Wednesday, January 30, 2008
RECEIVED RAMBO RED CARPET TAPE IN MAIL
This morning,I was at home until about 1pm. Someone knocked on my house gate. I took a peek from the window upstairs and it was the courier delivery man who came in a white van. I rushed down to open the door, and quickly asked where is the mail from, and he answered the United States. "That's right." I had called US last week, asking them about the possibility for me to go for the Rambo premiere Red Carpet Event at Las Vegas on Jan 25. The lady from Lionsgate, said she could rush me the footages if I give her my e-mail. So I did. She said she will "overnight" the tapes to me. Without much ado... there was no replies after that, and the tape simply arrived at my doorstep this afternoon. Cool or cool? Now I need to find a player to play the beta tape... yeah right. Maybe I should watch You Tube first to see if any footages has been posted there first.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
JACKIE STALLONE BRINGING MY BOOK TO VEGAS
JACKIE STALLONE who is attending the red carpet premiere of JOHN RAMBO at Planet Hollywood Hotel this Friday (Jan 25), is bringing my book to sell at a souvenir shop in Las Vegas. She thinks there is potential, and the book will do well. She asked me to e-mail her my contact details, so I sent her. It has been a year since I launched my book, and there is still excitement in the air. I believe it is a matter of time before the news go to town, and spread like wild fire. I intend to use this piece of news and spread it to the media.
TRIBUTE TO RAMBO
Col. Trautman: “You may try, but you can’t get away from what you really are,
Rambo: “And what do you think I am?”
Col. Trautman: “A full blooded combat soldier.” -- Rambo III
IT’S a long road, but Rambo is back after two decades, as fans eagerly await to see their favourite action hero don his bandana and wield his knife for the last time.
In the latest outing aptly titled John Rambo which opens in cinemas worldwide today (Jan 25), Rambo returns to save a group of Christian human rights missionaries against the atrocities of Burmese soldiers. He also gets to assemble a team of mercenaries to rescue the surviving relief workers.
As the story goes, Rambo has withdrawn to a simple and secluded existence in Bangkok where he spends his time salvaging old PT boats and tanks for scrap metal.
A group of Christian human rights missionaries led by Michael Burnett and Sarah Miller, approached him to rent his boat and take them up the river to Burma.
Rambo accepts the offer. When the missionaries finally arrive at Karen village, they are ambushed by sadistic Major Pa Tee Tint and a slew of Burmese army men. Rambo leads a rescue team with five young mercenaries to liberate the survivors in his deadliest mission ever.
Like a blast from the past, audiences can expect a lot of gore and explosive action which the franchise is famous for.
In examining the Rambo character, Stallone said in a past interview: “Rambo is from the dark side of the subconscious. He is the avenging arm of what I consider ethical in life -- a patriotic soldier. There’s an enemy out there who will have to be put down, and Rambo knows what it will take to do the job once first blood is drawn.”
For Stallone, who turns 62 this year, reprising the role is one of his toughest yet, but the time is ripe to end the series with dignity as he did with Rocky Balboa last year.
Rambo, one of the biggest film legends in history has come a long way indeed, and it would do him no justice without paying tribute his some his blockbuster films from the past.
Here is a quick review of some of the highlights. Action!
Based on the 1972 novel, the film First Blood written by David Morell was shot in the Canadian jungles.
John Rambo, a decorated Vietnam vet, former green beret, and congressional Medal of Honor winner, went to visit his last surviving buddy in the small town of Hope but found he was dead due to the effects of Agent Orange.
Feeling lonely he trudges back and encountered Sgt Will Teasle (Brian Dennehy) who drove him out of town because of the way “he looked.” But Rambo, defied orders and decided to turn back, thus the “war” began.
In one of the action scenes Rambo said:
“Don’t push it or I will give you a war you won’t believe,”which captioned the rest of the explosive sequels.
On the character, Stallone said: “If you live in a violent world you cannot be sheep. Society dictates how we must live.”
First Blood, the first of the Rambo series, vowed audiences with several impressive stunts including a scene where Rambo jumped off a cliff to avoid being shot at from a helicopter, and broke his fall against tree branches. He landed with a thud and a deep gash on his arm. With needle and thread, he stitched back the wound as blood oozed out.
