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New York, New York (film)
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New York, New York
New York New York poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster

Directed by
Martin Scorsese
Produced by
Robert Chartoff
Irwin Winkler
Screenplay by
Earl Mac Rauch
Mardik Martin
Story by
Earl MacRauch
Starring
Liza Minnelli
Robert De Niro
Music by
John Kander
Fred Ebb
Cinematography
László Kovács
Editing by
Bert Lovitt
David Ramirez
Tom Rolf
Studio
Chartoff-Winkler Productions
Distributed by
United Artists
Release dates
June 21, 1977

Running time
155 minutes
 136 minutes (Edited re-release)
 163 minutes (Re-release)
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
$14 million
Box office
$13,800,000
New York, New York is a 1977 American musical-drama film directed by Martin Scorsese. It is a musical tribute, featuring new songs by John Kander and Fred Ebb as well as standards, to Scorsese's home town of New York City, and stars Robert De Niro and Liza Minnelli as a pair of musicians and lovers. The film marked the final screen appearance of actor Jack Haley.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Music
4 Style and responses
5 Re-releases
6 References
7 External links

Plot[edit]
The story opens on V-J Day in 1945. A massive celebration in a New York City nightclub is underway, music provided by the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. While there Jimmy Doyle (Robert De Niro), a selfish and smooth-talking saxophone player, meets Francine Evans (Liza Minnelli), a small-time singer. Francine is lonely but still, she wants nothing to do with Jimmy, who keeps pestering her for her phone number.
The next morning, they end up sharing a cab, and, against her will, Francine accompanies Jimmy to an audition. There he gets into an argument with the club owner. Francine, to get the audition back on track, begins to sing the old standard, "You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me"; Jimmy joins in on his sax. The club owner is impressed and, to Francine's astonishment, they are both offered a job—a boy-girl act. From that moment on, Jimmy and Francine's relationship deepens into love. But there are problems—mainly, Jimmy's tendency to fight with everyone, and his increasingly violent arguments with Francine, who becomes pregnant with his child. An especially bad shouting match between them results in Francine going into labor. Jimmy rushes her to the hospital, but he is not ready to be a father, or a good husband, and he abandons his wife.
Several years later, in a recording studio, Francine records "But the World Goes Round", a powerful anthem which makes the charts and turns her into a popular entertainment figure. In the following years, Jimmy and Francine both find success in the music industry. Doyle becomes a renowned jazz musician and club owner, while Francine becomes a successful singer and motion picture actress.
Jimmy records a song of his on his saxophone which tops the charts, and Francine cements her stardom after singing Jimmy's song, "New York, New York". Her performance, received by a wildly appreciative audience, takes place in the same nightclub where, years earlier, she and Jimmy had met. After the show, Jimmy telephones his ex-wife, suggesting they get together for dinner. Francine is tempted, heads toward the stage door exit, but at the last moment changes her mind. Jimmy, waiting on the sidewalk, realizes he has been stood up and heads off down the street, accompanied by the song he has written—the "Theme from New York, New York".
An alternate ending sees the pair reunite and walk off to dinner, sharing conversation about their son.
Cast[edit]
Liza Minnelli as Francine Evans
Robert De Niro as Jimmy Doyle
Lionel Stander as Tony Harwell
Barry Primus as Paul Wilson
Mary Kay Place as Bernice Bennett
Frank Sivero as Eddie DiMuzio
Georgie Auld as Frankie Harte
George Memmoli as Nicky
Harry Northup as Alabama
Dick Miller as Palm Club Owner
Clarence Clemons as Cecil Powell
Casey Kasem as DJ aka Midnight Bird
Adam Winkler as Jimmy Doyle Jr.
Jack Haley as Master of Ceremonies / Cameo Appearance (uncredited)
Music[edit]
1."Main Title" (Theme / You Are My Lucky Star / Just You, Just Me / The Man I Love - Medley) - Ralph Burns (1:53)
2."You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me" - Liza Minnelli (1:47)
3."Flip the Dip" - orchestra (2:13)
4."V.J. Stomp" - orchestra (1:08)
5."Opus Number One" - orchestra (8:49)
6."Once in a While" - Liza Minnelli (2:17)
7."You Are My Lucky Star" - Liza Minnelli (1:18)
8."Game Over" - orchestra (2:25)
9."It's a Wonderful World" - orchestra (2:08)
10."The Man I Love" - Liza Minnelli (3:20)
11."Hazoy" - orchestra (2:38)
12."Just You, Just Me" - Liza Minnelli (2:29)
13."There Goes the Ball Game" - Liza Minnelli (1:27)
14."Blue Moon" - Robert De Niro / Mary Kay Place (3:28)
15."Don't Be That Way" - orchestra (0:44)
16."Happy Endings" - Liza Minnelli / Larry Kert (11:39)
17."But the World Goes 'Round" - Liza Minnelli (3:58)
18."Theme from New York, New York" - orchestra (2:49)
19."Honeysuckle Rose" - Diahnne Abbott (2:16)
20."Once Again Right Away" - orchestra (2:04)
21."Bobby's Dream" - orchestra (3:58)
22."Theme from New York, New York" - Liza Minnelli (3:16)
23."Theme from New York, New York (Reprise)" - orchestra (1:13)
Style and responses[edit]
Made after Scorsese's successful Taxi Driver, the film was a box-office failure. Its budget was $14 million, a large figure at the time, but it grossed only $13.8 million at the box-office and the disappointing reception drove Scorsese into depression and drugs.[1] However, it is reported in Peter Biskind's book Easy Riders, Raging Bulls that Scorsese's addiction to cocaine and complete lack of control over the improvisation of dialogues in the set were major factors that contributed to the failure of the film. United Artists ultimately recouped its loss on the film as a result of an agreement wherein they would share the profits with Rocky, which the executives had expected to be a flop.[2]
In his introduction to the DVD edition of the film, released in 2005, Scorsese explains that he intended the film as a break from the gritty realism for which he had become famous, and sees it as an homage to the musical films of Classical Hollywood.
For this reason, he designed the film's sets and storyline to be deliberately artificial-looking. He acknowledges that it is an experiment that did not please everyone.
The film currently holds a 67% 'Fresh' rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[3]
Re-releases[edit]
When the film was originally released, it had a running time of 155 minutes. The box-office failure of the film prompted United Artists to cut the film down to 136 minutes. It was then re-released in 1981 with the deleted scenes restored, including the lengthy musical number "Happy Endings", only a small portion of which had appeared in the original release. The total running time of the DVD edition is 163 minutes.
The theme song of the film, "Theme from New York, New York", found its own success when Frank Sinatra recorded a cover version of it in 1980. The song became a hit, and both Sinatra's and Minnelli's versions have become closely associated with Manhattan in New York City. Minnelli continues to perform the number at nearly all of her concerts.
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Behind the screen: Minnelli on New York New York
2.Jump up ^ Nashawaty, Chris (2002-02-19). "EW: The Right Hook: How Rocky Nabbed Best Picture". Entertainment Weekly.
3.Jump up ^ New York, New York at Rotten Tomatoes
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: New York, New York (film)

Portal icon New York City portal
New York, New York at the Internet Movie Database
New York, New York at the TCM Movie Database
New York, New York at allmovie
New York, New York at Box Office Mojo
New York, New York at Rotten Tomatoes


[hide]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
Martin Scorsese filmography


Feature films
 directed
Who's That Knocking at My Door (1967) ·
 Boxcar Bertha (1972) ·
 Mean Streets (1973) ·
 Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974) ·
 Taxi Driver (1976) ·
 New York, New York (1977) ·
 Raging Bull (1980) ·
 The King of Comedy (1983) ·
 After Hours (1985) ·
 The Color of Money (1986) ·
 The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) ·
 Life Lessons (segment of New York Stories, 1989) ·
 Goodfellas (1990) ·
 Cape Fear (1991) ·
 The Age of Innocence (1993) ·
 Casino (1995) ·
 Kundun (1997) ·
 Bringing Out the Dead (1999) ·
 Gangs of New York (2002) ·
 The Aviator (2004) ·
 The Departed (2006) ·
 Shutter Island (2010) ·
 Hugo (2011) ·
 The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
 

Short films
 directed
What's a Nice Girl Like You Doing in a Place Like This? (1963) ·
 It's Not Just You, Murray! (1964) ·
 The Big Shave (1967) ·
 "Bad" (1987) ·
 Made in Milan (1990) ·
 The Key to Reserva (2007)
 

Documentaries
 directed
Street Scenes (1970) ·
 Italianamerican (1974) ·
 American Boy: A Profile of Steven Prince (1978) ·
 The Last Waltz (1978) ·
 A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies (1995) ·
 My Voyage to Italy (1999) ·
 The Blues: Feel Like Going Home (2003) ·
 No Direction Home (2005) ·
 Shine a Light (2008) ·
 A Letter to Elia (2010) ·
 Public Speaking (2010) ·
 George Harrison: Living in the Material World (2011)
 

Works produced
The Grifters (1990) ·
 Mad Dog and Glory (1993) ·
 Clockers (1995) ·
 The Hi-Lo Country (1998) ·
 You Can Count on Me (2000) ·
 Brides (2004) ·
 The Young Victoria (2009) ·
 Boardwalk Empire (2010–present) ·
 The Family (2013)
 

 


Categories: 1977 films
English-language films
1970s romantic drama films
1970s musical films
American films
American musical drama films
American romantic drama films
American romantic musical films
Films directed by Martin Scorsese
Films about music and musicians
Films set in New York City
Films set in the 1940s
Films set in the 1950s
Films shot in Los Angeles, California
Films shot in New York City
Metafictional works
Films about race and ethnicity
World War II films
United Artists films
Liza Minnelli soundtracks




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Shutter Island (film)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search


Shutter Island
Shutterislandposter.jpg
Theatrical release poster

Directed by
Martin Scorsese
Produced by
Martin Scorsese
 Bradley J. Fischer
Mike Medavoy
 Arnold W. Messer
Screenplay by
Laeta Kalogridis
Steven Knight (Uncredited)
Based on
Shutter Island
 by Dennis Lehane
Starring
Leonardo DiCaprio
Mark Ruffalo
Ben Kingsley
Michelle Williams
Patricia Clarkson
Max von Sydow
Cinematography
Robert Richardson
Editing by
Mick Audsley
Thelma Schoonmaker
Studio
Appian Way Productions
Phoenix Pictures
 Sikelia Productions
Distributed by
Paramount Pictures
Release dates
February 19, 2010

Running time
138 minutes
Country
United States
Language
English
 German
Budget
$80 million[1]
Box office
$294,804,195[2]
Shutter Island is a 2010 American psychological thriller film directed by Martin Scorsese. The film is based on Dennis Lehane's 2003 novel of the same name. Production started in March 2008. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as U.S. Marshal Edward "Teddy" Daniels, who is investigating a psychiatric facility on the titular island. Positively cited by movie reviewers, the film grossed over $128 million in its initial domestic theater release,[2] as well as an additional $166 million internationally.
Shutter Island was originally slated to be released on October 2, 2009, but Paramount Pictures pushed the release date to February 19, 2010.[3]


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production
4 Music
5 Genre
6 Release 6.1 Critical reception
6.2 Box office
6.3 Home media
7 References
8 External links

Plot[edit]
In 1954, two U.S. Marshals, Edward "Teddy" Daniels and his new partner, Chuck Aule, travel to the Ashecliffe Hospital for the criminally insane on Shutter Island located in Boston Harbor, as part of an investigation into the disappearance of patient Rachel Solando, incarcerated for drowning her three children. Shortly after arrival, a storm prevents their return to the mainland for several days. Daniels finds the staff confrontational: the lead psychiatrist, Dr. John Cawley, refuses to hand over records of the hospital staff; Solando's doctor, Dr. Sheehan, had left on vacation after her disappearance, and they are barred from searching Ward C and told that the lighthouse on the island has already been searched, so there is no need to search it.
The unpleasant air and commodity of the Ashecliffe Hospital makes Daniels to start having migraine headaches, waking visions of his involvement in the Dachau liberation reprisals, and disturbing dreams of his wife, Dolores Chanal, who was killed in a fire set by a local arsonist named Andrew Laeddis. In one dream, Chanal tells Daniels that Solando is still on the island, as well as Laeddis, who also went missing months ago. Daniels later explains to Aule that locating Laeddis was an ulterior motive for taking the case.
As Daniels and Aule continue their investigation, they find that Solando has been found by the staff with no explanation. With neither the staff or patients helping, Daniels decides to break into Ward C, and eventually meets George Noyce, another patient, in a solitary confinement. Noyce warns Daniels that Ashecliffe is performing questionable experiments on its patients, and sends the incurable to the lighthouse to be lobotomized, hence why they were banned from searching the lighthouse. As Daniels leaves, Noyce asserts that everyone on the island, including Aule, is playing in a game designed for Daniels.
Meanwhile, Daniels regroups with Aule and they make their way to the lighthouse, but as they attempt to traverse the cliffs, they become separated. Daniels finds a woman hiding in a cave, claiming to be the real Rachel Solando (Clarkson). The woman asserts she was a former psychiatrist at Ashecliffe until she discovered the experiments with psychotropic medication in an attempt to develop mind control techniques. When she attempted to alert the authorities, she was committed as a patient to prevent her from escaping. Leaving the woman, Daniels finds no sign of Aule, and returns to the hospital. Dr. Cawley claims that Daniels arrived alone, with no evidence of Aule ever being there.
Determined but confused, Daniels returns to the lighthouse and breaks into it. At the top, he finds Dr. Cawley waiting for him. Cawley explains that Andrew Laeddis is actually Daniels himself, "[their] most dangerous patient", incarcerated in Ward C for murdering his manic depressive wife after she drowned their children, thus revealing that "Solando" is actually his deceased wife.
According to Dr. Cawley, the events of the past several days have been designed to break Laeddis' conspiracy-laden insanity by allowing him to play out the role of Daniels, an anagram of his name. The hospital staff, including Dr. Sheehan posing as Aule and a nurse posing as Rachel Solando, were part of the test, and the migraines that Laeddis suffered were withdrawal symptoms from his medication. As memories of reality and realization that Daniels was only his play, this overwhelm Laeddis, and he faints.
Laeddis awakes in the hospital, under watch of Dr. Cawley and Sheehan. When questioned, Laeddis tells the truth in a coherent manner, which satisfies the doctors as a sign of progression. Nevertheless, Dr. Cawley notes that they had achieved this state nine months before but Laeddis had quickly regressed, and further warns that this will be Laeddis' last chance to redeem himself.
Some time later, Laeddis relaxes on the hospital grounds with Dr. Sheehan, but calls him "Chuck" and says they need to get off the island. Sheehan nods to an observing Cawley, who gestures to the orderlies towards Laeddis. As he is about to be taken away, Laeddis asks Dr. Sheehan, "Which would be worse? To live as a monster, or die as a good man?", and then calmly leaves with the orderlies to be lobotomised.
Cast[edit]
Leonardo DiCaprio as Edward "Teddy" Daniels/Andrew Laeddis
Mark Ruffalo as Chuck Aule/Dr. Lester Sheehan
Ben Kingsley as Dr. John Cawley
Max von Sydow as Dr. Jeremiah Naehring
Michelle Williams as Dolores Chanal
Emily Mortimer as Rachel Solando
Patricia Clarkson as Dr. Rachel Solando
Jackie Earle Haley as George Noyce
Ted Levine as Warden
John Carroll Lynch as Deputy Warden McPherson
Elias Koteas as Andrew Laeddis (flashbacks)
Jill Larson as Old Manacled Woman
Ken Cheeseman as Doctor 1
Ruby Jerins as Rachel Laeddis
Robin Bartlett as Bridget Kearns
Christopher Denham as Peter Breene
Matthew Cowles as Ferry Boat Captain
Production[edit]
Film rights to Dennis Lehane's novel Shutter Island were first optioned to Columbia Pictures in 2003, but the rights lapsed back to the author. Lehane's representatives then sold the rights to the production company Phoenix Pictures, who hired screenwriter Laeta Kalogridis to write the screenplay. The project was in development for a year. By October 2007, the project had developed into a co-production between Columbia and Paramount Pictures. Director Martin Scorsese and actor Leonardo DiCaprio, who had worked together on Gangs of New York, The Aviator, and The Departed, were both attracted to the project. Locations in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Nova Scotia were scouted.[4] Production began on March 6, 2008.[5]
The World War II flashback scenes were filmed in Taunton, Massachusetts.[6] Old industrial buildings in Taunton's Whittenton Mills Complex were used to replicate the Dachau concentration camp.[7] Scenes were filmed at the old Medfield State Hospital in Medfield, Massachusetts. Scenes in Cawley's office were shot on the second floor of the chapel during the late evening; lights were shone through the windows to make it look like it was daytime. The surrounding brick walls in the outside hospital scenes were actually painted to look like plywood which served the dual purpose of acting as scenery and blocking the set from view of a local road. Originally, scenes were going to be shot at the old Worcester State Hospital, but the filming would have gone on during the demolition of the surrounding buildings, which was impractical. Borderland State Park in Easton, Massachusetts was used for the cabin scene. Peddocks Island was used as a setting for the story's island and East Point, in Nahant, Massachusetts for the lighthouse scenes.[8] Filming ended on July 2, 2008.[9]
Music[edit]



Shutter Island: Music from the Motion Picture

Soundtrack album by Various Artists

Released
February 2, 2010
Genre
Film soundtrack
Length
116:41
Label
Rhino Records
Producer
Robbie Robertson
John Powell
Shutter Island: Music from the Motion Picture was released on February 2, 2010, by Rhino Records. The film has no original score. Instead, Scorsese's longtime collaborator Robbie Robertson created an ensemble of previously recorded material to use in the film.
According to a statement on Paramount's website: "The collection of modern classical music [on the soundtrack album] was hand-selected by Robertson, who is proud of its scope and sound. 'This may be the most outrageous and beautiful soundtrack I've ever heard.' [Robertson stated]."[10]
A full track-listing of the album can be seen below. All the musical works are featured in the final film.
Disc 11."Fog Tropes" (Ingram Marshall) – (Orchestra of St. Lukes & John Adams)
2."Symphony No. 3: Passacaglia – Allegro Moderato" (Krzysztof Penderecki) – (National Polish Radio Symphony & Antoni Wit)
3."Music for Marcel Duchamp" (John Cage) – (Philipp Vandré)
4."Hommage à John Cage" – (Nam June Paik)
5."Lontano" (György Ligeti) – (Wiener Philharmoniker & Claudio Abbado)
6."Rothko Chapel 2" (Morton Feldman) – (UC Berkeley Chamber Chorus)
7."Cry" – (Johnnie Ray)
8."On the Nature of Daylight" – (Max Richter)
9."Uaxuctum: The Legend of the Mayan City Which They Themselves Destroyed for Religious Reasons – 3rd Movement" (Giacinto Scelsi) – (Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra)
10."Quartet for Strings and Piano in A Minor" (Gustav Mahler) – (Prazak Quartet)
Disc 21."Christian Zeal and Activity" (John Adams) – (The San Francisco Symphony & Edo de Waart)
2."Suite for Symphonic Strings: Nocturne" (Lou Harrison) – (The New Professionals Orchestra & Rebecca Miller)
3."Lizard Point" – (Brian Eno)
4."Four Hymns: II for Cello and Double Bass" (Alfred Schnittke) – (Torleif Thedéen & Entcho Radoukanov)
5."Root of an Unfocus" (John Cage) – (Boris Berman)
6."Prelude – The Bay" – (Ingram Marshall)
7."Wheel of Fortune" – (Kay Starr)
8."Tomorrow Night" – (Lonnie Johnson)
9."This Bitter Earth"/"On the Nature of Daylight" – (Dinah Washington & Max Richter; Arrangement by Robbie Robertson)
Genre[edit]
As a period piece, Shutter Island is laced with nods to different films in the film noir and horror genre, and could generally be viewed as paying homage to Alfred Hitchcock's works.[11] Scorsese stated in an interview that while the main reference to Teddy Daniels was Dana Andrews' character in Laura, he was also influenced by several very low-budget 1940s zombie movies made by Val Lewton.[12] The main frame of the plot bears strong resemblance to William Peter Blatty's The Ninth Configuration, a film also known as Twinkle, Twinkle, "Killer" Kane.[13][14]
La Croix noted that Shutter Island was a "complex and puzzling" work which borrowed from genres as diverse as detective and fantasy, and notably the psychological thriller.[15]
There have been differing opinions over the ending of the film in which Laeddis tells Dr. Sheehan that one can "live as a monster, or die as a good man"—a line that does not appear in the book. According to Scorsese's psychiatric adviser, Professor James Gilligan of New York University, Laeddis' last words mean: "I feel too guilty to go on living. I'm not going to actually commit suicide, but I'm going to vicariously commit suicide by handing myself over to these people who're going to lobotomise me."[16] Dennis Lehane, however, was quoted as saying, "Personally, I think he has a momentary flash.... It's just one moment of sanity mixed in the midst of all the other delusions."[16]
Release[edit]
The film was scheduled to be released by Paramount Pictures in the United States and Canada on October 2, 2009.[17] Paramount later announced it was going to push back the release date to February 19, 2010.[18] Reports attribute the pushback to Paramount not having "the financing in 2009 to spend the $50 to $60 million necessary to market a big awards pic like this," to DiCaprio's unavailability to promote the film internationally, and to Paramount's hope that the economy might rebound enough by February 2010 that a film geared toward adult audiences would be more viable financially.[19]
The film premiered at the 60th Berlin International Film Festival as part of the competition screening on February 13, 2010.[20][21] Spanish distributor Manga Films distributed the film in Spain after winning a bidding war that reportedly reached the $6 million to $8 million range.[22]
Critical reception[edit]
The film received positive reviews. Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 68% based on reviews from 241 critics, and reports a rating average of 6.6 out of 10.[23] The film received a weighted average score of 63/100 from Metacritic based on 37 reviews from mainstream critics.[24]
Lawrence Toppman of The Charlotte Observer gave the film 4/4 stars claiming "After four decades, Martin Scorsese has earned the right to deliver a simple treatment of a simple theme with flair."[25] Writing for The Wall Street Journal, John Anderson highly praised the film, suggesting it "requires multiple viewings to be fully realized as a work of art. Its process is more important than its story, its structure more important than the almost perfunctory plot twists it perpetrates. It's a thriller, a crime story and a tortured psychological parable about collective guilt."[26] Awarding the film 3½ stars out of 4, Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote "the movie is about: atmosphere, ominous portents, the erosion of Teddy's confidence and even his identity. It's all done with flawless directorial command. Scorsese has fear to evoke, and he does it with many notes."[27]
The Orlando Sentinel's Roger Moore, who gave the film 2½ stars out of 4, wrote, "It's not bad, but as Scorsese, America's greatest living filmmaker and film history buff should know, even Hitchcock came up short on occasion. See for yourself."[28] Dana Stevens of Slate described the film "an aesthetically and at times intellectually exciting puzzle, but it's never emotionally involving."[29] The Washington Post film critic Ann Hornaday negatively described the film as being "weird".[30] A. O. Scott of The New York Times wrote in his review that "Something TERRIBLE is afoot. Sadly, that something turns out to be the movie itself."[31]
Box office[edit]
The film opened #1 at the box office with $41 million, according to studio estimates. The movie gave Scorsese his best box office opening yet.[32] The film remained #1 in its second weekend with $22.2 million.[33] Eventually, the film has grossed $128,012,934 in North America and $166,790,080 in foreign markets, for a total of $294,803,014[2] and became Scorsese's highest-grossing film worldwide.[34]
Home media[edit]
Shutter Island was released on DVD and Blu-ray on June 8, 2010, in the USA,[35] and on August 2, 2010 in the UK.[36] The UK release featured two editions—a standard edition and a limited steel-case edition.
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "Films | Shutter Island". DarkHorizons.com. Retrieved 2010-02-18.
2.^ Jump up to: a b c "Shutter Island (2010)". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved 2010-12-26.
3.Jump up ^ Finke, Nikki (2009-08-21). "SHOCKER! Paramount Moves Scorsese’s ‘Shutter Island’ To February 19, 2010". DeadlineHollywoodDaily.com. Retrieved 2010-02-18.
4.Jump up ^ Fleming, Michael (October 22, 2007). "Scorsese, DiCaprio team for 'Island'". Variety. Retrieved 2008-01-08.
5.Jump up ^ Mayberry, Carly (February 26, 2008). "Trio of stars in for 'Shutter'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2008-02-27.
6.Jump up ^ Alspach, Kyle (March 8, 2008). "Raynham native plays Nazi soldier executed in Scorsese film". The Patriot Ledger. Retrieved 2008-05-21.
7.Jump up ^ Downing, Vicki-Ann (March 8, 2008). "Film adaptation of Lehane’s novel a boon to the region". EnterpriseNews.com (GateHouse Media). Retrieved 2008-05-21.
8.Jump up ^ Riglian, Adam (April 14, 2008). "DiCaprio, Scorsese filming on Peddocks Island". The Patriot Ledger. Retrieved 2008-05-21.
9.Jump up ^ Fee, Gayle; Laura Raposa (July 3, 2008). "DiCaprio, crew cap ‘Ashecliffe’ shoot". Boston Herald. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
10.Jump up ^ "The Music of Menace From Shutter Island". Paramount.com. January 13, 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-18.
11.Jump up ^ Saba, Michael (February 19, 2010). "Shutter Island Review". Paste Magazine. Retrieved 2010-10-12. "Scorsese gets his Hitchcock on."
12.Jump up ^ Brown, Mick (March 7, 2010). "Martin Scorsese interview for Shutter Island". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2010-10-13. "'The key film I showed Leo and Mark,’ Scorsese says, 'was Laura—Dana Andrews, the way he wears his tie, and the way he walks through a room, and he doesn’t even look at anybody; he’s always playing that little game. He’s just trying to get the facts.’ But the films, he adds, that he had 'really tied up tight’ in mood and tone were the lower-than-low-budget schlockers made in the 1940s by Val Lewton when he was the head of the 'horror department’ at RKO Pictures—Cat People, Isle of the Dead, The Seventh Victim and I Walked with a Zombie."
13.Jump up ^ Daniels, Derek (December 1, 2010). "The Ninth Configuration (Twinkle, Twinkle, Killer Kane)". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixter. Retrieved 2011-09-08. "30 years before the disappointing Shutter Island took viewers to a remote mental asylum with a world-turned-upside-down storyline, William Peter Blatty gave us this..."
14.Jump up ^ "'Shutter Island' shows the power of isolation". LA Times. February 21, 2010. Retrieved 2011-09-08. "A better version of this basic story was done 30 years ago by William Peter Blatty: The Ninth Configuration."
15.Jump up ^ Schwartz, Arnaud "'Shutter Island' : Martin Scorsese face au dérèglement de l'esprit". La Croix, February 23, 2010. Retrieved January 3, 2012 (French).
16.^ Jump up to: a b Cox, David (July 29, 2010). "Shutter Island's ending explained". The Guardian. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
17.Jump up ^ McClintock, Pamela (February 13, 2008). "'Star Trek' pushed back to 2009". Variety. Retrieved 2008-02-13.
18.Jump up ^ "Shutter Island Pushed Back to February". ComingSoon.com. Retrieved 2010-11-19.
19.Jump up ^ Finke, Nikki (August 21, 2009). "SHOCKER! Paramount Moves Scorsese's 'Shutter Island' To February 19, 2010". Deadline.com. Retrieved 2009-10-29.
20.Jump up ^ "Shutter Island". Berlinale 2010. Retrieved 2010-11-19.
21.Jump up ^ "Awards for Shutter Island (2010)". IMDb. Amazon.com. Retrieved 2011-11-18.
22.Jump up ^ De Pablos, Emiliano (May 17, 2008). "Manga nabs 'Shutter Island'". Variety. Retrieved 2008-07-29.
23.Jump up ^ "Shutter Island". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixter. Retrieved October 12, 2013.
24.Jump up ^ "Shutter Island". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved October 12, 2013.
25.Jump up ^ Toppman, Lawrence. "'Shutter' yields shudders – and ideas". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved October 12, 2013. 4/4 stars
26.Jump up ^ Anderson, John (February 19, 2010). "Film Reviews: Scorsese's 'Shutter Island', Polanski's 'The Ghost Writer'". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 12, 2013.
27.Jump up ^ Ebert, Roger (February 17, 2010). "Shutter Island Review". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved October 12, 2013. 3.5/4 stars
28.Jump up ^ Moore, Roger (February 17, 2010). "Movie Review: Shutter Island". Orlando Sentinel.  2.5/4 stars
29.Jump up ^ Stevens, Dana (February 18, 2010). "I'm Surrounded by Crazy People – Leo DiCaprio scrunches his face in Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island". Slate.com. Retrieved October 12, 2013.
30.Jump up ^ Hornaday, Ann (February 19, 2010). "Critic Review for Shutter Island". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 12, 2013.
31.Jump up ^ Scott, A. O. (February 19, 2010). "Movie Review: Shutter Island". The New York Times. Retrieved October 12, 2013.
32.Jump up ^ Brandon Gray (February 21, 2010). "`Shutter Island' Lights Up". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved 2010-04-13.
33.Jump up ^ Brandon Gray (March 1, 2010). "'Shutter Island' Hangs On, ‘Cop Out,’ ‘Crazies’ Debut Decently". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved 2010-04-13.
34.Jump up ^ Grey, Brandon (May 20, 2010). "‘Shutter Island' Is Scorsese’s Top Movie Worldwide". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved 2010-05-21.
35.Jump up ^ http://www.amazon.com/Shutter-Island-Leonardo-DiCaprio/dp/B001GCUO5M
36.Jump up ^ http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shutter-Island-DVD-Leonardo-DiCaprio/dp/B002OHCQJK
External links[edit]
 Wikimedia Commons has media related to Shutter Island (film).
Official website
Shutter Island at the Internet Movie Database
Shutter Island at allmovie
Shutter Island at Box Office Mojo
Shutter Island at Rotten Tomatoes
Shutter Island at Metacritic


