Our Sponsors

Monday, January 24, 2011

Rocky


Rocky is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen, and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It tells the rags to riches American Dream story of Rocky Balboa, an uneducated but kind-hearted debt collector for a loan shark in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Rocky starts out as a club fighter who then gets a shot at the world heavyweight championship. The film also stars Talia Shire as Adrian, Burt Young as Adrian's brother Paulie,Burgess Meredith as Rocky's trainer Mickey Goldmill, and Carl Weathers as the champion,Apollo Creed.
The film, made on a budget of less than $1 million[1] and shot in 28 days, was a sleeper hit; it made over $225 million[2] the highest grossing film of 1976, and won three Oscars, includingBest Picture. The film received many positive reviews and turned Stallone into a major star.[3] It spawned five sequelsRocky IIIIIIVV and Rocky Balboa.

Plot

In November 1975, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) is introduced as a small-time boxer and collector for Anthony Gazzo (Joe Spinell), a loan shark, living in the Kensington neighborhood ofPhiladelphia. The World Heavyweight Championship bout is scheduled for New Year's Day1976, the year of the United States Bicentennial. When the opponent of undefeatedheavyweight champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) is injured, Creed comes up with the idea of fighting a local underdog and, because he likes Rocky's nickname, "The Italian Stallion", he selects the relatively unknown fighter. He puts it in light by proclaiming "Apollo Creed meets 'The Italian Stallion'".
To prepare for the fight, Rocky trains with a 1920s-era ex-bantamweight fighter and gym owner,Mickey Goldmill (Burgess Meredith), while Rocky's good friend, Paulie (Burt Young), a meat-packing plant worker, lets him practice his punches on the carcasses hanging in the freezers. During training, Rocky dates Paulie's shy, quiet sister, Adrian (Talia Shire) who works as a clerk in a local pet store, he refrains from 'fooling' around with her until the fight on the instruction of his manager Mickey. The night before the fight, Rocky confides in Adrian that he does not expect to beat Creed, and that all he wants is to go the distance with Creed (which no fighter had ever done), meaning that lasting 15 rounds (the typical scheduled length of championship fights at the time) against him would mean he "... wasn't just another bum from the neighborhood".
On New Years Day, the climactic boxing match begins. Apollo Creed does not initially take the fight seriously, but Rocky unexpectedly knocks him down in the first round and the match turns intense. The fight indeed lasts 15 rounds with each fighter suffering many injuries; the match illustrates Rocky's apparently unlimited ability to absorb punishment. As the final round bell sounds with both fighters locked in each other's arms, an exhausted Creed vows "Ain't gonna be no re-match", to which an equally spent Rocky replies "Don't want one". After the fight, Rocky calls out for Adrian, who runs down to the ring. As the ring announcer declares the fight for Apollo Creed by virtue of a split decision (8:7, 7:8, 9:6), Adrian and Rocky embrace while they profess their love to one another, not caring about the results of the fight.

[edit]Cast

[edit]Main

  • Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa: An enforcer for a loan shark by day and a semi-pro boxer by night. He is given the chance at the heavyweight title.
  • Talia Shire as Adrian Pennino : Rocky's love interest. Adrian is a quiet pet store clerk who falls in love with Rocky and supports him through his training.
  • Burt Young as Paulie Pennino, Adrianna's brother. A meat-packing plant worker by trade, Paulie permits Rocky to train in the freezer.
  • Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed: Rocky's opponent and heavyweight champion. The character was influenced by the outspoken, real-life boxing great Muhammad Ali.[4]
  • Burgess Meredith as Mickey Goldmill: Rocky's manager and trainer, a former bantamweight fighter from the 1920s and the owner of the local boxing gym.
  • Thayer David as George Jergens: the fight promoter who has "promoted fights all over the world".
  • Joe Spinnell as Tony Gazzo, loan shark and Rocky's employer

