138 replies to this topic

[Loomis]

And filming is underway! Okay, this'll be my last ROCKY BALBOA-related post, barring any really amazing news.

But go to http://news.bbc.co.u...ent/4496972.stm for what appears to be one of the first on-set images of Sly back in character as Rocky. Who'd have thought, eh? A real NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN moment for Stallone fans!

Oh, and more pics at http://www.womenboxi...305stallone.htm - I guess this confirms Tarver as the Rockmeister's latest opponent. Love the "WILL VS SKILL" tagline.

OOps I didn't read this...I found out about Tarver while watching the Taylor-Hopkins fight. I think it's a great choice. Tarver has that Apollo Creed/Ali thing going on....very charismatic. And your last Rocky post?? Comon!

*In best Lazenby voice* It isn't New Year yet.

I don't know anything about Tarver, but I don't think he looks like a heavyweight. And he certainly doesn't look like much of a match for Balboa. Oh, well. I'm just pleased that the thing is being made at all.

[Tarl_Cabot]

He's 6'2...he looks like a heavyweight but not a Lennox Lewis type super heavyweight. He has a quick mouth and wit that will work well. I think he's a great choice because he's a likable guy too.

[Loomis]

At the very least, ROCKY BALBOA is surely going to be better than ROCKY V. I tried to watch V again the other day, and even I couldn't take it. It really is abysmal. I used to think it was a good, fun popcorn movie that got an unfairly rough ride from critics, but boy was I wrong - it's appalling. I expect it swept the board at the Razzies in 1991, but I wonder who scooped Worst Supporting Actor? Richard Gant? Tommy Morrison? Sage Stallone? Burt Young? How the heck did the voters choose between them? Man, the performances....

[Tarl_Cabot]

Tarver is smallish as a heavyweight so it lends plausibility that Rock can get em outta there with one left hook.

Rocky V was like Santa Claus leaving a lump of coal in your stocking and peeing in your cheerios.

Rocky B has to be better. Just has to!

[Loomis]

ROCKY V, I'm afraid, is just pisspoor and - more than that - irritating on every level. Like, say, THE PHANTOM MENACE, it isn't content with being bad, it has to be actively annoying too.

[Tarl_Cabot]

Yeah it's a violation of fandom on every level. And Rocky fired his son!!?? What happened? Rocky jr is turning into a Grizzwald!

[Harmsway]

ROCKY V, I'm afraid, is just pisspoor and - more than that - irritating on every level. Like, say, THE PHANTOM MENACE, it isn't content with being bad, it has to be actively annoying too.

Yup. It's pretty bad, and a disgrace to the earlier decent films in the series. That said, after seeing those pictures, I'm kind of warming up to ROCKY BALBOA. Might be fun. RAMBO IV, on the other hand, I remain extremely skeptical about.

[Loomis]

ROCKY V, I'm afraid, is just pisspoor and - more than that - irritating on every level. Like, say, THE PHANTOM MENACE, it isn't content with being bad, it has to be actively annoying too.

Yup. It's pretty bad, and a disgrace to the earlier decent films in the series. That said, after seeing those pictures, I'm kind of warming up to ROCKY BALBOA. Might be fun. RAMBO IV, on the other hand, I remain extremely skeptical about.

Thing is, I don't think there's much public affection for the character of Rambo, in the way that there is for Rocky (or Bond). Certainly, Rambo's an iconic character (albeit rather an embarrassing and dated one), but he isn't very interesting or easy to like. He's charmless, and has no real aspirational qualities, whereas, with Rocky, there's humour (fatally absent from Rambo), as well as life-affirming messages about chasing your goals, triumphing over adversity and being a decent bloke.

I don't think ROCKY BALBOA will be a megahit under any circumstances, but with a bit of luck it'll ride a wave of '80s nostalgia and there'll be a lot of goodwill towards it from late 20-/early 30-somethings, who'll chuckle and say "Hey, Rocko's back, this could be pretty cool"; whereas the same people, confronted with RAMBO IV, may well go "Ugh! This is what we considered fun back in those days, how naff and repulsive - I'd rather listen to the new Coldplay album on my iPod while marching to end global poverty".

Still, by all means bring on RAMBO IV, if only to atone for the utterly wretched third film.

[Tarl_Cabot]

Bring back Marion Cobretti too!

Yes, Rocky is a triumphant character while Rambo is a tragic hero;he's victim of post Vietnam social dysfunctionalism(first film). I kinda wish Rambo never became Bond with a shirt off...

The second film was entertaining as hell but it's really a fantasy while Firstblood is a serious drama.

[Tarl_Cabot]

"Still, by all means bring on RAMBO IV, if only to atone for the utterly wretched third fiLM"

Hey, we'd never had the masterpiece 'Hot Shots part Duex' if not for Rambo III.

