and artists that are confirmed to take part in this momentous occasion are:

    Julie Andrews will present THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965)
  Warren Beatty will present BONNIE AND CLYDE (1967)
  Billy Crystal and Rob Reiner will present WHEN HARRY MET SALLY... (1989)
  Kirk Douglas will present SPARTACUS (1960)
  Clint Eastwood will present UNFORGIVEN (1992)
  Morgan Freeman will present THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION (1994)
  Tippi Hedren will present THE BIRDS (1963)
  Angela Lansbury will present BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (1991)
  George Lucas will present STAR WARS -- EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE (1977)
  Jack Nicholson will present ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST (1975)
  Sylvester Stallone will present ROCKY (1976)

“What better way to celebrate 40 years of AFI than to bring together movie artists and movie-goers in the flickering light of these classic American films,” stated Jean Picker Firstenberg, AFI’s President and CEO. “We thank Target for their continued support of AFI, providing the opportunity to honor AFI’s 40th Anniversary with an epic celebration worthy of America’s national educational and cultural organization.”

“We are thrilled to honor 40 great years of the American Film Institute by celebrating the magic and artistry of the silver screen,” said Laura Sandall, director, events marketing and publicity, Target. “By building relationships with leading cultural organizations like AFI, Target is able to foster creativity, promote learning and build stronger communities.”

Tickets to all screenings are $25 and can be purchased at AFI.com or in person at the ArcLight box office at 6360 W Sunset Boulevard (at Ivar) beginning Wednesday, September 19. Event tickets include free popcorn and soda for all guests. The first 100 guests to arrive in each theater will receive a free copy of the special commemorative AFI 40th Anniversary Tribute book.
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What a great line up of films and presenters. Obviously “Rocky” would be THE one to attend, but it would also be cool to see Kirk Douglas present “Spartacus”, Clint Eastwood show us “Unforgiven”, or Jack Nicholson showcase “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”. If any SZoner attends, please send in photos and a report! – Craig

First Blood Celebration

Craig / / 2007, First Blood, Honors

Hey SZoners, This came in and I thought many of you would be interested…

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Greetings from Hope, British Columbia, Canada … birthplace of John Rambo as a world renowned film screen character!


“First Blood” was filmed in our community in 1981 and the film was released into theatres in 1982 – so 2007 marks the 25th anniversary of the film and we are celebrating that October 5th to 8th, 2007 with a variety of activities … do you think your website readers would like to know more about the special film screening, the souvenirs that will be available, the film location tours, the Rambo look-alike contest, the First Blood art contest & more!?

They can email me at destinationhope@telus.net and I will fill them in on the details….

Inge Wilson

Destination Hope & Beyond Services

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Hard to believe it’s been 25 years! – Craig

Belgrade Rocky Statue

Craig / / 2007, Honors, Rocky Balboa
A huge statue of the film character Rocky Balboa is prepared for unveiling in the village square in Zitiste, about 60 kilometers (36 miles) north of Belgrade, Tuesday, Aug.7, 2007. The village of Zitiste is planning to erect the statue of Balboa, to attract tourists and show a new face to the world. Local officials have already contacted Philadelphia, PA, where a monument to the actor Sylvester Stallone’s film character already exists. The unveiling is scheduled for August 18. (AP Photo/Srdjan Ilic)

Workers cover with plastic sheets a statue of the film character Rocky Balboa, which is being prepared for unveiling in the village square in Zitiste, about 60 kilometers (36 miles) north of Belgrade, Tuesday, Aug.7, 2007. The village of Zitiste is planning to erect the statue of Balboa, to attract tourists and show a new face to the world. Local officials have already contacted Philadelphia, PA, where a monument to the actor Sylvester Stallone’s film character already exists. The unveiling is scheduled for August 18. (AP Photo/Srdjan Ilic)

Workers secure with ropes the statue of the Rocky Balboa film character, which is set for unveiling in the village square in Zitiste, about 60 kilometers (36 miles) north of Belgrade, Tuesday, Aug.7, 2007. The village of Zitiste is planning to erect the statue of Balboa, to attract tourists and show a new face to the world. Local officials have already contacted Philadelphia, PA, where a monument to the actor Sylvester Stallone’s film character already exists. The unveiling is scheduled for August 18. (AP Photo/Srdjan Ilic)

Sly Night

Craig / / 2007, Honors

Last night the Brooklyn Cyclones, a minor league baseball team, hosted Sly Night. Here’s how they advertised it:

SLY NIGHT: On July 28th, the Cyclones will celebrate Sylvester Stallone — one of the most iconic Hollywood stars of our generation — on “Sly Night” at KeySpan Park.

Stallone has created some of the most long-lasting and legendary characters in pop-culture history, from Rocky Balboa to John Rambo, to Lincoln Hawk, to Marion Cobretti, to Snaps Provolone, to Ray Tango, and more.