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Hugo (film)
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Hugo
<!see WP:ALT -->
Theatrical release poster

Directed by
Martin Scorsese
Produced by
Graham King
Timothy Headington
 Martin Scorsese
Johnny Depp
Screenplay by
John Logan
Based on
The Invention of Hugo Cabret
 by Brian Selznick
Starring
Ben Kingsley
Sacha Baron Cohen
Asa Butterfield
Chloë Grace Moretz
Ray Winstone
Emily Mortimer
Christopher Lee
Helen McCrory
Michael Stuhlbarg
Frances de la Tour
Richard Griffiths
Jude Law
Music by
Howard Shore
Cinematography
Robert Richardson
Editing by
Thelma Schoonmaker
Studio
GK Films
Infinitum Nihil
Distributed by
Paramount Pictures (Worldwide)
Entertainment Film Distributors (UK)
Release dates
November 23, 2011
[1]
Running time
125 minutes
Country
United Kingdom
 United States
 France
Language
English
Budget
$150 to $170 million[2]
Box office
$185,770,160[3]
Hugo is a 2011 3D historical adventure drama film based on Brian Selznick's novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret about a boy who lives alone in the Gare Montparnasse railway station in Paris. It is directed and co-produced by Martin Scorsese and adapted for the screen by John Logan. It is a co-production between Graham King's GK Films and Johnny Depp's Infinitum Nihil. The film stars Asa Butterfield, Chloë Grace Moretz, Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helen McCrory, Ray Winstone, Emily Mortimer, Jude Law, and Christopher Lee.
Hugo is Scorsese's first film shot in 3D, of which the filmmaker remarked: "I found 3D to be really interesting, because the actors were more upfront emotionally. Their slightest move, their slightest intention is picked up much more precisely."[4] The film was distributed by Paramount Pictures and released in the U.S. on November 23, 2011.[5]
The film was received with critical acclaim, with many critics praising the visuals, acting, and direction. At the 84th Academy Awards, Hugo won five Oscars—for Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Sound Editing—and its eleven total nominations (including Best Picture) was the most for the evening.[6] Hugo also won two BAFTAs and was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards, earning Scorsese his third Golden Globe Award for Best Director.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production
4 Historical references
5 Box office performance
6 Critical reception 6.1 Top ten lists
7 Accolades
8 References
9 External links

Plot[edit]
In 1931, Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield) is a 12-year-old boy living in the walls of the Paris Gare Montparnasse railway station, where he mends the station's clocks. Previously, he was raised by his widowed father, a museum worker (Jude Law). His father had doted on Hugo, teaching him the art of repairing mechanical devices, taking him to movies, and showing him how he was repairing an automaton (mechanical man) that supposedly could write a message. After his father was killed in a museum fire Hugo was taken in by his alcoholic uncle Claude (Ray Winstone) who showed little sentiment for Hugo but taught the boy how to maintain the clocks at the station. When Claude disappears, Hugo continues to maintain the clocks while eking out a living by stealing food and supplies. All the while Hugo lives in fear that if the vigilant Station Inspector (Sacha Baron Cohen) were to discover him, he would be turned over to an orphanage.
Hugo continues the work on the automaton. Relying on his father's notebook for insight, he steals the required parts wherever he can, including from the shop of a toymaker who makes and sells mechanical toys. One day, he is finally caught by the bitter toymaker, Papa Georges (Ben Kingsley), who has long known that Hugo robs him. Georges looks through Hugo's father's notebook, is evidently strongly affected by it, and keeps it despite Hugo's protests. Hugo trails Georges to his home to retrieve it. There, he meets Georges' goddaughter, Isabelle (Chloë Grace Moretz), who promises to help.
At the station on the following day Georges gives some ashes to Hugo, referring to them as the remains of the notebook. Later, Isabelle tells him that the notebook was not burnt, adding that the notebook has somehow deeply disturbed her Papa Georges. Finally, Georges tells Hugo that he may earn his notebook back if he works in the toy store every day to pay for all the items Hugo stole. During his free time, Hugo continues to work on the automaton. When it is finished, however, it is still missing one part: a heart-shaped key that goes into the back of the automaton to make it work.
As the two grow close together, Hugo takes Isabelle to the movies, something that Georges would never let her do, while she introduces him to a bookstore owner (Christopher Lee) who has loaned her books in the past.



 A Georges Méliès drawing similar to the one drawn by the automaton in the film
Hugo is surprised to find that Isabelle wears a heart-shaped key as a necklace. He asks to borrow it, but Isabelle refuses to lend the key to him unless he tells her why he needs it. At first he declines, but his desire to see the automaton operate leads him to take Isabelle to see the automaton. They use the key to start the automaton, and watch as it draws out an iconic image from the film Voyage to the Moon by the film pioneer Georges Méliès. When the automaton writes a signature beneath the drawing, Isabelle recognizes the name as her godfather's own. They take the drawing to Georges' home for an explanation. They ask Isabelle's godmother Mama Jeanne (Helen McCrory) but she will not tell them anything. As Georges arrives home, Jeanne forces the children into a back room, where they find a hidden compartment in an armoire. In the compartment is a small chest containing a copy of the automaton's drawing, along with many other drawings. The noise of a collapsing chair draws Georges into the room, and he throws Hugo out, feeling betrayed.
Some time later, Hugo and Isabelle discuss Méliès with the bookstore owner; he directs them to the Film Academy section of the library, telling them just where they may find a book on the history of film. As they read the book, its author, Rene Tabard (Michael Stuhlbarg), appears and describes his love for Méliès's work. The book asserts that Méliès died during World War I, but the children convince Tabard that the filmmaker is still alive. Tabard reveals he has the last known copy of Voyage, and he suggests that they go to the Georges' house to watch it the next evening. That night, Hugo had a dream where he finds a golden heart-shaped key lying on a railbed in the station but is run over by an approaching train and his dream ends with images of the Gare Montparnasse accident of 1895.
The next evening, Jeanne is hesitant about letting them show the film until Tabard recognizes her as Jeanne d'Alcy, a frequent and beautiful actress in many of Méliès' films. When the film finishes, Georges comes out, and emotionally reveals himself to be Méliès, recalling his filmmaking career. He transformed his illusionist skills into the special effects he used for his movies to bring his vivid imagination to life. However, after the horrors of World War I, his films lost popularity with the jaded and disillusioned population, and he became ruined, selling the films to be melted down to chemicals, used to mold shoe heels, and quietly disappeared as a toy maker to sustain himself and Jeanne. Georges is despondent, believing all of his former film materials were otherwise destroyed in a museum fire, leading Hugo to recall the automaton.
Hugo races back to the station to get the automaton (intending to use it as a surprise for Georges), but before he can retrieve it, he is discovered by the Station Inspector who reveals that Claude's body had been discovered in the River Seine. The Inspector now knows Hugo is an orphan. During the ensuing chase, Hugo climbs up the clock tower and is forced to climb onto the clock hands to hide from the Inspector. When he goes away, Hugo quickly climbs back in and gets the automaton but is quickly cornered again by the Inspector and the automaton is thrown onto the railway tracks. Despite the approach of an oncoming train, Hugo jumps onto the tracks to recover the automaton. With no time to climb back up onto the platform to save himself and the automaton, Hugo appears to face certain death from the oncoming train. However, the Inspector saves Hugo at the last moment. As the Inspector decides whether or not to arrest Hugo, Georges arrives and asserts that Hugo is now in his care. Hugo presents the automaton to Georges.
Sometime later, a film festival is held showcasing over eighty recovered and restored Méliès films. Georges tearfully takes the stage, and thanks Hugo for his dedication and to the other attendees for sharing his imagination with him. After the festival, in the Georges' house, Hugo has acclimated as Georges' son, while Isabelle begins writing a book on the recent events. The film ends on a shot of the automaton sitting at a writing desk in a pleasant room, posed as though prepared to resume drawing.
Cast[edit]
Asa Butterfield as Hugo Cabret
Chloë Grace Moretz as Isabelle
Ben Kingsley as Georges Méliès / Papa Georges
Sacha Baron Cohen as Inspector Gustave
Helen McCrory as Jeanne d'Alcy / Mama Jeanne
Michael Stuhlbarg as René Tabard
Jude Law as Hugo's father
Ray Winstone as Claude Cabret
Christopher Lee as Monsieur Labisse
Emily Mortimer as Lisette
Frances de la Tour as Madame Emile
Richard Griffiths as Monsieur Frick
Marco Aponte as a train engineer assistant
Kevin Eldon as policeman
Gulliver McGrath as young Tabard
Angus Barnett as a cinema manager
Ben Addis as Salvador Dalí
Emil Lager as Django Reinhardt
Robert Gill as James Joyce
Michael Pitt, Martin Scorsese and Brian Selznick have cameo roles.
Production[edit]
GK Films acquired the screen rights to The Invention of Hugo Cabret shortly after the book was published in 2007. Initially, Chris Wedge was signed in to direct the adaptation and John Logan was contracted to write the screenplay.[7] The film was initially titled Hugo Cabret. Several actors were hired, including Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Asa Butterfield, Chloë Grace Moretz and Helen McCrory. Jude Law, Ray Winstone, Christopher Lee, Frances de la Tour and Richard Griffiths later joined the project. The venture was officially launched into production in London on June 29, 2010. The first shooting location was at the Shepperton Studios in London along with other places in London and Paris.[8] The Nene Valley Railway near Peterborough, also loaned their original Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits rolling stock to the studio.[9][10] The film's soundtrack includes an Oscar-nominated original score composed by Howard Shore, and also makes prominent use of the Danse macabre by Camille Saint-Saëns and the first Gnossienne by Erik Satie.
Hugo was originally budgeted at $100 million but overran with a final budget of between $156 million and $170 million.[11] In February 2012, Graham King summed up his experience of producing Hugo: "Let's just say that it hasn't been an easy few months for me — there's been a lot of Ambien involved".
Historical references[edit]


 This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2012)



 The Jaquet-Droz automaton "the writer", an inspiration for the design of the automaton in the film
The overall backstory and primary features of Georges Méliès' life as depicted in the film are largely accurate: he became interested in film after seeing a demonstration of the Lumière brothers' camera,[12] he was a magician and toymaker, he experimented with automata, he owned a theatre (Theatre Robert-Houdin), he was forced into bankruptcy, his film stock was reportedly melted down for its cellulose, he became a toy salesman at the Montparnasse station, and he was eventually awarded the Légion d'honneur medal after a period of terrible neglect. Many of the early silent films shown in the movie are Méliès's actual works, such as Le voyage dans la lune (1902). However, the film does not mention Méliès' two children, his brother Gaston (who worked with Méliès during his film making career), or his first wife Eugénie, who was married to Méliès during the time he made films (Eugénie died in 1913). The film shows Méliès as having been married to Jeanne d'Alcy during their film making period, when in reality, they did not marry until 1925.
The design for the automaton was inspired by one made by the Swiss watchmaker Henri Maillardet, which Selznick had seen in the Franklin Institute, Philadelphia,[13] as well as the Jaquet-Droz automaton "the writer".[14]
Several viewings of the film L'Arrivée d'un train en gare de La Ciotat are portrayed, depicting the shocked reaction of the audience - although this view is in doubt.[15]
Emil Lager, Ben Addis, and Robert Gill make cameo appearances as Django Reinhardt, the father of Gypsy jazz guitar, Salvador Dalí, the Spanish surrealist painter, and James Joyce, the Irish writer, respectively. The names of all three characters appear towards the end of the film's cast credit list.[16]
The book that Monsieur Labisse gives Hugo as a gift, Robin Hood le proscrit, was written by Alexandre Dumas in 1864 as a French translation of an 1838 work by Pierce Egan the Younger in England. The book is symbolic, as Hugo must avoid the "righteous" law enforcement (represented by Inspector Gustave) to live in the station and later to restore the automaton both to a functioning status and to its rightful owner.
Box office performance[edit]
Hugo earned $73,864,507 domestically and $111,905,653 internationally for a worldwide gross of $185,770,160.[3]
Hugo was cited as one of the year's notable box office flops despite garnering praise from critics. The film gained $15.4 million over the Thanksgiving weekend and almost $74 million domestically, barely half of its $170 million budget, even though it made strength overseas. Hugo's perceived failure was due to competition with Disney's The Muppets and Summit's Breaking Dawn Part 1.[17] The film is set to cost its studio $100 million because of its box office performance.[18]
Producer Graham King expressed that the film's box office results have been painful. "There's no finger pointing — I'm the producer and I take the responsibility," he said glumly. "Budget wise, there just wasn't enough prep time and no one really realized how complicated doing a 3-D film was going to be. I went through three line producers because no one knew exactly what was going on. Do I still think it's a masterpiece that will be talked about in 20 years? Yes. But once the schedule started getting out of whack, things just spiraled and spiraled and that's when the avalanche began."[19]
Critical reception[edit]
Hugo received universal critical acclaim. The film holds a 94% "Fresh" rating on aggregate review site Rotten Tomatoes based on 224 reviews, with an average score of 8.4. The site's main consensus reads "Hugo is an extravagant, elegant fantasy with an innocence lacking in many modern kids' movies, and one that emanates an unabashed love for the magic of cinema." Similarly, Metacritic gave[when?] the film an average score of 83 based on 41 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[20]
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film four out of four stars saying "Hugo is unlike any other film Martin Scorsese has ever made, and yet possibly the closest to his heart: a big-budget, family epic in 3-D, and in some ways, a mirror of his own life. We feel a great artist has been given command of the tools and resources he needs to make a movie about – movies."[21] Peter Rainer of The Christian Science Monitor gave it a "B+" grade and termed it as an "an odd mixture: a deeply personal impersonal movie" and concluded that "Hugo is a mixed bag but one well worth rummaging through."[22] Christy Lemire said that it had an "abundant love of the power of film; being a hardcore cinephile (like Scorsese) might add a layer of enjoyment, but it certainly isn't a prerequisite for walking in the door" besides being "slightly repetitive and overlong".[23] Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune rated it three stars and described it as "rich and stimulating even when it wanders" explaining "every locale in Scorsese's vision of 1931 Paris looks and feels like another planet. The filmmaker embraces storybook artifice as wholeheartedly as he relays the tale's lessons in the importance of film preservation."[24] Joe Morgenstern of The Wall Street Journal gave a negative review, saying "visually Hugo is a marvel, but dramatically it's a clockwork lemon.[25]
Hugo was selected for the Royal Film Performance 2011 with a screening at the Odeon, Leicester Square in London on 28 November 2011 in the presence of TRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall in support of the Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund.[26]
Richard Corliss of Time named it one of the Top 10 Best Movies of 2011, saying "Scorsese's love poem, rendered gorgeously in 3-D, restores both the reputation of an early pioneer and the glory of movie history – the birth of a popular art form given new life through a master's application of the coolest new techniques".[27]
James Cameron called Hugo "a masterpiece" and that the film had the best use of 3D he had seen, surpassing even his own acclaimed films.[28]
Top ten lists[edit]


 This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2013)
The film has appeared on the following critics' top ten lists for the best films of 2011:

Critic
Publication
Rank
David Denby The New Yorker 1st
Harry Knowles Aint It Cool News 1st[29]
Shawn Levy The Oregonian (Portland) 1st[30]
Noel Murray A.V. Club 2nd
Glenn Kenny MSN Movies 2nd
Peter Hartlaub San Francisco Chronicle 2nd
Richard Corliss Time 2nd
Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times 4th
Lisa Schwarzbaum Entertainment Weekly 4th
Richard Brody The New Yorker 4th
Peter Paras E! Online 5th
N/A MTV 5th
Todd McCarthy The Hollywood Reporter 6th
Peter Travers Rolling Stone 6th
N/A TV Guide 7th
J. Hoberman The Village Voice 8th
Mark Kermode BBC Radio 5 Live 9th
Kim Morgan MSN Movies 9th
Keith Phipps A.V. Club 9th
Sean Axmaker MSN Movies 10th
Glenn Heath Jr. Slant Magazine 10th
Jeff Simon The Buffalo News N/A
Manohla Dargis The New York Times N/A
Phillip French The Observer N/A
Accolades[edit]
List of awards and nominations

