The Rewatchables: ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan

Published 2025-03-04; 1:53:04 by the feed.

As extracted (engineer-sonnet-2026-10-13)

The extraction calls the show “The Rewatchables (The Ringer)” and the episode “'Rocky' With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan”.

Hosts: Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Van Lathan, Sean Fennessey. Guests: none.

Subject films: Rocky (1976).

On the transcript: No speaker labels and heavy crosstalk; many sentences are split across lines and speaker attribution is largely inferred, so confidences are modest. The transcript includes repeated ad reads and a live-show promo; the sections after 1:52:48 are ads.

Awards and segments (97)

Double feature

pick Raging Bull: Offered as the best double feature choice for Rocky.
“I go Raging Bull.”
unknown · 1:44:35
pick Saturday Night Fever: Watching Rocky made this host want to watch Saturday Night Fever.
“I went Saturday Night Fever. This movie made me want to watch Saturday Night Fever for some reason.”
unknown · 1:44:36
pick Rocky II: Go straight from the first film into the second, skipping the stretch where Adrian is in a coma.
“I think you have to go right from here into the 2nd one.”
unknown · 1:44:48

Most rewatchable scene

pick The pre-credits Spider Rico fight, the headbutt, the smoke afterward and the tiny payday.
“I have probably too many, but I love the beginning with the Spider Rico fight.”
Bill Simmons · 0:35:55
pick Apollo breaking out his bicentennial plan.
“I'm combining 3 small scenes together because they're all in a row. Apollo breaking out his bicentennial plan.”
Bill Simmons · 0:38:37
pick Gazzo's driver and his zoo line, and Rocky finally going after him.
“Right into Gazza's driver.”
Bill Simmons · 0:38:49
pick Apollo in the office picking 'the Italian Stallion', then Jergens making Rocky the offer and the press conference.
“Well, then we get right from there back to the office with Apollo going.”
Bill Simmons · 0:39:27
pick Mickey's speech asking to be Rocky's manager, and Rocky screaming at the door ('What about my problem?').
“I love the door opening, opening and closing, 'cause he thinks Mickey left, but he didn't, then he slams the door again, then he opens, um, he just starts screaming incoherently, which is some of my favorites alone.”
Bill Simmons · 0:41:23
pick The wordless reconciliation between Rocky and Mickey, shot from far away.
“And then, uh, I like the world wordless reconciliation. from far away.”
Bill Simmons · 0:41:39
pick Rocky's TV interview in the meat freezer, with Duke slowly turning around at the sound of the punches.
“Rocky's TV interview in the meat freezer, which also gets the big Kahuna Burger Award for best use of food and drink.”
Bill Simmons · 0:41:57
pick The Gonna Fly Now training sequence: one-handed push-ups, racing the boat, the second chance at the museum stairs.
“All of a sudden, this goes into the gonna fly now, training sequence, which I forgot.”
Bill Simmons · 0:43:16
pick Rocky alone in the Spectrum the day before the fight, then telling Adrian he just wants to go the distance.
“They got my trunks wrong. That scene when he goes into the spectrum.”
Bill Simmons · 0:44:35
pick The fight entrance: Paulie and the robe, Apollo's Uncle Sam entrance, the Joe Frazier cameo and the nicknames.
“Um, I'm splitting the fight up into three scenes, the entire fight entrance.”
Bill Simmons · 0:45:17
pick The first two rounds of the fight, including the first-round knockdown.
“First 2 rounds of the fight. The 1st round knockdown is one of the most exciting sports movie moments ever.”
Bill Simmons · 0:45:55
pick The 14th round: 'Stay down', Apollo's shoulder slump, the body shots, and cut me, Mick.
“Next scene. I think this is my most rewatchable.”
Bill Simmons · 0:46:30
pick The ending: the bell, everybody rushing the ring, Rocky calling for Adrian.
“And then the ending.”
Bill Simmons · 0:47:50
pick The training sequence and finally getting up the art museum steps to Gonna Fly Now.
“I think I'd probably go with the training. Yeah, the finally getting up the art museum steps to go to fly now.”
unknown · 0:49:01
floated The 14th round, floated before the training pick.
“I love the 14th round.”
unknown · 0:49:06
runner-up Rocky and Adrian's first date at the ice skating rink.
“I think it's the training, but I do want to just give some love to Rocky and Adrian's 1st date. the ice skating rink”
unknown · 0:49:08

Roger Ebert's review · Reading what Ebert said about the film in 1976.

pick Rocky: Four stars; he notes Crash got four stars the week before.
“Four stars this week for Rocky.”
Bill Simmons · 0:34:57

Great shot · Best shot in the film.

winner The Steadicam run up the museum steps: Credited to Garrett Brown and his Steadicam.
“Oh, the running up there, Museum of Steps, steady cam.”
unknown · 0:41:48
pick The wide shot of Philly ending the first 5 AM training scene
“We said the 5 AM training ending the 1st time with the wide shot of Philly.”
unknown · 1:06:22

Big Kahuna Burger Award · Best use of food and drink.

winner The meat locker the TV interview is shot in
“Rocky's TV interview in the meat freezer, which also gets the big Kahuna Burger Award for best use of food and drink.”
Bill Simmons · 0:41:57
nominee Paulie and the Thanksgiving turkey: Another candidate for the award; Paulie wields the turkey leg like a scepter.
“I'll be honest with you, there's another candidate, though.”
unknown · 0:42:08

Most 1976 thing · The most 1976 thing about the movie.

pick The white doo-wop group on the street corner
“Well, that's what I had most 1976 thing.”
Bill Simmons · 0:50:37

Aged best · What about the movie has aged the best.

