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We recently got word that a Rambo prequel is moving forward at Millennium Media, and the project has now found its lead.

Deadline reports that Noah Centineo is in talks to play a younger take on the legendary action hero. Specific plot details are still under wraps, but, as you'd expect, the movie "will be the origin story of a young John Rambo during the Vietnam War."

The original First Blood followed a tormented Vietnam vet (Sylvester Stallone) who is targeted by a corrupt sheriff when he arrives in a small town to see an old friend.

Stallone, who played John Rambo in all five previous movies, is said to be aware of the prequel and Centineo's attachment, but is not currently involved with the film.

Sisu director Jalmari Helander is set to direct from a screenplay by writing duo Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani.

Producers are Kevin King-Templeton on behalf of Templeton Media,...

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Who would have wondered that Liam Neeson would be the perfect son to Leslie Nielsen‘s hilariously chaotic cop, Frank Drebin, in an all-new The Naked Gun? The 2025 film follows Lieutenant Frank Drebin Jr, who must solve a hilariously convoluted case to stop his police department from shutting down. The Naked Gun also stars Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, Danny Huston, Cch Pounder, and Kevin Durand. So, if you loved the hilarious comedy, never-ending jokes, and entertaining characters in The Naked Gun, here are some similar movies you should check out next.

The Other Guys (Netflix & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Sony Pictures

The Other Guys is a buddy cop action comedy film directed by Adam McKay, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Chris Henchy. The 2010 film follows Terry and Allen, two overlooked cops who must work together...

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This July, Peacock is bringing you a lot of entertainment, from the highly anticipated return of the post-apocalyptic action comedy series Twisted Metal to the streaming release of Drop. However, for the purposes of this article, we are only including the films that are coming to Peacock next month and have an 80% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score. So, check out the twelve best films that are coming to Peacock in July 2025 with a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score.

Goodfellas (July 1) Rt Score: 91% Credit – Warner Bros.

Goodfellas is a biographical gangster film directed by Martin Scorsese, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Nicholas Pileggi. Based on Pileggi’s 1985 nonfiction book Wiseguy, the 1990 film chronicles the rise and fall of mafioso Henry Hill over the course of 25 years. Goodfellas stars Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco, and Paul Sorvino.

With Tulsa King still fresh in viewers’ minds after its explosive second season finale, Paramount is giving Sylvester Stallone fans even more reason to celebrate. While The General bides his time until Season 3, one of Stallone’s earliest and most defining action roles is heading to free streaming. Beginning July 1, First Blood — the 1982 action-thriller that introduced audiences to John Rambo — will be available to stream on Pluto TV, letting a whole new audience experience the film that helped cement Stallone as a household name.

While Stallone was already known for Rocky, First Blood proved he wasn’t just the scrappy underdog — he was also a full-fledged action icon. With a quieter, more psychologically tormented performance than his usual macho hero routine, Stallone turned Rambo into something more than just a one-man army. He made him human.

What Is 'First Blood' About?

Long before Rambo: Last Blood turned the franchise into a glorified slasher,...

Stars: Angela Lansbury, William Windom, Richard Crenna, Ray Baker, Ron Masak, Robert Mailhouse | Written by J. Michael Straczynski, Peter S. Fischer, Derek Marlowe, Mark A. Burley, Richard Levinson, William Link | Directed by Anthony Pullen Shaw, Walter Grauman, Vincent McEveety, Seymour Robbie

Dame Angela Lansbury had an illustrious career that spanned 80 years. The actress, singer and producer won many awards for her roles on stage and screen. Among her numerous wins were five Tony Awards, six Golden Globe Awards, 18 Primetime Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award and she was nominated for three Academy Awards. These are just some of her well-deserved awards and nominations.

Dame Lansbury starred in such classic films as Gaslight (1944), The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945), The Manchurian Candidate (1962), and Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971). After an amazing career in film, Angela was offered the opportunity to star in two TV series. One a sitcom and the other a detective series, her...

Exclusive: I caught up with Carolco co-founder Mario Kassar, who had two recently deceased artists on his mind, and how they helped shape his highest-flying foreign sales company of the ‘80s. That would be director Ted Kotcheff, who essentially launched Carolco with First Blood, and Val Kilmer on The Doors, playing the iconic singer Jim Morrison even though Tom Cruise was desperate to play The Lizard King.

Kotcheff was integral in First Blood, even as the pic almost imploded when Sylvester Stallone decided his Rambo character wasn’t going to die, like in the book and the script. The film’s financing was structured heavily around Kirk Douglas, who on the morning of shooting, was set as Rambo’s handler Col Trautman. Determined that his character had to put his tortured Vietnam vet protégé out of his misery, Douglas was aghast at the Frankenstein monster he created, and the actor...

Sylvester Stallone is one of the biggest movie stars in Hollywood history, but the man has also been featured in an impressive number of video games. That is to say, his characters have been featured in an impressive amount of video games. Stallone famously launched his own career with 1976's "Rocky," catapulting himself into the limelight with the story of his underdog pugilist from the northern slums of Philadelphia. Within a decade, Rocky Balboa made his video game debut with 1983's "Super Action Boxing," which was itself based on 1982's "Rocky III" and designed for the ColecoVision console. After that, the Stallone video game adaptations kept coming.

