
English: 
Can we consider Cobra to be
the most Stallonish, hm, Stallonian...
no Stallonish, movie of the 80's?
This is Steroids,
"The video essay about Bruisers"

French: 
Et si Cobra était vraiment le film le
plus Stallonien, heu, Stallonesque...
non Stallonien, des années 80 ?
Bienvenue dans Stéroïds,
l'émission qui fait l'exégèse des gros bras.

English: 
Can we consider Cobra to be
the most Stallonish, hm, Stallonian...
no Stallonish, movie of the 80's?
This is Steroids,
"The video essay about Bruisers"

English: 
Can we consider Cobra to be
the most Stallonish, hm, Stallonian...
no Stallonish, movie of the 80's?
This is Steroids,
"The video essay about Bruisers"

English: 
Can we consider Cobra to be
the most Stallonish, hm, Stallonian...
no Stallonish, movie of the 80's?
This is Steroids,
"The video essay about Bruisers"

English: 
Can we consider Cobra to be
the most Stallonish, hm, Stallonian...
no Stallonish, movie of the 80's?
This is Steroids,
"The video essay about Bruisers"

English: 
From 1985 to 1988, Sylverster Stallone was
the undisputed champ in Hollywood.
Box-office successes like
Rambo: First Blood Part II and Rocky IV
opened the doors of the industry for him.
This allowed him to establish
an obvious superiority complex
and mess up with his carreer.
Regressive movies like
Over the top
and Rambo III, just proved it.
The very hard boiled, Cobra
was a paragon of this peculiar period,
called by his fans
the "Brigitte Nielsen years"
without necessarily considering it a good thing.

English: 
From 1985 to 1988, Sylverster Stallone was
the undisputed champ in Hollywood.
Box-office successes like
Rambo: First Blood Part II and Rocky IV
opened the doors of the industry for him.
This allowed him to establish
an obvious superiority complex
and mess up with his carreer.
Regressive movies like
Over the top
and Rambo III, just proved it.
The very hard boiled, Cobra
was a paragon of this peculiar period,
called by his fans
the "Brigitte Nielsen years"
without necessarily considering it a good thing.

English: 
From 1985 to 1988, Sylverster Stallone was
the undisputed champ in Hollywood.
Box-office successes like
Rambo: First Blood Part II and Rocky IV
opened the doors of the industry for him.
This allowed him to establish
an obvious superiority complex
and mess up with his carreer.
Regressive movies like
Over the top
and Rambo III, just proved it.
The very hard boiled, Cobra
was a paragon of this peculiar period,
called by his fans
the "Brigitte Nielsen years"
without necessarily considering it a good thing.

English: 
From 1985 to 1988, Sylverster Stallone was
the undisputed champ in Hollywood.
Box-office successes like
Rambo: First Blood Part II and Rocky IV
opened the doors of the industry for him.
This allowed him to establish
an obvious superiority complex
and mess up with his carreer.
Regressive movies like
Over the top
and Rambo III, just proved it.
The very hard boiled, Cobra
was a paragon of this peculiar period,
called by his fans
the "Brigitte Nielsen years"
without necessarily considering it a good thing.

English: 
From 1985 to 1988, Sylverster Stallone was
the undisputed champ in Hollywood.
Box-office successes like
Rambo: First Blood Part II and Rocky IV
opened the doors of the industry for him.
This allowed him to establish
an obvious superiority complex
and mess up with his carreer.
Regressive movies like
Over the top
and Rambo III, just proved it.
The very hard boiled, Cobra
was a paragon of this peculiar period,
called by his fans
the "Brigitte Nielsen years"
without necessarily considering it a good thing.

French: 
De 1985 à 1988, Sylverster Stallone est
définitivement le roi d'Hollywood
Les triomphes successifs de
Rambo II La Mission et Rocky IV
lui ouvrent toutes les portes.
Il en profite alors pour asseoir un
évident complexe de supériorité
et faire n'importe quoi avec sa carrière.
La preuve avec les très régressifs :
Over the top
et Rambo III.
Mais c'est encore le très vénère Cobra
qui synthétise le mieux cette drôle de période,
que les fans surnomment les
années Brigitte Nielsen
et disons que le terme n'est pas toujours affectueux.

English: 
In the first drafts of Cobra,
Sylvester Stallone announced
his character to be some kind of...
But lieutenant Marion Cobretti,
that's his name,
was just a by-product of the character
Sly would have played
provided he had signed
with Paramount for the "Beverly Hills Cop".
The Italian Stallion had no great taste for comedy then,
so he snapped up the project
and slowly turned this pleasant action-comedy
into a hard-boiled thriller.
This movie was then totally different
from Eddie Murphy's biggest success.
Stallone's rewriting was nonetheless usefull.
He acquired the rights to
Paula Gosling's Fair Game
written in 1978
and injected most of his initial ideas into it.
After the resounding success
of First Blood Part II,
he entrusted once again director
George Pan Cosmatos to shoot Cobra,

English: 
In the first drafts of Cobra,
Sylvester Stallone announced
his character to be some kind of...
But lieutenant Marion Cobretti,
that's his name,
was just a by-product of the character
Sly would have played
provided he had signed
with Paramount for the "Beverly Hills Cop".
The Italian Stallion had no great taste for comedy then,
so he snapped up the project
and slowly turned this pleasant action-comedy
into a hard-boiled thriller.
This movie was then totally different
from Eddie Murphy's biggest success.
Stallone's rewriting was nonetheless usefull.
He acquired the rights to
Paula Gosling's Fair Game
written in 1978
and injected most of his initial ideas into it.
After the resounding success
of First Blood Part II,
he entrusted once again director
George Pan Cosmatos to shoot Cobra,