[Loomis]

Bring back Marion Cobretti too!

I've always wondered why DAYLIGHT wasn't CLIFFHANGER 2.

[Gabe Vieira]

Tarver is smallish as a heavyweight so it lends plausibility that Rock can get em outta there with one left hook.

Rocky V was like Santa Claus leaving a lump of coal in your stocking and peeing in your cheerios.

The final fight between Dixon and Balboa has to be ridiculous for me to be entertained. But after that fight with Drago, I'm not sure if anything can top that.

And that's why my Cheerios tasted funny.

[Loomis]

On the assumption that there's at least one CBner other than myself who's interested in this film (there's gotta be one, right? Right? ), there's actually some rehearsal footage up of Stallone and Antonio Tarver duking it out, as well as some words from the Slyster:

http://www.rockybalboablog.com/

If only Sony would give us this kind of thing for CASINO ROYALE. Upload Craig's screentest, at least.

[Tarl_Cabot]

arrgggg I can't find anything...where is it?


I am fired up for Rocky B Loomis....someone has to be!

[Loomis]

Click on the link. Then, just under the blurb that reads:

Welcome to RockyBalboaBlog.com. Over the next year, Sylvester Stallone and the production team will talk about the making of the upcoming film Rocky Balboa.
Watch as Sylvester Stallone talks about bringing Rocky back into the ring.

you should see an oblong window with the words "Play this video:". Click on the arrow to the right, and it'll give you a choice of formats (Quicktime, etc.). Click on one of those, and you should be away, assuming you've got the correct software downloaded in order to play it.

I found this via Sony's CASINO ROYALE site. Seems they're pretty good for sites for their upcoming movies. Hopefully, this bodes well for CR from a marketing point of view (promotion for the other Bonds of recent years has seemed rather behind the times on occasion).

[Turn]

On the assumption that there's at least one CBner other than myself who's interested in this film (there's gotta be one, right? Right? ), there's actually some rehearsal footage up of Stallone and Antonio Tarver duking it out, as well as some words from the Slyster:

http://www.rockybalboablog.com/

If only Sony would give us this kind of thing for CASINO ROYALE. Upload Craig's screentest, at least.

Yeah, I'll admit it. I'm interested. I grew up with Rocky movies and had posters on my wall and the soundtracks. I was as interested in that series almost as much as Bond. I have a picture from a trade magazine with pictures of Stallone and Roger Moore about UA licensing.

The blog itself wasn't that interesting, but that shot of Stallone in that hat and in the workout clothes and cap were worth it.

[Loomis]

On the assumption that there's at least one CBner other than myself who's interested in this film (there's gotta be one, right? Right? ), there's actually some rehearsal footage up of Stallone and Antonio Tarver duking it out, as well as some words from the Slyster:

http://www.rockybalboablog.com/

If only Sony would give us this kind of thing for CASINO ROYALE. Upload Craig's screentest, at least.

Yeah, I'll admit it. I'm interested. I grew up with Rocky movies and had posters on my wall and the soundtracks. I was as interested in that series almost as much as Bond. I have a picture from a trade magazine with pictures of Stallone and Roger Moore about UA licensing.

Along with Bond, Rocky was definitely the film franchise of my childhood, so it has huge nostalgic/sentimental appeal for me. I remember being about nine and discussing with schoolfriends whether there'd be a ROCKY IV, but most seemed to agree that Stallone had run the series into the ground and that no way would there be a fourth one! And what with the UA/MGM (and, indeed, now Sony) connection, it seems that, like the Pink Panther films, the Rockys are kind of like a sister series to Bond. It's good to know that both 007 and the Italian Stallion are about to come back (although I have zero interest in the new Panther).

Now, I'd be lying if I said I had high artistic expectations of ROCKY BALBOA, but I hope and expect it'll be pretty good. It won't be ROCKY, but I don't think it'll be ROCKY V either. Stallone's a smart guy, and I reckon he knows what he's doing. Well, he'd better, otherwise ROCKY BALBOA looks set to be one of those films that people hold parties for in order to hoot at communally. Not another SHOWGIRLS, please! *Fingers crossed*

[TheREAL008]

The Rocky series should have ended with Rocky IV.

Oh well, here's to milking a dead horse

[Gabe Vieira]

Darkhorizons.com has found an interesting piece of info about Rocky Balboa. It turns out that three different endings were filmed. One where Rocky wins the big fight, one where he looses, and one where it ends in a tie. I like the idea of Balboa and Dixon ending up in a tie.

[cvheady007]

Add me to the list of those stoked about another Rocky movie; I have watched the news on this movie for years and years, from its stay in development hell until now.

