Sylvester Stallone turns 80
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
The Clare Byrne Show on Newstalk. With Aviva Insurance.
Yes, we're going to talk about Sylvester Stallone. Why? Because he's 80. He's 80. And when you look at him, I mean, you know, maybe there's been a bit of work or whatever, but he still looks... A lot of work. Yeah, he still looks pretty decent. So I have a theory about Sylvester Stallone.
Why is Sylvester Stallone being celebrated on his 80th birthday?
I think largely due to him and stuff he's done, but he's misunderstood. People often think of him as a bad actor and a guy who's made some terrible movies and because of his presence, a bit of a... blockhead, if I may be so bold. I think you're right.
But he's not. No, he's not. When I was thinking about talking to you about this, that was my impression. I don't know much about Sylvester Stallone, but I thought he was the fella who just was lumped in. Yo Adrian! Yeah, exactly.
How do the hosts challenge the myth that Stallone is a bad actor?
Bring in the muscle. and put him in there and have him in this movie because he fits what we're looking for. And then I realised, and you're going to tell us about this, that he is so much more than that.
He's so much more than this. And exhibit A is Rocky. Rocky is one of the most misunderstood movies of all time. The first Rocky movie I'm talking about. This is about this low level, borderline criminal, nice guy who's living on the mean streets of Philadelphia, was a boxer, never got a shot. And then through strange circumstances, he ends up getting a shot at the title because they just literally pick his name out of a book one day and he gets a shot at the title. But when you look back at the movie, like about an hour of it has nothing to do with boxing. It's this kind of lost soul trying to find his way back. And we could do a whole show on his struggles to get this made. He wrote the script. They said, yeah, maybe there's no way you're starring in this.
And he basically offered to do it for free in order to get in the lead role. Because let's not forget, he has this kind of drawl. And, you know, people didn't certainly think at the time, and possibly even not now, that his voice was right for a leading man. During his birth, there was these forceps kind of rudimentarily opposed to his face when he was being born. And it's given him this kind of slur by his own admission. And yet, in a weird kind of way, it did work very well for that kind of boxer character. But I think when you look at Rocky... Everyone should go home and watch the first Rocky movie because it's a masterclass in kind of living with regret and getting a second chance. Let me bring you Exhibit A. This is him talking to the sadly departed Buster Meredith, who was his coach and is now offering to coach him again now that he's going to fight the great Adonis Creed.
I want to be your manager. You follow that, do you? Fight said I'll need no manager. I mean, I've got pain, and I've got experience. I've got pain, and I've got experience, too. Now, listen, kid. Hey, look, hey, Mick. What? I needed your help about ten years ago, right? Ten years ago? Right. You never helped me, though. You didn't care. Well, if you wanted help, I say, if you wanted help, why didn't you ask? Why didn't you just ask me, kid? Look, I asked, but you never heard nothing. You ten years have come to my house. Huh? What's the matter? You don't like my house? My ass stink?
What makes the original Rocky a misunderstood film about regret and second chances?
That's right, it stinks. What about your pride? What about my pride, Mick? At least you had a pride. I ain't had no pride. I ain't had nothing. Lives are gone. Everything is gone. No one's getting nothing. Guy comes up, offers me a fight. Big deal. Want to fight the fight. Yeah, I'll fight the big fight. Yeah, I'll fight him. My face kicked in.
Hmm. That's from the Rocky movie. I was a bit distracted there because I was looking at pictures of Sylvester Stallone and like the work is extraordinary on his face. What was he thinking?
I know. But the work is extraordinary in cinemas when we drill down a bit, you know. The other. So the Rocky movies lost their way. That's the problem. See, this is a spoiler, but people forget, like, Rocky's scene is this, you know, people play it when they're running marathons and stuff like that.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:01–0:22
2
Why is Sylvester Stallone being celebrated on his 80th birthday?
0:22–0:52
3
How do the hosts challenge the myth that Stallone is a bad actor?
0:52–3:24
4
What makes the original Rocky a misunderstood film about regret and second chances?
3:24–13:52
5
How did Rocky’s sequels change the franchise’s tone and quality?
13:52–16:16