Rocky III (1982)

"The legend continues...The Italian Stallion is back!!" In this episode, we discuss the return of one of the most successful sports fanchises in movie history, 'Rocky III.' The movie stars Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Carl Weathers and Mr. T. It was also written and directed by Sylvester Stallone.

Rocky III - IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084602/?ref_=tttg_ov_bk
Rocky III - Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/rocky_iii
More about the Rocky Statue: https://www.rockystatue.com/the-statue



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Jason's Letterboxd Ratings: https://letterboxd.com/jasonmasek/list/jasons-all-80s-movies-podcast-ratings/
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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:19):
Hello, and welcome to the All Eighties Movies Podcast, the
podcast where we talk about the bocklist, the flops, and
everything in between from one of the freshest decades from movies,
the nineteen eighties. I'm her host Bill bant Long. With
me on this journey revisiting eighties movies is my co
host Jason Massik. Hello, Jason. Now when we fought, you
had that.

Speaker 2 (00:37):
I are the tiger Man, the edge, and now you
got to get it back. And the way to get
it back is to go back to the beginning, you
know what I mean. Maybe we could win it back together.
I Am the tiger Man.

Speaker 1 (00:51):
That's right, Listeners who are discussing with spoilers and plenty.
The nineteen eighty two boxing sequel Rocky three, produced by
United Artist and distributed by mgm UA Entertainment Company. The
movie stars Sylvester Stallone, Carl Weathers, Tyler Shyer, and Mister T.
Written and directed by Sylvester Stallone, this movie's rat at

(01:11):
PG with the running time of one hour and thirty
nine minutes. The movie was nominated for one OSCAR for
Best Music Original Song. I Am the Tiger So what
is this movie about? What's on the box. If you
grew up in the nineteen eighties and went to your
local video store to rent this movie, you would find
this description on the back of the VHS box.

Speaker 2 (01:32):
It is what's in the box, Take it away. Jason
Stallone continues the story of the likable no hoper who
makes good with Rocky now at the peak of his career,
world champion with ten successful title fights under his belt
at the age of thirty four, he now has his
best years behind him and he has grown complacent, living
like a prince on the massive earnings accumulated during his career.

(01:56):
At the ceremonial unveiling of a statue erected in his
honor in his hometown of Philadelphia, Rocky is publicly challenged
by the bombastic Clubber Lang, played with admirable menace by
one time bodyguard mister t and against the advice of
his long suffering manager Mickey Burgess Meredith, Rocky accepts the
challenge and the stage is set for a grudge match.

(02:18):
Rocky doesn't take the threat of Clubber seriously, and whilst
Clubber drives himself to physical limits, Rocky turns his pre
match training into a showcase on the night of the fight,
Mickey collapses, and a distraught Rocky is no match for
the fanatical clubber. With his title gone and obscurity beckoning,
Rocky is saved from the brink by his old adversary,

(02:38):
Apollo Creed, winningly played by Carl Weathers, who persuades Rocky
to train for a rematch. The film moves towards its
climax at an electric pace, culminating in one of the
most exciting and violent fight sequences ever to be filmed,
Rocky three. Wow.

Speaker 1 (02:55):
The only thing that descriptions did not say is who
won the last fight?

Speaker 2 (02:59):
Right away? Everything and that's our podcast, Thanks for listening, World, Yeah,
pretty much covers it all.

Speaker 1 (03:09):
So that was what's in the box for Rocky three. Jason,
you remember when you first saw Rocky three.

Speaker 2 (03:15):
I do remember. I remember specific feelings. I saw it
in the theater. This is what I remember at this age.
As I was a youngin I was involved in competitive
sports and dance, and I was constantly rehearsing and practicing.
And this is all thanks to my mom and being

(03:36):
extremely disciplined basically training. Right. So, when I saw this film,
I'll never forget how disappointed I was in Rocky Bilboa
not taking this fight against clubber Lang seriously. And I
think it was just because I was such a perfectionist
as a kid, and that feeling just stayed with me
over the years. And the other really strong memory I have,

(03:58):
of course, when I just mentioned that I was in
dance with the of course Kim Kalla's dance studio in
Lake Villa, Illinois. We danced many, many a time to
the classic survivor song I of the Tigers, so iconic.
So it is obviously so connected to this movie. That's
all I got really for earliest memories, just that disappointment

(04:19):
and of course then the redemption at the end and
the feel good rooting for the underdog kind of story
that I've always appreciated with the Rocky film. So what
do you got? What do you remember? Do you remember
when the first time you saw this film?

Speaker 1 (04:32):
Bill Bant If you don't know, listeners, but I am
from Philadelphia, so Rocky does mean the lot to the city,
And if you want to make fun of it, that's fine,
But if you really watched the first one, you would
understand why the city embraced this movie, embrace this character.
As it comes to the films. The only Rocky movie
I saw in Philadelphia was Rocky So, Rocky two, Rocky three,

(04:55):
Rocky four I saw in New Jersey at least it's
the neighboring state, so in the neighborhood. Rocky F five
and Rocky Bouboa I saw in Florida, and then all
the Creed films I've seen out here in California, and
I almost have a story for all of them, except
for Rocky three. I know my dad took me and
that's all I remember. I'm not sure if it was

(05:18):
in Pennsauken, New Jersey, or we saw it down in Wildwood.
That I don't remember, but I do remember. I have
seen them all in the theater, that much I know,
and only one of them in Philadelphia.

Speaker 2 (05:30):
Being in Philadelphia, man, I just sometimes I'm so jealous
of your memory. It's like a steel trap. Man, It's
just all in there. I have to mention one more
thing that I have very very much associated with this film.
I'll never forget. As a kid, I had a forty
five vinyl which was released in nineteen eighty four, and
it was called Rocky Versus Clubbert Lang and it's by

(05:51):
kids stuff Records featured a dramatized retelling of the rivalry
with audio narration, accompanied by a book for children to
follow along with the story of Rocky and Clever Lang.
You can look it up. It's hilarious, it's crazy. It
was a forty five. It is hilarious, and it's like
an animated picture of mister t on the forty five cover,

(06:11):
very colorful. It's it's great. Brings me way way back.

Speaker 1 (06:14):
Do you remember what the chime was to turn the page?

Speaker 2 (06:16):
Then? I don't. You would think it would be the
bell between round Yeah, right, turned the page. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (06:25):
Oh. I still love those forty fives and the sound
effect there.

Speaker 2 (06:28):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (06:29):
Yeah, all right, So let's talk about the movie Rocky three.

Speaker 2 (06:33):
What are our impressions, Yeah, impressions. Well, let's let's get
into this is gonna be fun. Man. As soon as
this film started, I was like, let's go, man, great
title card and that theme music. You know, I want
to talk about this real quick with you, Bill Banton,
your connection to the music itself, because we know that
Bill Conti does the score and it is so iconic,

(06:55):
so identifiable. We'll talk about I have the Tiger in
a minute, but just the the actual orchestral soundtrack, and
of course Gonna Fly Now all great, but for me personally,
I love everything orchestral. I'm Gonna Fly Now is a classic.
I appreciate it, I respect it, but I like the
triumphant horns that start the rocky thea that dunduda dunnd

(07:16):
u da dunnda dun dun dun dun dun dun du.
And then beyond that, there's where is it? I have
it listed. There's a track I think it's called the
Final Bell where it's that there's a build up with
the trump the trumpets and when he when he's like
at the end of the fight, and then he wins
and you know, and he has that a triumphant like

(07:36):
he jumps on me. Those pieces of music to me
give me chills every time, and that's what I associate
with the film greatly, and I always look forward to
hearing it. And so when this film begins with that,
I was just like, I'm ready, let's watch this man
and let's have fun with it. I didn't know what, well,
how do you feel but just you or what is
your connection to the music. Oh?

Speaker 1 (07:58):
I just always love the music. It's especially in the
first movie when it's the fight, it brings tears in
my eyes. That's how much, Like I said, this is
how much this movie is connected to just the heart
of Philadelphia. And this is how popular this movie was
because you know, back when we were young, we didn't
really have cable. We had or the UHF channels, and

(08:18):
they would show Rocky twice a year and that would
get better ratings than network shows. That's how popular that
movie was. Even thinking about that scene in Rocky when
he's in bed and he tells Adrian that he knows
he's going to lose the fight and says, I'm just
going to go the distance. No one's done that. I
might not beat him, but I'm going to go the distance.