English: 
In the first drafts of Cobra,
Sylvester Stallone announced
his character to be some kind of...
But lieutenant Marion Cobretti,
that's his name,
was just a by-product of the character
Sly would have played
provided he had signed
with Paramount for the "Beverly Hills Cop".
The Italian Stallion had no great taste for comedy then,
so he snapped up the project
and slowly turned this pleasant action-comedy
into a hard-boiled thriller.
This movie was then totally different
from Eddie Murphy's biggest success.
Stallone's rewriting was nonetheless usefull.
He acquired the rights to
Paula Gosling's Fair Game
written in 1978
and injected most of his initial ideas into it.
After the resounding success
of First Blood Part II,
he entrusted once again director
George Pan Cosmatos to shoot Cobra,

French: 
Quand il envisage les premières ébauches de Cobra,
Sylvester Stallone annonce
que le personnage sera une sorte de...
En réalité le lieutenant Marion Cobretti,
car oui, c'est son nom,
est un dérivé du personnage
que Sly aurait interprété
s'il avait opté de tourner
Le Flic de Beverly Hills pour la Paramount.
Pas vraiment porté sur le rire gras
à l'époque,
l'étalon italien s'accapare le projet
pendant un temps
et finit par transformer cette aimable comédie d'action
en polar pur et dur au fil des réécritures.
Rien à voir avec ce qui
deviendra plus tard le plus gros succès
de la carrière d'Eddie Murphy.
Quoi qu'il en soit, tout ce
travail de réécriture effectué par Stallone
n'est pas perdu.
Ce dernier récupère les droits
du roman Fair Game,
écrit par Paula Gosling en 1978
et y recycle la plupart de ses idées initiales.
Fort du retentissant succès
de Rambo II,
il engage de nouveau le réalisateur
George Pan Cosmatos pour tourner Cobra,

English: 
In the first drafts of Cobra,
Sylvester Stallone announced
his character to be some kind of...
But lieutenant Marion Cobretti,
that's his name,
was just a by-product of the character
Sly would have played
provided he had signed
with Paramount for the "Beverly Hills Cop".
The Italian Stallion had no great taste for comedy then,
so he snapped up the project
and slowly turned this pleasant action-comedy
into a hard-boiled thriller.
This movie was then totally different
from Eddie Murphy's biggest success.
Stallone's rewriting was nonetheless usefull.
He acquired the rights to
Paula Gosling's Fair Game
written in 1978
and injected most of his initial ideas into it.
After the resounding success
of First Blood Part II,
he entrusted once again director
George Pan Cosmatos to shoot Cobra,

English: 
In the first drafts of Cobra,
Sylvester Stallone announced
his character to be some kind of...
But lieutenant Marion Cobretti,
that's his name,
was just a by-product of the character
Sly would have played
provided he had signed
with Paramount for the "Beverly Hills Cop".
The Italian Stallion had no great taste for comedy then,
so he snapped up the project
and slowly turned this pleasant action-comedy
into a hard-boiled thriller.
This movie was then totally different
from Eddie Murphy's biggest success.
Stallone's rewriting was nonetheless usefull.
He acquired the rights to
Paula Gosling's Fair Game
written in 1978
and injected most of his initial ideas into it.
After the resounding success
of First Blood Part II,
he entrusted once again director
George Pan Cosmatos to shoot Cobra,

English: 
and honestly,
these two geezers were far from honoring
Bruce Springsteen humanism,
very far, indeed.
Sylvester Stallone seemed to actually
have Dirty Harry in mind.
Just like Clint Eastwood,
Sly intended to leave his "hard-boiled" mark
on the movie industry.
Don Siegle's film
was once and for all considered
as a true icon of the genre.
Many action movie stars have tried
to mimic this masterpiece
but never happened to be half as good.
Stallone was trying hard to
prove this filiation,
with the opening sequence of Cobra,
blithely ripping off Magnum Force.

French: 
et soyons honnêtes,
les deux lascars ne rendent pas vraiment hommage
au spleen humaniste de Bruce Springsteen,
en fait.
À vrai dire c'est plutôt l'Inspecteur Harry
qui est dans la ligne de mire de Sylvester Stallone.
À l'image de Clint Eastwood,
Sly souhaite laisser son empreinte dans
le domaine du polar "hard boiled".
Le film de Don Siegle
a définitivement marqué le cinéma policier
de son empreinte iconique.
De nombreuses stars de l'action ont
d'ailleurs cherché à singer ce classique
sans jamais lui arriver à la cheville.
Mais c'est encore Stallone qui tente la filiation
avec le plus d'insistance,
la preuve avec les premières images de Cobra,
qui pompent allègrement celles de Magnum Force.

English: 
and honestly,
these two geezers were far from honoring
Bruce Springsteen humanism,
very far, indeed.
Sylvester Stallone seemed to actually
have Dirty Harry in mind.
Just like Clint Eastwood,
Sly intended to leave his "hard-boiled" mark
on the movie industry.
Don Siegle's film
was once and for all considered
as a true icon of the genre.
Many action movie stars have tried
to mimic this masterpiece
but never happened to be half as good.
Stallone was trying hard to
prove this filiation,
with the opening sequence of Cobra,
blithely ripping off Magnum Force.

English: 
and honestly,
these two geezers were far from honoring
Bruce Springsteen humanism,
very far, indeed.
Sylvester Stallone seemed to actually
have Dirty Harry in mind.
Just like Clint Eastwood,
Sly intended to leave his "hard-boiled" mark
on the movie industry.
Don Siegle's film
was once and for all considered
as a true icon of the genre.
Many action movie stars have tried
to mimic this masterpiece
but never happened to be half as good.
Stallone was trying hard to
prove this filiation,
with the opening sequence of Cobra,
blithely ripping off Magnum Force.

