list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Rocky on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Rocky/29292/default.aspx Title: Rocky
Year: 1976
Director: John G. Avildsen
Plot: Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), a Philadelphia boxer, is but one step removed from total bum-hood. A once-promising pugilist, Rocky is now taking nickel-and-dime bouts and running strongarm errands for local loan sharks to survive. Even his supportive trainer, Mickey (Burgess Meredith), has given up on Rocky. All this changes thanks to Muhammad Ali-like super-boxer Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers). With the Bicentennial celebration coming up, Creed must find a "Cinderella" opponent for the big July 4th bout -- some unknown whom Creed can "glorify" for a few minutes before knocking him cold. Rocky Balboa was not the only Cinderella involved here: writer/director Sylvester Stallone, himself a virtual unknown, managed to sell his Rocky script (one of 35 that he'd written over the years) on the proviso that he be given the starring role. Since the film was to be made on a shoestring and marketed on a low-level basis, the risk factor to United Artists was small. For Stallone, this was a make-or-break opportunity -- just like Rocky's million-to-one shot with Apollo Creed. Costing under a million dollars, Rocky managed to register with audiences everywhere, earning back 60 times its cost. The film won several Academy Awards, including Best Picture. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 19
Number of Lists: 51
Number of blog posts: 10
Number of discussion threads: 9
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:47:05 GMTRocky1976John G. AvildsenRocky Balboa (<a href="/players/P___112464/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Sylvester Stallone</a>), a Philadelphia boxer, is but one step removed from total bum-hood. A once-promising pugilist, Rocky is now taking nickel-and-dime bouts and running strongarm errands for local loan sharks to survive. Even his supportive trainer, Mickey (<a href="/players/P___102566/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Burgess Meredith</a>), has given up on Rocky. All this changes thanks to <a href="/players/P______915/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Muhammad Ali</a>-like super-boxer Apollo Creed (<a href="/players/P____75121/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Carl Weathers</a>). With the Bicentennial celebration coming up, Creed must find a "Cinderella" opponent for the big July 4th bout -- some unknown whom Creed can "glorify" for a few minutes before knocking him cold. Rocky Balboa was not the only Cinderella involved here: writer/director <a href="/players/P___112464/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Sylvester Stallone</a>, himself a virtual unknown, managed to sell his Rocky script (one of 35 that he'd written over the years) on the proviso that he be given the starring role. Since the film was to be made on a shoestring and marketed on a low-level basis, the risk factor to United Artists was small. For Stallone, this was a make-or-break opportunity -- just like Rocky's million-to-one shot with Apollo Creed. Costing under a million dollars, Rocky managed to register with audiences everywhere, earning back 60 times its cost. The film won several Academy Awards, including Best Picture. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide19Tag Target (>10)511093http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t89132c58hl.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Rocky/29292/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/groups/Movie_Polls/Re_Which_of_these_movies_about_boxing_is_your_favo/657/42506/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Windbreaker
Post To: Movie Polls
Post Date: 6/2/2009 6:06:58 PM
Body: I *love* The Set-Up. Love it - glad you enjoyed it, Rizzo. I just barely hit the vote button for Rocky. But they're similar in that they're both great dramas that happen to involve boxers. [quote user="Risselada"] Please reference this thread for the rules of this group. I just saw The Set-Up and I think it's my new favorite boxing movie! It's probably the shortest one too. Which of these is your favorite boxing movie? Sorry if I left your favorite out, but I didn't want the list to be TOO long. Please leave comments! Please vote only once in each poll. Movies referenced in this poll:Body and SoulChampionCinderella ManFat CityGentleman JimMillion Dollar BabyRaging BullRockyThe Set-UpSomebody Up There Likes MeWhen We Were Kings [/quote]
]]>Tue, 02 Jun 2009 22:06:58 GMTWindbreakerMovie Polls6/2/2009 6:06:58 PMI *love* The Set-Up. Love it - glad you enjoyed it, Rizzo. I just barely hit the vote button for Rocky. But they're similar in that they're both great dramas that happen to involve boxers. [quote user="Risselada"] Please reference this thread for the rules of this group. I just saw The Set-Up and I think it's my new favorite boxing movie! It's probably the shortest one too. Which of these is your favorite boxing movie? Sorry if I left your favorite out, but I didn't want the list to be TOO long. Please leave comments! Please vote only once in each poll. Movies referenced in this poll:Body and SoulChampionCinderella ManFat CityGentleman JimMillion Dollar BabyRaging BullRockyThe Set-UpSomebody Up There Likes MeWhen We Were Kings [/quote] http://www.spout.com/groups/Movie_Polls/Which_of_these_movies_about_boxing_is_your_favorit/657/42502/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Movie Polls
Post Date: 6/2/2009 1:31:08 PM
Body: Please reference this thread for the rules of this group. I just saw The Set-Up and I think it's my new favorite boxing movie! It's probably the shortest one too. Which of these is your favorite boxing movie? Sorry if I left your favorite out, but I didn't want the list to be TOO long. Please leave comments! Please vote only once in each poll. Movies referenced in this poll:Body and SoulChampionCinderella ManFat CityGentleman JimMillion Dollar BabyRaging BullRockyThe Set-UpSomebody Up There Likes MeWhen We Were Kings
]]>Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:31:08 GMTRisseladaMovie Polls6/2/2009 1:31:08 PMPlease reference this thread for the rules of this group. I just saw The Set-Up and I think it's my new favorite boxing movie! It's probably the shortest one too. Which of these is your favorite boxing movie? Sorry if I left your favorite out, but I didn't want the list to be TOO long. Please leave comments! Please vote only once in each poll. Movies referenced in this poll:Body and SoulChampionCinderella ManFat CityGentleman JimMillion Dollar BabyRaging BullRockyThe Set-UpSomebody Up There Likes MeWhen We Were Kings http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/12/11/38235.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 12/11/2008 11:01:42 AM
Body: The fanboys are so serious about The Dark Knight being the best film of 2008 that if the Academy snubs the comic-book adaptation for a Best Picture nomination, they’re liable to storm the Kodak Theatre on February 22 in protest. But why should anyone be worried that it won’t get the nomination? It wouldn’t be much of a coup for the year’s top-grossing blockbuster to be named one of the five Best Picture candidates. In fact, since the very first Academy Awards, the top award has often been handed out to films that were #1 at the box office in their respective year. And the last time it happened was as recent as 2003, with The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Thanks to popular and talented filmmakers like D.W. Griffith, Walt Disney, David Lean and Steven Spielberg, it’s hardly uncommon for films to make money and earn critical respect. But this isn’t an opportunity to spotlight overrated top-grossing Best Pictures like Titanic, Rain Man and Rocky, which were decidedly not their year’s best films. Rather, this is a chance to ease the minds of fanboys just in case The Dark Knight doesn’t get the nod. Some of these blockbusters were indeed nominated for Best Picture, and a few even won the award, but some of them were both their year’s biggest moneymaker (in the U.S.) and best film (from the U.S.) without gaining proper Academy recognition. 