The original film (1984) was set in Tromaville, New Jersey - a small American town, terrorized by criminals. Among the residents of Tromaville is Melvin, a nerdy emaciated janitor at the local health club. A gang of thugs devise a cruel hoax that goes horribly wrong as Melvin is cast through a third story window into a vat of hazardous toxic waste. However, an unexpected metamorphosis takes place. As the chemicals take hold of his body, Melvin turns into the Toxic Avenger, doer of good, and brutal mauler of evil.

What do you guys think- any Toxie fans out there? Sounds like this might be going the action/comedy route, no doubt playing up the campiness of the original. Have a look at the 1984 trailer below.

Tim Lambesis launched Austrian Death Machine 7 years after ArnoCorps had been performing live internationally. ArnoCorps had garnered critical acclaim, especially in the UK press, long before Austrian Death Machine was launched. Meanwhile, Lambesis was already very successful and well-known for his Grammy-nominated metal band As I Lay Dying. Able to leverage the resources of metal juggernaut Metal Blade Records for a full-blown advertising campaign and world wide distribution of his solo side project Austrian Death Machine, he appears to have made every effort to sweep ArnoCorps under the rug, a band whose appeal was often based on being a truly unique and original act.

"We're a decidedly underground band, and I admit we've never attempted mainstream success. We appeal to a niche audience that appreciate depth in their music and a unique live experience and all these things. We embrace metaphor, heroic archetypes, motivational themes and inspirational messages while exploring modern interpretations of ancient alpine myth. We're really not intended for low foreheads or choir boys, let me tell you. We've turned down opportunities to become a much more well-known because we viewed those opportunities as being at the expense of our original vision. I have to admit at times it was a little disheartening to be compared to a one-dimensional commercial novelty act such as Austrian Death Machine."

"It's been pretty surreal, the past few years. Fans report to me all the goings-on with his project. While he would claim he wasn't copying ArnoCorps, I was told he totally transformed to be more like us. For the past decade, ArnoCorps espoused the virtues of working out, nutrition, motorcycling, all these things. Over time, he's adopting these things for his own, even suddenly going from a skinny guy to bulking up, giving workout advice, come on, even growing a beard like mine, buying a motorcycle, talking about pro wrestling on social media right after we did a performance with WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley. He even launched his own crowdfunding campaign immediately after ArnoCorps had The Fantastic EP successfully funded on Kickstarter! Unbelievable."

TheArnoldFans was the first website to introduce ArnoCorps, 13 years ago. We're happy to be able to announce their upcoming release of The Fantastic EP at Slim's in San Francisco on Friday, June 14th. Join us there! The new record will feature fantastic tales relating to Hyborian Age and fantasy. Tracks include a re-written Crom (Strong On His Mountain), Conan the Destroyer, King Conan (Crown of Iron), Red Sonja, Hercules and a song called Exactly which reveals the origin of many phrases used in the Conan the Barbarian DVD commentary track! Tickets for the EP release performance are on sale now, at the following link:
http://tickets.slims-sf.com/events/315460/ArnoCorps

Follow the ArnoCorps' facebook page to receive updates and information from the true pioneers of the ballsy and inspirational action adventure hardcore rock n' roll!
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Finally, let’s leave you with a reminder that The Last Stand is coming to DVD and Blu-Ray this month! On May 21st, you can pick up your copy in stores or you can pre-order yours at Amazon HERE! Now check out the fantastic photo taken by our Russian friend. Thanks for sharing, Sergey!

TheArnoldFans: You worked with Schwarzenegger in Raw Deal. What’s you best Arnold story?

Robert Davi: My best Arnold story is when we were filming Raw Deal and what happened is…I think it was in North Carolina and we were filming at the beach and right away when we started filming, he and I were already checking each other out. We had not met each other before. So we’re living on the beach and he’s in the downstairs apartment and I’m upstairs and I hear this noise at my window. And you know what those poppers are? So I’m hearing these things go off like caps going periodically. I’m like what the hell is this so I look out my window and it’s Arnold throwing these things up at my window. So what I did was I went to the bathroom and I emptied the garbage pale and filled it up with soapsuds and water. It was foaming over with soapsuds. Opened my doors, went out to the balcony, and when he was walking by with a brand new, newly-lit, expensive cigar, talking to Maria and others. Just as he was under my window twenty feet below, I dumped the pale of water on his head. BULLSEYE! Soap suds coming off his cigar. He doesn’t tell this story. It isn’t in his new book. Soap suds off his new cigar and instead of flinching, he just looked up at me like this (evil eye) and he says, ‘this means war.’


