Rocky!

[irishgrl]

Rocky Balboa movie premieres in Philly to enthusiastic crowd

Stallone still packs punch with 'Rocky'

By DAN GELSTON, AP Sports WriterMon Dec 18, 10:22 PM ET

Rocky Balboa is as much a Philadelphia institution as the art museum steps, the Liberty Bell and Elfreth's Alley. But spare Sylvester Stallone the shots about his fictional underdog champion being as cracked and weathered as the city's other famed landmarks.

Maybe the cynics and the critics can bash another Rocky movie with the force of a Clubber Lang uppercut, but in fightin' Philly, Rocky Balboa will always stand as its heavyweight hero.

"Rocky is the man, and he's always going to be the man," said fan Tony Veney. "I'm not going to let my man down. He's got that fire in him that everyone out here wants. Never say never. Don't stop fighting until the fighting's done."

Or at least until the pugilistic movie series is over.

Veney was one of several hundred Rocky diehards who packed a downtown street Monday night to catch a glimpse of Rocky, Paulie, and the rest of the cast for the Philadelphia premiere of "Rocky Balboa," the sixth and final film of the 30-year series. With the unseasonably warm weather, the spotlights and the red carpet, a block of Philly seemed more like Los Angeles.

Only with thicker accents and bulging bellies.

"This is where he came from," Stallone said. "This is where he deserves to go out."

Only in Tinseltown could anyone believe a 60-year-old creaky former champ could go arthritic toe-to-toe with the current heavyweight champion. Only in Philadelphia would Stallone be greeted with a frenzy normally reserved for its real-life sports heroes. Then again, listening to the "Rocky, Rocky!" chants that greeted the actor, it's obvious some fans can't separate the two. No wonder Stallone said he owes so much of the movie's success to the hardened city.

"It belongs to Philadelphia," Stallone said. "It's a very unique relationship. It's something no one could have ever planned on."

Fans wearing Rocky T-shirts, boxing gloves or holding homemade signs started to line the street across the Prince Music Theater more than two hours before Stallone made his appearance. At least one of those fans took Rocky's message of going the distance to heart.

Timo Weingaertner made the trip from Frankfort, Germany, just so he could run those iconic steps and say he was at the premiere for the film, which opens Wednesday. The 24-year-old Weingaertner said he planned the trip for more than a year and called Rocky an "inspiration."

"Running the steps, it was a dream all my life," he said, as movie soundtrack music blasted in the background. "I wanted to feel like Rocky feels."

Besides filming most of the movie in the city, mostly in Kensington and South Philadelphia, Stallone has made several trips the last few months. The Rocky Balboa statue returned in September to the base of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, not far from the steps where the fictitious hard-luck fighter made movie history. And Stallone promoted the movie at a Philadelphia Eagles game earlier this month, earning another boisterous reaction.

Not many movie characters are as synonymous with a city as Rocky and Philadelphia.

"I try to describe it to my other actor buddies, they don't understand," Stallone said. "Rocky's a real person to a lot of these people. It's like a metaphor for their lives. Every one of them feels as though they have ownership."

Even though Rocky seems a more likely contender for social security than another shot at the title, Stallone believes this film sends the gritty Philly fighter out like a true champion.

"Thirty years later, it's stronger than ever," he said.

I love this series and am looking forward to this.

I wish he'd do another RAMBO movie too........

Heck, I just love Sylvester Stallone

[Gypsy-Rhiannon]

Originally Posted by irishgrl

Rocky Balboa movie premieres in Philly to enthusiastic crowd



I love this series and am looking forward to this.

I wish he'd do another RAMBO movie too........

Heck, I just love Sylvester Stallone

He's looking a bit scary lately!

[markolas]

Originally Posted by irishgrl

Rocky Balboa movie premieres in Philly to enthusiastic crowd



I love this series and am looking forward to this.

I wish he'd do another RAMBO movie too........

Heck, I just love Sylvester Stallone

I can't stand him.

Did you see Rhinestone?

[markolas]

Wait, wait, wait. I thought Rocky died in the last one, or had some kind of brain tumor or something. Of course, I've only seen Rocky III (when I was a kid) and it scared the **** out of me. I don't think I ate for several days. Maybe that's why I have such an aversion.

No, wait. I saw Rocky IV, too...that was the one where he fought the Russian, right? What a piece of Cold War propoganda that was. That one scared me, too. Why the hell did my parents let me see these movies? Actually, they had no problem letting me see people get the **** beat out of them, their eyes swollen shut, and blood spattering everywhere...I just couldn't see anything where someone took their clothes off. :eyeroll:

[irishgrl]

shucks, guys, I didnt know I hit such a nerve

[GODDESS6]

Originally Posted by irishgrl

shucks, guys, I didnt know I hit such a nerve

i love & have seen all the rocky movies, my least fave was #5~ i remember sitting in theaters watching these as a kid & having the crowd jumping up at the end of every film cheering sly on~ not sure if i'll see this 1 in theaters, but i will see it most definitely on dvd ~

[irishgrl]

nice to see a fellow Stallone fan

I like the Rambo movies better than the Rocky movies, but I'll take Stallone any way I can get him

oh and Pip, he does look different, I cant put my finger on it, but he has changed somewhat since his younger years......anybody know why?

[PsychCat]

He is doing one more Rambo movie... just like this one to close out the character. He said it would prob. be out in '08.

I LOVE the Rocky story! I remember my dad taking my brothers and I to see the first one when we were young. The new one looks like it goes back to what made it all great in the beginning... basic movie making with a real storyline.
Except for maybe Rocky II, I didn't care for how they cartoonized (word?) him in the other sequels. I think they sold out some of the characters charm and innocence for the sake of $equel$.

I heard Stallone say that in all the movies, Rocky NEVER said a curse word. Very cool.

[Karl-Heinz]

Stallone & Schwarzenegger = Crown of Creation :-)))))))

[GODDESS6]

k, didn't think i would, but we did...on christmas night we went to see "rocky balboa"~ there is a theater like 1/2 a mile from me, so we thought what the hell...~ what a great movie, sad in some parts cuz it sorta finishes up the "rocky" story, but great nonetheless~ & it was like when i was young, the audience was cheering for him during his fight at the end ~ now my son had to go get a few of the older "rocky" dvd's, he is addicted~

[irishgrl]

Originally Posted by GODDESS6

k, didn't think i would, but we did...on christmas night we went to see "rocky balboa"~ there is a theater like 1/2 a mile from me, so we thought what the hell...~ what a great movie, sad in some parts cuz it sorta finishes up the "rocky" story, but great nonetheless~ & it was like when i was young, the audience was cheering for him during his fight at the end ~ now my son had to go get a few of the older "rocky" dvd's, he is addicted~

thanks for the teaser! Im glad that this movie doesnt disappoint (if you're a fan that is!) Now your son is hooked? Whoa!

Im also glad to hear there will be one last Rambo movie.....Gawd, I hope he grows his hair for that (I LOVED his long curly hair!!!) but, given the times, I bet he doesnt.

[GODDESS6]

Originally Posted by irishgrl

thanks for the teaser! Im glad that this movie doesnt disappoint (if you're a fan that is!) Now your son is hooked? Whoa!

Im also glad to hear there will be one last Rambo movie.....Gawd, I hope he grows his hair for that (I LOVED his long curly hair!!!) but, given the times, I bet he doesnt.

his body was still rockin' in this movie, it didn't look like the body of a 60 yr old~

[Rickypt]

I just learned that the hottie Milo from Heroes plays Rocky's son in this movie, so I may have to go see it.