I have to admit that I’m a little biased in my feelings for the film Rocky considering my background. I was born and raised in South Philadelphia, a mere ten minute walk from dueling cheese steak giants Pat’s and Geno’s and the Italian market which Rocky triumphantly jogs through. My favorite pizza place (Lorenzo’s on 9th and Christian St. if you’re interested), still proudly displays faded photos of the owner posing with Stallone behind it’s counter; And it’s hard to walk jog up the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum without doing the trademark Rocky Balboa fist pump.
Seeing Rocky again brought back so many memories. It’s one of those films that’s cheesiness can be overlooked because of it’s sincerity. Take the now ubiquitous training montage with the song that EVERYONE knows and loves. Or one of my favorite movie cliche’s: Adrian’s removal of her nerd girl glasses (which supposedly made her ugly) reveals a babe! Or the bubblegum pink cardigans that Rocky’s trainers wear to the fight with Apollo Creed (!!!) And you can’t help but laugh at the way Rocky kind of resembles Sloth from Goonies when he cries out to Adrian in the final scene. Classic feel-good schmaltz.
Did you know that Stallone co-wrote the screenplay and that it won Best Picture and Best Director at the 1976 Oscars? Crazy.
