Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Rocky shopping experience:

1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Rocky offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Rocky at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Rocky? Wrong! If the Rocky is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about Rocky then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Rocky? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Rocky and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Rocky wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your Rocky then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Rocky site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about Rocky, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your Rocky, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

{{Infobox Film | name = Rocky | image = Rocky_poster.jpg | caption = Original poster | director = [John G. Avildsen | producer = [Robert Chartoff[Irwin Winkler | writer = [Sylvester Stallone | starring = [Sylvester Stallone[Talia Shire[Burt Young[Carl Weathers[Burgess Meredith[Tony Burton | music = [Bill Conti | cinematography = [James Crabe | editing = Richard HalseyScott Conrad | distributor = {{flagicon|United States--> [United Artists (1976-1981)
{{flagicon (1982-present) | released = [November 21, [1976 in film | runtime = 114 min. | country = United States | language = English | budget = [US$1,100,000 | preceded_by = | amg_id = 1:41846 | imdb_id = 0075148 | followed_by = ''[Rocky II'' -->Rocky is a 1976 film written by and starring Sylvester Stallone and directed by John G. Avildsen. It tells the rags-to-riches American Dream story of Rocky Balboa (character), an uneducated but good-hearted debt collector for a loan shark in Philadelphia. Balboa is also a club fighter who gets a shot at the world heavyweight championship when the scheduled contender breaks his hand. Also starring in Rocky are Talia Shire as Adrian, Burt Young as Adrian's brother Paulie, Burgess Meredith as Mickey Goldmill, Rocky's trainer and Carl Weathers as the champion, Apollo Creed.

The film, made for only US$1.2 million, and shot relatively fast in 28 days, was a sleeper hit; it made over US$117.2 million, won three Academy Award, including Academy Award for Best Picture, and garnered mostly positive reviews which helped to launch Stallone's career. The film spawned Rocky (series): Rocky Rocky II, Rocky III, Rocky IV, Rocky V and Rocky Balboa (film).

Production Stallone's original concept for Rocky, and the character Rocky Balboa, was inspired by his viewing of a fight between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner. The idea of an Underdog (competition) Professional boxing going The distance (boxing) and putting up a fierce fight against all odds appealed to Stallone. Stallone then wrote the screenplay Paradise Alley. After reading that script, producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff invited Stallone to meet them. Stallone brought up his idea for Rocky, Chartoff was impressed with the concept and he and Winkler agreed to support Stallone financially while he wrote the script, with the understanding they would get to see the script first.

The studio liked the script, which was considered as a vehicle for established stars Burt Reynolds or James Caan, among others. Stallone held out, demanding he be given a chance to star in it. He later said that he would have never forgiven himself if the film become a success with someone else in the lead. He also knew that Winkler and Chartoff's contract with the studio enabled them to "greenlight" a project if the budget was kept low enough.

Certain elements of the story were altered during filming. The original script had a darker tone: Mickey was portrayed as racism and the script ended with Rocky throwing the fight after realizing he did not want to be part of the professional boxing world after all.

Although Winkler and Chartoff were enthusiastic about the script, they were at first somewhat hesitant to allow Stallone to play the main character. The producers also had trouble casting other major characters in the story, with Adrian and Apollo Creed cast unusually late by production standards (both were ultimately cast on the same day). Real life boxer Ken Norton was initially handed the role of Apollo Creed but he pulled out and it was ultimately given to Carl Weathers. Interestingly, Norton had three fights with Muhammad Ali, who Creed was loosely based on. According to The Rocky Scrapbook, Carrie Snodgress was originally chosen to play Adrian, but a money dispute forced the producers to look elsewhere. Susan Sarandon auditioned for the role but was deemed too pretty for character. After Talia Shire's ensuing audition along with Avildsen, Chartoff and Winkler insisted that she play the part.

Garrett Brown's Steadicam was used to accomplish a smooth shot running alongside Rocky during his training run up the flight of stairs. It was also used for some of the shots in the fight scenes, and can even be openly seen at the ringside during some wide shots of the final fight. (Rocky is often erroneously cited as the first film to use the Steadicam, although the distinction actually goes to Bound for Glory (film) as the first production to use it. Marathon Man also has a claim, as it premiered prior to either film.) The final fight scene was filmed in reverse order, with the actors starting out in heavy make-up.

