Rocky

Ryan hosts the season finale of the Summer Movie Marathon, introduced as the “31% Italian Stallion.”

The “other cerebral assassin,” from the upside down.

The co-host and “master of disaster movies,” representing Curtis’s old household.

Danielle

The special guest referee, introduced as the “cerebral assassin” from Flavortown.

Someone brought rules.

The games, the premises, and what everyone brought to the table.

Game / activity

Movie-section awards ↗

Led by Ryan

How this one works

Premise and rules

try not to use the same award twice. If none of the standard categories fit a section, feel free to substitute them with a custom award of your own invention.
standard awards: highlight low light punchy hottie punchy yuppie MVP; custom category: wild card

Recorded activity context

Activity request: For each section, we will hand out one award. Rules: try not to use the same award twice. If none of the standard categories fit a section, feel free to substitute them with a custom award of your own invention. Method: standard awards: highlight low light punchy hottie punchy yuppie MVP; custom category: wild card Participants: Kenny, Curt, Danny, Ryan

RESULT STATUS

This one was not a competition.

Taking part: Kenny Curtis Dani Ryan

What was recorded

What everyone brought to the table · 1 recorded exchange

RECORDED EXCHANGE

“Participant cited” identifies a contributor, not the speaker of every word in this excerpt. It may include other participants’ replies or reactions.

Question

Question / challenge

For each section, we will hand out one award. Rules: try not to use the same award twice.

Preserved source round labels (6)

These overlapping source containers are not additional rounds or participant answers. Their recorded labels and excerpt links remain available here; their shared exchanges appear above.

Follow the round structure (6)

We open with a cross-section of Rocky's lonely life. This first block ends with Rocky being a real mopey dick and leaving the gym.

Round sequence: 1 Prompt item: We open with a cross-section of Rocky's lonely life. This first block ends with Rocky being a real mopey dick and leaving the gym.

RECORDED EXCHANGE

Participant cited: Kenny

“Participant cited” identifies a contributor, not the speaker of every word in this excerpt. It may include other participants’ replies or reactions.

Question

Question / challenge

What award are you kicking things off with?

This section ends with Rocky and Adrian leaving to go on an impromptu date.

Round sequence: 2 Prompt item: This section ends with Rocky and Adrian leaving to go on an impromptu date. Final state summary: Unanimous.

RECORDED EXCHANGE

Participant cited: Curtis

“Participant cited” identifies a contributor, not the speaker of every word in this excerpt. It may include other participants’ replies or reactions.

Question

Question / challenge

Let's open it up with Curt this time.

RECORDED EXCHANGE

Participant cited: Dani

“Participant cited” identifies a contributor, not the speaker of every word in this excerpt. It may include other participants’ replies or reactions.

Question

Question / challenge

What are your thoughts on the award that you're giving, though?

RECORDED EXCHANGE

Participant cited: Dani

“Participant cited” identifies a contributor, not the speaker of every word in this excerpt. It may include other participants’ replies or reactions.

Question

Question / challenge

So, my question is, do you want to give your punchy to Buttkiss?

RECORDED ANSWER / CHOICE

No. Answer qualification: I was happy to see the dog.

So this third part ends with Adrian and Rocky talking outside the house, revealing that Rocky does, in fact, have feelings.

Round sequence: 3 Prompt item: So this third part ends with Adrian and Rocky talking outside the house, revealing that Rocky does, in fact, have feelings.

RECORDED EXCHANGE

Participant cited: Kenny

“Participant cited” identifies a contributor, not the speaker of every word in this excerpt. It may include other participants’ replies or reactions.

Question

Question / challenge

Kenny, you want to open it up?

RECORDED EXCHANGE

Participant cited: Dani

“Participant cited” identifies a contributor, not the speaker of every word in this excerpt. It may include other participants’ replies or reactions.

Question

Question / challenge

Do you want to go to your award next?

RECORDED EXCHANGE

Participant cited: Dani

“Participant cited” identifies a contributor, not the speaker of every word in this excerpt. It may include other participants’ replies or reactions.