The Academy Award winner’s turn as the underdog fighter from the mean streets of Philly immortalized him to millions. On Saturday, July 28th, the Cyclones will pay tribute to him in a number of ways:

The team will show a variety of Stallone-themed entertainment throughout the night.

Fans are invited to dress up as their favorite Stallone character, with the winning costume receiving a prize pack.

Anyone named “Sylvester” will be admitted to the ballpark at no charge.

In commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of the 1987 movie Over The Top (in which Stallone plays a struggling trucker competing in a Las Vegas Arm Wrestling Championship, and sporting a New York City Arm Wrestling T-shirt), the New York Arm Wrestling Association (NYAWA) will host over 100 men and women competing that day for the 25th Annual White Castle ‘Kingsboro’ Golden Arm Wrestling titles, featuring a championship match taking place on the dugout during that night’s game!

Anyone who participates in the arm wrestling competition will receive a Cyclones ticket to that night’s game. For more information on participating, contact Gene Camp at NYAWA@aol.com.

In addition to all the Sly festivities, the first 1,250 kids that night will receive Thunderstix!

So join in on the fun, and help the Cyclones pay tribute to the Itallian Stallion on July 28th!
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It would have been cool to have been there for the festivities! – Craig

Sly a Top 10 Action Star

Craig / / 2007, Honors
Fandango.com came up with their list of the Top Ten Modern Day [post 1980] Action Stars. Guess who came in third? Here’s what they had to say about Sly:

3. Sylvester Stallone
Classic Action Movies: Rocky, First Blood, Rambo: First Blood Part II, Nighthawks, Cliffhanger
Kicking Butt Next in: John Rambo

Stallone, like all the vets on our action hero list, has weathered the good, the bad and the ugly of the Hollywood limelight. But it’s a testament to Stallone’s legacy that his umpteenth comeback movie Rocky Balboa garnered some decent reviews and box office coin, and that someone actually greenlit the upcoming John Rambo. Love him or hate him, everyone knows him. And without the trail he blazed (see the acclaimed cop thriller Nighthawks, too), action epics of the last 20+ years would have been different, for better or worse. You wanted to see Rocky Balboa club the crap out of some bigger thug, just like you wanted to see Rambo live out an action fantasy armed with his designer battle scars and 2% body fat. It was all utterly outrageous, and for fans of the genre, 100% grade A action
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Here’s the full list: 1] Arnold Schwarzenegger 2] Harrison Ford 3] Sylvester Stallone 4] Kurt Russell 5] Bruce Willis 6] Mel Gibson 7] The Rocky 8] Keanu Reeves 9] Daniel Craig 10] Christian Bale and for the full article click HERE. – Craig

First Blood 2nd Best

Craig / / 2007, First Blood, Honors

The June 24, 2007 issue of The Calgary Sun has an article by Kevin Williamson who lists his choices for the Top Ten Action Films of the 80’s. First Blood comes in second and here’s what he has to say:

2. FIRST BLOOD (1982): Sylvester Stallone’s brutish, brooding alter-ego is now indefensible as anything but a churlish Reagan-era joke. But this inaugural outing, in which the psychologically scarred Vietnam vet John Rambo runs afoul of a hick police force, is, in retrospect, remarkable for its comparative restraint.

Click HERE for the full article. – Craig

“Rocky” Makes Another All Time Best List

Craig / / 2006, Honors, Rocky

The staff of the Winnipeg Sun decided to come up with a list of the All Time Best Sports Movies. “Rocky” came in 3rd and here’s what they had to say:

3. ROCKY

Yo Adrian, Sly Stallone scored a knockout with his breakout role and his first writing gig. Rocky is not only an uplifting sports movie but it actually won three Academy Awards, including best picture. Now, if only Sly had stopped there and never met Mr. T or made a single Rocky sequel or Rambo movie. Then there’s his other foray into the sports world, the arm-wrestling flick Over the Top. We pity the fools who had to watch that.

StalloneZone Honored at New Action Movie Site

Craig / / 2006, Honors, StalloneZone

The StalloneZone was recently honored as the first featured site at Awsom 50: The On-Line Source for Action Movies. Here’s what they had to say about the SZ:

STALLONE ZONE – The #1 Sylvester Stallone Fan Site in the World! Now in its’ 10th year on-line, Craig Zablo’s quite excellent Sly Stallone site shows no signs of letting up. Quite simply this is the place to be for any self respecting Sly fan and is in all honesty far better than his official site.

High praise indeed!

As most SZoners know, the name Awsom 50 comes from the tag of Cobra‘s car. So you just KNOW that the webmaster must be a huge Stallone fan! This is definitely a site to watch!

– Craig