pick The Steadicam work: Garrett Brown's invention used for the museum steps run.
“Wood stage the best. See, I mentioned the steady cam.”
unknown · 0:52:05
pick The music and soundtrack: Still played at sporting events.
“Wood sage the best. the music and the soundtrack.”
unknown · 0:52:56
pick The actual turtles, still alive as of 2021
“The actual turtles. Still alive as of 2021, which...”
unknown · 0:53:12
pick The sports movie genre itself: Argues the genre exists in its current form because of this movie.
“I personally think that just overall, the sports movie, obviously, has aged the best, but I think that this, it's because of Rocky.”
unknown · 0:53:35
pick Race and tribalism in boxing: The transcript line is garbled; this may be the aged-best prompt leading into the race discussion.
“More would save the best. Race in boxing?”
unknown · 0:56:16
pick The 5 AM training scene that comes back later
“Borwood stage the best. The 5 a.m.”
unknown · 1:00:42
pick The meat freezer
“More would say is the best. The meat freezer is just an amazing. Whoever thought of that, give them a gold star.”
unknown · 1:01:56
pick The Rocky marathons on TV
“Woodsage the best, the rocky marathons that eventually got on TV once we got to 3 or four, and they would just run them all in a row.”
unknown · 1:02:55
pick Rocky as shorthand for any out-of-nowhere fighter or golfer story
“Another would say the best. Any scenario where a boxer, UFC fighter, tennis player, or golfer is an out of nowhere story and you just think of Rocky immediately.”
unknown · 1:03:22

Brandy Booth Award · Best performance by a pet.

winner Butkus as Rocky's dog (Stallone's real dog): Stallone sold the dog for $50 while writing the script and got it back after selling the script.
“giving Buckus the Brandy Booth Award. best performance by a pet.”
unknown · 1:02:50

Best character name · Best name in the film.

winner Apollo Creed: Called up there with Darth Vader.
“It's got to be Apollo Creek.”
unknown · 1:07:29
nominee Spider Rico
“Right. Fantasy, don't sleep on Spider Rico.”
unknown · 1:07:42

Paulie Award for asshole of the film · The biggest asshole in the movie.

winner Burt Young as Paulie: Van's flex category; he cites Paulie pimping out his sister and throwing the Thanksgiving turkey out the window.
“The Poly Award for asshole of the film. It goes to Polly?”
Van Lathan · 1:07:55

Butch's Girlfriend Award · The weak link of the film.

pick Burt Young as Paulie
“I had the, for the butch's girlfriend a word for weak link in the film, either Polly or the, just the Rocky Adrian courting scenes are so slow now in 2025.”
Bill Simmons · 1:10:43
pick The slow Rocky and Adrian courting scenes: Said it is 25 minutes of content that would be nine today.
“They're just, yeah, it's 25 minutes of content that now you're probably doing nine.”
Bill Simmons · 1:10:51

Did this movie need a better intimacy coordinator? (Steven Seagal Hard to Kill Award) · Whether the film's romance scenes needed an intimacy coordinator.

winner Rocky's first kiss with Adrian in his apartment
“He kind of mauls her a little bit in the 1st time.”
unknown · 1:11:54

Award for excellence in smoking · Best smoking in the film.

pick Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa: Proposed a second award for smoking so much on set he quit in real life.
“I thought Stallone smoking was excellent.”
unknown · 1:12:24

Aged worst · What about the movie has aged the worst.

pick Burt Young as Paulie: Everything about Paulie; he never gets punished for how he treats his sister.
“Woodsage the worst. Everything about Polly.”
unknown · 1:12:46
pick The Chuck Wepner story
“Chuck Webner, that whole story is the worst.”
unknown · 1:13:12
pick The sparse fight crowd: Wishes someone had paid to CGI in fans for the re-release.
“This is the biggest kind of nitpick all these years later where I just wish somebody had done a George Lucas and just paid the 50 grand to CGI some fans all over the place.”
unknown · 1:13:20
pick Garrett Brown as Steadicam inventor: He took money instead of points in the picture.
“And then Garrett Brown, the steady cam guy, not taking points in the picture is age worse.”
unknown · 1:14:02
pick Rocky's advice to 12-year-old Marie about bad words
“I think Rocky's advice to that 12-year-old girl, you use bad words and maybe you end up becoming a whore.”
unknown · 1:14:07
pick Burt Young as Paulie as the brother
“Yeah, just Polly as the brother.”
unknown · 1:15:12
pick The white doo-wop groups
“Um, uh, oh, a white do-op groups.”
unknown · 1:15:16

Overacting award · Best overacting in the film.

winner Talia Shire as Adrian: Adrian freaking out on Paulie; good acting, but she goes up a level and sometimes it gets away from her.
“It's good acting, but it's got a good Adrian freaking out on Polly.”
unknown · 1:15:21

Hottest take · The hottest take about the film.

pick Joe Spinell as Gazzo: Gazzo is the most interesting non-big-three character and the movie would be better with two more Gazzo scenes and two fewer Paulie scenes.
“by far the most interesting non-big 3 character in this movie, not Rocky Adrian or Apollo is by far Gazzo.”
Chris Ryan · 1:16:09
pick Rocky and Apollo as the greatest love story of our time: A take the speaker says was already used on a previous episode.
“I mean, this is the beginning of the greatest love story of our time.”
unknown · 1:17:25
pick Without Rocky, Philadelphia is Delaware with more attitude: Offered as an old-school hot take; others push back.
“If this movie didn't exist, Philadelphia would basically be Delaware with more attitude, a nicer art museum, and a couple pro sports.”
Bill Simmons · 1:17:48

Casting what ifs · Almost-castings and recasts.