A man of a 1000 skills, Rambo was as resourceful as he was strong. Armed only with a knife, he turned a gunny sack into a jacket, made booby traps and spear from tree branches. He even lighted a piece of cloth around his knife, and used it as a torch to find his way out of an abandoned tunnel.
Rambo became larger-than-life with the sequel Rambo: First Blood Part II in 1985, where he single-handedly blew up an enemy camp in Vietnam and rescued a group of POWs with a helicopter as he said: “To win a war you have to become war”.
The film also saw Rambo using a custom-made bow tipped with explosives to destroy enemy trucks.
In a boat scene, agent Co Bao (Julia Nickson-Soul) asked Rambo:
“Is that why they picked you, because you like to fight?”, and Rambo replied: “I’m expendable.”“What means expandable?”, asked Co; “It’s like someone invites you to a party and you don’t show up, it doesn’t really matter,” replied Rambo.Impressed by his gung-ho approach, it was reported that former United States president Ronald Reagan once quipped : “I’ve seen Rambo II and the next time this happens I’ll know just what to do.”
By the time Rambo III rolled out in 1988, the name was emblazoned on billboards around the world, as Stallone became one of the biggest action stars on the planet. (He is still a big influence in middle eastern countries where Rambo is regarded as a war hero in some countries).
While Rambo mania swept the world in the 80s, an assortment of Rambo knives, bows and arrows, toy guns and even Rambo vitamins were selling like hot cakes.
But when the film was associated with violence, Stallone came to the defence saying: “The millions of atrocities and brutal acts against helpless people are the ones that should be counted.”
He explained: “I made Rambo III because of the pain of the Afghan people have suffered as a result of the brutal war of the Soviets. Millions of people have been killed and maimed. So I don’t think the question is whether Rambo committed a few violent acts.”
Rambo is not just about war, he reiterated: “Rambo is a man of many colours, he is trying to find serenity, but how can you be serene in one small part of the world when the rest of the world is coming apart.”
In Rambo: First Blood Pt II, Col. Trautman (Richard Crenna) who was like a father figure to Rambo said: “Feel Vietnam is dead,” but Rambo replied: “Sir, I am alive it’s still alive ain’t it?” Towards the end of the movie when they met again,
Trautman said: “The war, everything that happened here may be wrong… damn it, don’t hate your country for it.”Stallone philosophy remained unchanged. “The strongest feelings a man has are for his religion, his feelings for his loved ones, and his love for his country. And if you don’t have men willing to die for their country you don’t have a country.”
Rambo replied: “Hate? I die for it.”
Col. Trautman: “Then what is it you want?”
Rambo: “I want what they want, and every other guy who came over here and spilled his guts and gave everything he had wants... for our country to love us, as much as we loved it. That’s what I want.”
With the closure of two of his famous roles, Rocky Balboa and now John Rambo, Stallone leaves behind a legacy to the world, not with knockout punches or ricocheting machine guns, but a vital message of hope and redemption urging audiences to stand up and fight back for their dreams instead of watching them wash down the drain.
Stallone’s real motivation in his films can be summed up in his quote:
“What did I truly enjoy seeing up on the big screen? I enjoyed heroism, I enjoyed great love. I enjoyed stories of man’s ability to rise above his station and take life by the throat and never let go until he succeeded.”Like Rambo, there is burning a question deep inside we would all like to ask:
“Sir, do we get to win this time,” and the answer is: “This time it is up to you!”>
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
THE HOTTEST STALLONE ACTION CLIP ON THE PLANET
THIS HAS TO BE the "Hottest Stallone Video on the Planet."
You will agree with me when you watch it. I edited this video several years ago, in preparation for my "In The Eye of the Tiger" book launch.
The picture quality seems a bit dated, and blurred because they were sourced from video tapes, but you can definitely feel the energy.
I have always been inspired by the ROCKY and RAMBO characters, as well as Stallone's other famous roles from the movies OVER THE TOP, COBRA, and LOCK-UP amongst others.
So in this video, I actually put all of this famous actions figures side-by-side, to give you a taste of Stallone's body of work. The best of the best which makes him the greatest action star of all times.
