Rocky 6 Special
All about Rocky Balboa
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IMAGES:
Picture Gallery 1 Miscellaneous Pictures
Picture Gallery 2 Miscellaneous Pictures
Rocky Photos from Rocky 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Rambo Photos from First Blood, Rambo 1, 2, 3, 4
Other Movie Stills
Magazine Covers, Scans, Childhood
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A retired Rocky Balboa, now hard-up for money, decides to step back into the ring against a few small-time boxers. Everything changes, though, when Rocky is offered the opportunity to step in with the reigning Heavyweight Champion, Mason "The Line" Dixon.
Rocky Balboa (2006)
Genre(s): Drama, Action, Romance and Sports
Directed by: Sylvester Stallone
Written by: Sylvester Stallone
Produced by: Irwin Winkler, Robert Chartoff, Sylvester Stallone
Country: USA
Language: English
Runtime:
Color: Color (Technicolor)
Sound Mix:
Cast & Credits:
Sylvester Stallone .... Rocky Balboa
Talia Shire .... Adrian
Burt Young .... Paulie
Milo Ventimiglia .... Rocky Balboa Jr.
Geraldine Hughes .... Marie
Antonio Tarver .... Mason 'The Line' Dixon
James Francis Kelly III .... Steps
Tony Burton .... Duke
Henry G. Sanders .... Martin
Marvin Beck .... Businessman in Irish Pub
Frank Bednarz .... Ring Side Boxing Fan
A.J. Benza .... L.C. Luco
James Binns .... Boxing Commissioner
Ron Borges .... Reporter
Angela Boyd .... Drunk Girl At Bar
Livingstone Bramble .... Dixon's Cornerman
Michael Buffer .... Himself
D.T. Carney .... Ringside Spectator
Tim Carr .... Buddy
Rick Collum .... Office Worker
Joe Cortez .... Referee
Augie Cowan Jr. .... Ringside Spectator
Peter Defeo .... Vendor
Tony Devon .... Neighbor
Nancy de Zutter .... Restaurant Patron
Lou DiBella .... Robert Brown
Jacob 'Stitch' Duran .... Cut Man
Bernard Fernández .... Reporter
Barney Fitzpatrick .... Commissioner
Gavin Lindsay Goode .... Ringside Photo-Journalist
Rick Guzman .... Ringside Photographer
Norman Horton .... Fight Publicist
Charles Johnson .... Reporter
Michael Wingate Jones .... Lawyer
Brian Kenny .... Broadcaster
Jim Lampley .... Commentator
Pedro Lovell .... Spider Rico
Larry Merchant .... Commentator
Mark Pricskett .... Restaurant Patron
Dan Rafael .... Reporter
Marc Ratner .... Boxing Commissioner
Nina Rosario .... Philadelphia Extra
Kenny Shapiro .... Precision Driver
Summary / Synopsis:
The script for "Rocky Balboa" has the over-the-hill Balboa taking on the reigning heavyweight boxing champ Mason "The Line" Dixon. Both men are trying to restore their dignity: Dixon because he's reviled by fight fans for taking on unproven opponents; Rocky because its been years since the aging boxer from South Philly has climbed into a ring.
The film opens with Dixon in the ring landing a blow on an opponent's chin, sending the other boxer to the canvas. But rather than cheer, the crowd reacts with loud booing and hurls ice at Dixon's corner. "Another disappointing title defense," says the ringside commentator. The next scene finds Rocky seated on an old folding chair in a graveyard where his wife, Adrian, is buried. Seated nearby is Rocky's brother-in-law, Paulie. Rocky rises, kisses the headstone and leaves.
With these two contrasting, emotionally charged scenes, Stallone reintroduces us to Rocky Balboa and his world, setting the stage for what is surely one of the most improbable comebacks in boxing history.
Rocky's wife has died, he's alone, he's an embarrassment to his son, he has nothing to lose and is desperate to not make a third act of his life go in anonymity.
The bittersweet script has Rocky living in a fast-changing world, but still driven to prove himself, even if it elicits ridicule from those around him.
Rocky now owns a restaurant in the South Philly neighborhood where he grew up, posing for photos with fans who trickle in urging him to tell a few "stories" about the good ol' days when he fought Apollo Creed. The old neighborhood is changing. Asians have replaced the Italians. Rocky orders cheeses from a Vietnamese vendor, lettuce and other produce from a Korean vendor. Rocky's son, Robert Jr., now works for a big corporation. And he doesn't have time for his old man.
