Coordinates	37°46′45.48″N122°25′9.12″N
name	Cliffhanger
director	Renny Harlin
producer	Renny HarlinMario KassarAlan Marshall
writer	John LongMichael FranceSylvester Stallone
starring	Sylvester StalloneJohn LithgowMichael RookerJanine TurnerLeon RobinsonPaul WinfieldRalph Waite
music	Trevor Jones
cinematography	Alex Thomson
editing	Frank J. Urioste
studio	Carolco PicturesLe Studio Canal+RCS Video
distributor	TriStar Pictures
released
runtime	113 minutes
country	United StatesFranceItaly
language	English
budget	$65 million
gross	$255,325,036 }}

''Cliffhanger'' is a 1993 American action film directed by Renny Harlin and starring Sylvester Stallone and John Lithgow. Stallone plays a mountain climber, who becomes embroiled in a failed heist set in a U.S. Treasury plane flying through the Rocky Mountains. The film was a major box office success, earning more than $250 million worldwide.

Plot

In the opening scene, hotshot mountain climber and rescue worker Gabe Walker (Sylvester Stallone) meets with his friends Hal Tucker (Michael Rooker) and Jessie Deighan (Janine Turner) on a narrow peak in the Rocky Mountains. While moving from one mountaintop to a helicopter via a steel cable, Hal's girlfriend Sarah's (Michelle Joyner) harness breaks and she is left dangling over a deep chasm. While the others try frantically to come up with a solution, Gabe straps himself in and goes out to save Sarah, but is unsuccessful; her gloved hand slips through Gabe's and she falls to her death in the chasm.

Eight months later, Gabe returns to town for the first time since Sarah's funeral. Overcome with guilt over having lost Sarah, Gabe has returned only to pack his remaining possessions to leave permanently. However, a radio distress call comes in to the local rescue center where Hal and Jessie still work. Hal heads off to find the stranded climbers while Jessie pleads with Gabe to join Hal's rescue attempt. Battling his inner demons, Gabe meets Hal on the mountain, where the latter, still angry with Gabe for being unsuccessful at saving Sarah, lashes out and almost throws Gabe off a ledge.

The rescue turns out to be a fake; the two climbers are taken prisoner by a group of ruthless thieves led by former Military Intelligence member Eric Qualen (John Lithgow), who seeks to recover three suitcases containing $100 million in uncirculated US currency belonging to the United States Department of the Treasury. With the aid of turncoat Treasury agent Richard Travers (Rex Linn), Qualen and his mercenaries attempt to steal the suitcases via a daring air-to-air transfer, but the transfer is foiled and the three suitcases are lost among the mountains and Mike and two die during the heist. The thieves' plane loses power during the attempt and crashes. The suitcases holding the money have beacon locators, but the thieves need expert help locating them in the mountainous terrain, thus prompting them to summon the unwitting Gabe and Hal to their aid.

The group locates the first of the three cases, and Gabe is tethered to a rope and ordered to scale a steep wall to retrieve it. Gabe frees himself from the rope, and the group begins firing up the mountain, causing an avalanche which takes one of Qualen's thugs. Seeing the money flutter down from the top of the mountain, Qualen presumes Gabe dead and orders the group to proceed to the second case.

Gabe survives the avalanche and makes his way to an abandoned cabin where he finds Jessie, who was airlifted into the area earlier. Together, they reach the second case only moments before Qualen and his mercenaries arrive. They find the case empty (except for a single $1,000 bill with the words "Want to Trade?" written on it) and split up to find Gabe. A mercenary chases after Gabe and Jessie but is killed when Gabe sends him flying down into an abyss. Two of Hal's friends, casually hanging out on the mountain, run into Hal and the thieves. Hal tells them to run, and as they do, one is shot dead by Qualen's mercenary Kynette. The other parachutes off a cliff, where his parachute is caught on a tree branch, leaving him dangling off the ground. When Gabe makes an attempt to climb out of a crevice, he is spotted Kynette. A fight ensues between Gabe and Kynette in the cave, resulting in the latter being impaled on a stalectite. Gabe picks up the thief's radio, and Hal alerts Gabe that Qualen is planting explosives directly above him and plans to kill him. Gabe and Jessie barely escape.

The thieves, with Hal still as their guide, make their way to the abandoned cabin for the night. Meanwhile, Gabe and Jessie hole up in a cave and stay warm by burning the money they found to stoke their fire. The rescue helicopter pilot, having not received any response from Jessie, Gabe, or Hal, flies over to the mountain, where he finds Hal's friend stuck in the tree, cuts him down, and transports him to safety, and alerts the authorities as well.

