Stallone 's 'Rocky ' sentimental, corny but not irritating
Thursday, March 17. 1977 The Daily Tar Hsel 5
By HANK BAKER
DTH Contributor
Sylvester Stallone has a cocky
aggressiveness as a performer that
establishes an immediate rapport with
the audience. He makes you pay
attention to him by his very directness,
and it is precisely this quality that makes
him such a winning personality in
Rocky which he wrote and stars in.
Playing a down-and-out, 30-year-old
club fighter who gets a chance at the
World Heavyweight Championship,
Stallone invests so much "of himself in
the role that he disappears into it. After
see ing the film , you can't imagine him in
any other role. He and the other actors
are what make Rocky the small gem it is.
Rocky is one of the best American
films of 1976, but then, only a small
handful of American films were good
last year, a rather appalling situation
that is usually not the case. But after
being battered by the dreary egomania
of A Star Is Born and the ridiculous,
condescending evangelism of Network,
the simplicity of Rocky's good spirits is x
a real relief. Despite its big buildup as a
"sleeper hit", I don't think Rocky is
popular because it's about a seeming ,
loser who makes it big as much as the
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fact that its directness satisfies the
audience without battering it. Despite
its fairy-tale premise, the movie works
on its own level and keeps its energy
flowing instead of draining it and taking
on hackneyed ideologies like so many
other "small" films do.
The film's adrenalin and charm are
provided by the performers more than
anyone else. Stallone plays Rocky
Balboa, nicknamed "The Italian
Stallion," a small-time club boxer
forced into having to collect debts for a
loan shark to make a living. Rocky is a
real hulk, and a not-too-bright one also,
but he has a sense of humanity and
individualism even when he knows he's
headed nowhere. But his chance of a
lifetime comes when the World's
Heavyweight Champion, Apollo Creed
(Carl Weathers) decides to fight a total
unknown when his original partner
becomes ill. Rocky is that unknown,
and he strenuously works out to prepare
himself, if only to last 15 rounds with
Apollo.
There's a lot of room for corny and
sentimental plot mechanics here,
particularly when Rocky romances a
shy young girl named Adrienne (Talia
Shire). But even though some corny
scenes develop out of this subplot and
the main story, they aren't irritating at
all. The entire film has a naivete about it
that quickly dispels any oncoming
Sis
Spring time
is Pearl time
queasiness. Even though credulity is
strained at times, the unabashedness of
the script and performances concerning
the sentimentality saves the film. If
anyone involved had tried to be
dignified about any of this, persons in
the audience would be laughing at the
screen. Yet Rocky is good-natured
enough to avoid this; you realize what
you're seeing is corny and obvious, yet
you accept it because the dialogue and
characters are loose, funny and
energetic, and the film has . an
irresistible innocence about its themes.
Stallone has a knack for dialogue,
and his characters never lose interest.
Even in their dirty, drab surroundings,
they're alive, striving to get out of the
dumps. Adrienne starts out as a shy,
repressed woman approaching
spinsterhood; but when she finally
begins her relationship with Rocky, she
comes out of her shell, trying to release
her energy. Her brother Paulie (Burt
Young) is stuck in a meat factory and
wants Rocky's publicity to help him out
of his hole. Young has a dry, crackling
tone in his voice that shows us a
desperate guy who has been put down
too much, and his performance never
loses its grip. Shire, as Adrienne,
captures the attention at first because of
the marvelous simplicity and reserve in
her voice and gestures. Her Cinderella
like change happens too fast, but Shire's
earnestness and honesty make it work.
A real surprise comes from ex-Oakland
Raider Carl Weathers, whose Apollo
Creed has the perfect blend of flashy
impertinence and humor, particularly in
his jubilation when he comes into the
ring dressed as Uncle Sam shouting, "I
want you? I want you!"
Stallone is the center of the film,
though, but he doesn't try to overpower
the others. The role of Rocky belongs to
him, and it's to his credit that he
managed to hold out on selling his script
until the producers agreed to let him
star. He holds the film together more
than director John Avildson does. This
material may have appealed to
Avildson's sensibilities, but the only
discernible aspect of his style here is the
way he lurches through the film as if he
can't wait to get to the next scene.
Though Rocky has a lot going for it; it
isn't a particularly well-made film. The
lighting in the neighborhood scenes is
too carefully calculated to show us how
poor people live. It's too dark, too
dreary. The music is saccharine,
particularly during the irritating disco
song "Gonna Fly Now" that nearly ruins
a sequence in which Rocky is preparing
for the fight. Avildson has a good sense
for locations, but his camera
movements and placements seem
arbitrary, as does the editing. The scenes
play out, thanks to the actors, but there
is no rhythm or flow to them. They just
jerkily move along. The one exception
to this is the final fight sequence between
Rocky and Apollo, which is furious,
exciting and all too convincing.