One of the most interesting examples was the 1986 platform game "Cobra," which was based on the film of the same name starring Sly as an LAPD lieutenant charged with protecting the witness of a horrific crime. The movie was panned upon its release,...

This post contains spoilers for "Reacher" season 3 episode 6.

Jack Reacher doesn't need to prove himself as a hero at this point. Across 29 books and what is now almost three seasons of Prime Video's "Reacher" series, the character has proven he is every bit the archetypal American action hero, dispatching armies of enemies with ease and weathering the kind of beatings that would snuff out lesser heroes. He's an itinerant former military policeman with an unwavering commitment to justice and chivalry who is always one step ahead of those that dare to cross him. Fans know the formula and Reacher delivers, time and time again.

But there's no doubt this particular American hero is indebted to those that came before him. While he clearly shares a lot in common with other contemporary characters, such as the similarly unstoppable John Wick, he is also quite clearly the modern equivalent of the muscle-bound...

Gene Hackman was the perfect symbol of resilience. The book Gene Hackman: The Life and Work by Peter Shelly reveals that during his days at the Pasadena Playhouse in the 1950s, he and his buddy, Dustin Hoffman, were voted the least likely to succeed. This only fueled his drive. He kept on pushing, alternating between roles on screen and Broadway. Luckily, the ‘60s turned out to be kinder to him. After getting rejected for a role in The Graduate for being too young, he was hired for Bonnie & Clyde, a role that would earn him his first Oscar nomination. From there, his career stayed on an upward trajectory.

It’s often forgotten that Hackman once did a space-themed film in the ‘60s. That’s because science fiction wasn’t one of the legendary actor’s favorite genres. Outside the Superman movies, he rarely touched anything that wasn’t rooted in realism.

When director Ted Kotcheff introduced moviegoers to the character of John Rambo in the 1982 action classic "First Blood," Rambo was recognizably human, a tragic figure who was trained to be an elite killing machine in a pointless war that could not be won in a conventional manner. Home from Vietnam for less than a decade, he's found it difficult to reintegrate himself into a society that wants to forget everything for which he risked his life. This is fine by Rambo. He just wants to reconnect with old war buddies and find a safe harbor where he can hopefully get his bearings back. He's not looking for a fight. That part of his life is over -- until a sadistic, power-tripping small-town sheriff decides to mess with Rambo because he can.

Though Rambo is portrayed as an exceptionally lethal man who can outwit a law enforcement hunting party while surviving a series of perilous spills,...

David Fincher, the Oscar-nominated director behind Se7en, Gone Girl, and The Social Network, wanted to make a new iteration of the classic novel/turned movie 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, but that doesn’t seem like it will happen. The original movie, which came out in 1954, starred Kirk Douglas as Nemo, captain of the submarine the Nautilus, as his crew investigated a wave of mysteries in the deep sea. The movie was based on the Jules Verne science fiction novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, which was first published in 1871.

Per Screen Rant, Fincher spoke with Letterboxd about the trials of getting a new 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea movie off the ground. In addition to the 1954 movie, the novel was adapted into a TV movie, 1997’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, which starred Richard Crenna, but the 1954 Disney version remains the only major adaptation of the classic novel.

In the 1970s, Sylvester Stallone became synonymous with the Rocky movies. Both the first film in 1976 and its sequel in 1978 cemented the underdog boxer as an iconic character, endearing the actor to millions around the globe. Rocky III in 1982 further proved his drawing power, as the film grossed $270 million at the box office against a budget of $17 million. However, that same year, Stallone started a new cinematic legacy that has stood the test of time, and it's finally found a new streaming home.

Per Paramount+, First Blood hits the streaming service today, Jan. 1, giving fans a chance to relive the origins of John Rambo, the disenfranchised Vietnam War vet who returns home only to be further traumatized by a small-town sheriff. Based on the excellent 1972 novel by author David Morrell, First Blood helped kick off Stallone's career as a bona fide action star, and was a smash hit with audiences.

The movies that turned Sylvester Stallone into an action star are coming to Paramount+. The original Rambo trilogy will soon be made available to stream for subscribers.

Beginning Jan. 1, Paramount+ subscribers will be able to stream 1982's First Blood, 1985's Rambo: First Blood Part II, and 1988's Rambo III. In the action franchise, Stallone stars as its title character, Vietnam War veteran John Rambo, who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and finds it difficult to readjust to normal life. Across the film series, Rambo uses the skills he acquired from serving in the military to fight corrupt police officers, enemy troops, and drug cartels.

Related Sylvester Stallone's Most Famous Rambo Movie Poster Gets Official Anime Makeover

Sylvester Stallone's John Rambo gets reimagined in fantastical woodland fashion thanks to the staff behind a bizarre Summer 2024 hit anime series.

The first Rambo movie, First Blood, based on David Morrell's 1972 novel of the same name,...

