775 replies to this topic

[dodge]

Hopefully, no one will object to rescuing this subject from The RAMBO thread, which has become a repository for all things Stallone. The film is generating way too much heat to be reduced to that place as a sidebar.

Here's an opening quote to launch the discussion:

Early Prediction: Stallone's The Expendables will be the greatest action movie of all time
Posted: January 07, 2009, 1:15 PM by Brad Frenette
Movies, mickey rourke, Sandra Bullock, JAson Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Forest Whitaker, Jet Li, Sylvester Stallone


You can now officially become very excited for Sylvester Stallone's next project: The Expendables.


One thing is certain, if you are a fan of Oscar winners and action movies, this one will have them both.

Stallone, who was nominated for an Oscar for writing the great screenplay (go on, read it) for Rocky in 1979, is penning this film as well, which is about a team of mercenaries whose mission is to overthrow a South American dictator. It's the first project to emerge from a two-picture deal that Stallone signed with Nu Image/Millennium.

The cast for the film includes Forest Whitaker, who won an Oscar for his role in The Last King of Scotland, who will play the merc's CIA liason.

Also in the ranks is critical comebacker Mickey Rourke, who could grab the Oscar this year for The Wrestler. Rourke has credited Stallone for helping him back into Hollywood's good graces when Sly gave him a role in his remake of Get Carter.

Stallone has also said that he expects Academy knighted Sir Ben Kingsley to accept a role in the film as well.


Also on the cast is Jason Statham, Jet Li and former Rocky IV opponent Dolph Lundgren (who reportedly scooped the role after Jean-Claude Van Damme turned Stallone down).


Another rumoured cast member is Sandra Bullock, who worked with Stallone in Demolition Man.

The film starts shooting in Brazil in March.

Do you see this film as most likely to be:
1) A fun actioner mainly of interest for its 'stunt casting'?
2) Just possibly what someone else suggested: Stallone at his peak as a director and writer, giving us the film that QT's INGLUREOOS BHASTEERDS might have been?

The floor is yours.

[Harmsway]

We have no reason to expect anything other than #1 at this point. It may end up being #2, but until I get something concrete, my gut tells me #1.

Either way, I can't wait to see it.

[dodge]

Sidebar: Soooo, Mickey Rourke and Jason Statham have a previous history--starring in the upcoming '13'.

We know that Stallone helped get Rourke back on his feet with a role in the GET CARTER remake.

And Stallone acted with Dolph Lundgren in RIV.

Anybody know of any other prior connections?

[Eurospy]

I look further to this. I still have to watch his last Rambo and Rocky, but I think that he's a competent storyteller.

And hopefully, this might finally open the door for his Poe project.

[Loomis]

Sidebar: Soooo, Mickey Rourke and Jason Statham have a previous history--starring in the upcoming '13'.

We know that Stallone helped get Rourke back on his feet with a role in the GET CARTER remake.

And Stallone acted with Dolph Lundgren in RIV.

Anybody know of any other prior connections?

Well, obviously Sandra Bullock was Sly's co-star in DEMOLITION MAN.

Stallone has also said that he expects Academy knighted Sir Ben Kingsley to accept a role in the film as well.

He was knighted by the Academy?

Also on the cast is Jason Statham, Jet Li and former Rocky IV opponent Dolph Lundgren (who reportedly scooped the role after Jean-Claude Van Damme turned Stallone down).

How bad does a script have to be for Jean-Claude Van Damme to turn it down?

Either way, I can't wait to see it.

I'm absolutely astonished to read that, Harms. Astonished.

But then I'm fairly perplexed by the level of interest this flick has already attracted. I thought no one cared about Stallone any more (okay, I know that it's hardly just a Sly solo vehicle, but, still....), especially Stateside, where, if memory serves, last year's RAMBO grossed only $40 million or so. Yet all of a sudden the geeks on AICN and other sites are treating THE EXPENDABLES like it's frickin' WATCHMEN or something. Like it's some kinda, I dunno, major project or whatever, and Stallone has just turned into Peter Jackson, Christopher Nolan and Tarantino all rolled into one.

[Agent 76]

This will be THE movie event of 2010!

[Safari Suit]

How bad does a script have to be for Jean-Claude Van Damme to turn it down?

I believe "bad script" in JCVD's dictionary is defined with "does not have me on every page". I hear Seagal uses the same one.

[dinovelvet]

Dodge, I posted a link to an article in the Rambo thread that stated Robert Knepper was also in the cast...I thought you'd be going ga-ga over that!

[dinovelvet]

Do you see this film as most likely to be:
1) A fun actioner mainly of interest for its 'stunt casting'?
2) Just possibly what someone else suggested: Stallone at his peak as a director and writer, giving us the film that QT's INGLUREOOS BHASTEERDS might have been?

