Category: Honors

“Rocky” Series Makes the Cut

Craig / / 2010, Honors, Rocky

On April 29, 2010, Mike Gorman listed in his weekly column his choices for the Top Ten Movies Series.  Coming in at # 9 [Number 9?  And how did Rambo not make the cut?] is the Rocky series.  Here’s what Gorman had to say:

Sure, sometimes the Rocky films lose sight of their core ideals and veer off in strange directions that involve obnoxious robot butlers and training in a cabin in the Russian wastelands, but all it takes is that bell to clang in the ring and they have our attention again. The story of Rocky Balboa’s rise to stardom in the boxing world was iconic and Sylvester Stallone carried on his shoulders the hopes and dreams of a nation that had seen brighter days. Rocky, in all of his battles, reminds you that the underdog can reign victorious in the end and also that sometimes those victories can be too much, and take you away from your roots. Sounds like I am all over the place when it comes to this franchise and it is true. I believe the greatest thing about the Rocky series is the journey that we have taken with the characters, from rags to riches and back again. This is what a truly successful series about to me.

To see the full list click here.

“Judge Dredd” Makes the Cut

Craig / / 2010, Honors, Judge Dredd

On April 26, 2010, io9.com posted a piece titled The Top 10 Weirdest Songs from Superhero Movies.  Coming in at #3 was Dredd Song by The Cure.  Here’s what they had to say:

3.) “Dredd Song” by The Cure (Judge Dredd; 1995)
Why was “Dredd Song” such a perfect fit for the Judge Dredd movie? Because Robert Smith’s emotive warbling had about as much in common with the original 2000 AD as Sly Stallone spandex-rassling with Armand Assante for 90 minutes. Why didn’t they just use Anthrax’s “I Am The Law,” the best song about Judge Dredd ever written? Still, this song is solid.

You can hear the song and see the rest of the selections by going here.

“Demolition Man” Makes the Cut

Craig / / 2010, Demolition Man, Honors

On April 25, 2010, Shadowlocked.com posted a piece called Top 10 Scenes of Claustrophobic Horror in Movies.  Coming in at #7 was Demolition Man.  Here’s why it was chosen:

There’s nothing in itself terribly claustrophobic about the notion of suspended animation, so frequently used in films such as Planet Of The Apes (1968) and the same year’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. You’re out cold anyway, right? The horror of unjustly-imprisoned cop Sly Stallone in Demolition Man is that he later recounts that he was conscious throughout the many decades of his aspic imprisonment.

To see the entire list, just click here.

“Victory” Scores Again

Craig / / 2010, Honors, Victory

On April 20, 2010, The Spoiler posted the piece The Spoiler’s 10 Best Movies About Football.  Victory made the cut and here’s what they had to say about it:

Once a Christmas staple, Escape to Victory literally has it all – Sly Stallone playing some kind of John the Baptist figure, preempting the later surge of US goalkeepers into the UK. Britain’s greatest living actor – Michael Caine – putting in the thirteenth or fourteenth best performance of his entire career. And moving turns from Pele, Bobby Moore, and Ossie Ardiles. It’s the old story of prisoners putting one over on the baddies, with the help of Rambo in goal. Uplifting.

You can see the original trailer for Victory and read the entire article by going here.

Sly: Favorite On-Screen Tough Guy

Craig / / 2010, Honors

Dustin Schoof for LeighValley.com posted his list of Favorite On-Screen Tough Guys.  The list included: Sly, Bruce Willis, Mr. T, Dolph Lundgren, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Roddy Pipper, Clint Eastwood and Samuel L. Jackson.  Here’s what he had to say about Sly:

Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone): “Rocky,” “Rocky II,” “Rocky III,” “Rocky IV,” “Rocky V,” “Rocky Balboa”
Rocky was and still is the perennial people’s champion. With the help of his trainer Mick (Burgess Meredith), former adversary Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) and the obligatory ’80s training montage, the “Italian Stallion” from South Philly beat the odds, brain damage, old age and even communism.

Along the way he encountered two of the meanest men to appear on screen: the vicious Clubber Lang (Mr. T) and the cold-blooded Soviet killer, Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren). Yo Adrian, he did it!

You can read the full piece right here.

“Rocky Balboa” Honored Again

Craig / / 2010, Honors, Rocky Balboa

On April 7, 2010, FilmSchoolRejects.com selected Rocky Balboa for their Movies We Love column.  Here’s a taste:

Of all the sequels in one of cinema’s most popular franchises this one feels most authentic and honest to the original, or at least the most connected since the third film.  Not to diminish the entertainment value of the other installments (even the fifth…to a degree), Rocky Balboa is just more of a return to the emotional struggles of the character.

“Rocky Balboa” Honored Again

Craig / / 2010, Honors, Rocky Balboa

On April 2, 2010, ESPN’s Page 2, in anticipation of the Tiger Woods’ comeback to golf, posted their choices for the 50 Most Anticipated Comebacks.  Coming in at #36 Rocky Balboa.

Many thought the 2006 installment of the Sylvester Stallone franchise would only exacerbate the awful taste left by “Rocky V.” Instead, it brought closure to the greatest sports movie franchise, with the title character doing what he does best — take a beating, sure, but lose standing up.

You can discover who else made the Top 50 by clicking here.

“Rocky” #1 Most Inspirational

Craig / / 2010, Honors, Rocky

On March 7, 2010, Ron Kantowski of the Las Vegas Review-Journal posted his choice for The Top 10 Inspirational Movies.  Coming in at #1, you guessed it, Rocky.

NO. 1: “ROCKY” (1976) — In the immortal words of Rocky Balboa, this Academy Award winner for best picture “fills gaps” in the pantheon of exemplary sports movies and became the model upon which all inspirational imitators are based. Yo, Adrian: When they cue that powerful “Rocky” music, you’re gonna eat lightning and … well, you remember what his trainer, Mickey, said.

Rocky’s City Packs a Punch

Craig / / 2010, Honors, Rocky

On March 7, 2010, NewsOfTheWorld.co.uk wrote an nice profile piece on the city of Philadelphia.  The article says that although the Declaration of Independence was written in Philadelphia, as was the U.S. Constitution, and Philadelphia was the home of Benjamin Franklin and has of one of America’s largest museums of art, it is Rocky that made the city famous.

It’s hard to argue with the facts.  To read the complete article “Rocky’s City Really Packs a Punch” click here.