Award
Date of ceremony
Category
Recipients and nominees
Result
Academy Awards[31][32] 26 February 2012 Best Picture Graham King and Martin Scorsese Nominated
Best Director Martin Scorsese Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay John Logan Nominated
Best Cinematography Robert Richardson Won
Best Original Score Howard Shore Nominated
Best Art Direction Dante Ferretti, Francesca Lo Schiavo Won
Best Costume Design Sandy Powell Nominated
Best Visual Effects Robert Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossmann and Alex Henning Won
Best Film Editing Thelma Schoonmaker Nominated
Best Sound Editing Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty Won
Best Sound Mixing Tom Fleischman and John Midgley Won
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Argentina Awards[33] December 5, 2012 Best Foreign Film Graham King, Timothy Headington, Martin Scorsese, and Johnny Depp Won
Alliance of Women Film Journalists[34][35] 10 January 2012 Best Picture Graham King and Martin Scorsese Nominated
Best Director Martin Scorsese Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay John Logan Nominated
Best Cinematography Robert Richardson Nominated
Best Editing Thelma Schoonmaker Won
American Society of Cinematographers[36] 12 February 2012 Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in a Feature Film Robert Richardson Nominated
Art Directors Guild[37] 4 February 2012 Period Film Dante Ferretti Won
Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards[38] 27 January 2012 Best Film – International Graham King and Martin Scorsese Nominated
Best Direction – International Martin Scorsese Nominated
Boston Society of Film Critics Award 11 December 2011 Best Director Martin Scorsese Won
Best Film Graham King and Martin Scorsese Nominated
Best Cinematography Robert Richardson Nominated
2nd place
Best Editing Thelma Schoonmaker Nominated
2nd place
BAFTA[39][40] 12 February 2012 Best Director Martin Scorsese Nominated
Best Cinematography Robert Richardson Nominated
Best Original Score Howard Shore Nominated
Best Sound Philip Stockton, Eugene Gearty, Tom Fleischman and John Midgley Won
Best Editing Thelma Schoonmaker Nominated
Best Production Design Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo Won
Best Costume Design Sandy Powell Nominated
Best Makeup and Hair Morag Ross and Jan Archibald Nominated
Broadcast Film Critics Association  Best Picture Graham King and Martin Scorsese Nominated
Best Director Martin Scorsese Nominated
Best Young Actor/Actress Asa Butterfield Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay John Logan Nominated
Best Cinematography Robert Richardson Nominated
Best Editing Thelma Schoonmaker Nominated
Best Production Design/Art Direction Dante Ferretti, Francesca Lo Schiavo Won
Best Score Howard Shore Nominated
Best Costume Design Sandy Powell Nominated
Best Visual Effects Robert Legato Nominated
Best Sound Philip Stockton, Eugene Gearty, Tom Fleischman and John Midgley Nominated
Chicago Film Critics Association[41][42] 7 January 2012 Best Film Graham King and Martin Scorsese Nominated
Best Director Martin Scorsese Nominated
Best Cinematography Robert Richardson Nominated
Best Score Howard Shore Nominated
David di Donatello Awards[43] 4 May 2012 Best Foreign Film  Nominated
Detroit Film Critics Society[44] 16 December 2011 Best Film Graham King and Martin Scorsese Nominated
Best Director Martin Scorsese Nominated
Florida Film Critics Circle Awards[45] 19 December 2011 Best Director Martin Scorsese Won
Best Film Graham King and Martin Scorsese Nominated
Best Production Design/Art Direction Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo Won
Golden Globe Awards[46][47] 15 January 2012 Best Director Martin Scorsese Won
Best Motion Picture – Drama Graham King and Martin Scorsese Nominated
Best Original Score Howard Shore Nominated
Golden Trailer Awards[48] 31 May 2012 Best Animation/Family "Imagine" Nominated
Best Animation/Family TV Spot
Nominated
Grammy Awards[49] 10 February 2013 Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media Howard Shore Nominated
Hugo Awards (Science Fiction Achievement Awards) 2 September 2012 Best Dramatic Presentation (Long Form) Martin Scorsese and John Logan Nominated
Indiana Film Critics Association  Best Film Graham King and Martin Scorsese Nominated
Best Musical Score Howard Shore Nominated
Las Vegas Film Critics Society 13 December 2011 Best Film Graham King and Martin Scorsese Nominated
Best Family Film Won
Best Film Editing Thelma Schoonmaker Won
Best Youth in Film Asa Butterfield Won
National Board of Review[50]  Best Film Graham King and Martin Scorsese Won
Best Director Martin Scorsese Won
New York Film Critics Circle Award 29 November 2011 Best Director Martin Scorsese Nominated
2nd place
Best Film Graham King and Martin Scorsese Nominated
3rd place
Online Film Critics Society Awards 2 January 2012 Best Picture Graham King and Martin Scorsese Nominated
Best Director Martin Scorsese Nominated
Best Cinematography Robert Richardson Nominated
Phoenix Film Critics Society 27 December 2011 Best Picture Graham King and Martin Scorsese Nominated
Best Director Martin Scorsese Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay John Logan Nominated
Best Cinematography Robert Richardson Nominated
Best Production Design Dante Ferretti Won
Best Costume Design Sandy Powell Nominated
Best Visual Effects Robert Legato Won
Best Live Action Family Film  Nominated
Satellite Awards 19 December 2011 Best Picture Graham King and Martin Scorsese Nominated
Best Director Martin Scorsese Nominated
Best Art Direction and Production Design Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo Nominated
Best Cinematography Robert Richardson Nominated
Best Visual Effects Robert Legato Won
San Diego Film Critics Society Awards 14 December 2011 Best Production Design Dante Ferretti Won
Best Film Graham King and Martin Scorsese Nominated
Best Director Martin Scorsese Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay John Logan Nominated
Best Cinematography Robert Richardson Nominated
Best Editing Thelma Schoonmaker Nominated
Best Score Howard Shore Nominated
Saturn Awards[51] 20 June 2012 Best Fantasy Film Nominated
Best Actor Ben Kingsley Nominated
Best Performance by a Younger Actor Asa Butterfield Nominated
Chloë Grace Moretz Nominated
Best Director Martin Scorsese Nominated
Best Writing John Logan Nominated
Best Music Howard Shore Nominated
Best Costume Sandy Powell Nominated
Best Production Design Dante Ferretti Won
Best Editing Thelma Schoonmaker Nominated
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards[52] 5 December 2011 Best Director Martin Scorsese Won
Best Art Direction Dante Derretti Won
Best Film Graham King and Martin Scorsese Nominated
Best Acting Ensemble Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay John Logan Nominated
Best Cinematography Robert Richardson Nominated
Best Score Howard Shore Nominated
World Soundtrack Academy 20 October 2012 Best Soundtrack Award Howard Shore Nominated
Composer of the Year Nominated
Young Artist Award[53] 6 May 2012 Best Performance in a Feature Film - Leading Young Actor Asa Butterfield Nominated
Best Performance in a Feature Film - Leading Young Actress Chloë Grace Moretz Won
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "Hugo Cabret". ComingSoon.net. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
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3.^ Jump up to: a b "Hugo (2011)". Box Office Mojo. 2012-04-12. Retrieved 2012-09-18.
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5.Jump up ^ "Global Sites & Release Dates". Paramount Pictures. Retrieved 2011-08-11.
6.Jump up ^ "Oscars 2012: 'The Artist' and 'Hugo' Tie for 5 Awards, But Silent Film Wins Best Picture". Reuters. 2012-02-27. Retrieved 2012-03-02.
7.Jump up ^ Siegel, Tatiana (2008-05-05). "Chris Wedge to direct 'Hugo Cabret'". Variety. Retrieved 2012-08-24.
8.Jump up ^ Fernandez, Jay A. (2010-06-29). "Jude Law cast in Scorsese's 'Cabret'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2012-08-24.
9.Jump up ^ Weintraub, Steve (2010-06-29). "Hugo Cabret Filming Commences Full Cast Announced Jude Law, Ray Winstone, Christopher Lee". Collider.com. Retrieved 2010-06-30.
10.Jump up ^ Truslove, Ben (2011-01-25). "Film Legend Scorcese's Peterborough film shoot". Peterborough Telegraph. Retrieved 2011-10-21.
11.Jump up ^ Goldstein, Patrick (2012-02-06). "Graham King on 'Hugo's' box-office woes: 'It's been painful'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-04-08.
12.Jump up ^ "Pioneers: Georges Melies". EarlyCinema.com. Retrieved 2012-03-25.
13.Jump up ^ Fountain, Henry (26 December 2011). "Graceful Moves, for a Boy Made of Metal". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 December 2011.
14.Jump up ^ Lytal, Cristy (27 November 2011). "Working Hollywood: Dick George, prop maker". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
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16.Jump up ^ "Hugo (2011) – Full Cast and Crew". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
17.Jump up ^ http://articles.latimes.com/2011/dec/01/business/la-fi-ct-hugo-20111201
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20.Jump up ^ "Hugo Reviews, Ratings, Credits". Metacritic. Retrieved 2011-11-24.
21.Jump up ^ Ebert, Roger. "Hugo Review". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2011-11-23.
22.Jump up ^ Peter Rainer (2011-11-23). "Martin Scorsese's 3-D 'Hugo': movie review". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2012-08-24.
23.Jump up ^ Lemire, Christy (2011-11-21). "Review: Scorsese's `Hugo' dazzles in 3-D". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Associated Press. Retrieved 2012-08-24.
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27.Jump up ^ Corliss, Richard (2011-12-07). "The Top 10 Everything of 2011 – Hugo". Time. Retrieved 2011-12-03.
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29.Jump up ^ Knowles, Harry (2012-01-06). "Harry's Top Ten Films of 2011...". Retrieved 2012-01-24.
30.Jump up ^ Levy, Shawn (2011-12-29). "The Top 10 Movies of 2011". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2012-03-19.
31.Jump up ^ "Oscar 2012 winners – The full list". The Guardian (UK). 2012-02-27. Retrieved 2012-02-29.
32.Jump up ^ "Nominees and Winners for the 84th Academy Awards". Academy Awards of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscars). Retrieved 2012-02-21.
33.Jump up ^ "Ganadores de la edición 2012 del Premio Sur" (in spanish). Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Argentina Awards.
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36.Jump up ^ "The American Society of Cinematographers Nominates". The ASC. 11 January 2011. Retrieved 20 February 2012.
37.Jump up ^ Kilday, Gregg (3 January 2012). "Art Directors Nominate Movies as Different as 'Harry Potter' and 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
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42.Jump up ^ "CFCA Names Tree of Life Best Picture". Chicago Film Critics Association. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
43.Jump up ^ Lyman, Eric J. (April 12, 2012). "Marco Tulio Giordana Drama Earns 16 Nominations for Italy's Top Film Honors". The Hollywood Reporter (Prometheus Global Media). Retrieved December 9, 2012.
44.Jump up ^ "Best of 2011". Detroit Film Critics Society. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
45.Jump up ^ "Florida Film Critics swoon for 'The Descendants'". The Miami Herald. 19 December 2011. Retrieved 20 February 2012.
46.Jump up ^ "Golden Globes 2012 the winners - the full list". The Guardian (London). 16 January 2012. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
47.Jump up ^ "Golden Globes 2012: The Full List". The Hollywood Reporter. 15 January 2012. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
48.Jump up ^ "The 13th Annual Golden Trailer Awards". Goldentrailer.com. Retrieved 8 December 2012.
49.Jump up ^ Brooks, Brian (8 December 2012). "'The Hunger Games' And 'The Muppets' Top Grammy Awards Movie Nominees". Movieline. Retrieved 6 December 2012.
50.Jump up ^ "Hugo Named Best Film by NBR". AwardsDaily. 1 December 2011. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
51.Jump up ^ Goldberg, Matt (February 29, 2012). "Saturn Award Nominations Announced; HUGO and HARRY POTTER Lead with 10 Nominations Each". Collider. Retrieved March 1, 2012.
52.Jump up ^ "The 2011 WAFCA Awards". dcfilmcritics. 19 December 2011. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
53.Jump up ^ "33rd Annual Young Artist Awards". YoungArtistAwards.org. Retrieved March 31, 2012.
External links[edit]
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Raging Bull
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This article is about the 1980 film. For other uses, see Raging Bull (disambiguation).

Raging Bull
Raging Bull poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster design by Tom Jung

Directed by
Martin Scorsese
Produced by
Robert Chartoff
Irwin Winkler
Screenplay by
Paul Schrader
Mardik Martin
Based on
Raging Bull: My Story
 by Jake LaMotta
 Joseph Carter
 Peter Savage
Starring
Robert De Niro
Cinematography
Michael Chapman
Editing by
Thelma Schoonmaker
Distributed by
United Artists
Release dates
December 19, 1980

Running time
129 minutes[1]
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
$18 million
Box office
$23,380,203
Raging Bull is a 1980 American biographical sports drama film directed by Martin Scorsese, produced by Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler and adapted by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin from Jake LaMotta's memoir Raging Bull: My Story. It stars Robert De Niro as Jake LaMotta, an Italian American middleweight boxer whose self-destructive and obsessive rage, sexual jealousy, and animalistic appetite destroyed his relationship with his wife and family. Also featured in the film are Joe Pesci as Joey, La Motta's well-intentioned brother and manager who tries to help Jake battle his inner demons; and Cathy Moriarty as his abused wife. The film features supporting roles from Nicholas Colasanto, Theresa Saldana and Frank Vincent.
Scorsese was initially reluctant to develop the project, though he eventually came to relate to La Motta's story. Schrader re-wrote Martin's first screenplay, and Scorsese and De Niro together made uncredited contributions thereafter. Pesci was an unknown actor prior to the film, as was Moriarty, who was suggested for her role by Pesci. During principal photography, each of the boxing scenes was choreographed for a specific visual style and De Niro gained approximately 60 pounds (27 kg) to portray La Motta in his later post-boxing years. Scorsese was exacting in the process of editing and mixing the film, expecting it to be his last major feature.
After receiving mixed initial reviews (and criticism due to its violent content), it went on to garner a high critical reputation and now to a very large extent is regarded among the greatest films ever made, including by Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times, Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune, British film historian Leslie Halliwell, the American Film Institute, Time, The New York Times, Variety, Entertainment Weekly, Empire, Total Film, Film 4, and BFI's Sight and Sound. It was listed in the National Film Registry in 1990, its first year of eligibility. Raging Bull is voted by many critics including Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel as the best film of the 1980s.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production 3.1 Development
3.2 Screenplay
3.3 Casting
3.4 Principal photography
3.5 Post-production
4 Reception 4.1 Box office
4.2 Critical reception
4.3 Awards
4.4 Legacy 4.4.1 American Film Institute recognition

5 Soundtrack
6 Sequel
7 Notes
8 References
9 External links

Plot[edit]
In a brief scene in 1964, an aging, overweight Italian American, Jake LaMotta (Robert De Niro), practices a comedy routine. The rest of the film then occurs in flashback. In 1941, LaMotta is in a major boxing match against Jimmy Reeves, where he received his first loss. Jake's brother Joey LaMotta (Joe Pesci) discusses a potential shot for the middleweight title with one of his Mafia connections, Salvy Batts (Frank Vincent). Some time thereafter, Jake spots a 15-year-old girl named Vickie (Cathy Moriarty) at an open-air swimming pool in his Bronx neighborhood. He eventually pursues a relationship with her, even though he is already married. In 1943, Jake defeats Sugar Ray Robinson, and has a rematch three weeks later. Despite the fact that Jake dominates Robinson during the bout, the judges surprisingly rule in favor of Robinson and Joey feels Robinson won only because he was enlisting into the US Army the following week. By 1947, Jake marries Vickie.
Jake constantly worries about Vickie having feelings for other men, particularly when she makes an off-hand comment about Tony Janiro, Jake's opponent in his next fight. His jealousy is evident when he brutally defeats Janiro in front of the local Mob boss, Tommy Como (Nicholas Colasanto), and Vickie. As Joey discusses the victory with journalists at the Copacabana, he is distracted by seeing Vickie approach a table with Salvy and his crew. Joey speaks with Vickie, who says she is giving up on his brother. Blaming Salvy, Joey viciously attacks him in a fight that spills outside of the club. Como later orders them to apologize, and has Joey tell Jake that if he wants a chance at the championship title, which Como controls, he will have to take a dive first. In a match against Billy Fox, after briefly pummeling his opponent, Jake does not even bother to put up a fight. He is suspended shortly thereafter from the board on suspicion of throwing the fight, though he realizes the error of his judgment when it is too late. He is eventually reinstated, and in 1949, wins the middleweight championship title against Marcel Cerdan.
A year later, Jake asks Joey if he fought with Salvy at the Copacabana because of Vickie. Jake then asks if Joey had an affair with her; Joey refuses to answer, insults Jake, and leaves. Jake directly asks Vickie about the affair, and when she hides from him in the bathroom, he breaks down the door, prompting her to sarcastically state that she had sex with the entire neighborhood (including his brother, Salvy, and Tommy Como). Jake angrily walks to Joey's house, with Vickie following him, and assaults Joey in front of his wife and children. After defending his championship belt in a grueling fifteen round bout against Laurent Dauthuille in 1950,[2] he makes a call to his brother after the fight, but when Joey assumes Salvy is on the other end and starts insulting and cursing at him, Jake says nothing and hangs up. Estranged from Joey, Jake's career begins to decline slowly and he eventually loses his title to Sugar Ray Robinson in their final encounter in 1951.[3]
By 1956, Jake and his family have moved to Miami. After staying out all night at his new nightclub there, Vickie tells him she wants a divorce (which she has been planning since his retirement). He is later arrested for introducing under-age girls to men in his club. He tries and fails to bribe his way out of his criminal case using the jewels from his championship belt instead of selling the belt itself. In 1957 he goes to jail where he pounds the walls, sorrowfully questioning his misfortune and crying in despair. Upon returning to New York City in 1958, he happens upon his estranged brother Joey, who forgives him but is elusive. Returning to the opening scene in 1964, Jake refers to the "I coulda been a contender" scene from the 1954 film On the Waterfront starring Marlon Brando, complaining that his brother should have been there for him but is also keen enough to give himself some slack. After a stagehand informs him that the auditorium where he is about to perform is crowded, Jake starts to chant "I'm the boss" while shadowboxing.
The film cuts to black with the following Biblical quote filling the screen:


So, for the second time, [the Pharisees] summoned the man who had been blind and said:
 "Speak the truth before God. We know this fellow is a sinner."
 "Whether or not he is a sinner, I do not know," the man replied.
 "All I know is this: Once I was blind and now I can see."
John IX. 24–26, The New English Bible
The film subsequently ends with an on-screen dedication to Scorcese's New York University film professor, Haig P. Manoogian:

Remembering Haig P. Manoogian, teacher. May 23, 1916—May 26, 1980. With Love and resolution, Marty.
Cast[edit]
Robert De Niro as Jake LaMotta[4]
Cathy Moriarty as Vickie Thailer[4]
Joe Pesci as Joey LaMotta[4]
Nicholas Colasanto as Tommy Como[4]
Theresa Saldana as Lenora LaMotta (Joey's wife)[4]
Frank Vincent as Salvy "Batts"[4]
Mario Gallo as Mario[4]
Frank Adonis as Patsy
Production[edit]
Development[edit]
Raging Bull came about when De Niro read the autobiography upon which the film is based on the set of The Godfather Part II. Although disappointed by the book's writing style, he became fascinated by the character of Jake LaMotta. He showed the book to Martin Scorsese on the set of Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore in the hope that he would consider the project.[5] Scorsese repeatedly turned down the opportunity to sit in the director's chair, claiming he had no idea what Raging Bull was about, even though he had read some of the text. Never a sports fan, when he found out what LaMotta used to do for a living, he said, "A boxer? I don't like boxing...Even as a kid, I always thought that boxing was boring... It was something I couldn't, wouldn't grasp." His overall opinion of sport in general is, "Anything with a ball, no good." [6] The book was then passed onto Mardik Martin, the film's eventual co-screenwriter, who said "the trouble is the damn thing has been done a hundred times before—a fighter who has trouble with his brother and his wife and the mob is after him". The book was even shown to producers Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler by De Niro, who was willing to assist only if Scorsese agreed.[7] After nearly dying from a drug overdose, Scorsese agreed to make the film for De Niro's sake, not only to save his own life but also to save what remained of his career. Scorsese knew that he could relate to the story of Jake LaMotta as a way to redeem himself; he saw the role being portrayed as an everyman for whom "the ring becomes an allegory of life", making the project a very personal one for him.[8][9][10][11]



 Robert De Niro in training with the real Jake LaMotta
Preparation for the film began with Scorsese shooting some 8mm color footage featuring De Niro boxing in a ring. One night when the footage was being shown to De Niro, Michael Chapman, and his friend and mentor, the British director Michael Powell, Powell pointed out that the color of the gloves at the time would have only been maroon, oxblood, or even black. Scorsese decided to use this as one of the reasons to film Raging Bull in black and white. Other reasons would be to distinguish the film from other color films around the time and to acknowledge the problem of fading color film stock—an issue Scorsese recognized.[12][13][14] Scorsese even went to two matches at Madison Square Garden to aid his research, picking up on minor but essential details such as the blood sponge and latterly, the blood on the ropes (which would later be used in the film).[14]
Screenplay[edit]
Under the guidance of Chartoff and Winkler, Mardik Martin was asked to start writing the screenplay.[15] According to De Niro, under no circumstances would United Artists accept Mardik Martin's script.[16] The story was based on the vision of journalist Peter Hamill of a 1930s and 1940s style, when boxing was known as "the great dark prince of sports". De Niro was unimpressed when he finished reading the first draft, however.[17] Taxi Driver screenwriter Paul Schrader was swiftly brought in to re-write the script around August 1978.[17] Some of the changes that Schrader made to the script saw a re-write of the scene with the uncooked steak and inclusion of LaMotta seen masturbating in a Florida cell. The character of LaMotta's brother, Joey, was finally added, previously absent from Martin's script.[16][17] United Artists saw a massive improvement on the quality of the script. However, its chief executives, Steven Bach and David Field, met up with Scorsese, De Niro, and producer Irwin Winkler in November 1978 to say they were worried that the content would be X-rated material and have no chance of finding an audience.[12]
According to Scorsese, the script was left to him and De Niro, and they spent two and a half weeks on the island of Saint Martin, extensively re-building the content of the film.[8] The most significant change would be the entire scene when LaMotta fixes his television and then accuses his wife of having an affair. Other changes included the removal of Jake and Joey's father; the reduction of organized crime's role in the story and a major re-write of LaMotta's fight with Tony Janiro.[18][19] They were even responsible for the end sequence where LaMotta is all alone in his dressing room quoting the "I could have been a contender" scene from On the Waterfront.[19] An extract of Richard III had been pondered but Michael Powell thought it would be a bad decision within the context of a film that was American.[8] According to Steven Bach, the first two screenwriters (Mardik Martin and Paul Schrader) would receive credit but since there was no payment to the writer's guild on the script, De Niro and Scorsese's work would remain uncredited.[19]
Casting[edit]
One of Scorsese's trademarks was casting many actors and actresses new to the profession, and this film was no exception.[20] De Niro, who was already committed to play Jake LaMotta, began to help Scorsese track down unfamiliar names to play his on-screen brother, Joey, and wife, Vickie.[21][22] The role of Joey LaMotta was the first to be cast. De Niro was watching a low budget television film called The Death Collector when he saw the part of a young career criminal played by Joe Pesci (then an unknown and struggling actor) as an ideal candidate. Prior to receiving a call from De Niro and Scorsese for the proposal to star in the film, Pesci had not worked in film for four years and was running an Italian restaurant in New Jersey. Pesci initially claimed that it would have to be a good role for him to consider it, and he later accepted the part.
The role of Vickie, Jake's second wife, would have interest across the board, but it was Pesci who suggested the actress, Cathy Moriarty, from a picture he once saw at a New Jersey disco.[22] Both De Niro and Scorsese believed that Moriarty could portray the role after meeting with her on several occasions and noticing her husky voice and physical maturity. The duo had to prove to the Screen Actors Guild that she was right for the role when Cis Corman showed 10 comparing pictures of both Moriarty and the real Vickie LaMotta for proof she had a resemblance.[22] Moriarty was then asked to take a screen test which she managed—partly aided with some improvised lines from De Niro—after some confusion wondering why the crew were filming her take. Joe Pesci also persuaded his former show-biz pal and co-star in The Death Collector, Frank Vincent, to try for the role of Salvy Batts. Following a successful audition and screen test, Vincent received the call to say he had received the part.[23] Charles Scorsese, the director's father, made his film debut as Tommy Como's cousin, Charlie.[23]
While in the midst of practicing a Bronx accent and preparing for his role, De Niro met both LaMotta and his ex-wife, Vikki, on separate occasions. Vikki, who lived in Florida, would tell stories about her life with her former husband and also show old home movies (that would later inspire a similar sequence to be done for the film).[13][24] Jake LaMotta, on the other hand, would serve as his trainer, accompanied by Al Silvani as coach at the Gramercy club in New York, getting him into shape. The actor found that boxing came naturally to him; he entered as a middleweight boxer, winning two of his three fights in a Brooklyn ring dubbed "young LaMotta" by the commentator. According to Jake LaMotta, he felt that De Niro was one of his top 20 best middleweight boxers of all time.[13][22]
Principal photography[edit]