English: 
and honestly,
these two geezers were far from honoring
Bruce Springsteen humanism,
very far, indeed.
Sylvester Stallone seemed to actually
have Dirty Harry in mind.
Just like Clint Eastwood,
Sly intended to leave his "hard-boiled" mark
on the movie industry.
Don Siegle's film
was once and for all considered
as a true icon of the genre.
Many action movie stars have tried
to mimic this masterpiece
but never happened to be half as good.
Stallone was trying hard to
prove this filiation,
with the opening sequence of Cobra,
blithely ripping off Magnum Force.

English: 
and honestly,
these two geezers were far from honoring
Bruce Springsteen humanism,
very far, indeed.
Sylvester Stallone seemed to actually
have Dirty Harry in mind.
Just like Clint Eastwood,
Sly intended to leave his "hard-boiled" mark
on the movie industry.
Don Siegle's film
was once and for all considered
as a true icon of the genre.
Many action movie stars have tried
to mimic this masterpiece
but never happened to be half as good.
Stallone was trying hard to
prove this filiation,
with the opening sequence of Cobra,
blithely ripping off Magnum Force.

English: 
But apart from obviously borrowing
few ideas like this one,
apart from Marion Cobretti's rough methods
or even Reni Santoni et Andrew Robinson
playing second bananas
in almost similar roles,
above all Cobra tried to comply to
the canons of production of that time.
It had something of a made-for-TV movie
with slightly boring car chases
that were visibly knocked up by the second unit,
and recalled elements
you would otherwise appreciate in series
like Miami Vice
which aesthetics was all the rage.
These influences were sometimes obvious in Cobra
mainly because Stallone easily succumbed
to fad phenomenons
in order to content his audience expectations
and boost his carreer
after regular flops.

English: 
But apart from obviously borrowing
few ideas like this one,
apart from Marion Cobretti's rough methods
or even Reni Santoni et Andrew Robinson
playing second bananas
in almost similar roles,
above all Cobra tried to comply to
the canons of production of that time.
It had something of a made-for-TV movie
with slightly boring car chases
that were visibly knocked up by the second unit,
and recalled elements
you would otherwise appreciate in series
like Miami Vice
which aesthetics was all the rage.
These influences were sometimes obvious in Cobra
mainly because Stallone easily succumbed
to fad phenomenons
in order to content his audience expectations
and boost his carreer
after regular flops.

English: 
But apart from obviously borrowing
few ideas like this one,
apart from Marion Cobretti's rough methods
or even Reni Santoni et Andrew Robinson
playing second bananas
in almost similar roles,
above all Cobra tried to comply to
the canons of production of that time.
It had something of a made-for-TV movie
with slightly boring car chases
that were visibly knocked up by the second unit,
and recalled elements
you would otherwise appreciate in series
like Miami Vice
which aesthetics was all the rage.
These influences were sometimes obvious in Cobra
mainly because Stallone easily succumbed
to fad phenomenons
in order to content his audience expectations
and boost his carreer
after regular flops.

English: 
But apart from obviously borrowing
few ideas like this one,
apart from Marion Cobretti's rough methods
or even Reni Santoni et Andrew Robinson
playing second bananas
in almost similar roles,
above all Cobra tried to comply to
the canons of production of that time.
It had something of a made-for-TV movie
with slightly boring car chases
that were visibly knocked up by the second unit,
and recalled elements
you would otherwise appreciate in series
like Miami Vice
which aesthetics was all the rage.
These influences were sometimes obvious in Cobra
mainly because Stallone easily succumbed
to fad phenomenons
in order to content his audience expectations
and boost his carreer
after regular flops.

English: 
But apart from obviously borrowing
few ideas like this one,
apart from Marion Cobretti's rough methods
or even Reni Santoni et Andrew Robinson
playing second bananas
in almost similar roles,
above all Cobra tried to comply to
the canons of production of that time.
It had something of a made-for-TV movie
with slightly boring car chases
that were visibly knocked up by the second unit,
and recalled elements
you would otherwise appreciate in series
like Miami Vice
which aesthetics was all the rage.
These influences were sometimes obvious in Cobra
mainly because Stallone easily succumbed
to fad phenomenons
in order to content his audience expectations
and boost his carreer
after regular flops.

French: 
Mais en dehors de quelques citations
évidentes comme celle-ci,
en dehors des méthodes expéditives de Marion Cobretti
ou encore de la présence des seconds couteaux
Reni Santoni et Andrew Robinson
dans des rôles relativement similaires,
Cobra flâte avant tout
les canons de production de l'époque.
Il y a un je-ne-sais-quoi de télévisuel
dans les cadres un peu mous de certaines poursuites,
apparemment pondues par la seconde équipe,
et qui renvoient d'ailleurs à celles que
l'on pouvait apprécier dans une série
comme Miami Vice, Deux flics à Miami,
dont l'esthétique a fait fureur en son temps.
D'ailleurs, si ces influences sont
parfois évidentes dans Cobra,
c'est parce que Stallone a souvent sombré
dans une logique de victime de la mode
en surfant sur les attentes de son public
pour relancer une carrière
qu'il met régulièrement dans la panade.

English: 
But as mentioned earlier, this was 1986
and back then,
Sly was litterally above the law.
He could decide his wife Brigitte
was a movie star
and give her the leading role
on a silver platter,
but no one would ever tell him
she was a terrible actress.
He could also declare his character
was about eating cold pizza
cut with pruning shears,
no one would ever come and explain him
this sole psychological profile
wouldn't be strong enough for the main character.
And if Sly decided a pair of Ray-Bans,
a skin-tight tank top,
a toothpick, a customized gun
and clicking santiags
made up the ideal combo
for his character,
then nobody would ever come and tell him
he should go easier on playing the tough guy.
Although Ray-Bans never get old...
and our friend Mozinor couldn't agree more.
He's dead, this son of a bitch,
I'll fuck his grandma to the bone.
- It's not his fault ! Stop it !
- You shitface, you're dead !
Hey, I'm wearing Ray-Bans...
dude.
- Just like you, just like us.
- Right, you lucky bastard.

