crows to burnaby

I'm not a fan of Rocky, or Rambo, or Judge Dredd, or, well, any of Sylvester Stallone's movies. I know little about him besides that he does thug-like action movies that tend not to interest me, and that there's an amusing and obscene anecdote about him circulating on Vancouver sets which may or may not be true. So it's been a bit of an eye-opener to learn that Stallone is actually a well-spoken, thoughtful kind of guy. He's been answering questions from fans over on Ain't It Cool News. And not just a few questions, but everything that gets thrown at him. He's up to 180 questions as of this post - ten questions per page, 18 pages. This is not typical celebrity movie-star behaviour.

On page 18, a fan asked him, "Why did you go through all this for us?"

I’m glad you asked that question. I was trying to surmise our relationship, because on the surface we seem to be at opposite ends of the spectrum. The truth is, we are not that dissimilar. I relish the relationship we’ve developed and truly take to heart the insights provided by the talk-backs/comments… because you open up a window to the world that is closed to most celebrities because of arrogance on their behalf. But the time comes when professional gravity sets in and you, my friends, are the keepers of the flame, the bearers of the truth, and quite often the truth comes wrapped in barbed wire. More than being physical, I consider myself cerebral and a person who lives his life alone. I came up that way. I feel the way many of you feel, there’s a kinship there, and that’s why I’ve savored this experience and will miss it when it rides off into the sunset. But, I will return with RAMBO IV and welcome your insights into that character and life in general. I may be a freak on the exterior, but I’m a geek at heart.

He talks a little about his familiar voice:

I’ve always sounded like a family of swallows decided to build a home in my mouth shortly after birth. It’s not easy sounding intelligent when you’re being muffled by a bird’s nest in your throat, but I’m an animal lover and chose not to remove it. Truthfully, I mumble, I wish I didn’t. It’s mainly because of an accident at birth (not going for the sympathy vote here), which makes it very hard to articulate with any sense of clarity.

Reading his answers, you get the impression of a man who's enjoying being able to represent himself online in his own way, and a real sense of gratitude towards his fans for all their interest and kindness.

I still may not like his movies, but at least now I have some respect for him - certainly more than Schwarzenegger, anyway...