(08:40):
And that gets me every time because it helps me too.
If you're setting goals and you know you're not going
to reach the goal, like you just reset and make
another goal. I get a lot out of that story.
He's an underdog, everyone loves him, and the music just
works great. I mean, I don't know how many times
as a kid working out, I guess what I'm putting
on the theme to or just to get myself just

(09:01):
pumped up about anything.

Speaker 2 (09:02):
I just put it on.

Speaker 1 (09:04):
It's very inspiring and yeah, the horns, and it's just
awesome stuff, perfectly, perfectly stated. It is so identifiable. And
you mentioned heart, you mentioned inspiration, the perfect workout music,
and I was just thinking about how we obviously are
always going on about John Williams, of course, one of

(09:25):
the greatest, if not the greatest film score composer of
all time, and all of his identifiable film score themes.

Speaker 2 (09:31):
But this rank's right up there. It's got to be
in the top ten as far as the most identifiable
with a particular movie. It's right there. I love it,
and I love your connection to the films of having
been from Philadelphia, and for me you mentioned Underdog. I
was like thinking about this because my fandom for this
franchise started with Rocky two before going back to the

(09:54):
first Rocky film and then watching the rest, and I
have seen all of the films, but I was thinking
to myself, as a young kid, was this where I
learned about the real underdog story or to root for
the underdog? And ever since always rooting for the underdog
and any sporting event unless I have a dog in
the fight. And I'm a particular fan of a team,
but I wondered how many people really just love the

(10:18):
Underdog because of these movies. I mean, it's pretty simple
and pretty smart. I mean, obviously the Underdog story goes
back to the beginning of time, but this reinforces it.
I hadn't watched any of these films in a long time,
and when this movie begins, it's just good to see
the cast back together again. It's feel good. And speaking
of the theme Song'm Gonna Fly Now. You mentioned this before,

(10:41):
I hadn't even rewatched the film for this podcast. This
movie flies by. Yes, it's a quick watch this movie.
You mentioned it total running time on an hour in
thirty nine minutes. If you take out the opening previously
on Rocky sequence yep, and then the end credits, this
movie is like an hour and a half long. It's crazy, yeah,
and it cruises, and so my first impression is that,

(11:05):
a it's a blast, it's fun, be great to see
the cast of characters back together. Just great to see
the familiar faces back. I love Carl Weather's huge standout
for me in this and then issues I had if
my overall issue with this upon rewatching it again, it's
very by the numbers it's a bit superficial. Not a

(11:25):
lot of depth in this film. You know me, I'm
all about depth and relationships and journeys and arcs and
things like that. But I still love these characters and
I had a really good time watching again. So that's
like my overall first impression. But I can't wait to
start talking about the cast and just how we feel
about some of these performances in this So what's your

(11:46):
overall just take upon revisiting this man, I.

Speaker 1 (11:49):
Would say of all sports movies, my favorite ones are
boxing movies because most of the time they are underdog stories.
It's their life since shambles, or they're coming to the
end of their career and this is our last opportunity
and they somehow pulled off because at that point they
can get as much training or teaching as they want,
but once they step in the ring, it's just them.
And I think that's one of the things. It could

(12:10):
be Rocky, you could be Diggstown. Whatever the movies are.
I just always enjoy boxing. I always joke I love
submarine movies. I love boxing movies. If they made a
boxing movie in a submarine, it would be the greatest
movie of all time. But the one thing I did
notice about this Rocky was Rocky seems a little bit
smarter then he has in the other two movies, which
is kind of funny because he's been taking a beaten,
big beaten in the movie so far. Yep, Adrian's gotten

(12:33):
a little prettier. Yeah, I've noticed that just getting better
looking at the movies go on. And this movie definitely
is the most humorous or really tries for the jokes
of all the movie. I think this movie has more
jokes than all the other ones combined. I mean, the
other ones do have jokes here or there, but this
one really pushes the laughs even though there's some seriousness
in it. I was surprised how many jokes it throws

(12:56):
out throughout the film. Yeah, the first two you'd really
consider dramas. The fourth one I can kind of consider
a music video. The fifth one don't even want to
talk about that. You go back to the drama with
Rocky Balboa and the Creeden wants to dramas. So this
one's really the comedy one. I think you're right to
It is vary by the numbers. I think the one

(13:16):
character that really has some sort of arc per se
is Carl Weathers is Apollo that he's kind of come
to the good side here. He was our villain our
last two movies, and now he's coming as the hero
to help Rocky and revive his career at least win
this last fight. Because here we go, Rocky's retiring again.
I think here we are in Rocky three, and I

(13:37):
think he's retired four times already. Well, it's true to
life in boxing too. How many times we heard fighters
retired and then come back. So no surprise there. I
guess they all got it from Rocky.

Speaker 2 (13:47):
I don't know. I love that you're talking about Carl
Weathers because he's amazing in this and I do remember
this as a kid too. It's the enemy's becoming friends.
I love the team up. Love the team up. They
get over their differences or have won or lost the
previous fight and now working together. It's an that is
a highlight to watch and watch their relationship develop throughout

(14:08):
the wonderful training montages in this. But yeah, stillone man
always got a root for him. He is a lot
sharper and sharper dressed of course in this story, and uh,
looking real good. I was gonna say this is our
fourth Stallone film? Is it? Not? Here? On the All
Eighties Movies podcast, I was we did Victory Nighthawk's First Blood.
Would this be the fourth? Yeah? Am I missing anything?

(14:31):
I not?

Speaker 1 (14:32):
Off the time, I can't think of one, but I'm
sure if we have a listener we missed one though,
don't let us know.

Speaker 2 (14:36):
Yeah, but just speaking of Stallone playing the titular role, man,
he looks fantastic in this. You know, when we watch
the Creed films, obviously Michael B. Jordan is great and
he's completely jacked, but we go back to this, holy
crap man, Stallone is ripped. Yes, he's got the broad shoulders.
You look like the width of his when you see

(14:57):
his back and his just shoulders. He's got that V shape.
And then he loses the weight for the final fight
and literally looks trimmed down and clearly did that for
the film. That's in the trivia. There's moments though, I mean,
he looks fantastic. He appears to be wearing makeup in
certain scenes, but his cheeks are so sunken in it's
as if you can see his skull. Sometimes I'm like, wow,

(15:17):
I can see right through his skin. But it's still
impressive to me that Stallone is writing and directing and
commissioning a statue of himself in this But seriously, as
a kid, it's funny I was thinking about this bill.
I was always a fan of directors. I became a
film buff growing up, and I was like Spielberg, Lucas,
and then I started following all the directors like I'm
gonna go see this movie because so and so directed
it and so and so's in it. But I never

(15:40):
really paid attention to the fact that Stallone himself was
a writer director. The dude, he's a smart guy. He's
such an accomplished dude. I think we've talked about this
in the previous podcast we've done with movies that he
stars in. But I just have a real appreciation for
him every time I see this movie as just an
accomplished filmmaker. Also, I love to see him in his

(16:01):
platform shoes or boots. How many inches do you think
those those shoes give him in this movie?

Speaker 3 (16:06):
Oh?

Speaker 2 (16:07):
Maybe three?

Speaker 1 (16:08):
That's what I lets stand next to. It's Paul Cogan, right.

Speaker 2 (16:12):
But I have to say I really also have to
give him credit for his acting chops that he has
some quality scenes in this where he's really solid. He
can bring it down, and he can be very dramatic
and very believable. He's that blue collar guy still at
the end of the day that you relate to and
want to win and to overcome. So I didn't know
if you had any thoughts on stallone.

Speaker 1 (16:33):
In general, there's definitely a character change from the first two,
and it's almost shocking in a way because.

Speaker 2 (16:40):
Here he was in the first two movies.

Speaker 1 (16:41):
You know, he's wearing his hat and his jacket and
bouncing the pimple ball around and now and here he's
all nicely dressed and dignified, and it really takes club
Lang to knock the street back into him. So I
did find that interesting. I think the character or even
the actor who really got me thinking was mister T.
I mean, I want to talk about perfect mister T.

