Patriot Sweepstakes: Stallone or Tarantino?
by Tom TappWho will wreak greater havok on the enemies of America, Sylvester Stallone or Quentin Tarantino?
Each has written and is directing an action-laden ensemble piece about a group of misfits battling a foreign dictator.
In Stallone’s case, he has an all-star lineup of B-movie badasses – including Mickey Rourke, Jason Statham, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dolph Lungren, Steve Austin and Eric Roberts – playing mercenaries on a mission to overthrow a South American dictator.
The born-again Stallone has certainly earned his patriot’s stripes with the Rambo and Rocky films.
In a leaked character still from the film, he’s also looking more badass at 62 than most of us look at 22. (On set pics have also been released, one of which is above and the rest of which can be found at Empire.com.)
In the other corner we have recent American Idol mentor and former Mira Sorvino flame Quentin Tarantino.
Tarantino’s extracurricular activities may put him at a disadvantage, but he is a very talented director of action and has an ace up his sleeve: his heroes are fighting Hitler.
Tarantino’s WWII-era “Inglorious Basterds” stars Brad Pitt, Mike Myers, Eli Roth and Til Schweiger. It follows a group of Jewish-American soldiers dropped behind enemy lines with one explicit purpose: kill Nazis.
A recently-released featurette (below) and the film’s first trailer make it look a bit like a grindhouse version of “The Dirty Dozen.” The trailer actually has Pitt’s character demanding 100 Nazi scalps from each recruit.
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So which gets your vote?







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62 Comments
Hmmm. I'd go with Stallone. I'm not sure where Tarantino will go with his movie, which makes it problematical for me.
We know where Tarrintino will go: gratuitous violence, a mind blowing premise, and at least three scenes that will make you feel really uncomfortable. I can't wait.
Works for me. I can't watch a Stallone movie unless there is closed captioning available.
My vote is with Tarantino on this one. It'll be crazy, stupid and over the top, which is exactly what it should be. Although I'm sure there will be a few "did you have to go there" moments with it as well, but I can put up with those as long as a lot of Nazis get killed.
I'm looking forward to The Expendables. It's not even the kind of movie I'd pay to see in the theater on opening weekend but I feel as if I'd have to hand in my "guy card" if I didn't.
I hope it's a huge hit!
There's a hilarious thread on dvdtalk.com where everyone's speculating on what other actors might join the ensemble. "Can they reincarnate Charles Bronson?" is a typical idea I've read.
Watching Nazis getting killed in new and inventive ways can´t be a complete waste of time. But I was really disappointed by Kill Bill and Deathproof. Tarantino treading water and dishing out larger and larger heaps of dialogue and sadistic violence that´s not as cool and unpredictable as he thinks.
Whereas Rocky Balboa and John Rambo rocked. My money is on Stallone when it comes to quality. Double in terms of patriotism: I´m not sure Tarantino believes in the existence of other people, and wouldn´t that be a precondition?
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I don't know which will do more "damage", but I'm pretty sure Stallone will be demonized for not fighting evil conservatives.
On the other hand, Stallone's movie is scheduled for 2010 – the pendulum may have swung back by then.
Speaking of Rocky and Rambo, someone on another movie forum asked, "How come Stallone can resurrect his old franchises but Lucas and Spielberg can't?"
I never saw "Deathproof", and "Kill Bill" was just so-so in my opinion, but the key here to me is killing Nazis in new and inventive ways. Tarantino would have a hard time messing that up since he'll basically just have to do "Dusk Til Dawn" over again with Nazis instead of vampires. Now if he manages somehow to screw that up, well I probably won't go see any of his movies ever again.
Two words: Jason Statham.
I honestly was too afraid of what the new Rocky and Rambo movies would do to retroactively taint my childhood so I haven't seen them yet.
Just the cast list alone leaves me with only one choice–Stallone. Til Schweiger? Why not just go all the way and make it Till Eulenspiegel so can have some merry pranks?