The 1980s were full of underappreciated science fiction movies, particularly where Alien movies were concerned. The Alien movies began in the late 70s with Alien, but the franchise truly hit its stride in the 80s, with James Cameron's Aliens dominating the sci-fi scene alongside other extraterrestrial movies like The Thing and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. The success of these films overshadowed a lot of lesser-known sci-fi movies of the 80s that deserve more credit.

Many of these films were admittedly driven by the success of Aliens, featuring space invaders that echoed the design and tactics of the Xenomorph creatures. A low budget can also be to blame for many of these B-films falling by the wayside over the years, with only the most dedicated cult followers singing their praises or even knowing of their existence. Science fiction in the 80s is so much better and more plentiful than most familiar with Aliens might realize.

One of John Candy’s 80s classics from director Carl Reiner, Summer Rental, was pretty elusive on physical media. Fans of this comedy don’t have to wait any longer as the boutique label Kino Lorber will now be releasing a new 4K restoration Blu-ray transfer of the film at the start of the new year. Blu-ray.com is reporting that Summer Rental, which was previously scheduled to hit retailers this year, will now have its physical media release on January 21, 2025.

The 1985 comedy stars John Candy, Karen Austin, Kerri Green, Joey Lawrence, and Aubrey Jene and is directed by Dick Van Dyke Show alum and Ocean’s Eleven star, Carl Reiner, who would direct another summer-themed comedy with Mark Harmon, Summer School, just a couple years later.

The description reads, “Comedy legend Carl Reiner (Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid) directed this tale of a family man who takes a vacation from...

When movie fans think of creature features, their minds most likely jump right to the classics - Godzilla, Alien, King Kong, or The Fly. It's a shame because there are so many other incredible monster movies, and the general audience is missing out on discovering them.

Everyone has forgotten about these underrated creature features. The monsters in these movies are well-designed and impactful, not to mention ruthlessly vicious. Whether the viewer prefers something wonderfully campy or downright nightmare-inducing, these underappreciated monster movies are definitely worth a watch.

A Deep Sea Adventure Goes Horribly Wrong in Leviathan Creature: Mutated Sea Monster

Metascore: 51 IMDb: 5.8/10 Rotten Tomatoes: 23%

There's a lot that can go wrong when exploring underwater. The crew in Leviathan faces the ultimate terror when one of their members is infected by a mutating creature with strong tentacles. Not only does this monster wreak havoc on the people, but it also damages the ship's systems,...

Known to many for his role as Horatio Caine on Cis: Miami from 2002 to 2012, David Caruso first gained notoriety in the police procedural drama NYPD Blue. The actor chose to depart from the latter of these products in 1994 to pursue a career in film. During the brief erotic thriller craze brought about by the success of Paul Verhoeven's Basic Instinct, Caruso took a role in Jade. A thriller, released in 1995 and directed by William Friedkin, also featured a stacked cast that included Linda Fiorentino, Chazz Palminteri, Michael Bien, and Richard Crenna.

To say Jade was not well received by critics and audiences would be an understatement. Jade bombed at the box office and was subject to scathing reviews from many critics. Like other erotic thrillers from the time period, such as Sliver, Body of Evidence, and Color of Night, the overall reception was mostly negative, despite these films all...

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Trouble is a Swedish action crime comedy film directed by Jon Holmberg who also co-wrote the screenplay with Tapio Leopold. The Netflix film follows the story of a clumsy divorced electronic salesman who is wrongfully convicted of murder and sent to prison. To prove his innocence he escapes from prison with other convicts. Trouble stars Filip Berg, Amy Deasismont, Eva Melander, Måns Nathanaelson, Dejan Čukić, Joakim Sällquist, and Sissela Benn. So, if you loved the blend of crime and comedy, compelling characters, and a thrilling story in Netflix’s Trouble here are some similar movies you should check out next.

The Lovebirds (Netflix & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Netflix

The Lovebirds is a romantic crime comedy film directed by Michael Showalter from a screenplay co-written by Aaron Abrams and Brendan Gall. The 2020 film revolves around a young couple...

Throughout film history, there have been companies and, for certain stretches, whole studios notorious for churning out garbage. Obviously, American International Pictures had a rep for schlock, but they hit for a shockingly high average at their late 1950s and '60s peak. There's also Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus' Cannon Films, which sparkled with its constellation of B-list action stars like Chuck Norris and Charles Bronson, but Golan was a filmmaker himself with dreams of respectability who courted legit directors like Franco Zeffirelli, Jerry Schatzberg, and Andrei Konchalovsky to make Academy Awards-worthy movies for his exploitation factory.

One of the more outlandishly awful runs from any production entity was Hollywood Pictures, which was created by Disney to nurture fledgling executives and feed film-starved multiplexes — lacking in the wake of MGM/UA, Lorimar and Deg's financial difficulties — with new movies. Disney wasn't sending its best to Hollywood Pictures, so agents...

