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40 Years of Rocky: The Birth of a Classic


            Philadelphia Pennsylvania, home to the number one underdog fighter, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stalone). The date is November 25, 1975, Rocky is fighting Spider Rico in a prize fight at a local church arena. The fight goes smooth through the first couple of rounds. Before beginning the next round, Rocky and Spider get up from their corners after receiving advice from their corner-men and the fight continues. After a couple of punches, Spider grabs a hold of Rocky and headbutts him in the face. The crowd goes restless on Spider. Rocky, after recovering from the hit, goes after Spider and finishes him off. The bell rings signaling the end of the fight and Rocky is pronounced the winner. Rocky and Spider both leave the ring and head back to the locker room. One woman loser in the arena audience shouts at Rocky "you're a bum!" as he leaves the ring. In the locker room, Rocky and Spider get their prize money for the fight in which Spider Rico gets $17.80 after taxes and gym expenses, Rocky's winning prize is $40.50 after taxes and expenses. Rocky approaches and finds Spider lying on a bed where he tells Rocky that he was "lucky".Rocky walks home in the cold seedy night through the trash-strewn streets of Frankford Avenue in the crime-ridden Kensington neighborhood after the fight and arrives home to a small one-room apartment on a side street to feed his pet turtles, Cuff and Link. He grabs a can of the turtle food and recites himself a line regarding the item into the mirror. He then looks at a picture of himself from his youth and then grabs some ice from the freezer and puts it on the cut that Spider gave him and lies down on his bed.The next morning, Rocky visits the local pet shop where Adrian Pennino (Talia Shire) works and talks about the turtle food that he bought. Adrian, being shy and quiet, doesn't respond to Rocky even after he tells her a joke about the food. Her boss (Jane Maria Robbins) commands her to clean out the cat cages and she walks away not paying attention to Rocky.Rocky is walking down at the docks with a stick in his hand whistling, and out to collect money for his boss Gazzo, a local loan shark. He finds a man riding a forklift and when the man sees Rocky, he drives away. Rocky chases him on foot when the man runs from the forklift and Rocky catches up to him demanding Gazzo's money totaling $200 or he'll have to break one of the guy's thumbs. He tells Rocky that he doesn't have enough money but offers him his coat and around $130. Rocky takes the money, but refuses to punish the deadbeat guy and instead gives him a warning.A little later, Tony Gazzo (Joe Spinell) and his driver/bodyguard Buddy (Joe Sorbello), pick up Rocky on a bridge near the docks and Rocky tells him about the man and gives Gazzo what money the deadbeat had on him. Gazzo gives Rocky $20 for his collection assignment and tells him about more collection jobs in the coming days for Gazzo's other clients. The thug, Buddy, lets out a comment about Rocky's face as he and Gazzo get out of the car to talk in private. On the street, the calm but still angry Gazzo asks Rocky why he didn't break the man's thumb like he asked and Rocky tries to defend himself but Gazzo doesn't believe him. Gazzo sternly reprimands Rocky to do what he tells him to do from now on because it is bad for Gazzo's reputation in the neighborhood. Gazzo leaves Rocky by the side of the road and gets back in his car. Buddy further insults Rocky by calling him a "meat-bag" before driving away and Rocky angrily shouts: "I shoulda broke YOUR thumbs!."Later that day, Rocky goes to Mickey's Gym only to find out that his locker has been rented out to new-comer Dipper Brown, and that his stuff is now hanging on a hook on "Skid-Row". Mike the janitor tells Rocky about it and tells him where Mickey is. Rocky sees Mick (Burgess Meredith), a 76-year-old elderly and temperamental former lightweight boxer, now a trainer, working with Dipper. Rocky goes to ask about the locker and Mick admits that Dipper is an up-and-comer and Rocky is nothing. Echoing what the woman heckler told Rocky the previous night, Mickey calls Rocky a "bum". Angry and dejected, Rocky leaves the gym.Rocky goes back to see Adrian at the pet store which is about to close for the night. Rocky asks her if she wants to go to see a basketball game, but she refuses the invitation. He then asks to walk her home and she again turns him down. He warns her about the people walking the streets at night and suggests that she take a taxi home.Rocky then goes to the Lucky 7 Tavern for a beer or two where he sees his best friend and Adrian's older brother, Paulie (Burt Young), cursing up a storm in the restroom after the mirror has been broken. Rocky tells him about Adrian and he shouts at Rocky that she's a loser and can't take care of herself. Paulie asks Rocky if he would like to take Adrian out on a date since she seldom leaves their house, and Rocky agrees. Paulie takes his beer and leaves. Rocky remains sitting at the bar drinking his own beer and watches TV and sees that the heavyweight boxing champion of the world, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) is on TV. Rocky and the bartender talk about him until Rocky leaves.On his way home, Rocky notices a group of teenage kids standing on the corner drinking and smoking cigarettes and sees that one of them is Marie (Jodi Letizia), an underage teen girl he knows. He pulls her out of the group and walks her home. On the way, he tells her about respect and the kind of people that she should be hanging out with. After reaching her house, she calls Rocky "Creepo" and he heads back home.The next day in New York City, Apollo Creed and his trainer Tony are meeting with Miles Jergens (Thayer David), a fight promoter, discussing the possible fighters for him to match in the biggest fighting event set to take place on New Year's Day. When it looks like there are no possible fighters, Apollo has a epiphany: he'll take on a small time underdog fighter, giving him a shot at the title. Everyone agrees with the idea and the plan is set in motion.Meanwhile, Rocky is dropped off at his house by Gazzo and Buddy after his latest collection job, and they talk about Adrian. Rocky wonders how they knew about him and Adrian. Gazzo mildly replies: "I hear things". Buddy further insults Rocky by calling Adrian a retard and how retards like the zoo and Rocky attempts to lunge at him, but Gazzo separates them. He gives Rocky $50 for his date with Adrian. Before leaving, Buddy tells Rocky to take Adrian to the zoo and speeds off.At Apollo's office, he and Tony are looking through a book of local club fighters of Philadelphia and they come across Rocky who seems to be the perfect fighter. Apollo takes a liking to his nickname, "The Italian Stallion."That same evening, on the night of Thanksgiving, Rocky and Paulie are walking home and Paulie keeps imploring Rocky to get him a job with Gazzo as a collector, because he hates his current job at a meat packing factory. They reach Paulie's house where Adrian is making Thanksgiving dinner. She comes out of the kitchen to greet Paulie but doesn't realize Rocky is with him. Rocky says 'hello' and she walks back into the kitchen. Paulie goes to talk to her and she runs into her bedroom embarrassed. Paulie gets her out and tells to go out with Rocky for the night, but Adrian claims that it's Thanksgiving and she's cooking a turkey. Paulie goes to the kitchen and grabs the turkey out of the oven and throws it out the back door. Adriana begins to cry and Paulie yells at her to go out. Rocky tells him to forget the date but Paulie instructs him to go talk to her. Rocky walks over to her door and talks to her through the door but doesn't get any feedback. He asks her if she wants to go out with him and have a good time and she opens the door all dressed up ready to go.On Paulie's advice, Rocky and Adrian head for the local ice rink. They look around and see that it's empty and the maintenance man (George Memmoli) tells them that the rink is closed for the night. Rocky bribes him $10 and they have the rink for themselves for 10 minutes. Adrian's skating as Rocky is running along side her telling her about the fights he's been in and how it's special to him.After their date, Rocky and Adrian go back to his apartment where she is hesitant about going inside. Rocky implores her that its okay and she follows behind him. Inside his apartment, Adrian feels uncomfortable admitting that she's never been in a man's apartment before. Rocky admits he doesn't feel comfortable neither and he's kind of nervous too. She wants to leave but Rocky stops her, trying to cheer her up giving her compliments. He tells her that she wants to kiss her and he does and the two end up kissing in his corner by the door.The next day, Rocky heads for Mickey's Gym and Mick tells him that Jergens' office called, possibly asking for sparring partners. Rocky says the same thing to himself and a frustrated Mick yells at him. Rocky asks why after all this time Mick's been giving him the cold shoulder, but Mick refuses to reply. Rocky demands to know and Mick yells at him across the gym that Rocky had the talent and the heart to be a great fighter but instead became a "leg-breaker" for the local loan shark and bookie Tony Gazzo. Rocky defends his occupation and that it's a living, but Mick retorts that it's a waste of life and he again calls Rocky "a bum".Rocky goes to see Jergens and tells him that he is willing to help out with the sparring training with Creed and tells him that he'd give it his all. Jergens then offers Rocky a proposition into fighting with Creed on on New Year's Day, however, Rocky declines. Jergens tells