That time Rocky IV took over the PNE's Agrodome
Thousands of extras made their way to the PNE to catch a glimpse of actor Sylvester Stallone
It was 1985 and the Russians had taken over the Agrodome at Vancouver's PNE.
Well, sort of.
The Russians were actually excited extras from around Metro Vancouver getting a free lunch and a chance at some prizes in exchange for playing the part in the fourth edition of the Rocky series.
And indeed, they came by the busload to do so. Many of them were hoping to meet the film's star, Sylvester Stallone.
Vancouver appointed its first film commissioner this week, but the city has long been an industry hub. To honour that, we dug into our archives for one of the region's most memorable movie moments.
- From the archives:Typhoon Freda slams B.C. coast in 1962
- From the archives: When $235K could buy you a home in Vancouver
- From the archives: Teenage heartthrob Prince William visits Vancouver
Agrodome transformed
Anyone walking into the PNE building on that day in April 1985 certainly could have believed they had suddenly entered what was then the Soviet Republic.
The Agrodome was transformed into a Russian arena, complete with Soviet trophy cases, Pepsi signs and soldiers (well, actors playing them).
There, the eponymous lead character was set on avenging the death of Apollo Creed by fighting the Russian boxer who had killed him in the ring — Drago, played by Dolph Lundgren.
Factoid: Lundgreen actually did real damage to Stallone during the filming of that epic scene.
At a recent event in England, Stallone revealed that a few punches he took to the chest during the fight damaged his heart badly enough that he was flown back to California to spend eight days in hospital.
Was it worth it? Take a look at the final scene and decide for yourself.
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