Chandra and Jordan reacting to Rocky (1976) - First Time Watching! Leave a comment to let us know what you think! Subscribe and Like to support us! PATREON: / maplenutsreact #rocky #firsttimewatching #moviereaction
Rocky...................(1976) Rocky II................(1979) Rocky III...............(1982) Rocky IV...............(1985) Rocky V................(1990) Rocky Balboa......(2006) Creed...................(2015) Creed II................(2018) Creed III...............(2023) If you liked the first one, you'll gonna love the rest. There's a whole story arc to discover, that nobody expected after the first movie.
I was raised on this series. Saw 1,2 and 3 on cable TV in the 80s, then 4,5,6 and the Creed films in theaters. Stallone played the same character for over 40 years!
Rocky was a Love story about a boxer. People forget that Sly is a great actor. If they had they stopped at three this would be in the conversation for greatest trilogy of all time. The first three were perfection and perfectly served all the characters and inspired the audience. The ending of Rocky III is so magnificent.
Rocky and First Blood always surprise people, since their pop-culture depictions of ridiculous violence are very different than the actual emotional themes.
I think that may be due to Sylvester Stallone transitioning to an action star rather than a "movie star". Most people even forgot that he IS a really good actor at least till Cop Land 1997 came around.
Notice how much integrity Gazzo has: when he reprimands Rocky for not breaking the guys finger, he doesn't do it in front of the driver but instead takes Rocky to a private place for a one on one. Exemplary employee management.
Mr. Gazzo is such an underrated character. It'd be really easy to portray him, as Mickey puts it, as a "cheap, second-rate loan shark." But he's not. He's not a mob caricature. He shows people respect and genuinely seems to care about his employees. Really like Mr. Gazzo, I wish they did more with him throughout the series.
@@TheLanceUppercutI mean, hes still a second rate loan shark. But like the whole movie teaches us about Rocky, that's what he does, not who he is as a person. He's a nice dude (save for the loan sharking) and treats Rocky with peer to peer respect, even when Rockys done breaking knee caps for him.
It's not just the character of Rocky that was an underdog. The movie itself was an underdog. It was basically a low budget movie that wasn't expected to be that big.
Most people are surprised when Rocky goes back to Mickey and agrees to working with him after his tirade. But what struck me most about Rocky’s good nature is that he doesn’t hold any grudges. That’s why he never pushes Paulie away. Rocky sees people for who they are. And I think he rather just pities them than judge them. He’d rather be there to help, if they ever ask.
This was Stallone’s personal writing project, that Movie Studios had passed on. Winning the Oscar, for Best Picture, redeemed Stallone’s conviction in this story. When combined with Bill Conti’s theme song - it became the cultural event of 1976.
Butkus was Sylvester Stallone's real dog. He had to sell Butkus before he got the funding to make this movie, but once he got it he was able to by his pup back (the new owner charged him way more), and decided to integrate the dog into the film.
Butkus actually appeared in the movie out of necessity: they couldn't afford to hire a trained dog & handler, so Stallone just went with the dog he had.
The guy he sold him to was “Little Jimmy” Gambina-he not only wanted way more money but a part in the film..he was Mike who worked in the gym and put Rocky’s bag on skid row!
I love that the real Stalone was so close to this character in many ways. He wrote the script and the studio was doing everything not to have him star and he was broke the whole time. The audience at the end was almost all friends and family of the crew as they couldn’t afford anything else. He went from a poor kid with a script to a world known actor. Pretty cool.
The studio (United Artists) wanted actors Robert Redford, Ryan O'Neal, Burt Reynolds, or James Caan to play Rocky. But Sly and his agent held out, Stallone later said that he would never have forgiven himself had the film become a success with somebody else in the lead.
@@maplenutsreact The only "bad" film in the bunch is Rocky 5. This first Rocky movie won the Oscar for Best Picture. Most people consider Rocky II to be even better. Rocky III & IV are quintessential 80s movies. Rocky Balboa (the 6th film) was a passion project for Stallone as he wanted the franchise to go out on a better note, and to me is the closest to the original two in tone.
The dog Butkus was actually Sylvester Stallone's dog until he ran out of money as a struggling actor and he had to sell him. He later bought Butkus back and featured him in the film.
I loved *Chandra's* reaction... I love watching female reactors react to *(Rocky)* they come in anticipating a fight movie only to find out the enjoyment that it's a love story
Rocky is one of the greatest films ever made. It is a perfect movie like Casa Blanca or High Noon. Sly deserves to be respected as a writer, director and a great actor.❤
The training montage in Rocky is absolutely quintessential - one of the first, if not the first, of all the sports training montages that followed, and still one of the best. So many film and TV shows parody this scene, or pay homage to it, but none is ever quite as inspiring.
