Not Just Another Bum from the Neighborhood

Craig / / 2006, Rocky Balboa

Adrian has passed away. Their son is grown. Rocky’s back in the old neighborhood and alone…

…but he still might have some stuff in the basement.
– Craig Zablo

Photo by: John Bramley

90 Replies to “Not Just Another Bum from the Neighborhood”

  11. Great picture.Thanks Craig,you are the best!What we’ll do without you?

    The dog,Punchy,is nice.
    He doesn’t look like Butkuss.

  16. the look on his face, the look on the dog’s face, the background, it’s all very rocky.. I’m loving it

  17. This was posted by someone over on Yahoo’s message board. I thought it was good:

    WHY STALLONE KILLED ADRIAN

    Her impassioned protests would take up too much time. If Adrian were alive, Stallone would have to spend a good portion of the story dealing with Adrian’s pleadings for him not to fight. This character trait of hers has gradually been a larger part of her role in the films.

    In Rocky, she didn’t have much to say regarding his decision to fight besides her question on the ice rink: ā€œWhy do you want to fight? ‘cos I can’t sing or dance.ā€ And though they weren’t yet married, she couldn’t stand to be in the auditorium when he actually fought Apollo.

    In Rocky II and III she was more enthused: She told Rock to ā€œwinā€ after waking from her coma and she was always ring-side for the title defenses (and for the Thunder Lips bout). Adrian was at her peak when she trained with Rock in L.A. and stood and chanted ā€œRock-eeā€ with her fist in the air during the third round of the title rematch with Clubber. It was all down hill after that.

    Adrianā€™s new reasoning begins in Rocky IV with her disagreement with Apollo: ā€œI think itā€™s wrong,ā€ and ā€œdonā€™t you think itā€™s time to start thinking about something else; I mean how much can you take, either of you?ā€ And after Apollo dies, she utters to Rocky the worst line of all of the Rocky series: ā€œYou canā€™t win!ā€ Though she tries to atone by coming to Rockā€™s side in Russia (ā€œIā€™m with you no matter whatā€), in the fifteenth round against Drago she exclaims ā€œyouā€™re gonna do it!ā€ which is more of a surprise statement compared to the affirmative attitude she displayed in Rocky II and III.

    Rocky V is the worst. Her disapproval of Rockyā€™s fighting is apparent throughout: at the press conference, to George Washington Duke, to Rocky in private. Her whole role in Rocky V, with the exception her small role encouraging Rock to think about his son, is to convince Rocky heā€™s brain dead and done.

    Given her track record in the last couple episodes, there is no use for her anymore. Stallone would have to spend a quarter of the movieā€™s dialogue devoted to Adrianā€™s disapproval of his return and the marital tension that results. He had to kill her off. He ought to have killed her off. We donā€™t need her dragging him down anymore. The Ultimate Meatball is back and weā€™re glad heā€™s single. I love the Italian Stallion.

  18. Looks like Punchie has been whipped by life!! (Just like Rocky!) Actually, he looks like a small Jabba the Hut!!!! (The DOG, not Rocky!!) WHO picked him out to take the place of Butkiss?!??

  19. If you honestly think that Stallone killed Adrian because her role had been used up and there was no need for her anymore…that it would have been a drudgery to deal with her character then you are obviously not truly in tune with the story. (By the way, in Rocky V, she was merely a wife wanting to protect her husband). The fact is that Adrian not being there makes perfect sense in the story coming full circle. He has never had to fight without her. He had to overcome losing Micky and believing in himself again. He had to fight for his life without Apollo. He had to fight himself in Rocky V. This is nothing more than another challenge for the “greatest fighter of our generation”; his age and no Adrian. I was upset when I found out that she would not be in this movie, but if you are truly aware of the big picture, the whole story, it makes perfect sense that at some point he would have to fight without her. It is not that she was too much trouble. Stallone is a genuis in that throughtout the Rocky series, he has stayed true to the characters and the story. Sure, the acting and directing of Rocky V was horrific, but the story was brilliant. He has always stayed true throughout and to say that he “killed Adrian” because there was no use for her is an ignorant point of view.

  23. lovinRocky-

    The comment didn’t say Stallone had no use for Adrian. The comment said putting her in the film would have forced him to devout too much dialogue to the conflict between Rocky and Adrian regarding him getting back in the ring. I happen to agree. We heard that over and over in V…and as you point out, V sucked…for all sorts of reasons, but including Adrian’s constant nagging.

  24. Adrian made Rocky a love story. Rocky the character loved her more than life itself and both the actress and the character made the movie very very very valuable.

  25. Im a little disappointed…I enjoy this blog but I wish there was an OFFICIAL website. I meanthis is ok for a man who has alot of time on his hands, but an official site would have been great. Atleast there would be music and trailers. anyways thats just me

  27. No! I dont buy the “genius”, the “full circle”, “nagging”, but esp the “killing her off because there was no use for her”. Micky and Tony made the boxer we are inspired by, but Adrian did far more then they ever could. She gave us the lump in the throat when he faced the adversity, and over came. Without her character we don’t CARE about Rocky. Itz hard to say how her character should have been written, but she needs to be there when ALL is done.
    She will certainly be missed.

