Category: Celebs

27 Things We Learned from Brian Helgeland’s ‘Payback’ Commentary

Rob Hunter and Film School Rejects present 27 Things We Learned from Brian Helgeland’s ‘Payback’ CommentaryBut first some background…

Payback is one of the very rare films that has more than one version available.  Brian Helgeland was fired from the film when he refused to make changes ordered by the studio.  The studio then ordered additional scenes changing the tone and ending of the film.  That version was released to great success both theatrically and on video/dvd.  And thanks to the video/dvd market, Helgeland was able to have his version released and it was also successful.  I have both versions in my collection and like both.

With all that said, here are my three favorites from Helgeland’s commentary:

12. He was in post-production on this film the night of the Academy Awards, and having been nominated for his L.A. Confidential (1997) script he really hoped he would be named the winner. “I knew that they were getting close to finally removing me off this movie,” and he thought winning the Oscar would mean they couldn’t fire him. He won, Sean Connery tussled his hair backstage while congratulating him, and that was his Sunday night. “And on Tuesday I got fired. So much for the magic of an Academy Award.”

13. Walter Matthau handed him his Oscar. Matthau starred in Charley Varrick (1973). The restaurant scene at 32:53 was filmed in a place called Varricks.

17. An early teaser strung together the film’s funnier scenes, and both audiences and the studio responded favorably. He protested and was told by the marketing department that “what it is is one thing, and selling it is another thing.” The studio clearly wished the movie “was more like our trailer, and I didn’t know it at first but it became this struggle for what the heart of the movie was about.” Re-shoots began leaning heavily toward the teaser’s tone, and the writing was on the wall.

Ken Meyer, Jr. Presents Adams, Kirby, Kane, Frazetta and More!

Ken Meyer, Jr. presents a monthly column called Ink Stains. In the column Ken (who is an amazing artist) posts a fanzine from his collection.  Here’s Ken…

I have a collection of over 200 fanzines from the 60’s-80’s that I plan to scan and talk about, one at a time. I hope to have some of the participants answer a few questions. Many of those participants are established comics professionals now, while some have gone on to other things. I will show a few snippets from each zine and give you a link to download a pdf of the whole thing, which I hope all of you will do!

In Ink Stains 114, Ken shares with us Gaslite #10 which is a fantastic fanzine.  Gaslite #10 is filled to the rim with talent and features a cover by R. Crumb, Jack Kirby art and interview, a Dick Giordano interview, Frank Frazetta sketch, Klaus Janson spot illo, Neal Adams art and interview, Kirby and Dan Adkins full-pager, Bill Gaines interview, Vaughn Bode art and interview, Isaac Asimov interview, Gil Kane backpiece and more.

As always, thanks to Ken for bringing back great memories of fandom!

RIP – Bart Starr


Bart Starr, the Hall of Fame quarterback has died at the age of 85.  Mr. Starr had been in failing health since 2014 when he suffered a heart attack and two strokes. 

Starr was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame in 1977 after playing for 16 years as a Green Bay Packer, leading them to five NFL Championships and victories in the first two Super Bowls.  Personal awards include being picked four times for Pro-Bowl, two times as an All Pro, being selected as the 1966 NFL Most Valuable Player, the Most Valuable Player for the first two Super Bowls and selected to the All Decade Team for the 1960s.  The NFL also named an award after him.  The Bart Starr Award is given out annually to a player of outstanding character.  The Green Bay Packers retired Starr’s jersey in 1973 (as just the third player to ever receive that honor).  What a legacy!

I have always been a Chicago Bears fan, but also a Bart Starr fan.  I can remember watching Starr dive into the end zone for the winning touchdown with just seconds remaining in the NFL Championship game in 1967!  When we played football, all of the kids wanted to be Bart Starr when quarterbacking (myself included — even if he wasn’t a Bear).  And could there have been a cooler name for a NFL quarterback than Bart Starr?

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Mr. Starr’s family, friends and fans.