French: 
Mais on l'a dit, nous sommes en 1986
et à cette époque,
Sly est littéralement intouchable.
S'il a décidé que sa femme Brigitte
sera une star de cinéma,
au point de lui offrir le premier rôle féminin
sur un plateau d'argent,
personne ne vient lui rapporter qu'elle
joue quand même un peu comme une savate.
S'il déclare que son personnage se
caractérise en mangeant de la pizza froide,
qu'il découpe au sécateur,
personne ne vient lui expliquer que
c'est peut-être un peu mince
comme profil psychologique
pour le personnage principal.
Et s'il décrète que les Ray-Ban fumées,
le maillot de corps seyant,
le cure-dent, le flingue customisé et
les santiags qui font du bruit
forment un équilibre idéal
pour le look de son personnage,
eh bien personne ne vient lui dire
qu'il en fait peut-être un peu des
caisses dans le roulage de mécaniques.
Quoique bon, pour les Ray-Ban fumées, ça
se discute quand même...
et ce n'est pas notre copain Mozinor
qui va nous dire le contraire.
Il est mort, j'vais l'enculer,
j'vais lui niquer sa grand-mère.
- Mais c'est pas sa faute ! Arrête !
- J'vais t'démonter, toi, t'es mort !
Hé, j'ai des Ray-Ban...
copain.
- Comme toi, comme nous
- Ouais, t'as de la chance.

English: 
But as mentioned earlier, this was 1986
and back then,
Sly was litterally above the law.
He could decide his wife Brigitte
was a movie star
and give her the leading role
on a silver platter,
but no one would ever tell him
she was a terrible actress.
He could also declare his character
was about eating cold pizza
cut with pruning shears,
no one would ever come and explain him
this sole psychological profile
wouldn't be strong enough for the main character.
And if Sly decided a pair of Ray-Bans,
a skin-tight tank top,
a toothpick, a customized gun
and clicking santiags
made up the ideal combo
for his character,
then nobody would ever come and tell him
he should go easier on playing the tough guy.
Although Ray-Bans never get old...
and our friend Mozinor couldn't agree more.
He's dead, this son of a bitch,
I'll fuck his grandma to the bone.
- It's not his fault ! Stop it !
- You shitface, you're dead !
Hey, I'm wearing Ray-Bans...
dude.
- Just like you, just like us.
- Right, you lucky bastard.

English: 
But as mentioned earlier, this was 1986
and back then,
Sly was litterally above the law.
He could decide his wife Brigitte
was a movie star
and give her the leading role
on a silver platter,
but no one would ever tell him
she was a terrible actress.
He could also declare his character
was about eating cold pizza
cut with pruning shears,
no one would ever come and explain him
this sole psychological profile
wouldn't be strong enough for the main character.
And if Sly decided a pair of Ray-Bans,
a skin-tight tank top,
a toothpick, a customized gun
and clicking santiags
made up the ideal combo
for his character,
then nobody would ever come and tell him
he should go easier on playing the tough guy.
Although Ray-Bans never get old...
and our friend Mozinor couldn't agree more.
He's dead, this son of a bitch,
I'll fuck his grandma to the bone.
- It's not his fault ! Stop it !
- You shitface, you're dead !
Hey, I'm wearing Ray-Bans...
dude.
- Just like you, just like us.
- Right, you lucky bastard.

English: 
But as mentioned earlier, this was 1986
and back then,
Sly was litterally above the law.
He could decide his wife Brigitte
was a movie star
and give her the leading role
on a silver platter,
but no one would ever tell him
she was a terrible actress.
He could also declare his character
was about eating cold pizza
cut with pruning shears,
no one would ever come and explain him
this sole psychological profile
wouldn't be strong enough for the main character.
And if Sly decided a pair of Ray-Bans,
a skin-tight tank top,
a toothpick, a customized gun
and clicking santiags
made up the ideal combo
for his character,
then nobody would ever come and tell him
he should go easier on playing the tough guy.
Although Ray-Bans never get old...
and our friend Mozinor couldn't agree more.
He's dead, this son of a bitch,
I'll fuck his grandma to the bone.
- It's not his fault ! Stop it !
- You shitface, you're dead !
Hey, I'm wearing Ray-Bans...
dude.
- Just like you, just like us.
- Right, you lucky bastard.

English: 
But as mentioned earlier, this was 1986
and back then,
Sly was litterally above the law.
He could decide his wife Brigitte
was a movie star
and give her the leading role
on a silver platter,
but no one would ever tell him
she was a terrible actress.
He could also declare his character
was about eating cold pizza
cut with pruning shears,
no one would ever come and explain him
this sole psychological profile
wouldn't be strong enough for the main character.
And if Sly decided a pair of Ray-Bans,
a skin-tight tank top,
a toothpick, a customized gun
and clicking santiags
made up the ideal combo
for his character,
then nobody would ever come and tell him
he should go easier on playing the tough guy.
Although Ray-Bans never get old...
and our friend Mozinor couldn't agree more.
He's dead, this son of a bitch,
I'll fuck his grandma to the bone.
- It's not his fault ! Stop it !
- You shitface, you're dead !
Hey, I'm wearing Ray-Bans...
dude.
- Just like you, just like us.
- Right, you lucky bastard.