(17:06):
You know, the mohawk, the chains, the feathers in his ears.
He was such an icon of the eighties and where
you looked, you saw him, and he was a good
role model. This is the only time he really plays
like a baddie. Of course, you know, this is his debut.
I just couldn't believe just thinking about him, how much

(17:28):
he affected that decade Cereal cartoon shirts. I remember having
an eighteen shirt with him a bracas. Yes, I do
really like him. In this he takes the Apollo Creed
character and turns it up to a spinal top reference
to an eleven. Yeah, you want Rocky to kick his
ass at the end, and it is satisfying to watch

(17:48):
that happen.

Speaker 2 (17:48):
Yeah, it is. He plays a great villain. And it's
funny you mentioned that because then he becomes so lovable
after this and becomes such a huge character in real
life with all the promotions, commercials, a team, all that stuff,
and he just has the best quotes in this movie.
The interviewers saying, do you hate Rocky? No, I don't hate.
I pitted the fool and I will destroy any man

(18:09):
who tries to take what I got. So there it is,
I pity the fool. First time we hear it? Oh yeah,
is in this movie. That's where it began to where
the end. It's it's amazing. Well it goes back to
back these quotes. What's your prediction for the fight? My prediction, Yes,
your prediction pain. It's like, come on, that's great for
a debut. How solid is that? And for him to

(18:31):
just then Skyrocket after this love the moment, the look
that changed, like you said, it's just great, great stuff man.

Speaker 1 (18:36):
Yeah, and Skyrocket as a positive role model. Yeah, I
think he was part of the same note of drugs
campaign back then too. He was just everywhere.

Speaker 2 (18:45):
Yeah, super likable. You know who's not likable in this movie?
Oh Paulie Bert Young. Oh my god, talk about a
useless piece of shit. I'm sorry, man, be vulgar right
from the start here, but that's just another like stepping
on complaints here. He is like an alcoholic bum. I mean,
Rocky calls him a bum. He's a hanger on, right,
he's a racist. He destroys a perfectly good Rocky pinball machine.

(19:08):
In the beginning, the film begins on him. He's the focus.
After the opening a mount of time, Rocky lets him
into his life and to his house and then gives
him what he as asking for. But what does he
do in this movie? What does Polly actually do in
this movie? Besides always saying I don't sweat you, I
don't sweat you.

Speaker 1 (19:26):
Right, he either complaints or one liners. And in the
first two movies he's not that great either, but this one,
I just think he's even worse.

Speaker 2 (19:34):
Yeah. I mean, you know, we all have our family dramas.

Speaker 1 (19:37):
But I would have thought the way he was, they
would have cut ties with him see.

Speaker 2 (19:41):
You later, right completely. And also, I you know again,
I just want to make this clear. It's Paullie the
character is despicable. It's not Burt Young. Bert's you know,
he's great. We love Bert Young the actor, and obviously
we talked about him and Back to School, how he's
great with Dangerfields. He's really good in that movie. Actually, yeah,
talk about that. But but yeah, he's just useless in

(20:02):
this and it's just like he has no arc, no journey, No,
he's just hanging out in the background kind of being.

Speaker 1 (20:08):
Yeah, because there's the scene when they leave their kid
with I'm like, what are you crazy? I would not
leave my kid with PAULI no way, right, go hire
someone bring kid.

Speaker 2 (20:20):
Yeah. Man, uh yeah, we talked about Carl Weathers. I
don't want to spend too much time just doting on
this guy, but man, rip Carl Weathers. I miss now
that guy. He looks so good in this. He is
the ultimate athlete, so light on his feet, when he's
dancing around in the training sequences with rock I mean,
this guy is floating, floating like a butterfly, right. I Mean,

(20:43):
he's got the enthusiasm, the charisma, love the character and
the team up with Rocky in this film. But Carl
Weathers just consummate badass and everything you hear from anybody
that was around him says that he was just a
true gentleman and the nicest guy. And we have his
Cami and close encounters. I'm just an Action Jackson and
Predator fan. I know you are as well, of course.

(21:04):
Oh yeah, and then the Mandalorian. I mean, it's just
always just so pleasing just to see him appear in
anything because he's the man.

Speaker 1 (21:12):
Yeah, it's one of these movies you watch and you go,
why was this guy? And more stuff? I don't get
it always Yep, even with the action films with Action Jackson,
I thought it did well enough that he should have
got more stuff. So that kind of surprised me. And
he's definitely a positive to this series. And yeah, unfortunately
that's one of the things. This is the movie where

(21:33):
we start killing off characters. You know, we start with
Mickey here and then Apollo and Adrian doesn't make it
so Rocky Balboa. So this is when Still it's like,
you know what, I'm gonna get a bigger check and
cut you guys out. I guess I don't know. I
don't know what it was behind the scenes, but it
seemed like someone had to die now from here on out.

Speaker 2 (21:50):
Yeah, we got to make it dramatic somehow. And that
Bill Ban with a great segue here, because I wanted
to ask you about your relationship to Burgas Meredith. I
really am not familiar with much of his work outside
the Rocky franchise, but I do love him so much.
In this is Mickey. It's an iconic role. I mean,
this is his role and he owns it. And wait
a minute, he's Jewish, He's not Irish American. But man,

(22:11):
his death is tough in this it's tough. It's pretty
hard to watch still for me, I don't know, it's
pretty emotional.

Speaker 1 (22:16):
Yeah, you just there's just something about the cranky old
man that you just love so much. Yeah, Burgess Meredith,
this is the Penguin, I mean, two iconic roles, and
it just shows in this one how much he loves Rocky.
He basically infests that he's protecting him so he can
keep the title. You know, in the first one they
were at odds and then they got together and the

(22:38):
way he revived Mickey's career too. Mickey owes everything to
Rocky and he tries to do whatever he can to
keep Rocky on top Yep.

Speaker 2 (22:46):
Absolutely, we can talk about Hulkgan later on. I believe
in maybe maybe favorite scenes. I'm not sure, but we
will find out. I was just gonna say, we got
to talk just a few more things. Training montages, man,
we get technically three in this They're all great in
my opinion. Here's an additional question right from the start
Field band. Do you have a favorite training montage for

(23:07):
this is from this entire franchise. I don't know if
there's too many to remember, but.

Speaker 1 (23:11):
I think in the second one, when Rocky is running
down the streets of Philly and all the kids start chasing,
and there's that one moment where Rocky kicks it in
the second gear and there's that one kid that keeps
up for like half a block and then just fades,
and then Rocky's just he does not have great running
for him. It's very herky jerky, but the fact that

(23:32):
you can see how much faster he's going to everyone else.
That one always stands out. Hell yeah, man, I think
you're right.

Speaker 2 (23:38):
I think maybe it was a silly question because I
think now you say that that's the obvious choice. But man,
I am partial to Rocky four going to the mountaintop lifting.
Oh yeah, doing the whole thing, and yes, you old
school with the great Is that a John Parr song
that's playing during that montage too? Oh it's somebody similar

(23:59):
to that, the classic like eighties you know movie right theme?
What it plays during that? So correct me if I'm wrong,
Listeners and tell us what your favorite training montage is
from the Rocky films. Built makeup effects that jumped out
at me. Man, let's give a shout out to Michael Westmore.
He did the makeup and prosthetics for Rocky and Rocky
two and Rocky three. Awesome. Yes, I mean I'm looking

(24:24):
at this and it's after like the clubber Lang fight,
the first fight in this film. His whole eye is
swollen when he's over Mickey as Mickey is about to
pass and it's tough. It's like, Wow, the makeup is
really really believable. It's great stuff. I mean, it looks
so good. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (24:39):
I think there was one of the Rocky movies, I'm
not sure which one was, where they start with all
the prosthetics on their face and then they filmed it backwards,
so then they were taking stuff off because they figured
it was easier to do it that way than to
put everything on for each round, probably one or two,
because I mean the fights in these movies, we only
get five rounds of boxing. Yeah, right, but yeah, he

(25:01):
really does look like he got pummeled.

Speaker 2 (25:03):
It does not look fake exactly. That's the point. It's
got to be believable. The blood, the swelling, the bruising,
the cruising, the swollen eye that's closed, you know, shut,
it's just it's great. So I wanted to give that
shout out to Michael wes Moore also built some stood
out to me in this this particular film. The sound
design I thought was great. There were some added effects,

(25:26):
a lot of whooshes and eerie noises during the fights,
especially with you know, club or laying because you get
that almost that that roaring noise. And actually, if you
listen to Aya the Tire during the end credits, you
hear the tiger roar in the song, which I had
not heard before. It's a different version of it, and
that is throughout the film. So you get a lot

(25:49):
of these dark kind of background sound effects in the
sound design during the boxing bouts. It's pretty cool. I
appreciated that upon this rewatch.