I've got to go with Stallone just based on his cast list alone even if Mike Meyers is playing an Allied commando, a Nazi mastermind, Fraulein Poofenhuefer and her little dog too in Tarantino's.
Think we'll hear the follwoing. . .
Whose panzer is this?
It's not a panzer, it an armored personnel carrier.
Whose armored personnel carrier is this?
It's Adolf's.
Who's Adolf?
Adloph's dead baby.
Because they keep substituting guns with walkie talkies.
Stallone's movie sounds great but Inglorious Basterds sounds epic. Being a Jew that had family murdered in the holocaust I love movies like HBO's Uprising that shows Jewish defiance in the face of insurmountable odds and absolute evil. I hope this film is everything I expect it to be; the fact that Tarantino directed it gives me comfort.
I sure hope so! Along with Tarantino himself as a White Rose resistance leader going off on a rant how his garage isn't for Dead Nazi Storage.
I sure hope so! Along with Tarantino himself as a White Rose resistance leader going off on a rant how his garage isn't for Dead Nazi Storage.
It´s going to be a total cartoon, not a history movie – but it can be righteous nonetheless.
I'd have to say Stallone's film. But for me that's by default, since I won't watch anything directed by or containing that sick little twitch Roth.
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I hate voting against any film that includes Mickey Rourke, but QT's Basterds all the way.
I had the exact same reaction. Statham gets my vote.
I'd shell out money to see both of these. So I guess I'll cast my vote after viewing.
"No-no-no-no… Let me ask you a question: When you came pulling in here, did you see a sign outside my chalet that said 'Dead Nazi Storage?'"
As long as it's filled with extreme vengeance I'll be satisfied.
===I'd shell out money to see both of these.===
Same here.
Just watched the trailer of Inglorious Basterds; Hell Yeah!!
Damn, I just watched a different trailer of Inglorious Basterds and it is phuqin' epic. I can't wait.
Wow! Nazis as bad guys! How brave and original! Meanwhile, Stallone is taking on a CURRENT problem the US faces, Hugo Chavez. That takes way more guys in this day and age in leftard Hollywood! Anyone can make the Nazis badguys and not expect any backlash from their liberal buddies. To take on a leftist, Latin American dictator? GO STALLONE GO!
Ack, guys=guts -_-;
Stallone, Ludgren and Mickey. Man, this is a must see.
Ditto Satan, ditto.
He's a good actor too.
Me too, but I'm looking forward to Basterds more, because of the aforementioned brutal Nazi killing.
"You lost your Berlin privileges."
Wow! Only Bruce Willis is missing from the Stallone film, or my favorite action guys would all be there (Arnold is otherwise occupied). Nobody, but nobody, can say, "Let's kick some @$$" like Lundgren can. ;^)
I just got the DVD of Transporter 3 yesterday and watched it last night. Awesome, and the new russian redhead, Natalya Rudacova, just slays me. All pretty redheads do, in fact. No lie, I've been totally gutted by two of them in my life… so far. LOL!
I'm sure I'll like Quentin's flick too, though.
That's why I won't watch the special edition of Saving Private Ryan.
Awesome………..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcoPxyxpE9A&eu...
Me, too! Why limit yourself, with so many sophist metrosexual films always out there. I would prefer making sure this genre gets full support. Reasoned gratuitous violence against deserving enemies; how can you go wrong?
===Wow! Nazis as bad guys! How brave and original!===
What’s very cool about this movie is that you have a band of Jewish soldiers dropped behind enemy lines solely to kill nazis with extreme prejudice. It’s vendetta porn; I’ll be buying it on BluRay as well.