And what links them all together is their heart and energy, which is very evident through this clip. When I edited the clip to the song Eye of the Tiger, the sequence of action seems to fall in place naturally. I used my feelings and the music to guide me from one scene to another, and the result is a breathtaking piece of video, which is very poignant, very organic, and very powerful.
If you are a Stallone fan, you will appreciate all the scenes that are highlighted, because they were significant moments in the actors life and carreer.
What you get is something extraordinary which has never been done before.
To me this exercise also reveals something more - that I understand the heart of the character, and using the film snippets I am able to communicate the energy, the power, the purpose, and potential of the characters as they appeared to me, and the emotions is triggered.
This is a 100% original compilation, edited by myself, which has never been done before.
Also at the end of the video, I added some pictures of myself, and my book launch with Jackie Stallone, Dr Stephen Levine, and my story of how it all happened, to share my journey with you, that miracles do happen, and dreams do come true,
in the pursuit of my dreams. "Nothing is impossible! If I can do it, you can do it too!"
New Year 2008 Message: "DARE TO EXIST"
This powerful phrase came to my mind when I was setting up this blog, and it seemed like a apt and powerful theme to begin the new year 2008, to meet your objectives and set your outlook for the rest of your life.
Dare to Exist speaks to existential core of our being, and applies to us at all levels - our mind, body and spirit.
There have been books written about Dare to Win, and Dare to Fail, but none about Dare to Exist, which I feel has fundamental grip on every living thing on the planet, and resonates deeply in our subconscious mind.
Winning and losing are based on man made rules of what are the boundaries of success and failure represents, but deeper that that, the struggle for survival is programmed into the fabric of our character, and every cell of your body, whether you realise it or not.
Since time immemorial, and if the theory of evolution is correct, it only points to one thing. The law of the jungle - which is survival of the fittest exists for one reason ONLY, which is to propagate life to the next evolutionary level.
Every organism on the Planet, from the cells of our body to the animal kingdom, everything that is alive wants to keep on living.
Even the branches of trees grow towards the sunlight to get the nutrients for it to grow. And when someone is injured, the whole body works towards repairing the damage. This is an invisible force of nature.
Why? Because it wants to guarantee its existence, in opposed to dying. Life itself is a struggle for existence. Every cell struggles to to claim its rightful place in the world.
For example why does the Salmon swim upstream to lay eggs, and then die enmass - such self-sacrifice is to ensure the next generation exists, even after it is gone.
If there is no such drive and will to survive, then everything will die a nautral death and get suck down the pipeline, when confronting adversity and resistance which tests the fabric of its existence.
Which is why the Rambo character is powerful, because it doesn't die easily. Rambo is not just a symbol of violence for violence sake, but it speaks about the survival of the fittest, which is at the core of our being.
Rambo is always ready, always strong, always aware, always skillful and always determined, which gives him the advantage over less defined characters.
He is superior to them when he blends into the environment, he adapts, he is skillful and strong... and do whatever it takes to win, as was mentioned in Rambo: First Blood Part II: To Win A War You Have to Become War.
This survival mechanism is progammed into the fabric of our being, and is part of our subconscous mind to guarantee our survival, and Rambo represents that part of our being who is in his elements and is totally in control of the environment.
And this struggle for existance not only affects us on a physical level - to eat, sleep, and breathe, but at a deeper level, it also speaks about your ideas, desires, hopes and dreams. They too are alive and want to see their day under the sun.
Have you often squashed your hopes and dreams, and deny yourself because you feel unworthy, or not ready to achieve your goals?
Well, like the song Eye of the Tiger says, "Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past, you must fight just to keep them alive!"
The keyword here is to FIGHT, which is the rites of passage of all living being.
Only when you dare and care enough to make it happen, will you create the result that you wish for. Like they said, if you can't find a way, create one.
So you must do something, to create something.
The law of cause and effect, instead of seeing it wash down the drain and die a natural death.
So why not keep your resolutions simple this year. Dare to exist at all levels to make your dreams a reality. Because when they exist, so do you.
YOUR PASSION, HOPE AND ENERGY IS WHAT KEEPS YOU ALIVE EVERYDAY.
Your life is as REAL as you make it.
GO FOR IT, and make DARE TO EXIST, your THEME FOR 2008 AND BEYOND!
Dare to Exist speaks to existential core of our being, and applies to us at all levels - our mind, body and spirit.
