Top 10 Training Montages: Rocky Series Wins

Craig / / 2010, Honors, Rocky, Rocky 3, Rocky 4

When IGN.com decided to post their choices for The Top 10 Training Montages, you just knew that some from the Rocky series would make the cut.  I’m happy to say that Rocky, Rocky III and Rocky IV all made the top ten.  Both III and IV made the top five and IV came in at #1.  Here’s a bit of why…

10.  Rocky: The original and most iconic, Rocky demonstrated how powerful and popular a movie montage could be. Set to Bill Conti’s rousing ‘Gonna Fly Now’, the locals cheer on Rocky as he pounds the pavements of Philadelphia in preparation for his David vs. Goliath battle. The final shot of Rocky running up the 72 stone steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art became so culturally significant that it’s now a popular tourist destination, was re-named ‘Rocky Steps”‘ and has a bronze statue of Stallone by sculptor A. Thomas Schomberg at the foot of the building.

05.  Rocky III: It’s a given that any scene set to ‘Gonna Fly Now’ will be thoroughly enjoyable and writer/director/star Sylvester Stallone knew better than to tinker with greatness. The music may be the same but everything else is different; old foe Apollo Creed is now helping Rocky train, the ‘Rocky Steps’ have been replaced with a beach and the cheering children have been swapped for homoerotic slow-mo shots of Rocky and Apollo’s bulging thighs.

01.  Rocky IV: Rocky may have inspired the movie montage as we know it, but it’s Rocky IV’s fantastically ludicrous four-minute training sequence that gets the fan vote every time. With John Cafferty’s synth-tastic ‘Hearts On Fire’ blasting in the background, Rocky and his opponent Ivan Drago’s hardcore training sessions overlap throughout, allowing the audience to judge which is the most ridiculous. Whilst Rocky crumples photos of his opponent, lifts the weight of three people and does sit ups at an impossible angle, Drago trains the old fashioned way, with injections, a bank of hi-tech computers, and Brigitte Nielsen. It also has the distinction of the greatest end to a montage, with Rocky’s triumphant sprint up a mountain followed by a primal scream that says he’s ready to do battle. Endlessly watchable and ripped off by everyone from Family Guy to fans on YouTube, Rocky IV dealt a knock-out blow to the competition and remains the montage champ.

To see the full list, simply click here.

Dream Cast: Sly as Batman

Craig / / 2010, Celebs, Unmade Films

Since the day that Frank Miller’s Dark Knight Returns mini-series was published fans have been praying for a big screen adaptation.  A few years ago, Miller said that Sly would be his choice to play Batman should the film ever be made.

On July 25, 2010, ComicBookMovie.com posted their choices should Miller’s Dark Knight Returns ever make it to the silver screen.  I think their casting is excellent… especially Zack Snyder to direct, Christopher Lee as Alfred, Tim Curry as The Joker, Bruce Willis as Harvey Dent, Michael Ironside as Olver Queen and of course Sly as Bruce Wayne.  You can check out the full dream cast here.

Brazilians Respond to ComiCon Comments

Craig / / 2010

When Sly was at ComicCon he spoke about filming in Brazil and some of his comments were taken out of context and upset Brazilian fans.  Sly later apologized for his choice of words.  Later in the week I heard from two Brazilian fans who asked me to share their thoughts about the incident:

“Hi Craig,

I am the website owner Sylvester Stallone Brazil( www.stallonebrasil.com) largest Brazilian site about the actor and in these last few days my site received record visits never even seen before. Besides my Orkut and my e-mail received many messages about the statement reports stallone to Brazil during the Comic-Con.

Many messages are not fans of stallone and all show anger and heartbreak. Stallone offend people because of their words and offend me too because it owns the site but also some fans were unhappy with Sly and several said it was already unforgiving.

But I’m sending this message to you publicly reveal the fans and critics around the world. My support and members of the fan club to the Brazilian Sly squad Stallone. We as true fans, we understand his words and accept the apology from Sylvester Stallone. I still and always will continue being a fan of Stallone, because he will always be a way of life, regardless of the mistakes that he committed or may commit, after all, to err is human, and only the wise recognize this and apologize.

So I’m in charge of the website owner Sylvester Stallone will continue to be spreading to those who for fans or not the positive image that conveys stallone and his brilliant career and winning a lot of people here in Brazil admire and love .

Graciously,

Edmundo “Falcão” de França Pinto.”

Hello Craig,

My name is Betty Joukoski, Brazilian fan and member number 1 fan club Sly Squad. Just over a month, Edmund, owner of the site “Sylvester Stallone Brazil” (www.stallonebrasil.com), sent an email to you talking about the tattoo that I did in tribute to Sly and my plans to participate in the premiere of The Expendables.

Well, now I contact you to tell you about the premiere. On the 11th I’ll be in Las Vegas at Planet Hollywood, next to two fans (Patrick, Canada, and Monika, from Germany) I met through StalloneZone and “Sylvester Stallone Brazil.” Our goal is to see Sly, get pictures and autographs. In particular, I deliver to Sly, a document that talks about the history and achievements attained by the Brazilian fan club Sly Squad and show the world that Stallone did not lose the affection and admiration of your fans in the same way as Edmund told him in email that he sent and asked to publish.

I’d like you to publish this report in StalloneZone because for me it is very important to portray to you and to the fans, my saga with that of the Brazilian fans, and now also with Patrick and Monika. I’m a fan of Stallone for over 20 years and access the StalloneZone over 10.

+++

Thanks to both SZoners for taking the time to write and for continuing to support Sly!

Expendables Coverage @ Comic Con

Craig / / 2010, Expendables

The Expendables panel at Comic Con was covered by…

and many other places around the net…

    ET: Sly on Mel Gibson

    Craig / / 2010, Celebs

    Entertainment Tonight recently caught up with Sly and asked him about Mel Gibson and his new movie, The Expendables.  Here’s what Sly had to say about Mel…

    “Every time I met Mel he’s been a great guy,” recalled Sly. “He’s done me a few favors and I just like the fella. It’s unfortunate this had to happen, but it’s Hollywoodland. Anything’s possible.”

    You can see the full post and video clip here.