Michael Biehn Looks Back at “The Terminator” and More

Patrick Galvan and Syfy present Michael Biehn Looks Back at The Terminator and More.  It is definitely worth a read.  Here are a couple of tidbits…

The reason I took the role (in Terminator) was because I really liked the character of Kyle Reese and I knew I could play that character really well. Even if the movie didn’t do well, that was a really good character: a great fighter in love with the woman he was sent to protect. That part made me think, “Well, I can probably come out of this unscathed.”

You know, a lot of movies have been made throughout the years and a lot of them have been forgotten. But The Terminator, Aliens, and another movie I did called Tombstone… people still, to this day, come up and tell me how much they loved them. And their children love them, too. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had some kid come up to me and say, “My name’s Kyle. My parents named me after your character from The Terminator.” It’s fun to see those kind of movies pass from generation to generation.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Toughest Characters

Sid Natividad and ScreenRant take a look at Arnold Schwarzenegger’s toughest characters.  Here are his rankings and mine: 

Natividad

Zablo

10. Ray Owens (The Last Stand)

10. Ben Richards (The Running Man)

09. Emil Rottmayer (Escape Plan)

09. Ray Owens (The Last Stand)

08. Jack Slater (The Last Action Hero)

08. Jack Slater (The Last Action Hero)

07. Ben Richards (The Running Man)

07. Dennis Quaid (Total Recall)

06. Dennis Quaid (Total Recall)

06. Emil Rottmayer (Escape Plan)

05. Harry Tasker (True Lies)

05. Harry Tasker (True Lies)

04. John Matrix (Commando)

04. John Matrix (Commando)

03. Conan (Conan the Barbarian)

03. Conan (Conan the Barbarian)

02. Dutch Schaefer (Predator)

02. Dutch Schaefer (Predator)

01. T-800 (Terminator 2)

01. T-800 (Terminator 2)

I would have also included John Wharton from Sabotage in the 6th spot had he been on Natividad’s list.

Source: ScreenRant.

Sly Talks “Rambo V,” New “Rocky” and New “Cobra” Series

Sly Stallone was a guests a the Cannes Film Festival where he talked about Rambo: Last Blood and two potential projects:

Rambo: Last Blood –  “We pick it up, he’s out in this storm, a horrible storm. He’s trying to rescue people… He’s still dealing with survivor guilt, b/c he couldn’t save his friends in Vietnam. A result of PTSD. He has a hard time. He has a beautiful ranch, but he lives underground… He has an adopted family there. His father has passed on. The housekeeper who is 70 has a granddaughter. He’s her surrogate father… Bad things happen…There’s going to be some serious vengeance in this movie. A lot of people getting hurt.”

Cobra – “That (conceit) was what if Bruce Springsteen had a gun? That was rock n’ roll meets drama. That should have been another franchise because that character was so cool. And I blew it. My personal life got in the way. But we’re trying to bring it back as a streaming TV series. Bring out the zombie squad. I’m long gone, but the idea is really good…”

Rocky (Not Creed III): “I have a great idea for Rocky. He finds this fella in the country illegally and it becomes a whole thing…”

Sly talks about more in the article but there were two quotes I want to share:

“Failures just make you smarter. Sometimes success makes you dumber.”

“Never stop punching.  That’s how I roll. You always have something to prove.”

The one project I wish we’d hear more about is Hunter based on James Byron Huggins best-selling novel written for Sly!

Source: Deadline.

Steranko Fanzine Art and More!

Ken Meyer, Jr. presents a monthly column called Ink Stains. In the column Ken (who is an amazing artist) posts a fanzine from his collection.  Here’s Ken…

I have a collection of over 200 fanzines from the 60’s-80’s that I plan to scan and talk about, one at a time. I hope to have some of the participants answer a few questions. Many of those participants are established comics professionals now, while some have gone on to other things. I will show a few snippets from each zine and give you a link to download a pdf of the whole thing, which I hope all of you will do!

In Ink Stains 112, Ken shares with us Comic Crusader #14 which is another amazing issue.  Comic Crusader #14 features a cover by Dennis Fujitake and Bill Black, more Fujitake and Black art as well as art by Don Newton, Martin Greim, Jack Kirtby, Steve Ditko,  a full pager by Steranko, articles, stories and more!  What a classic fanzine.

As always, thanks to Ken for bringing back great memories of fandom!