 The filming of the boxing scenes with director, Scorsese (center left, with beard) and the director of photography, Michael Chapman (center right, with white shirt).
According to production mixer, Michael Evje, the film began shooting at the Los Angeles Olympic Auditorium on April 16, 1979. Grips hung huge curtains of black duvetyne on all four sides of the ring area to contain the artificial smoke used extensively for visual effect. On May 7, the production moved to the Culver City Studio, Stage 3, and filmed there until the middle of June. Scorsese made it clear during filming that he did not appreciate the traditional way in films to show fights from the spectators' view.[14] He insisted that one camera operated by the Director of Photography, Michael Chapman, would be placed inside the ring as he would play the role of an opponent keeping out of the way of other fighters so that viewers could see the emotions of the fighters, including those of Jake.[22] The precise moves of the boxers would be done as dance routines from the information of a book about dance instructors in the mode of Arthur Murray. A punching bag which sat in the middle of the ring was used by De Niro between takes before aggressively coming straight on to do the next scene.[22][25] The initial five-week schedule for the shooting of the boxing scenes took longer than expected, putting Scorsese under pressure.[22]
According to Scorsese, production of the film was then closed down for around four months with the entire crew being paid, so De Niro could go on a binge eating trip around Northern Italy and France.[13][25] When he did come back to the United States, his weight increased from 145 to 215 pounds (66 to 97 kg).[22] The scenes with the heftier Jake LaMotta—which include announcing his retirement from boxing and LaMotta ending up in a Florida cell—were completed while approaching Christmas 1979 within seven to eight weeks so as not to aggravate the health issues which were already affecting De Niro's posture, breathing, and talking.[22][25][26]
According to production sound mixer, Michael Evje, Jake's nightclub sequence was filmed in a closed-down San Pedro club on December 3. The jail cell head-banging scene was shot on a constructed set with De Niro asking for minimal crew to be present—there was not even a boom operator.
The final sequence where Jake LaMotta is sitting in front of his mirror was filmed on the last day of shooting taking 19 takes, with only the thirteenth one being used for the film. Scorsese wanted to have an atmosphere that would be so cold that the words would have an impact as he tries to come to terms with his relationship with his brother.[8]
Post-production[edit]
The editing of Raging Bull began when production was temporarily put on hold and was completed in 1980.[25][27] Scorsese worked with the editor, Thelma Schoonmaker, to achieve a final cut of the film. Their main decision was to ditch Schrader's idea of LaMotta's nightclub act intervening with the flashback of his youth and instead just follow along the lines of a single flashback where only scenes of LaMotta practicing his stand-up would be left "bookending" the film.[28] A sound mix arranged by Frank Warner was a delicate process taking six months.[27] According to Scorsese, the sound on Raging Bull was difficult because each punch, camera shot, and flash bulb would be different. Also, there was the issue of trying to balance the quality between scenes featuring dialogue and those involving boxing (which were done in Dolby).[25] Raging Bull went through a test screening in front of a small audience including the chief executives of United Artists, Steven Bach and Andy Albeck. The screening was shown at the MGM screening room in New York around July 1980. Later, Albeck praised Scorsese by calling him a "true artist".[27] According to the producers Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler, matters were made worse when United Artists decided not to distribute the film but no other studios were interested when they attempted to sell the rights.[27] Scorsese made no secret that Raging Bull would be his "Hollywood swan song" and he took unusual care of its rights during post-production.[9] Scorsese threatened to remove his credit from the film if he was not allowed to sort a reel which obscured the name of a whisky brand known as "Cutty Sark" which was heard in a scene. The work was completed only four days shy of the premiere.[29]
Reception[edit]
Box office[edit]
The brew of violence and anger, combined with the lack of a proper advertising campaign, led to the film's lukewarm box office intake of only $23 million, when compared to its $18 million budget. It only earned $10.1 million in theatrical rentals (about $27 million in 2013 dollars).[30] Scorsese became concerned for his future career and worried that producers and studios might refuse to finance his films.[31] According to Box Office Mojo, the film grossed $23,383,987 in domestic theaters.[32]
Critical reception[edit]
Raging Bull first premiered in New York on December 19, 1980 to polarized reviews.[27][28] Jack Kroll of Newsweek called Raging Bull the "best movie of the year"[27] Vincent Canby of The New York Times said that Scorsese "has made his most ambitious film as well as his finest" and went on to praise Moriarty's debut performance as "either she is one of the film finds of the decade or Mr. Scorsese is Svengali. Perhaps both."[31] Time praised De Niro's performance since "much of Raging Bull exists because of the possibilities it offers De Niro to display his own explosive art".[31] Steven Jenkins from the British Film Institute's (BFI) magazine, Monthly Film Journal, said "Raging Bull may prove to be Scorsese's finest achievement to date".[31]
Awards[edit]
Raging Bull was nominated for eight Academy Awards (including Best Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actress, Supporting Actor, Cinematography, Sound (Donald O. Mitchell, Bill Nicholson, David J. Kimball and Les Lazarowitz), and Editing) at the 1980 Academy Awards.[31][33][34] The film won two awards: Best Actor, for De Niro, and Best Film Editing.[31]
The Oscars were held the day after President Ronald Reagan was shot by John Hinckley, Jr., who did it as an attempt to impress Jodie Foster, who played a child prostitute in another of Scorsese's famous films, Taxi Driver.[35] Out of fear of being attacked, Scorsese went to the ceremony with FBI bodyguards disguised as guests who escorted him out before the announcement of the Academy Award for Best Picture was made (the winner being Ordinary People).
The Los Angeles Film Critics Association voted Raging Bull the best film of 1980 and best actor for De Niro. The National Board of Review also voted best actor for De Niro and best supporting actor to Pesci. The Golden Globes awarded another best actor award for De Niro and National Society of Film Critics gave best cinematography to Chapman. The Berlin Film Festival chose Raging Bull to open the festival in 1981.[31]
Legacy[edit]
By the end of the 1980s, Raging Bull had cemented its reputation as a modern classic. It was voted the best film of the 1980s in numerous critics' polls and is regularly pointed to as both Scorsese's best film and one of the finest American films ever made.[36] Several prominent critics, among them Roger Ebert, declared the film to be an instant classic and the consummation of Scorsese's earlier promise. Ebert proclaimed it the best film of the 1980s,[37] and one of the ten greatest films of all time.[38] The film has been deemed "culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant" by the United States Library of Congress and was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 1990.[39] The film currently holds a 98% "Certified Fresh" rating on the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 9.1/10.[40] The similarly themed Metacritic rates the movie 92/100 ("universal acclaim").[41]
Raging Bull was listed by Time magazine as one of the All-TIME 100 Movies.[42] Variety magazine ranked the film number 39 on their list of the 50 greatest movies.[43] Raging Bull was fifth on Entertainment Weekly's list of the 100 Greatest Movies of All Time.[44] The film tied with The Bicycle Thieves and Vertigo at number 6 on Sight & Sound's 2002 poll of the greatest movies ever.[45] When Sight & Sound's directors' and critics' lists are combined, Raging Bull gets the most points of all movies that has been produced since 1974.[46] In 2002, Film4 held a poll of the 100 Greatest Movies, on which Raging Bull was voted in at number 20.[47] Halliwell's Film Guide, a British film guide, placed Raging Bull seventh in a poll naming their selection for the "Top 1,000 Movies".[48] In 2008, Empire magazine held a poll of The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time, taking votes from 10,000 readers, 150 film makers and 50 film critics: Raging Bull was placed at number 11.[49] It was also placed on a similar list of 1000 movies by The New York Times.[50] In 2010, Total Film selected the film as one of The 100 Greatest Movies of All Time.[51] FilmSite.org, a subsidiary of American Movie Classics, placed Raging Bull on their list of the 100 greatest movies.[52] Additionally, Films101.com ranked the film as the 15th best movie of all time (a list of the 9,335 most notable).[53]
American Film Institute recognition[edit]
AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies: #24[54]
AFI's 100 Years... 100 Thrills: #51[55]
AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition): #4[56]
AFI's 10 Top 10: #1 Sports[57]
Soundtrack[edit]
Martin Scorsese decided to assemble a soundtrack made of music that was popular at the time using his personal collection of 78s. With the help of Robbie Robertson the songs were carefully chosen so they would be the ones that one would hear on the radio, at the pool or in bars and clubs reflecting the mood of that particular era.[58][59] Some lyrics from songs would be slipped into some dialogue. The Intermezzo from Cavalleria rusticana by Italian composer Pietro Mascagni would serve as the main theme to Raging Bull after a successful try-out by Scorsese and the editor, Thelma Schoonmaker, over the film's opening titles.[59] Two other Mascagni pieces were used in the film: the Barcarolle from Silvano, and the Intermezzo from Guglielmo Ratcliff.[60] A two-CD soundtrack was released in 2005, long after the film was released, because of earlier difficulties receiving permissions for many of the songs, which Scorsese selected from his childhood memories growing up in New York.
Sequel[edit]
In 2006, Variety reported that Sunset Pictures was developing a sequel entitled Raging Bull II: Continuing the Story of Jake LaMotta, chronicling LaMotta's early life, as told in the sequel novel of the same name.[61] Filming began on June 15, 2012 with William Forsythe as an older LaMotta and Morjean Aria as the younger version (before the events of the first film).[62] The film, directed by Martin Guigui also stars Joe Mantegna, Tom Sizemore, Penelope Ann Miller, Natasha Henstridge, Alicia Witt, Ray Wise, Harry Hamlin, and James Russo as Rocky Graziano.[63][64] In July 2012, MGM, owners of United Artists, filed a lawsuit against LaMotta and the producers of Raging Bull II to keep the new film from being released. The former party argued that they have rights to make any authorized sequel to the original book, which goes back to an agreement LaMotta and co-author Peter Savage made with Chartoff-Winkler, producers of the original film. In addition, MGM argues that the defendants are publicly claiming the film to be a sequel to the original film, which could most likely "tarnish" its predecessor's reputation.[65] In August 2012, the producers retitled the film The Bronx Bull, disassociating itself as a sequel to Raging Bull, and the lawsuit was subsequently dropped.[66]
Notes[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "RAGING BULL (X)". British Board of Film Classification. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
2.Jump up ^ http://www.filmsite.org/ragi3.html
3.Jump up ^ http://www.tcm.com/thismonth/article/?cid=21721&rss=mrqe
4.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g Evans, Mike The Making of Raging Bull 2006 p.177.
5.Jump up ^ Biskind, Peter, Easy Riders, Raging Bulls, 1999, p.254.
6.Jump up ^ Biskind, Peter Easy Riders, Raging Bulls 1998, p.378.
7.Jump up ^ Biskind, Peter, Easy Riders, Raging Bulls, 1998, p.315.
8.^ Jump up to: a b c d Thompson, David and Christie, Ian, Scorsese on Scorsese, pp. 76/77.
9.^ Jump up to: a b Friedman Lawrence S. The Cinema of Martin Scorsese, 1997, p.115.
10.Jump up ^ Phil Villarreal. "Scorsese's 'Raging Bull' is still a knockout", The Arizona Daily Star (Tucson, AZ), February 11, 2005, page E1.
11.Jump up ^ Kelly Jane Torrance. "Martin Scorsese: Telling stories through film", The Washington Times (Washington, D.C.), November 30, 2007, page E1.
12.^ Jump up to: a b Biskind, Peter, Easy Riders, Raging Bulls, 1998, p.389.
13.^ Jump up to: a b c d Total Film, The 100 greatest films of all time, pp. 180–181.
14.^ Jump up to: a b c Thompson, David and Christie, Ian, Scorsese on Scorsese, p.80.
15.Jump up ^ Biskind, Peter Easy Riders, Raging Bulls 1998, p.379.
16.^ Jump up to: a b Biskind, Peter Easy Riders, Raging Bulls pp384-385
17.^ Jump up to: a b c Baxter John De Niro A Biography,pp.186-189.
18.Jump up ^ Biskind, Peter Easy Riders, Raging Bulls , p.390.
19.^ Jump up to: a b c Baxter, John De Niro A Biography, p.193.
20.Jump up ^ Evans, Mike The Making of Raging Bull, p.65.
21.Jump up ^ Evans, Mike The Making of Raging Bull, p.61.
22.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i Baxter, John De Niro A Biography pp196-201
23.^ Jump up to: a b Evans, Mike, The Making of Raging Bull, pp. 65/66.
24.Jump up ^ Baxter, John, De Niro: A Biography, p.192.
25.^ Jump up to: a b c d e Thompson and Christie, Scorsese on Scorsese, pp. 83–84.
26.Jump up ^ Baxter, John, The Making of Raging Bull, p.83.
27.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Biskind, Peter Easy Riders, Raging Bulls, p.399.
28.^ Jump up to: a b Evans, Mike The Making of Raging Bull, p.90.
29.Jump up ^ Baxter, John De Niro A biography, p.204.
30.Jump up ^ Spy (Nov 1988). The Unstoppables. New York, New York: Sussex Publishers, LLC. p. 90. ISBN 0890-1759 Check |isbn= value (help).
31.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g Evans, Mike The Making of Raging Bull pp124-129
32.Jump up ^ "Raging Bull". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2008-10-17.
33.Jump up ^ "The 53rd Academy Awards (1981) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved 2011-10-07.
34.Jump up ^ "Raging Bull - Academy Awards Database". AMPAS. Retrieved 2007-06-28.
35.Jump up ^ "John Hinckley, Jr". ?. Retrieved 2010-12-23.
36.Jump up ^ Walker, John Halliwell's Top 1000, The Ultimate Movie Countdown 2005, p.561.
37.Jump up ^ "Ebert's 10 Best Lists: 1967-present". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
38.Jump up ^ "Roger Ebert's Ten Greatest Films of All Time". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
39.Jump up ^ Gamarekian, Barbara (October 19, 1990). "Library of Congress Adds 25 Titles to National Film Registry". The New York Times. Retrieved July 22, 2009.
40.Jump up ^ "Raging Bull Movie Reviews, Pictures". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
41.Jump up ^ "Raging Bull Movie Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
42.Jump up ^ "Time Magazine's All-Time 100 Movies". Time (Internet Archive). February 12, 2005. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
43.Jump up ^ Thompson, Anne. "Lists: 50 Best Movies of All Time, Again". Variety. Archived from the original on September 15, 2010. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
44.Jump up ^ "Entertainment Weekly's 100 Greatest Movies of All Time". Entertainment Weekly. Published by AMC FilmSite.org. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
45.Jump up ^ "Top Ten Poll 2002 - Directors' Poll". Sight & Sound. British Film Institute. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
46.Jump up ^ http://cinemacom.com/2002-sight-sound.html#list
47.Jump up ^ FilmFour. "Film Four's 100 Greatest Films of All Time". AMC FilmSite.org. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
48.Jump up ^ "Halliwell's Top 1000 Movies". Mindjack Film. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
49.Jump up ^ "Empire's The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time". Empire magazine. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
50.Jump up ^ "The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made". The New York Times. April 29, 2003. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
51.Jump up ^ "Film Features: 100 Greatest Movies of All Time". Total Film. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
52.Jump up ^ "Filmsite's 100 Greatest Films". AMC FilmSite.org. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
53.Jump up ^ "The Best Movies of All Time (9,335 Most Notable)". Films101.com. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
54.Jump up ^ "AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies". American Film Institute. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
55.Jump up ^ "AFI's 100 Years... 100 Thrills". American Film Institute. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
56.Jump up ^ "AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition)". American Film Institute. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
57.Jump up ^ "AFI's 10 Top 10". American Film Institute. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
58.Jump up ^ Thompson, David and Christie, Ian Scorsese on Scorsese p.83.
59.^ Jump up to: a b Evans, Mike The Making of Raging Bull p.88.
60.Jump up ^ "FAQ 9. What is that nice music in Raging Bull?". Mascagni.org. Retrieved 2009-02-26.
61.Jump up ^ Variety: Sunset Pictures in shape
62.Jump up ^ [1]
63.Jump up ^ http://www.ifc.com/fix/2012/06/raging-bull-ii-headed-into-production
64.Jump up ^ [2]
65.Jump up ^ Patten, D. "MGM Files ‘Raging Bull 2′ Lawsuit Against Jake LaMotta & Sequel Producers." Deadline.com (July 3, 2012). Retrieved July 5, 2012.
66.Jump up ^ Patten, Dominic. "MGM Settles ‘Raging Bull II’ Lawsuit With Movie Name Change." Deadline.com (August 1, 2012). Retrieved on August 2, 2012.
References[edit]
Baxter, John (2006) [2002]. De Niro: A Biography. London: HarperCollins Entertaiment. ISBN 9780006532309. OCLC 53460849.
Biskind, Peter (1998). Easy Riders, Raging Bulls. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-684-80996-6.
Evans, Mike (2006). The Making of Raging Bull. London: Unanimous Ltd. ISBN 1-903318-83-1.
Scorsese, Martin (1996). Thompson, Christie; David, Ian, eds. Scorsese on Scorsese (updated ed.). London: Faber & Faber. ISBN 9780571178278. OCLC 35599754.
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Raging Bull
Raging Bull at the Internet Movie Database
Raging Bull at the TCM Movie Database
Raging Bull at FilmSite.org
Raging Bull at Box Office Mojo
Raging Bull at Rotten Tomatoes
Raging Bull at Metacritic
Raging Bull at allmovie


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Rocky (film series)
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Rocky series
Rocky anthology dvd cover.jpg
Rocky Anthology DVD set

Directed by
John G. Avildsen
(Rocky & Rocky V)
Sylvester Stallone
(Rocky II–IV & Rocky Balboa)
Produced by
Robert Chartoff
Irwin Winkler
Written by
Sylvester Stallone
Starring
Sylvester Stallone
Talia Shire
Burt Young
Burgess Meredith
Carl Weathers
Tony Burton
Music by
Bill Conti
(Rocky I–III & V-Balboa)
Vince DiCola (Rocky IV)
Cinematography
James Crabe (Rocky)
Bill Butler (Rocky II–IV)
 Steven B. Poster (Rocky V)
J. Clark Mathis (Rocky Balboa)
Editing by
Richard Halsey
 Scott Conrad (Rocky)
 Stanford C. Allen
 Janice Hampton (Rocky II)
 Don Zimmerman (Rocky III–IV)
 Mark Warner (Rocky III)
 John W. Wheeler (Rocky IV)
 John G. Avildsen
 Robert A. Ferretti
 Michael N. Knue (Rocky V)
 Sean Albertson (Rocky Balboa)
Distributed by
United Artists
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
United International Pictures
Release dates
1976–2006
Running time
639 minutes
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
$109.8 million
Box office
$1,126,271,447
Rocky is a boxing saga of popular films all written by and starring Sylvester Stallone, who plays the character Rocky Balboa. The films are, by order of release date: Rocky (1976), Rocky II (1979), Rocky III (1982), Rocky IV (1985), Rocky V (1990) and Rocky Balboa (2006). The film series has grossed more than US$1 billion at the worldwide box office.
The original film and the fifth installment were directed by John G. Avildsen, while Stallone directed all of the others.


Contents  [hide]
1 Film summaries 1.1 Rocky
1.2 Rocky II
1.3 Rocky III
1.4 Rocky IV
1.5 Rocky V
1.6 Rocky Balboa
1.7 Creed
2 Major characters
3 Box office
4 Reception
5 Accolades
6 References

Film summaries[edit]
Rocky[edit]
Main article: Rocky
Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) is a small-time boxer who seems to be going nowhere in life, as he works day-in and day-out as a collector for a loan shark and fights in sleazy clubs for low-paid reward, to which Rocky is mocked and told that he's nothing but a 'bum', especially by gym trainer Mickey Goldmill (Burgess Meredith). At the same time, Rocky unsuccessfully courts Adrian Pennino (Talia Shire), a painfully shy woman with an alcoholic brother, Paulie (Burt Young). But when heavyweight champion of the world Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) chooses Rocky at random as his opponent in a title fight, Rocky realizes he now has the chance to prove he is not worthless. With Adrian as his support and Mickey becoming his trainer and manager, Rocky fights for his self-respect.
Rocky II[edit]
Main article: Rocky II
Soon after proving himself, even with a split decision loss to Apollo Creed, Rocky expects the good life to follow. He marries Adrian and begins spending the money he earned from the match. But after he fails at both endorsements and a series of low-wage jobs, Rocky realizes the only way he can survive is to begin boxing again. Creed, on the other hand, faces criticism from fans to overcome the fight. As a result, he taunts Rocky through publicity into a rematch, for which Rocky trains once again with Mickey. In the fifteenth round, Rocky knocks Creed to the ground, falling to the ground himself in the process. Both fighters struggle to get to their feet, but only Rocky is successful. For the first time, Rocky is declared the Heavyweight Champion of the World.
Rocky III[edit]
Main article: Rocky III
After winning the heavyweight title, Rocky takes advantage of his newfound wealth and fame, appearing in multiple advertisements & television programs, and relishing his new celebrity. After defending the title multiple times, he is prepared to retire, but the No. 1 contender, James "Clubber" Lang (played by Mr. T), challenges Rocky publicly. Rocky, after dealing with Mickey's heart attack before the fight, is overpowered by the stronger, hungrier Lang and is knocked out in the second round. Mickey passes away after the fight, and old rival Apollo Creed steps in, training Rocky to fight more in Creed's old style (and in his old Los Angeles gym) and use more guile and skill. In the rematch, Rocky outboxes Lang, tiring the stronger fighter out and eventually knocking him out in the third round. After the fight, Apollo calls in his "favor" for training Rocky, which is a one-on-one match between the two of them with no cameras, no media, just man vs. man in the gym. The film ends as they each throw their first punch.
Rocky IV[edit]
Main article: Rocky IV
After winning back the title from Clubber Lang, Rocky decides to spend some time with his family. However, destiny has some new plans for him which doesn't allow him to leave the ring. A new fighter from the USSR, Ivan Drago (played by Dolph Lundgren) has emerged, and challenges Rocky to an exhibition match. Apollo fights instead, and the beating he takes from Drago ends with him dying in Rocky's arms, still in the ring, as Drago coldly watches. To avenge Apollo, Rocky challenges Drago to a rematch, which is to be held Christmas Day in Moscow. In a montage replete with symbolism, Rocky is shown training in a remote cabin in Siberia with the help of Creed's old trainer Duke, his brother-in-law Paulie and (eventually) Adrian, doing exercises such as chopping wood, lifting rocks, running in the snow and climbing a mountain filled with snow, while Drago is seen in an ultratechnological training facility running on treadmills, utilizing weightlifting machines, and to boost his strength he has been injecting steroids. During the fight itself, Rocky takes the worst beating of his life, but refuses to fall, eventually winning over the foreign crowd with his display of courage and determination, and knocks Drago out with seconds left in the final round.
Rocky V[edit]
Main article: Rocky V
In the aftermath of his fight with Ivan Drago, Rocky Balboa is diagnosed with brain damage and is forced to retire from the ring. As if that isn't bad enough, the Balboa fortune is all gone due to an unscrupulous accountant. Rocky's family returns to their old neighborhood: Adrian returns to the pet store she used to work at, while, in a subplot, Rocky (Robert) Jr. (played by Sylvester Stallone's real son) deals with bullying at his school and Rocky re-opens Mickey's old gym. While training other boxers, Rocky meets a young, hungry boxer named Tommy Gunn (played by real-life fighter Tommy Morrison) and begins training him which results in a strained relationship with Robert. Unfortunately, as Tommy begins his rise to fame under Rocky's wing, a sleazy fight promoter named George Washington Duke convinces Tommy that Rocky is holding him back, and Tommy throws over Rocky for Duke. After Tommy wins the heavyweight championship, he makes a short speech thanking Duke, and is met with jeers and the familiar chant of "Rocky" from the crowd. Seething from this insult, as well as being called by publicists as "Rocky's Robot", Tommy decides to seek out his former mentor for a final showdown. Rocky starts to walk away from the public challenge, but Paulie decides to let Tommy have a piece of his mind about how Tommy has treated Rocky – after which Tommy punches Paulie. Rocky then challenges Tommy outside. The two proceed in a violent bare-knuckle street brawl, which Rocky wins. Rocky then proceeds to punch Duke for being harassed by him. In the end, Rocky and Robert reconcile as they run up the steps as father and son.
Rocky Balboa[edit]
Main article: Rocky Balboa (film)
In Rocky Balboa, sixteen years have passed since his final fight with his former protégé, Tommy "The Machine" Gunn. Long retired Rocky Balboa still staggers around an ever-changing world; his son is grown and distant, Paulie is working back at the meat plant, and Rocky's wife Adrian has died. Rocky has opened a restaurant, named after his wife, which he stocks with mementos of his prime as he tells his old fight stories to the customers. But when a computer simulated fight on ESPN depicting a bout between a young Rocky Balboa and the current champion, Mason Dixon (Antonio Tarver) reignites interest in the faded boxer, Rocky discovers he has not lost his fighting spirit and considers an opportunity to prove himself in the ring again. Rocky does a great job fighting, and almost wins but loses to a split decision just like the first movie. Rocky is last seen visiting his wife's grave saying "Yo Adrian, we did it".
Creed[edit]
On July 24, 2013, it was announced that MGM has offered Fruitvale Station director Ryan Coogler to direct a spinoff of Rocky. The film will focus on a man following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Apollo Creed, and getting a mentor in the now-retired Rocky Balboa. Michael B. Jordan has been offered the role of Creed's grandson, and Stallone will reprise his character of Rocky, in a script co-written by Coogler and Aaron Covington.[1]
Major characters[edit]

Character
Film

Rocky
Rocky II
Rocky III
Rocky IV
Rocky V
Rocky Balboa
Rocky Balboa Sylvester Stallone
Paulie Pennino Burt Young
Tony "Duke" Evers Tony Burton
Adrian Balboa Talia Shire
Mickey Goldmill Burgess Meredith
Robert Balboa Jr.  Seargeoh Stallone Ian Fried Rocky Krakoff (Seargeoh Stallone) Sage Stallone Milo Ventimiglia (Seargeoh Stallone)
Apollo Creed Carl Weathers 
Clubber Lang  Mr. T
Ivan Drago  Dolph Lundgren
Tommy Gunn  Tommy Morrison 
Mason "The Line" Dixon  Antonio Tarver
Italics indicate appearances in flashback via archive footage from previous films (for Rocky V, flashback scenes with Mickey were newly filmed with Burgess Meredith)
  A dark grey cell indicates the character was not in the film
Box office[edit]

Film
Release date
Box office revenue[2]

United States
Foreign
Worldwide

Rocky November 21, 1976 $117,235,147 $107,764,853 $225,000,000
Rocky II June 15, 1979 $85,182,160 $115,000,000 $200,182,160
Rocky III May 28, 1982 $125,049,125 Unknown $270,000,000[3]
Rocky IV November 27, 1985 $127,873,716 $172,500,000 $300,373,716
Rocky V November 16, 1990 $40,946,358 $79,000,000 $119,946,358
Rocky Balboa December 20, 2006 $70,269,899 $85,450,189 $155,720,088

Totals
Films 1–6
$566,556,405
$559,715,042
$1,271,222,322

Reception[edit]
Ratings collected from film review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes.

Film
Year
Rating
Rocky 1976 91%[4]
Rocky II 1979 71%[5]
Rocky III 1982 60%[6]
Rocky IV 1985 44%[7]
Rocky V 1990 27%[8]
Rocky Balboa 2006 76%[9]
Average Rating
61%

Accolades[edit]
 December 7, 2010, Sylvester Stallone was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame and Museum, for paying tribute to boxers in writing and creating the underdog character of Rocky.[10]
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (July 24, 2013). "'Fruitvale Station' Duo Ryan Coogler And Michael B. Jordan Team With Sly Stallone on MGM 'Rocky' Spinoff 'Creed'". Deadline Hollywood.
2.Jump up ^ "Box Office History for Rocky Movies". The Numbers. Nash Information Services. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
3.Jump up ^ Scott, Vernon (November 12, 1982). "Stallone found new life in new film". The Bulletin (Bend, Oregon). Retrieved July 4, 2012.
4.Jump up ^ "Rating for ''Rocky''". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2011-04-13.
5.Jump up ^ "Rating for ''Rocky II''". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2011-04-13.
6.Jump up ^ "Rating for ''Rocky III''". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2011-04-13.
7.Jump up ^ "Rating for ''Rocky IV''". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2011-04-13.
8.Jump up ^ "Rating for ''Rocky V''". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2011-04-13.
9.Jump up ^ "Rating for ''Rocky Balboa". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2011-04-13.
10.Jump up ^ Webmaster. "Stallone Inducted into Boxing Hall of Fame". SylvesterStallone.com. Retrieved April 6, 2012.


