Rocky II

Sequel-as-remake

The hosts frame Rocky II as one of the purest sequels, essentially a remake with a new emotional center.

Character humiliation before triumph

Much of the movie strips Rocky down professionally and financially before restoring him in the finale.

Apollo as modern athlete

Apollo is discussed as a charismatic, media-savvy champion protecting his legacy through ego and public performance.

The franchise's 80s template

The movie is treated as the blueprint for later Rocky/Creed training montages and emotional payoffs.

Production note

Stallone claimed the sequel was originally titled Rocky II: Redemption.

Production note

The movie reportedly had a $7 million budget and made about $200.1 million.

Mentioned with uncertainty

The running scene is discussed as possibly covering about 30.2 miles from South Philly to the Art Museum steps.

Production note

The story says Talia Shire's scheduling conflict helped create the coma plot device.

Production note

The film was dedicated to Jane Oliver, Stallone's first agent.

Disputed in the episode

An alleged on-set pectoral injury to Stallone supposedly forced the switch to fighting right-handed.

Production note

The hosts note that the first-person Rocky novel version of Rocky II was published in 1979.

Eddie and the Cruisers

Used in the opening banter about HBO-airing nostalgia lists and streaming availability.

Saturday Night Fever

Mentioned as the film John Avildsen was directing instead of Rocky II.

Fist

Cited as one of Stallone's post-Rocky projects that did not help his momentum.

Paradise Alley

Mentioned as Stallone's misfiring directorial follow-up before Rocky II's success.

Empire Strikes Back

Named as the sequel that eventually surpassed Rocky II's box-office record.

First Blood

Used in the host rankings of Stallone's best work.

Rocky III

Referenced constantly as the next step in the series and as the film with the best opening stretch.

Rocky IV

Mentioned in relation to Stallone's body, the robot, and the 80s stylization of the franchise.

Copland

Listed as Stallone's biggest swing in the hosts' rundown of his filmography.

Action Jackson

Used in a side conversation about Carl Weathers's career and 1980s action-star potential.

Lethal Weapon

Referenced as a role Carl Weathers might not have fit because of his imposing physique.

Predator

Cited while talking about Carl Weathers's career and how often he had to die onscreen.

Happy Gilmore

Brought up as another example of Carl Weathers making any movie better.

The Bear

Used as a comparison when discussing how hard Rocky's wife would have to work to support the family.

The Godfather Part II

Used to argue that the franchise could have made a darker, more Apollo-centered sequel path.

HBO nostalgia list

The episode opens with a riff on a YouTube ranking of 1980s HBO airings and whether nostalgia distorts what people remember.

Executive unitary theory

Bill jokes that his choices keep making Stallone a top-four Rewatchables star by force of will.

Brain damage scale

They repeatedly grade Rocky's apparent brain damage across the franchise, treating it as a comic metric.

Doo-wop guys

They keep returning to the neighborhood singers by the garbage cans as a comic recurring Philadelphia image.

Philadelphia zoo callback

The zoo becomes a running callback tied to the proposal joke and to Rocky lore.

Rocky as too famous for gym janitor work

Bill repeatedly insists a fighter of Rocky's stature would not be treated like a low-level gym worker.

Bill Simmons

“What are we waiting for?”

Bill Simmons

“The man kept coming.”

Bill Simmons

“I think we ought to knock his block off.”

Van Lathan

“He is a phenomenal athlete.”

Bill Simmons

“This is the greatest day of my life.”