Day 3 - Stallone guts some more questions and lets the answers spill out!!!

Hey folks, Harry here with another edition of Ask Rambo. See if Stallone is in the new Terminator movie. What happened to that car in COBRA? Was Stallone going to be DR WHO? These insane questions and more have answers waiting for you. Enjoy...

1. I read that after watching Highlander you hand picked Russell Mulcahy to direct RAMBO III, then fired him due to artistic differences. I seem to remember an interview with him saying you wanted to many close ups! Any comments? P.S. I've been a massive fan since discovering the Rocky movies in the early eighties. Keep up the good work. From Kev in London.

1.) Yes, Russell Mulcahy, I thought did a brilliant job on several music videos and eventually “Highlander”. I remember calling him from an editing room and telling him what a wonderful job he had done. He answered back in a bored fashion “Why thank you darling.” So I hired him. He went to Israel two weeks before me with the task of casting two dozen vicious looking Russian troops. These men were suppose to make your blood run cold. When I arrived on the set, what I saw was two dozen blond, blue-eyed pretty boys that resembled rejects from a surfing contest. Needless to say Rambo is not afraid of a little competition but being attacked by third rate male models could be an enemy that could overwhelm him. I explained my disappointment to Russell and he totally disagreed, so I asked him and his chiffon army to move on.

2. What was your work-out routine to prepare for the movie? Scott Ross

2.) Lifting heavy objects. First I tried to lift my ego and got a hernia so I decided to go back to weights and it was a fairly simple routine to accentuate the more obvious working muscles of the body such as back, shoulders and forearms rather than biceps, triceps, and abs.

3. Mr Stallone, For years, I thought you were part of "Sly and the Family Stone" simply because of the syllabic similarities. That's not my question. There was a rumour going around in the late 90s that noted "director" Paul WS Anderson was going to revive the then-comatose British science fiction show "Doctor Who" as a big budget movie. Back then, nobody knew who WS was, so most of the fans' ire was directed at his rumoured choice for the Doctor: yourself. (This ire was not out of any sort of personal dislike, but more that it was the most bizarrely left-field casting ever. Like if you were write a fifth Rambo film, only you decided to cast Dame Judie Dench or or the skeletal remains of Charlie Chaplin in the title role.) I've labored for years under the assumption that my favourite TV show ever almost went down this ill-advised path, only now that I'm actually typing it out, it seems quite ridiculous. Either way, I've been wanting to know for years and years and years, and now I can finally ask: did this almost happen? If so, how far along the process did you get? Many thanks, and all the best with the new film. I'm looking forward to it. Latauro

3.) Sorry we had to waste a question on this because I never heard of Doctor Who except in a sort of Dr. Seuss application.

4. What do you make of the post-modern, 'intellectual' action films out today? Do you feel they have more of a social relevance than 80s cinema, or do you think they try harder today for that than 80s films did? (By 80s films, I mean how the films seem strongly inspired by the times, rather than venturing into trying to answer social questions... for instance, Cobra was a disturbing film which seemed - in parts - to be seeped in the vague sleeze prevalent during the era in question.) Ian Austin

4.) In reference to post modern “intellectual” action films…I am not bonding or computing the intellectual reference to modern day action films. Throughout cinematic history I believe the goal of well made action films was to illicit an emotional response, a visceral tightening of the stomach, not an intellectual response simply because the momentum of a film of this nature is to build to a crescendo rather than a point of intellectual debate while the film is going on. So, after the smoke has cleared I think it’s wonderful to break down the layers of these “action” films because when they’re well done they’re quite memorable and part of our modern day mythology. Unfortunately CGI has elevated the action film to a visual banquet full of hollow calories.

5. How many different incarnations of the fourth Rambo film were there in the film's last 10 years of development? Can you tell us what was fact and what was fiction? Over the years, there were talks of Rambo joining up with his son in Afghanastan, establishing a storyline after the 3rd film. In other internet speculation, it was rumored Rambo would fight again in the small town of 'Hope' against the son of the sadistic sherrif he killed in first blood. When the film was originally titled 'eye of the cobra', was that the same storyline as this film? Is it true that when you were quoted in one magazine report that you needed to set the film somewhere where the worlds most 'terrible things are happening', so you called SOLDIER OF FORTUNE magazine and they directed you to the state of atrocities in Burma? What would of happened if they told you that you needed to go back to Afghanastan for example - would you have followed Rambo's expanding story back in the middle east? By setting this film back in south east asia, does that mean we as the audience have to understand that rambo had to 'go home' and thereby left the Middle east as a reaction to his own torment? Thanks, from a huge fan in sydney, Australia. P.S don't worry what the press might say here - we Aussies still love you mate! Dan

5.) First of all, it was called, “Eye of the Serpent”, or, “Pearl of the Cobra.” In old king cobras' heads sometimes resides a calcium growth that when removed and buffed resembles an amber pearl. This pearl is called The Sri Naga Mani. Rambo wore this pearl around his neck because of the mystical powers that it possessed. Anyway, I dispensed with that aspect of the film but the story remained pretty much the same. And yes, I did call Soldier of Fortune magazine, which truly has it’s ear to the ground when it comes to clandestine terrorist activities around the world.