The following morning, Gabe and Jessie attempt to beat the thieves to the remaining case. Krystal flags down the rescue helicopter. Against Qualen's orders, Delmar shoots the pilot. Hal crawls over and grabs a knife from his corpse, sticking it in his boot, and the thieves walk over to the helicopter. Travers at this point pulls a gun on Qualen, telling everyone that he is now in charge of the operation. Qualen, held at gunpoint, states that without someone to pilot the helicopter, nobody will even be able to get off the mountain, and shoots dead Krystal, the only other mercenary with piloting experience.

Once again with leverage over Travers, Qualen tells Travers, Hal, and the last remaining mercenary Delmar track the case. Once within a reasonably close distance to the case, Travers leaves Delmar to kill Hal, only to find that Gabe has beaten him to the case once again. Delmar nearly kicks Hal off a cliff, but Hal shoots Delmar with his own shotgun. Meanwhile, Jessie, who signaled the rescue helicopter thinking it to be a fellow rescue team member, is taken hostage by Qualen. Travers discovers that Gabe has found the last case before him, and furiously chases him causing Gabe to fall into the frozen river. Gabe outsmarts Travers and shoots him repeatedly. His dead body is carried away by the river.

Communicating by radio, Qualen and Gabe make a deal to exchange Jessie for the money Gabe collected from the third case. Qualen releases Jessie, but Gabe throws the bag of money into the helicopter's rotors. In the following confusion, Qualen's helicopter falls precariously against the side of the mountain, suspended by a steel cable. Gabe and Qualen fight atop the dangling wreck. Gabe manages to jump off as the wreckage falls several thousand feet and explodes, killing Qualen. After which, Tucker quotes "If you're looking for Mr. Qualen, try about 4000 feet south of here. He'll be the one wearing a helicopter." The film ends as Gabe, Hal, and Jessie are found by federal agents and rescued.

Cast

Sylvester Stallone as Gabe Walker

John Lithgow as Qualen

Michael Rooker as Hal Tucker

Janine Turner as Jessie Deighan

Rex Linn as Travers

Caroline Goodall as Kristel

Leon Robinson as Kynette

Craig Fairbrass as Delmar

Gregory Scott Cummins as Ryan

Denis Forest as Heldon

Michelle Joyner as Sarah

Max Perlich as Evan

Paul Winfield as Walter Wright

Ralph Waite as Frank

Trey Brownell as Brett

Vyto Ruginis as Mathesen

John Finn as Agent Michaels

Production

Carolco Pictures had originally signed Sylvester Stallone to appear opposite John Candy in a comedy directed by John Hughes about feuding neighbors. When the project was dropped, Stallone was persuaded to appear in ''Cliffhanger''.

Carolco had also originally signed Renny Harlin to direct ''Gale Force'', a "Die Hard-in-a-Hurricane" action film. The special effects proved too difficult at the time, so he was persuaded to direct ''Cliffhanger''. Three writers claimed that ''Cliffhanger'' was their idea. To avoid jeopardizing the film's release, they were paid $250,000 each to drop the case.

The film's most breathtaking scenes were shot in the Cortina d'Ampezzo area of the Dolomites, Italy. For example the bridge scene was shot on Monte Cristallo. Further filming took place in Durango, Colorado. The credits of the film also thank the Ute Tribe for filming in the Ute Mountain reservation.

''Cliffhanger'' is in the Guinness Book of World Records for the costliest aerial stunt ever performed. Stuntman Simon Crane was paid $1 million to perform the aerial transfer scene, where he crossed between two planes at an altitude of .

The parachute that the basejumper opens, on his escape from the villains, features the design of the Finnish flag, Renny Harlin's native country (he features a reference to Finland in most of his films). The Denver Mint featured in the film as the producer of the cash stolen by Qualen and his associates actually only produces coins. $100 million from the Denver Mint would weigh . All paper currency in the US is printed by the Bureau of Printing and Engraving, not the United States Mint. The late Wolfgang Güllich, widely regarded as one of the most skillful, daring and popular rock-climbers of all time, performed as a climbing double of Stallone.

Soundtrack

The critically acclaimed orchestral score to ''Cliffhanger'' was composed by film score veteran Trevor Jones. In his review for the ''Cliffhanger'' soundtrack, Filmtracks.com reviewer Christian Clemmensen noted it's similarities to Jones's previous work on ''The Last of the Mohicans'', stating, "... with ''Cliffhanger'' would come a title theme strikingly similar to that of ''Last of the Mohicans'', possibly too reminiscent in fact for some listeners to tolerate." However, his review was still positive, giving the ''Cliffhanger'' score four out of a possible five stars concluding, "No matter your view of whether or not composers should recycle their own material, Jones' main identity for ''Cliffhanger'' stands on its own as a remarkable piece, and an often enjoyable action underscore will maintain your interest in between the theme's statements." The soundtrack has been released twice; through Scotti Bros./BMG Music on 23 May 1993 and an extended version through Intrada Records on 21 February 2011.

