Postmodern Times

I'm piggybacking off of Termite Artist/Dizzyhead Matt's post on Sylvester Stallone. At Ain't It Cool—a site I rarely (ever??) visit—he's answering round after round of questions.

This is not the funniest exchange—it's not funny at all—but I like it. (It also suggests a fun fiction-writing exercise: What if Sly and the Little Tramp had met?)

Sly-

In "Remembering Charlie," Jerry Epstein's book on Charlie Chaplin, you are mentioned quite extensively. In fact "Rocky" was one of the last films Charlie ever saw. In the book Mr. Epstein says you were never able to comment on your appreciation for Chaplin's films, although he says you were a huge fan and had hoped to "have an audience with the great maestro." Could you tell us a bit about your relationship with Charlie and the effect he had on your career?

Eric Paul Erickson
Chicago, IL

I was scheduled to see Charlie Chaplin, but I froze myself out of that by, believe it or not, being too nervous, like I did when I was suppose to meet Elvis. I love Charlie Chaplin. I borrowed the hat idea from Charlie Chaplin and always pictured (in a urban, concrete, trashy way) that Rocky was the slight embodiment of The Little Tramp.