1937: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Domestic Gross: $66,596,803 It’s certainly not the best feature-length animated film from Disney. That would be the box office disappointment Pinocchio, which came out a few years later and revealed the true breadth of Uncle Walt’s magic. But this was the first, and it’s enchanting enough that it towers over even the best live-action films of its year, including The Awful Truth, The Life of Emile Zola and The Good Earth. 1946: The Best Years of Our Lives Domestic Gross: $11,300,000 If a film like this came out today, it would probably be ignored at the box office, just as most movies responding to the Iraq War and its effects have been box office poison. Yet The Best Years of Our Lives was a huge hit with moviegoers, and it was named Best Picture, too. If you haven’t seen it, you might think that its success had to do with the idea that movies were far more patriotic in tone then. But in reality, this film is more critical of post-wartime America and more supportive and revealing of veteran’s struggles than much of what Hollywood attempts now. 1957: The Bridge on the River Kwai Domestic Gross: $17,195,000 If you only knew the successes of Snow White and this film, you might think the best way to both box office and Oscar gold is to feature a song involving whistling. Unlike “Whistle While You Work,” however, the catchy tune in this film was a hit from decades earlier, and certain circumstances allowed it to add subtext, one of many elements that makes David Lean’s POW epic so rich and wonderful. Of course, it’s that widescreen mise-en-scene that really makes this film just barely edge out 12 Angry Men and Sweet Smell of Success to be considered the year’s finest Hollywood release. 1962: Lawrence of Arabia Domestic Gross: $20,310,000 Nothing against Christopher Nolan and his interest in making truly big-screen-appropriate blockbusters, but even if he does want to completely shoot his next movie for the IMAX format, he’ll never be as fit for 70mm as David Lean was. We all remember that famous shot of the rider in the distance who eventually approaches the foreground, but despite what’s written above for the River Kwai’s entry on this list, Lean wasn’t just good for widescreen spectacle. He could actually direct action pretty well, too, for starters. If only he’d lived long enough to have been forced to deliver his own superhero flick. 1965: Doctor Zhivago Domestic Gross: $60,954,000 Enough with the David Lean, right? This isn’t even that great a film, but the mid-60s weren’t a particularly good time in terms of Hollywood output. If you prefer, some sources place The Sound of Music as the year’s box office champ (its listed domestic take includes rerelease income), and there’s plenty who think that Best Picture-winner was the best film of 1965 instead (hi, Mom). 1972: The Godfather Domestic Gross: $86,691,000 It won the box office, it won the Academy Awards and it still has the utmost respect of film critics and fans today. Few people could honestly say there was a better film in 1972. Even the silly voters who allowed Bob Fosse to win Best Director for Cabaret that year probably wish they could go back and change their minds. 1980: The Empire Strikes Back Domestic Gross: $209,398,025 Argue all you want that 1977 deserves to be on this list, too, but both Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Annie Hall are better films. Besides, anytime critics include the first Star Wars as one of the best films of all time, they actually depreciate the quality of its sequel. Putting that film in the same league with The Empire Strikes Back is like putting the 1966 Batman movie on equal standing with The Dark Knight. Okay, that’s overdoing it. Maybe like putting Batman Begins on the same level, then. 1981: Raiders of the Lost Ark Domestic Gross: $209,562,121 It’s terrible to have to include two George Lucas productions on this list, mainly because by 1999 he was putting out films that were their year’s top earners and top turkeys. Plus, thanks to the latest Indiana Jones movie, it’s a little tough to watch Raiders without thinking of how the protagonist will one day fly through the air in a nuked fridge. But it’s still a damn good action-adventure flick, arguably the greatest of all time. 1985: Back to the Future Domestic Gross: $210,609,762 Robert Zemeckis gets more credit for the double success of Forrest Gump because that film won Best Picture in addition to topping the box office in 1994. Yet it’s this top-grossing film that deserves more esteem. It may not have been nominated for Best Picture, but it captured the mid-80s’ hunger for science fiction and nostalgia perfectly, turning it into one of the most memorable films of the decade, and of all time. With all respect to Sydney Pollack and John Huston, does anyone even think of Out of Africa or Prizzi’s Honor much today? 1995: Toy Story Domestic Gross: $191,796,233 Compared to WALL-E, this film seems technically crude. It’s perhaps analogous to, in 1995, comparing Toy Story to Snow White. That’s how far it seems the wizards at Pixar have come in 13 years. But just as Disney’s first animated feature enchants us still to this day, Toy Story, far from being dated, has aged better than most of Hollywood’s films from the same year. If ever there was a year for a Pixar movie to be nominated for Best Picture, 1995 was the year. It was better than Braveheart, let alone Babe, then, and it’s better than those films now. That said, it would be just as interesting to see Braveheart 3-D next year along with the 3-D rerelease of Toy Story. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Thu, 11 Dec 2008 16:01:42 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com12/11/2008 11:01:42 AMThe fanboys are so serious about The Dark Knight being the best film of 2008 that if the Academy snubs the comic-book adaptation for a Best Picture nomination, they’re liable to storm the Kodak Theatre on February 22 in protest. But why should anyone be worried that it won’t get the nomination? It wouldn’t be much of a coup for the year’s top-grossing blockbuster to be named one of the five Best Picture candidates. In fact, since the very first Academy Awards, the top award has often been handed out to films that were #1 at the box office in their respective year. And the last time it happened was as recent as 2003, with The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Thanks to popular and talented filmmakers like D.W. Griffith, Walt Disney, David Lean and Steven Spielberg, it’s hardly uncommon for films to make money and earn critical respect. But this isn’t an opportunity to spotlight overrated top-grossing Best Pictures like Titanic, Rain Man and Rocky, which were decidedly not their year’s best films. Rather, this is a chance to ease the minds of fanboys just in case The Dark Knight doesn’t get the nod. Some of these blockbusters were indeed nominated for Best Picture, and a few even won the award, but some of them were both their year’s biggest moneymaker (in the U.S.) and best film (from the U.S.) without gaining proper Academy recognition. 1937: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Domestic Gross: $66,596,803 It’s certainly not the best feature-length animated film from Disney. That would be the box office disappointment Pinocchio, which came out a few years later and revealed the true breadth of Uncle Walt’s magic. But this was the first, and it’s enchanting enough that it towers over even the best live-action films of its year, including The Awful Truth, The Life of Emile Zola and The Good Earth. 1946: The Best Years of Our Lives Domestic Gross: $11,300,000 If a film like this came out today, it would probably be ignored at the box office, just as most movies responding to the Iraq War and its effects have been box office poison. Yet The Best Years of Our Lives was a huge hit with moviegoers, and it was named Best Picture, too. If you haven’t seen it, you might think that its success had to do with the idea that movies were far more patriotic in tone then. But in reality, this film is more critical of post-wartime America and more supportive and revealing of veteran’s struggles than much of what Hollywood attempts now. 1957: The Bridge on the River Kwai Domestic Gross: $17,195,000 If you only knew the successes of Snow White and this film, you might think the best way to both box office and Oscar gold is to feature a song involving whistling. Unlike “Whistle While You Work,” however, the catchy tune in this film was a hit from decades earlier, and certain circumstances allowed it to add subtext, one of many elements that makes David Lean’s POW epic so rich and wonderful. Of course, it’s that widescreen mise-en-scene that really makes this film just barely edge out 12 Angry Men and Sweet Smell of Success to be considered the year’s finest Hollywood release. 