Expendables

How expendable is "The Expendables"? That depends on who you are and why you're asking. If that sounds a little Zen-like, that's because the new action opera co-written and directed by and starring Sylvester Stallone exists in a "Twilight Zone" dimension of its own outside of normal critical time and space. In other words, if you want to see old-fashioned nonstop mayhem with stars so venerable that "The Leathernecks" (and I don't mean Marines) might be an alternative title, reviews are going to be superfluous.

Who did they get this time? That's the principal source of interest in "The Expendables 3," as it is for each new installment of the Sylvester Stallone-anchored all-star shoot-'em-up franchise uniting action heroes past and present. The new "Expendables 3" trailer, which you can watch above, seems to acknowledge this, functioning as little more than a roll call with explosions mixed in, set to a stomping classic-rock soundtrack. To answer the question: They got Harrison Ford, Antonio Banderas, Wesley Snipes, Kelsey Grammer and Mel Gibson.

"The Expendables" may be one of the most old-school action movies to be shown at this year's Comic-Con, but it could have gone in a very different direction. "I thought it would be great to a live-action 3-D movie," director and star Sylvester Stallone told Hall H on Thursday afternoon, describing his thought process before he began shooting the ensemble shoot-'em-up. "I was tempted." But the star said he felt it would have constricted movement of the camera. "So I thought, 'Why not not just do it old school, in a classical way?

The news that Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger will be starring in a third “Expendables” movie raises a question: Should there be an age limit for action heroes? Obviously, plenty of actors have had long, distinguished careers. Paul Newman, the young stud in “Hud” and “Cat On a Hot Tin Roof,” stayed at it long enough to win a Golden Globe at 80 years old for his work in HBO's “Empire Falls.” The legendary Sir Laurence Olivier had a six-decade career on stage and screen.

One of the biggest action stars of the 1980s is poised to destroy the competition at the box office. "The Expendables," directed by and starring Sylvester Stallone, has men of all ages excited to come to theaters this weekend, with pre-release surveys indicating it will sell about $35 million worth of tickets in the U.S. and Canada. An adaptation of the bestselling book "Eat Pray Love," starring Julia Roberts, is expected to draw a smaller number of adult women and open to around $25 million.

When a movie is about to open, its actors and filmmakers usually think only about whether audiences will show up and like what they see. But Sylvester Stallone, who stars in and directed this coming weekend's "The Expendables," is acutely aware of a pressing matter of an entirely different nature: the behind-the-scenes war raging between the movie's distributor, Lions Gate Entertainment Corp., and corporate raider Carl Icahn, who has been trying to seize control of the company for more than a year.

When it comes to people of a certain age, Hollywood has a certain reputation. Older screenwriters say they can't get jobs, leading parts for actresses start vanishing once they turn 35 and the studios have all but abandoned adult dramas. Which makes the continued success of "The Expendables" all the more remarkable. For the second weekend in a row, the action movie starring, directed and co-written by the 64-year-old Sylvester Stallone was the nation's No. 1 film, grossing $16.5 million, according to Sunday's studio estimates.

The Expendables 2 Lionsgate, $29.95; Blu-ray, $39.99 Available on VOD beginning Nov. 20 Doubling down on what worked just fine two years ago, this sequel brings back Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger, and adds Chuck Norris and Jean-Claude Van Damme to the roster of action veterans paying homage to the big, dumb guns-and-bombs flicks of the 1980s. The plot this time has the team of mercenaries losing one of their own and exacting revenge, but "plot" isn't really the point of either of the "Expendables" movies; the idea is to show buff, beloved old stars, swapping quips and bullets while running in slow-motion ahead of explosions.

Former NFL defensive end Terry Crews has made 30 movies in the last decade and he has his own television series now with "Are We There Yet?" on TBS, but as he was munching on a steak salad at a Pasadena diner on a recent afternoon, he explained that fame is a fickle thing. "The people that recognize me, the ones that stop me on the sidewalk, it's because of that Old Spice commercial. I didn't know the meaning of viral before those commercials came out. I can't get away from those things."