Question

Question / challenge

I want to know how you would alter the scene to make it better.

Mickey visits Rocky, contrite and eager to offer his guidance. Despite feeling slighted for years, Rocky accepts the help. He begins training, but it is an uphill battle.

Prompt item: Mickey visits Rocky, contrite and eager to offer his guidance. Despite feeling slighted for years, Rocky accepts the help. He begins training, but it is an uphill battle.

RECORDED EXCHANGE

Participant cited: Dani

“Participant cited” identifies a contributor, not the speaker of every word in this excerpt. It may include other participants’ replies or reactions.

Question

Question / challenge

Dan, you want to open this one up?

RECORDED EXCHANGE

Participant cited: Kenny

“Participant cited” identifies a contributor, not the speaker of every word in this excerpt. It may include other participants’ replies or reactions.

Question

Question / challenge

Kenny, how about you?

Rocky gets some press and Pauly presses for a piece of the action. Adrian finally stands up to Pauly and finds her voice.

Prompt item: Rocky gets some press and Pauly presses for a piece of the action. Adrian finally stands up to Pauly and finds her voice. Rules: I'm fine with you giving two MVPs.

RECORDED EXCHANGE

Participant cited: Kenny

“Participant cited” identifies a contributor, not the speaker of every word in this excerpt. It may include other participants’ replies or reactions.

Question

Question / challenge

Kenny?

RECORDED EXCHANGE

Participant cited: Dani

“Participant cited” identifies a contributor, not the speaker of every word in this excerpt. It may include other participants’ replies or reactions.

Question

Question / challenge

Speaking of favorite, uh, Danny, what's your award?

RECORDED EXCHANGE

Participant cited: Curtis

“Participant cited” identifies a contributor, not the speaker of every word in this excerpt. It may include other participants’ replies or reactions.

Question

Question / challenge

What's your, what's your real award, Curt?

RECORDED EXCHANGE

Participant cited: Kenny

“Participant cited” identifies a contributor, not the speaker of every word in this excerpt. It may include other participants’ replies or reactions.

Question

Question / challenge

The real question is who's the mostest valuable player, Rocky or Adrian?

RECORDED ANSWER / CHOICE

So I'll have to give Rocky the mostest MVP, but they're both MVPs in my opinion.

RECORDED ANSWER / CHOICE

Recorded conversation

Action: He could just move it like to above her knee. I'm just saying move it down the wall.

They slug it out over 15 rounds and Apollo narrowly wins the match while Rocky wins the love of Adrian.

Prompt item: They slug it out over 15 rounds and Apollo narrowly wins the match while Rocky wins the love of Adrian.

RECORDED EXCHANGE

Participant cited: Curtis

“Participant cited” identifies a contributor, not the speaker of every word in this excerpt. It may include other participants’ replies or reactions.

Question

Question / challenge

Curt, why don't you open up this one?

RECORDED EXCHANGE

Participant cited: Dani

“Participant cited” identifies a contributor, not the speaker of every word in this excerpt. It may include other participants’ replies or reactions.

Question

Question / challenge

What's your award? Well, what's your highlight?

RECORDED EXCHANGE

Participant cited: Dani

“Participant cited” identifies a contributor, not the speaker of every word in this excerpt. It may include other participants’ replies or reactions.

Question

Question / challenge

When he knocked him down, were you surprised? Were you, like, into it? Or were you like, this is whatever?

RECORDED ANSWER / CHOICE

I thought he won. Answer qualification: I say I've watched boxing before. That's in quotations. I guess I assumed Rocky won. Response context: This is the one where the result's the least clear of all the movies.

Game / activity

Pop-up quiz ↗

Led by Ryan

Title: a little pop-up quiz Activity request: How many movies was Spider Rico in, do you think? How many times was Frank Stallone in the Rocky and Creed movies?

RESULT STATUS

This one was not a competition.

