FIRST OFF . . .

A real-life fight has erupted over Sylvester Stallone’s “Rambo III,” which ended shooting in Israel on Nov. 30 and then moved to locations in Thailand. Carolco Pictures Inc. and Tel Aviv-based Golan & Globus Studios are blaming each other for a rash of bounced checks. Golan & Globus’ managing director Itzak Kol, besieged by nearly 100 irate creditors (including police and crew members), claims that Carolco location officials signed $200,000 in bad checks. “In 20 years in the business with foreign productions, I’ve never had an experience like this,” Kol said Wednesday from Tel Aviv. In Los Angeles, Carolco president and chief executive officer Peter Hoffman said the money to cover the checks was seized by the Israeli government to pay taxes. “Kol is acting like we bounced the checks, but it’s the government . . . because (Kol) refused to pay 250,000 shekels (about $165,000) in withholding taxes,” Hoffman said. “We think he should pay to cover the checks. He has the money, (but) just won’t.” In the meantime, Golan & Globus, which contracted to provide payroll and transportation service to the production, has impounded Carolco’s computers. The matter will be decided in Israel’s courts, Hoffman said.