[hide]
v ·
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Rocky franchise



Rocky Rocky II Rocky III Rocky IV Rocky V Rocky Balboa


"Gonna Fly Now"
 
Game
 "Eye of the Tiger"

Soundtrack
 "Living in America"
 "Burning Heart"
Anderson v. Stallone

Soundtrack

Game



Characters
Rocky Balboa ·
 Mickey Goldmill ·
 Apollo Creed ·
 Ivan Drago ·
 Tony "Duke" Evers
 

Stage
Rocky the Musical (2012)
 

Video games
Rocky (1987) ·
 Rocky (2002) ·
 Rocky Legends (2004)
 

Music
Rocky Balboa: The Best of Rocky
 

Miscellaneous
Anderson v. Stallone ·
 Rocky Steps ·
 Rocky VI (1986)
 

 


Categories: English-language films
United Artists films
Boxing films
Rocky
Film series




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Rocky
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For the series, see Rocky (film series). For other uses, see Rocky (disambiguation).

Rocky
Rocky poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster

Directed by
John G. Avildsen
Produced by
Robert Chartoff
Irwin Winkler
Written by
Sylvester Stallone
Starring
Sylvester Stallone
Talia Shire
Burt Young
Carl Weathers
Burgess Meredith
Music by
Bill Conti
Cinematography
James Crabe
Editing by
Richard Halsey
 Scott Conrad
Distributed by
United Artists
Release dates
November 21, 1976 (New York City premiere)
December 3, 1976 (US)

Running time
119 minutes
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
$1,075,000
Box office
$225,000,000
Rocky is a 1976 American sports film directed by John G. Avildsen and both 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 later gets a shot at the world heavyweight championship. It 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 just over $1 million and shot in 28 days, was a sleeper hit; it earned $225 million in global box office receipts becoming the highest grossing film of 1976 and went on to win three Oscars, including Best Picture. The film received many positive reviews and turned Stallone into a major star.[1] It spawned five sequels: Rocky II, III, IV, V and Rocky Balboa, all written by and starring Stallone, who also directed all sequels except for Rocky V (which was directed again by Avildsen).


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast 2.1 Cameo appearances
3 Production 3.1 Stallone's inspiration 3.1.1 Rocky Steps

4 Critical reception 4.1 Academy Awards – 1976
5 Home video release history
6 Other media 6.1 Soundtrack 6.1.1 Chart positions
6.2 Novelization
6.3 Video games
6.4 Theatre
7 Notes
8 External links

Plot[edit]
On November 25, 1975, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) is introduced as a small-time boxer and collector for a loan shark named Anthony Gazzo (Joe Spinell) and is living in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia. The World Heavyweight Championship bout, with undefeated heavyweight champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) defending against Mac Lee Green, is scheduled to take place at the Philadelphia Spectrum on New Year's Day 1976, the year of the United States Bicentennial. When Green drops out because of an injured hand, Creed and his entourage are stymied on what to do. Other contenders say there is not enough time to get into shape.
Creed comes up with the idea of giving a local underdog a shot at the title and, because he likes Rocky's nickname "The Italian Stallion," he selects the relatively unknown fighter. He puts it in lights by proclaiming "Apollo Creed Meets The Italian Stallion." The fight promoter George Jergens (Thayer David) says the decision is "very American"; but Creed says, rather, that it is "very smart."
To prepare for the fight Rocky trains with a 1920s-era ex-bantamweight fighter and gym owner, Mickey Goldmill (Burgess Meredith). Mickey always considered Rocky's potential to be better than his effort—telling him he had heart but also calling him a "tomato" and "leg breaker for some cheap second-rate loan shark" among other endearments, and putting Rocky out of his gym locker preceding the "freak luck" opportunity that comes Rocky's way, and Rocky is initially skeptical of Mickey's motives and timing for wanting to train Rocky for the big fight. Rocky's good friend Paulie (Burt Young), a meat-packing-plant worker, lets him practice his punches on the carcasses hanging in the freezers.
Rocky courts and eventually dates Paulie's shy, quiet sister, Adrian (Talia Shire), who works as a clerk in a local pet store. He draws Adrian out of her shell and, as Rocky's girlfriend, she begins to gain in confidence. The night before the fight, Rocky confides to Adrian that he does not expect to beat Creed, and that all he wants is to go the distance because no one had ever gone the distance with Creed.
On New Year's Day, the climactic boxing match begins. Apollo Creed does not initially take the fight seriously, and Rocky unexpectedly knocks him down in the first round (no fighter had yet floored Creed during Creed's professional career), embarrassing Creed, and the match turns intense. The fight indeed lasts 15 rounds, with both fighters sustaining many injuries; Rocky suffers his first broken nose and debilitating trauma around the eye, and Creed sustains brutal blows to his ribs with substantial internal bleeding. As the match progresses, Creed's superior skill is countered by Rocky's apparently unlimited ability to absorb punishment, and his dogged refusal to be knocked out. 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, multiple layers of drama are played out: sportscasters and audience are going wild; the promoter/ring announcer George Jergens announces over the loudspeaker that the match was "the greatest exhibition of guts and stamina in the history of the ring"; Rocky calls out repeatedly for Adrian, who runs down and comes into the ring as Paulie distracts the security personnel. As Jergens declares Apollo Creed the winner 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 result of the fight.
Cast[edit]
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; a shy and quiet pet store clerk who falls in love with Rocky and supports him through his training
Burt Young as Paulie Pennino, Adrian'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 the heavyweight champion (the character was influenced by the outspoken boxing great Muhammad Ali)[2]
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 Spinell as Tony Gazzo, loan shark and Rocky's employer
Tony Burton as Tony "Duke" Evers, Apollo Creed's manager and trainer (Burton's role became more prominent in later Rocky films)
Cameo appearances[edit]
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.[3]
Due to the film's comparatively 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 stills photographer.[4] 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 Rocky series, though he is not given an official name until Rocky II. Though uncredited, Michael Dorn made his acting debut as Creed's bodyguard.[5]
Production[edit]
United Artists liked Stallone's script, and viewed it as a possible vehicle for a well-established star such as Robert Redford, Ryan O'Neal, Burt 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's and Robert 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 with Muhammad Ali, upon whom Creed was loosely based. According to The Rocky Scrapbook, Carrie 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]
Inventor/operator Garrett Brown's new Steadicam was used to accomplish smooth photography while running alongside Rocky during the film's Philadelphia street jogging/training sequences and the run up the Art Museum's flight of stairs.[7] 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 it was actually the third, after Bound for Glory and Marathon Man.[8])
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, the opposite injuries of what their characters had.[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 (Carl Weathers would, ironically, wear white-striped red shorts for the Creed-Balboa rematch in Rocky II). 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.
The production budget for Rocky was $1,075,000, with a further $100,000 spent on producer's fees and $4.2 million of advertising costs.[9] It eventually earned worldwide box-office receipts exceeding $225 million with $117 million coming from North America.[10]
Stallone's inspiration[edit]
The film draws inspiration from the careers of at least three boxers; the character's name and ethnicity harken to Rocky Marciano.
The main plot of the film is based on the famous fight between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner at Richfield Coliseum in Richfield, Ohio on March 24, 1975. 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."[citation needed]
The Philadelphia setting and details of training (including using sides of beef) come from the life of Joe Frazier.
Rocky Steps[edit]
Main article: Rocky Steps



Philadelphia Museum of Art.


 The statue, situated just northeast of the steps.
The famous scene of Rocky running up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art has 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 Director Dick Doran claimed that Stallone and Rocky had done more for the city's image than "anyone since Ben Franklin."[11]
Differing opinions of the statue and its placement led to a relocation to the sidewalk outside the 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 (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.[11]
The scene is frequently parodied in the media. In 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. Also in The Nutty Professor, there is a scene where Eddie Murphy is running up the stairs and throwing punches at the top.
In 2006, E! named the "Rocky Steps" scene #13 in its 101 Most Awesome Moments in Entertainment.[12]
During the 1996 Summer Olympics torch relay, Philadelphia native Dawn Staley was chosen to run up the museum steps. In 2004, Presidential candidate John Kerry ended his pre-convention campaign at the foot of the steps before going to Boston to accept his party's nomination for President.[13]
Critical reception[edit]
Rocky received mixed to positive reviews at the time of its release. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave it 4 out of 4 stars and said that Stallone reminded him of "the young Marlon Brando.[14] " Box Office Magazine claimed that audiences would be "touting Sylvester 'Sly' Stallone as a new star".[15][16] The film, however, did not escape criticism. Vincent Canby, of The New York Times, called it "pure '30s make believe" and dismissed both Stallone's acting and Avildsen's directing, calling the latter "none too decisive".[17] Frank Rich liked the film, calling it "almost 100 per cent schmaltz," but favoring it over the cynicism that was prevalent in movies at that time, although he referred to the plot as "gimmicky" and the script "heavy-handed". He attributed all of the film's weaknesses to Avildsen, describing him as responsible for some of the "most tawdry movies of recent years", and who "has an instinct for making serious emotions look tawdry" and said of 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 of fairy tales, it strains logic." Rich also criticised the film's "stupid song with couplets like 'feeling strong now/won't be long now.'"[18]
Several reviews, including Richard Eder's (as well as Canby's negative review), compared the work to that of Frank Capra. Andrew 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 mystifying" and his character "all rough" as opposed to "a diamond in the rough" like Terry Malloy.[19]
More than 30 years later, the film enjoys a reputation as a classic and still receives positive reviews; Rocky holds a 92% "Certified Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus stating: "This story of a down-on-his-luck boxer is thoroughly predictable, but Sylvester Stallone's script and stunning performance in the title role brush aside complaints."[20] Another positive online review came from the BBC Films website, with both reviewer Almar Haflidason and BBC online users giving it 5/5 stars.[21] In Steven J. Schneider's 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, Schneider says the film is "often overlooked as schmaltz."[22]
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".[23][24]
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, after Raging Bull.[25][26]
In 2008, Rocky was chosen by Empire magazine as one of The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time.[27]
Academy Awards – 1976[edit]
Rocky received ten Academy Awards nominations in nine categories, winning three:[28]

Award
Result
Nominee
Best Picture Won Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler
Best Director Won John G. Avildsen
Best Actor Nominated Sylvester Stallone
Best Actress Nominated Talia Shire
Best Original Screenplay Nominated Sylvester Stallone
Best Supporting Actor Nominated Burgess Meredith
Best Supporting Actor Nominated Burt Young
Best Film Editing Won Richard Halsey and Scott Conrad
Best Music (Original Song) for "Gonna Fly Now" Nominated Bill Conti
Carol Connors
Ayn Robbins
Best Sound Mixing Nominated Harry Warren Tetrick (posthumous)
William McCaughey
Lyle J. Burbridge
Bud Alper
Rocky has also appeared on several of the American Film Institute's 100 Years lists.
AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies (1998) - #78.[29]
AFI's 100 Years... 100 Thrills (2001) - #52
AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions (2002) - Nominated
AFI's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains (2003) Rocky Balboa - #7 Hero.[30]
AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs (2004) "Gonna Fly Now" - #58
AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes (2005) "Yo, Adrian!" - #80.[31]
AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores (2005) - Nominated
AFI's 100 Years... 100 Cheers (2006) - #4.[32]
AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) (2007) - #57
AFI's 10 Top 10 (2008) - #2 Sports Film
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]
Home video release history[edit]
1979 – First telecast on American Television (CBS-TV)
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)
2001 (VHS, 25th anniversary edition)
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 Fox and was also packed with the Rocky Anthology box set and the Blu-ray 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.[34])
Other media[edit]
Soundtrack[edit]

Rocky

Soundtrack album by Bill Conti

Released
October 14, 1976
Genre
Pop, Philly soul
Label
United Artists Records
Capitol Records (reissue)

Singles from Rocky
1."Gonna Fly Now"
 Released: February 28, 1977

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's soundtrack was composed by Bill Conti. The main theme song, "Gonna Fly Now", made it to number one on the Billboard magazine's 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.[35][36] The complete soundtrack was re-released in 1988 by EMI on CD and cassette.[37] Conti was also the composer for Rockys: II, III, V, and Rocky Balboa.[38]
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 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.[39]
Chart positions[edit]

Chart (1977)
Peak
 position

US Billboard 200[40] 4
US Top R&B Albums (Billboard)[40] 32

Novelization[edit]
A paperback novelization of the screenplay was written by Rosalyn Drexler and published by Ballantine Books in 1976.[41]
Video games[edit]
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 GameCube, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation 2, and Xbox, and a sequel, Rocky Legends, was released in 2004 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. In 2007, a video game called Rocky Balboa was 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".[42]
Theatre[edit]
See also: Rocky the Musical
A musical has been written by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens (lyrics and music) with the book by Thomas Meehan based on the film. The musical premiered in Hamburg, Germany in October 2012 and will begin performances at the Winter Garden Theater on Broadway on February 11, 2014 and will officially open on March 13, 2014.[43][44][45]
Notes[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "Inside the Actors Studio with Sylvester Stallone". Retrieved 28 September 2006.
2.Jump up ^ "Cast and Crew bios for Rocky". Retrieved 15 November 2006.
3.Jump up ^ McRae, Donald (11 November 2008). "Still smokin' over Ali but there's no time for hatred now". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 3 October 2010.
4.Jump up ^ "Czack, Sasha". Internet Movie Database.
5.Jump up ^ "Star Trek Database - Dorn, Michael". Star Trek Database. CBS Entertainment. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
6.Jump up ^ Nashawaty, Chris (2002-02-19). "EW: The Right Hook: How Rocky Nabbed Best Picture". Entertainment Weekly.
7.Jump up ^ "Stairway to Heaven". DGA. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
8.Jump up ^ "Steadicam 30th anniversary press release".
9.Jump up ^ Block, Alex Ben; Wilson, Lucy Autrey, eds. (2010). George Lucas's Blockbusting: A Decade-By-Decade Survey of Timeless Movies Including Untold Secrets of Their Financial and Cultural Success. HarperCollins. p. 583. ISBN 9780061778896. "The budget was $1,075,000 plus producer's fees of $100,000 ... The advertising costs were $4.2 million, slightly higher than the $4 million UA spent on ads for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest in 1975."
10.Jump up ^ Hall, Sheldon; Neale, Stephen (2010). Epics, spectacles, and blockbusters: a Hollywood history. Wayne State University Press. p. 214. ISBN 978-0-8143-3008-1. "Rocky was the "sleeper of the decade". Produced by UA and costing just under $1 million, it went on to earn a box-office gross of $117,235,247 in the United States and $225 million worldwide."
11.^ Jump up to: a b "Rocky Statue". Retrieved 2006-09-23.
12.Jump up ^ "E! Channel's 101 Most Awesome Moments in Entertainment". Retrieved 23 September 2006.
13.Jump up ^ "Philly.com". Retrieved 2006-11-16.[dead link]
14.Jump up ^ "Roger Ebert Rocky Review". Chicago Sun-Times. 1977-01-01. Retrieved 2006-09-23.
15.Jump up ^ "Box Office Magazine Rocky Review". 1976-11-22. Retrieved 2006-09-23.[dead link]
16.Jump up ^ "Arizona Daily Star Review". Retrieved 2006-11-14.
17.Jump up ^ Dargis, Manohla (November 22, 1976). "Vincent Canby Rocky Review for New York Times". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 September 2006.
18.Jump up ^ Frank Rich. The New York Post November 22, 1976. p. 18
19.Jump up ^ The Village Voice November 22, 1976, p.61
20.Jump up ^ "Rocky @ Rotten Tomatoes". Retrieved 2007-01-06.
21.Jump up ^ "Rocky @ BBC Films". Retrieved 2006-11-14.
22.Jump up ^ Schneider, Stephen Jay; Garrett Chaffin-Quiray (review) (2005). 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (Revised Edition). London, England: New Burlington Books. p. 615.
23.Jump up ^ "Librarian Adds 25 Titles to Film Preservation List: National Film Registry 2006". Library of Congress.gov. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
24.Jump up ^ "Rocky, Fargo join National Film Registry". reuters.com. 2006-12-28. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
25.Jump up ^ "AFI Crowns Top 10 Films in 10 Classic Genres". ComingSoon.net. 2008-06-17. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
26.Jump up ^ "Top 10 Sports". American Film Institute. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
27.Jump up ^ "Empire's The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time". Empire Magazine. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
28.Jump up ^ "The 49th Academy Awards (1977) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved 2011-10-04.
29.Jump up ^ "AFI 100 Years". 1998. Archived from the original on 2006-08-21. Retrieved 2006-08-24.
30.Jump up ^ "AFI 100 Heroes and Villains". Archived from the original on 2006-10-04. Retrieved 2006-10-11.
31.Jump up ^ "AFI 100 Quotes". 2005. Archived from the original on 2006-09-06. Retrieved 2006-09-29.
32.Jump up ^ "AFI 100 Cheers". June 14, 2006. Archived from the original on 2006-08-20. Retrieved 2006-08-24.
33.Jump up ^ Writers Guild of America, West. "The 101 Best Screenplays". Retrieved 2006-08-24.
34.Jump up ^ "MGM Preparing Rocky Collection on Blu-ray". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
35.Jump up ^ "Popculturemadness.com list of 1977 number ones, based on Billboards lists". 1977-07-08. Retrieved 2006-10-14.
36.Jump up ^ "AFI 100 songs". 2004-06-22. Retrieved 2006-10-14.[dead link]
37.Jump up ^ "Billboard.com — Rocky Soundtrack". Archived from the original on 2007-05-28. Retrieved 2006-10-14.
38.Jump up ^ "Bill Conti @ IMDb". Retrieved 2006-10-14.
39.Jump up ^ Liner notes of the Conquistador album
40.^ Jump up to: a b Rocky (Original Motion Picture Score) - Bill Conti - Awards. Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Accessed on August 9, 2013.
41.Jump up ^ "Rocky (Book, 1976)". WorldCat.org. Retrieved 2012-06-29.
42.Jump up ^ Rocky at World of Spectrum
43.Jump up ^ Jones, Kenneth. "Rocky the Musical Makes World Premiere in Germany Nov. 18; American Drew Sarich Stars" November 18, 2012
44.Jump up ^ Hetrick, Adam "Rocky the Musical Will Play Broadway's Winter Garden Theatre in 2014" April 28, 2013
45.Jump up ^ Official: ROCKY to Open at Winter Garden Theatre on 3/13; Previews Begin 2/11 Broadway World, Retrieved September 22, 2013
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Rocky
Official anthology site
Rocky at the Internet Movie Database
Rocky at the TCM Movie Database
Rocky at allmovie
Rocky at Box Office Mojo
Rocky at Rotten Tomatoes
Rocky @ at the Sports Movie Guide
ESPN.com Page2 Articles: Reel Life Rocky by Jeff Merron
The Making of Rocky by Sylvester Stallone
A Movie of Blood, Spit and Tears by Royce Webb
Six Little Known Truths about Rocky by Ralph Wiley
Which Rocky is the real champ? by Bill Simmons



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Rocky II
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search


Rocky II
Rocky ii poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster

Directed by
Sylvester Stallone
Produced by
Robert Chartoff
Irwin Winkler
Written by
Sylvester Stallone
Starring
Sylvester Stallone
Talia Shire
Burt Young
Carl Weathers
Burgess Meredith
Music by
Bill Conti
Cinematography
Bill Butler
Editing by
Stanford C. Allen
 Janice Hampton
Distributed by
United Artists
Release dates
June 15, 1979

Running time
119 minutes
Country
United States
Budget
$7 million
Box office
$200,182,160[1]
Rocky II is a 1979 American film written and directed by and starring Sylvester Stallone, that is the sequel to Rocky, a motion picture in which an unknown boxer had been given a chance to go fight the World Heavyweight Champion, and was the last installment of the Rocky franchise to be distributed solely by United Artists, following their merger with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1981. Stallone, Carl Weathers, Tony Burton, Burgess Meredith, Burt Young and Talia Shire reprised their original roles. The Ring Magazine heavyweight championship belt makes its first appearance in the series. The film is followed by Rocky III, released on May 28, 1982.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production 3.1 Music 3.1.1 Chart positions

4 Reaction 4.1 Critical response
4.2 Box office
5 Other media 5.1 Novelization
6 References
7 External links

Plot[edit]
In 1976, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) successfully defends his world heavyweight title courtesy of a split decision. Both fighters are taken to the same hospital due to the extent of their injuries from the match, where Apollo challenges Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) to a rematch in front of press. Rocky declines and declares his retirement, his decision supported by his girlfriend, Adrian (Talia Shire), and doctors, who reveal he will require surgery for a detached retina which could lead to permanent blindness. After Rocky is discharged from the hospital, he begins to enjoy the benefits of his life's changes resulting from the match: Rocky's new fame attracts him an agent who sees Rocky as a potential endorsement and sponsorship goldmine and his sudden wealth encourages him to propose to Adrian. She happily accepts and they marry in a small ceremony. Soon after, Rocky and Adrian happily learn that Adrian is pregnant with their first child.
Meanwhile, fueled by hate mail he has started to receive, Apollo becomes obsessed with the idea that a rematch is the only way to prove that Rocky's performance was simply a fluke. Determined to rectify his boxing career's only blemish, Apollo ignores all pleas by his friends and family to move on to other potential opponents and demands his team do whatever necessary to goad Rocky out of retirement and into a rematch.
Rocky at first seems unaffected by Apollo's smear campaign, but his inexperience with money causes him to run into financial problems. After largely unsuccessful attempts to find employment, Rocky visits Mickey Goldmill (Burgess Meredith), his trainer and manager, at his gym to talk about the possibility of returning to the ring. At first, Mickey refuses, worried about Rocky's health, but changes his mind after Apollo publicly insults Rocky on television. Adrian confronts Rocky about the danger of returning to fighting and reminds him of the risk to his eyesight. Rocky argues he knows nothing else so this is the only way he can provide. Adrian, angry at Rocky for breaking his promise, refuses to support him.
Rocky and Mickey begin training, but it soon becomes apparent Rocky is not focused on the job at hand due to Adrian's disapproval. Adrian's brother, Paulie (Burt Young), confronts his sister about not supporting her husband, but she faints during the confrontation and is rushed to the hospital where she goes into labor. Despite being premature, the baby is healthy but Adrian falls into a coma. Rocky blames himself for what has happened and refuses to leave Adrian's bedside until she wakes up, and will not go to see his new baby until they can see it together. When Adrian comes out of her coma, she finds Rocky by her bedside and the couple are shown their new baby, a boy, which they name after Rocky. Adrian gives her blessing to the rematch which enables Rocky to refocus on his training and he quickly gets into shape for the fight.
The night of the fight arrives and Apollo has made a public goal of beating Rocky in no more than two rounds to prove the first fight going the full 15 rounds was a fluke. Rocky, fighting right-handed to protect his eye instead of his natural southpaw, is not able to mount much of an offensive effort through the first two rounds but manages to survive them disproving Apollo's theory that the first fight's result was a fluke. As before, the fight once again reaches the 15th round, by which point Apollo has built a lead on points that Rocky cannot possibly beat. However, Apollo's obsession with knocking Rocky out (against the advice of his corner men) leads him to trade blows with Rocky despite his lead. In the final round, Rocky, fighting left-handed once again, lands a devastating blow on Apollo that knocks the champ down, but an exhausted Rocky loses his balance and falls to the canvas as well. Rocky manages to stand up before the referee counts to ten, while Apollo is counted out. Rocky thus wins the fight by knockout and becomes the heavyweight champion of the world. In his post-fight announcement Rocky, who has won back the respect of his fans and his wife Adrian, humbly thanks Apollo.
Cast[edit]
Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa
Talia Shire as Adrianna "Adrian" Pennino-Balboa
Burgess Meredith as Mickey Goldmill
Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed
Burt Young as Paulie Pennino
Tony Burton as Tony 'Duke' Evers (Apollo's Trainer)
Joe Spinell as Anthony "Tony" Gazzo
Leonard Gaines as Agent
Sylvia Meals as Mary Anne Creed
Frank McRae as Meat Foreman
Al Silvani as Cutter
John Pleshette as Director
Stu Nahan as Announcer
Bill Baldwin as Commentator
Jerry Ziesmer as Salesman
Paul Micale as Father Carmine (as Paul J. Micale)
Earl Montgomery as Employment Manager
Herb Nanas as Employment Manager
Stuart K. Robinson as Johnny (as Stuart Robinson)
Frank Stallone as Singer
Charles "Honi" Coles as Singer (as Charles Coles)
Doug Flor as Singer
Robert Kondyra as Singer
James Zazzarino as Singer
Eddie 'El Annimal' Lopez as Fighter (as Eddie Lopez)
Taurean Blacque as Lawyer
James J. Casino as Chink's Manager (as James Casino)
Shaka Cumbuka as Cornerman
Samuel Davis as Apollo's Bodyguard
Roberto Durán as Fighter (as Roberto Durán)
Lou Fillipo as Referee (as Lou Filippo)
Ruth Ann Flynn as Jewelry Sales Lady
Linda Grey as Agent
Grainger Hines as Emergency Room Aide
Garrie Kelly as White Hunter
Ava Lazar as White Hunter
Joseph Letizia as Car Salesman
René Le Vant as Young Lugger (as Rene Le Vant)
Tawny Little as Reporter
Paul McCrane as Young Patient
Sonny Melendrez as Reporter
Tony Munafo as Boxer
Brent Musburger as Reporter (CBS Sports commentator)
Ed Ness as Timekeeper
Fred Pinkard as Lawyer
Jane Marla Robbins as Gloria
Hank Rolike as Cornerman
David L. Ross as Reporter (as David Ross)
Fran Ryan as Adrian's Nurse
Whitney Rydbeck as Sound Man
Shepherd Sanders as Employment Manager (as Shepherd Sanders)
Jeff Temkin as Ring Announcer
Allan Warnick as Makeup Man
Charles Winkler as Camera Assistant
James Zaza as Emergency Room Reporter
Brenda King as Ring girl #2
Taaffe O'Connell as Ring Girl
Velvet Rhodes as Reporter
Butkis Stallone as Butkis the Dog
Seargeoh Stallone as Robert 'Rocky' Balboa Jr.
Production[edit]
An estimated 800 school children were used as extras in the scene in which Rocky runs through Philadelphia.[2]
Music[edit]