There have been books written about Dare to Win, and Dare to Fail, but none about Dare to Exist, which I feel has fundamental grip on every living thing on the planet, and resonates deeply in our subconscious mind.
Winning and losing are based on man made rules of what are the boundaries of success and failure represents, but deeper that that, the struggle for survival is programmed into the fabric of our character, and every cell of your body, whether you realise it or not.
Since time immemorial, and if the theory of evolution is correct, it only points to one thing. The law of the jungle - which is survival of the fittest exists for one reason ONLY, which is to propagate life to the next evolutionary level.
Every organism on the Planet, from the cells of our body to the animal kingdom, everything that is alive wants to keep on living.
Even the branches of trees grow towards the sunlight to get the nutrients for it to grow. And when someone is injured, the whole body works towards repairing the damage. This is an invisible force of nature.
Why? Because it wants to guarantee its existence, in opposed to dying. Life itself is a struggle for existence. Every cell struggles to to claim its rightful place in the world.
For example why does the Salmon swim upstream to lay eggs, and then die enmass - such self-sacrifice is to ensure the next generation exists, even after it is gone.
If there is no such drive and will to survive, then everything will die a nautral death and get suck down the pipeline, when confronting adversity and resistance which tests the fabric of its existence.
Which is why the Rambo character is powerful, because it doesn't die easily. Rambo is not just a symbol of violence for violence sake, but it speaks about the survival of the fittest, which is at the core of our being.
Rambo is always ready, always strong, always aware, always skillful and always determined, which gives him the advantage over less defined characters.
He is superior to them when he blends into the environment, he adapts, he is skillful and strong... and do whatever it takes to win, as was mentioned in Rambo: First Blood Part II: To Win A War You Have to Become War.
This survival mechanism is progammed into the fabric of our being, and is part of our subconscous mind to guarantee our survival, and Rambo represents that part of our being who is in his elements and is totally in control of the environment.
And this struggle for existance not only affects us on a physical level - to eat, sleep, and breathe, but at a deeper level, it also speaks about your ideas, desires, hopes and dreams. They too are alive and want to see their day under the sun.
Have you often squashed your hopes and dreams, and deny yourself because you feel unworthy, or not ready to achieve your goals?
Well, like the song Eye of the Tiger says, "Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past, you must fight just to keep them alive!"
The keyword here is to FIGHT, which is the rites of passage of all living being.
Only when you dare and care enough to make it happen, will you create the result that you wish for. Like they said, if you can't find a way, create one.
So you must do something, to create something.
The law of cause and effect, instead of seeing it wash down the drain and die a natural death.
So why not keep your resolutions simple this year. Dare to exist at all levels to make your dreams a reality. Because when they exist, so do you.
YOUR PASSION, HOPE AND ENERGY IS WHAT KEEPS YOU ALIVE EVERYDAY.
Your life is as REAL as you make it.
GO FOR IT, and make DARE TO EXIST, your THEME FOR 2008 AND BEYOND!
RAMBO RETURNS
RAMBO IS BACK, and fans should be glad they get another chance to see their hero back in action, to go one more round with him as Rambo takes the war back to the jungle one last time, to right the wrongs against humanity, to save the day... and most of all to remind us of what we are capable of, when push comes to shove, when we revert back to our jungle instinct.
Like a blast from the past, JOHN RAMBO is not just another coming attraction, but it is a iconic character in cinematic history, reminding us what a huge impact Sylvester Stallone and Rambo had on our lives and subconscious mind when he stormed into our cinema screens two decades ago.
That film and the name Rambo has been etched on our minds and social consciousness eversince, and it never left us. We will never be the same way again, as Rambo reveals the indomitable spirit in every human being to thrive and to excel.
I was 16 when I saw First Blood. It was also my first introduction to Sylvester Stallone, the actor. At that point I have not seen Rocky before, which I discovered to be one and the same, although they fight different battles under different circumstances.
Both had the Eye of the Tiger. The inbuilt survival mechanism inside every human being to rise to the occassion, who listen to his heart, and always belief that "mine is the best one."
