Filmmaker Remasters ‘Rebel’ Featuring Early Stallone Role

LOS ANGELES, CA — Filmmaker Robert Schnitzer is set to re-release his 1971 film “Rebel: Director’s Cut,” which features Sylvester Stallone in one of his first leading roles. The film will hit arthouse theaters starting June 6, after undergoing a meticulous 4K remastering process.

Originally titled “Seize the Time!” and later renamed “No Place to Hide,” Schnitzer financed the film independently by using his credit card, seeing over 500 actors audition for the lead role of Jerry Savage, an anti-war activist. “We needed a unique voice, and Stallone was it,” Schnitzer recalled. Despite initial resistance from his team, he championed Stallone, who was then an unknown actor.

“Rebel” captures the turbulent era of the Vietnam War, depicting the fight against a cookware company producing tiger cages for prisoners. The film’s political themes resonate today, prompting Schnitzer to remaster it for modern audiences, aiming to elicit dialogue on war and peace.

Once the film was shot, Schnitzer faced financial hurdles, struggling to find funds to develop the film’s negative. “I had a hundred cans of film in my refrigerator for six months,” he said. Thankfully, the film found international audiences despite its rocky start, growing in reach post-Stallone’s success in “Rocky.”

In his reflection, Schnitzer candidly noted how restoring the film was a challenge. “Honestly, it was a little painful to relive it and focus on every frame,” he admitted. Yet he hopes the release will inspire viewers to think critically about the themes inherent in his work.

The first screening of the remastered film will include a Q&A session with Schnitzer, providing insight into the production and the historical context of the film. “Our goal is not just to entertain, but to provoke thought on the state of geopolitics today,” he stated.