Hollywood puts forth a dramatic, inspiring pitch for an upcoming production and everybody laughs.
December 15, 2006 (Press Release) --
That's happened with the trailer for "Rocky Balboa," the sixth installment in the franchise after a 16-year absence. And the film has been battered with derision and peppered with punch lines even before it hits theaters.
That hasn't blindsided the film's 60-year-old star, however.
"I understand, I do. I totally get it. They're going to have that polarization," Sylvester Stallone told The Associated Press when asked about audience reactions. "My hope is that people that have screened it have enjoyed it and say, `You know what? It's not as bad as you think.'"
Stallone's comeback bid is part of a larger trend of aging stars revisiting dormant franchises. Sharon Stone, 48, earlier this year again crossed her legs for "Basic Instinct 2," 14 years after the original. Harrison Ford, 64, wants to make another "Indiana Jones" (which last was in theaters in 1989) and more than a decade later, Bruce Willis, 51, thinks he can "Die Hard" again.
Back in 1983, Sean Connery had moderate success returning to 007 in "Never Say Never Again," an encore to his James Bond run which had ended in 1971 with "Diamonds Are Forever."
But Stallone who's also hoping to revive "Rambo" is playing a role particularly revealing of the aging process. Even in 1990's much-disliked "Rocky V," the fighter was presented as over-the-hill.
It is, though, a story often replayed in the boxing ring; George Foreman's multitude of comeback attempts extended even until 2004 (when Foreman was 55), but that attempt didn't make it past training.
In "Rocky Balboa" (which carefully avoids the roman numeral "VI" since marketing research suggests moviegoers prefer original titles for sequels) Rocky comes out of retirement after a televised virtual simulation shows he could beat the current champ, Mason "The Line" Dixon (Antonio Tarver).
"It sounds like something somebody said as a joke at a pitch meeting and people wrote it down," said Mark Lisanti, editor of the L.A. gossip blog Defamer.com. The site has repeatedly poked fun at the new "Rocky" film as have a number of late night talk show hosts and comedians.
"It's hard for it not to look desperate," Lisanti added.
Source: http://www.yahoo.com
That hasn't blindsided the film's 60-year-old star, however.
"I understand, I do. I totally get it. They're going to have that polarization," Sylvester Stallone told The Associated Press when asked about audience reactions. "My hope is that people that have screened it have enjoyed it and say, `You know what? It's not as bad as you think.'"
Stallone's comeback bid is part of a larger trend of aging stars revisiting dormant franchises. Sharon Stone, 48, earlier this year again crossed her legs for "Basic Instinct 2," 14 years after the original. Harrison Ford, 64, wants to make another "Indiana Jones" (which last was in theaters in 1989) and more than a decade later, Bruce Willis, 51, thinks he can "Die Hard" again.
Back in 1983, Sean Connery had moderate success returning to 007 in "Never Say Never Again," an encore to his James Bond run which had ended in 1971 with "Diamonds Are Forever."
But Stallone who's also hoping to revive "Rambo" is playing a role particularly revealing of the aging process. Even in 1990's much-disliked "Rocky V," the fighter was presented as over-the-hill.
It is, though, a story often replayed in the boxing ring; George Foreman's multitude of comeback attempts extended even until 2004 (when Foreman was 55), but that attempt didn't make it past training.
In "Rocky Balboa" (which carefully avoids the roman numeral "VI" since marketing research suggests moviegoers prefer original titles for sequels) Rocky comes out of retirement after a televised virtual simulation shows he could beat the current champ, Mason "The Line" Dixon (Antonio Tarver).
"It sounds like something somebody said as a joke at a pitch meeting and people wrote it down," said Mark Lisanti, editor of the L.A. gossip blog Defamer.com. The site has repeatedly poked fun at the new "Rocky" film as have a number of late night talk show hosts and comedians.
"It's hard for it not to look desperate," Lisanti added.
Source: http://www.yahoo.com
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