Reception

The film was screened in out of competition at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival.

The film was generally praised by critics, receiving a 82% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 33 reviews. However, despite the film's critical acclaim, it was nominated for Worst Picture, Worst Supporting Actor (John Lithgow), Worst Supporting Actress (Janine Turner) and Worst Screenplay in the 1993 Golden Raspberry Awards.

Craig Fairbrass, who played the henchman Delmar, would later find fame by voicing the game fan favorite character Lieutenant Simon "Ghost" Riley in the ''Call of Duty'' video game '' Modern Warfare 2'' (which the game itself made a reference to this film with the level entitled "Cliffhanger"). Fairbrass's recent character Ghost in the game shared some similarities to his previous character Delmar in the film due to both wearing comparable clothing and both wielding the same weapons in combat. However, the only difference is that the character of Ghost was more of a heroic character unlike the sadistic character Delmar was. In addition, the film's co-star Michael Rooker, who kills Delmar, would later appear as a playable character in the ''Call of Duty: Black Ops'' level ''Call of the Dead''.

Distribution

The film was originally rated NC-17 by the MPAA on account of its violence. Several cuts were made to almost every violent scene in the film in order to get an R rating. Several death scenes in the film were shot in slow motion and lasted several seconds; for instance in the beginning of the film the pilot of the plane shoots the co-pilot in the head in a very brief shot; in the NC-17 version, this was shot from a different angle that showed blood splattering on the window. Bootleg DVD copies taken from a timecoded VHS workprint feature the original rough cut of the film, complete with uncut violent scenes. Travers' death originally featured him being shot in the shoulder by Walker with the bolt gun and blasted with the shotgun by Tucker. This was changed to Walker firing the gun three times, not due to censorship but because a review of the dailies caused the filmmakers to think of a somewhat slicker death.

The movie was a box office hit. For its British cinema release, the film was edited by one minute, then by a further twenty-five seconds on video and DVD. Chief victim was the scene where Delmar beats up Tucker, but other cuts included aggressive strong language and other moments of violence.

The scene where Hal's girlfriend, Sarah, falls to her death, was spoofed in the films ''Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls'' and ''Spy Hard''.

This is the only TriStar-distributed Carolco production which the former studio has retained the American rights to (and therefore not owned in America by Carolco successor StudioCanal), and thus Sony Pictures remains responsible for American home video and television distribution.

Remake

In May 2009, it was announced that StudioCanal (international rightsholder to the original) would be overseeing a remake of ''Cliffhanger''. Neal H. Moritz was set to produce, with filming due to begin in 2010.

See also

List of American films of 1993

''Cliffhanger'' (the video game)

References

External links

Category:1993 films Category:1990s action films Category:American action thriller films Category:English-language films Category:Films directed by Renny Harlin Category:Films set in Colorado Category:Films shot anamorphically Category:Mountaineering films Category:StudioCanal films Category:Carolco Pictures films Category:TriStar Pictures films

cs:Cliffhanger (film) da:Cliffhanger (film) de:Cliffhanger – Nur die Starken überleben es:Cliffhanger (película) fr:Cliffhanger : Traque au sommet it:Cliffhanger - L'ultima sfida he:סחרור מסוכן lt:Alpinistas (filmas) hu:Cliffhanger – Függő játszma nl:Cliffhanger (film) ja:クリフハンガー (映画) no:Cliffhanger (film) pl:Na krawędzi (film 1993) pt:Cliffhanger ru:Скалолаз (фильм) sk:Cliffhanger sr:Алпиниста fi:Cliffhanger – kuilun partaalla sv:Cliffhanger (film) uk:Скелелаз (фільм)

Coordinates	37°46′45.48″N122°25′9.12″N
name	Sylvester Stallone
birth name	Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone
birth date	July 06, 1946
birth place	New York City, New York, U.S.
occupation	Actor, director, screenwriter
years active	1970–present
spouse
children	Sage, Seargeoh, Sophia, Sistine, Scarlet
parents	Frank Stallone Sr.Jackie Stallone
relatives	Frank Stallone (brother)
website	http://www.sylvesterstallone.com }}

Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone (; born July 6, 1946), commonly known as Sylvester Stallone, and nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Stallone is known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. Two of the notable characters he has portrayed include boxer Rocky Balboa and soldier John Rambo. The ''Rocky'' and ''Rambo'' franchises, along with several other films, strengthened his reputation as an actor and his box office earnings.