RECORDED ANSWER / CHOICE

Recorded conversation

Preserved source round labels (1)

These overlapping source containers are not additional rounds or participant answers. Their recorded labels and excerpt links remain available here; their shared exchanges appear above.

Follow the round structure (1)

Recorded conversation

RECORDED EXCHANGE

Participant cited: Curtis

“Participant cited” identifies a contributor, not the speaker of every word in this excerpt. It may include other participants’ replies or reactions.

Question

Question / challenge

How many movies was Spider Rico in, do you think?

RECORDED EXCHANGE

Participant cited: Curtis

“Participant cited” identifies a contributor, not the speaker of every word in this excerpt. It may include other participants’ replies or reactions.

Question

Question / challenge

How many times was Frank Stallone in the Rocky and Creed movies?

RECORDED EXCHANGE

Participant cited: Curtis

“Participant cited” identifies a contributor, not the speaker of every word in this excerpt. It may include other participants’ replies or reactions.

Question

Question / challenge

So I guess the starting question, is he in this movie?

RECORDED ANSWER / CHOICE

count: 2; films: the first one and the Rocky Balboa; qualification: I hope it's two.

RECORDED ANSWER / CHOICE

in first movie: False; count: 3; films: the third through the fifth movies

RECORDED ANSWER / CHOICE

Recorded conversation

Correct: True Correct answer: 2

RECORDED ANSWER / CHOICE

Recorded conversation

Correct: False Correct answer: in first movie: True; count: 4; films: 1 2 3 6; identification: He's singing on the street corner. Result qualification: You are so wrong while also being kind of close.

Game / activity

Rocky Mountain Mining ↗

How this one works

Premise and rules

our own ideas for a spinoff, sequel, or prequel to Rocky.
A nugget is one noun, person, place, idea, quote, or literally anything you've pulled out of Rocky, either the film or the franchise. You'll describe that nugget and how it will be used to build your movie idea. You can present multiple nuggets and keep your highest scoring one.
scale: 1 3; direction: Higher numbers are better; judges: The rest of us; current method: take the average of the two.; history: We'll start there, and then you can explain it before we rate the nugget. We're changing it now. We're going to blind rake it. Then you're going to describe it. Then we're going to adjust.

Recorded activity context

Read the full archive excerpt

Title: Rocky Mountain Mining Activity premise: our own ideas for a spinoff, sequel, or prequel to Rocky. Rules: A nugget is one noun, person, place, idea, quote, or literally anything you've pulled out of Rocky, either the film or the franchise. You'll describe that nugget and how it will be used to build your movie idea. You can present multiple nuggets and keep your highest scoring one. Scoring mechanism: scale: 1 3; direction: Higher numbers are better; judges: The rest of us; current method: take the average of the two.; history: We'll start there, and then you can explain it before we rate the nugget. We're changing it now. We're going to blind rake it. Then you're going to describe it. Then we're going to adjust. Final winner decision: Ryan Participants: Kenny, Curt, Ryan, Danny

RESULT STATUS

A winner is actually on the record.

Winner: Dani

Kenny6.5announced result

Curtis8announced result

Ryan7announced result

Dani8announced result

Taking part: Kenny Curtis Ryan Dani

What was recorded

What everyone brought to the table · 2 recorded contributions

RECORDED ANSWER / CHOICE

Recorded conversation

Final adjudication: And because you double-nuggeted it, you presented two nuggets, and you had a tie. I'm giving it to Danny. Danny gets the ultimate victory here.

RECORDED ANSWER / CHOICE

Recorded conversation

Winner statement: Oh, so congratulations to Danny.

Preserved source round labels (1)

These overlapping source containers are not additional rounds or participant answers. Their recorded labels and excerpt links remain available here; their shared exchanges appear above.

Follow the round structure (1)

Recorded conversation

Activity description: shared highest nugget opportunity

RECORDED EXCHANGE

Participant cited: Kenny

“Participant cited” identifies a contributor, not the speaker of every word in this excerpt. It may include other participants’ replies or reactions.

Question

Question / challenge

Definitely start with the word. Then you're going to describe it.

