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The Behind the Scenes Pic of the Day is gonna eat lightning and it’s gonna crap thunder!
Ahoy, squirts! Quint here with today’s Behind the Scenes Pic!
Until I knock out this Holiday Guide these BTS pics will be light on commentary, so apologies for that, but give me a week or so and I’ll be back to my usual blatherings. Today’s image is a rare shot of Sly Stallone and director John G. Avildsen on the set of Rocky. Yo!
Thanks to reader Jordan Krug for sending this one along! Enjoy!
If you have a behind the scenes shot you’d like to submit to this column, you can email me at quint@aintitcool.com.
Tomorrow’s pic is gonna leave you breathless!
-Eric Vespe
”Quint”
quint@aintitcool.com
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Click here to visit the complete compilation of previous Behind the Scenes images, Page One
Click here to visit the complete compilation of previous Behind the Scenes images, Page Two
Readers Talkback
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Nov. 22, 2011, 2:58 p.m. CST
Jesus Christ, I thought that was Polanski for a second.
by WriteForTheEdit
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Avildsen seems particularly worried or interested about Sly's shoulder...
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Visual proof right here!
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...the robot buys a human maid.
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trainers should always be present..Go Mickey!
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Still gives me goose bumps to this day.
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Nov. 22, 2011, 5:34 p.m. CST
This is before Ivan Drago made Rocky retarded, but magically, his wife dies and he gets less brain damaged.
by TheBigLeBronski
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and it makes me think of how great stallone really is. i love most of his action movies, but i bet he could have been a great stand-alone actor as well.
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After I ate my first KFC Double Down...
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The art museum always has people running up the steps, obviously imitating the Stallion; and the statue always has a line waiting for photos. I think it's visual evidence towards how imbedded ROCKY is in our culture.
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Nov. 22, 2011, 5:57 p.m. CST
This is one of those movies where if someone doesn't like it, I don't trust them
by BlaGyver
Because let's be real, if you don't love Rocky....you're probably either a terrorist or a total dick.
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Under a different name?
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Nov. 22, 2011, 6:02 p.m. CST
Rocky would be truly great if not for the bogus ending of the fight
by The Krypton Kid
The fight should not have ended with Rocky pummeling Creed. That contradicts the idea of Rocky. The ending should have been Apollo unleashing combinations upon Rocky, but Balboa never backing down, advancing, saying, "Give me your best." Remember, Rocky simply wanted to go the distance. The idea that Balboa could have out-lasted and out fought Creed, a master boxer, in the end of a 15 round battle is not a fairy tale, it's absolutely absurd.
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Nov. 22, 2011, 6:03 p.m. CST
Also, it's an absolute DISGRACE that Rocky, a fictional character, has a statue in Philadelphia, but Joe Frazier, Phily's true boxing champion and legend, does not.
by The Krypton Kid
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Nov. 22, 2011, 6:04 p.m. CST
That Rocky statue is a testament to Stallone's ego and nothing more. Joe Frazier, a true titan of the ring and the true embodiment of the Philadelphia fighting spirit, deserves a statue!
by The Krypton Kid
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But nothing else.
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Nov. 22, 2011, 6:09 p.m. CST
I would have liked to have seen more development of the "chicken" character..as in "catch the chicken"...It had such an absolutely fascinating prescence..
by seansarto
Perhaps this led to the establishent of Rocky's ownership of a restuarant in the later films.
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The Statue was made for the movie, not some afterthought homage to Rocky. Since the movie represented Philly and the statue became a well known piece of art, it now(and properly should) sits outside of the Philadelphia Museum of Art(its most recent and now permanent home). It's got nothing to do with legends of boxing.
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Nov. 22, 2011, 6:25 p.m. CST
I still think its F'ed up that there is no statue of Smokin Joe
by MRJONZ72
Arguably the greatest Philly Boxer ever, yes I know he is originally from SC..but Smokin Joe is associated with Philly.
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Nov. 22, 2011, 6:31 p.m. CST
Rocky: Probably the most ridiculous boxing I ever seen in a movie
by MRJONZ72
Don't get me wrong I like Rocky, I dont love it like sum, even tho I fine some parts great and iconic, but the actual fight always bugs me. Yes I know this is Hollywood and they wanted it to be action packed and are going to take some liberties, believe me I understand that. But I have always thought they took it way to far and went over the top. I would had like to had seen a little realism in it.
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he would have literally broken him.
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Making a realistic boxing movie would be as exciting as making a realistic soccer movie. Soccer...guy passes to the other guy who passes to the other guy who shoots towards the net....nope, intercepted. Pass to the next guy, guy in the crowd gets shitfaced and starts a riot because everything's so fucking boring. Same with boxing. Guy takes a swing, misses. Other guy takes a body shot, sort of hits but not really. They hug each other and the bell rings. The ref arbitrarily decides that that guy won. Wow. Game over. FUCK THAT. In movie boxing, every fucking blow hits! Face shot, HIT! Body shot, HIT! Blood and guts! The crowd starts chanting, even if it's against their own country's best interests! And the white guy wins! It's called movie making. You have to make a movie about a sport more interesting than the actual sport. Christ, don't even get me started on baseball.