Stallone's film ''Rocky'' was inducted into the National Film Registry as well as having its film props placed in the Smithsonian Museum. Stallone's use of the front entrance to the Philadelphia Museum of Art in the ''Rocky'' series led the area to be nicknamed the Rocky Steps. Philadelphia has a statue of his Rocky character placed permanently near the museum, on the right side before the steps. It was announced on December 7, 2010 that Stallone was voted into boxing's Hall of Fame.

Early life

Sylvester Stallone was born Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone in New York City, the elder son of Frank Stallone, Sr., a hairdresser, and Jackie Stallone (born Jacqueline Labofish), an astrologer, former dancer, and promoter of women's wrestling. His younger brother is actor and musician Frank Stallone. Stallone's father was born in Gioia del Colle, Apulia, Italy, and emigrated to the United States as a child. Stallone's mother is of half Russian Jewish and half French descent.

Complications his mother suffered during labor forced her obstetricians to use two pairs of forceps during his birth; misuse of these accidentally severed a nerve and caused paralysis in parts of Stallone's face. As a result, the lower left side of his face is paralyzed, including parts of his lip, tongue, and chin, an accident which has given Stallone his trademark snarling look and slightly slurred speech. Stallone was baptized and raised Catholic. He spent his first five years in Hell's Kitchen, bouncing between foster homes while his parents endured a loud, troubled marriage. His father, a beautician, moved the family to Washington DC, where he opened a beauty school. His mother opened a women's gymnasium called Barbella's in 1954. He attended Charlotte Hall Military Academy prior to attending Miami Dade College.

Career

When Stallone was nearly broke in New York, barely $50 to his name, he sold the script to ''Paradise Alley'' for $100.

''Italian Stallion'' and ''Score''

Stallone had his first starring role in the soft core pornography feature film ''The Party at Kitty and Stud's'' (1970). He was paid US$200 for two days' work. Stallone later explained that he had done the film out of desperation after being evicted from his apartment and finding himself homeless for several days. He has also said that he slept three weeks in the New York City Port Authority bus station prior to seeing a casting notice for the film. In the actor's words, "it was either do that movie or rob someone, because I was at the end – the very end – of my rope". The film was released several years later as ''Italian Stallion'', in order to cash in on Stallone's new found fame (the new title was taken from Stallone's nickname since ''Rocky'' and a line from the film).

Stallone also starred in the erotic off-Broadway stage play ''Score'' which ran for 23 performances at the Martinique Theatre from October 28 – November 15, 1971 and was later made into a film by Radley Metzger.

Early film roles, 1970–1975

In 1970 Stallone appeared in the film ''No Place to Hide,'' which was re-cut and retitled ''Rebel,'' the second version featuring Stallone as its star. After the style of Woody Allen's ''What's Up, Tiger Lily?,'' this film, in 1990, was re-edited from outtakes from the original movie and newly shot matching footage, then redubbed into an award-winning parody of itself titled ''A Man Called... Rainbo.'' Again starring Stallone, this self-parody was directed by David Casci and produced by Jeffrey Hilton. ''A Man Called...Rainbo'' won Silver Awards at the Chicago International Film Festival and Worldfest – Houston, and was featured on ''Entertainment Tonight'' along with its credited star, Sylvester Stallone. It received a Thumbs-Up on ''Siskel & Ebert,'' and was recommended by Michael Medved on the popular movie review show, ''Sneak Previews.''

Stallone's other first few film roles were minor, and included brief uncredited appearances in Woody Allen's ''Bananas'' (1971) as a subway thug, in the psychological thriller ''Klute'' (1971) as an extra dancing in a club, and in the Jack Lemmon film ''The Prisoner of Second Avenue'' (1975) as a youth. In the Lemmon film, Jack Lemmon chases, tackles and mugs Stallone, thinking that Stallone's character is a pickpocket. He had his second starring role in ''The Lords of Flatbush,'' in 1974. In 1975, he played supporting roles in ''Farewell, My Lovely''; ''Capone''; and ''Death Race 2000.'' He made guest appearances on the TV series ''Police Story'' and ''Kojak.''

Success with ''Rocky,'' 1976

Stallone gained worldwide fame with his starring role in the smash hit ''Rocky'' (1976). On March 24, 1975, Stallone saw the Muhammad Ali–Chuck Wepner fight, which inspired the foundation idea of ''Rocky.'' That night Stallone went home, and after three days 20 straight hours he had written the script for ''Rocky.'' After that, he tried to sell the script with the intention of playing the lead role. Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler in particular liked the script. ''Rocky'' was nominated for ten Academy Awards in all, including Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay nominations for Stallone. ''Rocky'' went on to win the Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Directing and Best Film Editing.

Rocky, Rambo and new film roles, 1978–1989

The sequel ''Rocky II,'' which Stallone had also written and directed (replacing John G. Avildsen, who won an Academy Award for directing the first film) was released in 1979 and also became a major success, grossing $200 million.