The first entry in what many would argue is one of the most iconic action franchises ever has become a smash hit on an underrated streaming service. First Blood, the 1982 action film starring Sylvester Stallone which kicked off the Rambo franchise, is the #9 most popular movie on Pluto TV. While you may be unfamiliar with Pluto TV, it is a free streaming service that incorporates ads, so you don't even have to sign up for it. That's right, you could be watching the first Rambo movie within seconds without even having to give out your email, phone number, or credit card information. First Blood stars Stallone as the titular character, alongside Brian Denny, Richard Crenna, Bill McKinney, and Jack Starrett, and the film currently sits at equal scores of 86% from both critics and audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, strong numbers for an action film.

Quick Links Stallone Took Advantage of an Empty Niche First Blood Was the Crossroads of Stallone's Professional Life Stallone Invents the Modern International Blockbuster How Stallone Learned to Prolong His Fifteen Minutes of Fame

It's tempting to designate Sylvester Stallone's breakout performance in Rocky as his most important performance and crowing achievement. But, looking at the overall arc of his resume and his acting roles, it's not true. 1982 First Blood (the opening chapter in the Rambo series) has shaped not only his trajectory as the pioneer of modern action flick but all of his future blockbusters, with subsequent productions latching onto the movie's visual and marketing choices, for better or worse. It's the role of mullet-loving Rambo that came to define him as an actor and pop culture institution, not the punch-drunk Philadelphian, Rocky Balboa. So why did he want every copy of the movie burned?

Stallone Took Advantage...

A contentious figure during his time in American politics, movies, and TV shows have rushed to portray Ronald Reagan for years. The former president himself was active in the media, acting in Hollywood films and TV shows for over 30 years. For this reason, the public was surprised when he was initially running for office, as the public figure was considered by many to be much more of an actor than he was a politician. Nonetheless, Reagan went on to serve two terms in office and become a highly prominent conservative political figure.

While Reagan has been portrayed throughout the decades, the most recent portrayal of the former president is in the biopic Reagan. Reagan was released to theaters this past weekend on August 30, and has thus far brought in $9.2 million at the box office. Reagan's reviews aren't good thus far, garnering just an 18% score among the 44 critics who have reviewed it thus far.

The first movie of the Rambo franchise, First Blood, had everything working in its favor. The movie was directed by Ted Kotcheff and penned by Sylvester Stallone. The actor not only wrote the screenplay but also starred as the main lead, John Rambo.

But while Stallone’s acting was highly impressive in the movie, there was another legendary actor who could’ve been a part of the movie if his requests were not rejected by the filmmaker.

Sylvester Stallone as John Rambo in First Blood || Credits: Orion Pictures

The actor in question was the late Kirk Douglas, who almost played Col. Trautman. However, after some of his scenes were cut short in the movie, the actor left production midway.

Why Did Kirk Douglas leave First Blood midway?

The Rambo franchise is among the most bankable in the industry, with several movies under its banner. Playing the titular John Rambo in all the films,...

Peter Marshall, the velvety-voiced host who presided over NBC’s celebrity-filled game show The Hollywood Squares for 16 years, died Thursday. He was 98.

Marshall, an accomplished singer who also was a leading man on Broadway and one-half of a popular comedy team before embarking on his game-show gig, died of kidney failure at his Encino home, his family announced.

The pride of West Virginia hosted some 6,000 episodes of The Hollywood Squares from 1966 through 1981, winning four Daytime Emmy Awards. Marshall often worked just one day a week, when he taped five shows. “It was the easiest job I ever had, and I never rehearsed,” he said.

Soon after starring in the Tony-nominated Broadway musical comedy Skyscraper opposite Julie Harris, Marshall was offered the job as host of The Hollywood Squares, created by Merrill Heatter and Bob Quigley. An earlier version of the show, hosted by Bert Parks, had been turned down.

Marshall...

George Schenck, who served as a writer, producer and/or co-showrunner on NCIS during the CBS drama’s first 15 seasons, died Saturday at his home in Los Angeles, a network spokesperson announced. He was 82.

He and Frank Cardea shared a creative partnership for 40 years. In addition to collaborating on NCIS, they created the 1982-83 CBS adventure series Bring ‘Em Back Alive, starring Bruce Boxleitner; the 1984-86 CBS crime show Crazy Like a Fox, starring Jack Warden and John Rubinstein; and the 1991-92 ABC drama Pros and Cons, starring James Earl Jones and Richard Crenna.

After writing nearly 50 episodes of NCIS starting with show’s inaugural season in 2003, the pair were elevated to co-showrunners in November 2016 following the sudden death of Gary Glasberg two months earlier. “It’s with heavy hearts that we assume his duties,” they said at the time.

“So sorry to hear the news on George,” NCIS star...

George Schenck, a television writer and producer who served as showrunner on the ratings smash CBS procedural “NCIS,” died peacefully in his home in Brentwood, California on Saturday. He was 82.

Shenck was born on Feb. 12, 1942, and grew up with a passion for storytelling. His own father, Aubrey Schenck, was a successful independent producer along with his great uncles, Nicholas and Joseph Schenck, who ran MGM and 20th Century Fox.

He would pursue that passion by graduating from the University of Southern California with a degree in screenwriting and a graduate degree in the first class of the Film School’s new writers’ program. After college, he served in the U.S. Navy.