Rocky II

Soundtrack album by Bill Conti

Released
1979
Length
35:04
Label
United Artists Records - LP
EMI Manhattan Records - CD
Just as in the previous installment, Bill Conti composed the film's music. A soundtrack album containing Conti's score was released on August 25, 1979 and charted on the Billboard 200 for five consecutive weeks.[3]
1."Redemption" – 2:34
2."Gonna Fly Now" – 2:35
3."Conquest" – 4:42
4."Vigil" – 6:31
5."All of My Life" – 3:56
6."Overture" – 8:38
7."Two Kinds of Love" – 2:37
8."All of My Life" – 2:27
PersonnelBill Conti – piano (1)
Mike Lang – piano (8)
David Duke – horn solo (4)
Frank Stallone - vocals (7)
DeEtta Little, Nelson Pigford – vocals (5)
Chart positions[edit]

Chart (1979)
Peak
 position
US Billboard 200[4] 147
Reaction[edit]
Critical response[edit]
Rocky II received mostly positive reviews from critics and is considered by many as one of the best films of 1979.[5][6][7] It holds a 71% "Fresh" rating on the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes.[8] The film won Best Picture at the American Movie Awards and won the People's Choice Award for Favorite Motion Picture.[9]
Box office[edit]
Rocky II was an enormous box office success, and finished in the top three highest-grossing films of 1979, in both the North American market and worldwide. The film grossed $6,390,537 during its opening weekend, $85,182,160 at the U.S. box office and $200,182,160 overall.[10]
Other media[edit]
Novelization[edit]
A novelization was published by Ballantine Books in 1979. Sylvester Stallone was credited as the author.[11]
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "Rocky II, Box Office Information". The Numbers. Retrieved January 27, 2012.
2.Jump up ^ Maslin, Janet (1979-06-15). "Screen: 'Rocky II' Fights a Rematch: Second Stanza...." (Subscription required). The New York Times.
3.Jump up ^ "Filmtracks: Rocky II (Bill Conti)". Filmtracks. 15 December 2009. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
4.Jump up ^ Rocky II (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - Bill Conti - Awards. Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Accessed on August 9, 2013.
5.Jump up ^ "The 10 Best Movies of 1979". Film.com. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
6.Jump up ^ "Best Films of 1979". listal.com. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
7.Jump up ^ "Most Popular Feature Films Released in 1979". IMDb.com. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
8.Jump up ^ "Rocky II Movie Reviews, Pictures". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
9.Jump up ^ "Rocky II: Award Wins and Nominations". IMDb.com. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
10.Jump up ^ "Movie Rocky 2 – Box Office Data, News, Cast Information". The Numbers. Nash Information Services. Retrieved September 1, 2010.
11.Jump up ^ http://www.worldcat.org/title/rocky-ii/oclc/5280245
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Rocky II
Official Rocky Anthology site
Rocky II at the Internet Movie Database
Rocky II at Box Office Mojo
Rocky II at allmovie
Rocky II at Rotten Tomatoes


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Categories: 1979 films
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Films set in 1976
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Screenplays by Sylvester Stallone
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Rocky III
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search


Rocky III
Rocky iii poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster

Directed by
Sylvester Stallone
Produced by
Robert Chartoff
Irwin Winkler
Written by
Sylvester Stallone
Starring
Sylvester Stallone
Mr. T
Talia Shire
Burt Young
Carl Weathers
Burgess Meredith
Music by
Bill Conti
Cinematography
Bill Butler
Editing by
Mark Warner
Don Zimmerman
Studio
United Artists
Distributed by
MGM/UA Entertainment Company
(USA & Canada)
United International Pictures
(International)
Release dates
May 28, 1982

Running time
100 min.
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
$17 million
Box office
$270 million
Rocky III is a 1982 American film that is the third installment in the Rocky film series. It is written and directed by and stars Sylvester Stallone as the title character, with Carl Weathers, Burgess Meredith, Talia Shire, Burt Young, and introducing Mr. T as James "Clubber" Lang. The film also features professional wrestler Terry "Hulk Hogan" Bollea as the supporting character "Thunderlips".
The film's theme song "Eye of the Tiger", was written by the group Survivor at the request of Stallone, and became a smash hit single, topping the US Billboard music charts and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song.
The film is followed by Rocky IV, released on November 27, 1985.
Tagline: The legend continues...The Italian Stallion is back!!
His life is happy, his fights have seemed easy. Now a young upstart is going to make him prove just how far he can still go...
A Fighter. A Lover. A Legend. The Greatest Challenge.
The Excitement... The Power... The Man...
The greatest challenge.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Other media 3.1 Novelization
3.2 Soundtrack 3.2.1 Chart positions

4 Production
5 Bronze statue
6 Reaction 6.1 Critical response
6.2 Box office
6.3 Accolades
7 References
8 External links

Plot[edit]
In the five years since winning the world heavyweight title, Rocky has had a string of ten successful title defenses and has seen his fame, wealth and celebrity increase. While unveiling a statue of himself at the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Rocky is publicly challenged by James "Clubber" Lang (Mr. T), a ferocious new boxer rapidly climbing the ranks. Lang accuses Rocky of selective matchmaking by intentionally accepting challenges from lesser opponents. Lang also proceeds to question Rocky's manhood to his wife Adrian (Talia Shire) further enraging him and his challenge is vocally accepted.
Rocky's trainer Mickey (Burgess Meredith) initially wants no part of it and refuses to train him for the title defense. After Rocky confronts him demanding to know why, Mickey tells him that Lang was correct and that all of his title defenses were fought against handpicked opponents. Mickey tells Rocky that the beatings he took from Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) in their two matches should have killed him, and that he wanted to keep Rocky from having to go through that again. Mickey also tells Rocky that if he fights Lang, he would "kill (him) to death inside of three rounds" because Lang is younger, stronger, and hungrier than Rocky. Knowing this, Rocky now begins to question his whole title reign and Mickey agrees to train Rocky for the fight, which Rocky declares will be his last.
Both fighters go in different directions in regards to their training for the fight. Lang works out alone in a spartan setting with very little equipment. Rocky, on the other hand, rents out a hotel ballroom and opens his training camp to the public with dozens of distractions that frustrate Mickey and fears will result in disaster in the fight. Ironically, Rocky underestimating Lang in this fashion mirrors the same mistake Apollo Creed made by underestimating Rocky in the first movie.
Lang and Rocky meet at Philadelphia's Spectrum. During a melee before the fight, Mickey is shoved out of the way by Lang and suffers a heart attack. Rocky decides to call off the fight, but Mickey refuses and implores the champion to fight and get the victory.
As the fight begins, Rocky comes out aggressively and tries to knock out the challenger early. Lang, however, is unfazed by the early assault and quickly takes control of the fight. By the end of the first round Rocky is battered and bloody, and calls for Mickey. The condition of his trainer continues to distract him into the second round, where Lang finishes Rocky off with a left hook and knocks him out to win the title.
The defeated champion heads back to his dressing room, where Mickey has taken a turn for the worse. Rocky tells Mickey that the fight ended by knockout in the second round, but does not say he lost. Rocky tries to convince Mickey there is more to do, but Mickey simply says "I love ya, kid" and dies in Rocky's arms.
After this Rocky goes into a deep depression fueled by Mickey's death and his anger over it. One night, as Rocky stops into Mickey's now-shuttered gym, he is confronted by none other than Apollo Creed, who tells him that Rocky has lost his edge and needs to get it back.
In order to do this, Apollo offers to train Rocky for a rematch with Lang. Rocky agrees and he, along with Adrian and Paulie, follows Apollo to Los Angeles. Apollo's plan is to take Rocky back to the basics, from putting him and his family up in a welfare hotel to returning to his old gym where he hooks Rocky up with Duke, Apollo's former trainer.
Despite Apollo's best efforts at getting Rocky back into fighting shape, Rocky is still distraught over everything that has happened since Mickey told him the truth about his title reign. Adrian is finally able to talk Rocky out of his funk and convince him to get back on track, and Rocky develops into a completely different fighter than he was before by trading in his power game for a quick hitting attack.
The rematch is held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. At the start of the fight, Rocky sprints from his corner, fighting with a level of skill and spirit that no one, including Lang, expected. As a result, Rocky completely dominates the first round, demonstrating his new-found speed. After the bell, Lang is in a fit of rage over what has just happened and has to be restrained by his trainers. In the second round, Rocky starts as he did in the first, however, once Lang found his opening, he gained the upper hand; from here he dominated Rocky, knocking him down twice - with Rocky seemingly defeated after the second knock-down. Getting up from the second KD, Rocky now adopts an entirely different strategy that bewilders Apollo (and Lang) by intentionally taking a beating from Lang whilst taunting him for being unable to knock him out, even teasing him that his punches do not hurt. The round ends with a verbal altercation between Lang and Rocky and Lang is for the first time in the film seen to back away when he dismisses Rocky as "a fool" - Rocky is nevertheless chastised by Apollo for his "heroic" performance.
In the third round, Lang (who is used to winning fights swiftly with knockouts in the early rounds, similar to Mike Tyson who was still a few years away at the time) becomes increasingly angry and quickly exhausts his energy trying to finish Rocky off with repeated knockout blows, most of which miss the newly-agile Rocky entirely. Rocky taunts the champion in order to psych him out and the aggressive Lang is infuriated. He attacks even harder walking right into Rocky's trap. The tide turns and Rocky is able to overpower the winded and outboxed Lang, landing blow after blow and dodging attempted punches before knocking him out and re-gaining the heavyweight championship of the world.
Afterwards, Rocky fulfills Apollo's vague "big favor": a private rematch with him. The film concludes with both of the fighters throwing their first punch simultaneously, but this time, they fight in the spirit of friendly competition rather than as fierce rivals. It is left up to the imagination of the audience regarding who wins.
Cast[edit]
Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa
Talia Shire as Adrian Balboa
Burt Young as Paulie Pennino
Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed
Burgess Meredith as Mickey Goldmill
Mr. T as Clubber Lang
Tony Burton as Tony "Duke" Evers
Ian Fried as Rocky Balboa, Jr.
Hulk Hogan as Thunderlips
In addition to the main cast several others had cameo appearances. Bill Baldwin and Stu Nahan returned as the fight commentators for the two Rocky-Lang fights. Veteran ring announcer Jimmy Lennon was the ring announcer for the first Lang fight, while boxing judge Marty Denkin was the referee. Lou Filippo returned for his third appearance as a referee during the second Lang fight. Dennis James and Jim Healy appeared as the commentators for the Rocky-Thunderlips match, while LeRoy Neiman was the guest ring announcer. Jim Hill was a TV announcer.
Other media[edit]
Novelization[edit]
A novelization by Robert E. Hoban was published by Ballantine Books in 1982.[1]
Soundtrack[edit]

Rocky III

Soundtrack album by Bill Conti

Released
1982
Length
32:00
Label
Liberty

Singles from Rocky III
1."Eye of the Tiger"
 Released: May 29, 1982


Professional ratings

Review scores

Source
Rating
Allmusic 1.5/5 stars[2]
1."Eye of the Tiger" (by Survivor) – 3:53
2."Take You Back (Tough Gym)" – 1:48
3."Pushin'" – 3:10
4."Decision" – 3:20
5."Mickey" – 4:42
6."Take You Back" – 3:37
7."Reflections" – 2:05
8."Gonna Fly Now" – 2:52
9."Adrian" – 1:42
10."Conquest" – 4:40
Frank Stallone – vocals (2, 3, 6)
Ray Pizzi – sax (3)
Jerry Hey – trumpet (3)
Vincent DeRosa – French horn (5)
Mike Lang – piano (5)
DeEtta Little, Nelson Pigford – vocals (8)
The version of "Eye of the Tiger" that appears in the film is actually a demo—the "finished" version is what appears on the soundtrack. Also missing from the soundtrack is the instrumental version of the song played when Rocky is training in Apollo's old gym.
Chart positions[edit]

Chart (1982)
Peak
 position

German Albums (Media Control)[3] 36
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[4] 5
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[5] 9
US Billboard 200[6] 15

Production[edit]
[icon] This section requires expansion. (July 2010)
In preparation for film, Stallone claims to have got his body fat percentage down to his all time low of 2.8% and weighed 155 lbs. He stated that he ate only ten egg whites and a piece of toast a day, having a fruit every third day. His training consisted on a two mile jog in the morning followed by a two hour weight training, a nap during the afternoon followed by 18 rounds of sparring, another weight training and finishing the day with a swim.[7]
Bronze statue[edit]


 This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2011)
A bronze statue of Rocky, called "ROCKY", was commissioned by Sylvester Stallone and created by A. Thomas Schomberg in 1981. Three statues were created, and one was placed on the top of the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art for the filming of Rocky III. After filming was complete, a furious debate erupted in Philadelphia between the Art Museum and the City's Art Commission over the meaning of "art". Claiming the statue was not "art" but rather a "movie prop" the city considered various alternative locations and settled upon the front of the Spectrum in South Philadelphia. It was later returned to the Art Museum where it was used in the filming of Rocky V, as well as Mannequin and Philadelphia. Afterward, it was again moved to the front of the Spectrum. The statue was returned to the museum's steps on September 8, 2006.
In Rocky Balboa, when Rocky told Paulie that he is going to make a comeback, Paulie suggested "you mad because they took down your statue?" which Rocky denied.
The third of the three statues was listed on eBay in early 2005, with a starting bid of $5 million. It was being auctioned to raise funds for the International Institute for Sport and Olympic History. It failed to sell and was listed again for $3 million; after receiving only one bid, which turned out to be fraudulent, it has been re-listed several times for $1 million.[8] The statues weigh 800 pounds each and stand about 8'6" tall.
Reaction[edit]
Critical response[edit]
Rocky III received a mixed to positive reception from critics and fans alike. The film holds a 60% "Fresh" rating on the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes.[9] The film was nominated for a Razzie Awards for Worst New Star for Mr. T.[10]
Box office[edit]
Rocky III was an enormous box office success and surpassed the gross of its predecessor.[11] Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel attributed the film's success to the positive reaction from critics and audiences towards Rocky II and the production team's "quality control" of that film. Siskel stated "if you want a hugely successful series, then make sure that the second one is a winner".[12] The film grossed $16,015,408 in its opening weekend[13] and earned $125,049,125 during its North American theatrical run,[14] becoming the fourth highest grossing film of 1982;[15] its worldwide box-office earnings stand at around $270 million.[16]
Accolades[edit]
Rocky III was nominated for both the Award of the Japanese Academy for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Motion Picture at the Image Awards. The film's theme song Eye of the Tiger was nominated for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards, the BAFTA Film Awards and the Golden Globes.[17]
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ http://www.worldcat.org/title/rocky-iii/oclc/8194770
2.Jump up ^ Alter, Ethan. Rocky III - Bill Conti. Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Accessed on August 9, 2013.
3.Jump up ^ "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline". Musicline.de. Media Control. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
4.Jump up ^ "SOUNDTRACK / BILL CONTI – Rocky III". Norwegiancharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
5.Jump up ^ "SOUNDTRACK / BILL CONTI – Rocky III". Swedishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
6.Jump up ^ Rocky III - Bill Conti - Awards. Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Accessed on August 9, 2013.
7.Jump up ^ Muscle & Fitness, Sept, 2004 by Michael Berg
8.Jump up ^ International Institute for Sport and Olympic History - A Non-profit, Educational Corporation under 501c3, IISOH
9.Jump up ^ "Rocky III Movie Reviews, Pictures". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
10.Jump up ^ Wilson, John (2005). The Official Razzie Movie Guide: Enjoying the Best of Hollywood's Worst. Grand Central Publishing. ISBN 0-446-69334-0.
11.Jump up ^ "Box Office History for Rocky Movies". The Numbers. Nash Information Services. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
12.Jump up ^ Siskel & Ebert - At the Movies: The Secret of Star Wars on YouTube. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
13.Jump up ^ "Box Office and Business Information for Rocky III". IMDb.com. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
14.Jump up ^ "Box Office Information for Rocky III". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
15.Jump up ^ "1982 Domestic Grosses". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
16.Jump up ^ Scott, Vernon (November 12, 1982). "Stallone found new life in new film". The Bulletin (Bend, Oregon). Retrieved July 4, 2012.
17.Jump up ^ "Rocky III: Award Wins and Nominations". IMDb.com. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Rocky III
Official Rocky Anthology Site
Rocky III at the Internet Movie Database
Rocky III at allmovie
Rocky III at Box Office Mojo
Rocky III at Rotten Tomatoes


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Films directed by Sylvester Stallone
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Rocky IV
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search



 It has been suggested that Ivan Drago be merged into this article. (Discuss) Proposed since September 2013.
For the soundtrack to the movie, see Rocky IV (soundtrack).

Rocky IV
Rocky IV.jpg
Theatrical release poster

Directed by
Sylvester Stallone
Produced by
Robert Chartoff
Irwin Winkler
Written by
Sylvester Stallone
Starring
Sylvester Stallone
Talia Shire
Burt Young
Carl Weathers
Brigitte Nielsen
Dolph Lundgren
Music by
Vince DiCola
Themes by
Bill Conti
Cinematography
Bill Butler
Editing by
John W. Wheeler
Don Zimmerman
Studio
United Artists
Distributed by
MGM/UA Entertainment Company
Release dates
November 27, 1985

Running time
90 min.
Country
United States
Language
English
 Russian
Budget
$28 million[1]
Box office
$300,473,716
Rocky IV is a 1985 American film written by, directed by, and starring Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, Burt Young, Talia Shire, Carl Weathers, Tony Burton, Brigitte Nielsen, and Michael Pataki. It is the fourth and most financially successful entry in the Rocky franchise.[2]
In the film, the Soviet Union and their top boxer make an entrance into professional boxing with their best athlete Ivan Drago who initially wants to take on World Champion Rocky Balboa. His best friend Apollo Creed decides to fight him instead, but is killed in the ring. Enraged by this, Rocky decides to fight Drago in Russia to avenge his friend and defend the honor of his country.
Critical reception was mixed, but the film earned $300 million at the box office, making it the most successful entry in the Rocky series. This film marked Carl Weathers' final appearance in the series. The film's success led to a fourth sequel released in November 16, 1990.
Tagline: He's facing the ultimate challenge. And fighting for his life.
When East Meets West, The Champion remains standing
He Could Have Stopped The Fight. He Could Have Saved His Best Friend's Life. But Now, The Only Thing He Can't Do Is Walk Away... Get Ready For The Next World War.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production 3.1 Casting
3.2 Music
4 Novelization
5 Reaction 5.1 Box office
5.2 Critical response
5.3 Accolades
6 Analysis
7 Litigation
8 References
9 External links

