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Rambo

Rambo[1] is an upcoming Weinstein Company film distributed by Lionsgate, starring Sylvester Stallone as Vietnam War veteran John Rambo. In this fourth chapter of the franchise, Rambo leads a team of mercenaries to Burma to search for missing Christian aid workers. It is currently scheduled for a January 25, 2008 release.[2][3]

An official film teaser trailer which was made for distributors at the Cannes film festival was made available on the internet in late May 2007, and was noted for its intense (and graphic) violence. Another teaser trailer was made available on the internet in September 2007. The MPAA has Rambo rated R for strong graphic bloody violence, sexual assaults, grisly images and language

Plot
Twenty years after the last film in the series, Vietnam veteran John J. Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) has retreated to northern Thailand where he's running a longboat on the Salween River. On the nearby Thai-Burma (Myanmar) border, the world's longest-running civil war, the Burmese-Karen conflict, rages into its 60th year. Rambo, who lives a solitary life, has long given up fighting, choosing to remain neutral in the war-torn region.

That all changes when a group of human rights missionaries seek out the "American river guide". Sarah (Julie Benz) and Michael Bennett (Paul Schulze) explain to Rambo that the Burmese military has laid landmines along the road, making it too dangerous for overland travel. They ask Rambo to guide them up the Salween River so they can deliver medical supplies and food to the Karen tribe. After initially refusing their request, Rambo eventually relents and helps them reach their destination.

Less than two weeks later, pastor Arthur Marsh (Ken Howard) finds Rambo and tells him the aid workers did not return and the embassies have not helped locate them. He tells Rambo he's mortgaged his home and raised money from his congregation to hire mercenaries to get the missionaries, who are being held captive by the Burmese army. Although the United States military trained him to be a lethal super soldier in Vietnam, decades later Rambo's reluctance for violence and conflict are palpable, his scars faded, yet visible. However, the lone warrior knows what he must do...


[edit] Cast
Sylvester Stallone - John Rambo
Julie Benz - Sarah Miller
Matthew Marsden - Schoolboy - Mercenary
Graham McTavish - Lewis - Mercenary
Reynaldo Gallegos - Diaz - Mercenary
Jake La Botz - Reese - Mercenary
Tim Kang - En-Joo - Mercenary
Maung Maung Khin - Major Pa Tee Tint
Paul Schulze - Michael Burnett
Ken Howard - Reverend Arthur Marsh
This is the only film in the series that does not feature the character of Rambo's friend and mentor, Colonel Trautman. Richard Crenna, who portrayed Trautman in the previous Rambo films, died of cancer in 2003. This is also the only film in the series to not be musically composed by Jerry Goldsmith, who passed away in 2004 after his long battle with cancer.


Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull


Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is a 2008 adventure film. It is the fourth Indiana Jones film and the twenty-sixth chronologically in the character's film and television appearances. It is directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by George Lucas and stars Harrison Ford in the title role. It also stars Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett, Ray Winstone, John Hurt and Karen Allen. Set in 1957,[1] the film centers around the mysterious crystal skulls, and pits Indiana Jones against agents of the Soviet Union.[2]

The film was in development hell since the 1989 release of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, because Spielberg, Lucas and Ford wanted the best script possible. Screenwriters Jeb Stuart, Jeffrey Boam, M. Night Shyamalan, Frank Darabont and Jeff Nathanson wrote drafts, before a script by David Koepp satisfied all three men in 2006. Shooting finally commenced on June 18, 2007, and took place at locations in New Mexico, New Haven, Connecticut, Hawaii and soundstages in Los Angeles. In order to keep aesthetic continuity with the previous films, there will be minimal use of computer generated imagery and more of a reliance on traditional stuntwork, with Ford performing many of his own stunts. The film is due for release on May 22, 2008.[3]



Production

[edit] Development
During the late 1970s, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg made a deal with Paramount Pictures for five films about archaeologist Indiana Jones.[4] Following the theatrical release of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in 1989, Lucas let the series end as he felt he could not think of a good plot device to drive the next installment.[5] Lucas stated that he became fascinated with crystal skulls while producing The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles in 1992. He feels that as a plot device, the skulls are as strong as the Ark of the Covenant.[6] Spielberg and Harrison Ford balked as they found the concept of the crystal skulls was too similar to the previous films, and two years were spent reworking it into something more acceptable.[5] Spielberg wanted to make the film because it was a chance to reunite with Lucas and Ford,[7] as well as to please his children[8] and the Indiana Jones fan base.[9]


[edit] Writing
In 1992, Jeb Stuart was hired to write a screenplay.[10] In 1995, Lucas called Last Crusade writer Jeffrey Boam back to pen another draft.[11] M. Night Shyamalan was hired as Boam's replacement for an intended 2002 shoot,[8] but he left because of what Ford described as "the failure of George and Steven to attend to him."[12] Shyamalan was overwhelmed writing a sequel to a film he loved like Raiders of the Lost Ark, and admitted it was difficult to get Ford, Spielberg, and Lucas to focus.[13] Lucas admitted he would not be able to give the project his full attention until he completed the final Star Wars film in 2005.[14] Afterwards, Stephen Gaghan and Tom Stoppard were approached to write a new screenplay.[8]