TheArnoldFans: And did he get you back?

Robert Davi: Yeah, we’d go back and fourth. There’s another story about a coat we both had in Raw Deal. When I first met him, coming outside of the hotel, I had this mauve collared John Paul Gaultier Overcoat. You know, the kind that goes down to your calves – one of those nice ones and the color was interesting. So he comes in with his guys and I’m coming out and I have the coat on and he has the coat on. The same coat. He goes, ‘where did you get your coat? At Maxwell Blue?’ I said, yeah, isn’t it a great coat? Then, one day while we were filming, I said, remember that coat we were wearing? I’m going to be able to wear it in the film and I’m going to get an endorsement from Gaultier. He didn’t say anything. So the day comes when I’m going to wear it and I called the director ahead of time, and I said, John, can I wear this fuckin’ suit? And he says, sure, why not? Absolutely. So I come in with the coat and Arnold goes, ‘what are you doing?’ I said I’m wearing the coat in this scene. I’m going to get an endorsement deal. So we’re rehearsing the scene and all of a sudden he says to John, ‘When is Robert going to get in wardrobe? It looks like he’s got a bathrobe on.’ The next thing I know John says, ‘Robert, take off the coat and just wear it over your shoulder.’ I said, fuck that. When John left, I said to Arnold, I’m going to go tell Dino De Laurentiis that I should be able to wear the coat. Then I walked out and I went to the bathroom just because I wanted Arnold to think I went to see Dino. I came back with a big smile on my face and played it off like I got the okay. I think Arnold wanted that endorsement deal.


TheArnoldFans: After all that back-and-fourth high jinx, have you and Arnold managed to stay friends?

Robert Davi: Absolutely, he’s still a friend.


TheArnoldFans: What are your top three favorite Arnold movies?

Robert Davi: Terminator, Twins and Total Recall. And also True Lies

TheArnoldFans: Have you heard any rumors of a Goonies sequel?

Robert Davi: The rumors of Goonies 2 is that there’s gonna be a musical. But who knows? I’ve heard more Goonies movie rumors than ever.

Thanks, Robert for the fantastic, untold Arnold stories!

For those of you Schwarzenegger fans who are planning a trip to Oregon to visit the Kindergarten Cop filming locations, you’re in luck if you’re also a fan of The Goonies. Both films were filmed in the town of Astoria!

TheArnoldFans: It’s been almost 25 years since you were behind the camera in Total Recall. Do you think the original film still holds up well today?

Lycia: It holds up extremely well. Look at the new movie compared to the old one. Some of the effects are a little old but the story is still dynamic. It holds the test of time.

TheArnoldFans: What’s your best Arnold story?

Lycia: When I first met him, he (Verhoeven) said to Arnold, ‘this is going to be your hooker.’ I remember his eyes were so beautiful. A beautiful light green and his pupils were so tiny. I kept thinking those are the tiniest pupils I ever seen. He was such a consummate professional. He was in love with Paul Verhoeven and asked that he direct him to the nth degree. Paul told Arnold what to do and he did it exactly the way Paul wanted it. I was extremely impressed. He was very professional and very fun on the set. Arnold is an intimidating guy. He’s stature is big. He has such big charisma.


TheArnoldFans: You even had to do some stunts. You were shot by Michael Ironsides in the back and you were hooked up to squibs. What was that like?

Lycia: That’s got to be the quintessential most fun day of my acting career. It was so fun and we had to do it several times. It’s not easy. They squib you up and then the head of stunts, he came over and showed me the guns and assured it fired blanks. I was so scared. I mean they really are real guns. But even when they were shot, there’s still a projection of air. He didn’t want me to be afraid of that so we practiced shooting me a few times. We got comfortable. Then it was time to do it for real. He said ‘when I say NOW, you’re going to arch your back and throw your hands up and the blood is going to pop and at the same time, I’m going to give you capsules in your mouth so you’re going to bite down on them and open your mouth so that the blood flies out.’ The first time we did it, I opened my mouth and just a little came out so we had to do it again. So again, Michael shoots me in the back, the stunt coordinator pressed the control and all the squibs opened up at the same time and I arched my back and I fly forward where there’s a mattress. They didn’t want me to brace myself, which was okay because I had the three-breasted plate on – all this foam. So I had to fly down and it was a big fall. I mean, it was like playing cowboys and Indians. It was the funnest day of work! We went through about 5 chest pieces that day. Sometimes we could just wash them off but usually they were ruined.

