Probably my most favorite car movie of the 70s was Roger Corman’s Death Race 2000. The movie starred Sylvester Stallone as Machine Gun Joe and David Carradine as Frankenstein. The cars were all designed with themes, including an alligator-look for Frankenstein’s mean green killing machine.
Curious whatever happened to the car, we Googled and learned it went from a display in a museum to a private collection in 2002 and ultimately auctioned off to another collector.
This car was designed by James Powers and constructed by Dean Jefferies, with additional work performed by George Barris prior to completion. It follows the movie’s storyline of being built from a hodge-podge of vehicles, featuring an unusual combination of a Volkswagen chassis, Corvair air-cooled, dual carburetor power plant with a 3-speed manual transmission and Corvette-style body riding on custom wheels and BF Goodrich Radial T/A tires. This show-stopping head turner also features a reptilian-like “spiked spine,” intimidating “teeth” up front, Green diamond-pleated interior with wrapped steering wheel, unique wind screen and custom tail lights. This car was formerly on display in a museum, and has been in the MY Garage Museum collection since 2002.
$20,000 USD doesn’t seem like that much money for this extremely rare specialty movie car, especially if it works. Not that I’d be an interested buyer, but can you imagine pulling up to the grocery store in Frankenstein’s ride?
Rocky V was inarguably a mess. Most people who have seen it firmly believe it’s the worst in the series. Honestly, haven’t seen many say there was much to redeem about it. Meanwhile, Stallone is actively working on a Rocky IV Director’s Cut which cuts out Pauly’s robot, among other things.
Why is everybody tinkering with the Rocky movies? It’s not just Stallone. The director of the first and last movie, John Avildsen also had his own take.
Yes, it turns out there is a Rocky V Director’s Cut floating around that might improve upon some of the film’s weaknesses.
The Rocky V: Director’s Cut is a decidedly unofficial release that’s tricky to find nowadays, but for those who disliked the sequel, it’s worth checking out. One of the first big changes is the music, with Avildsen’s cut losing many of the rap tracks from the theatrical version and replacing them with cues from series composer Bill Conti, which makes it feel more in line with previous entries. Many scenes are re-edited with alternate dialogue too, but some of the biggest differences are deleted scenes.
To my knowledge, John Avildsen hasn’t complained about the theatrical cut being compromised, but what worries about me about an increasing number of these Director’s Cuts is reworking films once released being re-released with new versions. I brought this up with the Snyder Cut and still feel this is a very slippery slope.
When we see a movie do we risk seeing another version on streaming that’s the “official” version? Sigh. This could disrupt the movie watching experience. Faith that any creative work we’re watching that isn’t as good as the filmmakers thought isn’t repackaged, repurposed, re-edited and sent back to us again. Is that what we want muddying up the new movie release lists in the future?
Once in a great, great, great while this might make sense. Perhaps with celebrated movies. Not Justice League, not Rocky IV, certainly not Rocky V, not Suicide Squad and the list goes on.
Before getting to the topic of this post, happy Valentine’s Day to all who celebrate. Hope you can spend at least some of it with the ones you love today.
A spoiler alert. If you haven’t seen Rocky IV, yet, this post contains spoilers, so might want to exit at this point.
… you’ve been warned, SPOILERS ahead …
The original plan seemed to have been to have it ready in time for the 35th anniversary. Since that has come and gone, no release date has been announced. Cinemablend ponders a deeper question, that maybe the director’s cut will be worse than the original theatrical cut.
A Rocky IV new cut is most interesting because it’s something that i don’t think a lot of people were really looking for. Frequently, Director’s Cuts end up existing because the director had a problem with the final version of the film. The movie that we got was not the one that the director wanted to present. Yet, there’s been no indication that’s the case with Rocky IV. Everybody seems to love that movie, so the idea of changing could actually do more harm than good. We’ll find out very soon.