RECORDED EXCHANGE

Participant cited: Curtis

“Participant cited” identifies a contributor, not the speaker of every word in this excerpt. It may include other participants’ replies or reactions.

Question

Question / challenge

Curt, explain your nugget.

RECORDED EXCHANGE

Participant cited: Dani

“Participant cited” identifies a contributor, not the speaker of every word in this excerpt. It may include other participants’ replies or reactions.

Question

Question / challenge

Show us your nugget.

RECORDED EXCHANGE

Participant cited: Curtis

“Participant cited” identifies a contributor, not the speaker of every word in this excerpt. It may include other participants’ replies or reactions.

Question

Question / challenge

But Curt's got a second nugget. Let's see if he can get over the hump.

WHAT THEY BROUGHT

Prompt term: dinner And so I propose a prequel that will explore this pivotal meal in Rocky's life and just how eating this supper made him come up with the nickname the Italian Stallion. There's no boxing. Response context: Oh, I invented that about eight years ago when I was eating dinner.

RECORDED ANSWER / CHOICE

Recorded conversation

Important beats: For like 90 minutes. He's just babbling until he goes, yeah, Italian Stallion. The idea of an entire monologue where he keeps almost taking a bite and then just not because he's got more to say. Until the final moment. I think it's an Italian meal. I was picturing spaghetti.

WHAT THEY BROUGHT

Prompt term: wine bottle And I'm proposing not quite a sequel, prequel, but a simultaneous film. of following Rocky, now we follow the singing troupe. And this movie is about their rags to riches story where they go on some kind of sing-offs type competition show. Where they do a cappella singing to become heroes in their own genre.

RECORDED ANSWER / CHOICE

Recorded conversation

Important beats: They probably, just like Rocky, didn't quite win the competition. I think they're the openers. So before the boxers get out there, they're doing a performance.

RECORDED EXCHANGE

Participant cited: Dani

“Participant cited” identifies a contributor, not the speaker of every word in this excerpt. It may include other participants’ replies or reactions.

Question

Question / challenge

What do you want to call that movie?

RECORDED ANSWER / CHOICE

Francapella and the Winos.

Pitch title: Francapella and the Winos. Answer qualification: Francapella.

WHAT THEY BROUGHT

Prompt term: a boss It is, of course, about Gazzo. It's a funny, non-com workplace drama. It's watching Gazzo's crowd, and they're all going through regular office woes that we all deal with. But just slightly off camera, someone's getting thrown into a wood chipper and stuff. Answer qualification: I just think you picked the wrong setting. It shouldn't be an office. It should be on the streets.

WHAT THEY BROUGHT

Cuff and Link, Slow and Steady.

Read the full archive excerpt

Prompt term: the turtle bowl Pitch title: Cuff and Link, Slow and Steady. This heartwarming animated series follows the low stakes secret lives of Cuff and Link over five decades while human drama unfolds outside of their class bowl championship bouts, family tragedies, financial ruin, and eventual fame. Cuff and Link navigate their own microscopic, hyperdramatic world inside the tank. Important beats: They form political alliances with feeder fish, fight off invasive tank algae, and offer a deadpan commentary on the strange human habits of punching things for money.

RECORDED ANSWER / CHOICE

Recorded conversation

I'm struggling to understand how much of it is their lives and what they're doing and how much is them witnessing Rocky's life.

RECORDED ANSWER / CHOICE

They witness Rocky's life and they go back to their own and have their own thing going on and then they comment at the end of every episode going, isn't it weird what that guy does? Exactly.

Choice: They witness Rocky's life and they go back to their own and have their own thing going on and then they comment at the end of every episode going, isn't it weird what that guy does? Exactly.

RECORDED EXCHANGE

Participant cited: Dani

“Participant cited” identifies a contributor, not the speaker of every word in this excerpt. It may include other participants’ replies or reactions.

Question

Question / challenge

Okay, but Dani, is this a show that you anticipate will run for 30 years or is this a show that is going to jump through time and keep advancing the age of Rocky? Also, like how many episodes a season?