Well, I just remember how a few years ago they changed the villains in a Jack Ryan movie from Moslem terrorists to Nazis, so it's like, "Hollywood, Nazis are not the problem anymore, FOCUS ON CURRENT FOES." I guess I shouldn't be too upset, it is a period WWII picture, so yeah, I'm kinda looking forward to it as well. Maybe if it were modern day my argument would hold more water. ^^;
Well, I just remember how a few years ago they changed the villains in a Jack Ryan movie from Moslem terrorists to Nazis, so it's like, "Hollywood, Nazis are not the problem anymore, FOCUS ON CURRENT FOES." I guess I shouldn't be too upset, it is a period WWII picture, so yeah, I'm kinda looking forward to it as well. Maybe if it were modern day my argument would hold more water. ^^;
As Tom Clancy said at the beginning of the commentary (worth the price of the DVD alone) "Hi I'm Tom Clancy, I wrote the book that they ignored to make this film…" and it only gets better from there.
I wonder if Tarantino will include a scene showing Prescott Bush having dinner with Hitler.
Im sure Basterds will gain some of the population with Brad pitt followers and Jewish people in regards to hitler in this. But the guts and brains will be the expendables.. Stallone is known for great action in his films. and he has a great cast that most of the public will know. His shots in films and the way he shows it on screen will be far better than this Quintin Territino director will make. Lets face it were seperating the boys from the men here. Stallone all the way. He knows what the audience wants and is more in tuned.. I"ll wait for the best to come out my vote goes to Stallone 2010!
Simply cause there not Stallone! end of story. Stallone breathes life back into his films each rocky and rambo were awsome .
Damn, did that featurette actually look pretty awesome? Still going with Stallone's, but nothing wrong with two kick-ass movies.
You simply must see the new Rambo movie. It was simply awesome.
In my opinion, it was far and away the best Rambo movie. It was lean and mean with no time wasted on love interests or an adorable child sidekick. It was 90-minutes of John Rambo explaining in no uncertain terms why some people can only be dealt with using a .50 caliber machine gun. As crazy as this might sound, it wasn't even over the top. See it. Trust me.
That being said…
I will see the Tarantino film. But, the cast in Stallone's new film makes me want to get in line today!
In Rambo, the depiction of the atrocities committed by Burmese junta is relentless – it almost crosses over into "Schindler´s List" territory. I bet some in the audience choked on their popcorn. Except that in this movie Schindler is a pitiless killer machine dealing out justice. What Ken in Irvine said.
If you ever liked any Rocky movie, you will like Rocky Balboa. It´s sweet.
Tarantino. Always blurs the line between brilliant and completely ridiculous.
Okay good enough for me, if you and Ken think that it won't wreck my memories, then I'll check both of them out.
Incidentally my favorites in each of the series were "First Blood" and "Rocky" so if these ones hearken back to the original "spirit" of those two films, they'll get a healthy bump on my Netflix list as well.
All I can say is, I'm going to rush to see both.
Maybe you can let us know how you liked them.
Will do.
Dude you forgot that jet li is in STallones!! I'm all about Stallones, Tarantino's looks like a mess.
I did forget that and it's a major oversight. My apologies. Jet Li will kick butt in this film, as well.
The Stallone flick has an impeccable cast! While QT can be a good / great director, does anyone really believe that Wuss Pitt and the rest of his liberal actors could fight their way out of a paper bag?
On the other hand, from what I understand, QT HAD to have Pitt in it in order to get Pitt's bitch to give money to it – Brad Grey (head of Paramount). Grey's in LOVE with Pitt, and throws money at every Pitt whim, vanity & fancy.
What a cool win this would be.
Sorry but Tarantino has too much hype and BS surrounding his movies and none of them can live up to the hype and build up he puts out. I agree he has had a few good films but looking at his entire movie career it fails in my opinon.
Stallone on the other hand has redeemed himself for all his past bombs with Rocky Balboa and the current Rambo. Those films hit the mark and ended the series they way they should have, Speilberg and Lucas will never top that no matter how many people they buy off.
its got to be stallone,qt is gonna be good but not great.2 and a half hours of bore,what ive been reading so far anyway.gor for it stallone
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