Rocky that it was him that Creed chose to fight and that its a once in a lifetime shot to win the heavyweight boxing title. Rocky takes a minute to consider it.Back at Paulie's house, Rocky, Adrian, and Paulie watch a TV interview with Apollo and Rocky about the upcoming fight and they see that Apollo's been taunting Rocky through the whole session. Paulie tells Rocky that he should break his legs and that he should be able to win the fight. Rocky says that the taunts don't bother him. Adrian tells Paulie has a good chance of winning. Paulie gets up and storms out of the room cursing loudly. Rocky gets ready to leave and Adrian follows him outside. Before leaving, Rocky admits to Adrian that the stuff said on TV actually hurt him inside.The following evening, Rocky meets with Gazzo outside Pat's Steakhouse grill where they get some steak sandwiches to eat and to talk about Rocky being chosen to fight Apollo. Gazzo gives Rocky $500 for training expenses and wishes him the best.A few hours later, Mick, having heard about Rocky's shot at the title goes to see Rocky at his apartment and he begins telling him about his old days as a featherweight fighter during the 1930s and all the injuries he endured. He tells Rocky that he wants to become a manager for him. Rocky tells him that he asked for help years ago but Mick turned him down. A defeated Mick gets ready to leave as Rocky is sitting in his bathroom. After Mick leaves, Rocky starts shouting to Mick about his asking to help him. Mick is half-way up the street and Rocky runs up to him and apologizes to him.Early the next morning, Rocky gets up at 4:00 a.m. and prepares for a morning run. He drinks a half-dozen raw eggs. Rocky starts his run through the Philly streets and at the end, attempts to run up the stairs of the Philadelphia Art Museum but can't reach it all the way because he's out of shape and out of breath.Later, Rocky goes to see Paulie at the meat processing plant where he works. They talk about Adrian, with Paulie, speaking derogatorily, asks if Rocky is sleeping with his sister. Rocky becomes annoyed to the point where he admits the truth about why he can't talk to Gazzo about giving Paulie a job working for him: Paulie talks too much. Rocky says he's ready to leave because of the cold and the smell of the meat factory, a frustrated Paulie begins hitting a huge side of beef hanging from the ceiling, taunting Rocky. Rocky steps over and beings throwing punches into the meat, breaking the ribs. Paulie jokes at Rocky saying if he did that to Apollo Creed he'd be put in jail for murder. Rocky takes the meat that Paulie's prepared him for the week and leaves.At Paulie's apartment, Adrian cares to Rocky's cut up hands from hitting the meat. She begins to get intimate with him but he keeps backing her off, telling her that there's no "foolin' around" during training. Adrian near upset gets up and goes to the kitchen, Rocky gets up and follows her and apologizes and they embrace.Rocky begins training with Mick and Mike the janitor at the gym. Two girls walk in and ask for Rocky's autograph, Mick dismisses them harshly and tells Rock that "women weaken legs" and to lay off "the pet shop dame": Adrian. Rocky tells him that he really likes her, and Mick shouts back at Rocky telling him to let her train him for women are a distraction to his training. Rocky takes a second and agrees with Mick and will not fool around anymore.A few days later, Rocky is jogging back to his apartment building where Adrian is waiting on the steps with a surprise for him. She has purchased and given Rocky Butkus, the big Bulldog Mastiff from the pet shop. Rocky begins jogging around with Butkus days later. One day, Rocky and Butkus run to Paulie's workplace to find a TV news van in the back. Rocky finds Paulie and he tells Rocky that he needs publicity but Rocky, now mad, wanted privacy. Rocky and Paulie go inside and meet with the news reporter and they ask Rocky for a demonstration on how he trains with the meat. He begins to jab at the meat as the news camera looks onto him. Tony, Apollo's trainer, is watching the interview and sees that Rocky means business.On Christmas Eve, Paulie is walking home, clearly drunk. Rocky and Adrian are already there watching a Christmas movie on TV. They start talking about Paulie about what he did with the publicity stint back at the slaughterhouse. A drunken Paulie, overhearing the conversation, enters the room and threatens the both of them to leave his house. When they refuse to leave, Paulie grabs a baseball bat and threatens Rocky that he'll break both his arms. He begins swinging at a lamp and then breaks the end table next to Rocky and Adrian. Paulie begins ranting that he never done anything wrong to Rocky and he even let him go out with his sister. Paulie then admits the truth about why he hates Adrian so much and then begins smashing more things with the bat. Paulie shouts at Adrian that she owes him, but Adrian yells back saying that it is she who takes care of Paulie. Another insulting remark by Paulie about Adrian sends her running to her room crying. Rocky angrily grabs Paulie ready to punch him, but he quickly realizes that Paulie is too drunk and weak. Rocky lets go of Paulie and walks into Adrian's room to comfort her. She asks Rocky if he'd like a roommate and that she is moving out of Paulie's house.A couple of days later, Rocky is at the gym training again with Mick and Mike. After the session, Mick introduces Rocky to their cut-man Al Silvani. Rocky gets out of the ring as Mick and Al talk, and he begins hitting a heavy bag. Paulie walks in and offers Rocky an advertising job for him. Rocky tells him if he can make money off his name, do it.The famous montage of the movie starts with Rocky running around Philadelphia, then in the gym, hitting a speed-bag, doing push-ups and sit-ups. Then in the meat factory as Rocky hits the meat once more. Rocky then runs up the stairs of the Art Museum and this time, he is able to make it all the way to the top.The next night, Rocky and Adrian are in bed at his apartment but Rocky can't sleep, he gets out of bed, puts his coat on and walks to the Spectrum arena. Rocky stands in the center of the ring and looks around to see that the place is well decorated and ready for the fight. Jergens shows up and Rocky tells him how the stripes on his shorts are wrong in the giant painting of him but Jergens dismisses it, saying he believes Rocky is going to give the world an incredible show. Rocky goes back home as Adrian slowly awakes as Rocky lays down on the bed upset. He tells her that he won't be able to beat Apollo and how no one has ever gone the distance with him before.New Years Day, 1976. On the night of the fight, Rocky and Apollo are both getting prepared. When Rocky gets the cue that it's time, he leaves Adrian down at the locker room as she wishes him good luck. Rocky starts making his way towards the ring as some of the crowd cheers for him. Among the court-side crowd is Paulie with a call-girl, as well as Gazzo with another woman at his side. When he reaches the ring. Rocky, Mick and Mike watch as Apollo comes out dressed like George Washington as a dedication to the American Bicentennial. He reaches the ring and dons an Uncle Sam hat. Both fighters receive instructions and rules for the fight. They return to their corners and wait for the bell. The fight begins and Apollo begins throwing punches at Rocky but most of them miss. Apollo apparently isn't taking the fight seriously as he begins to throw a hay-maker at Rocky but he dodges it and swings at Apollo knocking him down. The crowd goes wild and Apollo gets back up and the fight continues with the two of them throwing punches at each other and dodging most of them.As the rounds progress, both Rocky and Apollo become increasingly cut-up and bruised. Rocky's right eye is so swollen he can't open it. Apollo is getting tired and hurt badly with Rocky throwing punches to the body. At Round 14, Apollo finally knocks Rocky down and Mick instructs him to stay down until the count is up. Adrian comes out of the locker room and watches the ring and believes in Rocky and hopes he'll get up. Rocky gets back up and Apollo, dancing around the ring, sees with distress that Rocky is standing and wants more. Apollo, now exhausted, throws a punch a Rocky, but Rocky ducks and jabs him twice in his right chest breaking his ribs. The bell rings signaling the end of the round and the fighters are brought back to their corners. Rocky claims he can't see anything and tells Mick to cut him in order to open his eye.The bell for the 15th and final round rings, and Rocky and Apollo take their time until Apollo tags Rocky in the face. Rocky moves in as Apollo is now protecting the right side of his ribs. More punches to the faces occur on both of them until Rocky gets the last 10 seconds of the round and beats Apollo senseless and pinning him to the ropes. By this time, the whole crowd is cheering Rocky on by chanting his name over and over. The bell rings signaling the end of the fight. Apollo tells Rocky that there won't be a rematch and Rocky responds that he doesn't want one. The ring is stormed by reporters and both the fighters managers. A reporter asks Rocky questions about the fight as Rocky shouts for Adrian. While Adrian makes her way to the ring, Jergens announces that the fight came out to be a draw and it was a split decision on who won. Apollo is allowed to retain his status at the heavyweight champion and technically wins by default. A blinded Rocky doesn't seem to hear, or be bothered by, the result of the fight as he continues to shout for Adrian.Adrian makes it to ringside to see Paulie being restrained from entering the ring. Adrian sneaks in and runs to Rocky, the two embrace and declare their love for each other.
    

