Burma: Stallone Speaks Out After Rambo Crew Witness Hell Beyond Your Wildest Dreams

[Nomad559]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=485063

Sylvester Stallone said he witnessed "a hellhole beyond your wildest dreams" while filming on the Burma border.

The actor and his movie crew were shooting "John Rambo", the fourth movie in the action series, on the Salween River separating Burma and Thailand.

"I witnessed the aftermath - survivors with legs cut off and all kinds of land mine injuries, maggot-infested wounds and ears cut off.

We saw many elephants with blown off legs. We hear about Vietnam and Cambodia and this was more horrific," he said.

"This is a hellhole beyond your wildest dreams," Stallone said. "All the trails are mined. The only way into Burma is up the river."

Shots were fired over the film crew's heads and there were threats, he said.

"We were told we could get seriously hurt if we went on," Stallone added.

[TomInTib]

1. How ironic.

How fucking ironic can it get?

[AuntPatsy]

4. Never seems to end does it?

[lonestarnot]

2. Terrible.

[Breeze54]

3. Wow! I hope they publish any film they took!

The Burma military are war criminals!

[Liberal In Texas]

5. Shooting a war movie in a war zone. You might think that you might get shot at. n/t

[blogslut]

6. Hmmm

From the article:

Now Stallone is finding the editing process difficult, and finds himself asking the question "Are you making a documentary of a 'Rambo' movie?"

He wants to retain the violence in the film - and is prepared to face the challenge from the film board, the Motion Picture Association of America, over the rating.

"This is full scale genocide. I want the violence in there because it is reality. It would be a whitewashing not to show what's over there," he said.

"I think there is a story that needs to be told," Stallone said.

Why don't you do both, Mr. Stallone?

[Lucinda]

7. And this was BEFORE the crackdown....horrible pic at link - caution

[seemslikeadream]

8. Military: Soldiers are on every street corner in Rangoon to prevent mass protests

[proud patriot]

9. sad

[EFerrari]

10. Fyi, this Burma resource thread needs kickers.

:(

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1954428&mesg_id=1954428

[pitohui]

16. ok i just gave it a kick

jesus this is something else

i hope to god stallone aint just shootin off his mouth to promote a movie, never met him, met his mom tho and she was a little...i dunno self promoting is the word that springs to mind

let his film and his words be for good

[Mythsaje]

11. We may see a different side of Stallone here on out...

It's certainly possible. He's a much smarter guy than most people realize. Maybe this will enlighten him somewhat as to the realities of war.

[PDenton]

12. are you kidding? Rambo is a great , at least the original

First Blood (original name of Rambo) is one of the best war movies ever. It's really about the human price of war, not war itself. Turning human beings into killing machines, then turning them loose in a society that doesn't need them anymore- it's very much like Frankenstein in that its about moral responsibility over creation. The book is better but the movie is pretty good without being as "down" as the book is (Rambo basicly choose death in the ends at the hands of his creator, the Frankenstein ending).

[XOKCowboy]

13. I thought so too... Too bad..

most people didn't watch First Blood for the message.

[Mythsaje]

14. Oh, I know...

But that's not the message that reached the masses. A lot of his movies had more subtle messages than the obvious, but far too many Americans don't "get" subtle.

[Naturyl]

15. Yeah, First Blood is actually an anti-warmongering film

But the other posters are right, that message didn't get through to most of the kids who saw it. I recall being a kid when Rambo was big and know it didn't to any of us. I grew up and got the deeper message later... but that required growing up. That's the catch.