During filming of Rocky, Sylvester Stallone and Carl Weathers suffered injuries due to filming the final fight with Stallone suffering bruised ribs and Weathers suffering a damaged nose. As Stallone was injured the filming was put on hold for over 3 weeks for Stallone to recover. This happened as Stallone wanted the final fight to look believable and tried to make it real.

Plot Rocky Balboa is introduced as a small-time boxing and enforcer for a loan shark. The World Heavyweight Championship Boxing is scheduled for New Year's Day, 1976, the year of the United States Bicentennial. When the opponent of undefeated heavyweight champion Apollo Creed is injured, Creed comes up with the idea of fighting a local Philadelphia underdog and, because he likes Rocky's nickname, "The Italian Stallion," he selects the unknown fighter.

To prepare for the fight, Rocky trains with 1920s-era ex-bantamweight fighter Mickey Goldmill, while Rocky's best friend Paulie, a meat-packing plant worker, lets him practice his punches on the carcasses hanging in the freezers. During training, Rocky dates Paulie's quiet sister, Adrian. The night before the fight, Rocky confides in Adrian that he does not expect to beat Creed, and that all he wants is to go the distance with Creed, meaning last 15 rounds against him (the typical scheduled length of championship fights at the time).

Creed does not initially take the fight seriously, but Rocky unexpectedly knocks him down in the first round and the match turns intense. The fight indeed lasts 15 rounds with each fighter suffering many injuries. After the fight, Rocky calls out for Adrian, who runs down to the ring. As Creed is announced the winner by split decision, Adrian and Rocky embrace where they profess their love to one another.

Cast Main cast



Cameo appearances With the character of outspoken Apollo Creed influenced by Muhammad Ali, one interesting detail is the cameo appearance of Joe Frazier, another real-life former world heavyweight champion who fought Ali three times. During the Academy Awards ceremony, Ali and Stallone staged a brief comic confrontation to show Ali was not offended by the film.

Due to the film's low budget, members of Stallone's family played minor roles. His father rings the bell to signal the start and end of a round, his brother plays a street corner singer, and his first wife, Sasha, was the set photographer. Other cameos include Los Angeles television sportscaster Stu Nahan playing himself, alongside radio and TV broadcaster Bill Baldwin and Lloyd Kaufman, founder of the longest-running independent film company Troma, appearing as a drunk. Long time Detroit, Michigan WXYZ-TV Action News anchor Diana Lewis (newscaster) has a small scene as a TV news reporter. Tony Burton appeared as Apollo Creed's trainer Duke, a role he would reprise in the entire Rocky series. Brad Leahy played a hot dog vendor.

The poster seen above the ring before Rocky fights Apollo Creed shows Rocky wearing red shorts with a white stripe when he actually wears white shorts with a red stripe. When Rocky points this out he is told that "it doesn't really matter does it?". This was an actual mistake made amongst the props department that they could not afford to rectify, so Stallone ad-libbed the scene.

Critical reception Reviews Rocky received positive reviews when it was released in 1976. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave Rocky 4 out of 4 stars, and Box Office Magazine claimed that audiences would be "...touting Sylvester (Sly) Stallone as a new star".. However, Vincent Canby of the New York Times called it "pure '30s make believe" and slammed both Stallone's acting and Avildsen's directing, calling the latter "...none too decisive..."

More than 30 years later, the film enjoys a reputation as a classic and still receives generally positive reviews; Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 93% fresh rating. Another positive online review came from the BBC Films website, with both reviewer Almar Haflidason and BBC online users giving it 5/5 stars. In Steven J. Schneider's 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, Schneider says the film is "often overlooked as schmaltz."

In 2006, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Awards Rocky received ten Academy Awards nominations in nine categories winning three:



Rocky has also appeared on several of the American Film Institute's 100 Years lists.