1962: Lawrence of Arabia Domestic Gross: $20,310,000 Nothing against Christopher Nolan and his interest in making truly big-screen-appropriate blockbusters, but even if he does want to completely shoot his next movie for the IMAX format, he’ll never be as fit for 70mm as David Lean was. We all remember that famous shot of the rider in the distance who eventually approaches the foreground, but despite what’s written above for the River Kwai’s entry on this list, Lean wasn’t just good for widescreen spectacle. He could actually direct action pretty well, too, for starters. If only he’d lived long enough to have been forced to deliver his own superhero flick. 1965: Doctor Zhivago Domestic Gross: $60,954,000 Enough with the David Lean, right? This isn’t even that great a film, but the mid-60s weren’t a particularly good time in terms of Hollywood output. If you prefer, some sources place The Sound of Music as the year’s box office champ (its listed domestic take includes rerelease income), and there’s plenty who think that Best Picture-winner was the best film of 1965 instead (hi, Mom). 1972: The Godfather Domestic Gross: $86,691,000 It won the box office, it won the Academy Awards and it still has the utmost respect of film critics and fans today. Few people could honestly say there was a better film in 1972. Even the silly voters who allowed Bob Fosse to win Best Director for Cabaret that year probably wish they could go back and change their minds. 1980: The Empire Strikes Back Domestic Gross: $209,398,025 Argue all you want that 1977 deserves to be on this list, too, but both Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Annie Hall are better films. Besides, anytime critics include the first Star Wars as one of the best films of all time, they actually depreciate the quality of its sequel. Putting that film in the same league with The Empire Strikes Back is like putting the 1966 Batman movie on equal standing with The Dark Knight. Okay, that’s overdoing it. Maybe like putting Batman Begins on the same level, then. 1981: Raiders of the Lost Ark Domestic Gross: $209,562,121 It’s terrible to have to include two George Lucas productions on this list, mainly because by 1999 he was putting out films that were their year’s top earners and top turkeys. Plus, thanks to the latest Indiana Jones movie, it’s a little tough to watch Raiders without thinking of how the protagonist will one day fly through the air in a nuked fridge. But it’s still a damn good action-adventure flick, arguably the greatest of all time. 1985: Back to the Future Domestic Gross: $210,609,762 Robert Zemeckis gets more credit for the double success of Forrest Gump because that film won Best Picture in addition to topping the box office in 1994. Yet it’s this top-grossing film that deserves more esteem. It may not have been nominated for Best Picture, but it captured the mid-80s’ hunger for science fiction and nostalgia perfectly, turning it into one of the most memorable films of the decade, and of all time. With all respect to Sydney Pollack and John Huston, does anyone even think of Out of Africa or Prizzi’s Honor much today? 1995: Toy Story Domestic Gross: $191,796,233 Compared to WALL-E, this film seems technically crude. It’s perhaps analogous to, in 1995, comparing Toy Story to Snow White. That’s how far it seems the wizards at Pixar have come in 13 years. But just as Disney’s first animated feature enchants us still to this day, Toy Story, far from being dated, has aged better than most of Hollywood’s films from the same year. If ever there was a year for a Pixar movie to be nominated for Best Picture, 1995 was the year. It was better than Braveheart, let alone Babe, then, and it’s better than those films now. That said, it would be just as interesting to see Braveheart 3-D next year along with the 3-D rerelease of Toy Story. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/10/27/36709.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 10/27/2008 7:00:43 PM
Body: It’s been more than 100 years since the Philadelphia Quakers changed their name to the Philadelphia Philadelphians, which was thankfully shortened to “Phillies” very quickly, probably by printers who were afraid of using up all of their ‘P’s in the printing press. Since being founded in 1883, they’ve been one of the most tenacious teams in baseball, winning six pennants, and the World Series in 1980. In fact, in all of American sports (not just baseball), the Phillies are the team that’s been in one city with one name for the longest time. They’re one game away from another World Series win tonight, despite being the Major League team with the most losses in history. We celebrate their scrappiness with a list of quintessential Philadelphia movies. Check them out after the break. Rocky When most people think about Philadelphia and movies, the first thing that springs to mind is the iconic shot of Rocky Balboa running up the stairs to the Philadelphia Museum of Art and triumphantly pumping his fists to the sky from Rocky. City Commerce Director Dick Doran said Sylvester Stallone and the movie did more for Philadelphia’s image than Ben Franklin,  and that scene has probably been recreated by thousands of people that visit the city. In fact, the closing credits of Rocky Balboa is a long montage of images of people imitating his famous run, and there are countless fan recreations on YouTube. The Philadelphia Story Even though it’s set entirely on a Hollywood soundstage, this 1940 film skewers Philadelphia high society  in a comedy of errors. It also features Katherine Hepburn, Jimmy Stewart, and Cary Grant at the top of their game, with Stewart winning an Oscar for Best Actor for his role. Katherine Hepburn had previously starred in the Broadway play the film is based on, and eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes bought the film rights for the play and gave them to her as a gift. Which was somewhat ironic, since Philip Barry had written the play for her in an effort to bring her back to Broadway. It’s still one of the best-written romantic comedies of all time, and the city of brotherly love is probably proud of the fact that its name is in the title. Mannequin Set in the famous Wanamaker’s department store in downtown Philadelphia, this is one of those quintessential 1980s movies that critics hated, but audiences adored. Although this story about window display mannequin come to life might not hold up well today, it has grossed over $42 million dollars and was considered such a success that they made a sequel in 1991 called Mannequin Too: On The Move. That one didn’t do quite so well. The original featured both Andrew McCarthy during his rise in the Brat Pack, and Kim Cattrall in her pre-pre-pre Sex and the City days. Besides giving us Starship’s “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now,” the film has become iconically linked with Philadelphia through Wanamaker’s, now a Macy’s, which was the first department store in Philly and one of the first in the United States in 1876. Philadelphia This movie provided the one-two punch of a powerful performance from Tom Hanks along with Bruce Springsteen’s “Streets of Philadelphia” song, both of which netted Oscars. This film not only addressed AIDS and gay issues in a straightforward manner that was extremely new for Hollywood, it helped open the door for future films and even television series in the sexually conservative (at least in gay and lesbian terms) entertainment industry. It also was shot in key locations around the city, including the courtroom scenes which were filmed in an actual court in Philadelphia. Ironically, Denzel Washington’s character says he prays that the Phillies will win the pennant, and when