Then, one day ESPN telecasts a computer-generated recreation of great athletes of different eras competing against one another in a simulated ring contest. One matchup pits southpaw slugger Rocky Balboa against current champ, Dixon.
It spawns an idea in Dixon's camp for an exhibition bout. And Rocky, of course, is up for the challenge.
Stallone tackles the age issue head-on in the script. At one point, his son asks Rocky: "Don't you think you're too — ya know, old?" Rocky replies: "Yeah but ya think ya oughta stop 'trying things' 'cause ya had a few too many birthdays? I don't." He adds: "What's crazy with standin' toe to toe sayin' 'I AM.' "
One of Rocky's biggest hurdles is getting the approval of the state boxing commission. Even though he passes the physical, the commission still balks, which provokes this exchange between a commissioner and Rocky:
"We're only looking out for your interests," the commissioner says.
"Yeah, I appreciate it," Rocky replies, "but I think you're lookin' out for your interests a little — I mean, you shouldn't be askin' people to pay the freight, an' they pay it, an' still it ain't good enough?! Think that's right? Maybe ya doin' your job, but why ya gotta stop me from doin' mine, cause if ya willin' to go through all the battlin' ya gotta go through to get to where ya wanna get, ain't nobody got the right to stop ya!"
Production Notes:
Nearly seven-years in the making, Rocky Balboa is engineered to bring the Balboa saga full-circle. Written by Sylvester Stallone in 1999, this sixth and final installment of the series had a long and tedious journey through the studio system before finally being greenlighted in 2005.
Glimpses of Stallone's screenplay were sporadically released during 2004 in his unique fitness magazine for men aptly titled "Sly", and fans were treated to dialogue and artwork exclusive to each issue. It was within these script segments that the masses discovered the heartbreaking news that Rocky's beloved wife Adrian has passed away.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Columbia Pictures and Revolution Studios are set to produce the film while Columbia will distribute it to theatres worldwide sometime in the latter half of 2006. While commonly referred to as Rocky VI, this film's official title is Rocky Balboa, a name that is meant to encapsulate the entire story rather than just creating yet another sequel. Indeed, Rocky Balboa should turn out to be a stand-alone film, much like the 1976 original.
The key members of the entire series will return one last time: Stallone, Burt Young as the gruff but loveable Paulie, and in November, 2005, it was learned that Talia Shire will be returning to reprise her role, this time in flashback. It was expected that Stallone's son, Sage, who took on the role of Rocky Balboa, Jr. in 1990's Rocky V, would make a comeback, but an announcement was made that 28-year-old actor and television star Milo Ventimiglia would take up where Sage left off. In addition, Mr. T will make an appearance as Clubber Lang - now a ringside commentator.
Promotional photography sessions featuring Stallone were held on October 28, 2005 and less than a week later, co-star Antonio Tarver met Sly in the virtual ring when motion capture work was produced for the film at the Oscar-nominated Blur Studios in Venice, California. These sequences will be used for the virtual match between the two men as it will appear in the film on an ESPN broadcast.
The filming, which is on a tight schedule of 38 days, begins during the second week of December, 2005. Shooting of the major boxing scenes will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. Casting company Be In A Movie set out in November to wrangle thousands of Rocky fans to stand-in as extras in the crowd scenes to be shot there - it is sure to be a once in a lifetime experience.
In January, 2006, the production crew will re-locate to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to complete the majority of the filming before heading back to Los Angeles. In early November, 2005, Sylvester Stallone and brother Frank journeyed to Philly to scout locations and according to Sly, Rocky will: "go back and revisit all the places that were very emotional - the pet shop, the streets, the church he got married in, the ice-skating rink - and how things have changed but he hasn't," Stallone says. "And then he realizes that he has to move on."
Confirmed locations in Philly include the Italian Market, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the façade of Mighty Mick's Gym, J&M Tropical Fish and St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic church.
Rocky Balboa is set to be produced on a very tight budget, especially by today's Hollywood standards: $24-Million.
On February 19, 2007, Rocky Balboa is evidently going to be released on DVD in a special 30th Anniversary box set including the entire series.
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