First off, have to take exception with the idea that “everybody seems to love that movie” — um, no. It’s one of the more mediocre Rocky movies in the series (see: Ranking Stallone’s Rocky and Creed Films). It’s full of 80s shlock and cold war politics stupidity. Ivan Drago is a comically, steroids-infused opponent and it’s got two very, very long training montages. That said, it has some great dramatic moments involving Apollo Creed, awesome music (Robert Tepper, see: Rocky 4 Director’s Cut Will Not Have Paulie’s Funky Robot) and an epic, if cartoonish final fight that leaves Rocky brain battered.
This all got me thinking again (see: Sylvester Stallone Confirms Rocky IV Director’s Cut will be “amazing” – What would make it better?), but instead of what would make it better, if anything Stallone could cut to make it better? Removing Pauly’s rather pointless robot, Sico, is a start, but the cutting doesn’t end there. Do we need the James Brown “Living In America” concert performance before the exhibition fight between Apollo and Drago? Do we need the Rocky flashback video to Robert Tepper’s “No Easy Way Out”? Do we need to have multiple training montages in Russia? If all of that were cut, the runtime would be less than hour.
The bottom line, the actual storyline for Rocky IV is pretty bare bones. If you take out the extraneous stuff that makes it almost like an MTV video movie — again, good music, not bashing that — what’s left? A story about Rocky in revenge mode in Russia? Yeah, that’s about it.
The more I think about a director’s cut of Rocky IV, the less interested it all seems. It’s a chance to refresh the movie for others to watch, but honestly in retrospect, it’s not a very good movie, except perhaps providing a dramatic arc to the evolving relationship between Apollo and Rocky. What does it do for Adrian and Rocky? Nothing. They have a fight about Russia and loss. Pauly is shoehorned into the story with no real purpose. No Mick, he’s already gone, but we get Apollo’s main trainer, Duke, that again doesn’t do much. In fact, he mostly steps aside so Rocky can mostly train himself.
It’s funny how rewatching some movies, revisiting them, can sometimes ruin the original viewing experience. This is a movie I thought was entertaining, but weak, in the 80s, now 35+ years later, it feels even weaker.
Can Stallone’s director’s cut make it worse? Maybe it can. What do you think?
The list of celebs exiting California grows, with Sylvester Stallone the latest to list his $110,000,000 mansion and looking toward greener pastures.
The “Rocky” star purchased the 3.5-acre spread in the 1990s and build a custom mansion clocking in at 21,000 square feet with a tax bill of more than $125,000, according to Dirt.com.
The main home is an eight-bedroom and 12-bath mansion which a massive library/office with a barrel-vaulted ceiling. Stallone has it decked out with a ton of “Rocky” memorabilia, which isn’t likely included with the house. There’s also a “Rocky” statue, with his gloved hands raised in triumph that is guarding an arched window, the site notes.
Note: the article references $130 million, but an LA Times article quotes $110 million, so this post is going with the lower figure. Don’t know which is accurate.
We are looking to downsize from our home, definitely don’t have an extra $110 mil laying around, nor do we have any desire to relocate to Los Angeles. Still, can’t deny it’s a gorgeous looking home. Even without the Rocky memorabilia it looks appealing.
But the price tag. How many people have $110mil budgeted for their home? This is a home for a tech mogul or some other kind of wealthy individual. And somebody who wants to live in California. No, no, no thanks.
Anybody reading in the market for a home like this? Know anybody that would be interested in buying this and actually has the doe-ray-me? Yo Adrian!!!
Is Sico pronounced “s-eye-koh” or “sicko”? Didn’t know that was the name of the Rocky IV robot which, frankly, I doubted ever to be writing about here again.
Alas, there’s controversy with the owner of the Sico. He thinks Stallone is cutting his robot because it will mean he won’t get residuals if the robot isn’t in the director’s cut.
No doubt many Rocky fans will miss Sico the robot when Rocky IV the director’s cut comes out, but at the end of the day Stallone is the film’s director and he gets the final call on what goes into his cut of the movie. If he’s cutting the scenes for the reasons Doornick lays out, then it’s arguably rather sad. If however he’s cutting them for pacing reasons, or simply because he thinks the robot strikes the wrong tone for Rocky IV, then that’s a different story.