pick Robert Redford, Ryan O'Neal, Burt Reynolds and James Caan as Rocky (studio wish list): United Artists wanted an established star.
“United Artists wanted a well-established star. Redford, who I think that's just mentioned for every movie ever.”
Bill Simmons · 1:19:12
pick James Caan and Harvey Keitel as Rocky and Paulie
“What is this movie if it's James Conn is Rocky and Harvey Keitel is Polly?”
unknown · 1:19:47
pick Ken Norton as Apollo Creed: Pulled out and the part went to Carl Weathers; Stallone wanted Harvey Keitel as Paulie.
“Ken Norton was targeted for Apollo Creed, pulled out, and they gave it to Carl Weathers.”
Bill Simmons · 1:20:21
pick Carrie Snodgress as Adrian: Cast, then a money dispute; they auditioned Susan Sarandon and Cher, and liked Sarandon but thought her too pretty.
“Carrie Snodgress? I don't even know who that is, was chosen to play Adrian, and they had a money dispute”
Bill Simmons · 1:20:33
pick Lee Strasberg as Mickey: Wanted too much money.
“They wanted Lee Strasburg for Mickey and he wanted too much money.”
Bill Simmons · 1:20:50
pick John Cazale as Paulie: A more likable Paulie, though Cazale had played the failed brother a few too many times.
“I think that there is a different version of Pauly that's like a little bit more likable?”
unknown · 1:23:29
winner Tom Cruise as Rocky: Cruise over Hanks as a heavyweight challenger; one host dissents for Hanks.
“I can't buy Hanks as a heavyweight boxing challenger.”
unknown · 1:34:15
pick Martin Scorsese co-directing with Steven Spielberg: Spielberg's inspirational side with Scorsese's grit; the group leans Scorsese.
“The inspirational side of Spielberg, the gritty side of Scorsese.”
unknown · 1:34:41
pick Philip Seymour Hoffman as Paulie, Gazzo's driver or Jergens
“Polly? Pauly. I got Polly. Or Gazo's driver. How about Jurgens?”
unknown · 1:35:16

Best that guy · Best that-guy performance; no winner is named.

nominee Thayer David as Jergens
“Their David is is Jurgens, the manager.”
unknown · 1:22:17
nominee Stan Shaw as Dipper
“Stan Shaw was another one, but I think he's Stan Shaw, who played Dipper.”
unknown · 1:22:30
nominee Frank Stallone as the doo-wop singer
“And then Frank Stallone is Frank Stallone.”
unknown · 1:22:35
nominee Joe Spinell as Gazzo: Judged not eligible because he has already graduated from that guy.
“Joe Spinald is, I think he's not eligible.”
unknown · 1:22:11

Dion Waiters Award · Small role, big impact.

winner Gazzo's driver as Gazzo's driver: Called the definition of the award.
“Stu Nahan and Bill Baldwin, but my pick is Buddy, the driver.”
Bill Simmons · 1:23:00
nominee Marie as the teenage delinquent
“We got Marie, the teenage delinquent.”
Bill Simmons · 1:22:52
nominee Tony Burton as Duke
“Tony Burton as dude.”
Bill Simmons · 1:22:55
nominee Joe Spinell as Gazzo
“Joe Spino as Gazo.”
Bill Simmons · 1:22:56

Picking Nits · Nitpicks of a film they love.

pick Rocky wandering into the empty Spectrum the day before the fight
“So Rocky just waltzes into the spectrum one day before the fight to look around.”
unknown · 1:35:33
pick Five weeks to prepare, and the idea nobody would take the fight
“Five weeks. Plenty of time to prepare to fight the heavyweight champion in the world.”
unknown · 1:36:03
pick Mick's only contributions are the string trick and the cut: Argues Apollo is a much better trainer than Mickey.
“Apollo is a much better trainer than Mickey is.”
unknown · 1:37:07
pick Mick hearing Rocky's monologue from halfway down the street
“So there's no fucking way that Mick can hear this monologue halfway down the street.”
unknown · 1:38:09
pick Talia Shire as Adrian: Someone in the neighborhood would have gotten to her before Rocky did.
“My nit to pick is somebody would have gotten to Adrian before it is.”
unknown · 1:38:21

Okay, motherfucker moment · The moment the movie jumps up a notch.

pick Gonna Fly Now dropping about 90 minutes in: A flex category; the movie goes from sleepy boxing film to getting the adrenaline going.
“Okay, motherfucker moment when the movie jumps up a notches when gonna fly now, drops like 90 minutes in”
unknown · 1:27:51

Apex Mountain · Where a person's career or a thing's peak sits on the mountain.

pick Sylvester Stallone: Rocky III and First Blood, 1982; Bill says the peak has been litigated many times.
“I think his Apex Mountain was that Rocky 3, Rambo.”
unknown · 1:28:20
pick A woman taking her glasses off and getting hotter (Adrian): Is this the apex of the glasses-off transformation; the group says yes for Talia Shire.
“Is this apex mountain for a woman taking her glasses off and getting that much hotter?”
Bill Simmons · 1:28:26
pick Talia Shire as Adrian, the shy girlfriend
“It might be.”
Chris Ryan · 1:30:11
pick Withholding sex while training for a fight: Asks if this or Bull Durham is the apex; the group disputes whether Rocky actually abstained.
“I was also going to ask, is this Apex Mountain for withholding sex while training and or competing in sports? Is it this or Bull Durham?”
Chris Ryan · 1:30:13
pick John G. Avildsen: Even with the Oscar for this, a case that his peak is The Karate Kid.
“John Ableton, even though he won the Oscar for this? You can make a case that's karate kid.”
unknown · 1:31:34
pick Philadelphia: 1776, with Rocky's raised-arms image near the top
“You know, I think the founding of our nation, probably 1776 is a pretty big one.”
Chris Ryan · 1:32:04
pick Burt Young: Probably Rocky 3 when the character is more tolerable; best Burt Young is Back to School.
“Probably Rocky 3 when this character becomes more tolerable.”
unknown · 1:32:36