Rocky

The Making of 'Rocky vs. Drago'


            The movie begins in 1979, with a brief flashback establishing the long and tragic history of criminal activity within, and by, the Corleone family. Much has changed. Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) is now approaching 60 and feels tremendous guilt for indulging in his ruthless ambition many years ago. Although his previous conquests have made him a very rich man, the thoughts of his children, their future, happiness, and his legacy are the only things keeping him going. His adopted brother Tom Hagen is now dead. The Corleone compound at Lake Tahoe is abandoned and in disrepair. Michael and Kay (Diane Keaton) divorced in 1959, and Michael gave her custody of their children, Anthony (Franc D'Ambrosio) and Mary (Sofia Coppola).Michael has returned to New York City, where he is using his enormous wealth and power to restore his dignity and reputation in the eyes of the public. The violent criminal element of the Corleone family has been largely abandoned, ostracized by Michael as well as the public, which no longer romanticizes the gangster lifestyle. Michael has embraced corporate America, which is now more tolerant of Michael's nihilism. He has rebuilt the Corleone interests as a legitimate enterprise using the blood money from his gangster years. The thugs and sociopathic soldiers from Michael's past (Al Neri, Willi Cicci, Calo, etc). have either died, gone into the underground, or have been relegated to the background, serving as bodyguards for Michael and his family. Michael now struggles between repairing his fragile relationships while trying to contain the violent sociopaths that are still a part of his decaying criminal empire. In an attempt to break with the past, Michael creates a charity, the Vito Corleone Foundation, in memory of his father. At a ceremony in St. Patrick's Cathedral, presided over by Archbishop Gilday, Michael is named a Commander of the Order of St. Sebastian. Kay, who has remarried, sits with Michael's children at the ceremony.At the lavish party following the ceremony, Kay and Michael have a somewhat uneasy reunion. Anthony tells his father that he is going to drop out of law school to pursue a career as an opera singer. Kay supports his choice, but Michael disagrees, wishing that his son would finish law school or join the family business. Michael eventually acquiesces to Anthony's wishes. Meanwhile, Vincent Mancini (Andy Garcia), Sonny Corleone's illegitimate son (with Lucy Mancini), shows up at the party. He is embroiled in a feud with Joey Zasa (Joe Mantegna), the Corleone family's mafioso muscle who has been running the Corleone Family's crime businesses in New York for the past 20 years. What remains of the old Corleone criminal empire is now under Zasa's stewardship. However, the Corleone's old neighborhood in New York's Lower East Side is in ruins, and has become lawless.In Michael's study, Vincent and Zasa tell him about their feud. The discussion grows violent, with Vincent accusing Zasa of being an out-of-control monster who mocks Michael behind his back. Michael makes it clear that he is not "a gangster" and that whatever bad blood exists between Vincent and Joey Zasa is none of his business, and must be settled between only them. He asks the two men to make peace with one another. The two men embrace, but Zasa insults Vincent by whispering "bastardo" in his ear. Enraged, Vincent bites off part of Zasa's ear. Zasa is escorted out and Michael scolds Vincent for his violent ways. However, impressed by Vincent's passionate loyalty to protect him, Michael agrees to take his nephew under his wing. The party concludes with a family picture where Michael asks Vincent to join the rest of the family.That night, two men break into Vincent's apartment, after Vincent has spent the night with a female journalist, named Grace Hamilton (Bridget Fonda), whom he picked up at the party. Vincent brutally kills one in order to frighten the other into revealing Zasa as the man who sent them. Vincent then ruthlessly kills the second man.Later, in an attempt to garner respectability and wealth for the Corleone Family through legitimate enterprise, Michael seeks to buy the Vatican's shares in Immobiliare, an international real estate holding company, of which 25% is controlled by the Vatican. With the help of his new lawyer B.J. Harrison (George Hamilton), he negotiates the transfer of $600 million to the Vatican Bank with Archbishop Gilday, who has plunged the Holy See into tremendous debt through his poor management and corrupt dealings. While in Vatican City, Michael learns that several influential parties oppose the deal for many reasons, not the least of which is the extensive criminal history that has tarnished the Corleone name. Because of this and the failing health of Pope Paul VI, ratification of the deal will be far more complicated than he had anticipated.Don Altobello (Eli Wallach), an elderly New York mafia chief, tells Michael that his old New York partners want in on the Immobiliare deal. A meeting is arranged in Atlantic City, and Michael appeases most of the mafiosi with generous payoffs from their casino days. Zasa, however, gets nothing. Furious, he declares that Michael is his enemy, and tells everyone in the room they must choose between him and Michael. Zasa storms out of the meeting. Don Altobello runs after him to try and talk to him about this irrational move. Minutes later, a helicopter hovers above the conference room and sprays a barrage of bullets through the ceiling windows. Almost everyone is killed, but Michael, Vincent, and Michael's long-term bodyguard and caporegime, Al Neri, manage to escape. Back at his apartment in New York, as Michael considers how to respond to this hit, he suffers a diabetic stroke, and is hospitalized. During the diabetic attack, in a near-delirium, Michael screams out the name of his brother, Fredo, whose murder he had ordered some 20 years earlier.Though they are cousins, Vincent and Mary begin a romantic relationship. Unbeknownst to Michael, Vincent, with the urging of his aunt Connie, plots revenge against Joey Zasa. During a street fair similar to that seen in The Godfather Part II, Vincent and his accomplices kill Zasa's bodyguards, and Vincent, disguised as a mounted New York police officer, shortly murders Zasa himself. Michael, still hospitalized, berates Vincent when he finds out, but Vincent insists that he got the go-ahead from Al Neri and from Connie, who has become deeply involved in family affairs. Michael insists that Vincent end his relationship with Mary because Vincent's involvement in the family puts Mary's life in jeopardy. Vincent agrees.The family travels to Sicily. Michael tells Vincent to speak with Don Altobello and, in order to see where the old man's loyalties lie, to intimate to him his intentions of leaving the Corleone family, under the pretense that his affair with Mary still exists, and that his loyalty to Michael has been supplanted by his desire to continue the relationship. Altobello supports the idea of Vincent switching his allegiance, and introduces him to Licio Lucchesi, the man behind the plot to prevent Michael's acquisition of Immobiliare.Michael also has lunch with Kay, and asks forgiveness for his behavior 20 years earlier. He also tells her that he never planned to go into a life of crime. Kay admits that she still loves Michael, and the two make plans to begin a new life together.Michael visits Cardinal Lamberto, a well-intentioned and pious priest, to speak about the Immobiliare deal. Lamberto convinces Michael to make his first confession in thirty years; among other sins, Michael confesses to ordering the killing of his brother Fredo. After confessing Michael breaks down in tears. He is told by Lamberto that it is "just that he should suffer," and that although he could tell Michael to repent, he knows Michael would not. Nevertheless, he absolves Michael of his sins. Touring Sicily with Kay, who has arrived for Anthony's operatic debut, Michael also asks for her forgiveness. As both admit that they still love each other, Michael receives word that Don Tommasino, his Sicilian friend and ally of the Corleone Family for half a century, has been killed (by a famous assassin), signaling that a new round of violence is about to begin. Cardinal Lamberto is elected Pope John Paul I, which means that the Immobiliare deal will likely be ratified, due to his intention to "clean up" the dealings of the Vatican. The new Pope's intentions come as a death knell to the plot against the ratification of the Immobiliare deal, prompting frantic attempts by the plotters to cover their own tracks.Vincent tells Michael what he has learned from Altobello: Lucchesi is behind the plot against the Immobiliare deal, and a master assassin known as Mosca da Montelepre (the man who killed Tommasino), has been hired by Altobello to kill Michael. Vincent wants to strike back, but Michael cautions him, saying that if he goes ahead with such a plan, there'll be no going back. Vincent insists on revenge, and Michael relents. He makes Vincent head of the Corleone family, the new Godfather. In exchange for the promotion, Vincent agrees to put an end to his heated relationship with Mary once and for all.The family travels to Palermo to see Anthony perform the lead in Cavalleria Rusticana at the renowned opera house Teatro Massimo. Meanwhile, Vincent makes plans to seek revenge against the Corleone family's enemies.Interspersed with scenes from Anthony's performance are the brutal murders of the enemies of the Corleone family. Michael Corleone's theme, Halls of Fear, is mainly played during the murders:Keinszig is assaulted by Vincent's men. His body is hanged over the bridge, to make his death an apparent suicide.Archbishop Gilday has the tea of the Pope poisoned. The Pope soon drinks it and dies.At the opera, Don Altobello eats a dish of poisoned cannoli that his goddaughter Connie serves him. He soon dies silently at the opera as Connie watches through her opera glasses.Al Neri shoots Archbishop Gilday as he climbs a spiral staircase and flings the archbishop's body down the stairs.Finally, Corleone 'button man' Calo (Franco Citti) approaches Don Lucchesi and whispers to his ear "Power wears out those who do not have it" before stabbing Lucchesi in the throat with his own pair of glasses, killing him. Immediately, Calo himself is killed by Lucchesi's bodyguards.Mosca, the assassin hired by Don Altobello to kill Michael, descends upon the opera house during Anthony's performance, killing two of Vincent's men who delay his opportunity, and the opera ends before he has the chance to kill Michael with his rifle. The assassin retreats to the opera house facade's staircase, and tries to shoot Michael there. Mary is confronting her father about the forced break-up with Vincent, when two shots ring out. The first hits Michael in the shoulder. The second hits Mary in the chest, and she dies calling out to her father, "Dad?" Vincent then kills the assassin with a single shot, striking him in the chest. As Kay cradles Mary's bloody body in her arms, Michael screams with primal pain and rage.The scene dissolves to a short montage of Michael's memories, the first being a dance with Mary, the second being a dance with his first wife, Apollonia, and the last being a dance with Kay. The film ends in an unspecified year, showing an aged and broken Michael, seated in the front yard of his Sicilian villa. He slowly puts on a pair of sunglasses, drops an orange from his hand, slumps out of his chair, collapses to the ground, and slowly dies, completely alone. A small dog sniffs around his body and the screen fades to black as Mascagni's "Intermezzo" from Cavalleria Rusticana resolves to a high F major chord.
    