Apart from the ''Rocky'' films, Stallone did many other films in the late 1970s and early 1980s which were critically acclaimed but were not successful at the box office. He received critical praise for films such as ''F.I.S.T.'' (1978), a social, epic styled drama in which he plays a warehouse worker, very loosely modeled on James Hoffa, who becomes involved in the labor union leadership, and ''Paradise Alley'' (1978), a family drama in which he plays one of three brothers who is a con artist and who helps his other brother who is involved in wrestling. Stallone made his directorial debut directing ''Paradise Alley.''

In the early 1980s, he starred alongside British veteran Michael Caine in ''Escape to Victory'' (1981), a sports drama in which he plays a prisoner of war involved in a Nazi propaganda soccer game. Stallone then made the action thriller film ''Nighthawks'' (1981), in which he plays a New York city cop who plays a cat and mouse game with a foreign terrorist, played by Rutger Hauer.

Stallone had another major franchise success as Vietnam veteran John Rambo, a former Green Beret, in the action-war film ''First Blood'' (1982). The first installment of Rambo was both a critical and box office success. The critics praised Stallone's performance, saying he made Rambo seem human, as opposed to the way he is portrayed in the book of the same name, in ''First Blood'' and in the other films. Three Rambo sequels ''Rambo: First Blood Part II'' (1985), ''Rambo III'' (1988) and ''Rambo'' (2008) followed. Although box office hits, they met with much less critical praise than the original. He also continued his box office success with the ''Rocky'' franchise and wrote, directed and starred in two more sequels to the series: ''Rocky III'' (1982) and ''Rocky IV'' (1985). Stallone has portrayed these two characters in a total of ten films. In preparation for these roles, Stallone embarked upon a vigorous training regimen which often meant six days a week in the gym and further sit ups in the evenings. Stallone claims to have gotten his body fat percentage down to his all time low of 2.8% for Rocky III.

It was during this time period that Stallone's work cultivated a strong overseas following. He also attempted, albeit unsuccessfully, roles in different genres when he co-wrote and starred in the comedy film ''Rhinestone'' (1984) where he played a wannabe country music singer and the drama film ''Over the Top'' (1987) where he played a struggling trucker who, after the death of his wife, tries to make amends with his son who he left behind years earlier. His son does not think too highly of him until he sees him compete in a nation-wide arm wrestling competition. For the ''Rhinestone'' soundtrack, he performed a song. These films did not do well at the box office and were poorly received by critics. It was around 1985 that Stallone was signed to a remake of the 1939 James Cagney classic ''Angels With Dirty Faces.'' The film would form part of his multi-picture deal with Cannon Pictures and was to co-star Christopher Reeve and be directed by Menahem Golan. The re-making of such a beloved classic was met with disapproval by Variety Magazine and horror by top critic Roger Ebert and so Cannon opted to make ''Cobra'' instead. ''Cobra'' (1986) and ''Tango and Cash'' (1989) did solid business domestically but overseas they did blockbuster business grossing over $100 million in foreign markets and over $160 million worldwide.

1990–2002

With the then recent success of ''Lock Up'' and ''Tango and Cash,'' at the start of the 1990s Stallone starred in the fifth installment of the Rocky franchise ''Rocky V'' which was considered a box office disappointment and was also disliked by fans as an unworthy entry in the series.

After starring in the critical and commercial disasters ''Oscar'' (1991) and ''Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot'' (1992) during the early 90s, he made a comeback in 1993 with the hit ''Cliffhanger'' which was a success in the U.S., grossing $84 million, but even more successful worldwide, grossing $171 million for a total over US$255 million. Later that year he starred with Wesley Snipes in the futuristic action film ''Demolition Man'' which grossed in excess of $158 million worldwide. His string of hits continued with 1994's ''The Specialist'' (over $170 million worldwide gross).

In 1995, he played the comic book based title character Judge Dredd, who was taken from the British comic book 2000 AD in the film of the same name. His overseas box office appeal saved the domestic box office disappointment of ''Judge Dredd'', which cost almost $100 million and barely made its budget back with a worldwide tally of $113 million. He also appeared in the thriller ''Assassins'' (1995) with co stars Julianne Moore and Antonio Banderas. In 1996, he starred in the disaster film ''Daylight'' which was not very successful in the US but still grossed $126 million overseas.

That same year Stallone, along with an all-star cast of celebrities, appeared in the Trey Parker and Matt Stone short comedy film ''Your Studio and You'' commissioned by the Seagram Company for a party celebrating their acquisition of Universal Studios and the MCA Corporation. Stallone speaks in his Rocky Balboa voice with subtitles translating what he is saying. At one point, Stallone starts yelling about how can they use his Balboa character, that he left it in the past; the narrator calms him with a wine cooler and calling him, "brainiac." In response, Stallone says, "Thank you very much." He then looks at the wine cooler and exclaims, "Stupid cheap studio!"

