Recently the Los Angeles Times ran a poll among readers to determine The 10 Best Sports Movies of All TIme. “Rocky” clocked in at number 2.
Category: Honors
Rocky @ Golden Globes
On January 18, 2012, Entertainment and Stars posted a piece titled, “Golden Globes 2012: Top 10 Show-Stealers Over the Years and Interesting Facts About Them. Here’s what they had to say about “Rocky”…
Rocky: “Rocky,” starring Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa, arrived in 1976 and won the Golden Globe for Best Drama. The movie depicted the story of a struggling boxer, Balboa, trying to make a living working as a debt collector for a pittance. He gets the chance of his lifetime when heavyweight champion Apollo Creed visits Philadelphia and an exhibition match is held between Creed and Balboa.
Did You Know That – “Rocky” was shot in just 28 days? Adrian’s last name was Klein in the original script? The photos on Rocky’s mirror are actual photos of Stallone as a young boy? The movie was the first sports film to win an Academy Award for Best Picture?
Top 10 Macho Movies of the 90’s
Krystal Clark over at Screen Cave posted her choices for The Top 10 Macho Movies that Ruled the 90’s. Sly scored one movie in the top ten. Here’s the list with the rationale for Sly’s film.
10. Cliffhanger: Is it cold in here, or is it just us? Forget New York and L.A., 1993′s Cliffhanger takes place in the Rocky Mountains! The film follows Sylvester Stallone as he battles the icy elements and a group of merciless thieves. Not only does Stallone do some impressive rock climbing but he does it in shorts and a tank top! Who cares if it’s 20 degrees below zero, he doesn’t have time to freeze.
09. The Rock
08. Hard to Kill
07. Desperado
06. Double Impact
05. True Lies
04. Con Air
03. Bad Boys
02. Speed
01. Die Hard with a Vengeance
Top 10 Macho Movies of the 80’s
Krystal Clark over at Screen Cave posted her choices for The Top 10 Macho Movies that Ruled the 80’s. Both Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sly scored two movies in the top ten, but guess who came in at #1. Yep, Sly for First Blood. Here’s the list with the rationale for Sly’s films.
10. Road House
09. American Ninja
08. Rocky IV: “I must break you.” It’s been 26 years since Rocky IV’s release and those words still send chills down our spine. The movie isn’t a masterpiece but what it lacks in sensible dialogue it makes up for in spirit. It was Rocky Balboa versus Ivan Drago. It was the U.S. versus The Soviet Union. It was blonds versus brunettes. You get the picture.
07. Missing in Action
06. Predator
05. Escape from New York
04. Die Hard
03. Blood Sport
02. Commando
01. First Blood: John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) is the ultimate ‘80s action hero. He’s a loner. He’s quiet. And he happens to be an expert in guerrilla warfare. After being tormented by a corrupt sheriff, Rambo taps into his survival training to fight back. As one man, he takes on 200 police officers and still manages to come out on top. How? Because he oozes machismo! If you send in 200 men against Rambo, don’t forget one thing – “a good supply of body bags.”
The 10 Best Pop Culture Homages to the “Rocky” Steps Scenes
On December 03, 2011, Complex.com posted The 10 Best Pop Culture Homages to the “Rocky” Steps Scenes. I’m really happy with the homage in the #1 spot.
“Victory” & “Rocky” Among 10 Greatest
On November 24, 2011, The Huffington Post posted the results of a poll of movie fans to determine the 10 Greatest Sports Films.
Coming in at #10 was Sly in Escape to Victory… and Sly returned in the #1 spot with Rocky [earning 28% of all votes cast].
Ben Bova Praises Stallone & Rocky
Dr. Ben Bova has written more than 120 novels and nonfiction books. He has received numerous awards including the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Arthur C. Clarke Foundation, the John W. Campbell Memorial Award and the Robert A. Heinlein Award just to name a few. Dr. Bova is the President Emeritus of the National Space Society and a past president of Science Fiction Writers of America. He is also a huge fan of the movie, Rocky.
On October 9, 2011, The Naples News posted a piece by Dr. Bova titled “Rocky Reminds Us We Can Be Contenders.” Here are some tidbits…
- I saw the movie “Rocky” again on television a few nights ago. And, as usual, got a lump in my throat.
- “Rocky” holds a special place in my heart.
- And as a writer, I have to admire the script that Sylvester Stallone put together for “Rocky.” Think about it: The movie is filled with conflict and suspense, yet there is no villain, no bad guy.
- One of the secrets of writing fiction is to avoid the clichés. Stallone did this admirably in “Rocky.” It would have been easy to scribble out just another fight movie, but Stallone steered his way past the clichés and wrote what I consider to be a masterpiece.
Rocky #1 Again
On July 9, 2011, The Bleacher Report posted their choices for the Best Boxing Movies of All Time. There was stiff competition from Cinderella Man, The Fighter, Million Dollar Baby and Raging Bull, but Rocky came in at #1. Here’s a bit of what they said…
- Rocky is not only the greatest boxing film ever, it’s likely the greatest sports film ever.
- Stallone’s slow-talking, small-witted, big-hearted Rocky, is the All-American tale…
- Rocky is simply an American institution.
Sly as Deke DaSilva is a Reel Bad Dude
Gordon and the Whale.com started a new feature called Reel Bad Dudes and their first selection was Sly playing Deke DaSilva in Nighthawks. Well played, gents, well played.
Sly & Mike Tyson
Sylvester Stallone and Mike Tyson, seen here prior to the 2011 International Boxing Hall of Fame Inductions at the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York. Both Stallone and Tyson were 2011 Inductees.
(AFP/Getty Images/Rick Stewart)