this film came out in 1993 they did just that. The Sixth Sense M. Night Shyamalan famously shoots all of his movies in or around Philadelphia, and this is easily his most famous. Shymalan goes out of his way to show that the film is set in his hometown, including in the opening scene where Bruce Willis and Olivia Williams are looking at a citation Willis has just received from the mayor. The camera pans all the way down to show the words “of Philadelphia.” The film also features several key locations in South Philadelphia. The filmmaker has continued to show love for the city, although audiences haven’t been loving his movies. The Sixth Sense grossed over $600 million at the worldwide box office, but his latest, The Happening, has only pulled in $163 million. Dawn of the Dead Although most of this film takes place in a shopping mall in Monroeville, PA, the action starts in Philadelphia with the main characters fleeing from pandemonium in the city via helicopter. The entire city has become overrun with zombies, which is probably high time to leave any city. The Philadelphia S.W.A.T. team responds to an apartment building full of zombies, which doesn’t turn out so well for them since zombie attack from your reanimated dead loved one probably isn’t in the training manual. Romero shot the film in and around Philadelphia for around $650,000 dollars in 1978, and it still stands as one of the best horror movies of all time and the strongest in his zombie trilogy which includes Night of the Living Dead and Day of the Dead. National Treasure Right on the heels of the success of The Da Vinci Code came this Nicolas Cage starrer with historic clues to lost treasure hidden in Philadelphia. The central clue in the film is the Declaration of Independence, which leads the main characters to Independence Hall (where the Declaration was signed) in Philadelphia where they find a pair of special glasses hidden by Philadelphia’s most famous historical resident, Benjamin Franklin. Although the treasure ends up being underneath an old church in Boston, the scenes in Philadelphia with the secret brick and Franklin’s glasses are one of the most interesting homages to Indiana Jones’ headpiece to the Staff of Ra in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Nicolas Cage’s character is also named Benjamin Franklin Gates, so they had to show some Philly love. Trading Places This comedic version of the prince and the pauper tale is set in an affluent neighborhood in Philadelphia, and in the offices of a commodity brokerage downtown. It’s a double rags to riches tale, with Winthorpe and Billy Ray (Dan Ackroyd and Eddie Murphy) swapping places before they turn the tables on the Duke brothers and bankrupt them as well. Winthorpe’s mansion is actually a real location in a ritzy part of town, and many of the downtown scenes key Philadelphia locations and even local television reporters as extras. Although Randolph and Mortimer return briefly in Murphy’s Coming to America, they’re seen as bums in New York, and not Philadelphia. Witness Ironically, most of this key Philadelphia movie doesn’t take place in the city at all, but rather in the Amish communities of nearby rural Lancaster County. The film opens with a very young Lukas Haas witnessing a murder, which leads to a conspiracy within the city’s police department. Police Captain John Book, played by Harrison Ford, is shot while discovering this, and takes Haas back home to protect him. However, he collapses from his bullet wound, and is nursed back to health by a bonnet-wearing Kelly McGillis. He stays on to protect the boy, and is eventually accepted by the community before offing the bad guys and returning to the big city. 12 Monkeys While this Terry Gilliam post-apocalyptic film is set mostly in modern-day Baltimore and Philadelphia, it’s the shots of the virus ravaged Philly that are the most haunting. Bruce Willis roams the future devastated landscape in his steampunk environmental suit while encountering wild animals and looking for clues that can help the human race repopulate and return to the surface. The iconic ending sequence in the airport was actually shot inside the Philadelphia Convention Center, and the asylum where Willis is a patient is the Eastern State Penitentiary, which is the one of two things Charles Dickens wanted to see when he visited the U.S. The other was Niagara Falls. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Mon, 27 Oct 2008 23:00:43 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com10/27/2008 7:00:43 PMIt’s been more than 100 years since the Philadelphia Quakers changed their name to the Philadelphia Philadelphians, which was thankfully shortened to “Phillies” very quickly, probably by printers who were afraid of using up all of their ‘P’s in the printing press. Since being founded in 1883, they’ve been one of the most tenacious teams in baseball, winning six pennants, and the World Series in 1980. In fact, in all of American sports (not just baseball), the Phillies are the team that’s been in one city with one name for the longest time. They’re one game away from another World Series win tonight, despite being the Major League team with the most losses in history. We celebrate their scrappiness with a list of quintessential Philadelphia movies. Check them out after the break. Rocky When most people think about Philadelphia and movies, the first thing that springs to mind is the iconic shot of Rocky Balboa running up the stairs to the Philadelphia Museum of Art and triumphantly pumping his fists to the sky from Rocky. City Commerce Director Dick Doran said Sylvester Stallone and the movie did more for Philadelphia’s image than Ben Franklin,  and that scene has probably been recreated by thousands of people that visit the city. In fact, the closing credits of Rocky Balboa is a long montage of images of people imitating his famous run, and there are countless fan recreations on YouTube. The Philadelphia Story Even though it’s set entirely on a Hollywood soundstage, this 1940 film skewers Philadelphia high society  in a comedy of errors. It also features Katherine Hepburn, Jimmy Stewart, and Cary Grant at the top of their game, with Stewart winning an Oscar for Best Actor for his role. Katherine Hepburn had previously starred in the Broadway play the film is based on, and eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes bought the film rights for the play and gave them to her as a gift. Which was somewhat ironic, since Philip Barry had written the play for her in an effort to bring her back to Broadway. It’s still one of the best-written romantic comedies of all time, and the city of brotherly love is probably proud of the fact that its name is in the title. Mannequin Set in the famous Wanamaker’s department store in downtown Philadelphia, this is one of those quintessential 1980s movies that critics hated, but audiences adored. Although this story about window display mannequin come to life might not hold up well today, it has grossed over $42 million dollars and was considered such a success that they made a sequel in 1991 called Mannequin Too: On The Move. That one didn’t do quite so well. The original featured both Andrew McCarthy during his rise in the Brat Pack, and Kim Cattrall in her pre-pre-pre Sex and the City days. Besides giving us Starship’s “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now,” the film has become iconically linked with Philadelphia through Wanamaker’s, now a Macy’s, which was the first department store in Philly and one of the first in the United States in 1876. Philadelphia This movie provided the one-two punch of a powerful performance from Tom Hanks along with Bruce Springsteen’s “Streets of Philadelphia” song, both of which netted Oscars. This film not only addressed AIDS and gay issues in a straightforward manner that was extremely new for Hollywood, it helped open the door for future films and even television series in the sexually conservative (at least in gay and lesbian terms) entertainment industry. It also was shot in key locations around the city, including the courtroom scenes which were filmed in an actual court in Philadelphia. Ironically, Denzel Washington’s character says he prays that the Phillies will win the pennant, and when this film came out in 1993 they