Both, Mr. Bond. IGNOMINIOUS BAR STOOLS holds no excitement for me at this point. The cast is a dud (wasn't this supposed to be the ultimate badass cast? Instead we get the director of some B-list horror films and some supporting geek from the American Office, with a near washed-up Mike Myers in a dud cameo? Its common knowledge that many actors like Leonardo Dicaprio, Natassja Kinski, Simon Pegg, Isabelle Huppert etc turned the script down. Oh, right, there were "scheduling conflicts". Of course there were Would anyone have turned down a Tarantino project circa Pulp Fiction/Jackie Brown? Hell no,
Then you have the script, which from what I read, is half comedy, half arthouse talkfest that is curiously light on action. QT seems to have backed waaaay off from his early claims that this would be an all-action WW2 exploitation flick. Of course, its all in the direction, but at this point I'd be willing to place money on a lot of geeks ending up disappointed in this.
Now, Sly on the other hand has delivered precisely what QT has not - an amazing name cast of action stars, and from what we can glean from Vern, plenty of action.

I know which one I'm seeing.

[Harmsway]

Either way, I can't wait to see it.

I'm absolutely astonished to read that, Harms. Astonished.

Yeah, me too. I suppose THE EXPENDABLES, with its tacky cast, has just hit the right spot for me. But as has been made clear, I'm not expecting anything too spectacular, and don't see any reason to start hyping this to the max.

I thought no one cared about Stallone any more (okay, I know that it's hardly just a Sly solo vehicle, but, still....), especially Stateside, where, if memory serves, last year's RAMBO grossed only $40 million or so. Yet all of a sudden the geeks on AICN and other sites are treating THE EXPENDABLES like it's frickin' WATCHMEN or something. Like it's some kinda, I dunno, major project or whatever, and Stallone has just turned into Peter Jackson, Christopher Nolan and Tarantino all rolled into one.

Well, the internet geeks really liked RAMBO, and this is the kind of cast that gets internet geeks all hot and bothered. So I think those two things have gotten folks really quite excited. I don't think there's much hype for it outside of that realm, though, and in the end, I don't expect THE EXPENDABLES to be anything more than a modest hit.

QT seems to have backed waaaay off from his early claims that this would be an all-action WW2 exploitation flick.

Well, I don't recall Tarantino ever claiming that it would "all-action." Naturally, his failure to deliver an awesome cast is somewhat mystifying, given how much he talked up the casting notions, but I think the final script is more or less true to what he's been chatting up for so long.

[Loomis]

Either way, I can't wait to see it.

I'm absolutely astonished to read that, Harms. Astonished.

Yeah, me too. I suppose THE EXPENDABLES, with its tacky cast, has just hit the right spot for me. But as has been made clear, I'm not expecting anything too spectacular, and don't see any reason to start hyping this to the max.

I thought no one cared about Stallone any more (okay, I know that it's hardly just a Sly solo vehicle, but, still....), especially Stateside, where, if memory serves, last year's RAMBO grossed only $40 million or so. Yet all of a sudden the geeks on AICN and other sites are treating THE EXPENDABLES like it's frickin' WATCHMEN or something. Like it's some kinda, I dunno, major project or whatever, and Stallone has just turned into Peter Jackson, Christopher Nolan and Tarantino all rolled into one.

Well, the internet geeks really liked RAMBO, and this is the kind of cast that gets internet geeks all hot and bothered. So I think those two things have gotten folks really quite excited. I don't think there's much hype for it outside of that realm, though, and in the end, I don't expect THE EXPENDABLES to be anything more than a modest hit.

Well, I'm more of a Stallone fan than most, but I won't geek out for THE EXPENDABLES until I read something genuinely interesting about it, as opposed to the latest update on whichever has-been Sly's now managed to drag in by the scruff of his or her washed-up neck (if I were a betting man, though, I might put a coupla quid on his CLIFFHANGER cohort John Lithgow as the next EXPENDABLE to be announced.... or maybe Michael Rooker). I guess I don't tend to get excited about all-star casts.

Its "acting" lineup aside, there's next to no information about THE EXPENDABLES. What little we know of the story suggests that it's just generic action fare, which Stallone has done so often and with such horrifying results (remember, say, THE SPEcıalısT, with its then-all-star supporting cast of Sharon Stone, James Woods and, erm, Rod Steiger?) that the very idea of THE EXPENDABLES should seem the stuff of nightmares.

Still, I'm sure a teaser trailer or at least some intriguing info or set pics will raise my excitement no end, but, for the moment, I don't see any reason to be anything other than as sober as a judge when it comes to THE EXPENDABLES.