Who won the movie · Who came out of the movie best.

winner Sylvester Stallone: Argued as possibly the biggest who-won-the-movie ever: writer and star out of nowhere.
“Obviously, Si Stallone. Here's my question. Have we ever had somebody win a movie harder than this?”
Bill Simmons · 1:45:37

Oscar pick · Who should have won or been nominated.

winner All the President's Men as Best Picture
“So for best picture, definitely, I think all the presidents mentioned one best picture.”
unknown · 0:32:50
winner Martin Scorsese as Best Director
“I would go, all the president's been for a movie, and I would go Scorsese for best director.”
unknown · 0:33:06
winner Robert De Niro as Best Actor: Says William Holden is better in Network than Peter Finch, but that it is probably a De Niro year.
“that's probably a De Niro year if we're redoing.”
unknown · 0:32:33
winner Sylvester Stallone as Best Original Screenplay
“I got Stallone for screenplay.”
unknown · 1:41:00

Unanswered questions · Questions the movie leaves open.

pick Do women weaken legs?: Someone says an HBO show consulted science people and found no proof.
“Do women weaken legs, man? Did we get a decision?”
unknown · 1:41:11

Memorabilia · What piece of memorabilia they would want.

pick The fight gloves
“I guess the gloves would be cool from the fight.”
unknown · 1:42:37
pick Rocky's bloody training gloves from punching the meat
“The one where he's fucking bleeding all over them punching the meat?”
unknown · 1:42:44
pick The gray Italian Stallion sweatshirt: Doubts it smells good.
“I really like the Italian stallion gray sweatshirt he wears for 3 months straight, but I can't imagine it smells awesome.”
unknown · 1:42:47
pick Mickey's training camp pullovers and the gym posters
“I was looking at some of the Mickey, like the training camp, like pullovers they have and stuff like that.”
unknown · 1:42:59
pick The photo of Mickey as a younger fighter
“Maybe the photo of Mickey when he was a younger fighter.”
unknown · 1:43:09
pick Adrian's joy of sex book
“Adrian's joy of sex book. Maybe that could be it.”
unknown · 1:43:29

Best life lesson · Best life lesson from the movie.

pick Don't let anyone tell you you're a bum; be a thinker, not a stinker
“Don't let anyone tell you you're a bum. Be a thinker, not a stinker.”
Bill Simmons · 1:43:52
pick You'd be happier if you were just dumber
“Oh, mine was you'd be happier if you were just dumber. Rock is a dumb, happy character.”
unknown · 1:43:55

Films that came up

Claims (75)