Really...it was among Hollywood's greatest love story ever. Both Rocky and Adrianne were kind of recluse and found each other. When Adrianne ran into the ring saying "I LOVE YOU" several times...gets me every time!
At the time, championship fights were scheduled for 15 rounds. That was shortened to a 12 round maximum in the early 80s. Rocky 2 is great, maybe even better than the original. First Blood (the original Rambo movie) is another excellent early Stallone flick which surprises every first time viewer.
I was watching a video of pundits discussing current political topics here in the US today, and off to the right spotted your thumbnail for reacting to "Rocky". My vision immediately blurred, and I felt my cheeks become damp from the tears. That's why I'm here. I was 15 when Rocky came out, and I ran home from the theater in the middle of the night through the worst part of town, past junkyards with dogs barking at me... because I was inspired. I so miss America.
As others mentioned, this really isn't a boxing movie. It captures the inner city life of Rocky and those in his Philadelphia neighborhood. In 1976 the US had just lost the Vietnam War and the nation was mired in a recession (that would last years). You can see the poverty on the streets. The movie was really about community, and finding love and hope.
No excuses for Paulie. But, please just remember 2 things: 1. He's Rocky's best friend, and Rocky accepts him for who he is. And 2. Rocky and Adrian would have never gotten together if not for him.
Disagree. He's abusive to her. He's a monster. He has problems and everyone talks about that as if it should excuse his abusiveness. My father had problems, but does that excuse the years of abuse I was subjected to growing up? I met someone very important in my life through the therapy I went through after escaping my father, so that excuses the abuse? Don't talk about stuff like that as if it makes anything ok. What you wrote there was: no excuses... but... here's a bunch of excuses. Paulie is an abusive monster who would be locked up in prison and on the receiving end every day of his life these days. He'd deserve it, too. He's a monster who didn't deserve a friend, let alone one like Rocky. He should be rotting in prison.
Welcome to the club. You won’t be able to stop watching. Can’t wait to see you do Rocky II. It’s one of those rare occasions when the sequel is as good as the original.😍💪
The background of Rocky is a great story on its own..the studio wanted to buy the screenplay but didn’t want him to have anything to do with him. He refused and kept pushing-the rest is history. The scene with him yelling at Mickey was inspired by his relationship with his father who came back into his life after he left him & his brother. He said the anger was geared towards him.
I haven’t seen you guys before but clicked as soon as I saw Rocky - a big influence on my life. Inspiring that Stallone wrote this, when broke, & refused £££ to sell it to the studio since they wouldn’t cast him. He banked on himself & it was life changing. The character has stood the test of time & became legend. So many life lessons & enjoyment!
I know you were taken aback that he only got 40 dollars in the first fight, in the beginning of the movie, in 1975 that had the purchasing power of about 230 dollars today, still not great, but it probably bought him food for him, and his turtle.
Still one of the best scenes I've ever seen is when Rocky gets up and asks Apollo to bring it and Apollo is thinking what do I have to do with just one look on his face
The iconic shot of him running up the steps was made possible by the first use of The Steadicam, a camera stabilizer that smoothed out movement of handheld shots. It went on to become a staple of the movie business.
You can't watch Rocky without watching Rocky II. they will all surprise you with how good they are. Every Rocky movie has heart. Rocky IV is probably the weakest but I love that one too. great story about a great character
Thank you!! I’ve found a true film lover here who understands that it takes more than amped up musical montages to make a great movie. Tired of people who think 4 is the best. Yeah it’s a great flick, but it’s definitely not better than the first three. Arguably the weakest, but I could see someone preferring it over one or two of the others. Basically all 6 are great. Creed I and II are really good too, but I won’t bother watching III anytime soon. Doesn’t have Stallone’s blessing, so it’s not a part of the series in my book.
Rocky came at the perfect time: the country still had the bad taste of the Vietnam war and the bicentennial of America was coming up soon. This movie brought back pride to many Americans: the story of the "little guy" beating the odds, a guy you cant help but like right away. Rocky was that character. What better way to celebrate America then an old fashioned boxing match right in the middle of Philadelphia?
Rocky and Bullwinkle (Flying squirrel and moose) came from Frostbite Falls, Minnesota. The Canadian is Dudley Do Right of the RCMP and girlfriend Nell, but she loves his horse. The bullmastiff was actually Stallone's dog, he sold him because he was broke. So he only got $50 for him, after he sold the script for Rocky he bought him back for $3500. When you both go through all of the Rocky series including the two Creed movies we all realize this is a love story not just with Adrienne (real name Adriana for the movie). Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers RIP)
Welcome to one of the great movie franchises. Now you see why this won Oscar for best picture! Great reaction!! Next up "Rocky II". I think you'll love it.