Following his breakthrough performance in ''Rocky,'' critic Roger Ebert had once said Stallone could become the next Marlon Brando, though he never quite recaptured the critical acclaim achieved with ''Rocky.'' Stallone did, however, go on to receive much acclaim for his role in the low budget crime drama ''Cop Land'' (1997) in which he starred alongside Robert De Niro and Ray Liotta, but the film was only a minor success at the box office. His performance led him to win the Stockholm International Film Festival Best Actor Award. In 1998 he did voice-over work for the computer-animated film ''Antz,'' which was a big hit domestically.

In 2000, Stallone starred in the thriller ''Get Carter'' – a remake of the 1971 British Michael Caine film of the same name—but the film was poorly received by both critics and audiences. Stallone's career declined considerably after his subsequent films ''Driven'' (2001), ''Avenging Angelo'' (2002) and ''D-Tox'' (2002) also underachieved expectations to do well at the box office and were poorly received by critics.

2003–2005

In 2003, he played a villainous role in the third installment of the Spy Kids trilogy ''Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over'' which was a huge box office success (almost $200 million worldwide). Stallone also had a cameo appearance in the 2003 French film ''Taxi 3'' as a passenger.

Following several poorly reviewed box office flops, Stallone started to regain prominence for his supporting role in the neo-noir crime drama ''Shade'' (2003) which was only released in a limited fashion but was praised by critics. He was also attached to star and direct a film tentatively titled ''Rampart Scandal,'' which was to be about the murder of rappers Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. and the surrounding Los Angeles Police Department corruption scandal. It was later titled ''Notorious'' but was shelved.

In 2005, he was the co-presenter, alongside Sugar Ray Leonard, of the NBC Reality television boxing series ''The Contender.'' That same year he also made a guest appearance in two episodes of the television series ''Las Vegas.'' In 2005, Stallone also inducted wrestling icon Hulk Hogan, who appeared in ''Rocky III'' as a wrestler named Thunderlips, into the WWE Hall of Fame; Stallone was also the person who offered Hogan the cameo in ''Rocky III.''

Revisiting Rocky and Rambo, 2006–2008

After a three year hiatus from films, Stallone made a comeback in 2006 with the sixth installment of his successful Rocky series, ''Rocky Balboa'', which was a critical and commercial hit. After the critical and box office failure of the previous installment ''Rocky V'', Stallone had decided to write, direct and star in a sixth installment which would be a more appropriate climax to the series. The total domestic box office came to $70.3 million (and $155.7 million worldwide). The budget of the movie was only $24 million. His performance in ''Rocky Balboa'' has been praised and garnered mostly positive reviews.

Stallone's fourth installment of his other successful movie franchise, Rambo, with the sequel being titled simply ''Rambo''. The film opened in 2,751 theaters on January 25, 2008, grossing $6,490,000 on its opening day and $18,200,000 over its opening weekend. Its box office was $113,244,290 worldwide with a budget of $50 million.

Asked in February 2008 which of the icons he would rather be remembered for, Stallone said "it's a tough one, but ''Rocky'' is my first baby, so ''Rocky."''

Other film work

Stallone's debut as a director came in 1978 with ''Paradise Alley,'' which he also wrote and starred in. In addition, he directed ''Staying Alive'', the sequel to ''Saturday Night Fever'', along with ''Rocky II'', ''Rocky III'', ''Rocky IV'', ''Rocky Balboa'', and ''Rambo''. In August 2005, Stallone released his book ''Sly Moves'' which claimed to be a guide to fitness and nutrition as well as a candid insight into his life and works from his own perspective. The book also contained many photographs of Stallone throughout the years as well as pictures of him performing exercises. In addition to writing all six ''Rocky'' films, Stallone also wrote ''Cobra'', ''Driven'', and ''Rambo.'' He has co-written several other films, such as ''F.I.S.T.'', ''Rhinestone'', ''Over the Top'', and the first three ''Rambo'' films. His last major success as a co-writer came with 1993's ''Cliffhanger''. In addition, Stallone has continued to express his passion in directing a film on Edgar Allan Poe's life, a script he has been preparing for years. In July 2009, he appeared in a cameo in the Bollywood movie ''Kambakkht Ishq'' where he played himself, for which he has been nominated by the Indian version of Razzies, Golden Kela Awards. Stallone also provided the voice of a lion in Kevin James's comedy ''Zookeeper.'' Stallone has also mentioned that he would like to adapt a Nelson DeMille novel, ''The Lion's Game'' and James Byron Huggin's novel ''Hunter'', which Stallone had the film rights for several years and originally planned to use the plot from ''Hunter'' for ''Rambo V''. In 2009, Stallone expressed interest in starring in a remake of Charles Bronson's 1974 movie ''Death Wish''.