As already stated, I will not be one of the “many” that will be missing Paulie’s robot. I’m also calling this bogus. Why would Stallone care if the robot owner makes a few bucks? The director’s cut won’t generate the kind of revenue the original Rocky IV has, which negates his entire point that a bonus version will make that much of a financial difference on his checks.
Relax, Mr. Doornick, you’ll keep getting checks for Sico. I’m a fan of the Rocky films, not this one as much, but still, I didn’t even know the robot’s name.
Sylvester Stallone has teased bits and pieces of his director’s cut of Rocky IV, saying that it would be “amazing”and that he was cutting Paulie’s strange, rolling robot.
Sly responded to some fans’ queries about the bot, and he says, “The robot is going to the junkyard forever. No more robot,” while adding to another fan, “I don’t like the robot anymore.”
I never quite understood how the robot fit the story anyway (was it supposed to show how we were in modern times and give Paulie something else to do besides be a flunkie friend?) and apparently Sly doesn’t groove on it any more either. Granted, a convenient prop for when Apollo calls to say he wants to come out that Rocky can break from washing his car and take the call directly from the robot.
Maybe an edit to the Rocky washes his car scene, telling his son that he fights so his son doesn’t have to fight, then cut to Apollo showing up at the house to talk over the Drago exhibition fight with Rocky, Adrian and Paulie. Again, to cut the robot out of there is fairly easy. Paulie won’t get to say that uber cheesy line about the robot, “She loves me!” or maybe have the kid spraying him with whipped cream and the robot answering, “I’ll clean it up for you, Paulie.”
Cut the camp, it probably makes the immediacy of the exhibition fight between Apollo and Drago more dramatized. I like the idea.
But what else will be cut in Rocky IV?
While Stallone has been largely silent about progress on the director’s cut thus far, he did promise in an Instagram reply to a fan that this new version of Rocky IV will be “amazing.” Even if there’s not much to go off, Stallone’s comment was still eagerly received by fans, many of whom are ready to see Rocky step back into the ring.
Will the awesome video montage from Robert Tepper’s “No Easy Way Out” be cut? Loved that song, as it serves as a good way for Rocky to relive the past few movies. My guess is Sly leaves that in.
Over 35 million views on YouTube of this video:
Here’s another video of a much older Robert Tepper performing “No Easy Way Out” live at the Whisky A Go Go in 2016:
A pretty faithful live version for a well-aged Robert Tepper. Could have probably done without the sweating t-shirt look, but hey, this is an 80s iconic song from a freaking 63-year old man — major respect!!
I think Stallone really wanted to push music in Rocky in this film. There is also the “Burning Heart” by Survivor sequence when he gets off the plane in Russia. Perhaps he was trying to rekindle the Rocky III magic of “Eye of the Tiger” also by Survivor, but that’s just a much better song. Also, that movie has Mr. T as Clubber Lang which is a better antagonist than the barely speaking, mountain of a man, Ivan Drago (Dolph Lungren).
What would you cut in Rocky IV? Is there anything you’d add, assuming there is extra footage available? Perhaps a longer final fight or exhibition fight? Scrapping between Drago and Rocky at the press conference? A longer — or shorter — training montage? Less Paulie and Adrian? More?
Ahh, the possibilities! It’s fun thinking about how to retool classic movies. It would be cool if they put up all the footage and let fans cut the film. #ReleaseTheFanCut. I bet fans cutting films would make for some very interesting and perhaps endlessly watchable versions of films. Someday, maybe.
Where do you go when your final movie in a series has the word “last” in it? Stallone might just be joking about the possibility of making Rambo 6, but he may also not want to end on Last Blood.
However, fans may not have seen the last of the iconic John Rambo, at least if what Stallone is teasing on social media ends up being more than a tease. Stallone recently took to Instagram to encourage fans to check out the extended cut of Rambo: Last Blood and in his caption noted that “he could be back”, suggesting that fans might just get a Rambo 6.