[Captain Tightpants]

Sounds a lot like that Frederick Forsyth novel, THE DOGS OF WAR. That story involved a group of mercenaries being hired by a mining magnate to overthrow an African government to secure mining rights in the region. Which really sounds like QUANTUM OF SOLACE, but told from the opposite side of the fence.

[dodge]

Dodge, I posted a link to an article in the Rambo thread that stated Robert Knepper was also in the cast...I thought you'd be going ga-ga over that!

I missed it there, but I'm suree ga-ga now!

Sidebar: Soooo, Mickey Rourke and Jason Statham have a previous history--starring in the upcoming '13'.

We know that Stallone helped get Rourke back on his feet with a role in the GET CARTER remake.

And Stallone acted with Dolph Lundgren in RIV.

Anybody know of any other prior connections?

Well, obviously Sandra Bullock was Sly's co-star in DEMOLITION MAN.

Stallone has also said that he expects Academy knighted Sir Ben Kingsley to accept a role in the film as well.

He was knighted by the Academy?

Also on the cast is Jason Statham, Jet Li and former Rocky IV opponent Dolph Lundgren (who reportedly scooped the role after Jean-Claude Van Damme turned Stallone down).

How bad does a script have to be for Jean-Claude Van Damme to turn it down?

Either way, I can't wait to see it.

I'm absolutely astonished to read that, Harms. Astonished.

But then I'm fairly perplexed by the level of interest this flick has already attracted. I thought no one cared about Stallone any more (okay, I know that it's hardly just a Sly solo vehicle, but, still....), especially Stateside, where, if memory serves, last year's RAMBO grossed only $40 million or so. Yet all of a sudden the geeks on AICN and other sites are treating THE EXPENDABLES like it's frickin' WATCHMEN or something. Like it's some kinda, I dunno, major project or whatever, and Stallone has just turned into Peter Jackson, Christopher Nolan and Tarantino all rolled into one.

There you go, Loom, bingo. I was beginning to think you were the most fickle of Stallone fans. Finally, you're showing real insight into what has some of us praising ole Sly to the sky. No comparisons to WATCHMEN, please. Here's action for those who love action and don't need it gussied up in the thick lipstick of Ideas, like old French tarts.

[Loomis]

And, uh, what's wrong with old French tarts? Now and again, I mean?

[dodge]

And, uh, what's wrong with old French tarts? Now and again, I mean?

Now and again, I agree. But think: a pure action film like THE EXPENDABLES will be, in comparison, like watching a young and nubile California girl on skates whiz by as opposed to watching an old crone, etc.

[dodge]

I look further to this. I still have to watch his last Rambo and Rocky, but I think that he's a competent storyteller.

And hopefully, this might finally open the door for his Poe project.

I read somewhere that Poe was a broadjumper in his youth. I see a terrific chance for Sly to throw in a major training sequence and...

[dodge]

Sidebar to JCVD turning down the chance to join the cast of THE EXPENDABLES:

"Irony indeed though, as Dolph Lundgren gets passed up for Universal Soldier 3, he takes the place that Van Damme turned down in The Expendables alongside Stallone, Jet Li and Jason Statham. Stacking these against each other in the box office I know which one will win, after all Universal Soldier 3 won't even make it to a box office."

source: http://www.filmstalk...n_stallone.html

[dodge]

Worthy of note, from AICN/Vern:

"Harry has already reported that Lundgren will be fighting Li in the movie, so I will reveal that they get to fight twice. Let's be honest, Li has alot to prove after being defeated onscreen by god damn Brendan Fraser in THE MUMMY TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR A FILM BY ROB COHEN. I mean, how the (bleep) does that work? That is unacceptable. So for him to face a guy who's actually a martial arts champion and nearly a foot taller than he is will be good for Li's rep."

Ah, memories of Bruce Lee's fight with Kareem in GAME OF DEATH?

[dodge]

The lack of interest in this project astounds me. Which man or woman among you would not stand in line to see a film with a character reportedly named 'Hale Caesar'?

[Loomis]

Well, I'm definitely interested, believe me. It's just that there's so little to go on right now. I'm sure that the teaser trailer will have me geeking out like nobody's business, though.

[dodge]

Well, I'm definitely interested, believe me. It's just that there's so little to go on right now. I'm sure that the teaser trailer will have me geeking out like nobody's business, though.

Any idea when that will be coming out? Release dates seem to be varying between 2009 and 2010...If they do start shooting in March, release this year seems doable, right?

[Loomis]

I'm sure we'll have THE EXPENDABLES within twelve months, max.

I think it'll be released in December (a la ROCKY BALBOA) or January (a la RAMBO).

If it starts shooting in March, I guess we'll see a teaser trailer in June or thereabouts.