The Godfather: Part III


            Picking up immediately after the events in the first Rocky movie, Rocky II begins with the events of 14th round of the Bicentennial New Years Day fight from the first movie. The fight lasts the entire 15 rounds with each fighter suffering many devastating injuries. After the fight, Rocky calls out for Adrian, who runs down to the ring. As Creed is announced the winner by split decision, Adrian and Rocky embrace, and Rocky tells her that he loves her.After their championship bout, Rocky (Sylvester Stalone) and Apollo (Carl Weathers) are taken by ambulance to Pennsylvania Hospital in Center City (a WCAU-TV Channel 10 news truck follows behind the ambulance), where they meet once again in the hospital lobby with a mob of reporters. Apollo Creed, who retained the championship on points, is furious at Rocky, the first man to go the distance with him, and starts clamoring for another chance to knock Rocky out. Rocky is taken into surgery where the doctor will fix his broken nose. He tells Rocky he may need eye surgery to repair a detached retina.Rocky goes to Apollo's room that night and asks "Did you give me your best?" to which Apollo answers "Yeah." Rocky declines talk of a rematch and tells Apollo that he is quitting boxing.Following his hospital stay, Rocky proposes to Adrian (Talie Shire) in front of the tiger paddock at the Philadelphia Zoo, and they later get married in a private church ceremony. Rocky begins to enjoy the profits from his fight with Apollo. He buys his first brand new car, a 1979 Pontiac Trans Am (even though it's still supposedly 1976), goes on a shopping spree (purchasing a black leather jacket with a tiger on the back for himself, a fur coat for Adrian, and some gold wristwatches), and buys a two-story row house in a nicer Philly neighborhood. He also convinces his previous employer, the loan shark Gazzo (Joe Spinell), to give Paulie (Burt Young) his old collecting job. Rocky then opts to earn money by appearing in television commercials. His new career, however, is quickly derailed by his sub-par reading skills, which leads to a clash with the director of his first commercial -- Rocky is unable to read the cue cards while wearing ridiculous costumes to promote a men's cologne. He is rudely dismissed by the director.Over the next few months, Rocky, unable to find white-collar work due to his lack of education beyond the 9th grade, and after being laid off (because of cutbacks) from the meat packing plant where Paulie previously worked, gets a job "helping out" as an assistant trainer at Mickey's gym, where the other fighters in training seem to have lost a large amount of respect for him, likely because he lost to Apollo and because he's taken on the job of sweeping the floor and rings and empty the spit buckets. Adrian, now pregnant, returns to her old job at the pet store. Running short on money from his unwise spending spree, Rocky also hands over his new Trans Am car to Paulie, who agrees to take over the insurance payments.Meanwhile, Apollo Creed has been receiving hate mail about his split-decision win over Rocky and is filled with anger and frustration: the letters alternately accuse him of deliberately carrying "that chump" (Rocky) the distance or state outright that he should have lost and has no business calling himself the champ. Determined to prove himself and win back the respect of his fans, Apollo elects to try and pressure Rocky into another fight, despite protests from his trainer, Tony "Duke" Evers, to find a new contender to fight against (when asked by Apollo what Tony is afraid of, Tony replies "He's all wrong for us. I saw you beat that man like I ain't never seen no man get beat before. And the man kept coming after you."). Rocky himself begins to have second thoughts about the fight, but because of the pressure applied by Apollo, Rocky decides to accept the challenge for a rematch against Apollo on Thanksgiving 1976 and begins training once again.Mickey is angrily unwilling to train Rocky at first, due to his bad eye. However, after seeing Apollo making fun of Rocky on public television, he becomes furious and agrees to train Rocky. Mickey decides he wants the left-handed Rocky to learn to fight right-handed in order to better protect the eye, and to give him a surprise advantage by switching back to left-handed with the intention of throwing off Apollo's timing and confusing him. He also focuses on improving Rocky's speed by using an old training method from his own boxing days: he forces Rocky to chase a chicken around a vacant lot, stating, "If you can catch this thing you can catch greased lightning." Rocky tells Mickey he feels like an idiot.However, Adrian's opposition saps Rocky's resolve and his training suffers. When Paulie confronts Adrian about her opinion, her angry reaction creates a serious medical condition that breaks her water prematurely. During the birth of their son, Adrian falls into a coma, and as a result of the premature birth, their son is placed into an incubator at the hospital ICU. Rocky breaks away from training to spend every waking moment either at her side or in the hospital chapel with Mickey, not even seeing his newborn son until several days later when she recovers. When Adrian emerges from the coma, she tells Rocky to "win" and he restarts training in earnest with Mickey for the rematch with Apollo. His condition improves dramatically with increased strength and speed and Mickey's idea of training Rock as a right-handed fighter. He runs pulling Mickey on a bicycle behind him and finally catches the chicken Mick had him chase, much to his trainer's delight.As with the first fight, Rocky's training includes his famous brisk run throughout the city of Philadelphia. This time, however, he is greeted with the cheers and encouragement of onlookers as he runs through the streets of South Philadelphia, having become a local celebrity following his narrow loss to Apollo. Along the way, children and pre-teens begin to follow him, their numbers increasing dramatically block by block. By the time he reaches the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Center City, hundreds of young people have joined in. Ultimately, they follow Rocky to the top of the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, surrounding him and enthusiastically chanting his name as he lifts his arms in a victory pose.Rocky and Apollo once again fight an intense battle in front of a standing-room-only crowd at the Philadelphia Spectrum. Paulie and a still-recovering Adrian stay home to watch the match on their TV set. Gazzo personally attends the match with a front-row seat as he did during the first match. Unlike the first match, Apollo gets off to a fast start, flooring Rocky twice in the first two rounds and building a huge lead on the scorecards as the fight goes on. But throughout the fight, Rocky pounds away at Apollo on and off, turning the