30:32 - The poster being wrong was a legit behind the scenes error. But the film was so low budget they couldn’t afford a replacement, so it was made part of the plot to further hammer home that people aren’t taking Rocky seriously.
I am named Rocky and was born in 1977, so I got called Rocky Balboa a lot growing up. The background of this movie has some interesting parallels to the story. Stallone had written the script and was trying to get it made, but he had no name or experience in the movie industry. (We don't really need to talk about "Party at Kitty and Stud's"). There was a little interest in just buying the script but leaving him out of it, which he didn't want. So scraped together what he could to make it on a very cheap budget and act and direct in it to make sure it got made the way he wanted. And you feel a lot of that genuineness in it.
Great reaction. This is my favorite movie of all time. Every Rocky movie is excellent. This is embarrassing to admit but I always cry at the end of Rocky 2. A must watch!🥊❤️
I love that you guys appreciated the way the first fight- and the movie overall- was filmed. Its a slow burn, and many new or young reactors dont appreciate the gritty nature of the film, and end up making fun of it and looking bored. I love this film. The "I can’t beat him... but its ok because all I wanna do is go the distance" monologue is one of the best scenes ever written or filmed.
Best Stallone movie other than Rocky is First Blood. Rocky 3 is the most fun, but the Rocky/Creed series is great. Would love to see a reaction to First Blood though...
"You're gonna eat lightnin' and you're gonna crap thunder!" Fun Fact: Theatrical movie debut of Michael Dorn, best known for playing Worf in the Star Trek franchise. Art Imitates Life Fact: Sylvester Stallone was inspired to write the screenplay after seeing the Chuck Wepner-Muhammad Ali fight on March 24, 1975, at the Richfield Coliseum in Richfield, Ohio, near Cleveland. The details of that fight is beyond the scope of this comment, but the Creed-Balboa fight parallels that fight in many ways. Making Lemonade Fact: In the film, the poster above the ring before Rocky fights Apollo (Carl Weathers) shows Rocky wearing red shorts with a white stripe when he actually wears white shorts with a red stripe. This was an actual mistake made by the props department that they could not afford to rectify, so Sylvester Stallone came up with the idea for the scene where Rocky points out the mistake himself. The comment about Rocky's robe being too baggy came about the same way - the robe delivered to the set was far too baggy for Stallone, so rather than hope people wouldn't notice, the character himself simply points it out. Guerrilla Filmmaking Fact: Most of the scenes of Rocky jogging through Philadelphia were shot with no permits, no equipment, and no extras. The shot where he runs past the moored boat for example, the crew were simply driving by the docks, and John G. Avildsen saw the boat, and thought it would make a good visual, so he had Sylvester Stallone simply get out of the van and run along the quays, while Avildsen himself filmed from the side door. A similar story concerns the famous shot of Rocky jogging through the food market. As he runs, the stall keepers and the people on the sidewalks can clearly be seen looking at him in bemusement. While this works in the context of the film to suggest they're looking at Rocky, in reality, they had no idea why this man was running up and down the road being filmed from a van. During this scene, the famous shot where the stall owner throws Rocky an orange was completely improvised by the stall owner, who had no idea that a movie was being filmed and that he would be in it.
And the veiled references to Ali's famous public displays of showmanship, predicting the KO round, worrying about his hair, and him and Frazier doing their thing in the ring. I think Stallone just generated the backstory of Rocky to reflect his own. But for not having money they were able to land a couple of well-known actors -- Burgess Meredith and Talia Shire (who was way better in this than The Godfather)
Rocky cracks open and swallows 5 eggs to get pure protein into his body when he wakes up to jog to build up his muscles. I am doing the same thing at one fifth of those eggs
Out of respect, The City of Philadelphia erected a statue of Rocky atop the stairs where he raised his fists after training. Bill Conti's inspiring score is a true masterpiece. The uplifting success of this "underdog triumphs" movie, shot in Philly during the US bi-centennial year helped raise the spirits of the post Vietnam, post Watergate country as a whole. The 1st movie Stallone wrote and acted in was a Porno called the "Italian Stallion" The title name, Rocky, was in honor of the great Italian Boxer, pictured on his wall, Rocky Marciano, who was the only undefeated Heavyweight Champion in Boxing History. That's real life, Philly born and raised fighter, Joe Frasier, who beat Muhammad Ali, in 1970's Fight of the Century, shaking Apollo's hand at the start of the bout. Boxing matches used to go on until one of the fighters was incapable of continuing and would often go into 20+ rounds. Before acting, Carl Weathers (Apollo Creed) played briefly with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. Similarly, Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) was briefly a Calgary Stampeder in the CFL. As for other Stallone recommendations, of the Rocky sequels, IMO Rocky III & IV are the best. I think I'm the only one who will recommend you watch "Rhinestone". It's the only MUSICAL/COMEDY Sly sings and dances in, (remember Rocky telling Adrian the reason he boxes is because he can't sing or dance). A youngish Dolly Parton spices up the show to boot.
