Post by petrolino on Dec 16, 2017 1:27:02 GMT
Next year brings the 25th anniversary celebrations of one of the crime genre's gamechangers. The 1990s was a great decade in general for American crime films. What made Finnish action maverick Renny Harlin's spectacular mountain melodrama 'Cliffhanger' so special was how it seamlessly melded together aspects of the heist movie, the bait-and-swith-a-round, the boys own adventure and classical noir, while adding a whole new level of high-flying, live-action apparatus. It has some incredible location shooting, frightening stunt work, jaw-dropping visuals and some of the best dialogue around. I'd suggest it's perfect wintertime viewing if you're looking for a Christmas action treat. Enjoy!
Casting 'Cliffhanger' ...
Sylvester Stallone as Gabriel "Gabe" Walker, former mountain climber, rockface-scaler, hill-walker and rescue ranger
John Lithgow as Eric Qualen, former military intelligence officer
Michael Rooker as Hal Tucker, mountain ranger
Janine Turner as Jessie Deighan, helicopter pilot
Rex Linn as Richard Travers, U.S. Treasury agent
Caroline Goodall as Kristel, skill pilot
Leon Robinson as Kynette, henchman
Craig Fairbrass as Delmar, ex-soccer player-turned-henchman.
Gregory Scott Cummins as Ryan, henchman
Denis Forest as Heldon, henchman
Michelle Joyner as Sarah, rock climber
Paul Winfield as Walter Wright, U.S. Treasury agent
Ralph Waite as Frank, search-and-rescue pilot
Max Perlich as Evan, extreme sports enthusiast
Trey Brownell as Brett, extreme sports enthusiast
Vyto Ruginis as Matheson, FBI agent
John Finn as Michaels, FBI agent
Bruce McGill as the Treasury Agent
Sylvester Stallone as Gabriel "Gabe" Walker, former mountain climber, rockface-scaler, hill-walker and rescue ranger
John Lithgow as Eric Qualen, former military intelligence officer
Michael Rooker as Hal Tucker, mountain ranger
Janine Turner as Jessie Deighan, helicopter pilot
Rex Linn as Richard Travers, U.S. Treasury agent
Caroline Goodall as Kristel, skill pilot
Leon Robinson as Kynette, henchman
Craig Fairbrass as Delmar, ex-soccer player-turned-henchman.
Gregory Scott Cummins as Ryan, henchman
Denis Forest as Heldon, henchman
Michelle Joyner as Sarah, rock climber
Paul Winfield as Walter Wright, U.S. Treasury agent
Ralph Waite as Frank, search-and-rescue pilot
Max Perlich as Evan, extreme sports enthusiast
Trey Brownell as Brett, extreme sports enthusiast
Vyto Ruginis as Matheson, FBI agent
John Finn as Michaels, FBI agent
Bruce McGill as the Treasury Agent
"Perhaps unexpectedly, “Cliffhanger” is about men who literally hang from cliffs. It was made at a time when action films sported recognizable, catchy theme music, the heroes were abnormally muscular and the villains unnecessarily despicable, and everyone got to spout absurd one-line retaliations before and after significant death scenes. Directed by Renny Harlin (after “Die Hard 2” but before “Cutthroat Island”) with a screenplay by Sylvester Stallone, “Cliffhanger” is one of the most enjoyably silly adventure films to emerge from the ‘90s, going so far as to earn itself three Academy Award nominations, a Razzie nod for Worst Picture, and a Japanese Academy acknowledgment for Best Foreign Film."
- The Massie Twins, Gone With The Twins
"Cliffhanger has always been one of my very favourite Stallone films and arguably the best Renny Harlin film. I will say that I consider Harlin to be underrated as a director and I think he can shoot the hell out of an action scene. This has some of the most breathtaking action scenes you’ll ever see and it was before the lazy days of CGI."
- Eoin Friel, The Action Elite
"After the dismal failure of his comedy outings "Oscar" and "Stop, or My Mom Will Shoot", Stallone badly needed a hit. As his film career to date had proved, audiences would only respond to Sly confronting impossible odds, and generally taking a hell of a beating before a redeeming victory. "Cliffhanger" has all those ingredients and remains one of the best action thrillers of the 90s. The opening 10 minutes contain more tension than most action blockbusters can muster in their total running time. Director Renny Harlin hits the viewer hard with a bravado scene that's tough to top."
- Almar Haflidason, 'Action Classics At The The British Broadcasting Corporation'
"The movie "Cliffhanger" was directed by Renny Harlin, who directed one of the "Die Hard" movies and one of the Freddy Krueger movies and knows his way around a thriller. The credits mention a lot of stunt persons, who deserve any credit they can get, because many of the most hazardous stunts in this movie were obviously not faked. That stunt man who makes the mid-air transfer between two planes deserves a gold medal. And at one point, we can clearly see that Stallone himself is dangling over a nightmarish fall. Movies like this are machines for involving us and thrilling us."
- Roger Ebert, The Chicago Sun-Times
- The Massie Twins, Gone With The Twins
"Cliffhanger has always been one of my very favourite Stallone films and arguably the best Renny Harlin film. I will say that I consider Harlin to be underrated as a director and I think he can shoot the hell out of an action scene. This has some of the most breathtaking action scenes you’ll ever see and it was before the lazy days of CGI."
- Eoin Friel, The Action Elite
"After the dismal failure of his comedy outings "Oscar" and "Stop, or My Mom Will Shoot", Stallone badly needed a hit. As his film career to date had proved, audiences would only respond to Sly confronting impossible odds, and generally taking a hell of a beating before a redeeming victory. "Cliffhanger" has all those ingredients and remains one of the best action thrillers of the 90s. The opening 10 minutes contain more tension than most action blockbusters can muster in their total running time. Director Renny Harlin hits the viewer hard with a bravado scene that's tough to top."
- Almar Haflidason, 'Action Classics At The The British Broadcasting Corporation'
"The movie "Cliffhanger" was directed by Renny Harlin, who directed one of the "Die Hard" movies and one of the Freddy Krueger movies and knows his way around a thriller. The credits mention a lot of stunt persons, who deserve any credit they can get, because many of the most hazardous stunts in this movie were obviously not faked. That stunt man who makes the mid-air transfer between two planes deserves a gold medal. And at one point, we can clearly see that Stallone himself is dangling over a nightmarish fall. Movies like this are machines for involving us and thrilling us."
- Roger Ebert, The Chicago Sun-Times
'A Salute to Kirk Douglas'