[dodge]

In the spirit of fair play, let's post the following from an absolute nutcase who does not share our enthusiasm:

OK, OK, we get it. Sylvester Stallone did the whole art mirroring life thing with Rocky Balboa where he got to play a past-it old beefcake who cries a lot, and now he’s getting Mickey Rourke - a man who’s just done the exact same thing - to be in The Expendables with him. Wow, talk about over-egging the pudding. You’re both expendable. We understand. Jeez. But at least that’s it, right?

Well, no. Also signed up for The Expendables alongside Sylvester Stallone and Mickey Rourke are expendable middle-aged cage fighter Randy Couture, expendable goon du jour Jason Statham, expendable faded kung-fu legend Jet Li and expendable blonde Sylvester Stallone Dolph Lungdren. We could be wrong, but we’re guessing that The Expendables is going to feature a lot of product placement by Stannah Stairlifts.

Best of all, The Expendables isn’t even going to being shooting until March, so there’s plenty of time for Sylvester Stallone to recruit all the other actors who Hollywood has casually tossed aside over the years, including Steven Seagal, Burt Reynolds, Cuba Gooding Jr, Heath Ledger, the ghost of Marlon Brando, with a special guest appearance by The Puppet Corpse Of Orson Welles as a hardbitted lieutenant who doesn’t play by the rules.

Loser!

[bond 16.05.72]

Sounds intriguing but I have to say QT's Film gets me more excited to, incidently Pegg's not in Inglorious Basterd's it's the awesome Michael Fassbender, Stallone's cast is more legends of old but QT's for me apart from Eli Roth is better.

Love the idea of Pitt as Aldo Raine, Kill Bill 1 was fun but 2 went on for too long, Death Proof was ok, this should be QT's best since Jackie Brown, if it isn't something is wrong!

The idea of using sub titles and not fake accents as I heard reported is refreshing, I believe QT will re-invent the War film with this whereas at best Sly will make a thoroughly entertaining action film.

[dodge]

Sounds intriguing but I have to say QT's Film gets me more excited to, incidently Pegg's not in Inglorious Basterd's it's the awesome Michael Fassbender, Stallone's cast is more legends of old but QT's for me apart from Eli Roth is better.

Love the idea of Pitt as Aldo Raine, Kill Bill 1 was fun but 2 went on for too long, Death Proof was ok, this should be QT's best since Jackie Brown, if it isn't something is wrong!

The idea of using sub titles and not fake accents as I heard reported is refreshing, I believe QT will re-invent the War film with this whereas at best Sly will make a thoroughly entertaining action film.

By all means, let us have both--and I'll be standing at the front of the line. But if Sly succeeds in steering clear of his sometimes infantile humor, I'm confident we'll get far more than just an entertaining actioner.

[Loomis]

I'm a tremendous admirer of both Stallone and Tarantino, indeed they're probably my two favourite people in cinema. However, I'm looking forward to THE EXPENDABLES more than I am to INNGLOREEYUS BAHSTAHDS, largely because I found the script for IB so boring that I couldn't even be bothered to finish it. And I found the KILL BILL screenplay (which was available online months before the film came out) such a riveting read that I had to devour the whole thing in one sitting.

That said, it's more than possible that IB will turn out to be the superior film, for Tarantino has yet to let me down with one of his full-length features. But right now THE EXPENDABLES is the one I'm awaiting with more eagerness.

[Harmsway]

Here's Stallone in shape for THE EXPENDABLES, which starts shooting next month:



Impressive, no?

[dinovelvet]

Here's Stallone in shape for THE EXPENDABLES, which starts shooting next month:

Impressive, no?

Yes, almost shockingly so, making Daniel Craig on the beach look flabby by comparison!

I assume Loomis' jaw has hit the floor so hard that he is currently unable to contribute to this thread...

[Loomis]

Given Sly's age (he's exactly the same age as George W. Bush), he really is in phenomenal shape.

I'd forgotten he'd had those tats done. I know that he didn't get them for THE EXPENDABLES (he had them done for his wife, I believe), but I wonder whether we'll see them in the movie. I seem to recall the recent AICN script review mentioning that the characters had special "Expendables" tattoos as mutual recognition signs.

ETA: He seems to have really slimmed down from RAMBO (in which he looks to be the size of three brick outhouses plus one brick house) and even ROCKY BALBOA. He's evidently been doing cardio like a bastard.

[dinovelvet]

ETA: He seems to have really slimmed down from RAMBO (in which he looks to be the size of three brick outhouses plus one brick house) and even ROCKY BALBOA. He's evidently been doing cardio like a bastard.

I suspect he's been "doing" something else to get in this kind of shape. Know what I mean, eh?