Ernest “Jazzman” Resendes found the pics and info above in the July 2001 issue of Empire.
Category: Rocky
“ROCKY” SPECIAL EDITION DVD REVIEW
Ernest “Jazzman” Resendes returns with yet another SZ NEWS item. The pics and text can be found in the June issue of TOTAL FILM.
ROCKY: SPECIAL EDITION
The Film: The only real knockout in the Rocky series has aged pretty well. Grittier and nastier (well, relatively) than the four sequels, the dingy look, solid performances and triumphantly teary ending make it easy to understand how this bagged itself nine Oscar nominations and three statuettes (including Best Film).
The extras: Audio commentary with cast and crew, video commentary with Sylvester Stallone, behind the scenes featurette with director John Alvidsen, tribute to Burgess Meredith, tribute to James Crabe, trailers.
The verdict: Not exactly championship material but still able to go the distance,
this is an enjoyable, well-assembled package. The video commentary
(basically a glorified interview with
Mr. Sly) is entertaining stuff, especially if you never realized just how
much of a shoestring affair making the film was (dodging
in and around Philadelphia
trying not to get nabbed by
the authorities, grabbing shots wherever they could ). Also
look out for John Alvidsen‘s
8 mm behind – the – scenes footage (an amusing peek at how the fight was assembled) and the genuinely touching tributes to Burgess Meredith and James Crabe. Completists will be glad to know that the Special Edition is also available as part of the Rocky Anthology box set, but, let’s face it, this is the only one worth owning.
Cerl Thomas
Film: ****
Disc: ****
During rehearsals Rocky director John Alvidsen shot cheap 8mm films of his stars prancing around the ring. He talks us through it on the Special Edition disc…
“When the time came to rehearse, what I wanted to rehearse more than anything was the fighting ‘cos I knew that the film wasn’t going to look good unless the fighting looked good. A couple of weeks before we started shooting I got Sylvester and Carl Weathers into the ring to see what it was going to look like. Well they got into the ring and one guy said: “I’m gonna do this” and the other guy said: “I’m gonna do that!” I realized that we weren’t gonna get anywhere.So I suggested to Sylvester: “Why don’t you go home and write this thing out? A left and a right, an uppercut, you fall down, he falls down. Whatever you want, write it out and bring it back and we’ll learn it like a ballet. It’ll be choreographed and we’ll do the same thing in the ring day after day until we really get it down. So when you do this, he does that and we put a big whack on the soundtrack and people will believe it.
So Sylvester liked the idea and the next day he came back with 32 pages of lefts and rights and that’s what we learned.”
Thanks, Jazz! – Craig Zablo (June 21, 2001)
Sly in the Valley
SLY STALLONE is on the cover and in the feature article of the June issue of Valley.
“In the Driver’s Seat with Sylvester Stallone” is the title of the interview by Bonnie Steele. SLY talks about “Driven,” racing, his career, advice to young actors, the 25th anniversary of “Rocky,” and “Avenging Angelo” and more.
This is not to be missed! Special thanks to SZoner Joe “Hummer” Tanto for the gratis copy!
– Craig Zablo
“Rocky” Selected As DVD of the Month
Ernest “Jazzman” Resendes returns with yet another SZ NEWS item. The pics and text can be found in the June issue of Total Film.
Rocky Special Edition
The Film: The only real knockout in the Rocky series has aged pretty well. Grittier and nastier [well, relatively] than the four sequels, the dingy look, solid performances and triumphantly teary ending make it easy to understand how this bagged itself nine Oscar nominations and three statuettes [including Best Film].
The extras: Audio commentary with cast and crew, video commentary with SYLVESTER STALLONE , behind the scenes featurette with director JOHN ALVIDSEN, tribute to BURGESS MEREDITH, tribute to JAMES CRABE, trailers.
The verdict: Not exactly championship material but still able to go the distance, this is an enjoyable, well-assembled package. The video commentary [basically a glorified interview with Mr. SLY] is entertaining stuff, especially if you never realized just how much of a shoestring affair making the film was [dodging
in and around Philadelphia trying not to get nabbed by the authorities, grabbing shots wherever they could ]. Also look out for JOHN ALVIDSEN‘s 8 mm behind – the – scenes footage [an amusing peek at how the fight was assembled] and the genuinely touching tributes to BURGESS MEREDITH and JAMES CRABBE. Completists will be glad to know that the Special Edition is also available as part of the Rocky Anthology box set, but, let’s face it, this is the only one worth owning.
Cerl Thomas Film: **** Disc: ****
During rehearsals Rocky director JOHN ALVIDSEN shot cheap 8mm films of his stars prancing around the ring. He talks us through it on the Special Edition disc…
“When the time came to rehearse, what I wanted to rehearse more than anything was the fighting ‘cos I knew that the film wasn’t going to look good unless the fighting looked good. A couple of weeks before we started shooting I got SYLVESTER and CARL WEATHERS into the ring to see what it was going to look like. Well they got into the ring and one guy said: “I’m gonna do this” and the other guy said: “I’m gonna do that!” I realized that we weren’t gonna get anywhere.So I suggested to SYLVESTER : “Why don’t you go home and write this thing out? A left and a right, an uppercut, you fall down, he falls down. Whatever you want, write it out and bring it back and we’ll learn it like a ballet. It’ll be choreographed and we’ll do the same thing in the ring day after day until we really get it down. So when you do this, he does that and we put a big whack on the soundtrack and people will believe it.
So SYLVESTER liked the idea and the next day he came back with 32 pages of lefts and rights and that’s what we learned.”
