Me and my buddy were debating this last night. Is Sly Stalone’s acting career over? It might be. His movies aren’t even coming close to what he once did.
His latest movie Driven didn’t even gross 20 mil. Hell… he’s lucky if it did 10 mil. The movie cost 70-75 mil to make.
Detox which had been made a couple of years ago isn’t even going to the theatres. Straight to video. The company that he signed on to do two films (I believe it’s Miramax) got the hell out of the deal by paying Sly 7 mil just so they didn’t have to shoot another film with the guy. Since Driven did so poorly, they didn’t want to take a chance on his second film.
He can’t even get anyone to pay for Rambo 4, which was rumored to be in development. I’ve read that one company offered to put up 15 million for the film, but thats it. It’s going to cost a hell of a lot more then 15 mil to make another Rambo film.
Maybe we will see Sly in some supporting roles, but that might be it.
I’m sort of enjoying the visual image of you and your buddy sitting around over a couple of beers arguing about whether or not Sly Stallone is done as an actor. It’s like a beer commercial, except that you aren’t on television. Think about it.
Friends + beer + inconsequential discussions = College. Similarly, what sort of deep topics do you think one supposed to discuss when knocking back a couple with your friends?
I didn’t go to college, so I don’t know much about all that particular form of male bonding, but here around the trailer park we usually talk about Kierkegaardian existentialism, the death of God, the heroism of bullfighters and like-minded subjects over a tall, cold one.
It was a bomb, and he has essentially no box office clout in the U.S., but his films still do well overseas. Rambo III, for instance, made a pathetic fraction of its predecessor in the U.S. ($50 million), but $200 million with overseas proceeds.
It was a bomb, and he has essentially no box office clout in the U.S., but his films still do well overseas. Rambo III, for instance, made a pathetic fraction of its predecessor in the U.S. ($50 million), but $200 million with overseas proceeds.[/quote]
Opps. my fault!
I could swear that I read that Driven made somewhere around 12-15 mil.
Are you sure that he’s still a big draw overseas? Rambo 3 was many years ago, and that was when he was much popular.
I heard he signed to do a new Rocky movie. He’s running a center for troubled kids or a teen center or something and is lured out of retirement, ala George Foreman, I suppose.
Rocky VI.
But it’s been about 15 years since the last one (too lazy to look at IMDB). The timing could be right, nostalgia, Rocky isn’t over-exposed, apparently that Lipton Ice Tea ad was a big hit… oh, and Mark’s right about Foreman. It isn’t implausible for a mid-40’s former Heavyweight Champion to make a comeback for the title. I’m not saying it will be good but I have a soft spot in my heart for Rocky II and III and I still consider the original Rocky to be one of my all-time favorites.
Yo there Adrian.
Now Rambo IV, that sounds like a bad idea. I think he got the idea because Rambo III features him kicking Soviet ass in Afghanistan. Maybe Stallone’s brain thought “Rambo returns there to kick Taliban ass for not sayin’ thank you!”
I love the original. The second was a good sequel. It started to get a little thin for me with three, so of course I thought the rest were just horrendous.
I agree that the timing might be right, but how often can you go back to the well before it’s just a little ridiculous?
I’m one of the few people who genuinely enjoyed Driven. Sure it had sappy, stupid moments, but there was something unpretentious about it. Dunno, can’t name it =]
Rocky 1 was great. 2 was dumb. 3 was lots of fun with Rocky fighting Hulk Hogan and then Mister T twice. 4 was mostly dumb but the fight with Ivan Drago was good. 5 was a disaster.
My boys all love the Rocky movies and according to my oldest, most of the high school boys have seen the movies and know them well enough to make references to them, so a new Rocky movie could do ok.
I’m not endorsing the concept, mind you, because I think a new Rocky movie does sound crazy. It might be Stallone’s best chance to resurrect his career, however.
AAHHHHHHHHHHH Jakub, you are just kidding about Driven right? unpretentious? You have made me go back to dictionary.com jus to see if they have redefined the word.
Somewhere on the old forums I posted about this movie. I think it may be the single worst movie I have ever seen. And every time Stallone woodenly says - “Kid”, I cry.
The entire story of Driven is based on the idea that if a rookie driver does not win the entire circuit championship - his career is over, he is a failure. The entire movie is filmed like a really bad beer commercial, and sadly it is even lacking the beer.
The entire city of Philadelphia would come out in full force if they did another Rocky and set it back in Philly, which is really what they should do if they want to make another one.
The first is a landmark in cinema because it was the first uplifting sports movie. It’s cliche now, but back then it was absolutely the cat’s meow. It holds up well too. They’ve still got a block marked at Pat’s Steaks in Philly that notes “The great Sylvester Stallone stood here during the making of Rocky!” Mmmmm…Pat’s…
It was Best Picture that year IIRC. That always floors people. But it’s not Stallone’s fault every sports movie since has ripped his film off.
I’m not certain that Dave’s right about it being the first uplifting sports movie, but it did set the gold standard for a lot of dreck that’s followed. Rocky was brilliant, to me, because.
Adrian was not beautiful, or I should say that she was, but in a realistic and understated way. She wasn’t a hottie, but the love was there and easy to relate to. The ice skating scene (which I’ve heard happened sort of accidentally) was brilliant.
Burgess Meredith. Fantastic.
“You’re a bum and you’ll always be a bum!”
SPOILER?
Rocky doesn’t win. He places and shows. Somehow that feels more realistic and world’s more satisfying than, I dunno, Remember the Titans and The Karate Kid.
The script. Which was written by Sly, or more accurately… he wrote a script and Hollywood fixed it up into something special.
Hell of a theme song.
It really was Stallone’s baby though. His concept, his initial script, his insistance at playing the lead. EW had a story on it about 6 months ago. Great Hollywood story.
I want to second what Bub says. And I’d like to add some things to his great list.
Apollo Creed wasn’t a heartless and cold villain. He was a showman and a pro and clearly condescending towards the club fighter, but he was no stereotypical “bad guy who is the champ because he is bad.”
The boxing was only part of the story. Though a lot of bad sports movies have used the “become a good man to become a good athlete” trope, in Rocky, Rocky is a good man already. He needs to improve a bit, and get his priorities straight, but he’s not some doofus who is redeemed by the ring.
Now we rate co-Oscar nominee “Taxi Driver” (and maybe “Network”) as a better film than “Rocky”, though clearly at the time this wasn’t clear to everyone. This isn’t a colossal blunder on the level of “Ordinary People”. “Rocky” did win the LA Film Critics prize for best picture (a tie with “Network”) and the Golden Globe for Drama - of course we know what that is worth. 1976 was a good year for movies and “Rocky” should get its due despite it’s anomalous status in Stallone’s career.
