THE EXPENDABLES (Sylvester Stallone, 2010)

[Jox]

Another great interview of the D-man! (warning: SPOILER towards the end)
http://movieblog.ugo.com/movies/dolph-l ... xpendables

[Jox]

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_i ... 640&ref=mf

"I'm in New Orleans rehearsing for one of my big scenes in THE EXPENDABLES, where my over-the top character GUNNAR JENSEN applies too much brute force and a dark sense of humor to a hostage situation-- with explosive, kick-ass results. Stallone has created an entertaining-- yet complex-- character, and I'm committed to giving my 100% to do the writing justice.

(from 10 days ago though)

[Jack Caine]

I'm not going to read that one spoiler link, but can I have a vague hint please?

[Jox]

I'm not going to read that one spoiler link,

the interview is pretty long you can still read 3/4 of it (just see level of the scroll bar on the side of your browser)

but can I have a vague hint please?

not really or it wouldn't be a hint

[Jox]

Stallone interview
http://movieblog.ugo.com/movies/sylvest ... xpendables

Jet Li
http://movieblog.ugo.com/movies/jet-li- ... xpendables

[Mosquito]

A new post in Ethel Mae's blog:

http://ethelmae.wordpress.com/

"the light at the end of the tunnel"

[Warchild]

How much money does the TE need to make for Stallone to make a sequel, 150 million?

[MikeR]

How much money does the TE need to make for Stallone to make a sequel, 150 million?

A ball-park figure is that a movie needs to gross about twice its budget to become profitable, so somewhere between $150 million and $200 million would make it a hit. But there's plenty of other things to include into the fantasy equation; how much of the gross comes from outside the US - a movie that scores well outside of America but does less well in the domestic market is considered a flop (Terminator 4 is Hollywood poison right now despite making its money back); movies that make most of their money on DVD are also flops to the studio; and movies that don't go to the top of the charts are considered failures.

Then there's something called 'Hollywood Accounting' which bears no resemblance to accounting as you and I know it. Studios regularly state that big grossing movies actually didn't make a profit - and when I say big grossing I mean things like 'Coming to America', 'Rain Man', 'Forrest Gump', 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit?', and 'Batman' are all considered loss-makers by their studios.

I think the biggest risk for TE is that it won't open at Number 1. In the US it has two weeks to make money before 'Iron Man 2' opens, three weeks before 'Robin Hood' which will both appeal to the same market. Bad word of mouth could kill it (and you know most of the press reviews are already written). I'm still not convinced it will appeal so much to the teenage - early 20s male market as we might think - after all, most of the cast were big when these people were still children. Marketing TE could be harder than it might appear.

M.

[Jox]

I'm still not convinced it will appeal so much to the teenage - early 20s male market as we might think - after all, most of the cast were big when these people were still children.

As much as I agree I heard or read that RAMBO actually worked really well (more than we'd think) among the teenagers who weren't even born when the third one came out. There's Jet Li and Statham to make the cast more hip and there's enough buzz around the film so that if it's marketed properly and as a blockbuster of some sort it will work...

[MikeR]

I'm still not convinced it will appeal so much to the teenage - early 20s male market as we might think - after all, most of the cast were big when these people were still children.

As much as I agree I heard or read that RAMBO actually worked really well (more than we'd think) among the teenagers who weren't even born when the third one came out. There's Jet Li and Statham to make the cast more hip and there's enough buzz around the film so that if it's marketed properly and as a blockbuster of some sort it will work...

Rambo was a hit? Really? I honestly remember seeing some fairly terrible reviews, thought I might see it for old time's sake a week or so later and by the time I got to the theatre it was gone. And are Jet Li (awesome) and Jason Statham (okayish) really that popular in the mainstream market? I'm not sure 'Forbidden Kingdom'* was even granted a nationwide release in the UK, and 'Crank 2'** vanished quicker than an ice cream cone in the current heat-wave.

To make more than $150 million a movie not only needs to tap its core audience, it has to persuade people to come back and bring their friends who might not be natural fans. That's going to be a tough sell, but if they're clever and start a steady stream of hype right now then it could work.Comic Con is coming, rumour is something will be shown; if there's then a couple of good trailers in the autumn and in the early part of 2010 then TE could succeed big time.

But it's hard to launch a new franchise with known actors; especially one which will face a lot of hostility from movie critics who will just love the fact a lot of faces perceived as being past-it or never-were-any-good are all in one easy-to-shoot barrel. Somehow, Stallone has to get the same buzz 'The Wrestler' got for Mickey Rourke - except for every member of the cast. The ideal review for him is 'forget everything you knew about Dolph Lundgren - this guy is brilliant!' which might not be true, or fair, but it is what they need people to know.

I honestly don't see it failing like 'Ishtar'; but it might have trouble getting a mass market and risk being seen as a 'aren't these guys a bit old for this?' kind of movie. I can't help but think of the geriatric looking Bruce Willis in 'Die Hard 4' - which somehow, despite the ear-bleeding volume, was so dull I could have happily curled up and gone to sleep.

M.

* it's okay, but not a classic; as with all these movies filmed in Mainland China it looks astonishing, but that kid was just annoying - he should have been kicked more, and harder.

** oh deary, deary me; please can I have that part of my life back? And to think I said such nice things about the original.

[Jox]

I don't see why you seem to hang on this review issue? For all we know action flicks (especially those of Sly and co) never or rarely made friends with critics but for we all we know these are not movies which needs good reviews for success (word of mouth is different).

[Moltisanti]

I'm of the belief that there will be a sequel to THE EXPENDABLES no matter what. Avi Lerner wants this as a franchise. Obviously it'll have to be a theatrical hit for it to be another big budget affair, but even if it flops there will be DTV low-budget sequels.

[Warchild]

I hate reading critics reviews, they always 80% percent of the time talk shit about all the actors who make action movies, my favourite genre, these bastards killed action movies with they trash reviews on newspapers, magazines and the internet, they killed alot of the action heroes off.

They say they can't act, too unrealistic this and that.... action movies are made too entertain, damm it.

[Jox]

Posing with good old pal Gary Daniels last week



PS did I mention principal photography wrapped and Dolph did his last day on Monday?!

[Jox]

http://www.nola.com/movies/index.ssf/20 ... rings.html