With a title already planned,[15] Frank Darabont, who wrote several episodes of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, was hired in May 2002 to write.[16] Darabont's screenplay was set in the 1950s, after the demise of the Nazi regime,[17] and featured cameos from Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) and Willie Scott (Kate Capshaw).[18] It did not have Jones' son.[19] In December 2002, Spielberg said he planned to shoot two films before filming Indiana Jones 4 in 2004 for a 2005 release. He also dismissed the possibility of shooting it digitally.[20] In February 2004, Lucas rejected the draft for reasons unknown,[21] although Spielberg called this version the best screenplay since Raiders of the Lost Ark.[22]


The production crew converts a storefront in downtown New Haven, Connecticut to be used in a scene set to take place in the 1950sJeff Nathanson was hired in October 2004 to write a new draft,[23] which was set around 1949.[24] Completed a year later, the script was handed over to David Koepp.[8] As 2006 began, Harrison Ford declared that if the film was not made by 2008, then the filmmakers should drop the idea altogether.[25] Spielberg confirmed Indiana Jones 4 as his next film, calling it "the sweet dessert I give those who had to chow down on the bitter herbs that I've used in Munich".[26] Koepp tried not to make his work a "fan script", in that he hoped to avoid any trivial references to the previous films, saying "That's tempting, because you've seen the movie a hundred times and you know all the dialogue, but no human being remembers exactly what they said 25 years ago word for word, much less make reference to it. So you try to put aside the other movies and yet be in the spirit of them." He also noted the story would have to acknowledge Ford/Indiana's age.[27]


[edit] Filming
On December 29, 2006, Lucas confirmed that he, Spielberg and Koepp finished the script, and that Indiana Jones 4 would commence filming in 2007.[28] Filming began on June 18, 2007[3] at Deming, New Mexico, for scenes set in Morocco.[29] An extensive chase scene was filmed between June 28-July 7 at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut,[1] which doubled as Indiana Jones' Marshall College.[29] They moved to Hawaii, shooting twenty percent of the film for three weeks[30] on private property, keeping production secretive.[29] Hawaii stands in for a South American rainforest.[30] Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is the biggest film shot in Hawaii since Waterworld, and will generate $22 million to $45 million in the local economy.[31] Half the film was scheduled to shoot on soundstages at Los Angeles.[30] These included Downey, California.[32] Filming moved to Chandler Field in Fresno, California, substituting for Mexico City International Airport, on October 11, 2007.[33] After shooting aerial shots of Chandler Airport and a DC-3 on the morning of October 12, 2007, filming wrapped.[34][2]


[edit] Effects
Producer Frank Marshall stated in 2003 that the film would not rely on CGI; it would instead use traditional special effects and stuntwork so as to be consistent with the previous films.[35] He reiterated this in 2006.[5] During filming, Spielberg anticipated "30%" of visual effects would be CGI, for elements such as backdrops.[2] With Ford performing many of his stunts,[30] Spielberg stated he could not tell the difference between Ford during the shoots for Last Crusade and Crystal Skull.[36] While shooting War of the Worlds in late 2004, Spielberg met with stunt coordinator Vic Armstrong, who doubled for Ford in the previous films, to discuss three action sequences he had envisioned.[5] However, Armstrong was filming The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor during shooting of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, so Dan Bradley was hired in his stead.[37] Ben Burtt, who served as sound designer for the previous films and was an editor and director on The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, will not work on this film, as he left Lucasfilm in 2005.[38]


[edit] Music
John Williams stated on the 2003 DVD documentary The Music of Indiana Jones that he hoped to return to write the score for the film, as he did for the previous three.[39] In June 2007, Williams' company, the Gorfaine-Schwartz Agency, confirmed that Williams would be involved with the film.[40] Williams began scoring the film in October 2007.[41]


[edit] Cast

(left to right) Shia LaBeouf, Steven Spielberg, Ray Winstone and Harrison Ford. (front) Karen Allen.Harrison Ford as Professor Henry "Indiana" Jones, Jr. To prepare for the role, the 65-year-old Ford's fitness routine consisted of three hours a day at the gym, and a high-protein diet of fish and vegetables.[42]
Shia LaBeouf signed on in April 2007. He did not know what role he was in, having signed on in excitement without reading a script.[43] Ford referred to him as a sidekick.[9] LaBeouf gained 15 pounds of muscle for the role,[44] and prepared by repeatedly viewing the previous three Indiana Jones films.[3]
Cate Blanchett was described by Lucas as a "leading lady",[45] but Blanchett confirmed her character is not a love interest.[46]
Ray Winstone as Mac, Indiana Jones' sidekick.[47]
Karen Allen will reprise her role as Marion Ravenwood.[9]
John Hurt in a still unrevealed role.[48] Hurt had been suggested for a different character when Frank Darabont was writing the screenplay.[49]
Jim Broadbent has a role as an academic colleague and friend of Indiana Jones at Yale.[50]
Igor Jijikine in an unnamed role.[51] Spielberg stated he cast Russian actors in the roles of Russian soldiers so their accents would be authentic.[36]
Sean Connery turned down making a cameo appearance as Henry Jones, Sr., finding retirement too enjoyable.[48] Lucas stated that in hindsight it was good that Jones Sr. did not briefly appear, as it would disappoint the audience when the character would not come along for the film's adventure.[52] John Rhys-Davies was not asked to return as Sallah.[53] Denholm Elliott, who played Jones' co-worker Marcus Brody in the first and third films, died of AIDS in 1992. As a tribute to Elliott, the filmmakers put a portrait of the character in the film on the Marshall College set.[54] Pat Roach, who played minor roles in all of the previous three films, died of cancer in 2004.