Rama's Screen

Real quick now, sometimes additional actors could make a difference in how we see a project. Like for example, a while ago I was not too ecstatic about Kevin Smith’s new movie A COUPLE OF DICKS but when I heard Bruce Willis was one of the stars, I said ‘ok, this might not be all that bad, I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt’. According to Variety, The talented Ben Foster and the great Donald Sutherland have joined the cast of THE MECHANIC, the remake of Charles Bronson’s 1972 classic, starring Jason Statham.
As much as I admire Statham staying within the action genre and trying to put himself on the same level as the late badass Bronson, Transporter 3 and Crank 2 have shown that Statham alone might not be enough. Foster and Sutherland would add a certain kick that Statham could only do literally.
The story is about a veteran hitman who trains a younger man in his deadly trade, Foster will play that younger man and Sutherland is set to play Foster’s father and Statham’s handler
Directed by Simon West, production will start in New Orleans

Once in a while you encounter artwork or trailer or footage for a movie that are so kick-ass and you wonder whether or not a studio had released them. Collider got its hands on a couple of promo posters that are unofficial but made just to influence an individual or a specific group, not for theater’s lobby. Click on the images above to enlarge. The one on the left is STONE, starring Edward Norton and Robert De Niro, the story centers on a prisoner and a corrections officer battling over the man’s attempt at parole. The proceedings get ugly when the convict’s wife gets involved with the officer.
The one on the right is THE MECHANIC, a remake of Charles Bronson’s 1972 classic, starring Jason Statham, about a veteran hitman who trains a younger man in his deadly trade.
I wouldn’t be surprised if I get an e-mail soon enough asking me to remove these images but for now, enjoy these black and white goodness.

I saw Death Race remake on DVD again the other day and there was that one scene where Jason Statham was doing pull-ups and it made me wanna quit working out once and for all. Statham should come up with a guide/manual book on how to become as awesome as he is. I hear the action star mastered an ancient, mysterious way of doing crunches that no one else can do, that’s the urban legend.
I remember back in the 70s and 80s, there was also a man who was just as awesome as Statham back in his prime. That man didn’t have 8 pack abs but he had a stache and a big ass gun, when he made his death wishes, gangbangers get cleaned up from the streets, that man was the legendary Charles Bronson.

Could Jason Statham be the next Charles Bronson? He sure as hell is going to try.
According to Production Weekly, Jason Statham will team up with director Simon West to remake THE MECHANIC. No word on which studio they’re going to do this project for.
Director Simon West brought us Con Air, The General’s Daughter, and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and then he hid under TV gigs all these years until now.
The original movie, THE MECHANIC, was in 1972 starring Charles Bronson playing a contract killer about to retire when he takes on a young apprentice, played but then it becomes clear that they were double-crossed and have to survive.

Here’s an old teaser for the 1972 THE MECHANIC