In the music world, bands go out on Farewell Tours only to change their minds and return to touring. One could argue it’s the massive $$$ being offered that pulls them back, but I think Stallone, now in his 70s, just doesn’t want to let go.
Motley Crue was so convinced they’d never tour again that they created a legal document that the only way they could tour again was with the original members. Enter a big tour with Def Leppard and they were all in — and then the pandemic hit.
Ozzy Osbourne in the 90s had a tour called “No More Tours” … he would return and make like four or five more albums and tours.
So, you can’t believe the music world that when it’s over, it’s over. I suppose we should cut Stallone some slack if he wants to make Rambo 6. My question is what the heck would be a good title, if it is made?
Here’s a few of my ideas. Some are obviously tongue-in-cheek.
Rambo 666 – Rambo takes on Satan and his minions in the afterlife Rambo: Imminent Blood – Rambo roams around in a series of tunnels he created, when a the government wants to step in and imminent domain some of his land. A Waco-style one man war erupts against the police. Rambo: Epilogue Blood – Rambo returns to his ranch and is haunted by the ghost of Colonel Trautman and all the carnage he’s created. His final test awaits …
Care to add any Rambo 6 titles and story ideas of your own?
Of all the Rocky films to offer a Director’s Cut, one definitely toward the bottom of the list (for me, anyway) would be the one co-starring Dolph Lundgren’s iconic Russian pugilist Ivan Drago.
Too bad, according to Stallone, it’s coming and he has one word to describe it …
Sylvester Stallone has revealed that he is working on a director’s cut of Rocky IV, which he says will be “amazing.”
This movie is ranked #7 out of 8 on my Rocky ranked films list (see: Ranking Stallone’s Rocky and Creed Films). Ouch, only the mediocre Rocky V starring the late real fighter Tommy Morrison as Tommy Gunn would get me less excited.
This is the era of popularity for alternative versions (see: More Director’s and Extended Cuts, yes, Snyder Cut is Coming To HBO Max in 2021), This weekend HBO Max has released Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Ultimate Edition, which adds 30+ minutes to the original theatrical release. Clearly, they are whetting the appetite of Snyder cut fans.
Now back to Rocky IV: The Director’s Cut. No release date was mentioned in any of the sources I clicked through and read, just restating that Stallone confirmed it. Rather than just do that here, let’s discuss what we’d like to see in an alternate cut of this movie.
Here are a few things I think would make Rocky IV better:
More Carl ‘Apollo Creed’ Weathers hyping the “exhibition fight that doesn’t mean anything” – I love it when he talks smack in the Rocky films
Drago with a few more barely intelligible lines like, “I must break you.”
Drago and Rocky mixing it up at the press conference. I always thought Stallone played Rocky too subdued as he announced the fight with Drago would be in Russia. It was his then wife Bridget Nielson as Drago’s wife that has all the passion in that scene. Give me Rocky throwing down with somebody, shoving somebody, something. Instead he plays that scene too Debbie downer mode. Sure, his friend was killed, but … well, come on.
Eliminate or severely cut that utterly stupid end of the Russia fight speech “If I can change, you can change, we can all change!” — one of the most out of character Rocky speeches in any of the filmse
Was there a third training montage we could have? No, no, I’m kidding here. I did like Survivor’s song “Burning Heart” but it played off too much like trying to recapture the magic of “Eye of The Tiger” from Rocky III.
Shall I go on? Let’s use the comments. What would you like to see in a Rocky IV Director’s Cut? Or would you not like to see one at all? Which Rocky film deserves a Director’s Cut?
Like to think I’m a fairly open-minded idea guy when it comes to movies and TV shows. Sure, some story ideas seem worse than others, but I’ll give just about anything a chance.
When it comes to Sylvester Stallone using his iconic boxing character, Rocky, to take on real-world immigration issues? That idea sounds terrible.
Asked if this Rocky VII would touch on real-world immigration issues, Stallone said, “Yes. Do you tell someone that you just met in the street who’s struggling and homeless to get out, or do you take him in? If you take him in, you’re in trouble.”