Speaker 1 (26:00):
Yeah, I'm glad you pointed it out. I didn't really
think about it until you mentioned it, But yeah, there is,
especially during the boxing, there is a lot of instead
of human yelling, there is some sound effects in there
instead that are basically representing how they feel with these sounds,
especially with Clubber that ye roaring. Yeah, he has the
eye of the tiger at that point.

Speaker 2 (26:20):
He is a tiger. Yeah, he's a beast. He's an animal,
and that's the point obviously, And it's driven home by
that sound design because he is coming at He's like
a Mike Tyson. I mean, he just comes at with
ferocity and he's always screaming, like doing all the screaming
with the roar in the background, and the sound design
is just enhanced.

Speaker 1 (26:40):
And then even in the second one with the just
the breathing, where Rocky realized is like the only one
I'm going to win this movie. I gotta wear him out.

Speaker 2 (26:48):
Yeah, the last point I was going to make. And
you can talk about whatever obviously you want, Bill Pant
because I know your deep connection to this whole thing.
But the choreography, man, I love it. Now. Now I
can maybe step also on a complaint with the phantom punches,
which are very noticeable now because that's kind of dates
this movie a little bit. You can see where the

(27:08):
punches are missing, but you can see they're acting, of course,
and they're reacting to the punches as if they've been
hitting their head, jerks backward, et cetera on the jabs
and things like that. But the choreography is incredible. I
was watching a little behind the scenes of the scene
from the open of a scene that was deleted from
the opening montage sequence when Rocky is going through his

(27:31):
ten different fighters to defend his title, and I'm gonna
give a shout out to his brother Frank stallone. Frank
stallone Junior. Frank stallone had a tiny bit part in
the opening, but there was an extended sequence that was cut.
But if you watch the deleted scene and you watch
them shoot this scene, you can see the cameras in
the background stuff. They are going for it and it

(27:52):
is so specifically choreographed. I was like, these guys are badasses, man.
I mean they got to hit their marks and they've
got a punch when they're supposed to punch, and it
could be really dangerous. So I just want to give
a shout out to the choreography and Frank Stallone too.
He was a trooper and seeing that ultimately was cut
something that just stood out again from on this rewatch

(28:13):
revisiting the Rocky franchise.

Speaker 1 (28:15):
Yeah, what I do find it funny about these Rocky
movies is you watch these fights and then you would
go to watch a real boxing match and you'd be like, Yeah,
what's going on? Why are they just standing there? Why
are they just throwing little japs? This sucks. I need
to go back and watch Rocky again. It's over the
top drama of how it goes.

Speaker 2 (28:32):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (28:32):
I didn't think it was too bad with the choreography.
I was trying to watch with the polls and miss punches,
and I didn't think it was as bad as I
was expecting. Yeah, the fact that we only get five Yeah,
we only get through five rounds. It's so surprising. It
quick fights I mean the first two movies we go
the distance, and then this one it's second round, three rounds.

(28:54):
It's like, Wow, it's really a change on what they
what they did.

Speaker 2 (28:58):
Yeah, and that's it's noticeable, and that's why we can
we'll talk about it. But that's I think some of
my issues are with again, just the kind of by
the numbers superficiality of this film, and then the ending.
I just kind of had a little bit of it
was like, oh, dang it, I want more. I just
wanted more. But overall, I still enjoyed this man. It

(29:20):
was fun, definitely fun again overcoming the complacency that of
being a big star as he is with the title,
and then he has this inner struggle with the guilt
and the fear. It's relatable on a level for sure.
So that worked for me. Still a bit of that
underdog story, you know, So it still plays for me.
Is it my favorite I'll just say right now, no,

(29:41):
not of the Rocky franchise, but I'm glad we got
a chance to watch again.

Speaker 1 (29:46):
All right, let's move into favorite scenes or moments. What
are some favorite scenes or moments we have from Rocky three? Jason,
what do you got Yeah, absolutely, let's get into it.
I'm gonna start from the beginning.

Speaker 2 (29:56):
It's the opening montage for me, as I mentioned that
great title car with the theme music, the trumpets, the horns,
I'm just like, let's go. Hey, you know what Bill
would stood out for me. The highlight of this was
the revisit to the end of Rocky Too. It got
me emotional, and I thought it was smart that they
did that that they showed at the end of because
you just see Rocky get the crap beat out of

(30:18):
He's just he's blind. Both of his eyes are swollen shut,
goes right into eye the tiger come on, goes from
the trumpets, the triumphant Rocky theme into iya the Tiger.
Doesn't get much better than that, does it ever? Yeah,
I just think it's hilarious. Then the film starts to
focus on Paully during this montage of well, Rocky's kicking butt.

(30:39):
But I think it's a great setup. We see mister
t is clubber Lang, who's going to be the main
battie in this the villain, the opponent to Rocky. So
I love that. It's just a great setup. We're like, Okay,
I know what this movie is gonna be it's gonna
be Rocky versus clubb Lang. We get shots of Mickey.
It's very clear that Rocky is now become a celeberty

(31:00):
doing the commercials and advertisements. It's just a solid two
minutes to start a movie and you're just off and
that's why this movie flies. It's like it doesn't have
to be has made a comment the complaint being superficiality,
but this it doesn't have to be complicated. It's just like,
let's lay out the plot right from the get go
and let's rock Yeah.

Speaker 1 (31:19):
The Rocky scroll always just pumps me up just watching
that Rocky fly across the screen. And yeah, it was
funny watching the montage because then all of a sudden,
Stillone's doing all these commercials.

Speaker 2 (31:29):
And that was one of.

Speaker 1 (31:29):
The jokes in the second one, when he signs to
do commercials and he can't even read or act. Adrian
helps him to learn to read. It's come a long way.
It definitely shows in this, and it's cool that does
kind of recap the start with the second one, gets
you up the speed on his title defenses and then
let's get right into the movie.

Speaker 2 (31:47):
Yeah, really worked for me.

Speaker 1 (31:48):
Yeah, so one of my favorite scenes is the humorous
Rocky and it's the charity fight between Rocky Balboa and
Thunderlips played by Hulk Hogan. And I think this is
my first time seeing Hulk Hogan because then I remember
watching in wrestling and going, oh my god, it's a
Thunderlips guy. He's wrestling, so yeah. So it's boxer versus wrestler,

(32:10):
and Thunderlips just goes all crazy on him and it
ends up in a draw. But one of the lines
I love the most is when they're introducing the two
combatants and Rocky says to Mick, I wonder what he eats,
and Micky goes probably about two hundred and two pounds,
and then the announcer goes weighing two hundred and two
pounds Rocky. That gets me every time. That's funny. And

(32:33):
then Mick kind of looks at it and chuckles. So yeah,
I mean they're throwing out one liners left and right.
But I guess supposedly it is based on a true
event MMA before MMA. I can't remember the boxer now
who did fight a wrestler, and I think the wrestler
won once he got him on the ground.

Speaker 2 (32:51):
There you go, this is a really silly fun sequence.
I don't think I appreciated it as a kid. I
just wanted to see Rocky in real boxing matches. I
didn't quite understand. I wasn't like a big wrestling fan.
But watching this now, just having such an appreciation now
today of the wrestlers in World Wrestling Federation, all the federations,

(33:12):
all the leagues, all the things. It's a real art form.
And I was like, WHOA, Rocky's doing a good thing here,
He's you know, he's doing this for charity. And I
wasn't as critical of what he was doing as I
was as a kid, being like, why aren't you taking
your career seriously? At this point you got to prep
for clubver Langs coming for you. Man, what are you doing?
Futson around with this Thunderlips the Ultimate Male. Yes, hul Cogan,

(33:38):
huge dude. When they're standing right next to each other.

Speaker 1 (33:41):
You're like, oh, hilarious, Yeah, and the thing here we go,
mister t. He would eventually team up with hult Cogan
and they would fight in WrestleMania, one of the biggest
events in wrestling another eighties or even their classic appearance
on Saturday Night Live with Billy Crystal. You look marvelous
character and just racking.

Speaker 2 (34:00):
The two of them up. It's great, a lot of fun.