It was towards the end of 1982. I went to the cinema on my own, on dad's motorcycle and I was 10 mintues late. When I eventually found my seat in the dark, the movie had already started,
It was the motorcycle chase scene where Rambo was riding a scrambler with the sheriff in hot pursuit. It was hell of a ride, there was even a rhythm to the chase the sound of motorcycle engine screaming, and the roaring car in pursuit, the lean vs the mean, as sound spinning wheels hititng the dirt road.
Rambo won the first round, when his motorcycle crashed on some rock boulders near the edge of the forest, which provided him an escape route into the wild, while the sheriff shouted some final words of warning, he is doomed now and his fate is sealed.
Even though we do not know who Rambo was at that time, our hearts went out to him.
"What did he do wrong to deserve this?" He was like a trapped animal, who could not defend or even speak for himself. How can he win a war against prejudice, against a belief system with no right or wrong, where it is my word against yours, as the town Sheriff gleefully declared: "I am the law", while driving Rambo out of town.
Rambo was not looking for trouble, he just wanted to have a simple meal, yet trouble was thrushed upon him. And he became the reluctant hero, to preserve his own life.
In one scene he even tried apologizing for what happened, but they shot at him. It was not his war, as he stated towards the end of the movie, but they drew FIRST BLOOD.
As the film unfolded, cinema audiences gasped at the reality of the stunning action scenes, most which they have not seen before in the pre-computer era. How could Rambo leap off the cliff and break his fall against huge tree branches. I cringed as I heard the cracking sound of tree branches breaking under the weight and momentum of his free fall, I could swear half a dozen ribs must have been broken.
And how did he stich him arm with a deep cut(one of the most talk about scene), as blood gushes out.
There was no easy way out as Rambo had to revert back to his warrior self, to "win and to survive," which was his life philosophy as he explained in the boat ride in the sequel Rambo: First Blood Pt II, to Vietnamese agent Co Baio.
One of my favourite scenes was when he grabbed a gunny sack in the abandoned vehicle, and instinctively cut it up and turn it into an instant jacket to protect against the cold. Such was the resourcesfulness of Rambo to use whatever means within his grasp, to survive under any conditions.
He was expandable. He could create something out of nothing, like sharp wooden stakes for hunting, as well as traps, creating his own tools from mother nature.
When Rambo escaped into the wilds, you can feel he is safe there, as he is at one with nature and himself. As he said: "In here, I am the law. Don't push it or I will give you a war you won't believe."
Even when the blast the mind hole with a bazooka, Rambo lighted his own fire and made his way through the rat-infested tunnel.
Yet beyond all the entertainment, the film triggered something deep within our hearts, as part of us is uncivilised and refused to be tamed.
The war started when Rambo callenged the rule of why it was a crime for him to get a simple meal in town?" One thing led to another, until a life-threatening battle ensued, which is a common scenario in our day-to-day situation.
When I movie ended, I left the cinema impressed knowing that I have foudn something new. I was totally impressed by the Rambo character that I went home trying to understand and unravel the story, by writing the sypnopsis on a notepad.
Although i have never met such a character, yet I could feel totally related to it. To me Rambo was more than just action-packed war movie.
Something about the film was real to me. It tugged at my heartstring, reminding me there is another person deep inside us who is resourceful and who can adapt under any circumstances. And when push comes to shove, this survival mechanism takes over and we become Rambo.
It is said Rambo is a man of a 1000 skills. I haven't met such a person before, but I believe such a person exists. If we are fully trained and focused,and knowledgable, we too can rise above any situations,adn turn the odds to our favour.
Anything is possible when you realise in the beginning there are no rules, and we make our own rules.
Watching First Blood, andthe sequels was an exhilarating journey, but little did I know that it would lead me on to write a book called Survival Priciples from Sylvester Stallone's Life & Films, where I was honoured to have Jackie Stallone launched the book to coincide with Rocky Balboa: the last episode in the series.
Like a blast from the past, JOHN RAMBO is not just another coming attraction, but it is a iconic character in cinematic history, reminding us what a huge impact Sylvester Stallone and Rambo had on our lives and subconscious mind when he stormed into our cinema screens two decades ago.
That film and the name Rambo has been etched on our minds and social consciousness eversince, and it never left us. We will never be the same way again, as Rambo reveals the indomitable spirit in every human being to thrive and to excel.