His career in television, which spanned several decades, included co-creating and writing for numerous TV shows. After a brief solo career as a writer on independent movies, Schenck collaborated with Frank Cardea, his longtime writer-producing partner of over 40 years,...

George Schenck, a television writer and producer for the beloved long-running series NCIS, died peacefully at his home in Brentwood, CA on August 3. He was 82.

His death was announced by his family.

Schenck was the son of the late film and TV producer Aubrey Schenck and great-nephew of the legendary Nicholas and Joseph Schenck, who ran MGM and 20th Century Fox during Hollywood’s Golden Age and were part of the industry’s major movers and shakers for much of the first half of the 20th Century.

With more than 40 years as a producing partner with Frank Cardea, Schenck’s prolific producing credits stretch back to the late 1970s and early ’80 on such popular series as Fantasy Island (1981); Bring ‘Em Back Alive, the 1982 adventure series starring Bruce Boxleitner; and the 1984 detective series Crazy Like a Fox starring Jack Warden and John Rubinstein as a father and son investigator team.

But his signature series was NCIS,...

Rambo's age in each film closely aligns with Stallone's, reflecting the actor's career evolution and the character's growth onscreen. The franchise has seen Rambo transform from a haunted young man to a redemptive older figure, fighting for respect and battling villainous armies. Sly Stallone has masterfully portrayed John Rambo across nearly four decades, showcasing the character's depth and resilience despite his aging.

The question of "how old was Sylvester Stallone in Rambo" is interesting since the franchise consists of five films from 1982 through 2019, giving the action hero a surprisingly long run. Rambo was created by author David Morrell in his 1972 novel First Blood, which was later adapted into the 1982 film of the same name. The character is a former Special Forces Operator (Green Beret) who served in the Vietnam War while struggling to escape his violent way of life. The movies have shown him grow from a haunted young...

George Lucas removed his name from Lawrence Kasdan's directorial debut Body Heat. Lucas prioritized preserving his family-friendly brand over potentially boosting the film's success. Despite its critical acclaim and success, Lucas wanted Kasdan to receive full credit for the movie.

George Lucas explains why he had his name taken off a sultry erotic thriller with a 96% Rotten Tomatoes score, directed by an Empire Strikes Back writer. Lucas was in a position to make others' careers after the blockbuster success of Star Wars, so he was happy to aid frequent collaborator Lawrence Kasdan by helping set up Kasdans directorial debut, the 1981 thriller Body Heat. Lucas kept his involvement in the film strictly hush-hush, however, not taking an on-screen producer credit.

Now over forty years after Body Heat steamed up the screen, Lucas has explained that he took his name off the movie not just to avoid overshadowing Kasdan, but to protect his own growing brand.

Home invasion has been a part of horror movies practically from the beginning. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), Nosferatu (1922), Dracula, and Frankenstein (1931) all included moments of attackers entering homes uninvited and terrorizing unsuspecting victims.

Home invasion as a sub-genre unto itself came a bit later, as the suburbs sprung up and a false sense of security rose in the United States along with fears of “the other” that have always been a key aspect of horror movies.

These ten movies may not all be the best of this sub-genre, but they all bring something different to the table and pushed it, in large and small ways, in new directions.

The Desperate Hours (1955)

It is practically impossible to pinpoint the exact moment that started any new genre or movement within film but a good candidate for the foundation of the home invasion movie is William Wyler’s The Desperate Hours. The...

After concluding April with discussions of Ciarán Foy’s Eli (listen) and David Cronenberg’s eXistenZ (listen), we kicked off May with a revisit of Stephen Sommers’ delightful 1999 film, The Mummy (listen).

Now we’re headed into the past with Terence Young‘s adaptation of Frederick Knott‘s “disabled woman in danger” play, Wait Until Dark (1967).

In the film, recently blind Susy (Audrey Hepburn) is menaced by a trio of strange men, including sexually perverse ring leader Roat (Alan Arkin), “nice guy” Talman (Richard Crenna) and portly Carlino (Jack Weston). The men are looking for a doll full of heroin, which is located somewhere in her apartment, but she doesn’t know where!

Can Susy figure out the scam with the help of upstairs neighbor girl Gloria (Julie Herrod) or will she wind up hanging in the closet like Roat’s poor accomplice Lisa (Samantha Jones)?

Be sure to subscribe...

Sylvester Stallone's "Rambo" movies might not be as beloved as his "Rocky" films, but they've had just as fascinating a trajectory. What's more, they've been incredibly influential in the history of action movies, charting the general evolution of the genre across four decades. If you want to get an insight into the state of action filmmaking at a certain time, "Rambo" films are a good gauge.

"First Blood," the inaugural "Rambo" film, was noteworthy for blending what are now well-known action tropes with an attempt at exploring the very real issue of Ptsd in the context of the Vietnam War. Stallone's John J. Rambo was introduced as a former United States Army Special Forces officer who despite his preternatural combat skills was haunted by his experiences overseas. Following that, the character of Rambo underwent somewhat of a transformation throughout the '80s, becoming the epitome of the muscle-bound,...