  28. I think if she had been in this movie she wouldn’t have held him back. I mean at this age if he still wants to do why try to stop him, it would be a nice change and surprise everyone. She wasn’t nagging in the other movies, just trying to be realistic that he could be seriously hurt. which he was in the end but in the 3rd there was the big speech about him not quitting. But Talia Shire didn’t want the part so there was nothing else for him to do besides that. This is coming full circle I agree 100% with “lovinrocky” that he has never been without Adrian and its getting back to the original without the gittery stuff.

  29. As far as i was aware she was not even offerd the part! he called her to say that she would not be need for the role in the new movie, however he did ask he for some input, this was all on the interview he did with ET

  31. full circle would be back at the “cock-fight” looking dive of a hell hole where he was brawling with characters like Spider Rico, and left with a rep just a little better than a bum. Im sorry THEY couldnt figure something out – hell Paulie should have been written to nearly die or die, where Talia is some what distracted with his health or near death experience, to be so demanding of Rocky’s new challenge. Something like that.

  33. Good or bad idea, I’ll throw this one out for discussion – maybe for a little “full-circle irony” Rocky finds himself where a display of Top 10 CDs are displayed, picks out one and its his singing street boys, with his brother as the lead singer on the cover, where he makes some tonge-n-cheek humoris comment, but we are left with the reality that he is on his way down. and maybe this is the cattelist just before he goes on his one last stand.

  35. Full Circle:

    Rock breaks Gazzo’s boy’s thumbs and leaves him at the Philadelphia zoo.

  39. TYLER said… That pic is awsome

    Craig: Just like Slyā€™s fans!

    sly center saidā€¦ Wow! what a great photo of Sly and Punchy. Thanks Craig

    Craig: My pleasure!

    rambo89 said… Punchy looks coool!

    Craig: Totally!

    Jazz said… What a beautiful shot. I love it ! Thank you Craig…

    Craig: Youā€™re welcome!

    adnuk68 said… love it! this is outside maries house………

    Craig: How could you not?

    Adam said… Great picture. They both look great!

    Craig: Thanks for the kind words.

    JL said… Really cool picture. That photo has the gritty look of the original film.

    Craig: Exactly!

    Lotofsly said… “Rocky Balboa” will be THE film to see !!!

    Craig: ISā€¦

    charlotte said… Great picture.Thanks Craig,you are the best!What we’ll do without you?

    Craig: Thanksā€¦ and letā€™s hope we donā€™t ever find out!

    VelvetBlasphemy said… awesome pic!

    Craig: Yeah, I agree. Itā€™s one of my favorites so far.

    Brenda Terzian said… “A little bit of Rocky will always live in all of us cause the human spirit triumphs over all obstacles.”

    Craig: Well said!
    William vdK said… the look on his face, the look on the dog’s face, the background, it’s all very rocky.. I’m loving it

    Craig: Yep. Iā€™m digging it too!

    Anonymous said… Craig, do we know if Mr. T, Dolph and Tommy Gunn have cameos in this one?

    Craig: I donā€™t think that they do.

    Anonymous said… CRAIG where’s STALLONEZONE

    Craig: We blew through 60 gigs of bandwidth. We should be back up soon. Thanks for asking.

    Daniel said… She (Adrian) will certainly be missed.

    Craig: Absolutely. You will FEEL her presence. You will be surprised the ā€œroleā€ she does play in regard to Rocky and Paulieā€™s emotionsā€¦

  41. SYLVESTER STALLONE, if you read this comments, I want to say you are the best actor. I am a French fan of you. I really want to meet you to say to you all that you make me feel… Since I am 3 years old, I like you. Thank you for all that you did…

  42. Of course we won’t know for sure until the movie comes out, but the feel of this trailer seems closer to the original Rocky than the other movies.
    I can’t believe I was 16 when the original Rocky came out and now I’m…Well, never mind.
    Looking forward to it Sly!

  43. aw what an awesome picture!! I’m getting so exited! I’m digging the feel..it’s almost right back to the 1st movie! It looks terific.

  45. This will be the BEST final rocky movie i’am sure of it. I’am a big fan of his movies. I have the rambo and rocky collection and those movies you can see them over and over they never get borring. That is why i love this rock story. I did not here a bell bring it on SLY

  46. mason “the line” dixon is a ded man! knock his block off rock! RIP adrian alwayz love neva forgotten!

  47. yo sly, dx-generation germany is speaking! Listen man, you just have to stay focused, watch your head and keep moving. youĀ“re the champ rock. We are probably the greatest fans in the whole world sly. We promise you, we are getting our motherfucking asses in the cinema as soon as itĀ“s possible!
    Best wishes to you sly.
    DX-Generation Germany aka the gastro spackos (Jonny and Dennis)

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