2012 Off topic thread(basketball,movies,etc whatever)

[SPX]

I remember seeing Rocky V in the theater with my dad all those many years ago. I think at the time I thought it was a good movie.

I actually haven't seen it in years. But I remember enough about it to not really want to watch it again. I probably should though so that I can be a better participant in conversations on the subject.

[zY|]

You ready for this?

Never actually seen Rocky IV. Know the plot, seen montages, etc, never actually watched the movie. Or 5 or 6, for that matter. I'm not really sure I've seen the 2nd one, either, in it's entirety, at least.

[SPX]

Dude, you should run, not walk, watch that shit, and report back.

It has some really classic scenes and montages. Apollo's speech in Rocky's living room about getting old, the Apollo/Drago sequence, and the Rocky Training Naturally / Drago Training Scientifically montage are all awesome.

[Ludo]

I agree. That IS the question.

Apparently a lot of people don't like Rocky IV. I don't know why not.

It's not the most dramatically credible film in the franchise, but it is the most fun.

It's My favorite of the series. Ivan Drago is without a doubt the best "villain" of any of those movies. We didn't know enough about Apollo Creed in the first movie to make him a villain so much as Rocky was the up and coming hungry fighter getting a shot at gold. Apollo's intentions are good enough in the second movie to dismiss him as a true heel rather than a competitor at heart who can't take not knowing whether or not he's really the best. Clubber Lang, while flashy, was really just a challenger rather than a villain. The only instances where Lang isn't just a more boisterous version of Balboa from the first two movies is when he shoves Mickey on the stairs. Tommy Gunn was just a stupid character. Drago not only killed Apollo but intentionally looked to hurt Apollo, which forced Rocky to step up after the fact.

[SPX]

I agree. And fuck it! I'm with you! Rocky IV is my favorite too, goddamn it!

ROCKY FUCKING IV!!!!

[SPX]

The real legitimate criticism of Rocky IV is that there's just not much to it. It's basically two fights (Apollo/Drago and Rocky/Drago) and like three different montages.

That's a simplification, of course. But still kind of accurate. But who cares. Apollo's pathos gives the film all the dramatic weight it needs, in my opinion.

[Ludo]

Well in Rocky IV Rocky actually has a real motivation to fuck somebody up for a change. Not just to compete and to win or because he got called out by the next hungry challenger or got beat by the next hungry challenger already, but because: 1) the guy is russian, 2) he killed Apollo in front of Rocky. It may have been a poorly made film but the elements in it are probably the most sincere of all the films in the series. There's a difference between underdog and vengeful underdog.

[SPX]

Interesting point. I hadn't thought about it quite like that, but you're right.

Why would you call it poorly made, though? It's a fairly SIMPLE film. That is, it has a simple, straightforward script. But I think it's actually very WELL made.

[Ludo]

Interesting point. I hadn't thought about it quite like that, but you're right.

Why would you call it poorly made, though? It's a fairly SIMPLE film. That is, it has a simple, straightforward script. But I think it's actually very WELL made.

It's poorly made because it's not got much to it. It's pretty much 20 minutes or so of fight scenes and 15 minutes of training scenes and then about an hour of filler. That's not a negative really, just the reality of it. It's still My favorite and it just goes to show that sometimes a poorly made film can still be a total classic and grab your attention.

[SPX]

I wouldn't call that poorly made. As I said, it may be simple . . . but that doesn't mean poorly made. The narrative is cohesive, the lighting and cinematography are great, the soundtrack is . . . well I like it, Ivan Drago is an interesting fucking character, the acting is good . . . those things add up to a well-made film.

If you have a problem with the script, then that's another matter that is only tangentially related to how well crafted the film is.

[MMA_scientist]

Rocky IV has a great 80's soundtrack.

... is my response...

[SPX]

Why the fuck's this place so quiet on an event day?

[Ludo]

That's a good question. I think the excitement level on this card is a little muted given that it kind of lacks overall betting value and for the most part what amount of excitement there would have been gets lost in questioning the main event. The co-main is probably going to be good, though.

[SPX]

What do you mean by questioning the main event?

I guess the way I see it is this is the return of GS fucking P. People should be amped about that.

[Ludo]

What do you mean by questioning the main event?

I guess the way I see it is this is the return of GS fucking P. People should be amped about that.

I mean the questions surrounding the main event. Whether or not GSP came back too fast? Will he be truly 100%? Did this kind of knee injury change him as an athlete forever like it has so many other athletes? Will we see Condit trying to pull the same kind of shit he did with Diaz? If GSP is 100% how much of a shot does Condit even have?

These kind of questions could make for an entertaining fight or an incredibly frustrating one.