fight into a brutal battle.At the start of the 15th and final round, Apollo's trainer begs him not to try to go for a knockout, as he can win simply by avoiding Rocky. Apollo, desperately wanting to prove he can knock out Rocky and very frustrated that he keeps coming back, disregards the advice. Mickey suddenly tells Rocky to switch back to boxing left-handed, and although Rocky initially refuses, he switches back, landing several crushing lefts. Rocky hits Apollo with a final punch that knocks him down, but from sheer exhaustion, Rocky also goes down to the canvas. The referee starts the final ten-count as the fighters struggle to their feet.At the count of 9, Apollo, finally realizing all but too late that the last fight was not fixed, collapses while reaching for the top rope, while Rocky picks himself up and is declared the victor. In his post-match speech, he thanks Apollo for another hard-fought battle, Mickey for training him, and God. Rocky states "Except for my kid being born, this is the greatest night in the history of my life, and I just want to say one thing to my wife who's home: Yo, Adrian! I did it!"
    

Rocky II

Mark Twain and Me


            In 1985, Ivan Drago (Lundgren), a muscular 6-foot-5, 261-pound Soviet boxer, arrives in the United States with his wife Ludmilla (Nielsen), and a team of trainers from the USSR and Cuba. His manager, Nicolai Koloff (Pataki), takes every opportunity to promote Drago's athleticism as a hallmark of Soviet superiority. The press is invited to the Soviets' highly technical temporary training facility, Koloff explains how all the equipment they've brought with them has turned Drago into a perfect athlete. They also demonstrate with an impact monitor how much force Drago packs in a single punch; more than twice the average for an American boxer. When asked about reports of widespread steroid use among Soviet athletes, Drago's wife denies any involvement by her husband.Motivated by patriotism and an innate desire to prove himself, Apollo Creed (Weathers) challenges Drago to an exhibition bout. Rocky (Stallone) has reservations, but agrees to train Apollo despite his misgivings about the fight. He asks Apollo whether the fight is against the Russian, or "you against you".During a press conference regarding the match, hostility is created between Apollo and Drago's respective camps. Apollo himself trumps up his anger and the Cold War rivalry between the USSR and the United States, confiding in Rocky moments later that it was all an act. The Soviets are less than amused.The exhibition match takes place at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. The ring, with Drago already standing in it, is brought up through the arena floor to a loudly hostile and booing crowd. Apollo enters the ring in an over-the-top patriotic entrance with James Brown performing "Living in America" complete with showgirls. The bout starts tamely with Apollo landing several punches that have no effect on the Russian. It soon turns serious though, as Drago, with a shouted command by Koloff, starts to retaliate with devastating effect. By the end of the first round, Rocky and Apollo's trainer Duke (Burton) plead with him to give up, but Apollo refuses, gravely telling Rocky not to stop the fight. Drago continues to pummel him in the second round, and despite Duke begging Rocky to throw in the towel, he reluctantly honors Apollo's wish. Eventually, Drago lands a final punch that knocks Apollo to the ground, killing him. In the immediate aftermath, Drago displays no sense of remorse commenting to the assembled media: "If he dies... he dies."Incensed by Drago's cold indifference and feeling a deep sense of guilt, Rocky decides to avenge Apollo's death by agreeing to fight Drago in the Soviet Union on Christmas Day in an unsanctioned 15-round bout. His wife, Adrian, strenuously objects, saying that Rocky simply can't beat the bigger and stronger Russian and the fight will kill him. Rocky says it's in his nature to avenge his friend.Rocky flies to the USSR without Adrian, setting up his training base in Krasnogourbinsk, a (fictional) remote village in Siberia with only Duke and brother-in-law Paulie (Young) to accompany him. He is also closely monitored by two KGB agents. Drago trains with his team's advanced setup and receives steroid injections. Rocky, on the other hand trains unconventionally by splitting heavy logs, chopping down trees, throwing large rocks, pulls an overloaded snow sleigh, jogs in heavy snow and treacherous icy conditions and climbs a mountain. Duke also coaches Rocky to ignore the intense pain several of his training exercises are causing him. Adrian (Shire) arrives unexpectedly to give Rocky her support after initially refusing to travel to Russia because of her doubts on his fighting chances. Her presence increases Rocky's focus and enhances his training.At the bout, Drago is introduced with an elaborate, patriotic ceremony that puts the home crowd squarely in Drago's corner. In contrast to his fight with Apollo, Drago immediately goes on the offensive and Rocky takes a fierce pounding. Rocky comes back toward the end of the second round; a right hook inflicts a cut below Drago's left eye that silences the crowd and prompts Rocky to continue punching Drago even after the bell rings. While Duke and Paulie cheer Rocky for his heroism, they remind him that Drago is not a machine, but merely a man. Ironically, Drago comments that Rocky "is not human, he is like a piece of iron" with his own corner reprimanding him for being "weak" in comparison to the "small American."The two boxers continue their battle over the next dozen rounds, with Rocky holding his ground despite Drago's powerful punches. His resilience rallies the previously hostile Soviet crowd to his side. When Drago's Soviet government representative berates his athlete for being weak, Drago picks him up and shoves him off the edge of the ring, stating he fights for himself. When they match before the final round, Drago shows newfound respect for Rocky, saying "To the end."Rocky finally takes down Drago in the last round, winning by knockout to the shock of the Soviet Politburo members watching the fight. A bloody and battered Rocky gives a victory speech, acknowledging how the local crowd's disdain of him turned to respect. He compares it to the animosity between Soviets and Americans, and says that seeing him and Drago fight was "better than 20 million," implying war between their two countries. The commentator translates that part of the speech incorrectly to Russian by saying that "its better than 20 million dollars". Rocky finally declares, "If I can change, and you can change, then everybody can change!" The Soviet General Secretary stands and passionately applauds Rocky, and his aides follow suit. Rocky ends his speech by wishing his son a Merry Christmas, and throws his arms into the air in victory as the crowd applauds.
    