2010 onwards

''The Expendables'' was Stallone's big success of 2010. The movie, which was filmed during summer/winter 2009, was released on August 13, 2010. Stallone wrote, directed and stars in the movie. Joining him in the film were fellow action stars Jason Statham, Jet Li, and Dolph Lundgren plus Terry Crews, Mickey Rourke, Randy Couture, Eric Roberts, and Stone Cold Steve Austin as well as much anticipated cameos for fellow '80s action icons Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Indeed, the cameos of Willis and Schwarzenegger have been pushed quite heavily in the promotion of the movie. Due to the overwhelmingly positive reaction to early test footage and trailers, producer Avi Lerner has reported that there is already talk of making two more sequels, or at least some sort of a longer franchise, based on the members of the team. The movie took $34,825,135 in its opening weekend, going straight in at No.1 in the US box office. The figure marked the biggest opening weekend in Stallone's illustrious 35 year career. In summer 2010, Brazilian company O2 Filmes released a statement saying it was still owed more than $2 million US for its work on the film. Stallone also confirmed the planned ''Rambo V'' was cancelled in May 2010. The movie was officially greenlit by Nu Image/Millenium Films in September 2009 and initially Stallone said the movie was to be entitled ''Rambo V: The Savage Hunt'' and would be loosely based on a novel called ''Hunter'' (a novel to which Stallone had the rights for ten years), involving Rambo hunting a "feral beast". In November 2009 Stallone confirmed that the story has been switched and that the man/beast hunt story will be saved for an unrelated film. ''Rambo V'' will now be based on Rambo searching for women who disappeared in a town over the Mexican border. It was confirmed by Stallone himself in May 2010 that he has scrapped ''Rambo V'' (and "retired" ''Rambo'') in order to work on ''The Expendables'' sequel.

Personal life

Stallone has been married three times. At age 28, on December 28, 1974, he married Sasha Czack. The couple had two sons, Sage Moonblood (b. May 5, 1976) and Seargeoh (b. 1979). His younger son was diagnosed with autism at an early age. The couple divorced on February 14, 1985. He married model and actress Brigitte Nielsen, on December 15, 1985, in Beverly Hills, California. Stallone and Nielsen's marriage, which lasted two years, and their subsequent divorce, were highly publicized by the tabloid press. In May 1997, Stallone married Jennifer Flavin, with whom he has three daughters: Sophia Rose (b. August 27, 1996), Sistine Rose (b. June 27, 1998), and Scarlet Rose (b. May 25, 2002).

In 2007, he was caught in Australia with 48 vials of the synthetic human growth hormone Jintropin.

After Stallone's request that his acting and life experiences be accepted in exchange for his remaining credits, he was granted a Bachelors of Fine Arts (BFA) degree by the President of the University of Miami in 1999.

Stallone stopped going to church as his acting career progressed. He began to rediscover his childhood faith when his daughter was born ill in 1996, and is now a churchgoing Catholic.

Stallone supports the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, and is featured prominently on that organization's website along with other celebrities.

Tobacco promotion

In 1983 Stallone entered into an agreement with Associated Film Promotions, Inc. representing their client, cigarette manufacturer Brown & Williamson Corp., to use or place B&W; products in five of his feature films. In exchange, Stallone was paid a total of $500,000, disbursed as $250,000 up front and $50,000 "payable at the inception of production of each participating film." In the initial correspondences Stallone guaranteed that he would "use Brown and Williamson tobacco products in no less than five feature films" but later, to be consistent with the character of Rocky Balboa, it was decided that "other leads will have product usage" in ''Rocky IV''. In 2002 documentation of the agreement was made publicly available through the Legacy Tobacco Documents Library at the University of California, San Francisco.

Injuries

Known for physically demanding roles, and his willingness to do a majority of his own stunts, Stallone has suffered numerous injuries during his acting career. For a scene in ''Rocky IV'', he told Dolph Lundgren "Punch me as hard as you can in the chest." "Next thing I know, I was in intensive care at St. John’s Hospital for four days. It’s stupid!" While filming a fight scene with actor Steve Austin in ''The Expendables'', he broke his neck, which required the insertion of a metal plate.

