RocShemp

The Rocky: The Knockout Collection 4K Blu-ray gets released on 2/28/2023. It includes the theatrical cut of Rocky IV, as well as Rocky vs Drago: The Ultimate Director's Cut. For completionists this sadly does not include Rocky V or Rocky Balboa.

stvn1974

Didn't fall for it with Star Trek and won't here.

Bluelitespecial

I know the Rocky Balboa bluray was a Sony release so it might be a rights issue why it's not included. It makes no sense why 5 isn't included with this set

dex14

Posted in the UHD thread:

Bluelitespecial

Wow that's interesting. I look forward to seeing the new cuts of both movies.

GoldenJCJ

Rocky V is pretty terrible. So bad that I’m not sure how a recut version could really improve it.

DJariya

I'd like to have the series in 4K, but I'm going to hold out. It would stupid to purchase that collection right now with 2 movies missing. And it's not something I absolutely have to have right now. I still have my BD collection from FOX that has all 6 movies and the movies are also on the new MGM +

Why So Blu?

Eh, I'm not OCD, so box set uniformity means shit to me.

RocShemp

So the new Rocky V will be a producer's cut, or is it a posthumous restoration of what John G. Avildsen intended (including the ending where Rocky dies during the street fight)?

As for Rocky Balboa, was there a third ending? Because the alternate ending was rightly deleted (it was poetic to see Rocky lose by split decision, and it would have strained credulity to see him win).

Oh, who am I kidding? I'll buy this box set and both those alternate cuts (even though I hate Rocky V) because I'm such a Rocky fan.

DJariya

I'm not OCD either, but I'm not sure there is value getting this right now. And this also happened with Star Trek getting the 4 movie set and a few months later the complete 6 movie set came out.

Unless you're a huge fan and really want to watch the new 4K picture right away. I just don't see any need to rush for me.

Why So Blu?

I bought that ST set because the price went even lower by the time the latter ST 4K discs came out. It was worth it and I did save some money on it overall, uniformity be damned. Hopefully this Rocky set will come down in price a bit more - it already has once. I'll get the latter two when they're released, as well.

Shannon Nutt

That ending was never actually shot. It was in the script and then Stallone got a lot of "don't kill Rocky!" comments from fans, and the studio pressured them into letting the character live.

dvd-4-life

Yeah I don't know the big too do about Rocky 5 or Rocky 6.
Would people complain if Hellraiser 5 and 6 weren't part of a Hellraiser 4k box set?

bunkaroo

Rocky Balboa is in no way comparable to a 6th Hellraiser movie:

GoldenJCJ

Rocky Balboa is fantastic and probably my favorite Rocky movie. Rocky V, on the other hand, is terrible.

The only good thing about Rocky V is that it was so bad that Stallone couldn’t let Rocky go out that way so he made Rocky Balboa.

dvd-4-life

I bought Rocky V when it first was on laserdisc and watched it once and not again(until blu ray).

stvn1974

I just hope Stallone doesn't replace his son in Rocky V with Hayden Christensen.

rexinnih

Well, great movies and worth a view in 4K.

RocShemp

Oh. I always assumed it was shot and then vaulted. Hmm, I wonder what Sly would change then. Is there a ton of alternate footage where Rocky doesn't behave out of character by neglecting his family in favor of some boxing protege?

Shannon Nutt

Screen Rant did a rundown of the deleted scenes a few years back:

Every Difference In Rocky V's Lost Director's Cut (screenrant.com)

JeffTheAlpaca

JeremyM

I know Stallone wanted to do an extended cut of Rocky Balboa shortly after release, but then decided he liked it as it was once he started to get positive feedback on the film and had re-watched it a number of times. I know he discusses it during his commentary but I can't recall if he was still proceeding with the new cut when he recorded it or not. Regardless I don't see a need and especially don't see a need to use the alternate ending--but I'll still watch it anyway.

Rocky V could likely be improved on the margins by using Conti's score and so on, but tough to see it improving significantly.

RocShemp

Interesting. I wasn't aware Avildsen had released a "bootleg" director's cut. I'm guessing Stallone would nix the scene of Little Marie as a homeless prostitute, given it would conflict with how he meets her in Rocky Balboa. Unless there's an alternate version of their first meeting in the second flick where, instead of not having seen her since Rocky, he hasn't seen her since the director's cut of Rocky V.

Speaking of Little Marie, why wasn't she so much as mentioned in Creed?

GoldenJCJ

Rocky Balboa is my favorite Rocky movie but the one small change I’d make is to the ending. I would have ended the movie on the fade-to-black shot of Rocky’s hand reaching out to his fans after the fight instead of the cemetery scene. If they wanted Rocky to give one last talk to Adrian then I would have moved that scene up to before the fight and had Rocky talking to her about preparing to go into the ring again one last time.

JeremyM

I know they said they wanted Rocky to be pretty much alone for Creed which is why Paulie was gone and it was portrayed that he had drifted apart from his son after they had grown close again in Balboa.

Funnily enough the hostess at his restaurant in Creed II is the same actress/character, Isabel, that was in Rocky Balboa. So maybe Marie left after Isabel returned from maternity leave...

I always loved how Balboa had the message that you didn't have to be a superstar boxer to be a winner--you could be a hostess, or a good kid like Steps (every other movie would have portrayed him as a thug who Rocky helps turn around), or someone quitting a job where they weren't happy like Junior, and so on.