Considering the starvation diet we've
been getting from films lately, it would
be easy to overpraise a film like Rocky.
But the film does succeed in entertaining
on its own level, and that's more than
most recent films even approach. Rocky
provides a healthy dose of fun which
anyone can use.
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Contemporary poet Allen Ginsberg will autograph his books at 2 p.m. today in the
Bulls Head Bookshop, along with tenow auinors wimam Durruugns anu reiei
Orlovsky. At 8 p.m. the three will give a joint poetryprose read ing in Memorial Hall.
Fleetwood Mac, Santana perform
- r' si 1 . l '11 l
Don't Miss the Man from Minolta.
He'll Be Here For A
MINOLTA DEMONSTRATION
NOON TO 8 P.M. - TODAY
929-5555 PKOTOMEI
PHOTOGRAPHIC CENTER JuU JUU Ul JQ. S
University Mall, west wing beside Optical Illusions
10 a.m.-9 p.m.
Mon.-Sat.
The Fleetwood Mac show at the Greensboro
Coliseum Saturday is practically sold out. Area
Record Bars have been sold out since Tuesday, but
WQDR-FM reported Wednesday afternoon that
a few $7.50 seats are still available at the Coliseum
box office.
Ther are plenty of $4.50 tickets available for the
Santana , concert Friday at Duke's Cameron
Indoor Stadium. Wednesday afternoon, the
Record Bar on Henderson Street still had
approximately 450 of the upstairs general
admission tickets, while the Record Bar at
University Mall had 300 upstairs tickets left.
The show in Greensboro will be the first for
Fleetwood Mac in two weeks. Their current tour
was almost cancelled when Stevie Nicks developed
a severe sore throat in San Diego. Doctors warned
her that serious permanent damage would develop
if she didn't rest her voice. Playboy named
Fleetwood Mac the number one pop group in its
current music poll.
Firefall, a relatively new group, will be
appearing with Fleetwood Mac. Rolling Stone
reported that Firefall is a band to watch. Their
first album, released last summer, had two songs
that scored high in the charts, "Livin' Ain't
Livin' " and "It Doesn't Matter." They gave quite
a show at Georgetown University in October. It
was reminiscent of the Eagles three years ago.
Mellow music with searing guitars. Listen to the
lyrics.
Santana at Duke also should prove to be a wild
show. On the current tour, they have been mixing
their old Latin and soul beats with their new jazz
and disco rhythms. Santana fans should be ready
for some incredible guitar work by Carlos. Pure
Prairie League, the group who had a hit song,
"Amie," two years ago, also will appear with
Santana.
Both shows begin at 8 p.m.
JACK GREENSPAN
CLARENCES BAR & GRILL, Home of the Cheapest
Brew in Town, Announces the Best Hot D09 in Town.
Prove it to Yourself. Today thru Sat. March 19, Buy
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" . . the senior man who is most versatile, as
evidenced by his scholastic achievement,
character, participation in extracurricular ac
tivities, and service to his fellow students . .
. . .The William P. Jacocks Memorial Award
DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE
WHO FITS THE
DESCRIPTION?
Nomination forms available at the Union Desk and in 01
Steele Building (Office of Student Affairs). Deadline: Mon
day, March 21st.
This award will be presented at the Chancellor's Under
graduate Awards Ceremony, April 19, Morehead
Building.
New course additions to Carolyceum!
The Art of Massage
Beginning Needle Work
Sign-up ends March 21st
Classes start the week of March 21 .
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Show and Dance!
Four hours of super Beach music!
flvA 1 Showmen f
S Live! Jlf
Thursday March 31
8:00 p.m.
Carmichael Auditorium
Available at the UNION Desk
or Chapel Hill Record Bars.
Pk Carolina
f ITCH)
933-2285
Houston Ballet
8:00 p.m.
Reynolds Coliseum,
Raleigh
March 25-26
Tickets $2.00
Deep Jonah presents
Frank Dieter
and
Emy Reeves
performing from
8:30 11:00
NO COVER
Friday March 18
Bring your own beer & wine
food sold inside
DCs!
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carojna
f U!0fl
(b
Pla...'II civ S9 to en&l villi II
TPDD2G0 (SALQG
Sun. April 17 1
Other Upcoming Concerts
The David Bromberg Band
8 p.m.
Memorial Hall
$3.00
Thurs. April 21 Jesse Colin Young
8 p.m. Carmichael Auditorium
North Carolina9 s own
PBEDMON"
CHAMBER
ORCHESTRA
f
8:00 p.m.
Sunday March 20
Memorial Hall
Tickets $2.00 for UNC students
Tickets fcz.uu