Rocky IV


            'Rocky III' begins with the ending of the 15th round of the rematch between Rocky and Apollo Creed in Rocky II, with Rocky Balboa becoming the new heavyweight champion of the world. This is followed by an opening montage of scenes that explain what happened in the time between Rocky II and Rocky III: in the five years since winning the heavyweight title from Apollo (1976-1981), Rocky has a string of 10 successful title defenses. As his winning streak grows, so does his fame, wealth and celebrity, and soon Rocky is seen everywhere, from magazine covers to TV show guest star appearances. Rocky is also heavily merchandised, sponsoring varied products and services. At the same time, a ferocious new boxer named James "Clubber" Lang (Mr. T) is climbing the ranks, rapidly becoming the number one contender for Rocky's title.Rocky's brother-in-law Paulie (Burt Young) has grown jealous of Rocky's accomplishments. After a night of heavy drinking, Paulie stumbles into a video arcade, hurls an empty whiskey bottle through a ROCKY pinball machine in a rage and is arrested. Rocky bails him out of jail and, on the way to Rocky's car to ride home, Paulie begins berating Rocky for forgetting him on his climb to the top. Paulie swallows his pride and asks Rocky for a job, which Rocky grants him.Rocky agrees to a charity match with wrestling champion Thunderlips (Hulk Hogan). While Rocky treats the match as a lighthearted exhibition, Thunderlips seems to be taking it seriously with a ferocious attack, body-slamming Rocky, using several of Hogan's signature moves and eventually throwing him out of the ring. Chaos erupts when the seemingly enraged Thunderlips punches Paulie and throws the officials around and his ring girls attack them as well. In Rocky's corner, Mickey, a pained look on his face, seems to be suffering a mild heart attack. Rocky shouts to Paulie (his new ringman) to cut his gloves off. The gloves come off and Rocky returns to the ring, taunting the wrestler. Rocky fights back, hitting the wrestler with several body punches and manages to throw Thunderlips out of the ring himself. Just as the match is about to degenerate into a type of shoot fight, the bell rings and the match is declared a draw. Thunderlips calms down, and it's clear that his aggression earlier was just for show. Rocky asks: "Why'd you get so crazy on me out there?" Thunderlips: "That's the name of the game." A now-smiling Thunderlips agrees to have his picture taken with Rocky's wife and son, with an aching Rock stating "Sometimes charity really hurts!" The photo is printed in the paper, along with the amount of money they raised.In gratitude for his charity work, the City of Philadelphia reveals a large bronze statue of Rocky at the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. At the event, Rock reveals his plans to retire from boxing. The crowd of Rocky fans disapprove of his decision. Clubber Lang, who is in attendance at the ceremony, steps forward and publicly challenges Rocky, this time criticizing Rocky's title defenses as being intentional set-ups against weak, over-matched "bums." Lang, ranked number one among contenders for the title, also berates the politics of boxing, the reason Lang feels he hasn't been awarded a title shot. Furthermore, he harasses Adrian. Angered by a sexually suggestive remark Lang makes towards Adrian, Rocky agrees to the fight, but Mickey wants no part of it. Returning home, Rocky argues with Mickey. Mickey admits to Rocky that the fighters he defended his title against were good fighters but "hand-picked", only because Rocky received such a bad beating in his win over Creed that Mickey took it upon himself to make sure Rocky remained successful and healthy. He also tells Rocky that Lang is a young, hungry "wrecking machine", having attended several of Lang's bouts, and that Rocky has no chance of beating him, as he hasn't retained his edge as a fighter. Rocky manages to convince Mickey to train him regardless, saying he'll give it one more shot before he and Rock retire.Rock's Las Vegas-style training camp is filled with distractions -- fans are allowed to watch him train and Rock allows women to kiss him for pictures, upsetting Adrian. Rocky clearly does not take the challenge seriously (similar to Creed in the first Rocky movie). Clubber's relentless training regimen of working out by himself in a derelict building with whatever objects he has and running through city alleys clearly shows that he is taking his preparation for the bout far more seriously.Lang and Rocky meet at Philadelphia's Spectrum. During a melee before the fight -- where both fighters are mistakenly brought out of their dressing rooms at the same time -- Mickey is shoved out of the way by Lang and suffers a heart attack. A now distraught Rocky wants to call the fight off, but Mickey angrily urges him on while he stays in the dressing room. By the time of the fight, Rocky is both enraged and severely distracted by his mentor's condition. At ringside, Rocky's old nemesis Apollo Creed is on hand to do commentary. While shaking hands with both fighters, Creed is insulted and rebuffed by Lang and encourages Rocky to win. The fight begins: Rocky starts by pounding Lang with several huge blows, going for an early knockout, but the stronger and better-prepared Lang is unfazed and quickly takes charge, dominating Rocky and knocking him out in the second round. Beaten, Rocky makes his way back to the dressing room and to the dying Mickey. Kneeling at his side, Rocky speaks to his friend, telling him that the fight ended in the second by a knockout, which Mickey misinterprets as a win for Rocky as he passes away. Following the funeral, Rocky faces depression mixed with anger and hopelessness. His self-confidence and self-respect are gone in the wake of the loss and the loss of Mickey. At one point he rides his motorcycle to the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the statue of himself. Angered that he can't match the glory it represents, he throws his helmet at it and rides off.Stopping by Mickey's closed gym, Rocky is confronted by Apollo Creed, who offers to help train him. Apollo makes a pitch to snap Rocky out of his funk and get him back on the winning track. Apollo slowly convinces his old adversary that he can regain the fire Rocky thrived on in his earlier days, and tells him he must regain the "eye of the tiger", his fighting spirit, mainly by starting from scratch. Rocky says he's curious.Watching film footage of Rocky's loss, Apollo determines that Rock will have to put Lang down early since Rocky can't go an entire 15 rounds. Rock and Apollo watch a sports commentator interviewing Lang, who scoffs at the idea of rematch with Rocky, saying he welcomes the opportunity to beat up on Rock more. When the commentator reveals that Apollo is training Rocky, Lang becomes even more indignant and arrogant. The commentator says that, at his age, the odds are heavily stacked against Rocky. Paulie tells Rock not to listen but Apollo says Rock should listen and that everyone will owe him a huge apology when he wins. He also tells Rock that when the fight is over, Rock owes him a favor.Creed takes Rock to Los Angeles to train at his old gym where they meet up with Creed's old manager, Tony "Duke" Evers, who has enthusiastically agreed to assist Creed in training Rocky. At first, Rocky is too demoralized to put forth his best efforts, which repeatedly frustrates Apollo, who has Rock learn how to fight by learning a new method of dancing to funk music, running and swimming. One day on a beach, Apollo tries to get Rock to run faster than him and Rock fails. Apollo thinks there's no chance for a comeback and stalks off. Adrian approaches Rock and tries to talk to him. After admitting to Adrian that he's afraid, that his previous post-Apollo fights were set-ups and that he feels responsible for Mickey's death, she tells Rocky he has no right to feel guilty over Mickey, who was a grown man and made his own choices. She also tells him to fight for himself and no one else. Rocky is inspired enough to pull himself together to train as hard as he can, adding some of Apollo's speed and skill to his own style of fighting. During his training, Rocky forges a deep bond with both Duke and (especially) Apollo, their relationship evolving from former adversaries to close friends.The rematch is held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In Rock's dressing room, Apollo presents him with the same American flag trunks he wore for in their previous matches. He also reminds Rocky that he owes him a favor. A bewildered Rock asks him what it is but Apollo refuses to tell him.When both fighters meet in the ring, Rocky clearly has regained the hungry look of his early career and he is able to face Lang with new confidence, his piercing gaze never leaving Lang's. Rock is also some 10 pounds lighter and clearly faster than he used to be. At the start of the fight, Rocky sprints from his corner, fighting with a level of skill and spirit that no one, including Lang, expected. As a result Rocky completely dominates the first round, demonstrating his new-found speed. After the bell, Clubber, who is in a fit of rage over the unexpected pounding he's taken has to be restrained by his trainers. In the second round, Lang gains the upper hand, and Rocky adopts an entirely different strategy that bewilders Apollo; he intentionally takes a beating from Lang, (he gets knocked down at one point but manages to get up before he's counted out) whilst taunting him for being unable to knock him out.In Round 3, Lang, who is used to winning fights swiftly with knockouts in the early rounds, becomes increasingly angry and quickly exhausts his energy trying to finish Rocky off with repeated knockout blows, most of which miss the newly-agile Rocky entirely. Rocky taunts Lang in order to psyche him out, with taunts such as, "My mother can hit harder than that'", and, "You ain't so bad, you ain't so bad, you ain't nothing". The quick-tempered Clubber is infuriated. He attacks even harder, walking right into Balboa's trap. The tide turns, and Rocky is able to overpower the winded and outfoxed Lang, landing blow after blow and dodging Lang's attempted punches before knocking him out. Rocky is declared the winner and his title as Heavyweight Champion is restored.Soon afterward, Rocky and Apollo return to Mickey's gym, with Apollo revealing the price of his training: a third fight with Rocky. However, this time it would only be a private sparring match between two new friends, which Rocky accepts. The film ends with Rocky and Apollo in the ring both throwing punches at each other as the screen freezes and song 'Eye of the Tiger' by Survivor plays.
    