Speaker 1 (34:03):
So yeah, I think the last two favorite scenes are
moments we both share, and the one is when Mickey
basically spills the beans of Rocky that I've been Karen
not necessarily carrying him but playing it safe for Rocky
with his title defenses, and Rocky is certainly shocked by

(34:23):
all of this, and they kind of have a heart
to heart because Rocky has announced that he's going to retire.
Clubber has challenged him, so he wants to do that
as this last fight, and Mickey's like, no, you'll get killed.
You're not the boxer you were three years ago, and
if you step in the ring with this man, you're
not going to last.

Speaker 2 (34:40):
Long man.

Speaker 1 (34:41):
He was certainly telling Rocky the truth.

Speaker 2 (34:43):
That's it. This is a really nice dramatic scene. It's
a great acting scene for both Burgess, Meredith and stallone up.
On the first watch, it took me out of a
second because it felt like it was out of left field.
When Clubber Lang is challenging Rocky at the statue presentation
and Mickey's like, no, I'm not gonna manage you anymore.
I'm out. I'm like, why would he? And I forgot
that Mickey had been watching clubver Langs rise through the

(35:06):
ranks from the very beginning you see in the opening montage,
and then in this particular scene, burns Meredith. You can
see the love between both of them, which and they
have really good chemistry, and this is why I also
really appreciate the scene and great lines from Mickey here
when Rocky's like, I said, why are you doing this?
Why are you quitting on me? And Micky's like, because

(35:27):
you can't win, rock this guy will kill you to
death inside three rounds. Love that line, this guy will
kill you to death inside three rounds. And then yes,
Rocky finds out that Mickey had been hand picking his
opponents to retain his title, just so he wouldn't get
as badly beaten as he had been by Creed. And
this line later on, when they're sitting on the couch.

(35:50):
Love this line. He says, well, rock, let's put it
this way. Not three years ago, you were supernatural. He
was hard, and he was nasty, and you had this
cast iron jaw. But then the worst thing happened to you,
that could happen to any fighter. You got civilized. Yep.
Great line. And then speaking of the humor, then Stallone
convinces Mickey to coach him, manage him for you know,

(36:13):
the laying fight one more time. But he says, if
you don't, I'm going to tell everybody you've been wearing
the same pair of underwear for the past ten years.
Nice little lighthearted moment there. Yeah, great scene.

Speaker 1 (36:25):
And then they go join the circus and then I
think the final favorite scene we both agree on is Adrian,
who's kind of been in the background for most of
this movie, finally has to talk about Rocky because here
we are, Apollo is trying to train him, and Rocky
he's just not into it, and Adrian calls him out
on it, and I think they have a very heartwarming conversation,

(36:47):
very open. I do like it a lot, little little
shouting back and forth, and then Rocky admits that that
he's afraid. And you know, Adrian's really been the heart
of the first two movies. She literally stole Rocky's heart
in the first too, and it was just kind of
weird that she was more of like set dressing throughout
this until this scene, and then she really helps Rocky

(37:08):
get back on track. That's why I do like about it.

Speaker 2 (37:10):
Love it what I love. I loved this very similar.
I love the fact that he so very badly needs
her and her support and he can't do it without her.
And it's a love scene here. This whole thing starts
with a love story at the center of it, right,
so it's tremendously important. And the fact that she can
break him down in a way to get him to

(37:31):
admit to the truth as to why his heart isn't
into the training with Apollo Creed and it's the first
scene of you know. They are running on the beach
and he gives up, and she has some great lines
when she says, you got to do it for the
right reasons, not for guilt over Mickey, this is about you,
you alone, no excuses, no fear. I know you can
live with that. There's some great line he says, how'd
you get so tough? Because he breaks down and admits

(37:53):
that he's afraid in that moment, it's like, yeah, you
need a good woman to get to your core like that.
I just just again some great acting moments here, and
he breaks down and finally comes clean, and it's a
kind of a release for him. I like that moment
when he just yells, I'm afraid. Okay, you want me to,
you know, say it, admit it. I'm afraid. And then
finally when he calms down, he says to her, how

(38:14):
did you get so tough? And she says, I live
with a fighter. Yeah, great, And this then Bill Bant
leads into like one of the great training montages with
my favorite moment at the running on the beach, when
finally Rocky gets the best of Creed he beats him
in the race on the beach, and then probably one
of the most homoerotic scenes of all time in cinema,

(38:34):
when they go into the ocean and they're hugging each
other and it's muscles and it's you, it's they're ripped
and it's tendons and they're oily and just slippery and
it's it's and I'm just like, oh, are they going
to kiss? Are they going to kiss?

Speaker 1 (38:49):
Those are my just all thoughts and questions what did
you think of that? Because so many people pick on that,
it doesn't bother me at all.

Speaker 2 (38:55):
I'm like, dude, oh no, it's fantastic, and it ends
with a freeze frame. It ends. That's my favorite part
of this whole thing. It ends with the freeze frame
of them, just like Yay is. They're hugging each other,
putting their hands in the air. And Bill, I got
to ask you two questions. One, what's up with the
half shirts that they're wearing through that? Oh?

Speaker 1 (39:14):
I know that was what's a great eighty styles choice?
I know I never did the half shirts.

Speaker 2 (39:20):
Because they're bearing their mid drifts and it's like, I
don't They're like this flimsy little piece of material, just
a half shirt and just don't have any shirt on
if you're going to do that. But the other question
that you can take it off? Yeah, I think you're
you know, pretty, you would be confident in going shirtless.
These guys would definitely be. But yeah, my question for
you was, is this scene more or less homo erotic

(39:44):
than the Top Gun Volleyball? Did this pave the way
for Top gun Volleyball? Oh? I would say top Gun?
Should we contact? Surely you can't be serious and have
them do a competition pod? Which is better top gun
Volleyball scene or the running on the each sequence from
Rocky three.

Speaker 1 (40:01):
And that is Malibu, right, I think that's I think
that's a Malibu here in the background.

Speaker 2 (40:06):
Okay, okay, on that per regardless, great training montage, so
the whole Yeah, dramatic scene between Adrian and Rocky leading
to the montage, there's something. There's a lot of highlights. Okay.

Speaker 1 (40:21):
So let's let's reverse course here with our Swiss cheese
a complaints apartment? And why did you call it swiss cheese?

Speaker 2 (40:27):
Because although this movie is delicious, it does have Polly's
missing tooth holes? Yes it does.

Speaker 1 (40:32):
How to do those Polly's missing tooth holes? With just
fold complaint with the compleats apartment?

Speaker 2 (40:37):
All right?

Speaker 1 (40:37):
So what do we have for swiss cheese complaints?

Speaker 2 (40:39):
I have to admit something here, Bill Bant, I just
I made that up. I don't know if he really
has any missing teeth in this I just I don't
like his character at all in this. And I couldn't
come up with any other holes in this movie, like
literal holes. So I just said missing teeth.

Speaker 1 (40:52):
It could be clubb laning punching holes in Rocky's face.

Speaker 2 (40:56):
Yeah, gee, let's rerecord it. Yeah, Oh that's better. That's
so much better. The first one I complained I have
in so many movies is when you know, when we
talked about this, what are we talking about in another film.
I remember when we were rehearsing and we did the crow,
when we were trying to do something besides eighties movie. Anyway,

(41:18):
it's about flashbacks. When flashbacks are from somebody else's point
of view, or it just takes you out of it
because it's not a true flashback then from the mind
of the person that's having the flashback. In this particular case,
in the film, you have Creed watching the footage that's
the film footage of the first fight between Rocky and

(41:40):
Clubber Lang because he's studying the film right to see
where Rocky made mistakes and how we could get better.
But the actual footage, the film footage of the fight
that Creed is watching on the projector is the movie footage.
So it's like, this wouldn't be actual film footage from

(42:00):
the fight at all. Right, that's a nitpicky, right, it's
nitpicky things. But it's like close ups on Rocky and
Clubber and stuff like this is an Actually you're not
watching actual fight footage. It just takes me out of
it momentary. It's nitpicky thing, but not something I always
pick up on.

Speaker 1 (42:17):
Yeah, my big thing watching this is just the way
Rocky trains for that clubber fight. That makes no sense
to me. Mickey's basically just told you if you step
in the ring of the sky, you're gonna get killed,
and Rocky just doesn't seem to take him seriously.

Speaker 2 (42:32):
What are you doing, man?