did just that. The Sixth Sense M. Night Shyamalan famously shoots all of his movies in or around Philadelphia, and this is easily his most famous. Shymalan goes out of his way to show that the film is set in his hometown, including in the opening scene where Bruce Willis and Olivia Williams are looking at a citation Willis has just received from the mayor. The camera pans all the way down to show the words “of Philadelphia.” The film also features several key locations in South Philadelphia. The filmmaker has continued to show love for the city, although audiences haven’t been loving his movies. The Sixth Sense grossed over $600 million at the worldwide box office, but his latest, The Happening, has only pulled in $163 million. Dawn of the Dead Although most of this film takes place in a shopping mall in Monroeville, PA, the action starts in Philadelphia with the main characters fleeing from pandemonium in the city via helicopter. The entire city has become overrun with zombies, which is probably high time to leave any city. The Philadelphia S.W.A.T. team responds to an apartment building full of zombies, which doesn’t turn out so well for them since zombie attack from your reanimated dead loved one probably isn’t in the training manual. Romero shot the film in and around Philadelphia for around $650,000 dollars in 1978, and it still stands as one of the best horror movies of all time and the strongest in his zombie trilogy which includes Night of the Living Dead and Day of the Dead. National Treasure Right on the heels of the success of The Da Vinci Code came this Nicolas Cage starrer with historic clues to lost treasure hidden in Philadelphia. The central clue in the film is the Declaration of Independence, which leads the main characters to Independence Hall (where the Declaration was signed) in Philadelphia where they find a pair of special glasses hidden by Philadelphia’s most famous historical resident, Benjamin Franklin. Although the treasure ends up being underneath an old church in Boston, the scenes in Philadelphia with the secret brick and Franklin’s glasses are one of the most interesting homages to Indiana Jones’ headpiece to the Staff of Ra in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Nicolas Cage’s character is also named Benjamin Franklin Gates, so they had to show some Philly love. Trading Places This comedic version of the prince and the pauper tale is set in an affluent neighborhood in Philadelphia, and in the offices of a commodity brokerage downtown. It’s a double rags to riches tale, with Winthorpe and Billy Ray (Dan Ackroyd and Eddie Murphy) swapping places before they turn the tables on the Duke brothers and bankrupt them as well. Winthorpe’s mansion is actually a real location in a ritzy part of town, and many of the downtown scenes key Philadelphia locations and even local television reporters as extras. Although Randolph and Mortimer return briefly in Murphy’s Coming to America, they’re seen as bums in New York, and not Philadelphia. Witness Ironically, most of this key Philadelphia movie doesn’t take place in the city at all, but rather in the Amish communities of nearby rural Lancaster County. The film opens with a very young Lukas Haas witnessing a murder, which leads to a conspiracy within the city’s police department. Police Captain John Book, played by Harrison Ford, is shot while discovering this, and takes Haas back home to protect him. However, he collapses from his bullet wound, and is nursed back to health by a bonnet-wearing Kelly McGillis. He stays on to protect the boy, and is eventually accepted by the community before offing the bad guys and returning to the big city. 12 Monkeys While this Terry Gilliam post-apocalyptic film is set mostly in modern-day Baltimore and Philadelphia, it’s the shots of the virus ravaged Philly that are the most haunting. Bruce Willis roams the future devastated landscape in his steampunk environmental suit while encountering wild animals and looking for clues that can help the human race repopulate and return to the surface. The iconic ending sequence in the airport was actually shot inside the Philadelphia Convention Center, and the asylum where Willis is a patient is the Eastern State Penitentiary, which is the one of two things Charles Dickens wanted to see when he visited the U.S. The other was Niagara Falls. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Weekly_Theme_for_October_20_The_Montage/625/36517/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: leeroy711
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 10/20/2008 12:48:37 PM
Body: This one's pretty strait forward. What are some of your favorite montage sequences? It seems that the montage is pretty much a staple in the film industry so, you would probably be pretty hard pressed to find a film that didn't use this technique at least once. I watched The Royal Tenenbaums again last night and saw a great montage sequence. Does anybody remember it? It was when Royal decides to instill some reckless abandonment into his two grandsons. The montage shows them riding go-carts, throwing water balloons at a car and waiting for the "DON'T WALK" sign to cross. Or, do you prefer the more traditional "sports training montage" like the classic in Rocky. This one's been spoofed so many times that its impossible to forget. Maybe you just hate the whole idea in the first place. The one thing that I will say is that they seem to be the most predictable next seen in any film. It always follows a typical set up. And its many times used to conveniently show the passage of time in a condensed space. What do you guys say? I would like to hear specifically what some of you favorite sequences in film are. There's a hell of a lot to choose from so spit it out all ready.
]]>Mon, 20 Oct 2008 16:48:37 GMTleeroy711Weekly Theme10/20/2008 12:48:37 PMThis one's pretty strait forward. What are some of your favorite montage sequences? It seems that the montage is pretty much a staple in the film industry so, you would probably be pretty hard pressed to find a film that didn't use this technique at least once. I watched The Royal Tenenbaums again last night and saw a great montage sequence. Does anybody remember it? It was when Royal decides to instill some reckless abandonment into his two grandsons. The montage shows them riding go-carts, throwing water balloons at a car and waiting for the "DON'T WALK" sign to cross. Or, do you prefer the more traditional "sports training montage" like the classic in Rocky. This one's been spoofed so many times that its impossible to forget. Maybe you just hate the whole idea in the first place. The one thing that I will say is that they seem to be the most predictable next seen in any film. It always follows a typical set up. And its many times used to conveniently show the passage of time in a condensed space. What do you guys say? I would like to hear specifically what some of you favorite sequences in film are. There's a hell of a lot to choose from so spit it out all ready. http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_September_15_This_Sporting_Li/625/35185/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: unclefestering
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 9/15/2008 10:45:45 PM
Body: [quote user="The_American_Dream"] As a high-school runner, I have to lay down "Chariots of Fire" as a sports movie although not so classically sporty as the usual team over coming insurmountable odds within and without that Disney periodically cranks out with a 'Based on a True Story' tagline... [/quote] I watched Chariots of Fire again and I think it is one of the few Olympic movies that stand up to repeated viewings. (Unlike Cool Runnings.) In terms of sports comedies I have to go with Dodgeball and A Day at the Races. Both are hilarious for different reasons. If you can't watch either without laughing your ass off, you need to see a mental health specialist. For baseball, I'd have to go with John Singleton's Eight Men Out and The Pride of the Yankees as a double header since they show the game at it's worst and best. For hockey, I'd pick Mystery, Alaska. As for boxing, it's got to be the original Rocky, hands down. And Sly comes right back for the best movie portrayal of professional arm wrestling with Over The Top.