The Directors Guild of America awarded Rocky its Directors Guild of America Awards for best film of the year in 1976, and in 2006, Sylvester Stallone's original screenplay for Rocky was selected by the Writers Guild of America as the 78th best screenplay of all time.

Music Rocky's soundtrack was composed by Bill Conti. The main theme song "Gonna Fly Now" made it to number one on the Billboard Magazines Hot 100 list for one week (from July 2 to July 8, 1977 in music) and the American Film Institute placed it 58th on its AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs. The complete soundtrack was re-released in 1988 in music by EMI on CD and compact cassette.{{citeweb|url =http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/discography/index.jsp?aid=98351&cr=track&or=ASCENDING&sf=length&pid=684704&kw=Gonna+Fly+Now|title = Billboard.com - Rocky Soundtrack|accessdate = 14 October|accessyear = 2006--> Bill Conti was also the composer for Rocky II, Rocky III and Rocky V, and the Rocky Balboa (film).

Although the Bill Conti version of "Gonna Fly Now" is the most recognizable arrangement, a cover of the song performed by legendary trumpeter Maynard Ferguson on his Conquistador album prior to the release of the motion picture soundtrack actually outsold the soundtrack itself.Liner notes of the Conquistador album

U.S. Box Office Rocky: US$117.2 million

The original Rocky was the most profitable entry of the series, with a budget of US$1.2 million.

Home video release history

Influence Rocky Steps .The famous scene of Rocky running up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art has become a cultural icon. In 1982 a statue of Rocky, commissioned by Stallone for Rocky III, was placed at the top of the Rocky Steps. City Commerce Director Dick Doran claimed that Stallone and Rocky had done more for the city's image than "anyone since Ben Franklin."

Differing opinions of the statue and its placement led to a relocation to the sidewalk outside the Philadelphia Spectrum Arena, although the statue was temporarily returned to the top of the steps in 1990 for Rocky V, and again in 2006 for the 30th anniversary of the original Rocky movie (although this time it was placed at the bottom of the steps). Later that year, it was permanently moved to a spot next to the steps.

The scene is frequently parodied in the media. In the The Simpsons episode "I'm Spelling as Fast as I Can", Lisa Simpson runs up a flight of stairs wearing a tracksuit similar to the one worn by Rocky.In 2006 E! named the "Rocky Steps" scene number 13 in its 101 Most Awesome Moments in Entertainment.

During the 1996 Summer Olympics torch relay, Philadelphia native Dawn Staley was chosen to run up the museum steps. In United States presidential election, 2004 John Kerry ended his pre-convention campaign at the foot of the steps before going to Boston to accept his party's nomination for President.

Other films and media In an effort to capitalize on the success of Rocky, the 1970 in film pornography film Party at Kitty and Stud's was re-released under the title The Italian Stallion, a reference to Rocky's nickname. The film stars a 24-year-old Sylvester Stallone as "Stud" in his film debut, and also features Henrietta Holm as "Kitty".

To date Rocky has generated five sequels. The first, Rocky II (1979) sees Rocky reluctantly called back for a rematch with Apollo Creed. Rocky II reunited the entire cast of the original Rocky, and was just as successful, grossing $200 million worldwide. Business Data for Rocky II at the Internet Movie Database A new character appears in 1982's Rocky III, Clubber Lang (played by Mr. T), an outspoken young fighter insisting on a fight with Rocky. Rocky loses this boxing, with Mickey suffering a fatal heart attack before the fight (he dies thinking Rocky won, Rocky doesn't have the heart to tell him otherwise.) Rocky accepts an offer from his rival-turned-friend Apollo Creed for help in regaining the title. Rocky IV (1985) introduces Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), a strong Soviet fighter who is convinced he can defeat any American fighter. A retired Apollo takes up the challenge and is killed in the ring by Drago. After Apollo's death, Rocky decides to fight against Drago, despite his wife Adrian urging him not to, and travels to the Soviet Union to train for the fight. Rocky defeats Drago but has to give up his official heavyweight title as the boxing commission did not sanction the fight. Released in 1990, Rocky V was a departure from the rest of the series, as Rocky no longer fights professionally, due to brain injuries, but instead trains younger fighters, including Tommy Gunn (played by real life boxer Tommy Morrison). It becomes apparent that Gunn is merely using Rocky's fame for his own ends, and the film ends with Rocky defeating Gunn in a fight in the street. The movie also is the first to introduce Rocky's son, Robert, as a major character. The final addition to the Rocky series, Rocky Balboa (film) , released in 2006, has the 59 year old Rocky fighting against a real-life boxer again, in this case former light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver playing Mason Dixon (Rocky Balboa character). Rocky Balboa was the most critically well received Rocky film of the entire series since the original, 30 years earlier.