I was 16 when I saw First Blood. It was also my first introduction to Sylvester Stallone, the actor. At that point I have not seen Rocky before, which I discovered to be one and the same, although they fight different battles under different circumstances.
Both had the Eye of the Tiger. The inbuilt survival mechanism inside every human being to rise to the occassion, who listen to his heart, and always belief that "mine is the best one."
It was towards the end of 1982. I went to the cinema on my own, on dad's motorcycle and I was 10 mintues late. When I eventually found my seat in the dark, the movie had already started,
It was the motorcycle chase scene where Rambo was riding a scrambler with the sheriff in hot pursuit. It was hell of a ride, there was even a rhythm to the chase the sound of motorcycle engine screaming, and the roaring car in pursuit, the lean vs the mean, as sound spinning wheels hititng the dirt road.
Rambo won the first round, when his motorcycle crashed on some rock boulders near the edge of the forest, which provided him an escape route into the wild, while the sheriff shouted some final words of warning, he is doomed now and his fate is sealed.
Even though we do not know who Rambo was at that time, our hearts went out to him.
"What did he do wrong to deserve this?" He was like a trapped animal, who could not defend or even speak for himself. How can he win a war against prejudice, against a belief system with no right or wrong, where it is my word against yours, as the town Sheriff gleefully declared: "I am the law", while driving Rambo out of town.
Rambo was not looking for trouble, he just wanted to have a simple meal, yet trouble was thrushed upon him. And he became the reluctant hero, to preserve his own life.
In one scene he even tried apologizing for what happened, but they shot at him. It was not his war, as he stated towards the end of the movie, but they drew FIRST BLOOD.
As the film unfolded, cinema audiences gasped at the reality of the stunning action scenes, most which they have not seen before in the pre-computer era. How could Rambo leap off the cliff and break his fall against huge tree branches. I cringed as I heard the cracking sound of tree branches breaking under the weight and momentum of his free fall, I could swear half a dozen ribs must have been broken.
And how did he stich him arm with a deep cut(one of the most talk about scene), as blood gushes out.
There was no easy way out as Rambo had to revert back to his warrior self, to "win and to survive," which was his life philosophy as he explained in the boat ride in the sequel Rambo: First Blood Pt II, to Vietnamese agent Co Baio.
One of my favourite scenes was when he grabbed a gunny sack in the abandoned vehicle, and instinctively cut it up and turn it into an instant jacket to protect against the cold. Such was the resourcesfulness of Rambo to use whatever means within his grasp, to survive under any conditions.
He was expandable. He could create something out of nothing, like sharp wooden stakes for hunting, as well as traps, creating his own tools from mother nature.
When Rambo escaped into the wilds, you can feel he is safe there, as he is at one with nature and himself. As he said: "In here, I am the law. Don't push it or I will give you a war you won't believe."
Even when the blast the mind hole with a bazooka, Rambo lighted his own fire and made his way through the rat-infested tunnel.
Yet beyond all the entertainment, the film triggered something deep within our hearts, as part of us is uncivilised and refused to be tamed.
The war started when Rambo callenged the rule of why it was a crime for him to get a simple meal in town?" One thing led to another, until a life-threatening battle ensued, which is a common scenario in our day-to-day situation.
When I movie ended, I left the cinema impressed knowing that I have foudn something new. I was totally impressed by the Rambo character that I went home trying to understand and unravel the story, by writing the sypnopsis on a notepad.
Although i have never met such a character, yet I could feel totally related to it. To me Rambo was more than just action-packed war movie.
Something about the film was real to me. It tugged at my heartstring, reminding me there is another person deep inside us who is resourceful and who can adapt under any circumstances. And when push comes to shove, this survival mechanism takes over and we become Rambo.
It is said Rambo is a man of a 1000 skills. I haven't met such a person before, but I believe such a person exists. If we are fully trained and focused,and knowledgable, we too can rise above any situations,adn turn the odds to our favour.
Anything is possible when you realise in the beginning there are no rules, and we make our own rules.
Watching First Blood, andthe sequels was an exhilarating journey, but little did I know that it would lead me on to write a book called Survival Priciples from Sylvester Stallone's Life & Films, where I was honoured to have Jackie Stallone launched the book to coincide with Rocky Balboa: the last episode in the series.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
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