]]>Tue, 16 Sep 2008 02:45:45 GMTunclefesteringWeekly Theme9/15/2008 10:45:45 PM[quote user="The_American_Dream"] As a high-school runner, I have to lay down "Chariots of Fire" as a sports movie although not so classically sporty as the usual team over coming insurmountable odds within and without that Disney periodically cranks out with a 'Based on a True Story' tagline... [/quote] I watched Chariots of Fire again and I think it is one of the few Olympic movies that stand up to repeated viewings. (Unlike Cool Runnings.) In terms of sports comedies I have to go with Dodgeball and A Day at the Races. Both are hilarious for different reasons. If you can't watch either without laughing your ass off, you need to see a mental health specialist. For baseball, I'd have to go with John Singleton's Eight Men Out and The Pride of the Yankees as a double header since they show the game at it's worst and best. For hockey, I'd pick Mystery, Alaska. As for boxing, it's got to be the original Rocky, hands down. And Sly comes right back for the best movie portrayal of professional arm wrestling with Over The Top. http://www.spout.com/blogs/zularian/archive/2008/7/1/31988.aspx Post By: Zularian
Post To: Zularian Blog
Post Date: 7/1/2008 5:56:45 PM
Body: This movie is exacatly what it said it was going to be, it's a chase movie with a terribly creepy villan. I cannot say there is much more to it than that. It's a western of sorts which for me is not really a big selling point. There is really nothing shocking or new about this movie. The "highly discussed" aspects of this film, in particular the dog that was not a stunt dog, were some of the more disappointing moments in movie-watching history for me (look up how much was written about this dog and how the scene was done and then rewatch the movie...) Which is why when I watched it the other day I just felt baffled. It is not fair to blame No Country for the expecations I had for it. It was, as I said, everything it said it was going to be. I can't really point my finger at critics or those who give out awards because after Brokeback Mountain they have proven they cannot be trusted. I know that the fault lies with me, but what can I do? I had hoped, in vain, that this film would be like Children of Men. That I would sit down and shake my head and quietly mumble to myself, "I didn't know...I was wrong...holy God!" My mumbling after the movie ended was more along the lines of. "Oh, that's how it ends...so that's it?" I am sure this is the feeling many had when Rocky went on to win the oscar for best picture as well. I think the difference is Rocky was not called the greatest movie in however many years, or that Stallone was at the top of his powers, or some other puffed up nonsense.
]]>Tue, 01 Jul 2008 21:56:45 GMTZularianZularian Blog7/1/2008 5:56:45 PMThis movie is exacatly what it said it was going to be, it's a chase movie with a terribly creepy villan. I cannot say there is much more to it than that. It's a western of sorts which for me is not really a big selling point. There is really nothing shocking or new about this movie. The "highly discussed" aspects of this film, in particular the dog that was not a stunt dog, were some of the more disappointing moments in movie-watching history for me (look up how much was written about this dog and how the scene was done and then rewatch the movie...) Which is why when I watched it the other day I just felt baffled. It is not fair to blame No Country for the expecations I had for it. It was, as I said, everything it said it was going to be. I can't really point my finger at critics or those who give out awards because after Brokeback Mountain they have proven they cannot be trusted. I know that the fault lies with me, but what can I do? I had hoped, in vain, that this film would be like Children of Men. That I would sit down and shake my head and quietly mumble to myself, "I didn't know...I was wrong...holy God!" My mumbling after the movie ended was more along the lines of. "Oh, that's how it ends...so that's it?" I am sure this is the feeling many had when Rocky went on to win the oscar for best picture as well. I think the difference is Rocky was not called the greatest movie in however many years, or that Stallone was at the top of his powers, or some other puffed up nonsense. http://www.spout.com/groups/Natsukashi/Episode_V_Jaws/592/31912/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: usesoap
Post To: Natsukashi
Post Date: 6/30/2008 3:38:11 PM
Body: Film: JawsRated: PGDirected by: Steven Spielberg Starring: Roy Scheider: Sheriff Brody Richard Dreyfuss: Hooper Robert Shaw: Quint Tagline: Don’t go in the water By: Efferdent Johnson Past memories: In 1975, I was doing my best to propagate the best hair helmet any pre-teen had ever hoped to wear. My interests were few and my fears were many. Some of which were brought to the surface by a frightening grey machine with a zillion teeth and a thirst for blood. By my tenth year of life, the most frightening movie experiences were the ever-so-scary villains of Disney. I can remember sinking in my seat during Willy Wonka’s boat ride, or almost all of Chitty Chitty Bang AHHHHHHHHH!!! Jaws would never affect me… or so I thought. The chances of me seeing the movie were less than my chances for a Senate seat. My mom would make sure that her young sons would not be turned to evil, sexually confused or exposed to the violence of the cinema. The following summer Rocky came to town and my brothers and I were not permitted to go. “It is way too bloody and violent. No. I will not tell you again.” I can remember hearing that daily for two weeks. Mom, though, couldn’t censor every facet of a 10-year-old’s life. The commercials started and it led to a frenzy of attention in our tiny land-locked community in southern Colorado. Every conversation both of adults and kids seemed to begin and end with some reference to a man-eating shark. On the play ground while sneaking up on the girls, my friends and I would be revealed by our own musical accompaniment, “Dunt Dunt, Dunt Dunt”. After the movie played in town and moved on to the drive-in theater, the book appeared on every shelf not already packed with Rockem Sockem Robots, Hardy Boys lunch boxes or Billy Beer. I even remember the local sporting goods store with a Jaws display in the window next to the fishing tackle and baseball cleats. Never seeing the movie juiced every waterborne fear a 10 year old could have. As an avid swimmer on the swim team, my paranoia was limitless. If a teammate was to scrape at my toes while swimming laps, the chance of something other than urine coming from my Speedo was possible. I guess Spielberg my have been responsible for some of my best times. I am sure the first time I saw the movie was on network TV probably five years later. Robert Shaw has always been the salty fisherman in my mind while reading books about the sea. I can imagine him now as Hemingway’s old man or Melville’s whale-obsessed, one-legged captain. Ah, what a glorious time before Stakeout, Another Stakeout or a terrible Poseidon remake when Richard Dreyfuss was cool. Or to see Roy Scheider ( R.I.P) as something more than a douche bag flying a fictitious helicopter. Ultimately, the movie didn’t live up to the expectations of my 10-year-old imagination. It was years later while in high school after watching the horrible sequels that I realized why the original had transfixed my tiny hometown. People from every walk of life could relate in some way to a story that was chock full of the human experience. Man vs Man, Man vs Beast, small town politics and obsession that ultimately leads to a bad and bloody end or just having the crap scared out of you, take your pick. If nothing else my friends and I had so much fun replaying the Saturday Night Live skit “Land Shark” that to this day the mention of it will bring us all too contagious belly laughter. And what did Eff think about his most recent screening of a film he had not seen in more than a decade? Or to download: Here’s Episode V:Jaws.