English: 
- But it wasn't his fault.
So this made Cobra
a truly fascinating movie
because it crystallized Stallone's excesses
in only one feature film
and the latter really worked his ass off
to cross the lines.
Although he showed off like a Tony Manero
rather patrolling the streets than hitting the dancefloor,
despite the californian way of life, the trendy
soundtrack
or the cheesy punchlines to
find favor with his old lady,
Stallone showed nonetheless an appetite
for hard-core savagery,
the same attitude that made the critics
consider him as a fascist caveman
during the following decades.
Sly didn't try to hide this aggressiveness in Cobra,
in such a way that the slaughter in First Blood Part II
was almost a happy family pic-nic compared to it.
Let's prove our point with the
"Bestial sequence"

French: 
- Mais c'était pas sa faute.
Bref, c'est en cela que Cobra est une
oeuvre véritablement fascinante
parce qu'elle cristallise tous les excès de
Stallone en l'espace d'un seul long métrage
et celui-ci met carrément
du cœur à l'ouvrage
quand il s'agit de dépasser toutes les limites.
Parce que malgré la frime digne d'un Tony Manero
qui préfère arpenter le bitume plutôt
que les pistes de danse,
malgré la pause californienne, malgré la
soundtrack bien tendance
et les petites punchlines obligatoires pour
s'attirer les faveurs de madame,
Stallone se laisse quand même aller
à son penchant pour la sauvagerie pure et dure,
celle qui l'a fait passer pour un Cro-Magnon
fasciste aux yeux de la critique
pendant les décennies qui vont suivre.
Cette hargne, Sly l'affiche sans détour dans Cobra,
au point de faire passer le
massacre final de Rambo II
pour un aimable pique-nique en campagne.
La preuve en images avec notre point
"Bestial"

English: 
- But it wasn't his fault.
So this made Cobra
a truly fascinating movie
because it crystallized Stallone's excesses
in only one feature film
and the latter really worked his ass off
to cross the lines.
Although he showed off like a Tony Manero
rather patrolling the streets than hitting the dancefloor,
despite the californian way of life, the trendy
soundtrack
or the cheesy punchlines to
find favor with his old lady,
Stallone showed nonetheless an appetite
for hard-core savagery,
the same attitude that made the critics
consider him as a fascist caveman
during the following decades.
Sly didn't try to hide this aggressiveness in Cobra,
in such a way that the slaughter in First Blood Part II
was almost a happy family pic-nic compared to it.
Let's prove our point with the
"Bestial sequence"

English: 
- But it wasn't his fault.
So this made Cobra
a truly fascinating movie
because it crystallized Stallone's excesses
in only one feature film
and the latter really worked his ass off
to cross the lines.
Although he showed off like a Tony Manero
rather patrolling the streets than hitting the dancefloor,
despite the californian way of life, the trendy
soundtrack
or the cheesy punchlines to
find favor with his old lady,
Stallone showed nonetheless an appetite
for hard-core savagery,
the same attitude that made the critics
consider him as a fascist caveman
during the following decades.
Sly didn't try to hide this aggressiveness in Cobra,
in such a way that the slaughter in First Blood Part II
was almost a happy family pic-nic compared to it.
Let's prove our point with the
"Bestial sequence"

English: 
- But it wasn't his fault.
So this made Cobra
a truly fascinating movie
because it crystallized Stallone's excesses
in only one feature film
and the latter really worked his ass off
to cross the lines.
Although he showed off like a Tony Manero
rather patrolling the streets than hitting the dancefloor,
despite the californian way of life, the trendy
soundtrack
or the cheesy punchlines to
find favor with his old lady,
Stallone showed nonetheless an appetite
for hard-core savagery,
the same attitude that made the critics
consider him as a fascist caveman
during the following decades.
Sly didn't try to hide this aggressiveness in Cobra,
in such a way that the slaughter in First Blood Part II
was almost a happy family pic-nic compared to it.
Let's prove our point with the
"Bestial sequence"

English: 
- But it wasn't his fault.
So this made Cobra
a truly fascinating movie
because it crystallized Stallone's excesses
in only one feature film
and the latter really worked his ass off
to cross the lines.
Although he showed off like a Tony Manero
rather patrolling the streets than hitting the dancefloor,
despite the californian way of life, the trendy
soundtrack
or the cheesy punchlines to
find favor with his old lady,
Stallone showed nonetheless an appetite
for hard-core savagery,
the same attitude that made the critics
consider him as a fascist caveman
during the following decades.
Sly didn't try to hide this aggressiveness in Cobra,
in such a way that the slaughter in First Blood Part II
was almost a happy family pic-nic compared to it.
Let's prove our point with the
"Bestial sequence"

English: 
One must also acknowledge Georges Pan Cosmatos
didn't go in for half measures
and made clear excuses for
the character
and by extension for Stallone himself.
The director of First Blood II
left Jack Cardiff's work on 35 mm behind
to try his hand on various risky experiments
thus developping a sense of unease
through an urban decay atmosphere,
suggested by the famous gunshot
in the introduction sequence.
From the sadist menacing to blow up a supermarket

English: 
One must also acknowledge Georges Pan Cosmatos
didn't go in for half measures
and made clear excuses for
the character
and by extension for Stallone himself.
The director of First Blood II
left Jack Cardiff's work on 35 mm behind
to try his hand on various risky experiments
thus developping a sense of unease
through an urban decay atmosphere,
suggested by the famous gunshot
in the introduction sequence.
From the sadist menacing to blow up a supermarket

English: 
One must also acknowledge Georges Pan Cosmatos
didn't go in for half measures
and made clear excuses for
the character
and by extension for Stallone himself.
The director of First Blood II
left Jack Cardiff's work on 35 mm behind
to try his hand on various risky experiments
thus developping a sense of unease
through an urban decay atmosphere,
suggested by the famous gunshot
in the introduction sequence.
From the sadist menacing to blow up a supermarket

