Sly Stalone's race movie

[Gerard]

From Autosport:
Sly Stallone race movie cranks into life; Burt Reynolds onboard too.

Retired US racing veteran Joe Tantos has been drafted in to Carl Henry’s Champ Car squad to partner rookie Jimmy Blye.

Tantos will take on a mentor role for Blye, who has struggled with the Henry team’s Reynard-Mercedes cars so far this year, and is also said to be distracted by personal problems off the track.

What the…? Jimmy Blye? Joe who, we hear you say?

If you think you know a little about the US racing scene, then it’s odds-on you may be a little confused by the above story. But that’s to be expected, since these are the key players in Sylvester Stallone’s new racing movie, currently shooting in and around the CART Fed-Ex World Series.

Stallone plays the 43-year-old Tantos, with Burt Reynolds taking on the role of Carl Henry. Reynolds’ true-life racing pedigree includes part-ownership of the now defunct drag racing and stock car teams he formed with stunt legend Hal Needham.

Stallone, for his part, has been a regular visitor to Formula 1 races over the last couple of years, but switched his story to Champ Cars after alleged problems of access to the Grand Prix fraternity.

The other main roles are taken by relative unknowns, and first impressions suggest that a bizarre name may have been a prime factor in the casting process. Kip Padue plays Blye and Til Schweiger is cast in the role of Formula 1 World Champion Beau Brandenberg. Or is Beau Brandenberg playing the part of Til Schweiger?

Model Estella Warren plays Sophia, the woman bringing problems to Blye’s life away from the track, while up-and-coming Flemish actor Monk de Wally de Honk and Canadian soap star Cochese Wind are also said to be in the frame for major parts.

Filming cranked up a gear at Detroit last weekend, and existing Champ Car teams and liveries are featured heavily in the movie. PacWest takes a starring role, with Stallone/Tantos driving Mauricio Gugelmin’s Reynard and Padue/Blye behind the wheel of Mark Blundell’s car. Brandenberg/Schweiger drives Chip Ganassi Racing’s Lola-Toyota.

[KC]

Funny you should mention this, but they were began filming at the Detroit GP last weekend. Right at the tail end of the show, they focussed back on the podium and Stallone was atop the podium and the movie cameras were rolling with the live crowd and fans in place. No better chance to get that big a crowd together and have the proper atmosphere.

[Neil C]

They also filmed Sly on the Drivers Parade before the race.

It appears that much of the racing for the movie will be filmed at Circuit G. Villenueve. Because Belle Isle is a similar park-like setting, they can film many sequences that can be edited into sequences from the Montreal shots without it being obvious that they were not the same location (we'll see about that).

At the entrance to the track were many signs stating that your attendance was your consent to be filmed and that film would be used for commercial purposes.

I wonder if someone would not consent, if they would refund their ticket?
[Edited by Neil C on 21st June 2000]

[botsquad]

stallone was also doing some filming at long beach.
and he looked like his face had been resurfaced more times than road america.

[Gerard]

That's because it has, botsquad.

[floid2000]

They did a lot of footage at Homestead. Stalone was his usual "****y" self. I cant believe how short he is. I guess they cast short people in his movies to make him look bigger. The hair kinda looks like a hair club job........Of course ..., that's where he hooked up with Burt Reynolds sorry Burt

[bella]

i find the whole thing deeply embarassing. it's like dream team on sky - it's blatently fabricated, and it can only embarass the sport involved.

however, i would be deeply amused to see stallone doing the macho on board stuff.

and for god's sake, sly stallone's doing it! that's REALLY embarassing.

[Liz]

This is going to be as embarrassing as watching Mario race at Le Mans. Who do they think are going to come to this movie? Peoplw ho like racing will come and laugh and tell their friends that it's a rotten movie. People who don't like racing won't come because nobody is in it that they like. The movie will bomb and the Press will say "People have no interest in racing movies." Not that we have no interest in BAD racing movies - just that racing doesn't sell.

If I'd been at a race where they said my attendance was my consent to be filmed, I'd hold up a sign that said I WANT TO BE PAID FOR THIS!

But fortunately for me they already made a bad movie about Le Mans.

[Jay]

Liz you will be at Toronto right?

I will keep watch for your sign.