]]>Mon, 30 Jun 2008 19:38:11 GMTusesoapNatsukashi6/30/2008 3:38:11 PMFilm: JawsRated: PGDirected by: Steven Spielberg Starring: Roy Scheider: Sheriff Brody Richard Dreyfuss: Hooper Robert Shaw: Quint Tagline: Don&rsquo;t go in the water By: Efferdent Johnson Past memories: In 1975, I was doing my best to propagate the best hair helmet any pre-teen had ever hoped to wear. My interests were few and my fears were many. Some of which were brought to the surface by a frightening grey machine with a zillion teeth and a thirst for blood. By my tenth year of life, the most frightening movie experiences were the ever-so-scary villains of Disney. I can remember sinking in my seat during Willy Wonka&rsquo;s boat ride, or almost all of Chitty Chitty Bang AHHHHHHHHH!!! Jaws would never affect me&hellip; or so I thought. The chances of me seeing the movie were less than my chances for a Senate seat. My mom would make sure that her young sons would not be turned to evil, sexually confused or exposed to the violence of the cinema. The following summer Rocky came to town and my brothers and I were not permitted to go. &ldquo;It is way too bloody and violent. No. I will not tell you again.&rdquo; I can remember hearing that daily for two weeks. Mom, though, couldn&rsquo;t censor every facet of a 10-year-old&rsquo;s life. The commercials started and it led to a frenzy of attention in our tiny land-locked community in southern Colorado. Every conversation both of adults and kids seemed to begin and end with some reference to a man-eating shark. On the play ground while sneaking up on the girls, my friends and I would be revealed by our own musical accompaniment, &ldquo;Dunt Dunt, Dunt Dunt&rdquo;. After the movie played in town and moved on to the drive-in theater, the book appeared on every shelf not already packed with Rockem Sockem Robots, Hardy Boys lunch boxes or Billy Beer. I even remember the local sporting goods store with a Jaws display in the window next to the fishing tackle and baseball cleats. Never seeing the movie juiced every waterborne fear a 10 year old could have. As an avid swimmer on the swim team, my paranoia was limitless. If a teammate was to scrape at my toes while swimming laps, the chance of something other than urine coming from my Speedo was possible. I guess Spielberg my have been responsible for some of my best times. I am sure the first time I saw the movie was on network TV probably five years later. Robert Shaw has always been the salty fisherman in my mind while reading books about the sea. I can imagine him now as Hemingway&rsquo;s old man or Melville&rsquo;s whale-obsessed, one-legged captain. Ah, what a glorious time before Stakeout, Another Stakeout or a terrible Poseidon remake when Richard Dreyfuss was cool. Or to see Roy Scheider ( R.I.P) as something more than a douche bag flying a fictitious helicopter. Ultimately, the movie didn&rsquo;t live up to the expectations of my 10-year-old imagination. It was years later while in high school after watching the horrible sequels that I realized why the original had transfixed my tiny hometown. People from every walk of life could relate in some way to a story that was chock full of the human experience. Man vs Man, Man vs Beast, small town politics and obsession that ultimately leads to a bad and bloody end or just having the crap scared out of you, take your pick. If nothing else my friends and I had so much fun replaying the Saturday Night Live skit &ldquo;Land Shark&rdquo; that to this day the mention of it will bring us all too contagious belly laughter. And what did Eff think about his most recent screening of a film he had not seen in more than a decade? Or to download: Here&rsquo;s Episode V:Jaws. http://www.spout.com/blogs/shaunhuston/archive/2008/6/19/31401.aspx Post By: ShaunHuston
Post To: ShaunHuston filmblog
Post Date: 6/19/2008 1:01:19 AM
Body: The sports Top 10 is a difficult list to assess. How many truly good sports movies are there, and I ask this as a sports fan? Raging Bull (1980) is arguably the greatest film of the 1980s, and Rocky (1976) was a little labor of love, far from the semi-joke blockbuster that it is often remembered as in light of its sequels. They likely deserve their places at the top of the list, especially Raging Bull. As to the rest of the films, I have a lot of affection for Breaking Away (1979) and really, it's a lovely little film that I'd put higher on the list. I also like Hoosiers (1986) and Bull Durham (1988), but they both have obvious flaws (as Anne-Marie noted, the basketball film falls short in its depiction of the on-the-court action; the final is especially poorly paced and shot and edited in an oblique way. I've always thought that Bull Durham's final act stretched on a little too long, needlessly deferring Annie and Crash's final settling in together). For the remainder, well, I don't have much good or much bad to say about any of them; I can see why each ended up on the list, with the possible exception of Jerry Maguire (1996), which seems a stretch as a sports film even by the AFI's definition (“a genre of films with protagonists who play athletics or other games of competition” - I don't see how either of the leads meet this standard). However, I would struggle to find a replacement. Tin Cup (1996)? Cross-apply Field of Dreams (1989) from the fantasy list? How about Downhill Racer (1969) or Slap Shot (1977)? (And I'll just admit right now that I have nothing to say about football films as I don't care or know much about the game). I dunno. I think that this genre is doubly cursed for being both a genre and about sports, two aspects of American life that are seen as culturally “lesser” in many circles. So, as a result, you get films that are either goofy comedies or fairly predictable dramas. The best films on the AFI Top 10 do better than that, but only Raging Bull, I think, can be considered great cinema. Link to introduction. Originally posted on:Short-Circuit Signs
]]>Thu, 19 Jun 2008 05:01:19 GMTShaunHustonShaunHuston filmblog6/19/2008 1:01:19 AMThe sports Top 10 is a difficult list to assess. How many truly good sports movies are there, and I ask this as a sports fan? Raging Bull (1980) is arguably the greatest film of the 1980s, and Rocky (1976) was a little labor of love, far from the semi-joke blockbuster that it is often remembered as in light of its sequels. They likely deserve their places at the top of the list, especially Raging Bull. As to the rest of the films, I have a lot of affection for Breaking Away (1979) and really, it's a lovely little film that I'd put higher on the list. I also like Hoosiers (1986) and Bull Durham (1988), but they both have obvious flaws (as Anne-Marie noted, the basketball film falls short in its depiction of the on-the-court action; the final is especially poorly paced and shot and edited in an oblique way. I've always thought that Bull Durham's final act stretched on a little too long, needlessly deferring Annie and Crash's final settling in together). For the remainder, well, I don't have much good or much bad to say about any of them; I can see why each ended up on the list, with the possible exception of Jerry Maguire (1996), which seems a stretch as a sports film even by the AFI's definition (“a genre of films with protagonists who play athletics or other games of competition” - I don't see how either of the leads meet this standard). However, I would struggle to find a replacement. Tin Cup (1996)? Cross-apply Field of Dreams (1989) from the fantasy list? How about Downhill Racer (1969) or Slap Shot (1977)? (And I'll just admit right now that I have nothing to say about football films as I don't care or know much about the game). I dunno. I think that this genre is doubly cursed for being both a genre and about sports, two aspects of American life that are seen as culturally “lesser” in many circles. So, as a result, you get films that are either goofy comedies or fairly predictable dramas. The best films on the AFI Top 10 do better than that, but only Raging Bull, I think, can be considered great cinema. Link to introduction. Originally posted on:Short-Circuit Signs http://www.spout.com/blogs/jj79/archive/2008/6/8/30867.aspx Post By: JJ79
