| All events will occur rain or shine and are free, except the Hero Thrill Show, which raises money for the education of survivors of deceased police and fire personnel killed in the line of duty. Boxing Exhibition – Wednesday September 6 – JFK Plaza (LOVE Park), 15th St & JFK Boulevard, noon-2 p.m. In the true tradition of Rocky, 12 boxing slugfests – three 2-minute rounds – will take center stage in an outdoor boxing exhibition showcasing more than 20 young hopefuls and area fighters. Rocky/Adrian Look-Alike Contest – Thursday, September 7 – JFK Plaza (LOVE Park), 15th Street and JFK Boulevard, noon to 2 p.m. With songs from the soundtracks of Rocky movies as the backdrop, Rocky-mania will hit championship pitch at Love Park. Finalists of a Rocky and Adrian Look-Alike contest will be announced and judged by a celebrity jury at LOVE Park. Contestants are eligible to receive a Philly Overnight hotel package, a miniature LOVE statue, and tickets to the premiere of the new Rocky movie in December. Plaques Dedication & ROCKY Statue Rededication – Friday, September 8th , 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Philadelphia Art Museum vicinity, Benjamin Franklin Parkway Philly Loves Rocky Week culminates with the return of hometown hero Sylvester Stallone, who is scheduled to take part in festivities citywide. Plaques Dedication: Sylvester Stallone is expected to appear at the dedication of plaques commemorating the deaths of Police Officer Gary Skerski at 11 a.m. at Castor Avenue and Arrott Street (4690 Castor Ave.) in Northeast Philadelphia and fallen Firefighter James Miskal at 1 p.m. at Third Street and Spring Gardenin Northern Liberties.Statue Dedication: At 6 p.m., the city will keep the Rocky hoopla rolling, with a statue dedication featuring invited speakers Mayor John F. Street, Philadelphia-born actor Sly Stallone and many dignitaries in a star-studded ceremony to mark the new home of the Rocky statue at the foot of the Philadelphia Museum. Frank Stallone, Stallone’s brother -musician, and actors Burt Young (“Paulie” in Rocky) and Joely Fisher are scheduled to make appearances. The dedication will be followed by the music of The Don’t Call Me Francis band and a showing on an outdoor movie screen of the original Academy Award-winning Rocky saga near the steps of the Art Museum.Hero Thrill Show – Saturday, September 9, noon to 9 p.m. outside the Wachovia Spectrum Party for a cause in the grand finale of Philly Loves Rocky Week. The thrills will be a mile a minute, as Sylvester Stallone will be the grand marshal at the enhanced 2006 Hero Thrill Show. Special guests Burt Young, Frank Stallone, Connie Stevens and Joely Fisher, as well as many other radio & tv personalities. The musical entertainment features Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff’s “Sound of Philadelphia” among many others. Philadelphia Police & Fire Pipes and Drums, the Police Highway Patrol Drill Team and Fraternal Order of Police promise to be crowd-pleasers in the traditional segment of the Thrill Show featuring daredevil motorcycle-driven stunts. Proceeds support the education of families of Philadelphia law enforcement personnel killed in the line of duty. Tickets are $10 and available at local police and fire stations, or log onto www.HeroThrillShow.org Big, big thanks to John Fallon for preparing this report! – Craig |
Author: Craig
Sly Leads “American Heroes” Fan Made Movie Poster
Gerardo Moreno presents an “action fan’s” dream movie! – Craig
Gonna Fly Now!
Rocky (SYLVESTER STALLONE) knows that strength coupled with endurance will give him a “slugger’s chance” against a younger and more skilled fighter.
– Craig Zablo
The final round of the Academy Award™-winning Rocky franchise hits theatres Friday, December 22, 2006. Written and directed by SYLVESTER STALLONE.
Photo by: John Bramley
POW – “Rocky III”
Our POW [Picture of the Week] is a classic shot of Sly and Talia Shire from “Rocky III” and comes to us from my personal collection.
– Craig
“Rambo” Fan Art
You just gotta love Kurt Howgate‘s Rambo IV teaser poster!