French: 
Il faut dire aussi que Georges Pan Cosmatos
n'y va pas avec le dos de la cuiller
pour offrir des excuses au
personnage de Cobra
et donc par extension à Stallone.
Le réalisateur de Rambo II
abandonne ici le scope magnifié par Jack Cardiff
pour se lancer dans
diverses expérimentations hasardeuses
qui tentent d'instaurer un véritable malaise
dans l'ambiance de déliquescence urbaine,
suggérée par le fameux coup de
feu d'introduction.
De la prise d'otage d'un supermarché
par un sadique plastiqué

English: 
One must also acknowledge Georges Pan Cosmatos
didn't go in for half measures
and made clear excuses for
the character
and by extension for Stallone himself.
The director of First Blood II
left Jack Cardiff's work on 35 mm behind
to try his hand on various risky experiments
thus developping a sense of unease
through an urban decay atmosphere,
suggested by the famous gunshot
in the introduction sequence.
From the sadist menacing to blow up a supermarket

English: 
One must also acknowledge Georges Pan Cosmatos
didn't go in for half measures
and made clear excuses for
the character
and by extension for Stallone himself.
The director of First Blood II
left Jack Cardiff's work on 35 mm behind
to try his hand on various risky experiments
thus developping a sense of unease
through an urban decay atmosphere,
suggested by the famous gunshot
in the introduction sequence.
From the sadist menacing to blow up a supermarket

English: 
to the crew of lunatics attacking a parking lot
and determined to silence an embarrassing witness,
Cosmatos favoured unframed shots,
expanded timescales,
he overused jump cuts
as well as short focal lenses
and over-exploited aggressive lights.
In this way psychopaths were blithely demonized
and Cobretti's violent methods were justified,
for these were followers of a new order
our hero stood against.
But if excess often led to ridiculous situations,
some stylistic effects scored a bull's-eye.
Most particularly Brian Thompson's performance,
as a cult leader with teeth clenched.
This brilliantly-played total sadist
might have then deserved his fate, right ?
The following sequence will answer the question
Spoiler alert!

French: 
à l'attaque d'un parking par une bande de tarés
bien décidés à faire taire le témoin
qui les a surpris dans leurs basses œuvres,
Cosmatos décadre ses angles,
dilate le temps,
abuse du jump cut,
surexploite les courtes focales
et noie sa pellicule de lumière agressive.
Tout est bon pour diaboliser les psychopathes,
adeptes d'un ordre nouveau,
auquel s'oppose notre héros,
afin de justifier ses méthodes violentes.
Et si l'excès mène souvent au ridicule,
certains effets font parfois mouche.
Notamment grâce à la performance suintante
de Brian Thompson
en chef de culte
qui ne dessert jamais les mâchoires.
Dès lors, le sadique total
qu'il incarne de manière habitée
ne mérite-t-il pas son sort ?
Réponse dès la séquence suivante, mais...
Attention aux spoilers !

English: 
to the crew of lunatics attacking a parking lot
and determined to silence an embarrassing witness,
Cosmatos favoured unframed shots,
expanded timescales,
he overused jump cuts
as well as short focal lenses
and over-exploited aggressive lights.
In this way psychopaths were blithely demonized
and Cobretti's violent methods were justified,
for these were followers of a new order
our hero stood against.
But if excess often led to ridiculous situations,
some stylistic effects scored a bull's-eye.
Most particularly Brian Thompson's performance,
as a cult leader with teeth clenched.
This brilliantly-played total sadist
might have then deserved his fate, right ?
The following sequence will answer the question
Spoiler alert!

English: 
to the crew of lunatics attacking a parking lot
and determined to silence an embarrassing witness,
Cosmatos favoured unframed shots,
expanded timescales,
he overused jump cuts
as well as short focal lenses
and over-exploited aggressive lights.
In this way psychopaths were blithely demonized
and Cobretti's violent methods were justified,
for these were followers of a new order
our hero stood against.
But if excess often led to ridiculous situations,
some stylistic effects scored a bull's-eye.
Most particularly Brian Thompson's performance,
as a cult leader with teeth clenched.
This brilliantly-played total sadist
might have then deserved his fate, right ?
The following sequence will answer the question
Spoiler alert!

English: 
to the crew of lunatics attacking a parking lot
and determined to silence an embarrassing witness,
Cosmatos favoured unframed shots,
expanded timescales,
he overused jump cuts
as well as short focal lenses
and over-exploited aggressive lights.
In this way psychopaths were blithely demonized
and Cobretti's violent methods were justified,
for these were followers of a new order
our hero stood against.
But if excess often led to ridiculous situations,
some stylistic effects scored a bull's-eye.
Most particularly Brian Thompson's performance,
as a cult leader with teeth clenched.
This brilliantly-played total sadist
might have then deserved his fate, right ?
The following sequence will answer the question
Spoiler alert!

English: 
to the crew of lunatics attacking a parking lot
and determined to silence an embarrassing witness,
Cosmatos favoured unframed shots,
expanded timescales,
he overused jump cuts
as well as short focal lenses
and over-exploited aggressive lights.
In this way psychopaths were blithely demonized
and Cobretti's violent methods were justified,
for these were followers of a new order
our hero stood against.
But if excess often led to ridiculous situations,
some stylistic effects scored a bull's-eye.
Most particularly Brian Thompson's performance,
as a cult leader with teeth clenched.
This brilliantly-played total sadist
might have then deserved his fate, right ?
The following sequence will answer the question
Spoiler alert!

English: 
A cure, indeed, but a poisonous one,
with a mean streak,
and eventually as much a sociopath
as the criminals he was decided to hound.
Because there is one scene in Cobra
that is totally unworthy of Stallone's art.
We're not talking about the furnace scene,
of the worst possible taste,
nor even about another supposedly reprehensible
ultraviolent sequence.
The following sequence may seem more timorous,
but shows on the contrary
a more ordinary violence
this time made a lifestyle.
This scene sharply contrasts
with Stallone's habits,
who usually incarnates
the average man.