Video games Several video games have been made based on the film. The first Rocky video game was released by Coleco for ColecoVision in August of 1983; the principal designer was Coleco staffer B. Dennis Sustare. Another was released in 1987 for the Sega Master System. More recently, a Rocky video game was released in 2002 for the Nintendo Gamecube, Nintendo Game Boy Advance, Sony PlayStation 2, and Microsoft Xbox, and a sequel (Rocky Legends) was released in 2004 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox.In 2007 a video game called "Rocky Balboa" was released for PSP.

References

External links

{{succession box | | before = ''[One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (film) | after = ''[Annie Hall | title = [Academy Award for Best Picture | years = 1976 |-->{{succession box | | before = ''[One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (film)'' | after = ''[The Turning Point (1977 film)'' | title = [Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Drama | years = 1976 |-->

{{Infobox Film | name = Rocky | image = Rocky_poster.jpg | caption = Original poster | director = [John G. Avildsen | producer = [Robert Chartoff[Irwin Winkler | writer = [Sylvester Stallone | starring = [Sylvester Stallone[Talia Shire[Burt Young[Carl Weathers[Burgess Meredith[Tony Burton | music = [Bill Conti | cinematography = [James Crabe | editing = Richard HalseyScott Conrad | distributor = {{flagicon|United States--> [United Artists (1976-1981)
{{flagicon (1982-present) | released = [November 21, [1976 in film | runtime = 114 min. | country = United States | language = English | budget = [US$1,100,000 | preceded_by = | amg_id = 1:41846 | imdb_id = 0075148 | followed_by = ''[Rocky II'' -->Rocky is a 1976 film written by and starring Sylvester Stallone and directed by John G. Avildsen. It tells the rags-to-riches American Dream story of Rocky Balboa (character), an uneducated but good-hearted debt collector for a loan shark in Philadelphia. Balboa is also a club fighter who gets a shot at the world heavyweight championship when the scheduled contender breaks his hand. Also starring in Rocky are Talia Shire as Adrian, Burt Young as Adrian's brother Paulie, Burgess Meredith as Mickey Goldmill, Rocky's trainer and Carl Weathers as the champion, Apollo Creed.

The film, made for only US$1.2 million, and shot relatively fast in 28 days, was a sleeper hit; it made over US$117.2 million, won three Academy Award, including Academy Award for Best Picture, and garnered mostly positive reviews which helped to launch Stallone's career. The film spawned Rocky (series): Rocky Rocky II, Rocky III, Rocky IV, Rocky V and Rocky Balboa (film).

Production Stallone's original concept for Rocky, and the character Rocky Balboa, was inspired by his viewing of a fight between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner. The idea of an Underdog (competition) Professional boxing going The distance (boxing) and putting up a fierce fight against all odds appealed to Stallone. Stallone then wrote the screenplay Paradise Alley. After reading that script, producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff invited Stallone to meet them. Stallone brought up his idea for Rocky, Chartoff was impressed with the concept and he and Winkler agreed to support Stallone financially while he wrote the script, with the understanding they would get to see the script first.

The studio liked the script, which was considered as a vehicle for established stars Burt Reynolds or James Caan, among others. Stallone held out, demanding he be given a chance to star in it. He later said that he would have never forgiven himself if the film become a success with someone else in the lead. He also knew that Winkler and Chartoff's contract with the studio enabled them to "greenlight" a project if the budget was kept low enough.

Certain elements of the story were altered during filming. The original script had a darker tone: Mickey was portrayed as racism and the script ended with Rocky throwing the fight after realizing he did not want to be part of the professional boxing world after all.

