Rambo’s Essence

Michael Price for the January 21, 2008 Fort Worth Business Press says that “‘Rambo’ restores Stallone’s signature character to a near-original essence.” Here are a few excerpts:

* “The thing you gotta remember about Sly,” a lifelong pal and fellow actor named Joe Spinell (1936–1989) said of Stallone during the 1980s, “is that he ain’t who he plays. He’s an artist of calculating intelligence and good humor, and a lot of the violence that the audiences take at face-value in these Rambo pictures — that’s Sly’s satirical response to the excessive tastes of the marketplace.”

* Stallone invests the role with a realistic acceptance of the aging process, and with traces reminiscent of Humphrey Bogart in 1951’s The African Queen and Clint Eastwood in 1992’s Unforgiven

You can read the full article HERE. – Craig

Sly on HGH

TodayShow.com presents a video clip of Sly talking with Matt Lauer about HGH. “I wish it were true that you could take something like that and get in shape,” the movie icon told TODAY co-host Matt Lauer on Friday in New York. — You can see the clip HERE. – Craig

Rambo’s Essence

Michael Price for the January 21, 2008 Fort Worth Business Press says that “‘Rambo’ restores Stallone’s signature character to a near-original essence.” Here are a few excerpts:

* “The thing you gotta remember about Sly,” a lifelong pal and fellow actor named Joe Spinell (1936–1989) said of Stallone during the 1980s, “is that he ain’t who he plays. He’s an artist of calculating intelligence and good humor, and a lot of the violence that the audiences take at face-value in these Rambo pictures — that’s Sly’s satirical response to the excessive tastes of the marketplace.”

* Stallone invests the role with a realistic acceptance of the aging process, and with traces reminiscent of Humphrey Bogart in 1951’s The African Queen and Clint Eastwood in 1992’s Unforgiven

You can read the full article HERE. – Craig

Sly Speaks

Peter Howell writes about Rambo’s Return for TheStar.com. Here’s some of what he had to say:

* [Sly] “in 1976, was hailed as the new Marlon Brando, Oscar-nominated for both writing and acting in Rocky, that year’s Best Picture winner.”

* Stallone returned to his Rocky character last year for the well-received comeback picture Rocky Balboa, which even the Razzies couldn’t fault.

* Sly: “You have careers of peaks and valleys and you harken back to things that you’re known for. Every actor would like to say they’re Daniel Day-Lewis and they have this incredible palette, but quite often you’re known for certain things.”

* [Sly] had no trouble at all slipping back into character. “I love it,” he says, and the smile is proof of sincerity.

* When a journalist suggests Rambo is one of the most violent movies going – even more than the blood-soaked Sweeney ToddStallone interrupts him.

“Not one of the most. The most. I tried very hard for this.”

He had to argue his case before the censors of the Motion Picture Association of America,which wanted to give Rambo the audience-limiting NC-17 rating. He managed to persuade the MPAA to give it the more accommodating “R” rating.

Stallone believes it’s important to show people the truth about “the most brutal regime on the planet,” even if the truth hurts.

* [Sly] starts talking about what he might do next. Maybe something with his muscle-bound peers Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis.

He’s seen Space Cowboys, the 2000 actioner that teamed Clint Eastwood, Tommy Lee Jones, James Garner and Donald Sutherland as aging astronauts who hit the skies one more time.

“I have a very, very bizarre idea,” he says, teasing his press audience.

“It’s probably absurd. It’s got a formula to it. But if I told you I was gonna do one about a 61-year-boxer you’d go, `Yeah, sure.’ If you can find the right formula, almost anything is feasible. It’s just coming in there and having the audience go, `Okay, that’s possible.’ It’s weird, but feasible. Space Cowboys, hello? It worked!”

For the full article, click HERE. – Craig

80’s Tough Guys

The January 18, 2008 Sydney Morning Herald ran the following:

Sylvester Stallone thinks he is tougher than modern action stars.

The 61-year-old Rambo actor believes he and his 80s “peers”, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis, are far more “physical” than today’s “hands-off and intellectual” Hollywood heroes.

He said: “I think that some young actors will look at me as this archaic, prehistoric creature because now we’ve become much more scientific, less personal.

“Most of my peers were very physical. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis – they were just more hands-on. I think that a lot more actors today are hands-off and they’re more intellectual.”

Stallone believes Rambo would wipe the floor with Matt Damon’s Bourne Ultimatum character Jason Bourne in a fight.

He joked: “Rambo would murder Jason Bourne. I’m kidding. Maybe the one in The Transporter though – Jason Statham.”

Stallone also revealed he is now “best buddies” with his former big screen rival Schwarzenegger.

He added in an interview with Britain’s The Sun newspaper: “I see him every Saturday at Cafe Roma in Beverly Hills.

“It’s funny because we used to be so competitive in the ’80s and now we’re the best buddies in the world.”

Rambo, the fourth film featuring Stallone’s formidable ex-soldier John Rambo, is due to hit cinema screens next month.
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You can read the full piece HERE. – Craig


Sly @ PH is News

From Rediff India Abroad:

His name is John Rambo, and while Sylvester Stallone might be 61, he’s ready for more action.

Here, Stallone is at Planet Hollywood in Times Square, New York City, donating Rambo memorabilia to the restaurant franchise.

The way he’s holding that crossbow, the actor seems more than set for the big role.

Rambo releases worldwide on Friday, January 25.

Photograph: Scott Gries/Getty Images