[edit]Cameo appearances

Boxer Joe Frazier has a cameo appearance in the film. The character of Apollo Creed was influenced by outspoken boxer Muhammad Ali who fought Frazier three times. During the Academy Awards ceremony, Ali and Stallone staged a brief comic confrontation to show Ali was not offended by the film. Some of the plot's most memorable moments—Rocky's carcass-punching scenes and Rocky running up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, as part of his training regime—are taken from the real-life exploits of Joe Frazier, for which he received no credit.[5]
Due to the film's low budget, members of Stallone's family played minor roles. His father rings the bell to signal the start and end of a round, his brother Frank plays a street corner singer, and his first wife, Sasha, was the set photographer.[citation needed] Other cameos include Los Angeles television sportscaster Stu Nahan playing himself, alongside radio and TV broadcaster Bill Baldwin and Lloyd Kaufman, founder of the independent film company Troma, appearing as a drunk. Longtime Detroit Channel 7 Action News anchor Diana Lewis has a small scene as a TV news reporter. Tony Burton appeared as Apollo Creed's trainer, Tony "Duke" Evers, a role he would reprise in the entire Rockyseries, though he is not given an official name until Rocky II.

[edit]Production

The United Artists studio liked Stallone's script, and viewed it as a possible vehicle for a well-established star such as Robert RedfordRyan O'NealBurt Reynolds, or James Caan. Stallone appealed to the producers to be given a chance to star in the film. He later said that he would never have forgiven himself if the film became a success with someone else in the lead. He also knew that producers Irwin Winkler andRobert Chartoff's contract with the studio enabled them to "greenlight" a project if the budget was kept low enough.
Certain elements of the story were altered during filming. The original script had a darker tone: Mickey was portrayed as racist and the script ended with Rocky throwing the fight after realizing he did not want to be part of the professional boxing world after all.[6]
Although Chartoff and Winkler were enthusiastic about the script and the idea of Stallone playing the lead character, they were hesitant about having an unknown headline the film. The producers also had trouble casting other major characters in the story, with Adrian and Apollo Creed cast unusually late by production standards (both were ultimately cast on the same day). Real-life boxer Ken Norton was initially sought for the role of Apollo Creed, but he pulled out and the role was ultimately given to Carl Weathers. Norton had had three fights withMuhammad Ali, upon whom Creed was loosely based. According to The Rocky ScrapbookCarrie Snodgress was originally chosen to play Adrian, but a money dispute forced the producers to look elsewhere. Susan Sarandon auditioned for the role but was deemed too pretty for the character. After Talia Shire's ensuing audition, Chartoff and Winkler, along with Avildsen, insisted that she play the part.[citation needed]
Garrett Brown's Steadicam was used to accomplish a smooth shot running alongside Rocky during his training run up the flight of stairs. It was also used for some of the shots in the fight scenes and can be openly seen at the ringside during some wide shots of the final fight. (Rocky is often erroneously cited as the first film to use the Steadicam, although the distinction actually goes to Bound for Glory.[7])
While filming Rocky, both Stallone and Weathers suffered injuries during the shooting of the final fight; Stallone suffered bruised ribs and Weathers suffered a damaged nose.[citation needed]
The poster seen above the ring before Rocky fights Apollo Creed shows Rocky wearing red shorts with a white stripe when he actually wears white shorts with a red stripe. When Rocky points this out he is told that "it doesn't really matter does it?". According to director Avildsen's DVD commentary, this was an actual mistake made by the props department that they could not afford to rectify, so Stallone wrote the brief scene to ensure the audience didn't see it as a goof. Avildsen said that the same situation arose with Rocky's robe. When it came back from the costume department, it was far too baggy for Stallone. And because the robe arrived on the day of filming the scene and there was no chance of replacing or altering it, instead of ignoring this and risk the audience laughing at it, Stallone wrote the dialogue where Rocky himself points out the robe is too big.
The first date between Rocky and Adrian, in which Rocky bribes a janitor to allow them to skate after closing hours in a deserted ice skating rink, was shot that way only because of budgetary pressures. This scene was originally scheduled to be shot in a skating rink during regular business hours. However, the producers ultimately decided that they couldn't afford to hire the hundreds of extras that would have been necessary for that scene.
Rocky has the 7th highest return of investment of any film ever made.[8] With a production budget of less than 1 million dollars,[1] it eventually earned worldwide box-office receipts exceeding $225 million.[2]

[edit]Stallone's inspiration

Stallone was inspired to create the film by Rocky Marciano and the famous fight between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner. Wepner had been TKO'd in the 15th round by Ali, but nobody ever expected him to last as long as he did. Wepner recalls in a January 2000 interview, "Sly (Stallone) called me about two weeks after the Ali fight and told me he was gonna make the movie."

