Rocky Marciano (Pan
& Scan)
Picture: C
Sound: C+ Extras: D Film: C+
The boxing movie never goes away, and as much as it was a
part of Film Noir and usually a subject of B-movies. When Rocky (1976) became a big hit and Best Picture
Academy-Award-winner, then degenerated into a silly and often amusing franchise
that has become a pop culture icon one way or the other. Except for the occasional classic (the
original Body & Soul, Raging Bull, Million Dollar Baby),
most of the films are still looked at as B material. Walter Hill’s recent Undefeated was unjustly trashed for
that reason, as realistic as it was.
Jon Favreau takes on the title role of Rocky Marciano (1999) MGM
has issued in marketing conjunction with their DTS-upgraded box set of the Rocky
saga.
The supporting cats, including Penelope Ann Miller, Judd
Hirsch, Tony LoBianco, and George C. Scott is not bad, but the story by Larry
Golin (turned into a script with director Charles Winkler and Dick Beebe) is
still too typical of all biopics.
Favreau later sent this up somewhat in his terrific John Cassavetes
tribute Made, but this made-for-cable work misses the mark, which is
sad, as so much is right in it.
However, the script eventually drags down the production and Winkler’s
directing is affected as a result. If
you know little about the man, Rocky Marciano is worth your time, but
those in the know will find themselves disappointed or connecting the dots in
saying “yea, that happened” and not much else.
The full screen image is a sad pan & scan copy,
instead of the better-composed shooting by cinematographer Paul Sarossy,
C.S.C., where Video Black is an issue and fine detail are lost a generation
down. Though credited as having
surrounds, the Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo is limited in this respect and may also
be a generation down, which is not to the detriment of the dialogue. However, it does undercut the better music
by Stanley Clarke. A “theatrical trailer”
is a DVD preview for when it was an Orion Television production release.
- Nicholas Sheffo