I also feel that the fight will end in a tie - I'm also looking forward to the Mike Tyson and Mr. T cameos.

With this and Casino Royale coming out, Sony's got two winners.

[Scottlee]

The most surprising cameo, however, was by a character who appeared way back in the first Rocky. Mickey? No. Apollo Creed? Nope, he's dead, too. I'm not saying who it is as I liked the reveal but their inclusion added a nice level of poignancy and nostalgia. As Roth said in his statement, this sequel does indeed bring Rocky's saga full circle.

Ooh, who's this then ... Tony Gazzo? That pet shop woman? It's not Butkus, is it?

Sounds like a good 'un, though. Cheers for the report, Stax.

Is Tony the black guy who used to train Apollo? I hope so because he was a good character.

Loomis, who was that Marie character you mention? I watched the original Rocky film quite recently and her name doesn't ring a bell at all.

Anyway, interesting article. I'm definitely going to catch Rocky 6 at the cinema.

[Loomis]

Is Tony the black guy who used to train Apollo? I hope so because he was a good character.

No, the guy you're thinking of is Duke, played by Tony Burton, although I believe he's going to be in ROCKY BALBOA, making him one of the few people to appear in all of the Rocky films.

Tony is Gazzo, the (curiously kindhearted) mobster for whom the pre-fame Rocky works as a debt collector. He appears in ROCKY and ROCKY II. Unlikely that the character will resurface in BALBOA, since the actor who played him, Joe Spinell, died in 1989.

Loomis, who was that Marie character you mention? I watched the original Rocky film quite recently and her name doesn't ring a bell at all.

She's the stroppy teen Rocky tries to give friendly advice to, telling him to take his advice elsewhere with the immortal "**** you, creepo!" line.

[Agent 76]

"hey, Mick!"

[Loomis]

So, what do you reckon? A stunning comeback blockbuster for Sly (the GOLDENEYE of the Rocky franchise), or the biggest, most embarrassing turkey since, well, ROCKY V?

[Harmsway]

So, what do you reckon? A stunning comeback blockbuster for Sly (the GOLDENEYE of the Rocky franchise), or the biggest, most embarrassing turkey since, well, ROCKY V?

Hopefully the former (and my hopes are rising with the more I see of this project), but there's still a good chance it will be the latter.

[Tarl_Cabot]

Just glad he dumped the USA flag trunks.

[Blofeld's Cat]

"The Contender" isn't it!?

[Loomis]

So, what do you reckon? A stunning comeback blockbuster for Sly (the GOLDENEYE of the Rocky franchise), or the biggest, most embarrassing turkey since, well, ROCKY V?

Hopefully the former (and my hopes are rising with the more I see of this project), but there's still a good chance it will be the latter.

NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! The hat is back!

http://www.nbc10.com...ss=phi&psp=news

It looked naff and silly when he wore it again in ROCKY V, and it looks every bit as naff and silly 16 years later. I really hope Stallone knows what he's doing.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: ROCKY BALBOA looks uncomfortably like a remake of ROCKY V. But hopefully it'll be done right this time.

I think a lot of hype and a long drawn-out marketing campaign by Sony (which has already started, despite the fact that the film will not be out until early next year), along with hopefully a bit of quality, will ensure that BALBOA does respectable business. It won't tank, but then again I can't see it being a megahit under any circumstances - I'd say the same if Eastwood were doing another Dirty Harry. Unlike, say, DIE HARD 4 or LETHAL WEAPON 5 (were they to be made), the corpse has simply been cold for far too long. Quite how a new Rocky flick is supposed to excite anyone under 30 is anyone's guess.

At best, BALBOA'll be a fair hit and a pretty decent film, but I expect that that's "all" Stallone is aiming for. I mean, I don't reckon he thinks he'll knock TITANIC off the top spot of all-time moneymakers, or anything like that.

[Agent 76]

"eye of the tiger man, eye of the tiger!"

[Scottlee]

Just to comment on a couple of things I've read in this thread...

Rocky 5
The worst of the bunch, but I don't mind it. It was at least sensible enough to keep Rocky out of the ring for a change (how would they top the Drago fight soon?), and that George Washington Duke character just cracked me up in every scene he was in. "ONLY IN AMERICA DO YOU GET THESE KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES!" The only thing that dragged was the whole sub-plot involving Rocky's son. If they were going to focus on him so much I would have rather seen him entering a local kid's boxing tournament or something, just we did get some ring action.

Humour in Rambo
It's there if you look for it....

"To survive a war, you've gotta become war"
"Well, surrounding them's out!"
+ all of that retired colonel's over-the-top speeches talking Rambo up as a demi-god are worth a chuckle.