Favourite Actor? - Sylvester Stallone

Sylvester Stallone


Sylvester Stallone is an actor, screenwriter, and film director. Stallone is well known for his Hollywood action roles, particularly boxer Rocky Balboa, the title character of the Rocky series from 1976 to 2008, and soldier John Rambo from the Rambo saga, which ran from 1982 to 2008. Stallone was born on July 6th, 1946 in New York, USA. Stallone had a difficult childhood after his parents divorce, Stallone spent some time of his childhood in a foster home in result of this. His parents divorce had a massive effect on him, as he got expelled from many schools, and ended up moving to Philadelphia where he attended a special high school for troubled youth. After this Stallone moved to Switzerland he attended an American college there. Then Stallone decided to leave and go to the University of Miami to concentrate on dramatic arts, in an attempt to complete a degree in New York and pursue an acting career, and this is what he did. My love for Sylvester Stallone stimulated from the Rocky series, growing up and watching a tall muscular, action man type actor which always showed the hero and big man in most films.

List of films Sylvester Stallone has featured in:

No Place to Hide (1972)
The Lords of Flatbush (1974)
Capone (1975)
Death Race 2000 (1975)
Rocky (1976)
F.I.S.T. (1978)
Paradise Alley (1978)
Rocky II (1979)
Nighthawks (1981)
Escape To Victory (1981)
Rocky III (1982)
Rambo: First Blood (1982)
Staying Alive (1983)
Rhinestone (1984)
Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985)
Rocky IV (1985)
Cobra (1986)
Over the Top (1987)
Rambo III (1988)
Lock Up (1989)
Tango & Cash (1989)
Rocky V (1990)
Oscar (1991)
Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (1992)
Cliffhanger (1993)
Demolition Man (1993)
The Specialist (1994)
Judge Dredd (1995)
Assassins (1995)
Daylight (1996)
Cop Land (1997)
Antz (1998)
D-Tox (1999)
Get Carter (2000)
Driven (2001)
Avenging Angelo (2002)
Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003)
Shade (2004)
Rocky Balboa (2006)
Rambo (2008)
Kambakkht Ishq (2009)
The Expendables (2010)
Zookeeper (2011)
The Expendables 2 (2012)
Bullet to the Head (2012)
Escape Plan (2013)
Grudge Match (2013)
The Expendables 3 (2014)
Reach Me (2014)
Creed (2015)


Here Sylvester Stallone is shown in a famous scene of Rocky III:

Here Sylvester Stallone is shown in a final scene of Rambo 4:

Favourite?:

Sylvester Stallone has been involved in some brilliant movies. One movie which I particularly enjoyed his role in First Blood. It was incredible to see great action in this film and Stallone playing the part as John Rambo in this film seeing him kill soldier after soldier in increasingly brutal ways. I really love how quickly things escalated and that's the main reason why I loved this film, the pure action just kept me on the edge of my seat and that's the best action films. 

Stallone's role in Rocky as Rocky Balboa was fantastic. This film isn't just for boxing fans, it's much more than that because it's all about everyday life, and if you have a goal you want to reach you can get there with hard work, and I think Stallone's courage was shown in this, and how many gave up on him as a boxer, however he proved them wrong and got a crack at Apollo Creed for a world title fight, yes he lost, but this showed pure respect for him and his ability to go and get revenge in the Rocky series. Stallone fought for this incredible movie that made me want to go the distance and made me strive to work harder and not give up, this film also got me for the first time into boxing a few years ago, it was superb. 

Sub-Genres of a Thriller? - Mystery Thriller

Sub Genres of a Thriller? - Mystery Thriller

Mystery Thriller includes suspense that is usually built up by atmosphere and environment. The reader should be able to, using their mind, solve the mystery alongside the main character. The main character usually is occupied in tracking down the truth about an event, usually a murder. Mystery Thriller's and Psychological Thriller's are very similar in the way that the movie gives you an opportunity to think and find out about who has done a certain thing. A mystery is a who done it?, where the reader is taken on a journey full of carefully laid clues that leads to an ultimate reveal. A thriller employs a 'ticking clock' or 'time bomb' method where there is an imminent danger explained right up front that must be dealt with and found out by, which makes things more intense. So if you combine both aspects, serial killer stories are very often mystery thrillers because there is a definite ' factor of how can you stop the killer combined with the threat of danger to everybody, and the 'mystery' is for the audience to find out 'who is this person and why is he doing this?'.

Here below shows some well known Mystery Thriller films:

Sub-Genres of a Thriller? - Religious Thriller

 Sub Genres of a Thriller? - Religious Thriller

Religious Thriller film provides religious themes, including religious questions, ceremonies, and objects, an example of a religious thriller film could include The Da Vinci code. Usually a sacred artifact or historical secret builds up the plot. Another way in which a religious movie is described is that of a film that seeks to boost a particular religion, usually with the intent to convince the viewer into joining that religion. Supernatural-Religious films are usually just connected with religion and the unknown in connection to God. These films are very similar to Religious Thrillers, this sub-genre often questions the state of current church practices and beliefs.

