The best thing about the new Rocky film is that it very clearly mirrors the life of Sylvester Stallone. Rocky and Stallone are both old has-beens trying to recapture the glories of their youth.
And, like Rocky’s probable fight in the new film, everybody seems to be willing Sylvester Stallone on to make a success of his latest project. That explains the delirious reaction to the news that Stallone has started filming scenes for Rocky Balboa, the sixth Rocky movie.
Judging by the hype it’s getting, even before any of it has been filmed yet, Rocky Balboa
is really starting to look like a decent comeback for Sylvester
Stallone (DVDs).
In the last decade, Stallone has made some truly terrible films,
presented a boxing reality TV show in which one of the contestants
actually died, and – perhaps worst of all – watched as his mother became more
famous than him after a stint on Celebrity Big Brother. Already, Rocky
Balboa has got more going for it than anything he’s done in a long time.
Now he’s 59, Sylvester Stallone has filmed the first few shots of
Rocky Balboa in a Las Vegas boxing ring to a rapturous reception prior to a real-life bout
between Jermaine Taylor and Bernard Hopkins.
In addition, Stallone has also held an open audition for a part in Rocky
Balboa in
Philadelphia, where the Rocky movies are set. Hundreds of fans and actors queued to take part in the
audition, which Sylvester Stallone is said to have a big part in
determining the outcome of. Rocky Balboa casting director Diane Heerey
said:
"They want the character and personality of
Philadelphia. We’re looking for the face to the story of Philadelphia.
We’re looking for real people."
Sylvester Stallone,
knowing which side his bread is buttered, isn’t just stopping at
resurrecting Rocky in the movies. He’s also planning on bringing Rambo back to life in a long-awaited sequel. We’re still holding out for Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot Part 2, though.
Rocky Balboa will be released in February 2007
Read more:
Stallone filming Rocky comeback – BBC
[story by Stuart Heritage]