TheArnoldFans: How long were you in the make-up chair?

Lycia: We started out and it was about 8 to 8.5 hours, if you can believe that! But with each passing day the make-up artist got better and better. It latter got to about 5.5 or 6 hours. I always had the first call – like 2 or 3 in the morning. They laid me down in a barber chair - flat almost. I’d put on my headphones and my Walkman… because that’s how old this was…with a tape recorder. I’d just listen to music and fall asleep.

TheArnoldFans: What were you listening to?

Lycia: I’m trying to remember. Probably like the Go-Goes or The Replacements?

TheArnoldFans: In between takes, did Arnold ever jokingly squeeze this prosthetic chest piece that you wore?

Lycia: You know, he was really conscience of that. He actually did a lot of still photography on the set. He didn’t take pictures my way. So these photos (being sold at the booth), are screen grabs from the movie. He might have had aspirations at that time to run for office one day so he didn’t want to mess around with that, so no, he didn’t grab them. There was no hanky-panky. Not even joking and I would have loved to have joked around with him.

TheArnoldFans: Finally, what are your top three Arnold movies?

Lycia: Twins, of course Total Recall and probably Terminator 2!

Look for Lycia Naff at a few upcoming big pop culture conventions. We caught Naff at the Hollywood Show and we hope to see her again at Comic Con. She’s got many more stories so be sure to stop by with her and have a good chat while ogling over her Total recall photos for sale. So before you get ya ass to Mars, get ya ass over to Lycia’s signing booth.

 

"The Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger starrer Escape Plan showed off its first trailer, largely focusing on the storyline that has Stallone's Ray Breslin, an expert at breaking out prisons, being kidnapped and sent to a new, experimental jail. The prison itself has all the cells as as The Silence of the Lambs-style glass cubes, all set up on different levels of metal scaffolding with guards wearing creepy all-black masks.

Schwarzenegger plays Emil Rottmayer, an inmate already in the prison who reluctantly teams with Breslin to win their freedom. They've definitely worked in a few one-liners, too. At one point, Stallone punches Schwarzenegger and he shoots back, "You hit like a vegetarian!"

Expendablespremiere.com also points out some positive reaction on twitter from those who saw it:

@Slashfilm: Cnemacon: "Escape Plan looks like a fun 90’ action flick, @TheSlyStallone & @Schwarzenegger breaking out of a super duper max security prison"

@EriReynolds: O_O RT @firstshowing: "First footage from Escape Plan with Sly & Arnold looks 10x better than both of The Expendables movies. Badass."

Sounds like Escape Plan is going to be a fun movie with a cool set design! Let's get the buzz cooking and hopefully Lionsgate will post the trailer online soon! If you were there and have video, let us know! 

Arnold on Reddit
As he promised, Arnold came back to social news site Reddit for another fitness Ask Me Anything! He had some downtime on a flight, so he answered a handful of impromptu questions by Redditors- check out the results HERE.

Gillen on Da Radio!
Our own Gillinator was recently invited on the radio show "Money For Lunch" with host Bert Martinez to talk Arnold and TheArnoldFans! It turns out Martinez is quite the Arnold Fan himself and has been inspired by him, being an immigrant himself. Check out the 15 minute segment streaming below (skip to 44 minutes):

Will Sasso Channels Arnold's Road Rage!
Comedian Will Sasso (who used to do an Arnold character on MAD-TV) has been posting a series of short videos on Vine in which he gives us a glimpse of what Arnold might say to himself as he's driving around in L.A. It's really funny, and a YouTube user took the liberty of collecting them together in one longer sequence, which makes it even funnier. Watch it NOW!

Arnie YouTube Remix!
A YouTube user/group called Eclectic Method specializes in video remixes of various celebrities and topics, and their latest one takes clips from Arnold's movies and tosses them in a virtual blender to a funky beat. Get down! (Credit to The Onion A.V. Club for finding this!)

Red Hot Arnold and Black Arnold!
We leave you with two pics, one that Arnold posted to Instagram of he and Patrick having a blast at the music event Coachella watching the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and the other-- well it speaks for itself. Rasta la vista, baby!

Don't forget to keep up with Arnold's Fitocracy Spark Challenge, or start now! 15 minutes a day! Arnold's still pumping, so why not you?