[edit]Rocky Steps

The statue, situated just northeast of the steps.
The famous scene of Rocky running up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Arthas become a cultural icon. In 1982, a statue of Rocky, commissioned by Stallone for Rocky III, was placed at the top of the Rocky Steps. City Commerce DirectorDick Doran claimed that Stallone and Rocky had done more for the city's image than "anyone since Ben Franklin."[9]
Differing opinions of the statue and its placement led to a relocation to the sidewalk outside the Philadelphia Spectrum Arena, although the statue was temporarily returned to the top of the steps in 1990 for Rocky V, and again in 2006 for the 30th anniversary of the original Rocky movie (although this time it was placed at the bottom of the steps). Later that year, it was permanently moved to a spot next to the steps.[9]
The scene is frequently parodied in the media. In The Simpsons episode "I'm Spelling as Fast as I Can", Lisa Simpson runs up a flight of stairs wearing a tracksuit similar to the one worn by Rocky.[10] In the movie You Don't Mess with the Zohan, Zohan's nemesis, Phantom, goes through a parodied training sequence finishing with him running up a desert dune and raising his hands in victory. In the fourth season's finale of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, as the credits roll at the end of the episode, Will is seen running up the same steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art; however, as he celebrates after finishing his climb, he passes out in exhaustion, and while he lies unconscious on the ground, a pickpocket steals his wallet and his wool hat.
In 2006, E! named the "Rocky Steps" scene number 13 in its 101 Most Awesome Moments in Entertainment.[11]
During the 1996 Summer Olympics torch relay, Philadelphia native Dawn Staley was chosen to run up the museum steps. In 2004, Presidential candidate John Kerryended his pre-convention campaign at the foot of the steps before going to Boston to accept his party's nomination for President.[12]

[edit]Critical reception

[edit]Reviews

Rocky received many positive reviews when it was released in 1976. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave Rocky 4 out of 4 stars and said that Stallone reminded him of "the young Marlon Brando.[13] " Box Office Magazine claimed that audiences would be "...touting Sylvester 'Sly' Stallone as a new star".[14][15] The film received positive reviews from such critics as Pauline KaelRichard Eder, Katie Kelly, Lita Eliscu, Ben Nolan, and David Sterritt.
The film received quite a share of negative reviews, as well. Vincent Canby of the New York Times called it "pure '30s make believe" and slammed both Stallone's acting and Avildsen's directing, calling the latter "...none too decisive..."[16] Frank Rich liked the film, calling it "almost 100 per cent schmaltz," but favoring it over current movie cynicism, though he also referred to the plot as "gimmicky," the script "heavy-handed," and described Avildsen, to whom he attributed all of the film's weaknesses, as the director of "among the most tawdry movies of recent years" (Joe and Save the Tiger), who "has an instinct for making serious emotions look tawdry" and said that with Rocky, "He'll go for a cheap touch whenever he can" and "tries to falsify material that was suspect from the beginning." "Even by the standards offairy tales, it strains logic." Rich also noted the film's "stupid song with couplets like 'feeling strong now/won't be long now.'"[17]
Many positive reviews, including Richard Eder's (as well as Canby's negative review), compared the work to that of Frank CapraAndrew Sarris found the Capra comparisons disingenuous: "Capra's movies projected more despair deep down than a movie like Rocky could envisage, and most previous ring movies have been much more cynical about the fight scene," and, commenting on Rocky's work as a loan shark, says that the film "teeters on the edge of sentimentalizing gangsters." Sarris also found Meredith "oddly cast in the kind of part the late James Gleason used to pick his teeth." Sarris also took issue with Avildsen's direction, which he described as having been done with "an insidious smirk" with "condescension toward everything and everybody," specifically finding fault, for example, with Avildsen's multiple shots of a chintzy lamp in Rocky's apartment. Sarris also found Stallone's acting style "a bit mystifiying" and his character "all rough" as opposed to "a diamond in the rough" like Terry Malloy.[18]
More than 30 years later, the film enjoys a reputation as a classic and still receives positive reviews; Rocky holds a 93% "Certified Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[19] Another positive online review came from the BBC Films website, with both reviewer Almar Haflidason and BBC online users giving it 5/5 stars.[20] In Steven J. Schneider's 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, Schneider says the film is "often overlooked as schmaltz."[21]
In 2006, Rocky was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[22][23]
In June 2008, AFI revealed its "Ten top Ten"—the best ten films in ten "classic" American film genres—after polling over 1,500 people from the creative community. Rocky was acknowledged as the second-best film in the sports genre.[24][25]
In 2008, Rocky was chosen by Empire magazine as one of The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time.[26]