Rocky III

Working Man

For Richer, for Poorer


            John Belushi was the high school sweetheart who ruined her reputation with lies. Richard Jordan was the college lover who she almost married. Keith Carradine is the unstable brother of her first real love. Talia Shire is Diane Cruise, a woman whose life has been shattered in a myriad pieces. After the dissolution of her marriage, she decides to delve into her past and seek out the men who marked the milestones in her life.
    

Old Boyfriends


            Tracking two lost lumberjacks through the night, a rescue team nearly follows a hound over a cliff. Two men rappel down to retrieve the fallen hound, but they are killed. The third, hearing screams down below, rappels down to investigate, where he finds his team mates dead, only to be killed himself by an unidentified creature.Dr. Robert Verne is fed up with dealing with the squalor of city tenements. He does not feel he is making a difference. He accepts a job from the United States Environmental Protection Agency to write a report on a logging operation near the Androscoggin River in Maine. The loggers are in a dispute with the local American Indian "Opies" (i.e., "O.P.s"), the original people.Dr. Verne's wife Maggie accompanies him on the trip. She is pregnant but is apprehensive to tell her husband as he is set against having children. When they fly in, they meet a man, Travis Nelson and his two children Paul and Kathleen who are embarking on a trek into the wilderness. They also meet Bethel Isely , the director of the paper mill, who is to be their host. He tells them about his missing rescue team and lays the blame at the feet of the Opies. The latter have their own explanation: Katahdin, a vengeful spirit of the forest that has been awakened by the activities of the loggers. Isely describes Katahdin as "larger than a dragon with the eyes of a cat".As Isely drives the couple to their cabin, their path is barred by a party of Opies. They refuse to let Isely's people pass and a fight ensues between the leader of the Opies John Hawks Armand Assante and Kelso (Everett Creach), one of Isely's heavies. The heavy is armed with a chainsaw while Hawks has only a double-bit axe. The scuffle ends with Hawks laid on the ground with the chainsaw nearly at his throat. The Opies relent and let the cars pass. Verne and Maggie are visibly shocked by the incident.While fishing, Verne sees a huge salmon devour a duck. Later, after he and Maggie have eaten his catch, they are attacked in their cabin by a deranged raccoon. Verne kills it and sends a tissue sample to be tested.The next day Hawks and his wife Ramona Victoria Racimo approach Dr. Verne to put over their side of the story. If Verne is concerned about the environment then he should include the people in his assessment. Something is making the people ill: still births, mental illness and birth defects are rife. Hawks takes Verne and Maggie to the home of Hector M'Rai, Ramona's grandfather. Hector claims to have seen Katahdin and describes him as "part of everything in God's creation". Verne sees plant roots growing on the surface that should be underground; Hawk nets a bullfrog-sized tadpole from the water to show Verne; Hector has cigarette burns on his hand but feels no pain. As the evidence mounts the idyllic setting gradually takes on a sinister hue.Verne and Maggie tour the paper mill to look for incriminating evidence but the chemicals used in the processing are demonstrated to never leave the plant. Isely tells them that the water is routinely tested for purity. As they leave, however, Verne notices mercury deposits on Maggie's boots. It is a mutagen that causes birth defects and progressive nerve damage. It has long been used in logging as a fungicide because it is cheap. It will not show up in Isely's water purity tests because it sinks to the bottom. Verne needs more evidence and determines to take blood tests from the Opies.That night, the Nelson family, who have set up a camp in the woods, are suddenly assaulted by Katahdin; a ferocious bear with one of it's sides containing horribly mutated skin. The horrified Paul tries to flee, but the beast swats him into a rock, killing him. The next day as Verne and Maggie are taking blood samples, Isely and Sheriff Bartholomew Pilgrim arrive to arrest Hawks and his men whom they mistakenly believe to be the ones who killed the Nelson family. Hawks, however, escapes. Verne, Maggie and Ramona take a helicopter to the campsite to investigate the killings. Verne and Ramona find huge scratch marks on the trees while Maggie finds two mutated bear cubs trapped in a salmon poacher's net. One of the cubs is still alive and Verne is determined to save it so it can serve as empirical evidence of the contamination. However, the weather has turned and the pilot, Huntoon, refuses to take off in the high wind.They make for Hector's home and Verne sends Hawks to fetch Isely and the sheriff. Verne sets up an emergency room in one of Hector's tepees and helps the cub survive. Maggie is clearly distressed by the ordeal so Verne takes her aside and assures her that it will all be over soon. Shockingly, she reveals to him that she is pregnant and she has eaten contaminated fish like the mother of the cubs.Isely and Sheriff Pilgrim arrive and see the mutant cub. Isely is contrite, knowing that Hawks and his men weren't the killers. Hector arrives, when suddenly Katahdin attacks the camp in search of her cubs and kills everyone in sight. Everyone else seeks shelter in tunnels beneath Hector's home. All goes quiet so Pilgrim decides to check it out. He pokes his head up out of the tunnel and Katahdin kills him.The next day, the survivors make their way out of the forest. The helicopter is not an option as Huntoon was severely mauled in the beast's initial attack. Isely heads up to Mount Emery to try to reach a radio tower and call for help. Isley finds the radio tower but the monster immediately finds him and before Isley is able to call help, Katahdin kills him as well. The others find the Opie village mysteriously isolated and the Opie people gone, but take a truck and try to drive out along the winding forest road. Katahdin turns the truck over and finishes Huntoon off by devouring his head. The others run off through the forest with the beast in pursuit.They arrive at the river and swim across. The cub continues to bite Maggie but Rob pulls it off her and holds it underwater, drowning it. Hector stays behind to make Katahdin flee but fails and he is killed as well. Katahdin seems reluctant to follow them at first, but then enters the water and vanishes. They believe she drowned but then she suddenly emerges. They take shelter in a log cabin, but Katahdin tears down the walls. Maggie is knocked unconscious by debris, but Ramona is crushed. It is later revealed that she survived the incident.Verne finds a Winchester Model 1892 rifle in the cabin and shoots the monster twice with some effect. Hawks shoots arrows into Katahdin's hide until the beast sends him airborne with a mighty swat from her paws, then he lands on the ground, dead and bloodied. Verne picks up an arrow, then Katahdin hoists him up, only to be stabbed repetitively in the face and eyes until she collapses into the lake. Rob notices that the monster still moves slightly and leaps onto the beast and stabs her a few more times until her corpse finally sinks below the water.Verne and Maggie fly over the forest the next day, but not knowing that there is another mutant animal still alive in the forest.
    