RECORDED ANSWER / CHOICE

Method: seasons: 5; years per season: 10; episodes per season: 10; years per episode: 1; format: animated

WHAT THEY BROUGHT

Prompt term: no kissing sign I want to see a show set in Mickey's gym. And it is about two rival closeted gay boxers who are having a secret love affair over the course of the years of Rocky's career. It's heated rivalry, but with boxing.

RECORDED EXCHANGE

Participant cited: Curtis

“Participant cited” identifies a contributor, not the speaker of every word in this excerpt. It may include other participants’ replies or reactions.

Question

Question / challenge

Which two boxers are they? Can you maybe describe the boxers or who they are? Anything about them?

RECORDED ANSWER / CHOICE

Well, I guess Spider Rico is in the mix. I don't know any other boxers from this movie. If you want me to describe, I'm just going to describe the guys from Mickey's rivalry.

RECORDED ANSWER / CHOICE

Recorded conversation

Read the full archive excerpt

Scores: preview votes in source order: 2 2 3; adjusted votes in source order: 1 2 3; reported result: 6.5; method: take the average of the two. Result qualification: We'll see how we adjust averages later based on some of the other scores. Adjudication method: preview votes in source order: participant: Curtis; value: 2 participant: Danielle; value: 2 participant: Ryan; value: 3; adjusted votes in source order: participant: Ryan; value: 1 participant: Danielle; value: 2 participant: Curtis; value: 3; reported result preserved: 6.5 Voting: participant: Ryan; phase: adjusted; vote: 1

RECORDED ANSWER / CHOICE

Recorded conversation

Scores: preview votes in source order: 2 3 2; reported preview: 7; reported adjusted: 9; reported result: 8 Voting: preview votes in source order: participant: Kenny; value: 2 participant: Ryan; value: 3 participant: Danielle; value: 2

RECORDED ANSWER / CHOICE

Recorded conversation

Scores: preview votes in source order: 3 3 2; reported preview: 8; reported adjusted: 6; reported result: 7; named votes: participant: Danny; preview: 2; adjusted: 3 participant: Kenny; adjusted: 2 participant: Curtis; adjusted: 1 Answer qualification: participant: Curtis; phase: adjusted; vote: 1; heard wording: I, one; raw transcript preserved: I won. Competitive scoring statement: Curt: 8; Ryan: 7; Kenny: 6.5

RECORDED ANSWER / CHOICE

Recorded conversation

Scores: preview votes in source order: 2 2 3; reported preview: 7; reported adjusted: 9; reported result: 8 Competitive scoring statement: currently puts you and Curt tied for the lead. Voting: preview votes in source order: participant: Kenny; value: 2 participant: Curtis; value: 2 participant: Ryan; value: 3

RECORDED ANSWER / CHOICE

Recorded conversation

Scores: reported preview: 9; preview votes in source order: 3 3 3; adjusted votes in source order: 3 3 1; named adjusted votes: participant: Danny; value: 3 participant: Kenny; value: 3 Adjudication verdict: You did the worst possible job with it, so sloppy execution. Voting: final one point voter: Ryan; winner adjudicator: Ryan; winner: Danielle

Comic bits and episode moments.

Conversation excerpt

Recorded conversation ↗

The performed introductions are shown above.

Taking part: Curtis Kenny Dani

Conversation excerpt

Recorded conversation ↗

With Curtis

Read the full archive excerpt

Do you want to run through everything that you were wildly wrong on, or where are we at, reported correct: I said that Rocky is about a boxer. He is dating Adrian. He has a crotchety old trainer in Philly. He loses the first film, and he fights Apollo, who was played by Carl Weathers.; qualification: Although that one I also thought could have been Mr. T.; reported errors: I was wrong to think that that was a reference. Very much not who was cast in the earlier films. And this was just a completely new scene they had inserted in that film. I thought that Rocky fought a literal robot man. I had, like, multiple versions of where I thought he was going to start and was wrong on all of them.; identity correction: You're combining two different people. You're combining Spider Rico, who he fights in this movie. Spider Rico, yeah. Result qualification: So kind of a half point there. Notable events: discourseRole: conversational hypothetical; clauses: Boxing in space would be sick. Like, there's all kinds of ways you could put, like, gravity in the gloves.