Plot[edit]
In 1985, Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), an immensely muscular 6-foot 5, 261-pound Soviet boxer, arrives in the United States with his wife Ludmilla (Brigitte Nielsen), and a team of trainers from the USSR and Cuba. His manager, Nicolai Koloff (Michael Pataki), takes every opportunity to promote Drago's athleticism as a hallmark of Soviet superiority. Motivated by patriotism and an innate desire to prove himself, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) challenges Drago to an exhibition bout. Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) has reservations, but agrees to train Apollo.
During a press conference regarding the match, hostility is created between Apollo and Drago's respective camps. The exhibition takes place at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. Apollo enters the ring, wearing his old Uncle Sam outfit, in an over-the-top patriotic entrance with James Brown performing "Living in America". The bout starts tamely with Apollo landing several punches that have no effect on the Russian. It soon turns serious though, as Drago beats Apollo mercilessly. Apollo is in critical condition by the end of the first round. Rocky and Apollo's trainer Duke (Tony Burton) plead with him to give up, but Apollo refuses to do so, and tells Rocky not to stop the fight. The second round doesn't go any better, and despite Duke begging Rocky to throw in the towel, he honors Apollo's wish. This turns out to have fatal consequences as Drago beats Apollo so badly that he drops dead in the ring. In the immediate aftermath, Drago displays no sense of remorse commenting to the assembled media: "If he dies... he dies."
Incensed by Drago's cold indifference and feeling a deep sense of guilt, Rocky decides to avenge Apollo's death by agreeing to relinquish his title and fight Drago in Russia on Christmas Day in an unsanctioned 15-round bout. He flies to the USSR without Adrian, setting up his training base in Krasnogourbinsk with only Duke and brother-in-law Paulie (Burt Young) to accompany him. To prepare for the fight, Drago uses very high-tech equipment and a team of trainers and doctors monitoring him every moment. Rocky, on the other hand, throws heavy logs, chops down trees, pulls an overloaded snow sleigh, jogs in heavy snow and treacherous icy conditions and climbs a mountain. Adrian (Talia Shire) shows up unexpectedly to give Rocky her support after initially refusing to travel to Russia because of her doubts on his fighting chances, resulting in Rocky's training having an added focus.
Drago is introduced with an elaborate, patriotic ceremony that puts the Russian crowd squarely on Drago's side, as Rocky is booed by all in attendance. In contrast to his fight with Apollo, Drago immediately goes on the offensive and Rocky takes a fierce pounding. Rocky comes back toward the end of the second and silences the Russian crowd by landing a strong right hook that cuts Drago just below his left eye. While Drago is visibly shaken, Rocky is fired up and assaults Drago, which continues even after the bell rings. While Duke and Paulie cheer Rocky for his heroism, they remind him that Drago is not a machine, but a man. Ironically, Drago comments that Rocky "is not human, he is like a piece of iron" with his own corner reprimanding him for being "weak" in comparison to the "small American."
The two boxers continue to hit each other over the next dozen rounds, with Rocky holding his ground despite Drago's powerful punches. His resilience rallies the previously hostile Soviet crowd to his side, which unsettles Drago to the point that he shoves Koloff off the ring for berating his performance. Rocky finally takes out Drago in the 15th and last round, winning by knockout to the shock of the Soviet Politburo members watching the fight. A bloody and battered Rocky gives a victory speech, acknowledging the mutual disdain at first between himself and the crowd. He says it is like the wider disdain between Russians and Americans, but that he and the crowd have come to respect and admire each other during the course of the fight. Rocky adds that the crowd has seen "two guys killin' each other, but I guess that's better than 20 million" who might die if the Cold War turned hot. Rocky finally declares, "If I can change, and you can change, then everybody can change!" The Soviet General Secretary stands and passionately applauds Rocky, and his aides follow suit. Rocky ends his speech by wishing his son a Merry Christmas, and throws his arms into the air in victory as the crowd applauds.
Cast[edit]
Sylvester Stallone - Rocky Balboa
Dolph Lundgren - Captain Ivan Drago
Talia Shire - Adrian Balboa
Burt Young - Paulie Pennino
Carl Weathers - Apollo Creed
Brigitte Nielsen - Ludmilla Vobet Drago
Tony Burton - Tony "Duke" Evers
Michael Pataki - Nicoli Koloff
George Rogan - Sergei Igor Rimsky
James "Canonball" Green - Manuel Vega
Stu Nahan - Commentator #1 (Creed-Drago)
Warner Wolf - Commentator #2 (Creed-Drago)
R.J. Adams - Sports Announcer
Barry Tompkins - American Commentator #1 (Rocky-Drago)
Al Bandiero - American Commentator #2 (Rocky-Drago)
James Brown - Himself
Burgess Meredith - Mickey Goldmill (Archive Footage, uncredited)
Production[edit]
Wyoming doubled for the frozen expanse of the Soviet Union. The small farm where Rocky lived and trained was in Jackson Hole, and the Grand Teton National Park was used for filming many of the outdoor sequences in Russia. The PNE Agrodome at Hastings Park in Vancouver, British Columbia, served as the location of Rocky's Soviet bout.
Sylvester Stallone has stated that the original punching scenes filmed between him and Dolph Lundgren in the first portion of the fight are completely authentic. Stallone wanted to capture a realistic scene and Lundgren agreed that they would engage in legitimate sparring. One particularly forceful Lundgren punch to Stallone's chest slammed his heart against his breastbone, causing the heart to swell and his breathing to become labored. Stallone, suffering from laboured breathing and a blood pressure over 200, was flown from the set in Canada to St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica and was forced into intensive care for eight days. Stallone later commented that he believed Lundgren had the athletic ability and talent to fight in the professional heavyweight division of boxing.[3]
Additionally, Stallone claimed that Lundgren nearly forced Carl Weathers to quit in the middle of filming the Apollo versus Drago "exhibition" fight. In one take for the Creed-Drago fight scene, Lundgren tossed Weathers into the corner of the boxing ring. Weathers shouted profanities at Lundgren while leaving the ring and announcing that he was quitting the movie and calling his agent. Only after Stallone forced the two actors to reconcile did the movie continue. This event caused a four day work stoppage while Weathers was talked back into the part and Lundgren had to be forced into toning down his aggressiveness.[3]
Casting[edit]
Sportscaster Stu Nahan makes his fourth appearance in the series as commentator for the Apollo/Drago fight. Warner Wolf replaces Bill Baldwin, who died following filming for Rocky III, as co-commentator. For the fight between Rocky and Drago, commentators Barry Tompkins and Al Bandiero portray themselves as USA Network broadcasters.
Apollo Creed's wife Mary Anne (Sylvia Meals) made her third and final appearance in the series, the first being Rocky II, although the character was mainly featured in Rocky II. Stallone's then-wife, Brigitte Nielsen, appeared as Drago's wife, Ludmilla.
The Soviet premier in the sky box during the Rocky-Drago match strongly resembles contemporary Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Actor David Lloyd Austin later played Gorbachev in The Naked Gun and played Russian characters in other films.
Music[edit]
The soundtrack for the movie included "Living in America" by James Brown; the film's music was composed by Vince DiCola (who also composed the soundtrack for The Transformers: The Movie that same year), and also included songs by John Cafferty ("Hearts on Fire", featuring Vince DiCola), Survivor, Kenny Loggins, and Robert Tepper. Go West wrote "One Way Street" for the movie by request of Sylvester Stallone. Europe's hit "The Final Countdown", written earlier in the decade by lead singer Joey Tempest, is often incorrectly stated as being featured in the film - no doubt due to its similarity to DiCola's "Training Montage." However, Europe's track was not released as a single until late 1986.
DiCola replaced Bill Conti as the film's composer. Conti, who was too busy with the first two Karate Kid films at the time, would return for Rocky V and Rocky Balboa. Rocky IV is the only film in the series not to feature original music by Conti. However, it does features arrangements of themes composed by Conti from the previous film in the series such as "The Final Bell". Conti's famous piece of music from the Rocky series, "Gonna Fly Now", does not appear at all in Rocky IV (the first time in the series this happened), though a few bars of it are incorporated into DiCola's training montage instrumental.
According to singer Peter Cetera, he originally wrote his best-selling solo single "Glory of Love" as the end title for this film, but was passed over by United Artists, and instead used as the theme for The Karate Kid Part II.
Novelization[edit]
A novelization was published by Ballantine Books in 1985. Sylvester Stallone was credited as the author.[4]
Reaction[edit]
Box office[edit]
Rocky IV made $127.8 million in United States and Canada and $300 million worldwide, the most of any Rocky film. It was the highest-grossing sports film of all time until 2009's The Blind Side which grossed $309 million (albeit unadjusted for inflation).
Critical response[edit]
The film received a 44% approval rating from Rotten Tomatoes, indicating mixed reviews.[5] Dolph Lundgren received acclaim for his performance as Ivan Drago. He won the Marshall Trophy for Best Actor at the Napierville Cinema Festival.[6] Rocky IV also won Germany's Golden Screen Award.
Accolades[edit]
The film won five Golden Raspberry Awards including Worst Actor (Sylvester Stallone, along with Rambo: First Blood Part II), Worst Director (Stallone), Worst Supporting Actress (Brigitte Nielsen), Worst New Star (Nielsen, along with Red Sonja) and Worst Musical Score. It also received nominations for Worst Picture, Worst Supporting Actress (Talia Shire), Worst Supporting Actor (Burt Young) and Worst Screenplay.[7]
Analysis[edit]
The film has generated scholarly analysis and speculation.
It is noted as an enduring fan favorite.[8]
Paulie's Robot, an item that through the years has enjoyed a cult following of its own, was created by the International Robotics Inc. in New York City. The robot's voice was the company's CEO Robert Doornick. The robot is identified by robotic engineers as "SICO" and is/was a member of the Screen Actors Guild and toured with James Brown in the 1980s.[9] Rocky IV has been interpreted as a commentary on the power struggle between technology and humans, illustrated by both Paulie's Robot and the technology utilized by Drago.[10] The infamous robot has also been characterized as a "pleasure-bot" to service the needs of Paulie. It was also performing the duty of watching Balboa's son while he and Adrian are in Moscow.[11]
The film is recognized as being ahead of its time in its demonstration of groundbreaking high-tech sporting equipment, some of which was experimental and twenty years from public use.[12][13]
Rocky IV has been noted as a prime example of propaganda through film, with both the stark culture contrast of Apollo's patriotic showing in Las Vegas and Drago's cold, subdued performance in the USSR and the ubiquitous yet ineffective KGB officers stationed around Balboa's cabin outside Krasnogourbinsk.[14]
Rocky IV is one of the few sport movies that applies genuine sound effects from actual hits, bonafide training methods created by consultants and a bevy of special effects that in turn creates a film that has grown in popularity.[15] One prominent film critic has noted not only the increase in popularity of the film over the years, but that Stallone felt (much to his chagrin) his creative powers peaked at this chapter of the saga.[16] Stallone has also been quoted as saying the enormous financial success and fan following of Rocky IV once had him envisioning another Rocky movie devoted to Drago and his post-boxing life (although Stallone acknowledged he was in better shape, he was excommunicated from his country), with Balboa's storyline parallel. However, he noted the damage both boxers sustained in the fight made them "incapable of reason" and thus planned Rocky V as a showcase of the results, though the film failed to resolve the saga.[17]
Scholars have examined Rocky IV and note the film's strong, yet formulaic structure that emphasizes the power of the individual, particularly an idealistic American.[18] One author has noted the totalitarian regime Ivan Drago represents, his power demonstrated when he topples an arrogant opponent, and his subsequent defeat by the inventive, determined foe.[19]
Stallone showcased the patriotic flair of the Balboa/Drago fight with Drago's wife calling the United States an "antogonistic and violent government" with "threats of violence" to her husband. Drago's trainer comments that American society has become "pathetic and weak."[20]
On experiment showed after viewing the movie, some Russian subject lost self-esteem.[21]
In 2012, Olympians Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte noted that the training sequences in Rocky IV inspired them to use a cabin similar to what the resourceful Balboa utilized in the film.[22]
Litigation[edit]
The script development was the subject of a famous copyright lawsuit, Anderson v. Stallone.[23] Anderson developed a treatment for Rocky IV on spec; after the studio decided not to buy his treatment, he sued when the resulting movie script was similar to his treatment. The court held that Anderson had prepared an unauthorized derivative work of the characters Stallone had developed in Rocky I through III, and thus he couldn't enforce his unauthorized story extension against the owner of the character's copyrights.
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Harmetz, Aljean (November 29, 1985). "At the Movies". The New York Times. Retrieved June 13, 2011.
2.Jump up ^ "Rocky Movies". Box Office Mojo. Box Office Mojo, LLC. Archived from the original on 2007-06-07. Retrieved 2007-09-17.
3.^ Jump up to: a b "Stallone Interview With Ain't It Cool News". AICN. Retrieved 2007-01-25.
4.Jump up ^ http://www.worldcat.org/title/rocky-iv/oclc/12923839
5.Jump up ^ Rocky IV – Rotten Tomatoes
6.Jump up ^ "Rocky IV: Award Wins and Nominations". IMDb.com. Retrieved September 3, 2010.
7.Jump up ^ Wilson, John (2002-01-02). "1985 Archive". Razzies.com. Retrieved 2012-10-22.
8.Jump up ^ "Fathom's 'Rocky' analysis crowns 'Rocky IV' as king of the series." Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/entertainment/movies/Fathoms-Rocky-analysis-crowns-Rocky-IV-as-king-of-the-series.html#t1FF0ow0vbFlt7Lb.99[1] Nick Vadala, Philly.com Posted: Monday, December 9, 2013, 11:49 AM Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/entertainment/movies/Fathoms-Rocky-analysis-crowns-Rocky-IV-as-king-of-the-series.html#t1FF0ow0vbFlt7Lb.99
9.Jump up ^ [2]
10.Jump up ^ Rushing, J. H.; Frentz, T. S. (1989). "The Frankenstein myth in contemporary cinema". Critical Studies in Media 6 (1): 61–80. doi:10.1080/15295038909366731.
11.Jump up ^ Franich, Darren; Staskiewicz, Keith. "Can 'The Fighter' beat communism? PopWatch Rewind looks back at Rocky IV". Entertainment Weekly.
12.Jump up ^ Von Hoff, D. "Rocky IV-Fight Medicine". Medical Grand Rounds presented at University of Texas Health Science Centre.
13.Jump up ^ Cantu, R. C. (1995). Boxing and Medicine. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. ISBN 0873227972.
14.Jump up ^ Bullis, H. "Politics and Film: Propaganda and Its Influence During the Cold War". hti.math.uh.edu.
15.Jump up ^ Crawford, G. (2008). "‘It's in the game’: sport fans, film and digital gaming". Sport in Society 11 (2–3): 130–145. doi:10.1080/17430430701823380.
16.Jump up ^ Williams, T. (2001). "‘I could've been a contender’: The boxing movie's generic instability". Quarterly Review of Film and Video 18 (3): 305–319. doi:10.1080/10509200109361532.
17.Jump up ^ Gates, P. (2010). "Acting His Age? The Resurrection of the 80s Action Heroes and their Aging Stars". Quarterly Review of Film and Video 27 (4): 276–289. doi:10.1080/10509200802371113.
18.Jump up ^ "Rocky IV, Rambo II, and the Place of the Individual in Modern American Society". Journal of American Culture 11 (2): 25–33. 1988. doi:10.1111/j.1542-734X.1988.1102_25.x.
19.Jump up ^ Rollin, Roger B. (1989). "Rocky IV Meets La Grande Illusion: Pedagogy and Theory in Popular Culture Study". The Americanization of the Global Village: Essays in Comparative Popular Culture. Popular Press. ISBN 0879724692.
20.Jump up ^ Munfa, M. (2003). "Yo America, let's beat those Commies: Pro-American Propaganda in Rocky IV". Living in the Digital World.
21.Jump up ^ Culture clash? Apologies east and west PH Gries, K Peng - Journal of Contemporary China, 2002 - Taylor & Francis
22.Jump up ^ White, Duncan (28 July 2012). "London 2012 Olympics: US swimmers Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte go head to head in first heavywright battle". Telegraph.
23.Jump up ^ Anderson v. Stallone, 11 USPQ2D 1161 (C.D. Cal. 1989)
External links[edit]

Portal icon Film portal
Official Rocky Anthology Site
Rocky IV at the Internet Movie Database
Rocky IV at Box Office Mojo
Rocky IV at allmovie
Rocky IV at Rotten Tomatoes
Dolph Lundgren Interview


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Categories: 1985 films
1980s drama films
American sports films
Sequel films
English-language films
Boxing films
Cold War films
Films about revenge
Films directed by Sylvester Stallone
Films set in 1985
Films set in the Las Vegas Valley
Films set in Moscow
Films set in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Films set in the Soviet Union
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Rocky V
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search


Rocky V
Rocky v poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster

Directed by
John G. Avildsen
Produced by
Robert Chartoff
Irwin Winkler
Written by
Sylvester Stallone
Starring
Sylvester Stallone
Talia Shire
Burt Young
Sage Stallone
Tommy Morrison
Burgess Meredith
Music by
Bill Conti
Songs:
Alan Menken
Cinematography
Steven B. Poster
Editing by
John G. Avildsen
 Robert A. Ferretti
 Michael N. Knue
Studio
United Artists
Distributed by
MGM/UA Communications Company
(USA & Canada)
United International Pictures
(International)
Release dates
November 16, 1990

Running time
104 minutes
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
$42 million
Box office
$119,946,358
Rocky V is a 1990 American film. The fifth film in the Rocky series, written by and starring Sylvester Stallone, and co-starring Talia Shire, Stallone's real life late son Sage, and real life boxer, the late Tommy Morrison, as boxer Tommy Gunn, a talented yet raw boxer.[1] Sage played Robert Balboa, whose relationship with his famous father is explored. After Stallone directed the second through fourth films in the series, Rocky V saw the return of director John G. Avildsen, whose direction of the first film won him an Academy Award for Best Director.
Reception to the film was generally negative and it was (at the time) considered a very disappointing conclusion to the series. The box office gross was highly diminished from its predecessor by at least $190 million. This film marked the final appearance of Talia Shire and Burgess Meredith in the Rocky series.
Though this was presumed to be the ending of the series, Sylvester Stallone made the sixth and final entry into the series, Rocky Balboa released on December 20, 2006. Due to the low box office result, this was the last Rocky movie that United Artists had any involvement in.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production 3.1 Original ending
3.2 Mistakes
3.3 Music
4 Reaction 4.1 Box office
4.2 Critical response
5 Sequel: Rocky Balboa
6 References
7 External links

Plot[edit]
Shortly after Rocky Balboa's victory over Ivan Drago in Moscow, he, his wife Adrian, his brother-in-law Paulie, and his trainer Duke return to the U.S., where they are greeted by Rocky's son Robert. At a press conference, boxing promoter George Washington Duke attempts to goad Rocky into fighting his boxer Union Cane for the World Heavyweight Championship in Tokyo, but Rocky declines the offer. Upon returning home, it is discovered that Paulie unknowingly had Rocky sign a "power of attorney" over to Rocky's accountant, who had squandered all of his money on real estate deals gone sour; in addition, the accountant had failed to pay Rocky's taxes over the past six years, and the mansion is discovered to be unpaid by $400,000. Rocky is forced to file for bankruptcy and have his mansion and belongings auctioned off before his family moves back into his old South Philadelphia neighborhood. The only property he keeps is Mighty Mick's Boxing Gym, which his late trainer Mickey had willed to Robert. He contemplates on accepting Cane's challenge, but is forced to retire due to permanent brain damage from his fight with Drago. Adrian returns to working part-time at J&M Tropical Fish pet shop, while Paulie goes back to the Shamrock Meat Packing plant.
One day, Rocky and Paulie meet a hungry young fighter from Oklahoma named Tommy Gunn, and Rocky takes him under his wing. Training the young fighter gives Rocky a sense of purpose, and Tommy fights his way up the ladder to become a top contender. Rocky eventually becomes so distracted with Tommy's training that he winds up neglecting Robert, who becomes withdrawn and angry. He falls in with the wrong crowd at school and as a result, he begins acting out at home. Meanwhile, Tommy's impressive rise through the ranks catches the eye of Duke, who uses the promise of a title shot against the newly crowned Cane to lure him away from Rocky. Duke also exploits the fact that Rocky does not have any contractual obligation to manage Tommy. On Christmas Eve, Duke pulls up outside the Balboa house with Tommy in tow, who has now been deceived into thinking that Rocky does not have his best interests in mind. When Rocky tries to talk him out of siding with Duke, Tommy drives off in a huff, leaving Rocky for good. Adrian attempts to comfort Rocky, but his frustrations finally boil over. He confesses his life had meaning again when he was able to live vicariously through Tommy's success. She reasons with him, telling him Tommy never had his heart and spirit – something he could never learn. When this realization hits him, Rocky embraces his wife and they begin to pick up the pieces. After finding Robert hanging out on a street corner, Rocky apologizes to his son and they mend their broken relationship.
Tommy wins the heavyweight title by knocking out Cane in the first round, but is booed by spectators and hounded by reporters after the fight. They insist Cane was nothing but a "paper champion", because Cane did not win the title from Balboa. Therefore, the public would never consider Tommy the real champion unless he fights a worthy opponent, like Rocky. With Tommy enraged by the press's reaction, Duke convinces Tommy he needs to fight Rocky man to man. Duke and Tommy show up at the local bar to goad Rocky into accepting a fight. Rocky declines the challenge, but after Tommy hits Paulie, Rocky challenges Tommy to a street fight on the spot. Despite Duke's warnings to keep the fight in the ring, Tommy accepts. During the fight, Rocky is eventually beaten down by Tommy and is seemingly out for the count. He then hears the voice of his old mentor urging him to get up and get back in the fight, to go just "one more round". Rocky gets back up and, utilizing his vast street fighting knowledge, is able to knock out his former protégé. While Tommy is being escorted out of the premises by the police, Duke threatens to sue Rocky if he touches him, but after a brief hesitation, Rocky knocks him onto the hood of a car and quips, "Sue me for what?"
The next morning, Rocky and Robert take a jog to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and Rocky gives his son Rocky Marciano's cufflink, given to him years ago as a gift from Mickey. The film ends with a shot of Rocky's statue looking out over the Philadelphia skyline.
Cast[edit]
Sylvester Stallone – Rocky Balboa
Talia Shire – Adrian Balboa
Burt Young – Paulie Pennino
Sage Stallone – Robert Balboa Jr.[2]
Tommy Morrison – Tommy Gunn[3]
Richard Gant – George Washington Duke
Tony Burton – Tony "Duke" Evers
Burgess Meredith – Mickey Goldmill
Michael Williams – Union Cane
The film contains cameos by several sportswriters and boxing analysts, most notably Al Bernstein, Stan Hochman and Al Meltzer.
Rocky's priest friend Father Carmine (Paul Micale) makes his second of two appearances in the Rocky series, the first being in Rocky II.
The character "Tommy Gunn" was played by Tommy Morrison. Morrison's nickname prior to his retirement from boxing was "The Duke" similar to George Washington Duke, who becomes his manager in the movie. Morrison has claimed to be the grandnephew of John "The Duke" Wayne.
Michael Williams, who plays Union Cane, was also a real-life boxer. He and Morrison were to have an actual match about a month after Rocky V was released, but had to be canceled when Williams was hurt. The match was being hyped as "The Real Cane vs. Gunn Match".
Jodi Letizia, who played street kid Marie in the original Rocky (1976), was supposed to reprise her role here. Her character was shown to have ended up as Rocky predicted she would: a whore, but the scene ended up on the cutting room floor. Although she can briefly be seen during the street fight at the end, the character would eventually reappear in Rocky Balboa (2006), as a bartender and confidante to the aging Rocky. Actress Geraldine Hughes took over the role.
Kevin Connolly, who gained success as Eric Murphy on HBO's Entourage, was in his first acting role as neighborhood bully Chickie.
Production[edit]
Some of the fight sequences were filmed at The Blue Horizon in Philadelphia, a venue which was a mecca for boxing in the city during the 1970s.
Scenes with Mickey, played by Burgess Meredith, were trimmed in the final film when Rocky fights Tommy. Mickey appeared in ghost form on top of the railway bridge, giving words of encouragement. In the final film, this was made into flashbacks. The speech Mickey gives to Rocky in the flashback sequence is based on an interview with Cus D'Amato given in 1985, shortly after Mike Tyson's first professional bout.
The image of Gunn's first professional fight, the pullback from the mural of Jesus over the boxing ring, mirrors the opening shot of the first Rocky movie. Adrian goes back to working at the pet shop she first worked at in the original Rocky.
The golden glove necklace featured so prominently in this film was first seen in Rocky II (worn by Apollo Creed), then again throughout Rocky III and IV. As a promotional gimmick, replicas of the necklace were distributed to moviegoers at the Hollywood premiere of Rocky V at Grauman's Chinese Theatre.
The famous red, white and blue boxing trunks first worn by Apollo Creed in his fight with Rocky in the first film make their fifth and final appearance in this film. Rocky's leather coat introduced in Rocky makes its third and final appearance in the franchise at the start of the movie.
The Ring Magazine belt in Rocky's basement and the identical belt Morrison wins in the ring have changed slightly from the previous movies; they are missing the four side panels showing famous champions George Foreman, James J. Corbett, James J. Braddock, and Floyd Patterson.
According to Stallone, pro wrestling legend Terry Funk helped choreograph much of the street fight between Rocky and Tommy Gunn.
Original ending[edit]
In the original script, Rocky is killed during the final fight with Tommy, dying in Adrian's arms in the street.[4] Through most of the filming and production, this was to be the outcome; it wasn't until the film was nearing completion that Stallone decided against Rocky's death and went with the current ending. According to him, the director and the studio had second thoughts. Eventually, Stallone rewrote the ending, saying that he decided to change it because Rocky was supposed to be about perseverance and redemption, and having him die in a street brawl would be against the roots of the series.
Mistakes[edit]
In the ensuing years following the film's release, Stallone acknowledged that the injury Rocky suffers subsequently forcing him to retire, referenced in the film as a potentially lethal form of 'brain damage', was inaccurate.[5] Stallone stated that having discussed the story with many boxing medical professionals, the injury Rocky suffered was a milder form of brain damage, similar to that of a long term concussion that many boxers suffer from and by modern day standards are still able to gain licenses to box and would not have prevented Rocky from gaining a license to box nor killed him.[6]
Tony Burton briefly reprises his role as Duke at the beginning of the film. However, during his scenes, Rocky refers to him as "Tony". In the credits, Burton is credited as playing "Tony," as opposed to "Duke" (perhaps to avoid confusion with the George Washington Duke character) Rocky V is the second time in the series to do so, with the first being Rocky II as Apollo asked "What are you afraid of, Tony?" Rocky Balboa names Burton's character, "Duke Evers". Most fans take this to imply that his name is Tony 'Duke' Evers.
Another mistake is the age of Rocky's son Robert. This film seems to take place directly after the fourth installment where Rocky Jr was 9 years old. However when Rocky returns to America his son is suddenly a teenager.
Music[edit]
Main article: Rocky V (album)
The soundtrack album is not the original motion picture score, but rather has music from and inspired by the film. This soundtrack features Joey B. Ellis, MC Hammer, 7A3, MC Tab, Rob Base, and Bill Conti. Most of the soundtrack album contains rap music, rather than the Bill Conti score. Also, two of the scores from Rocky IV were featured in this film's trailer, but were not present in the actual film. "Measure of a Man" was written by Alan Menken and performed by Elton John.
Like Rocky IV, a full version of "Gonna Fly Now" with lyrics is not heard in the film. However an instrumental horn version is played during the early scene where Rocky gets off the airplane, and at the end of the move after Rocky defeats Tommy, another instrumental version is heard.
Reaction[edit]
Box office[edit]
Anticipated to be one of the big hits of the 1990 holiday season, Rocky V finished second in its opening weekend to Home Alone and never recovered.[7] The film earned $14 million on its opening weekend and $40 million in total US box-office sales, about one-third of its predecessor's take. Rocky V however made almost twice as much overseas and thereby a total of $119.9 million worldwide.
Critical response[edit]
In addition to its disappointing numbers at the box office, Rotten Tomatoes reports that Rocky V has a 27% "rotten" rating on its site. The film departed from the standard Rocky formula on display in the previous four films, which made it extremely unpopular with the audiences that had been drawn to the previous sequels. Stallone himself has gone on record in agreeing that he wasn't satisfied with the finished product, saying "I wanted to finish the series on a high and emotional note, and Rocky V didn't do that." He also faced critique over the decision to bring John G. Avilsden back to direct the film having done the first, as opposed to directing the film himself as he had done with the 2nd, 3rd and 4th installments. Stallone claimed that he wanted to work an easier schedule than what he had done previously, and therefore had less input on the film's production as well as post-production. Criticism was also drawn from the film's ending, claiming following Stallone's last minute decision not to kill Rocky, the film's build-up and narrative was lost.
It was also nominated for seven Golden Raspberry Awards in 1990 including Worst Picture, Worst Actor and Worst Screenplay for Stallone, Worst Actress for Shire, Worst Supporting Actor for Young, Worst Director for Avildsen and Worst Original Song for "The Measure of a Man".
On July 8, 2010, in an interview with The Sun, Stallone was interviewed about the Rocky films. When he came to Rocky V, Stallone replied he made it out of greed.[8]
Nonetheless, Stallone was still praised for his performance and the film received some positive feedback from some fans, with the Los Angeles Times regarding it as the best of the Rocky sequels.[9]
Sequel: Rocky Balboa[edit]
Main article: Rocky Balboa (film)
As a result of, and in response to, Rocky V's poor box office performance (and the general dissatisfaction with the end of the franchise), sixteen years later, Stallone wrote, directed and starred in Rocky Balboa, the sixth and final chapter to the saga. The sixth film was an attempt to redeem the character for a final chance to come back as a hero again, and do the story justice by bringing it full circle; as for Rocky's ability to fight again, Stallone suggested that advances in medical science during the period between the films had shown that the injuries mentioned in Rocky V were less debilitating than once thought, and that he would receive a "clean bill of health" today. It succeeded by grossing over $70 million at the US box office as well, and $85 million abroad, and getting largely positive reviews from both fans and critics.[6]
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Berger, Phil (November 15, 1989). "Film Flam for 'Rocky'". New York Times. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
2.Jump up ^ King, Susan (1990-11-24). "Stallone Jr. Hopes Playing Rocky Jr. Won't Cramp His Lifestyle". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-10-29.
3.Jump up ^ Klein, Gary (1990-11-16). "Rocky V' Has Drama Coaches in Its Corner : Film: Acting teachers are traditionally barred from movie sets. But for Stallone's latest boxing epic, a Studio City couple was allowed to show newcomer Tommy Morrison the ropes, scene by scene and blow by blow.". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-10-29.
4.Jump up ^ Hasted, Nick (1997-12-05). "He could have been a contender". London: Independent. Retrieved 2010-10-29.
5.Jump up ^ http://www.aintitcool.com/node/30861
6.^ Jump up to: a b Moriaty (December 1, 2006). "Round One With Sylvester Stallone Q&A!!". Ain't It Cool News. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
7.Jump up ^ Broeske, Pat H. (1990-11-20). "'Home' KOs 'Rocky V' at Box Office". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-10-29.
8.Jump up ^ Rollings, Grant. "Sylvester Stallone gives his most candid interview ever". The Sun (London). Retrieved 2010-10-29.
9.Jump up ^ Wilmington, Michael (1990-11-16). "MOVIE REVIEW : A Kinder, Gentler Rocky Balboa : Of Sylvester Stallone's 'Rocky' sequels, No. 5 comes closest to some of the endearing qualities associated with the first.". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-10-29.
External links[edit]

Portal icon Film portal
Rocky Anthology Official Site
Rocky V at the Internet Movie Database
Rocky V at Box Office Mojo
Rocky V at Rotten Tomatoes
Rocky V at allmovie
Total Rocky Fan Site


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Rocky Balboa (film)
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"Rocky VI" redirects here. For the parody by Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki, see Rocky VI (1986 film).