In fairness to Stallone, maybe he can make the film interesting, but am I alone in the world that prefers to see Rocky in/around the boxing ring? I mean, I’d rather see rebooting the whole series with a new, younger actor playing Rocky than an aging Stallone going into border patrol mode.
(maybe he boxes President Trump and the winner gets their solution enacted?)
That comes from somebody who is skeptical of most reboots/remakes of great films. I mean once you’ve made something as awesome as Rocky, why bother making the same film again? It’s great already, why do we need another re-imagining of it?
Can’t say I really want to see Rocky as the Mick character any more either. We’ve been there and done that with Creed and Creed II. Perhaps, the former boxer turned trainer Rocky just needs to accept that it’s time to hang up the gloves?
Am not saying there can’t be a Rocky VII, but perhaps telling the story of another Rocky character years later, like Clubber Lang would be better? What happened to Clubber, anyway? Now at least there is a story I could get interested in.
What do you think? Do you want more Rocky Balboa? Rocky doing taxes. Rocky on Broadway. Rocky in a western. Rocky vs. Predator. Rocky in a science fiction setting. Animated Rocky vs. ___ … (OK, I’ll admit some of these wild ideas seem interesting).
New York Post’s Peter Botte has ranked (WARNING: spoilers in his mini-reviews) all 8 Rocky films as follows:
Rocky
Creed
Rocky II
Rocky III
Creed II
Rocky Balboa
Rocky IV
Rocky V
Last year, I made a list and ranked the Rocky and Creed movies. Our rankings are pretty similar, although I felt Rocky II and Rocky III were better than Creed. If rewatching again, I might give an equal star rating to Creed II and Rocky Balboa as both were about equally entertaining to me. I give a slight nod to Creed II because it was nice to see Ivan Drago and Rocky on the screen together again, but it would have been better if they had brawled a bit.
In the outtake footage, there was a dust-up in the hospital.
Wish that hadn’t been cut! Director’s cut, Stallone, put that back in!
Here’s how I ranked them, you can click through on the titles and read my non-spoiler reviews:
Creed for me could not have happened without Rocky III, so how could Creed be a better movie? Sure, it could be, not arguing that really, but … well, subjective.
From here on, if you haven’t seen all the movies, go watch them on streaming. As of this writing they’re all available (for purchase) on Amazon Prime Video.
… you’ve been warned SPOILERS ahead …
Now, the acting, I’ll readily admit was better in Creed than Rocky III, but my goodness, Mr. T as the menacing Clubber Lang? Not to mention what happened to Mickey! MICK!!!!!!!! (in that incoherent Stallone crying scene).
What is Rocky saying?!? Maybe Mick could understand him … somehow
Rocky II felt like a solid continuation of Rocky, sort of in the way that Halloween II would continue where Halloween left off (only Halloween II was not a very good movie — but the timing of both movies was similar). I enjoyed in Rocky II how we learned Rocky needed to fight, to do all he knew how to do, to be a man. That was a really good, clever and logical story.
After Rocky II the series sort of became campy and there were notable inconsistencies. For example, in Rocky II Stallone isn’t skilled enough to do commercials, but in Rocky III he’s doing advertising and commercials everywhere? Sure, maybe he learned how to be in front of the camera, but it’s a stark inconsistency versus explained or shown character growth (maybe in the montage segments, it is explained?). I also think Rocky’s accent is much more pronounced in the first two Rocky films than in later ones.
Then again, how he became rich from the title defenses that were with “has beens” as Mickey put it, were a huge part of Rocky’s character arc. So maybe Stallone did explain it all in his rags to riches trilogy.
Stallone tried returning to the heart of the first two films in Rocky Balboa and I liked the boxing realism. It was a smart play what he did with Adrian, as well, although I did kind of miss seeing her and Rocky together.
Overall, I’m not sure we need any more Rocky or Creed films, the stories are a bit long in the tooth, but it sounds like we might be getting at least one more. I suppose if Stallone and company can dredge up a storyline that we haven’t seen explored with Rocky’s character.
Movies, Movies, Movies 