HOLLYWOOD, Oct. 4, 2000 — Sylvester Stallone was last seen above a marquee in 1997’s “Cop Land,” in which he played a slightly pudgy, amiable sheriff. Three years later, as Tuesday night’s premiere for his latest film, “Get Carter,” proved, Sly is back — and still packs a wallop.
The international star, accompanied by wife Jennifer, waved and grinned to fans lining the curb and to photographers on the red carpet in the Westwood area of Los Angeles. Stallone plays Jack Carter, a mob enforcer who suspects his brother’s death was a murder and sets out to find the culprit. The film is a remake of the 1971 version starring Michael Caine, who also appears in scenes with Stallone.
“It’s all about redemption. I think if you start a guy very much on the dark side … and then if you have the journey of trying to get into society, being a positive force … it’s something I can relate to, being an outsider,” Stallone says.
He was joined by cast members Mickey Rourke, Rachael Leigh Cook and director Stephen Kay, whose only previous feature directing effort was the indie film “The Last Time I Committed Suicide.” He credits Stallone with getting him the job.
“He took a pretty big risk. I’m a guy who made a little arty film about a poet and to bring me on to do an action film … but he wanted the same stuff I did out of the movie, so that was cool,” Kay says.
But while Stallone’s Carter is described as less remote and cold than Caine’s original, it doesn’t mean that the picture will be devoid of physical brawls.
“There are requirements,” Kay admits. “You’re making an action movie, people want car chases. I was OK with that. And you got Sly, so let him throw a punch. And you have Mickey, who knows how to fight, so let them throw punches at each other.”
“Get Carter” appears in theaters Oct. 6.