Although Winkler and Chartoff were enthusiastic about the script, they were at first somewhat hesitant to allow Stallone to play the main character. The producers also had trouble casting other major characters in the story, with Adrian and Apollo Creed cast unusually late by production standards (both were ultimately cast on the same day). Real life boxer Ken Norton was initially handed the role of Apollo Creed but he pulled out and it was ultimately given to Carl Weathers. Interestingly, Norton had three fights with Muhammad Ali, who Creed was loosely based on. According to The Rocky Scrapbook, Carrie Snodgress was originally chosen to play Adrian, but a money dispute forced the producers to look elsewhere. Susan Sarandon auditioned for the role but was deemed too pretty for character. After Talia Shire's ensuing audition along with Avildsen, Chartoff and Winkler insisted that she play the part.

Garrett Brown's Steadicam was used to accomplish a smooth shot running alongside Rocky during his training run up the flight of stairs. It was also used for some of the shots in the fight scenes, and can even be openly seen at the ringside during some wide shots of the final fight. (Rocky is often erroneously cited as the first film to use the Steadicam, although the distinction actually goes to Bound for Glory (film) as the first production to use it. Marathon Man also has a claim, as it premiered prior to either film.) The final fight scene was filmed in reverse order, with the actors starting out in heavy make-up.

During filming of Rocky, Sylvester Stallone and Carl Weathers suffered injuries due to filming the final fight with Stallone suffering bruised ribs and Weathers suffering a damaged nose. As Stallone was injured the filming was put on hold for over 3 weeks for Stallone to recover. This happened as Stallone wanted the final fight to look believable and tried to make it real.

Plot Rocky Balboa is introduced as a small-time boxing and enforcer for a loan shark. The World Heavyweight Championship Boxing is scheduled for New Year's Day, 1976, the year of the United States Bicentennial. When the opponent of undefeated heavyweight champion Apollo Creed is injured, Creed comes up with the idea of fighting a local Philadelphia underdog and, because he likes Rocky's nickname, "The Italian Stallion," he selects the unknown fighter.

To prepare for the fight, Rocky trains with 1920s-era ex-bantamweight fighter Mickey Goldmill, while Rocky's best friend Paulie, a meat-packing plant worker, lets him practice his punches on the carcasses hanging in the freezers. During training, Rocky dates Paulie's quiet sister, Adrian. The night before the fight, Rocky confides in Adrian that he does not expect to beat Creed, and that all he wants is to go the distance with Creed, meaning last 15 rounds against him (the typical scheduled length of championship fights at the time).

Creed does not initially take the fight seriously, but Rocky unexpectedly knocks him down in the first round and the match turns intense. The fight indeed lasts 15 rounds with each fighter suffering many injuries. After the fight, Rocky calls out for Adrian, who runs down to the ring. As Creed is announced the winner by split decision, Adrian and Rocky embrace where they profess their love to one another.

Cast Main cast



Cameo appearances With the character of outspoken Apollo Creed influenced by Muhammad Ali, one interesting detail is the cameo appearance of Joe Frazier, another real-life former world heavyweight champion who fought Ali three times. During the Academy Awards ceremony, Ali and Stallone staged a brief comic confrontation to show Ali was not offended by the film.

Due to the film's low budget, members of Stallone's family played minor roles. His father rings the bell to signal the start and end of a round, his brother plays a street corner singer, and his first wife, Sasha, was the set photographer. Other cameos include Los Angeles television sportscaster Stu Nahan playing himself, alongside radio and TV broadcaster Bill Baldwin and Lloyd Kaufman, founder of the longest-running independent film company Troma, appearing as a drunk. Long time Detroit, Michigan WXYZ-TV Action News anchor Diana Lewis (newscaster) has a small scene as a TV news reporter. Tony Burton appeared as Apollo Creed's trainer Duke, a role he would reprise in the entire Rocky series. Brad Leahy played a hot dog vendor.

The poster seen above the ring before Rocky fights Apollo Creed shows Rocky wearing red shorts with a white stripe when he actually wears white shorts with a red stripe. When Rocky points this out he is told that "it doesn't really matter does it?". This was an actual mistake made amongst the props department that they could not afford to rectify, so Stallone ad-libbed the scene.

