Randy Couture earns Redbelt
by Jesse Holland on May 15, 2007 11:35 PM EDT
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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.
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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
by Stafo on May 15, 2007 11:52 PM EDT reply actions
This will pervert our sport just as much as Days of Thunder did to Nascar or Rocky did to boxing.
by MoreThanUFC on May 16, 2007 12:03 AM EDT reply actions
Randy has had non speaking roles before so maybe he has been learning to act along the way.
by Tommy on May 16, 2007 12:04 AM EDT reply actions
This will pervert our sport just as much as Days of Thunder did to Nascar or Rocky did to boxing.
Best quote from Days of Thunder: “I’m more afraid of being nothing than I am of being hurt”
by Jesse Holland on May 16, 2007 12:21 AM EDT reply actions
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.
by Tommy on May 16, 2007 12:34 AM EDT reply actions
Best quote from Days of Thunder: “I’m more afraid of being nothing than I am of being hurt”
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! :D
by MoreThanUFC on May 16, 2007 12:38 AM EDT reply actions
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.
by jason bang on May 16, 2007 8:49 AM EDT reply actions
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
by getrawbc on May 16, 2007 10:15 AM EDT reply actions
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.
by Vince on May 16, 2007 11:04 AM EDT reply actions
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.
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…
by Jesse Holland on May 16, 2007 11:07 AM EDT reply actions
Again – what a bunch of flatliners posting here
by jason bang on May 16, 2007 12:04 PM EDT reply actions
Again – what a bunch of flatliners posting here
We’re laughing and youre not. Who’s flatlining, jason?
by MoreThanUFC on May 16, 2007 12:14 PM EDT reply actions
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…
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.
by Vince on May 16, 2007 12:26 PM EDT reply actions
This will pervert our sport just as much as Days of Thunder did to Nascar or Rocky did to boxing.
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.
by Abhi on May 16, 2007 2:46 PM EDT reply actions
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…
by Luppers on May 16, 2007 5:08 PM EDT reply actions
WTF???!!!! THIS IS RANDY COUTURE WE’RE TALKING ABOUT HERE
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…
by MoreThanUFC on May 16, 2007 5:14 PM EDT reply actions
We’re laughing and youre not. Who’s flatlining, jason?
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.
by jason bang on May 16, 2007 8:05 PM EDT reply actions
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