Speaker 1 (42:34):
Yeah, and I get it, this is gonna be your
last fight. It would be okay, maybe the first day
he did it in public like that and then did
the hard training afterwards, But it seems like you trained
like that the whole time. Mickey keeps trying to tell
him he's going to kill you, Let's go back to
the gym and do it the right way, and it's
just not sinking in. That just seemed off character for me.

(42:55):
For Rocky to do that.

Speaker 2 (42:57):
It is, and I mean, you know why they do
in the film, But I agree with you in the
way that it is overly or over the top unrealistic,
like he just wouldn't ever do that. No, because it's
disrespectful to Mickey, it's disrespectful to the sport and to
it's a lack of respect for the opponent. Obviously, it
doesn't feel in line with Rocky Belboa's heart and character

(43:20):
and you know, inner strength, like he just wouldn't sacrifice
everything in being lazy, Like that's just doesn't fall that's
just not his character.

Speaker 1 (43:29):
Yeah, and I would say the other second big thing
for me is that the fact the first fight between
Rocky and Club or even happened, considering what transpired with Mickey,
No way I would have been able to get in
the ring. Hey, Like, how is are a doctor not
there right away? That bothered me?

Speaker 2 (43:46):
Confused. This doctor's always great.

Speaker 1 (43:48):
Call, but there's no way you would be in the
right mindset to fight. They should have called it off.
I don't care what Micky was yelling me to say
to keep going. If my ring man is not going
to be in the corner and I'm worried about him,
there's no way. And especially now if you think about
it in this day and age, if that came out
that that had happened, how much would that be all
over the news?

Speaker 2 (44:06):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (44:06):
No, wonder why Rocky lost his head wasn't in the game.
I mean, he's already ill prepared to fight, and now
mentally he's checked out. Yeah, he's in there and to
get himself killed, right. Yeah, for the first round, someone
sort of throw the towel in for sure.

Speaker 2 (44:21):
Yeah, he's getting murdered. He's getting murdered. But that's a
great call. Yeah, where are the doctors? I was thinking
the same thing because it's a prolonged sequence with in
the way that you're wondering. After the fight, Rocky gets
beat to hell, goes into the locker room and kneels
beside Mickey as he's passing away, and it's a very
emotional scene. But right as he walks in the locker,
somebody from the side says, we need to get him

(44:43):
to a hospital right away. And the whole time you're like, yeah, tacom,
here's Rocky rock and talking in the last moments and
you're like, go, go get him to the hospital. Why
is he Why are they just sitting there?

Speaker 1 (44:55):
Good thing Rocky got his ass kick, because then they
at least say his goodbyes.

Speaker 2 (44:59):
Shee wow. Yeah. Well, my final few complaints all have
to do with the finale. One, would you classify this
as a categorize this as a heavyweight about it's supposed
to be right, So we know that Rocky has slimmed down.
The announcers make it a point to highlight it, and

(45:20):
we know that from his training. And then they announced
at the end, we've got Clubber laying at two hundred
and thirty some pounds. I think Rocky has dropped to
one hundred and ninety one pounds. I did the math.
Clubber's got forty six pounds on rock for the final fight. Yes, allowed,
Like what, Yeah, I don't know if that would happen
to either. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (45:39):
I thought I thought maybe it was nine ninety four
because he was two two for the charity, and I
thought he dropped it, right. But yeah, once I was
doing this the math also, I'm like, dude, that's a
big difference.

Speaker 2 (45:51):
Almost fifty pounds. Yeah. And the other issue here I
have at the beginning of the fights when they are
face to face to you know, do their bump gloves
and stuff, and Clever Lang says I'm gonna bust you up,
and then Rocky's comeback is go for it. It ain't
no I must break you. You know what I mean? Right? Yeah,
kind of that was a little weak sauce for me.

Speaker 1 (46:12):
Now that you mentioned that fight, though, there was one
thing that bothered me too. I think it was after
the first round, but the second round and Rocky basically
tells uh Lank his strategy at least I Breason hard
like to shut your mouth. I think the audience gets
what you're doing, or don't make it so obvious to us.
Just go back in the corner, have Apollo yell at

(46:34):
you and go He's getting tired, he's getting tired. I'm
just gonna wear him out.

Speaker 2 (46:38):
Yeah, that's a great point. It's a great point. Here's
my overall issue with all this. Look, the highlights are
it's still great to see Rocky in the comeback within
the fight or just overcome in the fight. And he's
so prepared and he has his strategy and he's working
with Creed and Creeds just tell him, don't tell me
what you're gonna do, just do it. It's all high intensity,
it's violent, the effects, you know, design again, the choreography

(47:01):
is all great. But it just because it happened so quickly,
it's only what three rounds. It's a bit anti climactic
for me. Was I was like stallone showing off a
lot of dexterity. And the training is obviously the bobbing,
the weaving it. But yeah, it just happens a little
too quick for me to be that that final And
like you said, we're kind of used to the final

(47:21):
bouts and the fights in the first two movies, and
then this is just like, oh, it's over already. And
I do have to say I love Rocky celebration at
the end when he does when he wins, he knocks
him out and then he does that jump up in
the air, yes, and kind of bends backwards and lands
on his knees. Awesome. It's so awesome. Yeah, so it's
kind of a complaint, but noncomplaint. There's good things about
it and things. I just I just didn't like that

(47:42):
it went by so fast.

Speaker 1 (47:44):
Yeah, it is weird considering what happened the previous two movies. Yeah,
all right, trying to move on to Hey, it's that actor.
So in this segment and the spotlight a character actor
you have seen in many other films, an actor making
their big screen debut, or an actor that makes an
uncredit cameo.

Speaker 2 (48:00):
Let's hey, it's that actor. Who do we choose this week?
This week for our Hey it's that actor, we choose
Jim Hill sportscaster. That's who I'm going with. Not primarily
known as an actor, however, technically he is in this film.
Now he appears in this film on the TV screen,

(48:21):
and man, he's just a familiar face because I have
lived in the LA area for thirty years now, thirty
years plus, and he's been a staple as the lead
sports anchor and sports director at KCBS TV since nineteen
seventy six. That's fifty plus years. He's also a former
football player, having played college ball at Texas A and

(48:42):
I University now Texas A and M University Kingsville. He
played in the NFL as a defensive back for the
San Diego Chargers, Green Bay Packers, and Cleveland Browns. Jim
Hill has appeared in multiple TV movies and films. Here's
a brief filmography in which he almost plays himself always.
He was in a TV movie called Melving Purvis g

(49:04):
Man in nineteen seventy four. Then he's in a movie
called Polyester in eighty one. This is then Rocky three
in eighty two. He was in the parent Hood not Parenthood,
but the parent Hood series in one episode in ninety six,
two episodes of Arless as himself from ninety six to
ninety nine. The last thing he did was a film

(49:24):
called Crackdown, Big City Blues in twenty eighteen, where he
actually plays a character named James Wright. Jim Hill's been
an active person in community in the community for a
long time. He's a member of the Los Angeles Urban
League's Board of Directors, as well as serving on the
board of directors for the Grossman Burn Center in Sherman Oaks, California.
He's a spokesman for the City of Los Angeles Department

(49:46):
of Recreation in parks and is involved in developing youth
outreach and fitness programs. Yes, Jim Hill, good dude, sportscaster,
really really kind of just a staple on TV for
so long.

Speaker 1 (49:58):
That was hilarious seeing him in this movie because when
I first moved out here and would put on sports
and see I was like, this guy is so dry,
Like here we are in Los Angeles and I'm like,
he is drier than sandpaper and I can't watch him.
He's just too dry for me. And then seeing him
in this I think he has more personality in this

(50:20):
movie than I've ever seen him on television. And then
I was like he's been around that long. Holy crap.
I mean, hey, congratulations on your career. Yeah, he doesn't
do it for me, But watching him in this I
was laughing because I'm like, holy crap, he actually seems
like his personality in this one.

Speaker 2 (50:37):
That's amazing. I couldn't agree with you more. He's definitely
not flamboyant, but yeah, he's here. He is the polar
opposite of Stephen A. Smith. There you go. Yeah, oh
my god, yes, exact opposites. But yeah, you see him
all the time, and it's just like as soon as
I was like, oh my god, that's Jim Hill, like
you're just one of those guys. If you live in
LA you just know, you know who he is.

Speaker 1 (50:58):
I couldn't believe it. I could not believe it knowing
who who he is now and seeing that, I'm like,
holy moly. All right, moving on to facts and trivia.
What do some facts and trivia have about Rocky three?

