By Jesse Holland
UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy “The Natural” Couture will join UFC and PRIDE veteran Enson Inoue in Redbelt, a mixed martial arts drama written and directed by screenwriting deity David Mamet according to ComingSoon.net.
While I first jumped for joy at the idea of MMA being in the hands of the legendary Mamet, my celebration was short-lived as I soon discovered that Tim Allen was cast in the starring role (alongside accomplished film actor Chiwetel Ejiofor).
Now unless there is another Tim Allen besides Tim “The Toolman” Taylor, this seems like a bizarre casting choice. The good news is the plot summary does not list him as a combatant, and because it’s a drama I’m still willing to give Mamet the benefit of the doubt.
Ejiofor stars as a jiu-jitsu master whose purity is compromised when he is drawn into the movie business and manipulated into brawling in ultimate fighting matches. Allen plays a troubled action star with marital problems who meets the master when he is getting pummeled in a street fight.
Surely the man who wrote The Untouchables, Ronin, and Hannibal can develop a screenplay that faithfully depicts our beloved sport. If enlisting help from the Gracie family to properly train the actors is any indication, than I’m confident in saying he’s off to a damn good start.
No matter what the outcome, this has to be seen as nothing short of monumental exposure. Much more so than the ill-conceived Never Submit by writer/director Don Dunne due out later this year.
24 Comments »
I heard about this movie…I hope Randy represents well in the acting. There is nothing worse then an athlete who decides to act, and bombs it. I’m sure Captain America will be fine
This will pervert our sport just as much as Days of Thunder did to Nascar or Rocky did to boxing.
Randy has had non speaking roles before so maybe he has been learning to act along the way.
That is a hilarious picture Mania!
[quote comment="56650"]This will pervert our sport just as much as Days of Thunder did to Nascar or Rocky did to boxing.[/quote]
Best quote from Days of Thunder: “I’m more afraid of being nothing than I am of being hurt”
Did Bloodsport pervert karate or Kickboxer kickboxing? Did The Program pervert College football or Any Given Sunday the NFL? How about Major league perverting baseball? Yet look at The Raging Bull, On the Waterfront, The Cinderella Man, Rudy, Miracles, Fearless ect. There’s a long list of movies not meant to pervert the sport but rather pay homage. Lets give it a chance and believe having people like the Gracies and Randy will make it stay semi ‘pure’. If not, what’s the saying, any publicity is better then none.
[quote comment="56668"][quote comment="56650"]This will pervert our sport just as much as Days of Thunder did to Nascar or Rocky did to boxing.[/quote]
Best quote from Days of Thunder: “I’m more afraid of being nothing than I am of being hurt”[/quote]
Best quote from Rocky, “ADRIENNE!!!!!”. Also the complete sum of syllables Rocky could use in a single sentence.
Jesse, plz tell Mania to read my response to his comment on the Fitch\Carniero thread. What, I’m a nuthugger!? Lol. Manlove at times, but no nuthugging here!
Al “the natural” Borlan lol
I’m sure Tim Allen was in a movie like this. He had an office job and someone got promoted before him, Tim ended up in a fight and seeked help from a martial arts teacher. Cant remember what it was called but it sounds the same.
That’s a Kodak moment..Best wishes.
Randy was just on an episode of “The Unit” It was a small role but he handled it well. As far as perverting the sport goes. I don’t think that even deserves an answer. The movies a drama not some over the top action flick
I hope you were already in the midst of writing this story when I sent you the tip – which, I admit, is a distinct possibility. But if you based this on my tip while sourcing another site, that’s kinda weak. Love the site though.
[quote comment="57025"]I hope you were already in the midst of writing this story when I sent you the tip – which, I admit, is a distinct possibility. But if you based this on my tip while sourcing another site, that’s kinda weak. Love the site though.[/quote]
If you sent a tip it’s probably still sitting in Mania’s mailbox…this is a story I stumbled across and slapped up last night…
When was Randy on Home Improvement?
Again – what a bunch of flatliners posting here
[quote comment="57075"]Again – what a bunch of flatliners posting here[/quote]
We’re laughing and youre not. Who’s flatlining, jason?
[quote post="2124"]If you sent a tip it’s probably still sitting in Mania’s mailbox…this is a story I stumbled across and slapped up last night…[/quote]
Word. Another note on the movie – David Mamet’s career is sort of all over the map. I’ve read the plot rundown of the movie, and it sounds pretty damned stupid. And casting Tim Allen seems only to confirm my suspicions. The only thing I’ll pay to see Tim Allen do is take a head kick from Gonzaga.
[quote comment="56650"]This will pervert our sport just as much as Days of Thunder did to Nascar or Rocky did to boxing.[/quote]
WTF???!!!! THIS IS RANDY COUTURE WE’RE TALKING ABOUT HERE. I’m damn confident that he’s gonna treat and represent this movie like it was MMA: with class and dignity. Now if this was instead Tito Ortiz starring in this movie then that’ll clearly be a much different story; therefore, in that case, you’d have the right in posting that kind of comment.
BTW, IDK if any of you guys read the recent ESPN the Magazine article on Chuck Liddell or not, but in it he talks about possibly starring in 2nd Punsiher Movie. I personally found it interesting and thought it would be worth mentioning.
Damn. I have to admit that thinking about MMA’s rapid growth in popularity over the years sometimes freaks me out.
Joe Somebody…! Allen already did the ‘action star going sour’ bit… except it was Beluchi…
That movie was nice… Julie Bowens is a personal favorite, and a young Hayden Pentierre… mmmmm…
[quote post="2124"]WTF???!!!! THIS IS RANDY COUTURE WE’RE TALKING ABOUT HERE[/quote]
And Randy Couture isnt producing it, writing it, editting it, directing it, blocking it, fielding it, gripping it, he’s only starring in it. Which in movie production is like being the janitor. Other ppl tell you what to do all day.
Well, other than the pay, of course…
[quote comment="57075"]Again – what a bunch of flatliners posting here[/quote]
[quote comment="57084"][quote comment="57075"]Again – what a bunch of flatliners posting here[/quote]
We’re laughing and youre not. Who’s flatlining, jason?[/quote]
dude i didn’t write that someone has been posting under my name, look back at my previous post and you’ll see i dont go out to mock folk.