– Craig
SLY IN JUNE ISSUE OF RACER
Ernest “Jazzman” Resendes sent in the following:
In the June 2001 issue of RACER there is a profile on racing movies by Adam Cooper entitled LAST ACTION HEROES. Some excerpts …
“Sylvester Stallone and director Renny Harlin faced a long , hard struggle to realize their pet project that originally began life with an F1 theme.”
“…Of course, Stallone knows a little about sports movies. In 1976 he shot to stardom on Rocky , a project he conceived and fought to bring to life, and which earned the best picture Oscar. Will Driven be a knockout ?”
Former Indy 500 winner and formula 1 Champion Jacques Villeneuve makes a cameo appearance in Driven.
Thanks to Jazz for the tip! – Craig Zablo (May 21, 2001)
STALLONE IN FHM
The May 2001 issue of FHM contains the picture above as well as the following:
DRIVEN 4/27
A hotshot rookie driver hits a slump and realizes he needs the help of a grizzled old vetern who, incidentally, looks a lot like Rocky Balboa.
With Sylvester Stallone, Burt Reynolds, Kip Pardue and Gina Gershon
Go speed racer In a feat that never ceases to amaze, screenwriter Stallone strung together enough words to pen an entire script. At least you can count on director Renny Harlin (Cliffhanger) to make stellar racing scenes.
Get this While filming, Harlin was planning the DVD, which will let the viewer watch the races from various angles: high above, on the side or in the driver’s seat.
5 THINGS THAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT ROCKY
1 Sylvester Stallone wrote his first draft of the script in three frenzied days. That version ended with Rocky throwing the fight.
2 Even though he had only $105 in the bank, Stallone originally turned down offers of as much as $350,000 for the script from producers who wouldn’t let him play Rocky.
3 To get the green light from the studio, the producers had to agree to keep their budget below $1 million and agree to cover any extra charges out of their own pockets. Both producers ended up mortgaging their house.
4 When production moved from LA to Philadelphia, Stallone could only afford to travel by train. Accompanying him on the 3-day ride was his dog Butkus, who appears in the film and who had putrid gas throughout the trip. In Arizona, Sly literally picked up the pooch and squeezed him, but the dog refused to empty its bowels until they got to Philadelphia and Sly’s hotel carpet.
5 The famous shot of Rocky celebrating at the top of the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps was originally filmed as a tight shot on Rocky with a zoom out. Later, the director decided he wanted to start wide and zoom in. In the film, the footage is actually playing backward.
Thanks to Ernest “Jazzman” Resendes! – Craig Zablo (May 5, 2001)
Sly Stallone’s “Rocky” Coming to Video Games!
Rage Software has announced that it will produce a series of games based on the classic SYLVESTER STALLONE Rocky film series on multiple formats including Sony PlayStation 2 and the Microsoft Xbox. Ragepromises that the games will attempt to capture the overall look and feel of the movies.
“We are delighted to be developing and publishing the officially endorsed range of computer and video games based on the Rocky movie anthology,” Paul Finnegan, managing director at Rage, said. “We believe that Rocky is without a doubt one of the most entertaining and enduring movie series ever produced, and we plan to create a major gaming franchise that utilizes the strengths of the license.”
“Rocky” Special Edition Set
The long awaited DVD Rocky Special Edition Box Set goes on sale today! The five disc set will list for $89.96 but is available |HERE| at discounted price.
FEATURES:
* 5-disc set that includes all of the Rocky films
* All of the films will contain new sound mixes
* All of the films will contain anamorphic transfers
* ROCKY will be a SPECIAL EDITION with:
– deleted scenes
– a documentary
– commentary track with SLY,
director JOHN ALVIDSEN, and cast members
– an extensive still gallery
– a new 5.1 Dolby Digital Soundtrack
– and MORE!
FEATURES:
* 5-disc set that includes all of the Rocky films
* All of the films will contain new sound mixes
* All of the films will contain anamorphic transfers
* ROCKY will be a SPECIAL EDITION with:
– deleted scenes
– a documentary
– commentary track with SLY,
director JOHN ALVIDSEN, and cast members
– an extensive still gallery
– a new 5.1 Dolby Digital Soundtrack
– and MORE!
– Craig Zablo [January 22, 2001]
Rocky Gift Set Reviewed
The April 20, 2001 issue of Entertainment Weekly gives the “Rocky” Giftset the lead review in the New To DVD section. Marc Bernardin gives the set an overall “B” rating. SZoners will be glad to hear that Mr. Bernardin says of all of the extras that come in the set, “the most interesting bit is a 28-minute interview with STALLONE, who gives something of a “Rocky” oral history from genesis to release. By turns touching, insightful, and self-indulgent, it’s a fascinating look at a star glancing back through time at the role that, for better or worse, defined him.”
– Craig Zablo
ROCKY SPECIAL EDITION GIFT SET
The April 20, 2001 issue of Entertainment Weekly gives the Rocky Giftset the lead review in the New To DVD section. Marc Bernardin gives the set an overall “B” rating. SZoners will be glad to hear that Mr. Bernardin says of all of the extras that come in the set, “the most interesting bit is a 28-minute interview with Stallone, who gives something of a Rocky oral history from genesis to release. By turns touching, insightful, and self-indulgent, it’s a fascinating look at a star glancing back through time at the role that, for better or worse, defined him.”(As an interesting aside – on the page following the review is a one page interview with Carl “Apollo Credd” Weathers!)
– Craig Zablo (April 16, 2001)