[edit]Academy Awards – 1976

Rocky received ten Academy Awards nominations in nine categories, winning three:[27]
AwardResultNominee
Best PictureWonRobert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler
Best DirectorWonJohn G. Avildsen
Best ActorNominatedSylvester Stallone
Best ActressNominatedTalia Shire
Best Writing, Story and Screenplay
Based on Material not Previously Published or Produced
NominatedSylvester Stallone
Best Supporting ActorNominatedBurgess Meredith
Best Supporting ActorNominatedBurt Young
Best Film EditingWonRichard Halsey and Scott Conrad
Best Music (Original Song) for Gonna Fly NowNominatedBill Conti
Carol Connors
Ayn Robbins
Best Sound MixingNominatedHarry Warren Tetrick (posthumous)
William McCaughey
Lyle Burbridge
Bud Alper
Rocky has also appeared on several of the American Film Institute's 100 Years lists.
The Directors Guild of America awarded Rocky its annual award for best film of the year in 1976, and in 2006, Sylvester Stallone's original screenplay for Rocky was selected for the Writers Guild of America Award as the 78th best screenplay of all time.[33]

[edit]Soundtrack

Rocky
Soundtrack by Bill Conti
Released1976
LabelUnited Artists Records
Capitol Records (reissue)
All music by Bill Conti.
  1. "Gonna Fly Now (Theme from "Rocky")" (vocals: Deetta Little/Nelson Pigford) 2:48
  2. "Philadelphia Morning" 2:22
  3. "Going the Distance" 2:39
  4. "Reflections" 3:19
  5. "Marines' Hymn/Yankee Doodle" 1:44
  6. "Take You Back (Street Corner Song from "Rocky")" (vocals: Valentine) 1:49
  7. "First Date" 1:53
  8. "You Take My Heart Away" (vocals: Deetta Little/Nelson Pigford) 4:46
  9. "Fanfare for Rocky" 2:35
  10. "Butkus" 2:12
  11. "Alone in the Ring" 1:10
  12. "The Final Bell" 1:56
  13. "Rocky's Reward" 2:02
Rocky'soundtrack was composed by Bill Conti. The main theme song, "Gonna Fly Now", made it to number one on the Billboard Magazines Hot 100 list for one week (from July 2 to July 8, 1977) and the American Film Institute placed it 58th on its AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs.[34][35] The complete soundtrack was re-released in 1988 by EMI on CD and cassette.[36]Conti was also the composer for RockysIIIIIV, and Rocky Balboa.[37]
The version of "Gonna Fly Now" used in the film is different from the versions released on later CDs and records. The vocals and guitars are much more emphasized than the versions released. The "movie version" has yet to be released.[citation needed]
Although the Bill Conti version of "Gonna Fly Now" is the most recognizable arrangement, a cover of the song performed by legendary trumpeter Maynard Ferguson on his Conquistador album prior to the release of the motion picture soundtrack actually outsold the soundtrack itself.[38]