French: 
Un antidote certes, mais un
antidote venimeux
qui a plutôt mauvais fond
et qui se révèle finalement être aussi sociopathe
que les criminels qu'il décide de poursuivre.
Car s'il y a bien une scène indigne
du cinéma de Sylvester Stallone dans Cobra,
ce n'est pas celle du four,
aussi excessive soit-elle dans son mauvais goût
ni même une autre séquence d'ultraviolence
soi-disant condamnable.
Plus timorée en comparaison,
la scène qui suit démontre une violence
certes plus ordinaire,
mais cette fois érigée en précepte de vie.
Une scène qui tranche d'ailleurs
avec les habitudes de Stallone,
généralement plus proche de ce que l'on surnomme
"l'homme de la rue".

English: 
A cure, indeed, but a poisonous one,
with a mean streak,
and eventually as much a sociopath
as the criminals he was decided to hound.
Because there is one scene in Cobra
that is totally unworthy of Stallone's art.
We're not talking about the furnace scene,
of the worst possible taste,
nor even about another supposedly reprehensible
ultraviolent sequence.
The following sequence may seem more timorous,
but shows on the contrary
a more ordinary violence
this time made a lifestyle.
This scene sharply contrasts
with Stallone's habits,
who usually incarnates
the average man.

English: 
A cure, indeed, but a poisonous one,
with a mean streak,
and eventually as much a sociopath
as the criminals he was decided to hound.
Because there is one scene in Cobra
that is totally unworthy of Stallone's art.
We're not talking about the furnace scene,
of the worst possible taste,
nor even about another supposedly reprehensible
ultraviolent sequence.
The following sequence may seem more timorous,
but shows on the contrary
a more ordinary violence
this time made a lifestyle.
This scene sharply contrasts
with Stallone's habits,
who usually incarnates
the average man.

English: 
A cure, indeed, but a poisonous one,
with a mean streak,
and eventually as much a sociopath
as the criminals he was decided to hound.
Because there is one scene in Cobra
that is totally unworthy of Stallone's art.
We're not talking about the furnace scene,
of the worst possible taste,
nor even about another supposedly reprehensible
ultraviolent sequence.
The following sequence may seem more timorous,
but shows on the contrary
a more ordinary violence
this time made a lifestyle.
This scene sharply contrasts
with Stallone's habits,
who usually incarnates
the average man.

English: 
A cure, indeed, but a poisonous one,
with a mean streak,
and eventually as much a sociopath
as the criminals he was decided to hound.
Because there is one scene in Cobra
that is totally unworthy of Stallone's art.
We're not talking about the furnace scene,
of the worst possible taste,
nor even about another supposedly reprehensible
ultraviolent sequence.
The following sequence may seem more timorous,
but shows on the contrary
a more ordinary violence
this time made a lifestyle.
This scene sharply contrasts
with Stallone's habits,
who usually incarnates
the average man.

English: 
The runt has learnt the lesson
and moves his car
when the boss comes home
after a hard day of work.
Only worthy of the most presomptuous
of Steven Seagal's movies,
this ridiculous display of force
clearly erodes the humanism
Stallone has always shown in his movies,
even the most violents,
as much as it embodies the bad disposition
with which Cobra was conceived.
One could almost see there a declaration of intent
if this sequence wasn't such
an accurate depiction of the 80's,
a period in which finding one's place in society
was clearly dictated
by individualism and narcissism.
This mindset was widespread then
and particularly among those
who wanted to please the largest audience,
just like Stallone at that time.
Cobra is therefore clearly spoilt
by Sylvester Stallone's overinflated ego.

English: 
The runt has learnt the lesson
and moves his car
when the boss comes home
after a hard day of work.
Only worthy of the most presomptuous
of Steven Seagal's movies,
this ridiculous display of force
clearly erodes the humanism
Stallone has always shown in his movies,
even the most violents,
as much as it embodies the bad disposition
with which Cobra was conceived.
One could almost see there a declaration of intent
if this sequence wasn't such
an accurate depiction of the 80's,
a period in which finding one's place in society
was clearly dictated
by individualism and narcissism.
This mindset was widespread then
and particularly among those
who wanted to please the largest audience,
just like Stallone at that time.
Cobra is therefore clearly spoilt
by Sylvester Stallone's overinflated ego.

French: 
La leçon est apprise,
la prochaine fois le gringalet déplacera sa voiture
quand le patron rentre dans ses pénates
après une rude journée de travail.
Digne du plus présomptueux
des films de Steven Seagal,
cette ridicule démonstration de force
égratigne distinctement l'humanisme
dont Stallone a toujours fait preuve dans ses films,
y compris les plus violents
en même temps qu'elle affirme le mauvais esprit
avec lequel Cobra a été conçu.
On pourrait presque parler de note d'intention d'ailleurs,
si elle n'était pas aussi représentative
des excès des années 80,
où la notion de prendre sa place dans la société
était clairement dictée par un état d'esprit
individualiste et narcissique,
qui n'a jamais épargné personne
et surtout pas ceux qui tentent
de plaire au plus grand nombre,
comme Stallone à l'époque.
Cobra est donc une oeuvre clairement empoisonnée
par l'ego surgonflé de Sylvester Stallone.

English: 
The runt has learnt the lesson
and moves his car
when the boss comes home
after a hard day of work.
Only worthy of the most presomptuous
of Steven Seagal's movies,
this ridiculous display of force
clearly erodes the humanism
Stallone has always shown in his movies,
even the most violents,
as much as it embodies the bad disposition
with which Cobra was conceived.
One could almost see there a declaration of intent
if this sequence wasn't such
an accurate depiction of the 80's,
a period in which finding one's place in society
was clearly dictated
by individualism and narcissism.
This mindset was widespread then
and particularly among those
who wanted to please the largest audience,
just like Stallone at that time.
Cobra is therefore clearly spoilt
by Sylvester Stallone's overinflated ego.