Filmography

''Also see Sylvester Stallone filmography.'' ''Stop

rowspan=2	Year	Film	Credited as				Role	Notes
Director	Producer		Writer	Actor
rowspan="2"	1970	''The Party at Kitty and Stud's''					Stud
					Jerry Savage
	Bananas (film)>Bananas''					Subway Thug No.1	Uncredited
''Klute''					Discothèque Patron	Uncredited
1974	''The Lords of Flatbush''					Stanley Rosiello	Writer (additional dialogue)
rowspan="7"	1975	''The Prisoner of Second Avenue''					Youth in Park
''Capone (film)	Capone''					Frank Nitti
''Death Race 2000''					Machine Gun Joe Viterbo
''Mandingo (film)	Mandingo''					Young Man in Crowd	Uncredited (Scenes deleted)
''Farewell, My Lovely (1975 film)	Farewell, My Lovely''					Jonnie
''Police Story (TV series)	Police Story''					Caddo	TV series (1 episode)
''Kojak''					Detective Rick Daly
	Cannonball (film)>Cannonball''					Mafioso	Uncredited
''Rocky''					Rocky Balboa	Writer
rowspan="2"	1978	''F.I.S.T.''					Johnny D. Kovak	Screenplay
''Paradise Alley''					Cosmo Carboni	Director and Writer
1979	''Rocky II''					Rocky Balboa	Director and Writer
rowspan="2"	1981	Nighthawks (film)>Nighthawks''					Det. Sgt. Deke DaSilva
''Escape to Victory''					Captain Robert Hatch
rowspan="2"	1982	''Rocky III''					Rocky Balboa	Director and Writer
''First Blood''						Screenplay
1983	''Staying Alive''					Man on Street	Cameo; Uncredited, Director, Producer and Writer
1984	Rhinestone (film)>Rhinestone''					Nick Martinelli	Screenplay
1985	''Rambo: First Blood Part II''						Screenplay
1985	''Rocky IV''					Rocky Balboa	Director and Writer
1986	Cobra (1986 film)>Cobra''					Lieutenant Marion 'Cobra' Cobretti	Screenplay
1987	Over the Top (film)>Over the Top''					Lincoln Hawk	Screenplay
1988	''Rambo III''						Writer
rowspan="2"	1989	Lock Up (film)>Lock Up''					Frank Leone
''Tango & Cash''					Raymond 'Ray' Tango
1990	''Rocky V''					Rocky Balboa	Writer
1991	Oscar (1991 film)>Oscar''					Angelo 'Snaps' Provolone
1992	Or My Mom Will Shoot''					Sgt. Joe Bomowski
	Cliffhanger (film)>Cliffhanger''					Gabe Walker	Screenplay
''Demolition Man (film)	Demolition Man''					John Spartan
1994	''The Specialist''					Ray Quick
rowspan="3"	1995''
''Assassins (1995 film)	Assassins''					Robert Rath
''Your Studio and You''					Himself
1996	Daylight (film)>Daylight''					Kit Latura
rowspan="3"	1997	The Good Life (1997 film)>The Good Life''					Boss	not released
''Men In Black (film)	Men In Black''					Alien on TV Monitors	Cameo; uncredited
''Cop Land''					Sheriff Freddy Heflin
rowspan=2	1998	''Antz''					Weaver	Voice
''An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn''					Himself
2000	Get Carter (2000 film)>Get Carter''					Jack Carter
2001	''Driven''					Joe Tanto	Producer and Screenplay
rowspan="3"	2002	''Liberty's Kids''					Paul Revere	TV series (1 episode)
''D-Tox''					Jake Malloy
''Avenging Angelo''					Frankie Delano
rowspan="3"	2003	''Taxi 3''					Passenger to Airport	Cameo; Uncredited
''Shade (film)	Shade''					Dean 'The Dean' Stevens
''Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over''
2005	Las Vegas (TV series)>Las Vegas''					Frank the Repairman	TV Series (2 episodes)
2006	Rocky Balboa (film)>Rocky Balboa''					Rocky Balboa	Director and Writer
2008	Rambo (film)>Rambo''						Director and Writer
2009	''Kambakkht Ishq''					Himself	Cameo
2010	The Expendables (2010 film)>The Expendables''					Barney Ross	Director and Writer
2011	Zookeeper (film)>Zookeeper''					Lion	Voice
2012	''The Expendables 2''					Barney Ross
2012	''Bullet to the Head''						''Hitman''

References

External links

Category:1946 births Category:American film actors Category:American film directors Category:American Roman Catholics Category:American film directors of Italian descent Category:Actors from Maryland Category:Actors from New York City Category:Actors from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Category:American people of French descent Category:American people of Italian descent Category:American people of Russian descent Category:American people of Sicilian descent Category:American screenwriters Category:American television actors Category:Charlotte Hall Military Academy alumni Category:International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees Category:Living people Category:New York Republicans Category:People from Silver Spring, Maryland Category:University of Miami alumni

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