Kurt is a longtime SZoner and has been a Stallone fan even longer [ over 20-years]. Kurt is a competitive armwrestler, and runs the Northeast Armwrestling Message Board.
SZoner, Larry “Wizardfenix” checked in with his take on Rambo.
Wiz is an OS [Original StalloneZoner] but due to work and other issues hasn’t been around as much. Hopefully that’s changed and he’ll be back in full force!
Thanks SZoners! – Craig
Entertainment Weekly is Pumped about”Rocky Balboa”
Everyone is getting on the “Rocky Balboa” bandwagon!
Entertainment Weekly’s August 18, 2006 Fall Movie Preview issue highlights “Rocky Balboa” in the “Things We’re Pumped for in December” and calls it the “unlikely but still stirring idea of Stallone climbing back into the ring for ‘Rocky Balboa.'” EW also runs the photo above with a look at the film.
Here are a couple of excerpts: Adrian’s death “is a dramatic ploy to put Roc at rock bottom” and from Sly, “What they [Mason Dixon’s camp] don’t understand is that Rocky‘s got this beast inside, this grief, and to him it’s not a fight, it’s a purging.”
. – Craig
Feeling Strong Now
Rocky (SYLVESTER STALLONE) knows that in order to go toe-to-toe with a younger, more skilled fighter, he’s going to need to build strength…
– Craig Zablo
The final round of the Academy Award™-winning Rocky franchise hits theatres Friday, December 22, 2006. Written and directed by SYLVESTER STALLONE.
Photo by: John Bramley
Sly and Wepner Settle
| Sly Stallone and former heavyweight contender Chuck Wepner have reached a settlement in Wepner’s suit against Stallone for using Wepner as inspiration for ‘Rocky’. Lawyers for Wepner and Stallone filed in U.S. District Court that the 2003 lawsuit was settled for undisclosed terms.– Craig |
Natasha Bedingfield & “Rocky Balboa” Theme
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Natasha Bedingfield & “Rocky Balboa” Theme
| SZoner, Alain from France e-mailed to say that British singer Natasha Bedingfield “has been personally asked by Sly to perform the theme tune for his new Rocky movie.” According to reports Sly met Natasha at a LA party and asked her to perform the song “Still Here” for the “Rocky Balboa” soundtrack.Click HERE for the full report– Craig |
“Rocky” Statue Going Back Home?
Mike Klein’s August 13, 2006 column in the Philadelphia Inquirer has this update on the Rocky statue:
Looks like the fight over the location of the Rocky statue is headed for the final round, and the populist pugilist is poised to prevail by TKO.
Supporters of the statue, which Sylvester Stallone gave to the city in 1982, want it placed on the outskirts of the Art Museum steps, which Stallone made famous.
Some bluenoses on the city Art Commission, meanwhile, sniff that the piece is not art. (Look up the work of some commission members and decide for yourself whether that’s art.)
The statue’s chances looked dim as recently as Wednesday, when a commission review committee deadlocked, 3-3, on the site plan. City Public Property Commissioner Joan Schlotterbeck, who favors it, withdrew the application before it went to the full commission, which has shot it down twice before.
But I hear that through gentle arm-twisting, the full commission likely has the votes to approve the location, and a decision might come down before the next scheduled commission meeting Sept. 6. “We’re very hopeful,” Commerce Director Stephanie Naidoff said Friday.
Good timing. Sept. 6 is the start of “Philly Loves Rocky Week.”
Civic types, led by lawyer and Stallone pal Jimmy Binns, are organizing events including a boxing exhibition in JFK Plaza (Sept. 6) and a Rocky and Adrian look-alike contest (Sept. 7). Stallone has agreed to come in Sept. 9 to be grand marshal of the Hero Thrill Show.
The idea for the week was hatched after the Fairmount Park Commission approved the site location in May. At the time, Stallone was to attend a statue dedication on Sept. 8.
The ceremony may come off then after all.
For Mike Klein’s full article click HERE – Craig