contrast (contrast): Rocky → The Godfather. Structurally Rocky is like Godfather if it were all Michael and Kay's dates and the Don dies only in the last minutes; boxing barely appears until the last 13 minutes.
“imagine if Godfather was entirely about Kate and Michael not in New York City.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:04:15 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Rocky → (the modern sports movie). Rocky created the sports-movie prototype and the modern underdog.
“created the sports movie prototype, like just period.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:05:47 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Rocky → The Longest Yard. Longest Yard arguably started the big-event beats, but Rocky is what made the sports-movie recipe stick.
“which I guess you could say longest yard started it, but once Rocky did this.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:06:09 · Chris Ryan (0.45 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Rocky → Mean Streets. Rocky is essentially Stallone making Mean Streets.
“It's essentially like Stallone making mean streets.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:10:16 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): Rocky → Rocky III. Rocky 1 and the steroid-era Rocky 3 and 4 are not even the same species of human.
“It's not even the same species of human that Rocky is.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:10:23 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): Rocky → Rocky IV. Rocky 3 and 4 are big action movies, crossed with a music video, versus the character study of the first.
“Rocky 3, and those like are big action movies.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:10:39 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Rocky → The Karate Kid. Rocky is eight years before Karate Kid, which is called the 2.0 version of the same underdog story but a completely different movie in every respect.
“We're 8 years away from karate kid, which is the next, the 2.0 version of this movie.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:11:32 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): Rocky → The Karate Kid. Rocky is slow, builds character and is a love story, unlike the faster Karate Kid.
“This is slow.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:11:39 · Chris Ryan (0.35 sure it was them)
theme (theme): Rocky → Top Gun. Rocky's urban portrait of American life gave way in the Karate Kid, Hughes and Top Gun era to safer, cleaner suburban stories.
“It's just a much different portrait of like American life because this is so urban.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:11:54 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
industry (industry): Rocky → Jaws. Jaws, Rocky, Saturday Night Fever and Star Wars were successive cultural phenomena in 75-77.
“like Jaws in 75, this in 76, Saturday Night Fever in 77, Star Wars in 77”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:13:18 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
career (career): Sylvester Stallone → Quentin Tarantino. Stallone's self-made breakout is likened to Tarantino crossed with acting, and Tarantino was the runner-up for who won the movie.
“It's Tarantino crossed with acting almost?”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:14:52 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): Apollo Creed → Rod Tidwell. Apollo is the best side sports-movie character ever until Rod Tidwell, who he'd face in the finals.
“I think until Rod Tidwell.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:16:47 · Chris Ryan (0.45 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): Adrian → Raymond Babbitt. Adrian is basically Raymond Babbitt for the first 40 minutes.
“Adrian's basically Raymond Babbitt for the 1st 40 minutes of this movie.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:18:05 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
people (people): Apollo Creed → Muhammad Ali. Apollo Creed is an Ali-based character, and the premise came from Stallone watching Wepner fight Ali.
“clearly like it's an Ali-based character”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:19:52 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
people (people): Chuck Wepner → Rocky. Stallone watched Wepner take a beating from Ali for 15 rounds and was inspired to write Rocky in 3.5 days.
“He's watching Webner Ali in 75, which was the real life version of this.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:19:58 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Sylvester Stallone → Good Will Hunting. Asked whether Damon and Affleck's Good Will Hunting is the same make-your-own-movie story; the difference is they'd been in movies already.
“Would Good Wolf Hunting be in the same mode of a movie where the guys just went, fuck it, we're going to make our own movie and explodes?”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:20:25 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
industry (industry): Sylvester Stallone → Henry Winkler. Winkler had to ask ABC to give back Stallone's script, which Stallone had sold to ABC.
“Winkler has to go back to ABC, ask for the script back.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:21:26 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
career (career): Sylvester Stallone → On the Waterfront. Stallone may have wished to make more movies like On the Waterfront than the franchises that became golden handcuffs.
“I would have liked to have made more movies that are like on the waterfront or whatever”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:22:27 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
career (career): Sylvester Stallone → Rocky III. Stallone's best A-list run came with Rocky 3 and First Blood in the same year, a roughly six-year run.
“He has one of the best, probably 6 year A-list movie star runs ever.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:22:54 · Chris Ryan (0.45 sure it was them)
career (career): Sylvester Stallone → Nighthawks. After Rocky he tried to separate from the character: beard in Nighthawks, big weight loss in Victory.
“You know, like he's in Nighthawks, he grew a beard.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:23:09 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
career (career): Sylvester Stallone → Cop Land. Stallone was in and out of the Rocky persona until Copland and its physical transformation.
“and obviously he spends most of his career like in and out of that persona, really until Copland.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:23:22 · Chris Ryan (0.45 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): Sylvester Stallone → Tango & Cash. A host loves Tango and Cash.
“Tango and Cash is one of my favorite movies.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:24:25 · Bill Simmons (0.45 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): Rocky → The Bad News Bears. Rocky and Bad News Bears were the two movies that year that flipped the sports-movie expectation of winning.
“Those were the 2 movies that year that flipped.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:27:42 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Rocky → Cinderella Man. Rocky set up the idea that a victory transforms the supporting cast too, as in Cinderella Man where he fights for Giamatti.
“by the time you get to like Cinderella man, you realize that he's not just fighting for him, he's fighting for Giamatti.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:28:11 · Chris Ryan (0.45 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): Rocky → All the President's Men. The hosts relitigate 1976 best picture and pick All the President's Men over Rocky.
“I just think all the president's met is a perfect Oscar best picture movie.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:32:54 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): Rocky → Network. Network is also called really great in the 1976 best-picture relitigation; one host thinks Holden is better than Finch in it.
“Well, network's really great though.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:33:05 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
industry (industry): Rocky → Taxi Driver. Taxi Driver may be more cinematically important in movie history, but All the President's Men is the perfect Oscar movie and Scorsese should have won director.
“I would go, all the president's been for a movie, and I would go Scorsese for best director.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:33:06 · Bill Simmons (0.45 sure it was them)
industry (industry): Rocky → Crash. Rocky winning best picture is compared to Crash: the Oscars fall for a phenomenon.
“The Oscars fall from phenomenon a lot.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:33:27 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
theme (theme): Rocky Balboa → Paul Bunyan. Rocky is American mythology, more akin to Paul Bunyan than a movie character.
“He's like more akin to like, I don't know, Paul Bunyan.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:34:19 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
programming (programming): Roger Ebert → Crash. Running joke: Ebert gave Crash four stars the week before Rocky.
“Four stars last week for Crash.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:34:54 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): Roger Ebert → Rocky. Ebert gave Rocky four stars, the week after four stars for Crash.
“Four stars this week for Rocky.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:34:57 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Rocky → Creed. Creed closely follows Rocky's structure, but opens with Creed obviously able to fight, unlike Rocky's grim opening bout.
“in Creed, which very closely follows some of the structures of rocky.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:38:15 · Chris Ryan (0.45 sure it was them)
craft (craft): Garrett Brown → Rocky. Rocky became the guinea pig for the Steadicam technology that changed cinema, and the stair run was his idea.
“Rocky winds up becoming more or less the guinea pig for for the technology that changes cinema.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:52:19 · Chris Ryan (0.45 sure it was them)
career (career): Garrett Brown → Rocky. Brown was offered money or points in the movie, took the money and has regrets.
“Apparently, they offered him either money or points in the movie and he took the money and has some regrets.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:52:43 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): Stallone → Marlon Brando. Rocky is the Marlon Brando of sports movies; it changes the archetype.
“It's like the Marlon Brando of sports movies.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:54:10 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
theme (theme): Rocky → Moneyball. Movies favor underdogs over dynasties; you would not watch Moneyball about Brian Cashman.
“Yeah, you wouldn't watch Moneyball about Brian Cashman.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:54:37 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