Critical reception Reviews Rocky received positive reviews when it was released in 1976. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave Rocky 4 out of 4 stars, and Box Office Magazine claimed that audiences would be "...touting Sylvester (Sly) Stallone as a new star".. However, Vincent Canby of the New York Times called it "pure '30s make believe" and slammed both Stallone's acting and Avildsen's directing, calling the latter "...none too decisive..."

More than 30 years later, the film enjoys a reputation as a classic and still receives generally positive reviews; Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 93% fresh rating. Another positive online review came from the BBC Films website, with both reviewer Almar Haflidason and BBC online users giving it 5/5 stars. In Steven J. Schneider's 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, Schneider says the film is "often overlooked as schmaltz."

In 2006, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Awards Rocky received ten Academy Awards nominations in nine categories winning three:



Rocky has also appeared on several of the American Film Institute's 100 Years lists.

The Directors Guild of America awarded Rocky its Directors Guild of America Awards for best film of the year in 1976, and in 2006, Sylvester Stallone's original screenplay for Rocky was selected by the Writers Guild of America as the 78th best screenplay of all time.

Music Rocky's soundtrack was composed by Bill Conti. The main theme song "Gonna Fly Now" made it to number one on the Billboard Magazines Hot 100 list for one week (from July 2 to July 8, 1977 in music) and the American Film Institute placed it 58th on its AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs. The complete soundtrack was re-released in 1988 in music by EMI on CD and compact cassette.{{citeweb|url =http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/discography/index.jsp?aid=98351&cr=track&or=ASCENDING&sf=length&pid=684704&kw=Gonna+Fly+Now|title = Billboard.com - Rocky Soundtrack|accessdate = 14 October|accessyear = 2006--> Bill Conti was also the composer for Rocky II, Rocky III and Rocky V, and the Rocky Balboa (film).

Although the Bill Conti version of "Gonna Fly Now" is the most recognizable arrangement, a cover of the song performed by legendary trumpeter Maynard Ferguson on his Conquistador album prior to the release of the motion picture soundtrack actually outsold the soundtrack itself.Liner notes of the Conquistador album

U.S. Box Office Rocky: US$117.2 million

The original Rocky was the most profitable entry of the series, with a budget of US$1.2 million.

Home video release history

Influence Rocky Steps .The famous scene of Rocky running up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art has become a cultural icon. In 1982 a statue of Rocky, commissioned by Stallone for Rocky III, was placed at the top of the Rocky Steps. City Commerce Director Dick Doran claimed that Stallone and Rocky had done more for the city's image than "anyone since Ben Franklin."

Differing opinions of the statue and its placement led to a relocation to the sidewalk outside the Philadelphia Spectrum Arena, although the statue was temporarily returned to the top of the steps in 1990 for Rocky V, and again in 2006 for the 30th anniversary of the original Rocky movie (although this time it was placed at the bottom of the steps). Later that year, it was permanently moved to a spot next to the steps.

The scene is frequently parodied in the media. In the The Simpsons episode "I'm Spelling as Fast as I Can", Lisa Simpson runs up a flight of stairs wearing a tracksuit similar to the one worn by Rocky.In 2006 E! named the "Rocky Steps" scene number 13 in its 101 Most Awesome Moments in Entertainment.

During the 1996 Summer Olympics torch relay, Philadelphia native Dawn Staley was chosen to run up the museum steps. In United States presidential election, 2004 John Kerry ended his pre-convention campaign at the foot of the steps before going to Boston to accept his party's nomination for President.

Other films and media In an effort to capitalize on the success of Rocky, the 1970 in film pornography film Party at Kitty and Stud's was re-released under the title The Italian Stallion, a reference to Rocky's nickname. The film stars a 24-year-old Sylvester Stallone as "Stud" in his film debut, and also features Henrietta Holm as "Kitty".