Speaker 2 (51:10):
For the role of clubber Lang. Two world class heavyweight boxers,
Joe Fraser and Ernie Shavers were initially considered. Both matched
stallone in height and physique, but were ultimately rejected due
to vocal concerns Fraser reportedly had a stutter and Shavers
had a high pitched voice, deemed unsuitable for the character's
menacing persona. Casting director Randa Young discovered mister T on

(51:31):
NBC's Games People Play in an episode depicting a competition
of America's Toughest Bouncer, a program that showcases physicality and Christmas.
She contacted producer Don Olmeyer about quote the Man with
the Mohawk, and Mister T was subsequently cast. His presence
and performance and screen tests secured the role, marking his

(51:53):
breakout in film. Nice.

Speaker 1 (51:55):
So the montage scene you love so much, there's a
appearance of Rocky on The Muppet Show during the montage,
and the footage is actually from a real episode that
features Sylvester Sloane on January ninth, nineteen seventy nine. But
for the movie, Jim Henson dubbed in Rocky's name during
Kerman's introduction. Thanks Jim for doing that.

Speaker 2 (52:17):
That's cool. This soundtrack is the third in the series,
composed by Bill Conti and features the single I Have
the Tiger by Survivor. We Know This Great Song. Stallone
enlisted Survivor after Queen denied him permission to use their song.
Another One Bites the Dust survivor derived lyrics and title
from dialogue in the film and conceived a riff with

(52:38):
chord changes to match the punches in the boxing scenes.
I freaking love that totally makes sense. I never thought
about that before. Dun't dun't it matches the Yeah I
have The Tiger reached number one on the charts of
many countries. In the US, it was number one on
the Billboard Hot one hundred chart for six weeks, spent
fifteen consecutive weeks in the top ten, and was the
second best selling single of nine nineteen eighty two. It

(53:02):
was on the radio all the time, all on the
stereo at Kim Kella's dance studio all the time, all
the time.

Speaker 1 (53:10):
So the fight sequence between Rocky and Thunderlips that took
ten days to film, ten days, damn.

Speaker 2 (53:16):
I just want you to say Thunderlips as much as possible.
Oh yeah, Thunderlips man. Ten days. That's a long time, man. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (53:23):
I remember when I first saw him on back then
WWF and seeing him for the first time, and I
was like, hault Cogan was, who has Thunderlips? Who's this
Boogan character so good.

Speaker 2 (53:35):
In a nineteen seventy nine interview with Roger Ebert, Sylvester
Stolone discussed an entirely different vision for Rocky three, which
was originally to be the final Rocky installment. Stallone said
he contemplated having Rocky's last fight in the Colosseum in Rome,
going so far as to tell Ebert he wanted to
arrange and film a real audience with Pope John Paul,

(53:57):
the second in characters Rocky two in the film. A
year later, he was still debating how Rocky three would end,
and told Ebert, if I have real nerve, Rocky should
die at the end of the third film, I.

Speaker 1 (54:09):
Always talked about that so many times, killing Rocky off.
So this was interesting because I knew right away watching
the statue on veiling there was a band there playing.
It was a Lincoln High School band, and they're playing
the theme to Rocky. So Lincoln High School was our
rival high school when I went to school at Father Judge.
That was the team we played on the turkey ball

(54:31):
and thanksgiv every year.

Speaker 2 (54:33):
Wow.

Speaker 1 (54:33):
So I'd literally pass Lincoln every day on the way
to school, and part of me is like Why is
Lincoln all the way in downtown, Like there's eight hundred
high schools you could pass before you would have to
get to Lincoln. And then I remembered in the first
movie there's some versions that it's not in every version anymore.
Rocky's listened to the radio and it mentions that Lincoln

(54:55):
plays father Judge and what the score was, and you
really have to listen to it. But for some reason,
it's not in every audio track. I don't know why
that is. I did not know Sylvester Stallone went to
Lincoln High School for like a year and played on
the football team. I never knew that because people always
said he has no ties to the city. But yeah,
he went to supposedly went to high school there. There's

(55:16):
a picture of him on the football team. I always
wondered watch him, like, why is Lincoln here? Why it's
Lincoln in the scene. There's so many other high schools
they could have brought out for this, and that's why
there's a still.

Speaker 2 (55:27):
Lone collection to it.

Speaker 1 (55:28):
And now and then it made sense. I'm like, oh,
that's why they Yeah, And then I was like, oh,
now it makes sense why that they're mentioned in the
first one.

Speaker 2 (55:35):
On the radio. So just tell me once again on
the rate. When when did you hear that? Where is
that heard?

Speaker 1 (55:41):
So it depends on what version of Rocky, because it's
not in every one, because I've heard it sometimes and
other times. Yes, it's in the first film when he
gets up in the morning the radio is playing in
the background.

Speaker 2 (55:52):
I can't remember if.

Speaker 1 (55:53):
It's when he's doing the eggs and it's the news
report is rilling off high school scores and it says
Lincoln first father, judge and then they say the score.

Speaker 2 (56:01):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (56:02):
So I was always like, oh, that's one of our
claim that our high schools claimed. The theme is that
we're mentioned in Rocky.

Speaker 2 (56:07):
Love it. Okay, that's cool. That's cool. Interesting. Yeah, And
I go back watch the first film. Now'll listen for it.

Speaker 1 (56:13):
Hopefully it's in the person that you have, right, Yeah, exactly,
very cool.

Speaker 2 (56:18):
Rocky three here in nineteen eighty two features a dedication
in the end credits to Jane Oliver, Sylvester Stallone's first manager,
who died of cancer in nineteen seventy seven. This tribute
appears in the first five Rocky films to honor her
crucial role in Stallone's early career.

Speaker 1 (56:35):
Cool, time to move on to box office. So Rocky
three was released on May twenty eighth in nine hundred
and thirty nine theaters. What's a production budget of approximately
seventeen million. Rocky three went on to gross one hundred
and twenty five million in North America and one hundred
and forty five million internationally. It opened number one at
the box office, but dropped to number two the following

(56:56):
week to another sequel, Star Trek two The Wrath of Khan.
Rocky three I would spend fourteen of the next fifteen
weeks in the top ten, and the movie ended up
being the fourth highest grossing movie in the United States,
one of only five movies that crossed the one hundred
million dollars in ticket sales.

Speaker 2 (57:13):
Wow. Man, sometimes I don't know why. I forget what
just how huge these movies were in the eighties. You know,
if you think of all the big blockbusters, but I
mean not that rock who wasn't blocked. But it's just
they made a lot of money. Yeah, people love these movies,
as they should they do so in the movie on
to reviews. When growing up in the eighties, we would
watch at the movies with Gean Cisco and Roger Ebert

(57:35):
to hear their reviews and watch clips of upcoming movies.
Their review of Rocky three was unanimous two thumbs down.
Jean said it's not a bad film, but a tired
and loud one. Roger thought the movie was exciting and
moves well. But instead of telling us more about Rocky,
the person is just basically a formula remake Rotten Tomatoes

(57:56):
because a meter score of sixty five percent, with the
Popcorn Meter score of seventy four percent, and it has
an IMDb rating of six point nine. So this takes
us to additional thoughts and questions. What are some additional
thoughts and questions we have about Rocky three? Well, you know,
I was going to get into the whole ranking the franchise,
but I'm going to save that for later. I know,

(58:17):
and I will look forward to discussing Rocky for at
some point, of course, we'll have to. But what I
wanted to ask you, Bill Band is what's your relationship
to boxing overall the sport of boxing. Do you remember
as a kid when boxing was great and did you
have any favorite boxers that you followed.

Speaker 1 (58:37):
I think I really didn't get into boxing until the
whole Tyson era. Yeah, and I watched that and then
I kind of got away from it for a while.
And then a friend of mine he had a connection
when I was in Florida with the Seminal Gaming, and
they would have boxing matches there all the time, like
once a month. Sometimes they would show them on ESPN

(58:58):
and stuff, and we would go all the time to watch.
And I could not name one of the people I
saw fight, but it was just cool to go and
watch boxing. Sure, But since I've moved out to here,
I barely follow it at all. And it is funny
because I'll be doing events if I'm running a softball
tournament or something like that, and everyone's like, what times
the tournaments have done, there's the blah blah blah fight.
We want to get out of here by then, Like, oh, okay,

(59:20):
I'll see what I can do.

