I don’t like to talk much about the business of making movies because it means a lot to me to protect the audience’s fullest enjoyment of the magic that films can have.
Jackie Chan (born Chan Kong-sang, 7 April 1954) was rigorously trained in music, dance, and traditional martial arts being apprenticed to the China Drama Academy by his parents at the age of 6. A visiting filmmaker offered Chan his first role as a stunt player. Chan took the part, and soon left the Opera to pursue the world of film. Fellow Opera students Biao Yuen and Sammo Hung Kam-Bo would also have careers in film, and the three would star in several films together in the following years. Chan’s talent and enthusiasm soon saw him taking larger and more important roles, graduating first to stunt coordinator, and then to director. Following the death of martial arts legend Bruce Lee, the search was on for an actor who could inspire audiences to the same degree; every young martial artist was given a chance. Chan decided that rather than emulating Lee (and thus living forever in his shadow), he would develop his own style of filmmaking. His directorial debut The Young Master (1980) was a milestone in martial arts films, being one of the first to effectively combine comedy with action. This set the tone for many of his future films, which combined slapstick humor with high-energy martial arts action. A self-confessed fan of Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd, Chan performs all his own stunts, quite often at his own peril. His later films include outtakes of his on-set injuries run under the closing credits. He is understandably number one on the insurance blacklist.
Predator’s original title was Hunter, and they actually started shooting with a totally different alien design. The creature had longer legs, and the head of a fly/dog. That head was designed to be able to turn and flip to almost any angle so he could track his prey (cool idea). Wobbling around on its stilts, and using a harness, they just couldn’t get the walking to look convincing, or the head to look like it was properly attached. Hired to wear the suit, for his agility, was martial-arts-trained Jean-Claude Van Damme, who quit after two days, unhappy that he was to be an uncredited special effect. With the creature problems, the original design was scrapped, and Stan Winston was called in. It was James Cameron who suggested him. Winston created the design we’re all familiar with. Cameron also reportedly came up with the idea of the mandibles on the face.
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, model, actor, director, businessman and politician who served as the 38th Governor of California. Schwarzenegger began to weight train at the young age of 15 years old. He was awarded the title of Mr. Universe at age 20 and went on to win the Mr. Olympia contest seven times. Schwarzenegger has remained a prominent presence in the sport of bodybuilding and he has written several books and numerous articles on the sport. Schwarzenegger gained worldwide fame as a Hollywood action film icon. He was nicknamed the “Austrian Oak” and the “Styrian Oak” in his bodybuilding days, “Arnie” during his acting career and more recently the “Governator”. As a Republican, he was first elected on October 7, 2003, in a special recall election to replace then-Governor Gray Davis.
Steve James was often cast in action movies as the hero’s sidekick, despite usually being a better actor and fighter than the star. James was raised in New York City, attended C.W. Post College as an Arts and Film major, and upon graduating, became involved in stage work and TV commercials. He started in film as a stuntman, working in such New York productions as The Wiz, The Warriors, and The Wanderers. His first major film role was as Robert Ginty’s sidekick in The Exterminator; he later played sidekick to such stars as Michael Dudikoff, David Carradine, and Chuck Norris. His last film was the pilot for the TV series “Mantis”. It aired on the Fox network just a few weeks after his death at age 41 of pancreatic cancer.
EmmaStone is an American actress. She made her feature film debut in the comedy Superbad. Stone was previously a cast member of the TV series Drive. She appeared in The House Bunny and Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. She then starred in the horror-comedy Zombieland and the indie comedy Paper Man in 2009. In 2010, Stone voiced the character Mazie in Marmaduke, and stars in the high school comedy Easy A.
Back To The Future’s Doc and Marty were receiving the 25th Anniversary award on behalf of the film series which was first released in 1985. The award was representative of an evening in which the spotlight was stolen from the increasingly young actors seen in films today and thrust firmly back in the direction of established actors.
More than two decades on, Bill Murray answered the call to jump back into his famous Ghostbusters costume for the Spike TV Scream Awards. The actor hit the stage in full gear, much to the delight of the screaming audience, to receive the award for Best Horror Film for Zombieland - 25 years after Ghostbusters was nominated for two Oscars. Murray, who turned 60 last month, can credit the 1984 film with making him a star and has even signed on to appear in the film’s new reboot which is due for release in 2012.
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.