Sylvester Stallone has spent decades being associated with Rocky Balboa, John Rambo and some of Hollywood’s biggest action movies. His second-favorite film from his own career, however, is a considerably less obvious choice.
Stallone singled out Rhinestone, the 1984 musical comedy he made with Dolly Parton, while marking Dolly Parton Day on September 25. He shared scenes from the movie and ranked it immediately behind the film that made him a star.
“Believe it or not, Rhinestone is my favorite film I’ve ever done, besides Rocky, of course!” Stallone wrote, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Stallone’s reason was personal rather than commercial. He remembered how much fun he and Parton had making the movie and used the occasion to make another request: he wants people to be able to stream it again.
Stallone Wants ‘Rhinestone’ Back Where People Can Watch It
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Stallone said he had tried to find Rhinestone on streaming without success. Calling it a “special movie,” he asked for it to “see the light of day” again and encouraged streaming services to make it available.
The movie stars Parton as country singer Jake Farris, who makes a bet that she can transform an unlikely candidate into a country performer. The man chosen for the challenge is Stallone’s Nick Martinelli, a New York cab driver with little apparent connection to country music.
The role required Stallone to do something audiences accustomed to Rocky and First Blood were not used to seeing from him: sing. Parton wrote several songs for the movie, while Stallone performed numbers including “Drinkinstein” and “Stay Out of My Bedroom.”
CinemaBlend also found the movie absent from the major subscription streaming services it checked. Stallone instead directed followers to the clips in his Instagram post, where he shared several of his favorite moments from the film.
‘Rhinestone’ Was Far From One of Stallone’s Biggest Hits
Stallone’s current ranking is especially unusual given the movie’s original commercial performance. Rhinestone opened in June 1984 and earned approximately $21.4 million at the domestic box office against a reported $28 million production budget.
The movie also struggled with critics. Its reception stood in sharp contrast to the enormous success Stallone had already experienced with the first three Rocky films and First Blood, while Rambo: First Blood Part II and Rocky IV would follow the next year.
Parton’s contributions to the soundtrack had considerably more success. “Tennessee Homesick Blues,” which she wrote and performed for the movie, reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart and earned her a Grammy nomination.
Stallone’s affection for the movie is therefore rooted in the experience of making it rather than its original reception. In his Dolly Parton Day posts, he described filming Rhinestone as a “fantastic experience.”
Stallone Had Already Shared a Personal Tribute to Parton
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Parton died on August 25 at age 80, one month before Stallone revisited Rhinestone. The day after her death, he shared a separate video remembering what she had been like away from the cameras.
Stallone recalled Parton arriving on set and greeting crew members individually. He described her as outgoing and intelligent, telling PEOPLE that he did not think everyone fully appreciated how sharp she was.
He also remembered a trip to a Tennessee horse farm while they were making the movie. Stallone said he and Parton climbed onto an enormous Tennessee Walking Horse together before both falling off. Parton’s response was to laugh about what had happened.
Stallone ended that August tribute by telling his former costar that he missed and loved her. His September posts returned to the movie they made together, this time with a specific request for Rhinestone to become accessible to viewers again.