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Nov. 22, 2011, 8:08 p.m. CST
People don't run up those steps everyday because of Joe Frazier...
by MalkovichMalkovich
They do it because of 'Rocky'. Professor Murder hit the nail on the head in regards to the statue. It's like saying you should take down the Sherlock Holmes statue in Edinburgh because he's not an actual detective. Rocky is something of a modern myth and represents a lot more than just being a story about boxing. People run up and down those steps everyday because of the 'Rocky' films. He is an icon of The United States and also Philadelphia. I'm an Australian and on my honeymoon in the US we went to Philadelphia specifically to visit the 'Rocky' landmarks.
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I may have mentioned in a few other threads what huge Dark Shadows fans the little woman and I are, and Rocky features one of the major DS players as the promoter working with Apollo Creed. Thayer David is one eerie lookin' dude....
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Nov. 22, 2011, 9:39 p.m. CST
Actually, malkovichmalkovich, Stallone took the running up the steps from Frazier's life.
by The Krypton Kid
When writing Rocky, Stallone interviewed a lot of fighters, including Frazier. It was Frazier who ran up those steps everyday at the end of his roadwork (the term boxers use for running). And it was Frazier who worked in a Philly slaughterhouse and punched sides of beef. Stallone took those elements from Frazier's background and applied them to Rocky. Rocky Balboa is half Joe Frazier, half Chuck Wepner.
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Nov. 22, 2011, 9:41 p.m. CST
mugato, watch Hagler-Hearns or the Thrilla in Manilla before claiming boxing is boring.
by The Krypton Kid
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A big boxing fan here as well and a big admirer of Frazier and other great 70`s heavyweights overshadowed by Ali. However you give Stallone`s Rocky series short shrift. They are not about boxing as much as about boxers. Most boxers are often from down and out backgrounds like Balboa. I once spoke to a successful boxing trainer, he`s managed a couple of world champs, about the movies and he said he particularly didn`t care for them but every fighter he trained loved them.
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Cut me Mick..!
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in edinburgh is stituated across the road from where sir arthur conan doyle lived. it always made me laugh at new year when drunks would climb up, put a hibs scarf on it and stick a bottle of becks in his pipe.. the conan doyle pub is a crackin wee boozer as well, dunno if it's still there though??
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Wow, does your entire lexicon of knowledge come from watching episodes of The Simpsons? People outside the States think that NFL football has no rules and just consists of guys in armor smashing into each other. Your description of soccer is on a similar level of accuracy.
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...your description of "boxing" sounds somewhat like heavyweight boxing, but sounds nothing like anything at welterweight or lighter.
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..thought of the simpsons as well reading that post, he couldn't have realised the simpsons is shown outside da u.s of a!!!
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Nov. 23, 2011, 5:56 a.m. CST
Always found the John Wayne statue in front of Larry Flynt's Penthouse offices on Sunset Blvd pretty perverse
by seansarto
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Nov. 23, 2011, 6:56 a.m. CST
Apollo- "Ain't gonna be no rematch....until we get to the hospital." Rocky- "Don't want one......wait, what?"
by Dogmatic
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I read that marketing tested it without the final fight and the audience still loved it.
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It's Bilbo Baggins.
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You know it to be true.
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Nov. 23, 2011, 8:48 a.m. CST
Rocky is greater because you expect him to win, and he doesn't.
by Grammaton Cleric Binks
That was a twist ending back in the day.
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Don't get me wrong the original rocky is a classic. I love that damn movie. It clearly earned it's award. I just feel like the emotional roller-coaster in the 2nd film is more profound and satisfying. For example, Rocky's relationship with Micky is expanded upon further and holds the narrative together brilliantly. Creed is an even stronger villain. Adrian's coma is a shocker and adds a ton of impact to her famous "win" line. Also, for what it's worth it could be argued that Rocky taking the title in the manner that he did (with both men falling and down and Rocky just barely making it to his feet) was a surprise/twist ending as well.
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Nov. 23, 2011, 9:43 a.m. CST
No one here give a shit about Joe Frazier or his lack of a statue in Philly.
by Jack Desmondi
This is a MOVIE site for Christ Sakes. Take your race card politics elsewhere. Actually, love that shot and love this movie. Too bad they had to make ANY sequels to this classic--and make a moving, real guy hero into a parody.
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when Rocky is trying to do the commercial dressed as a caveman and can't quite get his lines right. Poor guy kept getting chastised by the director. I feel sorry for boxers these days for what is going to happen to them later in life after all of the beatings their brains take.
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...when the main character, the under-dog, is cruelly bashed into the ground by the world around him but somehow finds a way to overcome. Rocky 1, 2 and 6 worked that theme to perfection.
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How is saying Joe Frazier deserves a statue playing the "race card"? Any sports fan and particularly any boxing fan knows how iconic Joe Frazier was in the sport. It's not playing a race card to say that Frazier deserves any and all acclaim INCLUDING a statue in Philly. Idiot.