Prophecy


            An Irish funeral has a wake. A Jewish funeral has sitting shiva. A traditional Chinese funeral is something else entirely. Thats what the estranged siblings of the Chinese-American Xiao family must undergo upon news of their mothers death. The one brother and three sisters dont get along, however they share one thing: hatred for their domineering and manipulative mother, the Dragon Lady." Yet, as they honor her request for a traditional seven-day funeral, the siblings face an adventure of surprises, clashes, and unveiled secrets. In the end they learn about themselves, each other, their mother, forgiveness, and what it means to be Chinese. [D-Man2010]Estranged Chinese siblings return to their childhood home to pay tribute to their dead mother. They all had problems with her, but they honor her last wish: to be buried in a traditional Chinese... Estranged Chinese siblings return to their childhood home to pay tribute to their dead mother. They all had problems with her, but they honor her last wish: to be buried in a traditional Chinese funeral. As the ritual is underway, the brothers and sisters begin to reform their long-lost connections. [D-Man2010]
    

Dim Sum Funeral

Looking for Palladin


            Rocky V begins with Rocky and his trainer Tony "Duke" Evers in their dressing room after the Drago fight. Tony praises Rocky for his victory, but Rocky, seen to be in some form of physical discomfort, asks Tony to summon his wife, Adrian. His hands are shaking, and he cannot make them stop due to the trauma, pain and fear caused by Drago. In addition to that, he keeps calling for "Mick", the name of his deceased former trainer.Rocky returns home from the Soviet Union and is greeted by his son, Robert. At the following press conference, a crooked promoter named George Washington Duke (a parody of boxing promoter Don King) tries to goad Rocky into fighting the new #1 contender to his championship, Union Cane, in Tokyo. Duke sees this as a great opportunity with both Rocky's managers Mickey Goldmill and Apollo Creed dead. With Adrian insisting on her husband's retirement, Rocky decides, at least for the time being, not to take the fight with Cane.Rocky, Adrian, and Adrian's brother Paulie return to their lavish Philadelphia home to find out that Paulie had unknowingly signed 'power of attorney' over to Balboa's accountant, who had, in turn, squandered all of Rocky's money on bad business deals and fled the country with all of the Balboa estate money (it is also revealed the accountant had not paid Rocky's income taxes in six years). Now bankrupt, Rocky is forced to sell his house and auction all of his cars and belongings: the only thing Rocky does not lose is Mickey's gym, which Mickey had willed to Rocky's son (making it untouchable to the IRS). Rocky immediately decides to take the fight against Cane to earn money. However, years of fighting, especially the last one with Drago, have taken a toll on him and after a physical evaluation, it is determined that Rocky has suffered significant brain damage, and that he can no longer fight without further risking his health. Rocky is forced to vacate the championship (which Cane subsequently wins) and move back into his old working-class Philadelphia neighborhood, where he and the family must try to start their lives over again. Rocky begins training boxers at Mickey's gym, Adrian gets her old job back at the pet store across the street and Paulie goes back to working at the meat packing plant.After a few months, things start to look up for them when Rocky meets a hungry young fighter from Oklahoma named Tommy Gunn and takes him under his wing. Training the young fighter gives Rocky a sense of purpose, and he slowly helps Tommy fight his way up the ladder to become a top contender. Meanwhile, the new friendship results in Rocky paying little attention to Robert, who becomes withdrawn and angry. He eventually falls in with the wrong crowd at school, and as a result he begins acting out at home.Over the next few years, Tommy's rapid rise through the ranks catches the eye of Duke, who uses the promise of a title shot and Tommy's own resentment at being compared to his trainer to lure him away from Rocky. Duke pulls up outside the Balboa house with Tommy in tow, who has now been brainwashed into thinking that Rocky doesn't have his best interests in mind. When Rocky tries to convince his friend otherwise, an ungrateful Tommy drives off in a huff, leaving Rocky for good.As he watches Tommy's car speed off into the night, his head suddenly pounds with nightmarish flashbacks of his fight with Drago. When Adrian attempts to comfort him, Rocky's frustrations finally boil over. He confesses that his life had meaning again when he was able to live vicariously through Tommy's success. She reasons with him, telling him that Tommy never had his heart and spirit that it was something he could never learn. When this realization hits him, an emotional Rocky embraces his wife and they begin to pick up the pieces. After finding Robert hanging out on a street corner, Rocky apologizes to his son, and they mend their broken relationship.On New Years Day, January 1, 1990, Tommy wins the heavyweight title by knocking out Union Cane in the first round, but is booed by protesters during the fight and is hounded by reporters after the fight: they tell him that Cane was nothing but a paper champion (indicating that Cane was named champion after Rocky vacated the title) with a glass jaw and that the public would never consider Tommy the real champion because he didn't win the title from Balboa. In the hallway Tommy is very upset about being called "Rocky's robot" Duke, sensing an opportunity, tells Tommy that he needs to fight Rocky man to man and settle once and for all who is the best.Duke and Tommy show up at a local bar to goad Rocky into accepting a fight; Rocky initially declines but after Tommy hits Paulie, Rocky agrees, however he insists on a street fight then and there. Despite Duke's warnings to "fight in the ring", Tommy accepts the fight.Despite gaining the upper hand early in the fight, Rocky is eventually beaten down by Tommy and is seemingly out for the count. His head once again pounds with hellish visions of the fight with Drago, and with visions of Mickeys burial. He then has visions of Mickey and hears his old mentors voice saying "I didn't hear no bell!" and urging him to go "one more round". Rocky gets back up and with Robert, Adrian, Paulie, and the whole neighborhood cheering him on, utilizes the street fighting knowledge from his days of collecting for a loan shark to defeat Tommy, using various tricks to trip Tommy, tie him up and finally knocking him into the grill of a bus with a final blow. After the fight, Duke commends Rocky and tries to appeal to him, but Rocky has heard enough. Duke threatens to sue if Rocky touches him, but after a brief hesitation, Rocky punches him in the gut anyway, knocking him onto the hood of a car. The crowd cheers as the bankrupt Rocky shrugs and asks "Sue me for what?".Rocky and Robert meet up the next day at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and Rocky gives Robert the Rocky Marciano cuff-link given to him as a gift from Mickey. They make their way to the museum, Rocky says "I love most everybody". The film ends with a shot of Rocky's statue looking out over Philadelphia.
    

Talia Shire

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