To date Rocky has generated five sequels. The first, Rocky II (1979) sees Rocky reluctantly called back for a rematch with Apollo Creed. Rocky II reunited the entire cast of the original Rocky, and was just as successful, grossing $200 million worldwide. Business Data for Rocky II at the Internet Movie Database A new character appears in 1982's Rocky III, Clubber Lang (played by Mr. T), an outspoken young fighter insisting on a fight with Rocky. Rocky loses this boxing, with Mickey suffering a fatal heart attack before the fight (he dies thinking Rocky won, Rocky doesn't have the heart to tell him otherwise.) Rocky accepts an offer from his rival-turned-friend Apollo Creed for help in regaining the title. Rocky IV (1985) introduces Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), a strong Soviet fighter who is convinced he can defeat any American fighter. A retired Apollo takes up the challenge and is killed in the ring by Drago. After Apollo's death, Rocky decides to fight against Drago, despite his wife Adrian urging him not to, and travels to the Soviet Union to train for the fight. Rocky defeats Drago but has to give up his official heavyweight title as the boxing commission did not sanction the fight. Released in 1990, Rocky V was a departure from the rest of the series, as Rocky no longer fights professionally, due to brain injuries, but instead trains younger fighters, including Tommy Gunn (played by real life boxer Tommy Morrison). It becomes apparent that Gunn is merely using Rocky's fame for his own ends, and the film ends with Rocky defeating Gunn in a fight in the street. The movie also is the first to introduce Rocky's son, Robert, as a major character. The final addition to the Rocky series, Rocky Balboa (film) , released in 2006, has the 59 year old Rocky fighting against a real-life boxer again, in this case former light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver playing Mason Dixon (Rocky Balboa character). Rocky Balboa was the most critically well received Rocky film of the entire series since the original, 30 years earlier.

Video games Several video games have been made based on the film. The first Rocky video game was released by Coleco for ColecoVision in August of 1983; the principal designer was Coleco staffer B. Dennis Sustare. Another was released in 1987 for the Sega Master System. More recently, a Rocky video game was released in 2002 for the Nintendo Gamecube, Nintendo Game Boy Advance, Sony PlayStation 2, and Microsoft Xbox, and a sequel (Rocky Legends) was released in 2004 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox.In 2007 a video game called "Rocky Balboa" was released for PSP.

References

External links

{{succession box | | before = ''[One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (film) | after = ''[Annie Hall | title = [Academy Award for Best Picture | years = 1976 |-->{{succession box | | before = ''[One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (film)'' | after = ''[The Turning Point (1977 film)'' | title = [Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Drama | years = 1976 |-->



BBC - Films - review - Rocky
A two-bit small town boxer gets a shot at the big time in a heavy-weight championship fight. ... Sylvester Stallone stars in the classic film he wrote about small-time boxer Rocky ...

BBC - Films - review - Rocky IV
Review: "And while this derivative and shallow sequel might weaken the credibility of the series, there's no denying the satisfaction of watching a fight of such seemingly ...

Rocky - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rocky is a 1976 film written by and starring Sylvester Stallone and directed by John G. Avildsen. It tells the rags-to-riches American Dream story of Rocky Balboa, an uneducated ...

Rocky Balboa | Official Movie Site

Rocky Horrors. Clothing, footwear and accessories
Based in Sheffield, Rocky Horrors. Clothing, footwear and accessories stock an extensive range of Men’s and Women’s clothing, Fetish wear, footwear from brands such as New Rock ...

20th Century Fox Presents
and © 2008 Fox and its related entities. All Rights Reserved. Property of FOX. Use of this website (including any and all parts and components) constitutes your acceptance ...

The Rocky Horror Show - The World's favourite Rock'n'Roll Musical
News, European tour dates and cast details. Offers gallery of images, press releases, merchandise and the audience participation guide.

Rocky (1976)
Plot: A small time boxer gets a once in a lifetime chance to fight the heavyweight champ in a bout in which he strives to go the distance for his self-respect. full summary | full ...

Rocky Balboa (2006)
Plot: Rocky Balboa comes out of retirement to step into the ring for the last time and face the heavyweight champ Mason 'The Line' Dixon. full summary | full synopsis

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Photographs of the Rockies, Sierra Nevada and other western sights.

 

Rocky



 
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