Terence Young's Wait Until Dark is not often the first film you think of when talking about Audrey Hepburn's work, but it should be. This psychological thriller, also starring Alan Arkin and Richard Crenna, is an underrated submission in the genre, and even earned Hepburn an Academy Award. So, what is so special about it? With Young being well-known for directing various James Bond films, such as Dr. No and Thunderball, Wait Until Dark offers the same excitement with a darker tone. "Kill or be killed" describes the stakes best in this psychological thriller, while also remaining a charming time capsule for 1960s film drama.

Killer Collectibles highlights five of the most exciting new horror products announced each and every week, from toys and apparel to artwork, records, and much more.

Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!

Leviathan 4K Uhd from Kino Lorber

Leviathan plunges onto 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray on February 20 via Kino Lorber. The 1989 sci-fi/horror film been newly restored in 4K from the 35mm interpositive with Dolby Vision/Hdr and 5.1 surround and lossless 2.0 audio.

George P. Cosmatos directs from a script by David Webb Peoples and Jeb Stuart. Peter Weller, Richard Crenna, Amanda Pays, Daniel Stern, Ernie Hudson, Michael Carmine, Lisa Eilbacher, and Héctor Elizondo star.

Special features include: a new commentary by film historians Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson; Leviathan: Monster Melting Pot featurette; interviews with Hudson and Elizondo; the trailer; and reversible artwork.

Pumpkinhead & Killer Klowns Puppets from Toynk

Reach out and grab some fun with Toynk’s Reachers,...

In the 1990 "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "The Hunted," the U.S.S. Enterprise has arrived at a world called Angosia III to give the planet a final once-over before they are accepted into the Federation. Everything seems pleasant and copacetic, and the planet's Prime Minister Nayrok (James Cromwell) seems enlightened. As one might predict, something afoul is afoot. Nayrok tells Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) that a dangerous criminal has escaped from an Angosian prison on one of their moons. The Enterprise spends a long while tracking this wily prisoner who seems incredibly adept at avoiding detection. Eventually, they do apprehend him and put him in the Enterprise's brig. 

This is Roga Danar (Jeff McCarthy), and he did indeed escape from prison, and admits that he is perfectly willing to commit acts of violence to protect himself. The crew of the Enterprise begins looking into the past and character of this mysterious Danar,...

Warning: Spoilers for Netflix's Sly below!

Stallone believes audiences hate sad endings and watching their heroes die, which is why he has a rule against killing off his main characters. Sly's refusal to allow sad endings hurt franchises like Expendables and Rambo, robbing them of dramatic weight in their final entries. Rocky's survival in Rocky V benefited Stallone in the long run, as it allowed him to make Rocky Balboa and the Creed movies.

Netflix's new documentary Sly sees Sylvester Stallone discussing his entire career, but his stance against sad endings has hurt two of his biggest franchises. Stallone may have become a movie star thanks to the success of 1976's Rocky, but it took time for him to find his groove. His two immediate follow-up movies like Paradise Alley underperformed, and it was only the success of Rocky's sequels that kept his career afloat. Once he became Rambo in First Blood,...

Renowned director Robert Lieberman, best known for his work on the sci-fi cult classic Fire in the Sky, passed away at 75 in Los Angeles after a prolonged battle with cancer.

According to Deadline, the news of Lieberman’s death was confirmed by his manager, John Bauman. Lieberman began his career as an assistant editor in commercials, but his talent quickly propelled him into the director's chair by the mid-1970s. Over the course of his 50-plus-year career, he directed over a thousand commercials for prominent brands like McDonald's, Hallmark, and Oreo, earning accolades such as the DGA Award in 1979 and 1995.

Related: The X-Files Found Inspiration for Fox Mulder in a Cult TV Show

Alongside his partner Stuart Gross, Lieberman founded Harmony Pictures, a company through which he collaborated with a diverse range of talents, from President Bill Clinton and Ray Charles to Jerry Lewis, Michael Jordan, Anne Hathaway, and Kenan Thompson.

Robert Lieberman, who directed films including Fire in the Sky and D3: The Mighty Ducks, episodes of The X-Files, Dexter and Criminal Minds and thousands of commercials, has died. He was 75.

Lieberman died July 1 in Los Angeles after a long battle with cancer, his son, Nick Lieberman, who co-directed Searchlight Pictures’ Theater Camp, which hit the big screen this weekend, announced.

Lieberman helmed TV spots for such companies as McDonald’s, Hallmark and Oreo and worked with talent ranging from President Clinton, Ray Charles and Jerry Lewis to Michael Jordan, Anne Hathaway and Kenan Thompson. He received more than two dozen Clio Awards and, in 1979, the inaugural DGA Award for commercials.

Much of his work was done through Harmony Pictures, the company he founded with Stuart Gross.

In addition to Fire in the Sky (1993), starring D.B. Sweeney and Robert Patrick, and the hockey sequel D3: The Mighty Ducks (1996), starring Emilio Estevez,...

Robert Lieberman, who directed the sci-fi cult classic Fire in the Sky and won the inaugural DGA Award for Commercials, has died in Los Angeles after a long battle with cancer. He was 75.

His death on July 1 was confirmed by his manager, John Bauman.

