Wanna see Stallone get back in a boxing ring after ROCKY BALBOA? How about De Niro revisiting his RAGING BULL days? Well GRUDGE MATCH may just be the satisfaction you seek. Both play former boxers, and former rivals in the ring, brought back together in an effort to make some money… and settle once and for all who is the better fighter. The cast is strong with just Robert De Niro and Sylvester Stallone, but it also features Kevin Hart, Alan Arkin, Kim Basinger, and THE WALKING DEAD’s Jon Bernthal. It’s directed by Peter Segal (known for TOMMY BOY and several Adam Sandler movies), with a screenplay by Tim Kelleher and Rodney Rothman, and story by Tim Kelleher. The trailer looks rather fun, and I have a feeling the cast will play well off of each other, but just the idea of Sly and Bobby trying to out-insult each other for a few hours is enough to make me interested. We’ll find out when it opens on Christmas Day. Check out the trailer and tell us your thoughts in the comments.
Award-winning movie legends Oscar® winner Robert De Niro (“Raging Bull,” “Silver Linings Playbook”) and Oscar® nominee Sylvester Stallone (the “Rocky” films, “The Expendables”) star as old boxing rivals who come out of retirement for one final match. De Niro and Stallone play Billy “The Kid” McDonnen and Henry “Razor” Sharp, two local Pittsburgh fighters whose fierce rivalry put them in the national spotlight. Each had scored a victory against the other during their heyday, but in 1983, on the eve of their decisive third match, Razor suddenly announced his retirement, refusing to explain why but effectively delivering a knock-out punch to both their careers. Thirty years later, boxing promoter Dante Slate Jr., seeing big dollar signs, makes them an offer they can’t refuse: to re-enter the ring and settle the score once and for all. But they may not have to wait that long: on their first encounter in decades, their long-festering feud erupts into an unintentionally hilarious melee that instantly goes viral. The sudden social media frenzy transforms their local grudge match into a must-see HBO event. Now, if they can just survive the training, they may actually live to fight again.
Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff. 
