Category: Honors

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

“Rocky” Makes Another “All-Time” Best List

Craig / / 2006, Honors, Rocky

Daniel Neman of The Richmond Times Dispatch in his August 4, 2006 column takes a look at his “All-Time Best” sports movies. Neman lists five movies and “Rocky” makes the cut. Here’s what he says:

“Rocky,” 1976. The ultimate underdog story is told with a seemingly limitless reserve of heart. Sylvester Stallone, who also wrote the script, skillfully wrung every dram of emotion out of the story and made a feel-good movie about a guy who actually loses the big fight. It is only when he started winning them, in the sequels, that the character became less interesting.

Thirty years later and “Rocky” is still getting props. And rightly so. For the full report, click HERE. – Craig