theme (theme): Rocky → The Last Dance. Dynasty stories work in documentaries and books, like The Last Dance, but not in movies.
“It's basically what the last dance is about too.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:55:31 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
theme (theme): Rocky → Hoosiers. Sports movies of the era pit an audience-favorite against the black player or team, like Hoosiers and Rocky.
“it's like Hoosiers, it's rocky.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:57:04 · Van Lathan (0.45 sure it was them)
people (people): Sylvester Stallone → Antonio Tarver. Stallone removed Roy Jones Jr. from Rocky Balboa and put Antonio Tarver in.
“Sloane removed him from the movie and put Antonio Tarver in the movie.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:58:04 · Van Lathan (0.60 sure it was them)
career (career): Burgess Meredith → Batman (TV series). A host knew Burgess Meredith as the Penguin in the Batman series.
“So I knew Burgess Meredith as the penguin in the Batman series”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:01:38 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
career (career): Talia Shire → The Godfather. Shire has three best-picture movies in five years: Godfather, Godfather 2 and Rocky.
“Godfather one, Godfather 2 and Rocky.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:03:42 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
craft (craft): John G. Avildsen → Rocky. Avildsen said the third version of the ending, reshot with the Bill Conti music, saved the movie.
“and Avalet says, says out that that saved the movie.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:05:21 · Chris Ryan (0.45 sure it was them)
industry (industry): Rocky → The Notorious B.I.G.. A record that plays at the end of Rocky was sampled in a hit song (Victory).
“There's a record that plays at the end of the movie that was sampled by somebody else”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:06:43 · Van Lathan (0.50 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): George Lucas → Rocky. The hosts wish someone had done a George Lucas and paid to CGI fans into the empty arena for a re-release.
“I just wish somebody had done a George Lucas and just paid the 50 grand to CGI some fans all over the place.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:13:20 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): James Cameron → Rocky. A joke that James Cameron could stop making Avatar movies and populate Rocky's crowd.
“Maybe James Cameron could stop making Avatar movies and instead single-handedly populate the story.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:13:36 · Chris Ryan (0.35 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): David Fincher → Rocky. Fincher, joked about as moving curtains in Panic Room, is invited to fix the Rocky crowd.
“Fincher is like moving curtains in panic room.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:13:47 · Chris Ryan (0.35 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Rocky → Rocky Balboa. The little girl Marie from Rocky grows up to be the love interest in Rocky Balboa.
“she then becomes the Rocky Balboa love interest.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:14:31 · Van Lathan (0.45 sure it was them)
career (career): Joe Spinell → The Godfather Part II. Spinell, who plays Gazzo, was also in Godfather 2.
“Obviously, also in the Godfather.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:16:32 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Rocky → Robert Redford. United Artists wanted a well-established star, with Redford, Ryan O'Neal, Burt Reynolds and James Caan floated.
“United Artists wanted a well-established star.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:19:12 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Rocky → James Caan. What would Rocky be with James Caan as Rocky and Harvey Keitel as Paulie, or John Cazale as Paulie?
“What is this movie if it's James Conn is Rocky and Harvey Keitel is Polly?”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:19:47 · Bill Simmons (0.55 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Carl Weathers → Ken Norton. Ken Norton was targeted for Apollo Creed and pulled out, so it went to Carl Weathers.
“Ken Norton was targeted for Apollo Creed, pulled out, and they gave it to Carl Weathers.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:20:21 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Paulie → Harvey Keitel. Stallone wanted Harvey Keitel as Paulie, probably a better movie.
“Stallone wanted Harvard Kitella's Polly.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:20:27 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Adrian → Susan Sarandon. Adrian auditions included Susan Sarandon and Cher; Sarandon was liked but too pretty.
“they auditioned a bunch of people, including Susan Sarandon and Cher.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:20:33 · Bill Simmons (0.55 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Mickey → Lee Strasberg. They wanted Lee Strasberg for Mickey but he wanted too much money.
“They wanted Lee Strasburg for Mickey and he wanted too much money.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:20:50 · Bill Simmons (0.55 sure it was them)
craft (craft): Rocky → Bound for Glory. The first two Steadicam films were Bound for Glory and Marathon Man; Rocky was the third.
“The 1st 2 steady cam films were bound for Gloria Marathon Man”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:24:07 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
craft (craft): Garrett Brown → Rocky. The ice skating date was shot on the Steadicam because they could not afford extras.
“They shot the ice skating date that way because they couldn't afford extras.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:24:12 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
career (career): Sylvester Stallone → Rocky III. Stallone's Apex Mountain: Rocky 3 and Rambo in 82.
“I think his Apex Mountain was that Rocky 3, Rambo.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:28:20 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
theme (theme): Rocky → Bull Durham. The apex-mountain question: is Rocky or Bull Durham the peak for withholding sex while training?
“Is it this or Bull Durham?”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:30:13 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
career (career): John G. Avildsen → The Karate Kid. Asked if Avildsen's apex was Rocky, a host says the case can be made for Karate Kid.
“You can make a case that's karate kid.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:31:38 · Chris Ryan (0.45 sure it was them)
career (career): Burt Young → Back to School. Burt Young's best role is the driver/mushroom in Back to School.
“Best Bert Young, though, is back to school with Bradley Dangerfield.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:32:42 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
theme (theme): Rocky → Happy Gilmore. Asked for a better ice skating date than Rocky's, someone offers Happy Gilmore and The Cutting Edge.
“There is an ice skating date in Happy Gilmore.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:32:57 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
theme (theme): Rocky → The Cutting Edge. The figure-skating date in The Cutting Edge offered as a rival to Rocky's skating rink.
“Cutting Edge?”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:33:02 · Bill Simmons (0.30 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): Rocky → Raging Bull. Raging Bull is the better film aesthetically but Rocky is much more culturally significant.
“Raising Bull is better than this movie, but this movie is like much more, I think, culturally significant than Raging Bull.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:33:29 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)
people (people): Raging Bull → Rocky. Raging Bull maps onto Rocky's cast: Pesci as the Burt Young figure, Moriarty as the Adrian.
“Then you get Pesci kind of playing the Burt Young.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:34:02 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Rocky Balboa → Tom Cruise. Cruise versus Hanks as heavyweight challenger: Cruise would do six months of prep.
“I can't buy Hanks as a heavyweight boxing challenger.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:34:15 · Chris Ryan (0.45 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Rocky → Rocky. Imagine a Spielberg/Scorsese co-directed Rocky: Spielberg's inspirational side with Scorsese's grit.
“The inspirational side of Spielberg, the gritty side of Scorsese.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:34:41 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Paulie → Philip Seymour Hoffman. Asked what role Philip Seymour Hoffman would have played: Paulie, Gazzo's driver or Jurgens.
“What role would Philip Seymour Hoffman have played?”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:35:13 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
programming (programming): Rocky → Raging Bull. Another double-feature choice, Raging Bull, picked by one host.
“I go Raging Bull.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:44:35 · Van Lathan (0.45 sure it was them)
programming (programming): Rocky → Saturday Night Fever. Watching Rocky made Chris Ryan want to watch Saturday Night Fever as a double feature.
“This movie made me want to watch Saturday Night Fever for some reason.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:44:41 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
programming (programming): Rocky → Rocky II. Best double feature: go right from Rocky into Rocky 2 and skip the Adrian coma stretch.
“I think you have to go right from here into the 2nd one.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:44:48 · Bill Simmons (0.45 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): Rocky → Rocky V. One host despises Rocky V but rates its last 30 minutes.
“I despise five, but I will admit that the last, like, 30 minutes of five”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:45:20 · Chris Ryan (0.55 sure it was them)
career (career): Sylvester Stallone → Rocky. Stallone writing and starring in Rocky is the biggest 'who won the movie' of all time.
“Obviously, Si Stallone.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:45:37 · Bill Simmons (0.45 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): Creed III → Creed II. One host liked Creed III (Majors really good) more than Creed II.
“I think I liked it more than I liked Creed too.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:48:38 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
programming (programming): Rocky → Warrior. If you did a UFC Rocky, Warrior is by far the best UFC movie so far.
“Warriors by far the best one.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:50:04 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): Rocky → Rocky II. Rocky 2 is a continuation of the first, which is just superior.
“3 is the Rocky, the Leap of the Rocky franchise, 2 is like a continuation of one and one is just superior.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:51:56 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)

