Rocky Page #11

It is five-thirty and Rocky approaches the loading platform

belonging to Eastern Packing Company. Alongside the loading

platform come several boxcars.

Rocky mounts the ramp and knocks on the metal door. It soon

opens and Paulie guides him inside. Paulie is drunk.

INT. SHIPPING OFFICE - DAY

PAULIE:

How ya feelin'?

ROCKY:

(panting)

... Tight.

PAULIE:

I got whiskey here.

ROCKY:

... No.

Rocky notices TWO PUERTO RICANS lounging alongside theshipping office.

PAULIE:

This is the guy who's fightin'

Apollo Creed.

JOSE:

(heavy accent)

Good luck -- Kill him, man.

PAULIE:

(as though

rehearsed badly)

Hip -- Hip -- Hooray! C'mon --

Hip -- Hip --

71.

JOSE:

(walks away)

Hooray, man.

PAULIE:

Rock'll be comin' by every

mornin' to pick up some

Prime -- can't train on that

store crap.

Rocky smiles and Paulie leads him out of the office and to

the large metal door of a walk-in refrigerator.

INT. FREEZER - DAY

They enter. The freezer resembles a modern torture chamber...

row after row of hanging slabs of beef stretch into the

darkness to the far end of the refrigerator. The blower

overhead causes the men to speak loudly.

PAULIE:

(teasing)

If ya don't pay Gazzo, ya end

up hangin' on the hook, right?

ROCKY:

Gazzo's a good man.

PAULIE:

How 'bout you talk to 'em

about me?

(tightly)

Please do me that favor.

ROCKY:

Keep this job, ya eat better.

Paulie opens a jackknife and idly jabs the hanging meat. He

swills whiskey from a pint bottle.

PAULIE:

Y'know, d'ya think you an' my

sister -- Ah, doin' good

together?

ROCKY:

Whatta you think?

PAULIE:

Ain't sure, what's the story?

ROCKY:

What?

72.

PAULIE:

The story -- what's happenin'?

Paulie speaks like a man who has been mulling this over for

quite a while.

PAULIE:

(continuing)

Ya really like her?

ROCKY:

Sure I like her.

PAULIE:

(nervous laughter)

What's the attraction? I

don't see it?

ROCKY:

I dunno -- she fills gaps.

PAULIE:

What gaps?

ROCKY:

(shrugs and

takes meat)

She got gaps. I got gaps --

together we fill the gaps.

PAULIE:

(sharply)

You ballin' her?

ROCKY:

(turns around)

Don't talk dirty 'bout ya

sister.

PAULIE:

(tersely)

C'mon, ya screwin' her?

From across the room Rocky looks him hard in the eyes.

ROCKY:

That's why I can't put ya

together with Gazzo, cause ya

talk too much -- big mouth.

Paulie reddens. He steps forward and slams his fists in a

hanging beef.

73.

The punching of the beef is a muted challenge and Rocky

responds.

Rocky walks up to a beef and slams his fist into the ribs.

The grotesque object swings in a wide arc like a hanging

corpse. Rocky moves to the next one and hooks.

Rocky's face reveals a never before seen concentration, as

though he were locked in total battle.

PAULIE:

Hit the rump. The rump!

Ya'll break the ribs!

Rocky speeds up and continues pounding on the second row of

beef. Paulie's eyes widen and his face grimaces with every

punch, like he were receiving it. Rocky moves into the dark

recess of the refrigerator. Only the dull SOUNDS of his

POUNDING FISTS can be HEARD.

Rocky works his way to Paulie again. Every hanging beef

swings and appears surrealistically alive.

PAULIE:

(continuing)

We do that to Creed an'

they'll take us to jail for

murder.

Rocky looks at his hands. They are drenched in red up to

the elbows with beef blood.

Paulie hands him a package of beef.

ROCKY:

Don't talk dirty 'bout ya

sister.

Rocky takes the package and runs out. Paulie's bleary eyes

reveal a fearful respect and slight resentment.