Lieberman kicked off his 50-plus year career as an assistant editor in commercials but by the mid-’70s had worked his way up to directing. He ended up helming more than a thousand spots for McDonald’s, Hallmark, Oreo among countless others and winning the DGA Award in 1979 and 1995. He worked with talent ranging from spanned from President Bill Clinton, Ray Charles and Jerry Lewis to Michael Jordan, Anne Hathaway and Kenan Thompson, and much of this work was done through Harmony Pictures, the company he founded with partner Stuart Gross.

Lieberman was in the vanguard that brought a more cinematic, filmmaker’s eye to television. He...

Summer is right around the corner. The most significant indicator of this for horror fans isn’t in the increasingly warmer weather and longer days but in the arrival of new shark horror.

This week brings megalodon terror in The Black Demon, kicking off a summer of aquatic terror that also includes Meg 2: The Trench and The Last Voyage of the Demeter. The latter of which proves that aquatic horror doesn’t solely belong to sharks.

This week’s streaming picks highlight the various terrors that lurk in various bodies of water, from ghosts to Lovecraftian nightmares. Here’s where you can stream them this week.

For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.

Dagon – Plex, Tubi, Vudu

Loosely based on H.P. Lovecraft’s stories “Dagon” and “The Shadow Over Innsmouth,” this Stuart Gordon film induces ichthyophobia. While on a boating trip, Paul Marsh (Ezra Godden) and his...

There's a confusing narrative surrounding 1982's "First Blood." Amid the mayhem of its bloody blockbuster sequels, the film either gets misremembered as a straightforward action flick, or is claimed to be a deep exploration of the psychological effects of war on returning soldiers. But the adaptation of David Morrell's 1972 novel is both.

As his franchise took off, Sylvester Stallone's John Rambo would evolve (or devolve?) into a more stereotypical action hero, cutting down entire armies with belt-fed machine guns over the course of four sequels. Stallone even thinks "Rambo 4" is his best action film. But in "First Blood" the character is more multi-faceted. A Vietnam vet who finds himself at odds with the society he believed he was fighting for, John Rambo doesn't directly kill anyone once he runs afoul of a hard-hearted small-town Sheriff and his deputies. Instead, he flees into the Washington State wilderness and...

Sylvester Stallone does not speak much in the Rambo movies, and this was a key creative choice for the franchise. John Rambo first appeared in David Morrell's 1972 novel First Blood, about a Ptsd-stricken Vietnam veteran who is pushed over the edge after being arrested by abusive small town cops. First Blood was subsequently adapted into the 1982 movie of the same name, with Sylvester Stallone portraying John Rambo.

First Blood became a major hit, and spawned the Rambo action movie franchise, with Stallone returning in all four sequels and even directing 2008's Rambo. One noticeable trait about Stallone's portrayal of Rambo is the character's relatively minimal dialogue. As it turns out, this grew out of Rambo's harrowing psychological experiences.

Related: Rambo 4 Almost Set Up A Spinoff: Here's Why It Didn't Happen

Rambo's Minimal Dialogue Was A Story Choice

On his First Blood DVD commentary, David Morrell explains the thought...

The 1982 action thriller saw Sylvester Stallone play a wounded veteran with depth that was later betrayed by a series of xenophobic sequels

The original ending of First Blood had John Rambo, an ex-Special Forces super-soldier in Vietnam, pulling a gun from his mentor’s holster and asking him to pull the trigger: “You trained me. You made me. You kill me.” Finally surrounded after waging war against seemingly every armed man within Cb range in the Pacific north-west – a local police department, inept “weekend warriors” for the national guard, the US army – Rambo wants his Green Beret Geppetto to kill him rather than the strangers that don’t understand him. Moreover, he wants to be released from the pain he carries from a conflict that scarred him physically and mentally overseas and left him despised and unmoored at home. His mentor obliges.

Test audiences hated that ending. As did Kirk Douglas,...

Sensory horror has had a steady place in the spotlight for the past few years; drop one of the five senses and the storytelling can go to some interesting places. "Bird Box" punishes its victims in that most Eldritch of ways, for looking: Witnessing its unseen creatures drives the beholder to suicidal madness. The apocalyptic beasts of "A Quiet Place" can't see you, but they'll bring a world of hurt if they hear you. Unfortunately for the bad guy of Mike Flanagan's "Hush," deaf-mute horror author Maddie Young (played by co-writer Kate Siegel) proves to be no easy target.

The 2016 horror movie continues to steadily make appearances on Netflix's trending section, forever finding audiences to thrill with Maddie's writing retreat from hell. Lacking vocal cord function and experiencing permanent hearing loss after a childhood illness, Maddie can't scream when The Man (John Gallagher Jr. of "10 Cloverfield Lane"), an armed,...

Click here to read the full article.

Pat Carroll, the gregarious Emmy-winning comedienne who was a television mainstay for decades before segueing to a voiceover career that included portraying the villainous sea witch Ursula in The Little Mermaid, has died. She was 95.

Carroll died Saturday of pneumonia at her home in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, her daughter Kerry Karsian told The Hollywood Reporter.

