Customer Reviews

Paradise Alley

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Seeing as iv'e been a fan of sylvester stallone since i was a kid you always apart from rocky expect his movies to be full of OTT action, good guy vs the usally over the top bad guy this movie was no exception you have Cosmo carboni (stallone)playing a low class bum in the heat that is hells kichen, he is accompaned by his two brothers armand assante and lee canalito who at present are stuck in a rut and dont know what do to witrh their lifes until sly comes up with the idea to turn his bother (canalito) into a wrestler, there are times in the movie when the screenplay drags a slight bit but its overshadowed by the great acting from sly and assante. Rember the OTT bit? this is played to perfection by franky the thumper who most pro wrestling fans will know as terry funk his crazy acting coupled with intimadating physique gave me the impression while i was wacthing that sly and co are in over their heads something you dont really feel when wacthing other stallone movies,the movie is directed by stallone and even the opening song is sung by him its not as bad as you think ...honest

I'm buying this for the opening scene alone with Sly singing the Paradise Alley theme.

Sly Stallone's directorial debut is a self-indulgent mess ripe with overwrought dialogue and broad characterizations. The film does not start out swimmingly with Stallone croaking the title song over the opening credits. Maybe Sly's intention was to make baby bro Frank, who makes an appearance here, look like a good singer. Those quibbles aside, this is an eminently likable film. Stallone may have been a little over his head here but it'a a nice try. You're never bored with this effort. His Cosmo Carboni is an affable schemer. He's ably supported by Armande Assante as the brainy Carboni brother and Lee Canalito as the brawn. A good supporting cast is assembled here with Anne Archer, Kevin Conway, Frank McRae, wrestler Terry Funk and singer Tom Waits. I wouldn't exactly call this a misfire because it is enjoyable. Nor is it your typical vanity project. Let's just call it an admirable endeavor on Stallone's part.

In the days following Rocky, Stallone seemed torn between being a serious actor and making movies where he throws people around. With Paradise Alley he came up with what seemed like the perfect compromise - playing the fast-talking promoter-cum-trainer of someone who throws people around in this tale of three brothers trying to get out of Hell's Kitchen in the '40s when one of them shows a talent for wrestling. With Armand Assante and Lee Canalito rounding out the trio, it clearly sees itself as a throwback to the tenement dramas of the 40s where the likes of Cagney or Raft would fast talk their way up the ladder, but for all the money that's evidently been spent (much of it badly) it has none of their pace or strength. It also has at least three things going spectacularly against it: Stallone's atrocious screenplay, his abysmal directing and his witless and hugely unlikeable performance as the aforementioned motormouth, who is at times even more obnoxious than the script intends, making the film harder to take when he's hogging the screen. It would help if he gave himself some good dialogue, but this is the kind of film where no-one gets good dialogue or good scenes for the first hour and no-one's had the guts to tell the star/writer/director that this really needs a rethink.

You can see where it could have worked on paper, but for his first effort behind the camera Stallone couldn't even get the setpiece scenes right. What could have been an exciting rooftop race becomes a dreary slow-motion and freezeframe title sequence devoid of speed, danger or even the feeling that these guys are even on a roof while an arm-wrestling scene emphasises how long the whole thing drags on over physical strength or suspense. Things do finally start to pick up around the hour mark when the brothers start to get torn apart as Canalito's wrestling career takes off, Assante's crippled war veteran starts exploiting him for every buck and Stallone finally develops a conscience, but it still only works in fits and starts. There are a couple of decent scenes along the way, particularly with Frank McRae's broken down wrestler who wants to die when he's happy for once, and there's some flair to the final wrestling bout in a rain-drenched ring during a thunderstorm, but it's hard to resist the temptation to have bailed out long before then. It's the kind of film you'd like to like more, but boy, does Stallone make it hard to do that.... Still, you'll never forget his rendition of the title song: "Too close tuh paradise/An' too clooohhsssee tuh Hellllllll/And sumtimes thah diffarence/Is tuh hahhd tuh tell..."

No extras on the DVD, which only offers a widescreen transfer that doesn't do Laszlo Kovacs' already surprisingly poor cinematography any favors.