The lights were down low in Sylvester Stallone's Beverly Hills office on a recent afternoon so it was impossible to see the 64-year-old movie star's eyes behind his plum-tinted sunglasses. His snug Italian suit emphasized his still-muscular frame as he sat ramrod straight. His face doesn't move much, either, so he seemed like a statue, until he started recounting the moment when he knew that he was becoming expendable. "It was that first Batman movie," he said, referring to the 1989 film starring Michael Keaton, an actor never known for biceps.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is back -- in Bulgaria. The action star and former governor of California, who championed filming in the state, is returning to Bulgaria to shoot the third installment in the "Expendables" franchise. Lionsgate and Millennium Films said principal photography on "The Expendables 3" began Monday in Bulgaria, where the second movie about an elite group of mercenaries was also filmed. The production will once again be based at Nu Boyana Studios in Sofia, taking advantage of Bulgaria's low-cost and non-union crews.

Sylvester Stallone announced on his Twitter account that Ultimate Fighting Championship star Ronda Rousey and former welterweight boxing champion Victor Ortiz will appear in the third “The Expendables” film. Rousey, scheduled to defend her women's bantamweight belt for the second time Dec. 28 against Miesha Tate, reportedly signed with the talent agency William Morris  this year. Ortiz, who hasn't fought since getting his jaw broken in a June 2012 loss to Josesito Lopez at Staples Center, recently performed on ABC's “Dancing With the Stars.” “Expendables 3” is aiming for an August 2014 release, according to IMDB.

Note to self after watching "Somm": That nice person who helps you decide what wine to choose at an upscale restaurant just might be a little bit crazy. That is one of the messages of this glib but ultimately engaging documentary about the folks who not only become sommeliers but also expend the extraordinary effort necessary to become master sommeliers by passing an exam so rigorous it makes grown men weep. As written and directed by Jason Wise, "Somm" follows four individuals as they prepare to take the test that fewer than 200 people have passed in the more than 40 years since it was first given in the U.K. PHOTOS: Summer Sneaks 2013 The exam has three parts, all flowing from the basic job of the sommelier, which is to help patrons match the wine they choose to the food they've selected.

'Brave' stayed atop the DVD sales chart for the second week in a row, outselling newcomer "Expendables 2. " Pixar's animated fantasy film was the top-selling DVD and Blu-ray disc in the U.S., according to Rentrak Corp., while aging action stars sequel "Expendables 2" premiered at No. 2. "The Amazing Spider-Man,"meanwhile, remained the most rented DVD and Blu-ray, while "Expendables 2" landed at No. 2 on that chart as well. Below are the 10 most sold and rented movie discs during the week ended Nov. 24 (sales)

The Expendables 2 Lionsgate, $29.95; Blu-ray, $39.99 Available on VOD beginning Nov. 20 Doubling down on what worked just fine two years ago, this sequel brings back Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger, and adds Chuck Norris and Jean-Claude Van Damme to the roster of action veterans paying homage to the big, dumb guns-and-bombs flicks of the 1980s. The plot this time has the team of mercenaries losing one of their own and exacting revenge, but "plot" isn't really the point of either of the "Expendables" movies; the idea is to show buff, beloved old stars, swapping quips and bullets while running in slow-motion ahead of explosions.

After the coffee. Before getting a new BlackBerry. The Skinny: My BlackBerry is on the fritz and needs to be replaced and no, I don't want an iPhone. Some great baseball last night, even if none of the teams I wanted won. So come on Detroit, Baltimore and D.C., lets get it together today. Thursday's headlines include a look at the surprising success of "Expendables 2" in China, the growth of regional sports channels and a review of the CW's remake of "Beauty and the Beast.

BEIJING -- China's battle of the superheroes ended up being won by ... a group of aging action stars. In a surprising outcome, "The Expendables 2" has outgrossed both "The Dark Knight Rises" and "The Amazing Spider-Man" in China. The ensemble action movie starring Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jet Li has grossed $54 million in China as of Sunday, according to research firm Artisan Gateway. "The Expendables 2" opened in the world's most populous nation Sept.

After the coffee. Before figuring out where the summer went. The Skinny: I saw "Premium Rush,"the Joseph Gordon-Levittbike messenger movie and was pleasantly surprised. I also saw "Bachelorette" and was very disappointed. Win some, lose some. Monday's headlines include the recap of the weekend box office, the latest in the legal battle between the broadcasters and Dish Network and how Viacom is fighting low ratings by adding more commercials. Daily Dose: Politico, the Capitol Hill-obsessed news outfit, is hoping steal some Web traffic and maybe even some TV ratings from the big boys during the upcoming political conventions.