INT. GOLDMILL'S GYM - DAY

The gym is filled to capacity. The NOISE is DEAFENING.

Rocky pounds a heavy bag.

Mickey steps forward and removes a piece of string from his

pocket.

74.

MICKEY:

(passionate)

Stop! Stop! I can't stand it!

It's clumsy. You're off

balance.

He motions to his bullish helper, Mike. He hands him the

string.

MICKEY:

(continuing)

Tie it to both ankles -- Leave

two feet slack.

ROCKY:

I never had good footwork.

Mike completes the task.

MICKEY:

Forget the footwork -- You're

off balance. The legs are

sticking everywhere. Marciano

had the same problem, an' the

string cured it. When you can

hit and move without breakin'

the string you'll have balance.

MIKE:

You'll be a very dangerous

person.

Two young boys in street clothes interrupt Mickey.

BOY:

Rocky, could we have your

autograph?

ROCKY:

... Sure.

MICKEY:

(irate)

Don't you boys ever interrupt

when I'm conductin' business,

or I'll kill you both -- Go

away.

The boys depart.

75.

MICKEY:

(continuing)

Autographs! Ya wanna be a

writer or a fighter? Let's

work.

Mike looks off across the gym.

MIKE:

... we got visitors.

Mickey strains his eyes to see a group of REPORTERS and NEWS

CAMERAMEN entering his gym.

MICKEY:

(approaching)

Can I help you guys?

REPORTER:

(to Cameraman)

Set the camera up over there.

(to Mickey)

We're from Channel Seven --

Covering the pre-fight training.

MICKEY:

I own the place.

The Reporter has a hundred things on his mind... he turns

from Mickey and nods to his crew... the other television

crews rush to set up.

CAMERAMAN:

Rolling here.

SOUND MAN:

Speed here.

REPORTER:

(to the camera)

We're here at Goldmill's

Gym -- A Philadelphia landmark

of sorts since 1929 -- The

stench of toil permeates every

corner. The sweat a trademark

of a unique profession... Yet,

the most unique fixture is an

unprecedented 50 to 1 underdog

heavyweight named, Rocky Balboa.

The camera turns to Rocky.

76.

ROCKY:

(to Mickey)

Should I do this?

Mickey nods and Rocky faces the glaring lights.

REPORTER:

So much has happened lately --

Has it changed your life style

much?

ROCKY:

... People talk to me more.

REPORTER:

How're you preparing for this

Bicentennial bout?

A young punchy fighter yells out:

FIGHTER:

Readin' f***in' history books,

man!

The gym explodes with laughter.

REPORTER:

(flushed)

We can cut that out later.

Apollo Creed says he'll let

you stay three rounds before

he puts you away.

ROCKY:

(honestly)

Apollo's a great fighter.

REPORTER:

Do you feel you have a chance?

ROCKY:

Maybe --

He faces Mickey. Mickey whispers in his ear.

ROCKY:

(continuing)

I'll tear his head off.

REPORTER:

Do you have anything derogatory

to say about the Champion?

77.

ROCKY:

Derogatory? Yeah, he's great.

Apollo Creed and his entourage enter the gym.

APOLLO:

(bellowing)

I am the Champion of the whole

world!!!

The gym freezes... everyone turns and stares in wonderment...

Mickey Goldmill shakes his head in disbelief. He now

realizes it is a publicity stunt.

APOLLO:

(continuing)

(approaching Rocky)

Italian Stallion, I come over

to tell you to be very smart

an' after this fight donate

what's gonna be left of your

body to science, cause after

this fight what's left won't

fill a tuna fish can!... So

beware, Mon Cher!!!

Apollo turns to the cameras... Rocky is speechless.

APOLLO:

(continuing)

This classic fight -- Tha's

right, this bicentennial

fight's goin' down in the

history books 'cause January

first I'm gonna be the first

man to bounce another man offa

the planet Pluto!

Dipper stands in the far ring... the attention Rocky is

receiving makes him a killer.

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