Well, well, my peepinheimers - this movie is a far cry from Sly at his best! I love Mr. Stallone and would recommend this to any fan because it is, in fact, his directorial debut. Also - singer Tom Waits made his acting debut AND actor Armand Assante had his first role of any significance (later, of course, he would work with Sly in the unfairly maligned "Judge Dredd"). Sly wrote the screenplay, too - based (and this is an often ignored fact) on his novel of the same name. That's right, the hardcover novel was published well in advance of the movie adaptation. Having read the novel several times (I still own my dog-eared hardcover first edition!), I can honestly say that the changes made for the movie were not beneficial. I wish that the screenplay had been truer to the novel - which had a greater emphasis on dark characterization instead of the overblown (and poorly staged) wrestling matches that dominate the latter portion of the movie. The book is more realistic, but I assume that Mr. Stallone was coerced by the commercial-minded movie producers to make the ending more traditionally "up-lifting."

Sly, it should be noted, also sings the opening credits song - and it should come as no suprise to those who saw him duetting with Dolly Parton in "Rhinestone" several years later, the man can actually sing. In some ways, I prefer Sly's singing voice to that of his successful hit-making brother, Frank; it's richer and more distinctive.

Ultimately, this movie is undone by a lack of focus. The story has many interesting threads, but too many of them are left unresolved by the end of the movie. Not that I expect all movies to finish up tidily with every little thing explained - a measure of ambiguity is welcomed. It's just that when it comes to an ambitious character piece like this, I would've rather had more exploration of the various relationships as opposed to a big rah-rah wrestling match.

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SYLVESTER STALLONE stars in a comedy about NY life in the 1940's. Three brothers, stooges, fail at multiple attempts to make it out of the slums of Hell's Kitchen. In trying to make the big bucks, they neglect the one thing that matters, Love. In realizing this, the little brother makes a decision that might jeopardize their big Blue Heaven.

I thought the movie was funny in every scene, but it wasn't so funny as a movie. If that makes sense. I thought this may have been due to poor direction, STALLONE'S debut. It would make a very good Theatre production. Cutting a few scenes out of the picture, would have made it a better movie (example: ice cream scene).

A few things about the movie stand out. Firstly, this is legendary singer/songwriter TOM WAITS' Hollywood debut. Any TOM WAITS fan will want to get this movie, just to watch those few glorious moments over and over again.

Secondly, SYLVESTER STALLONE sings the theme song. This is priceless. If you've watched his career blossom, and are able to observe the contradiction in his newly found intellectualism, then you will appreciate hearing him sing a theme song for a movie. I rank this action second to hearing WILLIAM SHATNER'S rendition of 'Rocketman'. Very nice.

Thirdly, the lines spoken by a thug mentioned in a previous review are truely classic.

So it's a great picture, however, the optimum enjoyment for this movie is to be experienced in parts, by previewing one scene, before that evening's alternate DVD is queued.

One of my favorite Sylvester Stallone movies,its about time it came out on dvd.To bad the price pretty much says its just a dvd an nothing more.Like no making of the movie an any other extras.But i'm keeping my fingers crossed..It also stars the legendary pro wrestler Terry Funk,who plays what he knows best..A bad guy wrestler,still great stuff if your a wrestling fan..........

I really was excited when I got this movie. I was in my last year of high school in 78 when I saw this movie. Stallone did more talking in this movie then in all the "Rambo" & "Rocky" movies put together. I think so!! Pretty good movie with many scenes that'll make you chuckle. I definitely recommend it if you're a stallone fan or just like movies set in the 40's.

This film ranks up there with Rocky in the heart department although not one of his most commercially successful ventures. Stallone probably won't be ranked as one of the most artistic actors but when it comes to conveying what it feels like to be on the bottom and wanting with all your heart and soul to be somebody there's no one ever in Hollywood that makes me feel like I'm not alone, that he's been there and that I, even little old me, can beat the odds.

Paradise alley is about 3 brothers growing up in the ghetto, Hell's Kitchen, whose hopes of making it out hang on their little brother's "God given" talent as a professional wrestler. All he needs to do is beat a legend named Big Glory. In the process they discover that there's a hell of a difference between wanting to get out of Hell's Kitchen and sacrificing anything and anyone it takes to make it happen.

Listen to the song at the beginning, "too close to Paradise," and it pretty much sums up the story, sung by Stallone Himself. This is a movie that anybody who feels trapped, whether by poverty, a dead end job, or unfortunate circumstances can relate to. In this film and Rocky, Stallone is an avatar that I live through and triumph over the obstacles in my own life. People who haven't seen this film and who are completely objective and were affected by Rocky will not be unscathed by the heart in this film, by Stallone and all the actors. Like Rocky, I sense that this was one of the early personal films of his indirectly about his own life at the time, struggling to make it in Tinseltown. A good rainy day film, if not weatherwise, of the heart. Among his best to me.

Sorry but i did not finished watching the movie
it was kind boring or maybe i was tired.
I do like a lot Stalone, but some movies the story
is not that good.