6. Mr Stallone, I recently saw a BOXING match between Dolph Lundgren and former UFC fighter Oleg Taktarov on youtube, in which Dolph lost by descision. Oleg is primarily a Judo and Sambo specialist, and is not known for his hands, and yet he won the match. i bring this up because Floyde Mayweather JR recently announced his intentions to make a transition into MMA fighting. he would have to gain at least 10 Lbs to be in the UFC lightweight division, and while he does have great handspeed... i dont see him having the knockout power to make a seasoned grappler even think twice about taking him to the ground. in boxing, whenever you clinch, the ref will separate the fighters. in MMA Floyde would eat knees and elbows in that position surely he doesnt think he can defend a takedown, or fight off a submission attempt? and i would bet he's never taken a muay thia kick to the legs. my point is... i dont doubt his hands or his heart or his conditioning, i doubt his "overall" game to be competitive. i mean, if Dolph can be "outboxed" by a guy who isnt even a boxer.... what does that say? what do you think of this move by Mayweather, and what do you think of the UFC (MMA) in general? I cant wait to see Rambo kill the Cloverfield Monster....at the box office i mean...... that is, if they are not one and the same destructive force. I am really looking forward to the all day Rambo Marathon on opening night! you have my $9.50 sir! Gavin

6.) I think Mayweather is just exaggerating because it creates an interesting point of view for debate among fighting purists. Let me state, unequivocally, that Dolph Lundgren probably wasn’t taking this seriously because I’ve seen him toss Carl Weathers into a corner with one hand then virtually terrify the man until he fled the ring claiming, “If you touch me, I’ll call my agent” or something to that affect. During Rocky IV, Dolph had hit me so hard I had swelling around the heart and had to stay in intensive care at St. John’s Hospital for four days. Mayweather would not hold up to the pounding that he would receive and therefore the fight would be a waste of everyone’s time. Actually, if it went on a bit too long it would turn into a CSI crime scene.

7. Having worked in a variety of different roles in Hollywood over the years, actor, writer, producer and director, what's your take on the current WGA strike, and how do you think it's going to end? Jay

7.) I really can’t answer that because it would be bad form to try to second guess my fellow union brothers. All I know is artistic revolution is good for the soul.

8. Dear Sylvester, I am István Regös from Budapest, Hungary. Rocky and Rambo both mean a lot to me, and your characters helped a lot to me to shape my body and my soul, so thank you for that and more. You are truly a great artist. If you could go back in time, and redo any of your movies, or any scenes of any of your films, which would you redo? Thank you very much for answering. It's really good to have you still in my life as a movie icon, with a signed picture of yours hanging on my wall, which Andy Wajna was so kind to give me years ago. I wish you all the best of life, like you wrote on the picture. István Regös

8.) I would’ve played Oscar incredibly cynical like the original French version and I would’ve gone back to my original premise of Rambo III, which was more in keeping with the theme of “Tears of the Sun”, but set in Afghanistan.

9. Hello once again Sly, THANKS for answering the fans questions! Hope all is well in business and family. Thanks for giving action fans hope by still being in the game. With RAMBO, you are back on Hollywoods A-List. Ok, here are my questions: Have you been approached to star in TERMINATOR SALVATION and if yes how likely is that going to happen? ABking, BOSTON, MA

9.) No, that has never happened and I believe that’s sacred ground for Arnold and would be an insult to encroach on his territory.

10. Do you still have the Mercury from Cobra? Was it yours before the film and they wrote it in or did you keep it from the production? Do you have any other interesting cars that may or may not have appeared in your films? Thank you for this opportunity, good luck with Rambo Mr Stallone I for one will be in line when it hits England on February 22nd. Also if you are ever in the north east of England let me know I'd like to buy you a pint. Richard Scott (30)

10.) The Mercury was made for the film and was a hellacious piece of equipment with real nitrous oxide canisters that turned the car into a temporary dragster. You won’t believe this but someone stole the car out of storage four years ago. So keep your eyes out.