Fun items (32)

fun, about Rocky: Prequel joke: Rocky is a prequel to Rocky 3, and boxing does not happen until the last 13 minutes.
“There's boxing does not happen to the last 13 minutes of this movie.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:04:39 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about Rocky: Bill saw Rocky in 1976 in Dedham with his dad and left confused whether Rocky won, because they announced only one scorecard.
“But leaving, my big memory was being confused whether he won the fight or not and asking my dad like, but what was the scorecard?”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:09:24 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
fun, about Sylvester Stallone: Stallone saw Wepner fight Ali and wrote the script in three and a half days.
“Stallone so inspired pumps out the movie in 3.5 days.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:20:14 · Chris Ryan (0.45 sure it was them)
fun, about Sylvester Stallone: He sold the script to ABC; Henry Winkler had to get it back, and Stallone insisted on writing and starring for far less money.
“Stallone betting on himself is a chapter.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:21:45 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Sylvester Stallone: This is the 11th Stallone Rewatchable, moving him into the top five with Denzel.
“By the way, we've done, this is our 11th Stallone rewatchable.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:23:34 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
fun, about Rocky: Hot take: the 1976 Oscars; Stallone lost to Peter Finch and Network; the hosts relitigate best actor and best picture.
“But the important part here is it's not Rocky.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:33:12 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Roger Ebert: Bill reads Ebert's four-star review, the week after Crash, the running Ebert gag.
“A description of it would sound like a cliche from beginning to end, but Rocky isn't about a story.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:35:00 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
fun, about Rocky: The first 45 minutes of Rocky are too slow for kids who prefer Rocky 3 and 4 today.
“My kids wanted to watch Rocky 3 and Rocky 4”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:35:47 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Rocky: Most rewatchable: the Spider Rico fight and the $70.20 / $40 payoffs before the credits, which sets expectations.
“I love the beginning with the Spider Rico fight.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:35:55 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Rocky: Most rewatchable: the meat locker TV interview, with Duke hearing the punches behind his back.
“Duke's got his back to the TV and then he's like turns around slowly.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:42:46 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about Rocky: Most rewatchable: Gonna Fly Now training; the stairs, and the 5 AM first-day training that sets them up.
“Honestly, I think this is one of the best sports movie scenes of all time.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:43:35 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about Rocky: Most rewatchable: the 14th round, 'cut me, Mick' and Apollo's shoulder slump.
“Cut me, Mick is great too.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:47:19 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about Rocky: Rocky and Adrian's ice skating rink date: his talent is determination, and the guy yelling 'seven minutes' gives urgency.
“His talent is determination.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:49:28 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about Garrett Brown: Steadicam inventor took a flat fee instead of points in the movie and has regrets; his stair run was a test with his wife.
“Apparently, they offered him either money or points in the movie and he took the money and has some regrets.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:52:43 · Chris Ryan (0.45 sure it was them)
fun, about Rocky: The turtles from the movie were reported alive as of 2021 and Stallone kept them.
“Still alive as of 2021, which...”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 0:53:12 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about Rocky: Stallone's real dog Butkus was sold for $50 while he was broke writing the script; he bought it back after selling the script.
“Stallone's real dog, that Stallone sold for $50 because he was so broke when he was writing this movie”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:02:36 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Rocky: Three endings were tried; the third, with the Bill Conti music, saved the movie.
“and came up with the 3rd version of the ending”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:05:21 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about Paulie: The Polly Award for asshole of the film: he pimps his sister and throws her Thanksgiving turkey out the window.
“The Poly Award for asshole of the film.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:07:55 · Van Lathan (0.80 sure it was them)
fun, about Rocky: Paulie throws the Thanksgiving turkey out the window and eats a piece; Burt Young covered himself in vermouth on his neck.
“This dude takes the turkey, throws it out of the window and then eats a piece of it.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:10:00 · Van Lathan (0.55 sure it was them)
fun, about Sylvester Stallone: He smoked so much making Rocky that he quit smoking in real life.
“In real life, he quit after Rocky because he was like, it was too gross.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:12:34 · Van Lathan (0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about Joe Spinell: Chris Ryan's hot take: the film would be better with two more Gazzo scenes and two fewer Paulie scenes.
“If we had 2 more gazo scenes and 2 less poly scenes.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:16:50 · Chris Ryan (0.85 sure it was them)
fun, about Rocky: Original script was darker: Rocky threw the fight and Mickey was a racist; those were softened.
“It had Rocky throw in the fight.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:17:00 · Bill Simmons (0.55 sure it was them)
fun, about Rocky: Hot take: the beginning of the greatest love story of our time is Rocky and Apollo.
“I mean, this is the beginning of the greatest love story of our time.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:17:25 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about Philadelphia: Bill's hot take: without Rocky, Philadelphia would be Delaware with more attitude and a nicer art museum.
“If this movie didn't exist, Philadelphia would basically be Delaware with more attitude, a nicer art museum, and a couple pro sports.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:17:48 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Gazzo's driver: Best that guy award goes to Gazzo's driver, who also gets the 'take her to the zoo' line; Bill and his dad used the license plate joke for 20 years.
“Hey, Rock, did you get the number?”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:23:12 · Bill Simmons (0.55 sure it was them)
fun, about Rocky: The Spectrum fight scenes were partly shot in LA because of a union issue in Philly.
“there was some sort of union issue in Philly.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:25:59 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about Rocky: The Gonna Fly Now moment is when a sleepy boxing movie jumps up a notch, about 90 minutes in.
“when the movie jumps up a notches when gonna fly now, drops like 90 minutes in”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:27:51 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about Adrian: Apex Mountain for a woman taking her glasses off and getting hotter: Adrian is the most famous example.
“Is this apex mountain for a woman taking her glasses off and getting that much hotter?”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:28:26 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Talia Shire: Jason Schwartzman says people called his mom 'Adrian' for much of his life.
“Jason Schwartzman tells this really funny story about, like, for most of the beginning of his life, people calling his mom Adrian.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:29:44 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about Rocky: The Rocky Mount Rushmore for Philadelphia would show Rocky with his hands in the air.
“if you were carving a Mount Rushmore in Philadelphia, they put Rocky with his hands in the air on it.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:32:22 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about Rocky: Women weaken legs: the hosts say HBO / science found no proof.
“there's no scientific proof to it.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:41:29 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about Rocky: Who won the movie: Stallone, as a writer and star from nowhere to A-list, beats Tarantino.
“Have we ever had somebody win a movie harder than this?”
The Rewatchables · ‘Rocky’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan · 1:45:39 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)

