Private Sports 2: Rock Hard (2003) (V)

Director:

Gianfranco Romagnoli

Release Date:

5 January 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Adult

Tagline:

Strike & Stand It.

Plot:

A small time boxer and some time bouncer named Rocky finally gets a chance at the big shot, fighting the champion Apollo Creed. He also manages to win the heart of the pet-shop girl of his dreams, Adriana. |

Plot Keywords:

Hardcore | Sex

Cast

Rita Faltoyano	...	Adriana
Liza	...	Bar girl (as Lisa)
Stacy Silver	...	Apollo Groupie #2
Lea Farlow
Jennifer Dark	...	Apollo Groupie #1
Ditty Blue
Leila
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mick Blue
Sandra Iron	...	TV Reporter
David Perry	...	Mr. Miles
Zensa Raggi		(as Zenza Raggi)
Franco Roccaforte	...	Apollo Creed
Robert Rosenberg	...	Rocky Balboa
Dieter Von Stein	...	Driver

Directed by
Gianfranco Romagnoli		(as J.F. Romagnoli)

Cinematography by
Alex Martini		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Alex Martini

Art Direction by
Gianfranco Romagnoli

Sound Department
Csaba Erös	....	boom operator

Camera and Electrical Department
Michael Bernardi	....	still photographer
A.M. Dry	....	camera operator
Minden Ki	....	grip
Janos Lapos	....	grip
Zozo	....	best boy (as Zozo Fox)

Production Companies

• Fraserside Holdings Ltd.

Other Companies

• Cinevideorent Budapest  technical equipment
• Il Terzo Cherchio  catering
• Movida Agency  casting and models
• Touch Me Agency  general organisation
• Virtual Com Budapest  compositing

Runtime:

USA:140 min

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Certification:

USA:X

Company:

Fraserside Holdings Ltd.

Movie Connections:

Followed by Private Sports 6: Soccer Girls (2004) (V)

Spoof? What spoof? Remake more like.

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Found out about this production because it's listed as a spoof of Rocky (and not Walk Hard) here on the good 'ole IMDb, but it's difficult to see Rock Hard as a parody. The only thing remotely funny about it is the title. The picture itself is played totally straight. In fact, it's a pretty dramatic remake all the way. And just to prove exactly how serious these pornographers go about their business, it also takes a good 15 minutes before the first sex scene. This version clearly takes place in the new millennium, instead of the seventies and even though they keep talking about America and Philidelphia, it's pretty clear all round that this production was filmed in Budapest (but aren't a lot of big budget Hollywood pictures shot there too nowadays?).

Now it's been a while since I've seen the original 1976 version, so I'm not sure how close the (badly dubbed) dialogue is to what Sly Stallone wrote all those years ago. But I do believe some exchanges here are lifted from Sly's script word for word. I'm also pretty sure the Stallone Rocky was never an enforcer for the Mob on the side like the one played here by Robert Rosenberg is. He also takes home a hooker this time around, but who can blame the guy since the girl of his dreams isn't even laughing at his jokes. All the usual character are present and accounted for: Apollo Creed, Micky, Pauly, his sister Adriana (sic). I think she's the only one in the entire lineup who's name was slightly hanged. She doesn't take much persuading when they finally get on their first date, however.

Director Gianfranco Romagnoli really seems to be aiming for a serious drama all the way. And at 2 hours and 20 minutes, it's a even longer than the John G. Avildsen's original. There's even a scene during Rocky's training period where he refuses to have sex with Adriana because his body's hurting all over. But naturally his resolve doesn't last a minute. It's still a Private production after all. While the climactic boxing match doesn't take up as much time here as it did in 1976, the film ends with another quarter of an hour without sex, just two men pounding on each other (in the ring). Now, if Rock Hard has been an actual spoof, one might have expected Rocky's manager 'Micki' to be a hot babe that had to apply some desperate last ditch tricks to keep Rocky up during the final round. But alas, no such luck.

7 out of 10