Rocky Balboa
Scaled rbmp.jpg
Directed by
Sylvester Stallone
Produced by
Charles Winkler
 Billy Chartoff
 David Winkler
 Kevin King
Written by
Sylvester Stallone
Based on
Characters
 by Sylvester Stallone
Starring
Sylvester Stallone
Burt Young
Antonio Tarver
Music by
Bill Conti
Cinematography
Clark Mathis
Editing by
Sean Albertson
Studio
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Columbia Pictures
Revolution Studios[1]
 Rogue Marble
Distributed by
MGM Distribution[1]
Release dates
December 20, 2006
Running time
100 minutes
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
$24 million
Box office
$155,721,132[2]
Rocky Balboa (also known as Rocky VI) is the sixth installment in the Rocky franchise, written, directed by, and starring Sylvester Stallone who reprises his role as the title character. The sixth film in the Rocky series that began with the Academy Award-winning Rocky thirty years earlier in 1976, the film portrays Balboa in retirement, a widower living in Philadelphia, and the owner and operator of a local Italian restaurant called "Adrian's", named after his late wife.
Rocky Balboa was produced as another sequel to the Academy Award-winning Rocky. According to Stallone, he was "negligent" in the production of Rocky V, leaving him and many of the fans disappointed with the presumed end of the series. Stallone also mentioned that the storyline of Rocky Balboa parallels his own struggles and triumphs in recent times.[3]
In addition to Stallone, the film stars Burt Young as Paulie, Rocky's brother-in-law, and real-life boxer Antonio Tarver as Mason "The Line" Dixon, the current World Heavyweight Champion in the film. Boxing promoter Lou DiBella plays himself in the movie and acts as Dixon's promoter in the film. Milo Ventimiglia plays Rocky's son Robert, now an adult. It also features the return of two minor characters from the original movie into larger roles in this film: Marie, the young woman that Rocky attempts to steer away from trouble; and Spider Rico, the first opponent that Rocky is shown fighting in the original film. The film also holds many references to people and objects from previous instalments in the series, especially the first.
The film was released on December 20, 2006, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Columbia Pictures and Revolution Studios. It exceeded box office expectations and critical reaction was positive. The film was released in several formats for its home media release, and DVD sales have exceeded $34 million.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production 3.1 Budget and timeline
3.2 Casting
4 Inconsistencies 4.1 Continuity
4.2 Alternative ending
4.3 Cinematography and fight choreography
4.4 Music
5 Distribution 5.1 Home release
5.2 Video game
6 Reaction 6.1 Box office
6.2 Critical response
7 Soundtrack
8 Notes
9 External links

Plot[edit]
In 2006, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), in his late fifties and retired from boxing for sixteen years, lives a quiet life as a widower. His wife Adrian Pennino Balboa (Talia Shire) had died from cancer in 2002. He runs a small but very successful Italian restaurant named after her, where he regales his patrons with stories of his past. He also battles personal demons involving his grief over Adrian's death, the changing times, and his eroding relationship with his son Robert (Milo Ventimiglia), a struggling corporate employee. Paul "Paulie" (Burt Young), Rocky's brother-in-law and longtime friend, continues to support him whenever he can. Late one night, Rocky reunites with a much older "Little" Marie (Geraldine Hughes), a once mischievous neighborhood girl (whom he first met in Rocky) now working as a bartender at the Lucky Seven, a tavern Rocky once frequented in the mid-1970s, and a single parent of a teenaged son born out of wedlock: Stephenson, nicknamed "Steps" (James Francis Kelly III). Rocky's friendship with the two quickly blossoms over the following weeks, and Steps takes to him as a father figure.
Meanwhile on the professional boxing circuit, Mason "The Line" Dixon (Antonio Tarver) reigns as the undisputed world heavyweight champion. ESPN broadcasts a computer simulation of a fight between Rocky (in his prime) and Mason — likened to a modern-day version of The Super Fight — which ends in a controversial KO victory for Balboa, riling the champ. In contrast, the simulation inspires Rocky to take up boxing again — an intention that goes public when he successfully renews his license. Dixon's promoters pitch the idea of holding a charity exhibition bout at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas to bolster Dixon's falling popularity. With some hesitation, both men agree to the match, creating a media buzz that stabs at Rocky's has-been status and Dixon's credibility; Dixon having yet to face a challenging opponent. Robert later makes an effort to discourage Rocky from fighting, blaming his own personal failings on his father's celebrity shadow, but Rocky rebukes him with some advice: that to succeed in life, "it ain't about how hard you hit; it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward", and that blaming others won't help him. The next day, father and son meet over Adrian's grave and reconcile; Robert has quit his job to be at Rocky's side. Rocky sets straight to training with Apollo Creed's old trainer Duke (Tony Burton) who quickly surmises that the slow and arthritic Rocky can only compete by building his strength and punching power as much as possible.
The fight becomes an HBO Pay-per-View event with Michael Buffer as the ring announcer. Dixon easily dominates the first round only to injure his left hand in the second on Rocky's hip, after which Rocky makes a dramatic comeback: he manages to knock Dixon down once, then continues to surprise the audience with his prowess and chin against the much younger and faster fighter. Dixon sends Rocky to one knee in the final round, but the elder fighter pulls himself to his feet for one last assault. The two opponents then continue to punish each other severely throughout the remainder of the final round, ending with both men still standing. Rocky thanks an appreciative Dixon for the fight and leaves the ring to the adulation of the crowd as the result is announced: Dixon winning by split decision.
In the closing shot, Rocky returns home and visits Adrian's grave again; thanking her for helping him.
Cast[edit]
Sylvester Stallone as Robert "Rocky" Balboa, retired boxer and former two-time heavyweight champion.
Burt Young as Paulie Pennino, Rocky's moody brother-in-law, best friend and Adrian's brother
Milo Ventimiglia as Robert Balboa, Rocky's only son.
Geraldine Hughes as Marie, a woman whom Rocky originally met over thirty years ago (as seen in the first installment of the movie series).
James Francis Kelly III as Stephenson ("Steps"), Marie's son, whom Rocky befriends.
Tony Burton as Tony "Duke" Evers, Rocky's trainer who has been his head cornerman since Balboa's second fight with James "Clubber" Lang in Rocky III. Duke previously trained Apollo Creed, who was Rocky's nemesis in the first two films and later his friend in the third and fourth films.
Antonio Tarver as Mason "The Line" Dixon, Rocky's opponent. Dixon is shown as the current undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, but a fighter who is not shown the same respect as Rocky was when he was the world champion.
Talia Shire as Adrian Balboa, was in the first few drafts of the script of what was originally called Rocky VI: Puncher's Chance. At this point, the story revolved around Rocky running a local gym for youths. However, Stallone felt that the film lacked the necessary emotional impact it needed. So, he and Shire came to an agreement that her character would be best left out of the film, as this would create an emotional chasm for Rocky from the very first moment of the film. To ensure that fans did not think she had been written out of the film because of a dispute with Stallone or because she refused to be in it, Shire made a public statement supporting Stallone's decision to kill off the character. Her character does not appear in the film except in photographs and during flashbacks, using footage from earlier Rocky films, but her name appears in the final credits.
Burgess Meredith's character Mickey Goldmill also appears in flashbacks of the previous films, however he wasn't given credit.[citation needed]
Production[edit]
Budget and timeline[edit]
Filming began in December 2005 in Las Vegas, Nevada. In 2006, it moved to Los Angeles, California and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[4] The production budget on the 38-day shoot was projected to be $24 million. The film was scheduled for release during the President's Day holiday in 2007, but was moved up to right before Christmas 2006.[5] In late March 2006, the first movie teaser was released on the Internet. The full-length trailer accompanied the theatrical release of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest on July 7 in select theaters.
Casting[edit]
The film gives nods to previous installments via the casting. The most obvious is the return of Stallone, Young, and Burton: the only actors to portray the same characters in all six installments. Tarver's appearance in the film marks the sixth time an active professional boxer has appeared in the series. Previously, Joe Frazier (Rocky), Pedro Lovell (Rocky), Roberto Durán (Rocky II), Tommy Morrison (Rocky V), and Michael Williams (Rocky V) have appeared in the series. Stallone initially wanted Roy Jones, Jr. to portray Dixon, but after Jones did not return Stallone's phone calls, he tapped Antonio Tarver to fill the role.[6] The character of Marie appeared in the original Rocky; she was portrayed by Jodi Letizia.[7] For the final film, Marie is portrayed by Geraldine Hughes. (Although Letizia did reprise the role for Rocky V, the sole scene in which she appeared was deleted. In it, Marie was homeless on the streets of Philadelphia.) Another recognizable character who appeared in the previous five films, sportscaster Stu Nahan, provided the commentary for the computer-generated fight between Dixon and Balboa. Nahan was part of the ringside commentary team during all the bouts in the first three films and the Apollo Creed/Ivan Drago fight in Rocky IV. He was diagnosed with lymphoma during the Rocky Balboa filming, though, and died on December 26, 2007.[8] Finally, Pedro Lovell, who portrayed Spider Rico in the original film, returns to the role in Rocky Balboa as a guest and later employee at Rocky's restaurant.
A number of sports personalities portray themselves. Jim Lampley, Larry Merchant, and Max Kellerman comprise the ringside broadcast team (all three are commentators for HBO Boxing). Sportswriters such as Bert Sugar, Bernard Fernandez and Steve Springer also appear. As for actual boxers, Mike Tyson (who had retired by the film's release) makes a cameo appearance, taunting Dixon as the fighter enters the ring. Lou DiBella, a real-life boxing promoter, portrays himself as Dixon's promoter. Several of ESPN's personalities also portray themselves. SportsCenter anchor (and Friday Night Fights host) Brian Kenny is the host of the fictional Then and Now series, while Cold Pizza and 1st and 10 hosts Jay Crawford, Dana Jacobson, Skip Bayless, and Woody Paige also appear. Ring announcer Michael Buffer appeared as himself, as did referee Joe Cortez.
Regarding his decision not to have Shire reprise her role as Adrian, Stallone told USA Today that, "in the original script, she was alive. But it just didn't have the same dramatic punch. I thought, 'What if she's gone?' That would cut Rocky's heart out and drop him down to ground zero".[9] Shire herself said that, in her view, "The film has great regard for the process of mourning. Sly utilizes mourning to empower Rocky, and Adrian is made very mythical."[9]
Inconsistencies[edit]
Continuity[edit]
A plot element from the fifth film is not addressed in Rocky Balboa's plot. In the previous film, Rocky was diagnosed with brain damage and advised never to fight again. Stallone clarified this apparent inconsistency in an interview, remarking:

"When Rocky was diagnosed with brain damage, it must be noted that many athletes have a form of brain damage including football players, soccer players, and other individuals in contact sports such as rugby, etc. Rocky never went for a second opinion and yielded to his wife's wishes to stop. So with the advent of new research techniques into brain damage, Rocky was found to be normal among fighters, and he was suffering the results of a severe concussion. By today's standards Rocky Balboa would be given a clean bill of health for fighters."[10]
Alternative ending[edit]

Question book-new.svg
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While in the original theatrical screenplay, at the end of the match, Rocky loses by split decision, in the alternative ending, the last (and the third) judge's decision goes in favor of Rocky, making him the winner. The speaker starts "and still..." for which Dixon enthuses while he continues "still... the Philadelphia champion Rocky Balboa...". Dixon's crew boos while the crowd roars. Further part is same as in the original.
Cinematography and fight choreography[edit]
While the dramatic portions of the movie are shot in an obviously cinematic style, the bout between Balboa and Dixon is shot in a number of different ways. The lead-in to the bout, as well as the first two rounds, are shot in a style similar to a major pay-per-view broadcast. Clips from fights in previous Rocky movies are used during the introductory teaser to introduce Balboa, while stock footage from actual Tarver fights, as well as footage from Dixon's previous fight (shown at the beginning of the film) are used as clips for Dixon's part of the teaser. The fight itself was shot in high definition to further enhance the TV-style look of the fight.[10]
After the first two rounds, the bout is shot in a more "cinematic" style, reminiscent of the way the fights in the other Rocky films were shot. However, unlike the other films in the series, the fight is less choreographed and more improvised than previous installments and is closer to an actual boxing match than a choreographed fight.[11] This is a departure from the previous films, where every punch, feint, and step was carefully scripted and practiced.[12]
According to the behind-the-scenes documentary portions of the film's DVD, there were slight continuity problems during the filming of the fight. This was said to have been due to the fact that real punches were thrown by both Stallone and Tarver, resulting in some swelling and nosebleeds earlier than scripted. The DVD release features an alternate ending in which Rocky wins the fight (also by a split decision).
Music[edit]
Composed by Academy Award winner Bill Conti, the Rocky Balboa film score is both an updated composition of Rocky music and a tribute to the music that has been featured in previous Rocky films. Conti, who has acted as composer on every Rocky film except Rocky IV (which was instead helmed by Vince DiCola when Conti had other commitments at the time), chose to compose the score almost entirely from musical themes used in the previous movies. Only one original theme was written specifically for Rocky Balboa, which is the theme written to represent the character of Marie.
The roughly 40-minute score was recorded in the summer of 2006 at Capitol Studios in Hollywood, California. Conti chose to pre-record the string, brass, and piano tracks and then have those tracks mixed with the work of a 44-piece orchestra which he conducted. He also performed all of the piano work himself which is something he has done with each movie for which he has composed the score. Stallone also was involved in every part of the process and attended several of the recording sessions.[13]
In addition to the score, the film features original tracks performed by Natasha Bedingfield, Three 6 Mafia, and Frank Stallone as well as classic tracks such as Frank Sinatra's "High Hopes" and The Miracles' "Ooh Baby Baby".[14] Of the original tracks, the most significant is the Diane Warren song "Still Here", performed by Bedingfield, which was reported to be the film's theme in early articles.[15] Though it is still listed in the credits, the song was dropped from the film.
Distribution[edit]
Rocky Balboa represents a partnership between Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Revolution Studios, and Columbia Pictures (Columbia's corporate parent Sony holds a 20% stake in MGM). Since the Rocky series was originally produced and distributed by United Artists (now MGM's subsidiary studio), the partners jointly decided that the film could and should take advantage of MGM's newly reinvigorated domestic distribution apparatus.[16] 20th Century Fox handles its theatrical and DVD distributions outside of the United States and Canada, while Sony Pictures Home Entertainment handled its American and Canadian video distributions. Television syndication rights are held by Debmar-Mercury and 20th Television under license from Revolution. In the Philippines and Switzerland, Fox released the film through joint ventures with Warner Bros. Entertainment. In Japan, the film was promoted by Fox as Rocky: The Final. It opened across Japan on April 20, 2007.[17]
Home release[edit]
Rocky Balboa is available in three formats: Blu-ray Disc, DVD, and UMD. It was released in Region 1 on March 20 and Region 2 on May 21, 2007. The film has made $35,622,998 in DVD sales.[2] Features on the Blu-ray Disc and DVD include: Deleted scenes along with an alternate ending, bloopers, a commentary, and several featurettes. In addition, the Blu-ray version features all of the DVD's content in 1080p high definition video.[18]
Video game[edit]
On December 13, 2006, it was officially announced by Ubisoft and MGM that a new Rocky video game, titled Rocky Balboa, was to be made exclusively for the PlayStation Portable handheld console. It was released on March 20, 2007, to coincide with the Blu-ray and DVD release.[19] It received mostly negative reviews.
Reaction[edit]
Box office[edit]
The film was an unexpected box office success and exceeded studio expectations, grossing over three times the opening night estimates of (at best) $2,000,000 and doing so despite a harsh spell of winter weather.[20] The film not only finished third in its opening weekend, grossing $12,540,000,[21] but eventually became Stallone's most successful starring role since 1993's Cliffhanger[22] and the sixth highest grossing boxing film of all time, topped only by the first Rocky through IV and Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby.[23] Total U.S. box office gross receipts were $70,269,899 while the international gross stands at $85,449,806, making for a total worldwide gross of $155,721,132.[24]
Critical response[edit]
The film was well received by critics and fans alike. The film garners a "Certified Fresh" rating of 76% on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes based on a sample of 174 reviews, with an average score of 6.5/10.[25] At the website Metacritic, which utilizes a normalized rating system, the film earned a favorable rating of 63/100 based on 33 reviews by mainstream critics.[26]
On the television show Ebert & Roeper, both Richard Roeper and guest reviewer Aisha Tyler gave the film a "thumbs up" rating.[27] Among other positive reviews were those from Variety,[28] David Edelstien of New York magazine,[29] Ethan Alter of Premiere Magazine,[30] Victoria Alexander of Filmsinreview.com,[31] Jeanne Aufmuth of Palo Alto Weekly,[32] Brett Buckalew of Filmstew.com,[33] The Hollywood Reporter,[34] and Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly.[35]
Some criticism came from Christy Lemire, who described the film as self-parody.[36] Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times also criticized the film's premise as implausible and derivative, and the plot development as cursory. Colm Andrew of the Manx Independent said the film "captures the look and feel of the first Rocky but becomes too much of a sentimental homage" and overall "there is little point in joining Stallone on this ultimately dull nostalgia trip".[37]
Stallone was quoted as having told reporters that he would rather "do something that he enjoyed badly, than feel bad about not doing something he enjoyed."
The film was greeted warmly by the majority of the boxing community, with many experts believing the Rocky character is still a key symbol of the sport and that the boxing scenes were the most realistic of any film. On the DVD, Stallone attributes this to the fact that he used realistic sound effects (the previous installments had become notorious for their unrealistic and loud sounds of punches landing) and the fact that both Stallone and Tarver threw real punches at each other.[38]
Soundtrack[edit]


 This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2014)
Main article: Rocky Balboa: The Best of Rocky
Whether the film Rocky Balboa has a soundtrack is subject to some debate. On December 26, 2006, Capitol Records released a CD titled Rocky Balboa: The Best of Rocky which had a logo and cover art that was identical to the film's theatrical poster.
The CD itself contains short dialogue clips and musical tracks, some of which are remixes, from all the Rocky films. Notable though is that only three of its nineteen total tracks are from the Rocky Balboa film: Two dialogue tracks and the Three 6 Mafia song "It's a Fight" (The UK version contains the additional track "Still Here" by Natasha Bedingfield). This has led some to categorize the CD as a compilation while others suggest that it is a soundtrack and that the use of past material simply reflects the film's extensive use of flashbacks.
Relevant to this debate is the absence of any compositions by Rocky IV composer Vince DiCola, except for the song "Hearts on Fire", co-written by DiCola, Ed Fruge and Joe Esposito. DiCola is the only person, other than Bill Conti, to act as composer on a Rocky film and his work was used extensively on the 1991 compilation CD The Rocky Story: Songs from the Rocky Movies. The missing DiCola tracks are the only tracks on the 1991 CD that are not present on the new CD which indicates an effort to use only Rocky Balboa composer Conti's tracks.[39]
Notes[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b "Rocky Balboa (2006): Full Production Credits". New York Times. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
2.^ Jump up to: a b "Rocky Balboa". The Numbers. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
3.Jump up ^ Schwartz, Missy (December 14, 2006). "'Rocky' Road". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
4.Jump up ^ "Rocky Balboa Filming Locations". Movie Locations Guide. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
5.Jump up ^ Welkos, Robert W. (November 26, 2005). "Forever the underdog; A sixth 'Rocky' already is the butt of jokes, but producers are betting it can be a winner" (Fee required). Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
6.Jump up ^ DHB (December 16, 2006). "Stallone has Issues with Roy Jones Jr". Doghouse Boxing. Archived from the original on February 21, 2008. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
7.Jump up ^ "Jodi Letizia".
8.Jump up ^ "Retired L.A. Sportscaster Stu Nahan Dies At 81". CBS2. December 26, 2007. Archived from the original on March 27, 2008. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
9.^ Jump up to: a b Keck, William (December 25, 2006). "Forever yo: Talia Shire's Adrian". USA Today. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
10.^ Jump up to: a b Moriaty (December 1, 2006). "Round One With Sylvester Stallone Q&A!!". Ain't It Cool News. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
11.Jump up ^ Zwecker, Bill (December 14, 2006). ""Rocky" climbs off the canvas". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved June 15, 2009.[dead link]
12.Jump up ^ Dutka, Elaine; J.D. Reed (June 14, 1982). "Winner and Still Champion". Time. pp. 1–6. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
13.Jump up ^ Goldwasser, Dan (June 14, 2006). "Bill Conti scores Rocky Balboa". Scoring Sessions. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
14.Jump up ^ "Rocky Balboa (2006) - Cast and Credits". Yahoo! Movies. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
15.Jump up ^ "Natasha Bedingfield records 'Rocky' theme". Yahoo! Music. August 10, 2006. Retrieved June 15, 2009.[dead link]
16.Jump up ^ "MGM to handle domestic distribution of "Rocky Balboa"". May 17, 2006. Archived from the original on December 10, 2006. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
17.Jump up ^ "Rocky The Final". Fox Japan. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
18.Jump up ^ Wreckk. "Rocky Balboa Gearcritech Blu Ray Review". Gearcritech.com. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
19.Jump up ^ Luce, Patrick (February 15, 2007). "Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa comes to DVD, PSP and Blu-ray in March". Monsters and Critics. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
20.Jump up ^ Harry (December 21, 2006). "Sylvester Stallone public statement". Ain't It Cool News. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
21.Jump up ^ "Weekend Box Office Results for December 22–24, 2007". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
22.Jump up ^ "Sylvester Stallone Movie Box Office Results". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
23.Jump up ^ "Sports - Boxing". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
24.Jump up ^ "Rocky Balboa ticket sales figures". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
25.Jump up ^ "Rocky Balboa". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 2, 2011.
26.Jump up ^ "Rocky Balboa". Metacritic. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
27.Jump up ^ "Rocky Balboa". At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert. Retrieved June 15, 2009.[dead link]
28.Jump up ^ Koehler, Robert (December 15, 2006). "Rocky Balboa". 'Variety. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
29.Jump up ^ Edelstein, David. "Rocky Balboa". New York Magazine. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
30.Jump up ^ Alter, Ethan (December 18, 2006). "Rocky Balboa". Premiere Magazine. Archived from the original on January 3, 2007. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
31.Jump up ^ Alexander, Victoria (December 13, 2006). "A certified crowd pleaser. Stallone stayed true to Rocky. He gave Rocky back to us without dolling him up.". Retrieved June 15, 2009.[dead link]
32.Jump up ^ Aufmuth, Jeanne (December 22, 2006). "Rocky Balboa". Palo Alto Weekly. Archived from the original on May 24, 2008. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
33.Jump up ^ Buckalew, Brett. "The Bengay Balboa". FilmStew.com. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
34.Jump up ^ "Review: 'Rocky Balboa'" (Registration required). The Hollywood Reporter. December 15, 2006. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
35.Jump up ^ Gleiberman, Owen (December 13, 2006). "Rocky Balboa (2006)". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
36.Jump up ^ Lemire, Christy (December 19, 2006). ""Rocky" offers self-parody". China Daily. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
37.Jump up ^ Andrew, Colm (March 1, 2007). "Filmreview:Rocky's Looking a Bit Punch Drunk". Isle of Man Today. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
38.Jump up ^ Keenan, Ronan (January 24, 2007). "Is a Character Like Rocky Still Relevant to Boxing?". BoxingScene.com. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
39.Jump up ^ "Rocky Balboa: The Best of Rocky". Epinions.com. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
External links[edit]

Portal icon Film in the United States portal
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 Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Rocky Balboa (film)
Rocky Balboa at the Internet Movie Database
Rocky Balboa at Box Office Mojo
Rocky Balboa at allmovie
Rocky Balboa at Rotten Tomatoes
Rocky Balboa at Metacritic
Sylvester Stallone Interview
Rocky Online- Info about film and reviews
Total Rocky Fan Site
Guide to Filming Locations


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Categories: English-language films
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