Sly Stallone made an appearance when the bronze statue of Rocky Balboa (first used in Rocky III) was unveiled near the famous Rocky Steps at the the Philadelphia Museum of Art on Friday, Sept. 8, 2006.
Category: Rocky III
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
“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
POW – “Rocky III”
Our POW [Picture of the Week] is a rare shot of Slyfrom the set of “Rocky III” and comes to us from my personal collection.
– Craig
“Rocky” Statue Going Back Home?
The “Rocky” statue given to the city of Philadelphia by Sylvester Stallone, has been in storage but city officials are now are proposing to place it near the Philadelphia Art Museum.
Limited Edition Rocky Figures and More!
Jeremy Padawer, head of Entertainment Marketing for Jakks Pacific checked in to remind SZoners about the cool line of “Rocky” figures that are they’re producing.
Here’s what Jeremy had to say:
We’re producing the Rocky action figure line – literally manufacturing and marketing practically every important character from the Rocky movies.
Including: Rocky, Adriane, Mick, Paulie, Thunderlips, Roberto Duran, Joe Frasier, Mike Tyson (cameo Rocky Balboa), and 30+ others.
I’m running a promotion on my personal website – http://www.jeremy.com.
Basically, we did a 1:50 Pre-Production Rocky Balboa bronzed figure in a polybag packaging for 2006 NYC Licensing Show. We’re going to follow up with a 1:1000 bronze figure in regular Rocky packaging that we give away on the streets of Philadelphia in late August!
I’m really looking forward to the release of these figures! Check out Jeremy’s Blog for full details and news about other cool products!
– Craig Zablo [July 6, 2006]
Bill Pruitt: New Rocky Art
SZoner, Bill Pruitt checked in with some “new” Rocky art. The first piece is a promo idea that Bill submitted before the release of Rocky V. The second is the classic freeze frame from the end of Rocky III.
If you’d like to see more of Bill‘s work you can. Simply click HERE! – Craig
Gerardo Moreno’s Rocky and Rambo DVD Packages!
Gerardo Moreno checked in to the SZ with pics of his design work for a Rocky and Rambo dvd packages sold
overseas.
If you’d like to see more of Gerardo’s work; he specializes in illustrations [traditional and digital], graphic design, as well as sculpture and photography; then check out his website and tell him I sent you! – Craig
Action Figure Digest: Rocky and Rambo!
The March 2006 issue of Tomart’s Action Figure Digest features early prototypes of the new Rocky figures on the cover as well as a two page spread featuring over 20 images of the additional characters and items which will be offered.
Here are some highlights:
* Approximately 40 to 50 figures will be produced
* All of the lead characters will be featured with figures from each film
* Key secondary and tertiary characters from all films will also get a figure [even the robot from Rocky IV!]
* A new series will be issued every one to two months starting in October 2006
This issue also features a pic of the Sideshow Collectables HALO Rambo!
The mag is well worth the price of admission and can be found on newstands now.
– Craig
More Praise for Sly, “Rocky” & “Rocky III”
The November 25th issue of Entertainment Weekly contains an article rating the top 30 sports movie dvds and stars.
Sly Stallone, Rocky and Rocky III all earned top spots.
Here’s what they had to say:
4. Rocky [PG, 119 mins., 1976; MGM]
HERE’S WHY: Hard enough to take a 15-round beating from Apollo Creed [Carl Weathers], soft enough to give Adrian [Talia Shire] the bed the night before the big fight, the Philly southpaw is more character than most. With one shot to prove he’s not just another bum from the hood, Sylvester Stallone faces the champ and does the unthinkable, by Hollywood standards: He loses. But wins our hearts by going the distance [and remembering Adrian’s hat].
DID YOU KNOW? The Italian Stallion’s blow-by-blow of the bout weighed in at 32 pages. EXTRAS The 2001 special edition features commentaries detailing every decision made in the making of this Best Picture.
FINAL SCORE: We’d all like to eat lightning and crap thunder for Mickey [Burgess Meredith]. – Mandi Bierly
24. Rocky III [PG, 100 mins., 1982; MGM]
HERE’S WHY: Because it perfected the formula. Why have one nigh-invulnerable black heavyweight when you can have two? Why have one viscerally adrenalized fight when you can have three? The story of the Italian Stallion’s defeat at the hands of and subsequent victory over Clubber Lang – the only actually scary performance of Mr. T’s career – packs all the inspirational triumph you look for in a Rocky flick [and a touch of casual racism that you don’t], but Rocky III‘s true gift to sports cinema is the anatomically fetishized, borderline homoerotic training sequence. That, and “The Eye of the Tiger.”
EXTRAS: We pity the DVD fools who included nothing but a measly trailer. If we find them, our prediction for the encounter? Pain.
FINAL SCORE: Twenty notches below the first Rocky on our list, but the most fun installment in the whole series. – Marc Bernardin
SYLVESTER STALLONE Rocky [1976] Rocky Balboa may be an outclassed palooka, but he has the heart of a champ, a virtue that Stallone portrays so convincingly that he transformed his Philly underdog into an indellible and enduring pop-culture hero. [See #4]
– The pic above is different than the one with the article. – Craig