[edit]Home video release history

  • 1982 – CED Videodisc and VHS; VHS release is rental only; 20th Century Fox Video release
  • October 27, 1990 (VHS and laserdisc)
  • April 16, 1996 (VHS and laserdisc)
  • March 24, 1997 (DVD)
  • April 24, 2001 (DVD, also packed with the Five-Disc Boxed Set)
  • December 14, 2004 (DVD, also packed with the Rocky Anthology box set)
  • February 8, 2005 (DVD, also packed with the Rocky Anthology box set)
  • December 5, 2006 (DVD and Blu-ray Disc – 2-Disc Collector's Edition, the DVD was the first version released by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment and was also packed with the Rocky Anthology box set and the Blu-ray Disc was the first version released by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
  • December 4, 2007 (DVD box set – Rocky The Complete Saga. This new set contains the new Rocky Balboa, but does not include the recent 2 disc Rocky. There are still no special features for Rocky II through Rocky V, although Rocky Balboa's DVD special features are all intact.)
  • November 3, 2009 (Blu-ray box set - Rocky The Undisputed Collection. This release included six films in a box set. Previously, only the first film and Rocky Balboa were available on the format. Those two discs are identical to their individual releases, and the set also contains a disc of bonus material, new and old alike.[39])
To date Rocky has generated five sequels. The first, Rocky II (1979) sees Rocky reluctantly called back for a rematch with Apollo Creed.Rocky II reunited the entire cast of the original Rocky, and was just as successful, grossing $200 million worldwide.[40] A new character appears in 1982's Rocky IIIClubber Lang (played by Mr. T), an outspoken young fighter insisting on a fight with Rocky. Rocky loses thisbout, with Mickey suffering a fatal heart attack after the fight (he dies thinking Rocky won, Rocky doesn't have the heart to tell him otherwise). Rocky accepts an offer from his rival-turned-friend Apollo Creed for help in regaining the title. Rocky IV (1985) introduces Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), a strong Soviet fighter who is convinced he can defeat any American fighter. A retired Apollo takes up the challenge and is killed in the ring by Drago. After Apollo's death, Rocky decides to fight against Drago, despite his wife Adrian urging him not to, and travels to the Soviet Union to train for the fight. Rocky defeats Drago but has to give up his official heavyweight title as the boxing commission did not sanction the fight. Released in 1990, Rocky V was a departure from the rest of the series, as Rocky no longer fights professionally, due to brain injuries, but instead trains younger fighters, including Tommy Gunn (played by real life boxer Tommy Morrison). It becomes apparent that Gunn is merely using Rocky's fame for his own ends, and the film ends with Rocky defeating Gunn in a fight in the street. The movie also is the first to introduce Rocky's son, Robert, as a major character. The final addition to the Rocky series,[41] Rocky Balboa , released in 2006, has the 60 year old Rocky fighting against a real-life boxer again, in this case former light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver playingMason "The Line" DixonRocky Balboa was the most critically well received Rocky film of the entire series since the original, 30 years earlier.

[edit]Video games




Several video games have been made based on the film. The first Rocky video game was released by Coleco for ColecoVision in August 1983 titled Rocky Super Action Boxing; the principal designer was Coleco staffer B. Dennis Sustare. Another was released in 1987 for the Sega Master System. More recently, a Rocky video game was released in 2002 for the Nintendo GameCubeGame Boy AdvancePlayStation 2, and Xbox, and a sequelRocky Legends, was released in 2004 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. In 2007, a video game called Rocky Balboawas released for PSP. In 1985, Dinamic Software released a boxing game for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum (also advertised for and/or published on the Sega Master System, Amstrad CPC and MSX) called Rocky. Due to copyright reasons it was quickly renamed "Rocco"

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Twitter Delicious Facebook Digg Stumbleupon Favorites More

 
Design by Free WordPress Themes | Bloggerized by Lasantha - Premium Blogger Themes | ewa network review