Conversation excerpt

Recorded conversation ↗

What matters is, was it a good movie?

Conversation excerpt

Question ↗

Activity request: So all nine movies in the books, but we still do need to put an official stamp on things. Also, we need to give it a subtitle. Do you recommend Rocky?

See how they answered

What everyone brought to the table · 10 recorded exchanges

4 attributed voices

RECORDED EXCHANGE

Participant cited: Dani

“Participant cited” identifies a contributor, not the speaker of every word in this excerpt. It may include other participants’ replies or reactions.

Question

Question / challenge

Do you recommend Rocky?

RECORDED EXCHANGE

Participant cited: Kenny

“Participant cited” identifies a contributor, not the speaker of every word in this excerpt. It may include other participants’ replies or reactions.

Question

Question / challenge

Thumbs up or down?

RECORDED EXCHANGE

Participant cited: Curtis

“Participant cited” identifies a contributor, not the speaker of every word in this excerpt. It may include other participants’ replies or reactions.

Question

Question / challenge

But first, we got to check in with your rating.

Show 7 more contributions

RECORDED EXCHANGE

Participant cited: Dani

“Participant cited” identifies a contributor, not the speaker of every word in this excerpt. It may include other participants’ replies or reactions.

Question

Question / challenge

Well, what's your subtitle?

RECORDED EXCHANGE

Participant cited: Curtis

“Participant cited” identifies a contributor, not the speaker of every word in this excerpt. It may include other participants’ replies or reactions.

Question

Question / challenge

Give us your subtitle.

WHAT THEY BROUGHT

thumbs down Answer qualification: I don't understand that rating. I wasn't expecting Rocky to be a talker. I wasn't expecting it to be a love story, a creepy one at best.

RECORDED ANSWER / CHOICE

It's a romantic drama, not boxing movie. Adjudication: That's a very long subtitle.

WHAT THEY BROUGHT

thumbs up Answer qualification: It's an all around great film. Title or premise: discourseRole: proposed subtitle; clauses: Rocky, the first one.

WHAT THEY BROUGHT

recommendation: thumbs up; subtitle: Rocky, can he do it?; reason: This is just a great movie. Adjudication: Also a bad subtitle.

WHAT THEY BROUGHT

recommendation: UP; statement: I could not possibly give my thumbs any direction but up.; subtitle: Rocky and Adrian. Answer qualification: Rocky is not the best entry in the Rocky Creed franchise. Adjudication: Probably the best subtitle of all of us.

Conversation excerpt

Question ↗

Do we recommend nine Rocky and Creed films over the course of nine weeks? Answer qualification: But Curt, this is really for you to tell us how reverse psychology feels about the series.

See how they answered

What everyone brought to the table · 7 recorded exchanges

4 attributed voices

RECORDED ANSWER / CHOICE

Just listening to the podcast. Answer qualification: Didn't answer the question at all because we're talking about nine movies. That's the only acceptable way out of that.

RECORDED ANSWER / CHOICE

So I always recommend watch the Rocky movies. Sure. Why not? Answer qualification: it's very much a parallel to Sylvester Stallone's life.

RECORDED ANSWER / CHOICE

Obviously, I do.

Show 4 more contributions

RECORDED ANSWER / CHOICE

I do. Answer qualification: I enjoyed this immensely. Even the worst films in this franchise were watchable, mildly entertaining. I never felt like any of them were a complete waste of time.

RECORDED EXCHANGE

Participant cited: Curtis

“Participant cited” identifies a contributor, not the speaker of every word in this excerpt. It may include other participants’ replies or reactions.

Question

Question / challenge

Okay, what's your ranking?

WHAT THEY BROUGHT