Who's talking

Bill Simmons (host): Loves Rocky as a cultural phenomenon he lived through in 1976, and the sports-movie recipe it created. Loves the casting what-if games and the running categories. Can't stand slow courtship scenes in 2025 terms. A sucker for Stallone and for lore.
Chris Ryan (host): Admires Rocky's craft and the supporting cast, especially Gazzo and Joe Spinell; digs the history details of the Steadicam and Oscars. Despises Rocky V and Paulie. Sucker for the movie's structure and franchise lore.
Van Lathan (host): Boxing gym veteran who reads Rocky through race and the gym. Loves Apollo as a revolutionary Black character and Mickey as a man who ages with you. Hates Paulie. Sucker for the 5 AM training and the training montage.
Sean Fennessey (host): Barely audible in the transcript; credited by Bill's live-show promo and addressed as 'Fantasy', he offers short remarks on Spider Rico. Little can be said about his taste from this episode.

The show's recurring bits

Apex Mountain: The moment a star peaks; where on the mountain a performance sits.
Who Won the Movie: The hosts name the person who came out of the film best off.
The Ebert review: Roger Ebert's original review and star rating read aloud. Ebert is cited, never on the show.
Casting what-ifs: Who was almost cast, or who should have been.
Most rewatchable scene: The scene each host would stop on while flipping channels.
Aged best / aged worst: What holds up and what does not.
Picking Nits: The little things in a film the hosts love that they don't think totally work: the nits.
Double feature: The film each host would pair it with; a programming pick.

Names the transcriber got wrong

John Ableton / John Avison / Avalet → John G. Avildsen
Sean Fantasy / Fantasy / Fancier → Sean Fennessey
Their David / Theer David → Thayer David
Joe Spindell / Joe Spiller → Joe Spinell
Webner / Wepner → Chuck Wepner
Derry Brown / Chuck Garrett → Garrett Brown (Steadicam inventor)
Bill Conney → Bill Conti
Van Lathin / Van Lantern → Van Lathan
CR / Ciara → Chris Ryan
Wood stage the best / Woodsage / More would say the best → 'What stage/Worst/Best' category headers (Would Say the Best/Worst, likely Rewatchables 'Worst-aged' or 'Aged best/worst')
Alan J. Kula → Alan J. Pakula
Lion O'Neil → Ryan O'Neal
Harvard Kitella → Harvey Keitel
John Kazales → John Cazale
Carrie Snodgrass → Carrie Snodgress
Lee Strasburg → Lee Strasberg
Gazzo → Gazzo (also Gazo, Gotto)
Polly → Paulie
Good Wolf Hunting → Good Will Hunting
Steven Seagal hard to kill a word → 'Steven Seagal Hard to Kill award' (category name)
Prewatchables → Rewatchables
Ben (0:36:58) → unclear; likely Bill or Chris addressing a host