Films of the 1970s, No. 27

 


Throughout 2023 I'm looking at my favorite films from the decade of the 1970s. I'll be counting down from 50 to 1 throughout the year, posting a new installment each Friday. Agree? Disagree? Want to share a story? Post it in the comments below!

Rocky: Ah come on, Adrian, it's true. I was nobody. But that don't matter either, you know? 'Cause I was thinkin', it really don't matter if I lose this fight. It really don't matter if this guy opens my head, either. 'Cause all I wanna do is go the distance. Nobody's ever gone the distance with Creed, and if I can go that distance, you see, and that bell rings and I'm still standin', I'm gonna know for the first time in my life, see, that I weren't just another bum from the neighborhood.

Rocky (1976)
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Burt Young, Talia Shire, Carl Weather and Burgess Meredith
Director: John G. Avildsen
About: The film that kick-started a franchise. I don't know if that was Stallone's original intent. This one stands out because Rocky doesn't win and because it's mostly a story of an under-dog just trying to get his shot. Stallone is good here, as are the supporting players. I enjoyed Weathers as Apollo Creed, Young and Shire as Rocky's confidants and Meredith as his trainer. It's a gritty and engaging story. I haven't been the biggest fan of the franchise as some, but I appreciate the craft in this film and the way this story--and this character--connected with audiences then and continue to connect with them now. That's why it's on this list.

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