A Look Back: Rocky V
I’m such a big fan of Rocky V (1990), even though it’s considered the weakest instalment in the franchise – even by creator and writer Sylvester Stallone himself. The first movie – Rocky (1976) – remains a masterpiece, and is one of the best sporting movies ever made. Rocky II (1979) avoids the mistake a lot of sequels make in rehashing the events of its predecessor. Even though the story is based around a championship rematch, Rocky, as a person, continues to grow. He marries, he becomes a father, he has to deal with financial responsibilities – this is not the same oblivious loanshark enforcer he was in the first…
My 10 Best Movies from 2019
I love stories. It doesn’t matter what form they come in: novels, movies, television, autobiographies, or whatever. And I always love when I know – and usually I will know pretty quickly – that I’ve connected to a story. Then it’s just a case of sitting back and enjoying the adventure. Growing up in the 1980s, it was the blockbusters that did that for me. They were story-based, and the action complemented what was going on. Now it seems the opposite. Blockbusters are action-based, and the stories complement what’s going on. Well, they try. Too often, they feel like some loose thread woven around the action to link it together.…