English: 
The runt has learnt the lesson
and moves his car
when the boss comes home
after a hard day of work.
Only worthy of the most presomptuous
of Steven Seagal's movies,
this ridiculous display of force
clearly erodes the humanism
Stallone has always shown in his movies,
even the most violents,
as much as it embodies the bad disposition
with which Cobra was conceived.
One could almost see there a declaration of intent
if this sequence wasn't such
an accurate depiction of the 80's,
a period in which finding one's place in society
was clearly dictated
by individualism and narcissism.
This mindset was widespread then
and particularly among those
who wanted to please the largest audience,
just like Stallone at that time.
Cobra is therefore clearly spoilt
by Sylvester Stallone's overinflated ego.

English: 
The runt has learnt the lesson
and moves his car
when the boss comes home
after a hard day of work.
Only worthy of the most presomptuous
of Steven Seagal's movies,
this ridiculous display of force
clearly erodes the humanism
Stallone has always shown in his movies,
even the most violents,
as much as it embodies the bad disposition
with which Cobra was conceived.
One could almost see there a declaration of intent
if this sequence wasn't such
an accurate depiction of the 80's,
a period in which finding one's place in society
was clearly dictated
by individualism and narcissism.
This mindset was widespread then
and particularly among those
who wanted to please the largest audience,
just like Stallone at that time.
Cobra is therefore clearly spoilt
by Sylvester Stallone's overinflated ego.

English: 
But paradoxical as it may seem,
that's also its main quality,
because when he swaggers
never taking his sunglasses off,
the movie star gives his all, just like for Rocky,
at least for those who
take a real interest in his carrier.
For all the others,
Cobra may seem like another Stallonesque movie,
a laughable work
totally phagocytized by its author,
an archetypal product of the 80's
quite simply willing to add violence to violence,
and nobody will really disagree with them.
In the end, when Sly rides the wave
without giving it anymore thought,
he confides in like he's rarely had the chance to
outside of his beloved series
and that's what makes Cobra
a unique movie you can't probably defend,
but can't resist either because of
its facinating propensity for going too far.

French: 
Mais aussi paradoxal que cela puisse paraître,
c'est aussi ce qui en fait sa qualité principale,
puisque à force de rouler des mécaniques
et de se planquer derrière ses lunettes fumées,
la star se donne autant que dans un Rocky,
du moins pour ceux qui s'intéressent
de près à sa carrière.
Pour les autres,
Cobra n'est peut-être qu'une stallonade de plus,
une oeuvre bas du front
totalement phagocytée par les excès de son auteur,
un pur produit des années 80
qui joue bêtement la surenchère dans la violence,
et on ne pourra pas non plus
leur donner totalement tort.
Reste qu'en jouant sur l'air du temps
de façon aussi frontale,
Sly se livre comme il a rarement eu l'occasion de le faire
en dehors de ses séries fétiches
et c'est bien ce qui fait le prix de Cobra,
une oeuvre unique et souvent indéfendable,
mais néanmoins fascinante
dans sa propension à dépasser les bornes.

English: 
But paradoxical as it may seem,
that's also its main quality,
because when he swaggers
never taking his sunglasses off,
the movie star gives his all, just like for Rocky,
at least for those who
take a real interest in his carrier.
For all the others,
Cobra may seem like another Stallonesque movie,
a laughable work
totally phagocytized by its author,
an archetypal product of the 80's
quite simply willing to add violence to violence,
and nobody will really disagree with them.
In the end, when Sly rides the wave
without giving it anymore thought,
he confides in like he's rarely had the chance to
outside of his beloved series
and that's what makes Cobra
a unique movie you can't probably defend,
but can't resist either because of
its facinating propensity for going too far.

English: 
But paradoxical as it may seem,
that's also its main quality,
because when he swaggers
never taking his sunglasses off,
the movie star gives his all, just like for Rocky,
at least for those who
take a real interest in his carrier.
For all the others,
Cobra may seem like another Stallonesque movie,
a laughable work
totally phagocytized by its author,
an archetypal product of the 80's
quite simply willing to add violence to violence,
and nobody will really disagree with them.
In the end, when Sly rides the wave
without giving it anymore thought,
he confides in like he's rarely had the chance to
outside of his beloved series
and that's what makes Cobra
a unique movie you can't probably defend,
but can't resist either because of
its facinating propensity for going too far.

English: 
But paradoxical as it may seem,
that's also its main quality,
because when he swaggers
never taking his sunglasses off,
the movie star gives his all, just like for Rocky,
at least for those who
take a real interest in his carrier.
For all the others,
Cobra may seem like another Stallonesque movie,
a laughable work
totally phagocytized by its author,
an archetypal product of the 80's
quite simply willing to add violence to violence,
and nobody will really disagree with them.
In the end, when Sly rides the wave
without giving it anymore thought,
he confides in like he's rarely had the chance to
outside of his beloved series
and that's what makes Cobra
a unique movie you can't probably defend,
but can't resist either because of
its facinating propensity for going too far.

English: 
But paradoxical as it may seem,
that's also its main quality,
because when he swaggers
never taking his sunglasses off,
the movie star gives his all, just like for Rocky,
at least for those who
take a real interest in his carrier.
For all the others,
Cobra may seem like another Stallonesque movie,
a laughable work
totally phagocytized by its author,
an archetypal product of the 80's
quite simply willing to add violence to violence,
and nobody will really disagree with them.
In the end, when Sly rides the wave
without giving it anymore thought,
he confides in like he's rarely had the chance to
outside of his beloved series
and that's what makes Cobra
a unique movie you can't probably defend,
but can't resist either because of
its facinating propensity for going too far.