Excellent reactions, guys. Rocky is such a remarkably written and portrayed character, Sylvester Stallone is a phenomenal talent. Do continue, you'll love the next installment of the franchise. "FIRST BLOOD" is another Stallone must-see classic.
Rocky is the best character in cinema history. You will fall in love with all the characters as the series progresses. Rocky 2 is my favorite but 3 and 4 are also really good.
Rocky is a love story, not a boxing movie. Once you realize that the entire franchise becomes different. Love between Rocky, Adrian and Mickey...it is amazing!
Dudley Do-Right was the cartoon Canadian Mountie. Him, the McKenzie Brothers and The Kids in the Hall were the only Canadian entertainment I knew as a kid.
Rocky is a small time club fighter who gets the chance to fight Apollo Creed The Champion Of The World. Rocky does not win the fight but he wins respect. That is greater than any championship belt!
it's not a boxing story, it's a love story. their love for each other gives them strength to turn their lives around and find happiness and self worth. that's why winning the fight doesn't matter. they both already won.
One subtle note about Rocky's character - Paulie embarrasses Rocky by ambushing him at the meat locker with the news crew but Rocky still goes out of his way to mention Paulie firing the interview after the news person shoos him away. On a side note, the leader of the street corner singers is Sylvester's brother Frank who later win a Golden Globe for "Far From Home" a song he wrote for Sylvester's movie "Staying Alive"
Cuff and Link, as of a couple years ago, were still alive and well and Stallone still has them as pets. He sold "Butkus" the dog to help fund the film, but was able to buy him back so he was his dog!
Hello Jordan & Chandra!😊 The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle was an American animated series that first aired in 1959. Stallone had several offers from studios for his screenplay for Rocky, but Stallone would only sell on the condition he was allowed to star in the film. The studios wanted a well known action actor. The soundtrack for this film was very popular after the films release. Bill Conti is the composer for all the Rocky films, except "Rocky IV". Burger King sold promotional stuff for the Rocky films like plastic cups and mini-posters. I always say the Rocky films are a love story.❤ Butkus Stallone was really Sylvester Stallone's dog. The turtles, Cuff & Link are still alive and have a cameo in "Creed II". The film was an unexpected hit when it came out!🏆Great reactions to this well made action film, Maplenut Kids!!!!🎬👏👏👏👏 "Rocky II" is very much in the spirit of this film! There are 6 Rocky films. "Rocky V" is the only film people really have a problem with. The film is not really cannon among the Rocky films. "Rocky Balboa" (2006) was made to replace it as the final Rocky film.
Rocky and Rambo, two movies starring Sylvester Stallone that everyone's heard of but a lot of people are surprised what it's actually about when they see them.
*"**#Stallone* still has the turtles *Cuff & Link.* But the dog *Butkus* is really his dog that he sold when he was broke. Then after he sold the script for *(Rocky)* he bought him back but had to pay something like *$10k*
Rocky was released December of 1975. Star Wars was released May of 1976, 5 months later. Stallone still has the turtles. They are almost 50 years old. The dog was Stallone's real dog. He sold it to the guy in the movie with the cabby hat. He gave him the dog back to put him in the movie. The main singer Stallone talks to is Stallone's brother Frank. He is a professional singer that had some minor hits in the late 70's and 80's. The man ringing the bell at the final fight is Stallone's father. Joe Spinell (Gazzo) was also in The Godfather II. The steady cam was invented for this film. This is why you got the iconic stair scene and the intimacy of the fight. The orange toss was ad-libbed when they were filming in the Italian market by a vendor. They kept it in Stallone refused to sell the script. He wanted to star in his own movie. Burgess Meredith wasn't the first choice for the role. When he read, he ad-libbed 'Hey Rock, you ever think about retiring? ' 'Think about it.' Everyone thought right there he captured what they were looking for in Mickey Still the lowest budget film to win the Oscar for Best Picture. It was just under $1 million and filmed in 30 days.
@manueldeabreu1980 Great comment with a lot of pertinent facts. But just FYI, the guy didn't give the dog back. Stallone paid him 15,00.00 bucks to get him back plus the small role in the film. Stallone said it was the best money he'd ever spent & that Butkus was worth every penny. 🩵✨️
this movie is a lot of things. a love story. a classic underdog Cinderella story. one of the greatest sports movies. one of the most inspirational films ever.
