Rewatchables Reference

• Bill: The Thunder Lips wrestling scene (9 minutes long, 'in the running for the greatest nine minutes of my life'). Features Hulk Hogan doing actual wrestling moves, Paulie's chair shot, and Paulie cutting gloves with a switchblade.
• Gus: The opening montage set to 'Eye of the Tiger' – juxtaposing Rocky's fame/softness with Clubber Lang's rise.
• Clubber interrupts the 'Rocky' statue ceremony ('Hey woman' scene).
• Mickey tells 'Rocky' the truth ('You got civilized').
• 'Rocky' and Adrian on the beach ('I'm afraid').
• The training montage in LA (beach race, awkward beach hug).
• The final fight.

• Clubber Lang as a villain – possibly the best sports movie villain ever; prescient of Mike Tyson showing up 3 years later.
• 'Eye of the Tiger' – 792 million views on YouTube; the song transcended the movie.
• Thunder Lips scene – Hogan did moves he never did in his actual wrestling career.
• Apollo Creed / Carl Weathers – his best performance across all 'Rocky' movies; most screen time.
• Paulie – funnier than ever in this movie.
• 'Sneaky Hot Adrian' – best she's looked in any 'Rocky' movie.
• The awkward beach hug – unintentionally hilarious and iconic.
• Mr. T's Mohawk and 'I pity the fool' catchphrase.

• The awkward beach hug / crotch close-ups during the training montage.
• 'Pushin'' by Frank Stallone.
• Gene Siskel's racism critique: 'I didn't enjoy seeing 'Rocky' go after another loudmouth black fighter.'
• Paulie's racism ('I don't like these people') and general behavior.
• Starting 'Rocky III' with the end of 'Rocky II' – unnecessary on rewatch.
• Mickey's Jewish funeral revelation – completely surprising and unexplained.
• Fight scenes are unrealistic by modern UFC/boxing standards.

• Clubber Lang: Joe Frazier was considered (stuttering problem); Ernie Shavers (high-pitched voice). Mr. T was discovered on 'America's Best Bouncer.'
• Thunder Lips: Superstar Billy Graham was considered. Andre the Giant, Ernie Ladd, Big John Studd also discussed.
• Morgan Freeman auditioned for Clubber Lang's trainer.

The beach scene with 'Rocky' and Adrian – both Stallone and Talia Shire are really going for it.

• Duke (Tony Burton) – gets more screen time than warranted.
• Wally Taylor as Clubber's trainer – one memorable line: 'Get up!'

• Tony Burton as Duke.
• Jim Hill (LA sportscaster).
• Stu Nahan – also appeared in 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High' (Spicoli's dream).

• Morgan Freeman as Clubber's trainer.
• Kevin Harlan as the play-by-play announcer for the second fight.

• Stallone claimed 2.6% body fat at 155 pounds.
• The 'Rocky' statue saga: 3 created, debated as art vs. movie prop, returned to the Museum of Art steps in 2006.
• Mr. T's mother stormed out of the premiere.
• 'Eye of the Tiger' received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song; lost to 'Up Where We Belong.'
• 'You're the Best' was originally intended for 'Rocky III' but was swapped and ended up in 'The Karate Kid'.
• Rocky's exterior house was Muhammad Ali's house in Chicago.
• The Eye of the Tiger in the film is the demo version, never officially released.

• Stallone: Not quite – Bill says it's 'First Blood' (same year, a few months later). 'Rocky III' plus 'First Blood' in 1982 makes it close.
• Mr. T: No – not until The A-Team.
• Carl Weathers: Yes – his most screen time in any 'Rocky' movie.
• Hulk Hogan: No – not yet.
• Burt Young (Paulie): Yes – funny, scary, pathetic, all worked.
• Survivor (the band): Yes.
• Statues: No – still Statue of Liberty, 'but it's close.'

• The names Joe Sack and Big Yank Ball for Rocky's opponents.
• Thunder Lips announced at 390 pounds – seems way too high.
• 'Rocky' should have realized the 10 title defenses were setups against tomato cans.
• Where were the doctors when Mickey collapsed?
• 'Rocky' staying in a horrible LA hotel during training.
• The beach race – 'Rocky' inexplicably overtakes Apollo out of nowhere.
• 'Go for it' as Rocky's comeback line to Clubber – weak.
• The final round is 3 minutes and 12 seconds (should be 3 minutes).
• No rematch/trilogy fight – too much money to leave on the table.

• Did Clubber kill Mickey? Could it get past the discovery phase?
• Where did Clubber go after losing?
• What happens in the 'Rocky' vs. Apollo fight at the end?
• Was 'Rocky' on PEDs?
• Did Mickey know 'Rocky' lost? Sal argues Mickey opens his eyes and sees Rocky's beaten-up face before dying.

• Sal: The Polaroid photo from the Thunder Lips fight, signed.
• Gus: The yellow shorts 'Rocky' wore on the beach during training.
• Bill: The original Leroy Neiman painting used in the film.

• Gus and Bill: Mr. T – went from bouncer to stratosphere; would not have happened without this movie.
• Sal: Talia Shire – completely different character from 'Rocky' 1 and 2; showed unexpected versatility.