Here below are some well known Religious Thriller films:

Sub-Genres of a Thriller? - Science Fiction Thriller

Sub Genres of a Thriller? - Science Fiction Thriller



Science Fiction thriller includes a science based plot. This could include heroes, villains etc., in an attempt to create anticipation and suspense. Science Fiction Films are usually scientific, imaginative and visionary which could include advanced technology gadgets (Robots, Spaceships). Science Fiction often expresses the potential of technology to destroy humankind. The first Science Fiction films were produced in the 1920's. The Lost World (1925) was widely known for being the first dinosaur oriented Science Fiction film. This film started a new era of dinosaur oriented Science Fiction films like for example Gojira (1954) and world famous Jurassic Park (1993). Metropolis (1927) as shown on the picture below was directed by Fritz Lang. Fritz Lang and his wife Thea von Harbou wrote the silent film which starred Brigitte Helm, Gustav Frohlich, Alfred Abel and Rudolf Klein-Rogge and it was made in the Weimar period of Germany. Filming took place in 1925 at a cost of around 5 million Reichmarks, meaning this was the most expensive ever released up to that point. Metropolis was funded by Paramount pictures that have funded and produced many world famous modern films such as Paranormal Activity, Interstellar, Iron Man etc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer also helped with funding part of Metropolis.    

Here below are some examples of well known Sci-fi films:

Below is a famous scene in I Robot of a car attack:

Sub-Genres of a Thriller? - Psychological Thriller

 Sub Genres of a Thriller? - Psychological Thriller

Psychological Thriller shows elements of drama and mystery film. The suspense in this comes from the mind, rather than from a psychical threat. "It's a great thriller or mystery, but on another level it's a film about the fact that, if you only look at a person through one lens, or only believe what you're told, you can often miss the truth that is staring you in the face." - Kevin Spacey.  Psychological thrillers often include elements of mystery, drama, action, and horror, particularly psychological horror. A characteristic of a psychological thriller is  emphasis on the mental states of its characters: their perceptions, thoughts, and general struggle to grasp reality of the films plot or outcome including the audience in their struggles or mysteries. Films can also cause discomfort audiences by giving them information that they wish to share with the characters, which also sparks the audience interest in the film to see if their characters find out about this information or outcomes.

Here below are some examples of well known Psychological Thriller films: 

                                               

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo:

Director: David Fincher 

Actors: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer

Plot: Journalist (Daniel Craig) Mikael Blomkvist is searching for a woman who has been missing for forty years by Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), a computer hacker. The performance of Salander in this film was incredible because you could really see the emotional and physical stress which she had previously been effected with before. Daniel Craig as Mikael Blomkvist in the film is the owner of a famous Swedish magazine called Millennium, and his job is to expose publicly the corruption in the government and of more important people.  

This film has done so well that that altogether have sold 50 million copies in 46 countries and become a worldwide phenomenon.

One of the main scenes in this film is when Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) meets Salander (Rodney Mara):

Sub-Genres of a Thriller? - Crime Thriller

Sub Genres of a Thriller? - Crime Thriller


Crime Thriller film is a sub genre that includes the suspenseful aspects of a thriller with a crime film plot. This plot usually incorporates a serial killer, murderer, robbery, or manhunt. Most crime thriller plots include a crime which the audience does not know who committed then an investigation, with maybe a twist to shock the viewer which has a very big effect on them. A usual convention of a crime thriller usually includes a fast paced, and a story line which makes the viewer think closely about who committed the crime. Crime thrillers usually emphasise the action over the psychological aspect of the criminal. They will always concentrate on the criminal rather than the policeman, this is an attempt for you to get to know the criminal and make you as a watcher apprehensive.                                                                                            

Here below are some examples of well known Crime Thriller films:

What are some of the most popular directors associated with Thriller films?

Directors?

Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock was an English film director and producer which produced films associated with Psychological thriller genres, often nicknamed as "The Master of Suspense". Hitchcock directed more than fifty films in a career over six decades. Alfred framed shots to maximise anxiety, fear, or empathy, and used innovative forms of film editing. In 2002, the magazine MovieMaker named Hitchcock the most influential filmmaker of all time.

List of films Hitchcock directed in:

Number 13 (1922)
Always Tell Your Wife (1923)
The Pleasure Garden (1925)
The Mountain Eagle (1926)
The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927)
The Ring (1927)
Downhill (1927)
The Farmer's Wife (1928)
Easy Virtue (1928)
Champagne (1928)
The Manxman (1929)
Blackmail (1929)
Juno and the Paycock (1930)
Murder! (1930)
Elstree Calling (1930)
The Skin Game (1931)
Mary (1931)
Rich and Strange (1931)
Number Seventeen (1932)
Waltzes from Vienna (1934)
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934)
The 39 Steps (1935)
Secret Agent (1936)
Sabotage (1936)
Young and Innocent (1937)
The Lady Vanishes (1938)
Jamaica Inn (1939)
Rebecca (1940)
Foreign Correspondent (1940)
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941)
Suspicion (1941)
Saboteur (1942)
Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
Lifeboat (1944)
Aventure Malgache (1944)
Bon Voyage (1944)
Spellbound (1945)
Notorious (1946)
The Paradine Case (1947)
Rope (1948)
Under Capricorn (1949)
Stage Fright (1950)
Strangers on a Train (1951)
I Confess (1953)
Dial M for Murder (1954)
Rear Window (1954)
To Catch a Thief (1955)
The Trouble with Harry (1955)
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
The Wrong Man (1956)
Vertigo (1958)
North by Northwest (1959)
Psycho (1960)
The Birds (1963)
Marnie (1964)
Torn Curtain (1966)
Topaz (1969)
Frenzy (1972)
Family Plot (1976)