Carroll’s perky personality, screwball wit and impeccable timing made her a great second banana, and Red Buttons, Jimmy Durante, Mickey Rooney, Steve Allen and Charley Weaver were among those who called upon her to make their programs funnier. Her antics on Caesar’s Hour earned her an Emmy in 1957, and she was nominated for her work on the classic variety show the following year.

In a 2013 interview with Kliph Nesteroff, Carroll compared Howard Morris, Carl Reiner and Sid Caesar on Caesar’s Hour to the Chicago Cubs’ legendary double-play...

Though streaming and cable comedies such as “Ted Lasso,” “Hacks,” “Barry” and “Only Murder in the Building” are poised to receive multiple Emmy nominations, ABC’s perceptive and smartly funny mockumentary “Abbott Elementary” may just teach them a lesson. The freshman series, a valentine to educators who overcome trials and tribulations to teach, is a leading Emmy nomination contender.

Set in a predominately Black, grossly underfunded grade school in Philadelphia, the series stars Quinta Brunson as an eager second-grade teacher who is one of the few educators who have made it to a second year at the school. Brunson also created the series which was inspired by her mother who was a teacher in Philly for 40 years. Reviews were glowing for the series. The L.A. Times critic Robert Lloyd wrote: “The series feels fresh even as it mines the familiar. As much as characters represent an agglomeration of types,...

John Sturges’ orbital jeopardy thriller does everything right: the story is taken seriously, the actors seem committed and the special effects aren’t bad. Yet it’s more interesting for what doesn’t work than what does. As one of the first Sci-fi pictures in the wake of 2001 it wasn’t well received despite being technically astute. Did NASA’s race to the Moon put an end to fanciful space Sci-fi? Gregory Peck, Gene Hackman, Lee Grant and some ex- TV actors do their best, but producer Mike Frankovich’s space saga just sits there. It looks great in its first Blu-ray release: images of the actual Apollo 11 launch are breathtaking.

Marooned

Region-free Blu-ray

Viavision [Imprint] 113

1969 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 134 min. / Street Date March 30, 2022 (Au.) April 8, 2022 (U.S.) / Available from Amazon US / 47.99

Starring: Gregory Peck, Richard Crenna, David Janssen, James Franciscus, Gene Hackman, Lee Grant, Nancy Kovack, Mariette Hartley, Scott Brady,...

Screenwriter Jeb Stuart joins hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante to discuss a few of his favorite movies.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Die Hard (1988)

The Fugitive (1993)

Sword of Sherwood Forest (1960) – Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review

The Face of Fu Manchu (1965) – Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review

The Detective (1968) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

Dirty Harry (1971) – Alan Spencer’s trailer commentary, Josh Olson’s trailer commentary

Rear Window (1954) – John Landis’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

Vertigo (1958) – Dan Ireland’s trailer commentary, Brian Trenchard-Smith’s review, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

North By Northwest (1959)

The Trouble With Harry (1955)

Casablanca (1942) – John Landis’s trailer commentary

Wait Until Dark (1967) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

Switchback (1997)

Jeremiah Johnson (1972)

The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary

The Getaway (1972) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary

The Thin Man (1934)

Another 48 Hrs (1990)

Commando (1985) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary

The Long Riders (1980)

The Warriors...

Banshee co-creator and Warrior creator Jonathan Tropper discusses Bruce Lee and some of his favorite action movies with podcast hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante!

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

The Devils (1971)

Star Wars (1977)

The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Return of the Jedi (1983)

Gremlins (1984)

Innerspace (1987)

The Adam Project (Tbd)

A History of Violence (2005)

Rocky (1976)

Rocky II (1979)

Rocky III (1982)

Rocky IV (1985)

Jerry Maguire (1996)

Terms of Endearment (1983)

Blue Thunder (1983)

Lone Wolf McQuade (1983)

Missing In Action (1984)

Missing In Action 2: The Beginning (1985)

Enter The Ninja (1981)

Revenge Of The Ninja (1983)

Ninja 3: The Domination (1984)

American Ninja (1985)

Masters of the Universe (1987)

I Come In Peace a.k.a. Dark Angel (1990)

Showdown In Little Tokyo (1991)

Men of War (1994)

Enter The Dragon (1973)

Way of the Dragon a.k.a. Return of the Dragon (1972)

The Big Boss (1971)

Braveheart (1995)

First Blood (1982)

Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985)

Conan The Barbarian (1982)

Commando (1985)

The Terminator (1984)

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Highlander (1986)

Bloodsport...

There's been many a book that his been turned into a feature film. Many comic books and cartoons have been turned into feature length properties as well. However, did you know that there are a slew of 1980s movies that inspired cartoons? Yes, you have read that correctly. Even more interesting are the films that were somehow made palatable to be able to exist on such a seemingly benign platform.

The Karate Kid seems like a no-brainer for a second life as a cartoon. What about a film like Rambo: First Blood Part II? Robocop? Or, The Toxic Avenger? Again, you've read that correctly. These are just a few of the movies would be given a shot to make a ton of money in the world of Saturday Morning Cartoons. Some of the cartoons on this list were more successful than others, but by and large making the leap from...