Speaker 2 (59:21):
Yeah, there you go. Yeah. My experience has been similar
with boxing. I mean, I do remember growing up hearing
Sugar Ray Leonard's name being tossed like just big names, right,
knowing of course when you Muhammad, Ali Cash, Clay, Joe Frazier,
George Foreman, you know the names, right, you know the
classic fights Rumble and Jungle things is like this, so

(59:43):
you know the history, but it was a big deal.
And yeah, when Tyson comes onto the scene, I mean,
he's such a force. And then the Spinx fight, like
all the fights that went down in the matter of seconds.
And then when he finally loses the title, Holy Field,
you follow a little bit then and watch those right, Right,
So that was pretty much the same for me. And
then yeah, and then UFC comes along and that's it, right,

(01:00:06):
So moving out to LA that's what I would watch.
I would be watching UFC with Chris mann Gandy. Shout
out to Chris man Gandy and Ashlyn mangandhy. We would
sit down and watch the Saturday night UFC fights. And
I don't follow the UFC as closely anymore. I just
hear what I hear in sports news. But unfortunately boxing
isn't what it was at one time, so unfortunately just

(01:00:29):
don't follow it much anymore. Yeah, did you have a question,
A deep thought, A deep question?

Speaker 1 (01:00:34):
I think what I just find also humorous about these
movies is where the hell is the referee in any
of these? I mean, how many of these movies in
the Rocky series would have been stopped before it happens
in the film. In this one, one moment stands out
in particular when Clubber has Rocky in the corner and

(01:00:56):
he loads up his arm and it's just holding it there,
and Roxy's totally defensive, and I'm like, if that was
a real boxing match, referee would have stepped right in
and called it. It'd been over right there. He's got
nothing left. And then Rocky takes another pounding for forty
seconds after that. So it is funny the dramatic license
that they take in these films.

Speaker 2 (01:01:18):
Oh man, it's a great call because they are absent
for the most part. You see in the opening montage
clever Lane literally pushing them out of the way. So
I wonder if then all the refs from then on
end were just really just scared of clever Lane. They're
just like, I don't want to get my ass kicked too,
so I'm just going to stand out here over to
the side. Yeah. But and that makes me think, how much,

(01:01:39):
you know, we have to have respect for any refs
that get in the ring, especially UFC. They got to
get in the middle of these guys and they're going
to take a punch every once in a while, So
much respect to all the refs doing it, but you're right,
they're pretty much absent from this film, especially these moments
when you see it in the opening montage and maybe
one of the opening or first fight between Rocky and
club I'm not sure, when Clubber literally picks him up,

(01:02:02):
the opponent picks him up and throws them against the
what do you call it the poll in the corner
against the corner right, literally throws them mid air into
the corner and then just continues pummeling him.

Speaker 1 (01:02:14):
Or if the guy's like a punch, he'd be disqualified.
So there's your first loss, Clubber. Yeah, great point. I
only have one more question here. How much would you
love to have the Leroy Neiman painting from the end?

Speaker 2 (01:02:29):
Oh? Yes, I know. I wonder where that is. If
somebody knows let it, that would be great to go
see that. Actually, if it was in a I wonder
if stillone. Yeah, yeah, it's great. It's all time classic.
It's very classic.

Speaker 1 (01:02:44):
So depending on when people listen to this could be
years from now, or they recently unveiled another Rocky statue
at the Philadelphia Airport, so I guess there's three of
those statues. Of course, there's the one that, oh my god,
there's so much controversy about where it should be, and
it's a it's still at the foot of the Art
Museum stairs. And now there's another one that they displayed

(01:03:06):
a couple months ago, so it's at the airport, so
at least you can catch it there too.

Speaker 2 (01:03:09):
But the third I have no idea.

Speaker 1 (01:03:11):
But it was funny because when they said, of course,
you know, because people don't read, when they said the
statue is at the airport, Everyone's like.

Speaker 2 (01:03:18):
Why would they move it?

Speaker 1 (01:03:19):
Like, dude, article, it's not the same condemn statue, it's
a different one. Yeah, but yeah, yeah, I mean Philadelphia
has the Rocky statue and the Liberty Bell, and probably
the lines are equal.

Speaker 2 (01:03:31):
There you go. Rocky is important, man, you know it.
You're a Philadelphy. I love it. All right.

Speaker 1 (01:03:36):
Let's move on to a rating. So, on a scale
of one to five boxing gloves, what do you give
Rocky three?

Speaker 2 (01:03:42):
Yeah, I'm gonna give it three point five boxing gloves.
I was considering giving it only three, but I'm giving
it the extra point five for the entertainment value. I
had fun with this. It is such an easy watch.
It's a quick watch, as we mentioned, technically an hour
and thirty nine minutes. Stallone looks great, Whether looks great,
love the training montages. Is it unintentionally funny at moments? Yes?

(01:04:06):
And is it over the top Yeah, But so I
just got mad respect for Stallone as a writer, director,
Hulk Hogan hilarious in this that whole sequence, like you mentioned,
So I'm glad you put that as a favorite scene.
So there's just so many highlights you revisit. It's nostalgia,
it's the music, It's I the Tiger come on. One
of the best theme songs of all time, and inspirational.

(01:04:28):
This is the workout playlist, so all of that emotional scene,
you know, with losing Mickey or just Meredith in this,
but good to see the cast together for the most
part again here and Rocky comes back again. He does
it again, and you still have that or I still
have that thrilling feeling, that adrenaline rush and the chills

(01:04:51):
at the very end with the theme song and when
he wins and he does the jump in the air.
So it's still effective. It's still effective for me. I have,
you know, the issues that were mentioned, and I'll just
leave it at that and still have fun.

Speaker 1 (01:05:04):
I'm exactly saying three point five. Sometimes I feel like
you read my paper before you give your reading.

Speaker 2 (01:05:09):
Yeah, it's still fun.

Speaker 1 (01:05:10):
I'm surprised how fast this movie goes the fact that
they can make Rocky on top and then change them
to the underdog midway through. And that's what I just
love about the movies, and being the underdog and overcoming
the obstacles. That's what I love about most of these
boxing movies. Mister T I really like enjoyed him as
are Baddie there you go. Yeah, shout out to him

(01:05:32):
for sure. Carl Weathers as Apollo coming in and training,
Tony Burton coming back, who was Apollo's training He has
his appearance in that one. Yeah, yeah, I think Tony
Burton almost made it longer than anyone else from the
original movie outside of PAULI. I think they're both in
the first six together. But it's Rocky, man, that's all

(01:05:53):
I said. I'm filled delphic Rocky. I'm gonna like this movie.
But yeah, for me, it is in the middle of
the overall Rocky exactly the middle Rocky three. So everything
is basically is it better than this or worse than
this great stuff.

Speaker 2 (01:06:05):
I'm glad we got to cover this man because of
your connection to the city and to the films. Oh
I wanted to ask you real quick, was Tony Burton
our hats that actor from The Shining? Because he has
one brief part? Who is the Gentleman? I thought I
chose the Gentleman as the one brief part that.

Speaker 1 (01:06:20):
I thought you did talk about him in one of
the movies.

Speaker 2 (01:06:24):
Yeah, because he makes the call either to uh Scatman
Crothers something like that towards the middle or end of
The Shining. I could have sworn I talked about him
and the fact that he was in these films as well.
So yeah, anyway, all good.

Speaker 1 (01:06:38):
That just about wraps up for this week's episode.

Speaker 2 (01:06:41):
As always, we appreciate each.

Speaker 1 (01:06:42):
And again, don't forget to follow so in your favorite
streaming platform.

Speaker 2 (01:06:45):
I'll leave the rating and drop us a review. I
want to know more about our show.

Speaker 1 (01:06:49):
He's head over to All Dingiesmovies podcast dot com all
the red details.

Speaker 2 (01:06:54):
We hope you join us next time as we dive
into another classic from.

Speaker 1 (01:06:58):
The greatest movie decade ever two Naties.

Speaker 2 (01:07:02):
Until then, stay cool.

Speaker 3 (01:07:03):
You have an excellent Everyone to all my love slaves
out there, Thunderlits is here in the flesh, baby, the
ultimate male versus the ultimate meat ball.

Speaker 2 (01:07:19):
Thanks for staying up with us. Good Night world,