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but that's off topic in this case.
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Agreed. Off topic. My objection was to throwing race into the mix. Nobody but the poster I replied to had even mentioned it. And relating a statue to Frazier after Rocky's had been mentioned does seem like a logical progression when you think about it. Both fighters out of Philly. Both are iconic in their respective genres. Maybe they should go ahead and put one up for Brian Cox, too.
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Nov. 23, 2011, 12:57 p.m. CST
fat_rancor_keeper, good points all around especially on
by Grammaton Cleric Binks
the twist. When you put it that way I guess both movies had twist endings.
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Nov. 23, 2011, 1:55 p.m. CST
The fight at the end of ROCKY is the part of the movie I least like.
by AsimovLives
In fact, that fight bores me. The fight should had been shorter and more realistic, instead of that impossible show of pounding that rocky suffers thaty would had been enough to kill two full grown bulls. It's ludricous and it takes me out of the movie. Besides that, the movie is quite brillant.
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So confused...
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I like the Mick watermark on the photo. heheh
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Regarding the actual boxing in the movie, my friends and I used to watch it while shouting "Block with the Head" because basically all the Rocky movies consisted of Rocky punches guy in head, guy punches Rocky in the head. Repeat untill victory. Block with the Head
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Nov. 23, 2011, 6:33 p.m. CST
Actually the steps run came about from a Garret Brown steady cam demo...
by MalkovichMalkovich
and Stallone and Avildsen liked it's cinematic potential. That's not to say that Stallone didn't incorporate real boxing anecdotes into the films because he most certainly did (check out the Mickey speech from 'Rocky V' which appropriates Cus Demato quotes). The Chuck Wepner/Ali fight inspired the concept of 'losing with dignity' and was the spark for the film and Stallone has always acknowledged that, but the claim that the 'Rocky' story is the Joe Frazier story or Chuck Wepner story (which they both claimed) is absurd. Will have to check out the Edinburgh Conan Doyle drinking holes icanthavethat. Am a big Sherlock Holmes fan and we're stopping by there next March.
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Nov. 23, 2011, 7:06 p.m. CST
Compared to later sports films the first 2 ROCKYs are Coppola / Scorcese level work
by FluffyUnbound
Look at the amazing level of texture applied to the depiction of Philadelphia in the first two movies. Look at the detail of the minor characters. These are FILMS. They aren't formulaic RUDY type shit.
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Nov. 23, 2011, 11:08 p.m. CST
BS. Rocky is half Frazier and half Wepner. Stallone got the inspiration for Rocky...
by The Krypton Kid
from Wepner knocking Ali down in their bout. Also, like Rocky, Wepner worked as a strongarm for goons/shady individuals. And Frazier said that Stallone questioned him about the various aspects of his boxing career. And Frazier himself said he ran up the steps at the end of his roadwork and that he hit the beef in the slaughterhouse. Stallone lifted these elements and applied them to Rocky. And some fanboy can't dispute that, no matter how big of a Stallone butt kisser he is.
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Nov. 23, 2011, 11:09 p.m. CST
Oh, and Stallone settled with Wepner out of court when Wepner sued him for using his background to make Rocky.
by The Krypton Kid
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Nov. 24, 2011, 12:15 a.m. CST
Um yeah. Lucky Muhammad Ali didn't sue as well for being the inspiration for Apollo.
by MalkovichMalkovich
What's your point? If you read my post I'm not saying they weren't inspirations, Just like Randolph Hearst was an inspiration for the character of Charles Foster Kane. Stallone payed tribute to both of them (Frazier had a cameo in 'Rocky' and Wepner tested for a speaking role in 'Rocky II' but by his own admission totally sucked and Stallone in practically every interview speaking about how he came up with the idea for Rocky credits the Wepner/Ali fight). My whole point was Rocky represents far more than just boxing, he is an icon for Philadelphia and the underdog and it was the imagery of his character initially struggling to run up the steps and then triumphantly doing so, that caught the imagination. People from all over the world, whether they know anything about boxing or not, come to the steps to emulate the Rocky run, and you can dispute it all you like but you're totally missing the point.
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Nov. 24, 2011, 2:12 a.m. CST
and the fact that the inspiration for the stairs sequence came from
by MalkovichMalkovich
Garret Brown and not Joe Frazer isn't BS either. In the original footage (which I believe dates from around 1972 (and is included in a documentary about Brown and the steadicam which is on the 'definitive edition' 'Rocky DVD) it is his wife running up the stairs although I was mistaken in saying Stallone is the one who wanted to use it to finish the training sequence, apparentaly it was Avildsen. Joe Frazier may have run up the stairs while training, I'm not disputing that and I don't really care, but that isn't why Rocky runs up the stairs. You may also have noticed there is another very famous real life boxer who is mentioned in the film also named Rocky. Lucky for Stallone he didn't sue as well!!
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Sounds like a damn monsta movie!
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