Post To: JJ79 Blog
Post Date: 6/8/2008 2:33:46 PM
Body: Released: November 21, 1976 (New York)Director: John G. Avildsen*****I'll admit, I put off watching this 1976 Best Picture winner for a long, long time. Frankly, boxing pictures hold little allure for me and Sly Stallone isn't exactly at the top of any acting list. But a strange thing happened during Rocky: I grew to admire everything about the production. The much-heralded boxing aspects of the film never clouded the storyline and when Rocky makes his triumphant run up steps with the theme playing, we feel it.Rocky is touted as an underdog story and it certainly is, but that storyline isn't front and center as it maybe should be. Sure, we see Rocky wooing Adrian (Talia Shire) and eventually working his way into a fight with World Heavyweight Champion Apollo Creed. It's the finale, a cacophony of noise, that let's us all down. After a brutal 15 round bout, we want Rocky to win the fight. All we really know is that it was a split decision. If Rocky is to be a true hero for the audience, we need to know if he won the fight or not. It's not enough for him to get the girl and $150k purse. It's not enough to gain the respect of his hoodlum "employer" or the arrogant Creed. After 2+ hours of build up, we require the terms of the contract to be fulfilled. Did Rocky win?The treatment of the lone major female in the film (Shire) is disconcerting at best. At various times, both Rocky and her brother Paulie (Burt Young) treat her as nothing more than a slave to them. They both come around at the end, but endless scenes of her being put down, relgated to a cook and nurse are just painful to watch today. The Academy went a bit overboard with the Oscars for the film. Best Picture over Network, All the President's Men and Taxi Driver? Doubtful, though Rocky taps into a time in American history when people needed a hero, someone like them, to show they could pull themselves up. Rocky was that person. And in that context, there's not much more to expect out of a film.
]]>Sun, 08 Jun 2008 18:33:46 GMTJJ79JJ79 Blog6/8/2008 2:33:46 PMReleased: November 21, 1976 (New York)Director: John G. Avildsen*****I'll admit, I put off watching this 1976 Best Picture winner for a long, long time. Frankly, boxing pictures hold little allure for me and Sly Stallone isn't exactly at the top of any acting list. But a strange thing happened during Rocky: I grew to admire everything about the production. The much-heralded boxing aspects of the film never clouded the storyline and when Rocky makes his triumphant run up steps with the theme playing, we feel it.Rocky is touted as an underdog story and it certainly is, but that storyline isn't front and center as it maybe should be. Sure, we see Rocky wooing Adrian (Talia Shire) and eventually working his way into a fight with World Heavyweight Champion Apollo Creed. It's the finale, a cacophony of noise, that let's us all down. After a brutal 15 round bout, we want Rocky to win the fight. All we really know is that it was a split decision. If Rocky is to be a true hero for the audience, we need to know if he won the fight or not. It's not enough for him to get the girl and $150k purse. It's not enough to gain the respect of his hoodlum "employer" or the arrogant Creed. After 2+ hours of build up, we require the terms of the contract to be fulfilled. Did Rocky win?The treatment of the lone major female in the film (Shire) is disconcerting at best. At various times, both Rocky and her brother Paulie (Burt Young) treat her as nothing more than a slave to them. They both come around at the end, but endless scenes of her being put down, relgated to a cook and nurse are just painful to watch today. The Academy went a bit overboard with the Oscars for the film. Best Picture over Network, All the President's Men and Taxi Driver? Doubtful, though Rocky taps into a time in American history when people needed a hero, someone like them, to show they could pull themselves up. Rocky was that person. And in that context, there's not much more to expect out of a film. http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/love/MemberTagFilms.aspxlove
Number of films tagged: 12478

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]]>Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:28:29 GMT124783381480Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Classic/MemberTagFilms.aspxClassic
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]]>Sun, 23 Aug 2009 22:54:36 GMT8163121453Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/boxing/MemberTagFilms.aspxboxing
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]]>Wed, 17 Jun 2009 18:04:16 GMT7463155Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Best-Picture/MemberTagFilms.aspxBest-Picture
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]]>Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:50:39 GMT1342027Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/champion/MemberTagFilms.aspxchampion
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]]>Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:04:22 GMT601913Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Best-Director/MemberTagFilms.aspxBest-Director
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]]>Sat, 27 Sep 2008 03:53:34 GMT39847Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Best-Editing/MemberTagFilms.aspxBest-Editing
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]]>Sun, 28 Jun 2009 17:45:54 GMT6556Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/collector/MemberTagFilms.aspxcollector
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]]>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:55:43 GMT11344Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/ultimate/MemberTagFilms.aspxultimate
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]]>Sun, 02 Dec 2007 07:18:07 GMT333Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Eye-of-the-Tiger/MemberTagFilms.aspxEye-of-the-Tiger
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]]>Sun, 19 Aug 2007 20:11:58 GMT122Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/rookie/MemberTagFilms.aspxrookie
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]]>Tue, 10 Mar 2009 13:07:07 GMT10024Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/trainer/MemberTagFilms.aspxtrainer
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Number of people who tagged: 2

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]]>Tue, 21 Jul 2009 13:14:49 GMT6022Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/adrienne/MemberTagFilms.aspxadrienne
Number of films tagged: 1

Number of people who tagged: 1

Number of times used: 1

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