ROCKY 2 IS AN AWESOME FILM. HERE'S WHY.

It's been way too long since I posted on this blog, but I am going to make a commitment to update it regularly. 

I have been watching Rocky 2, and thought I would take a moment to post about something I noticed about Sylvester Stallone.  I noticed during the scene where Rocky is working at Shamrock Meats lifting the sides of beef and doing all that physical labor that Stallone looks genuinely tired from doing the work.  It's not like an ego thing where he wants to show everyone how strong he is, but rather he is acting in a way that is incredibly realistic and makes you feel for Rocky. 

In Rocky 2, Rocky retires and tries to make a living doing commercials and using his star power as a boxing contender.  When he is unable  to successfully do this, he tries in vain to get an office job.  Finally, he resorts to working at his brother in law Paulie's old job, since he gave Paulie his old job collecting debts for Mr. Gazzo the local mobster.  Throughout the job defeats, you can see the hope drain from Rocky's face and demeanor.  Stallone really gets a bad rap for his acting, but if you really watch him in his movies, he can really act well.  You can tell that he didn't phone in his performance, even in the scenes that one could easily take for granted, such as the meat warehouse scene. 

This post is going to be a bit short, since it is pretty late and I seem to have the flu, and also because I want to finish watching Rocky 2.  In truth the movie is one of my favorites not only because of the story, but it also has quite a personal meaning to me as I watched it with someone quite close to me one new years eve and I have an incredibly fond memory of this to say the least.  I was also given the dvd as a gift some years back, and it remains one of my favorites for both critical and sentimental reasons.  But enough of the waxing sentimentally, and back to the critical response to this amazing film. 

Rocky 2 stands out as an amazing sequel because it literally picks off where part one ended and does so seamlessly, and it is also an incredible coup for Sylvester Stallone, who wrote and directed the film, further solidifying him as one of the Hollywood elite. 

In my next blog post, I plan on comparing Stallone to his contemporaries in the action genre, and as you may well imagine, Mr. Stallone fares well ahead of these other leading men. 

REVIEW: COP LAND

"After I made Cop Land (1997) in which I played a timid, overweight cop, all of Hollywood turned their back. I'm surprised they even gave me this table. I'm like driftwood in here."
-Sylvester Stallone


Perhaps one of Sylvester Stallone's most overlooked movies, Cop Land marks Stallone's departure from action films and the Rocky franchise, to a character that is vulnerable and not the dominant alpha male that we are used to seeing in films.  I saw Cop Land in theaters when I was in middle school, and it was the first time that I was truly engrossed in a film that did not involve gratuitous violence and sex.  While the film does have its violent moments, it is truly a drama in the sense that the interactions between characters is what drives the movie, and the acting is simply superb by all parties involved. 


Boasting an all star cast, Cop Land stars Stallone, but also has amazing performances by Robert DeNiro, Harvey Keitel, Michael Rappaport, Jason Patrick, and Ray Liotta.  These actors truly demonstrate their tremendous skills in Cop Land, and keep the viewer fascinated with the complex emotion and drama that ensues.  IT should also be noted that all of the actors in the movie, including Box Office Superstar Sylvester Stallone, worked on this movie for scale, which means they accepted the minimum pay as dictated by the Screen Actors Guild in order to make this movie.  To me, that shows that all of these actors love what they do, or else they would have held out for more money, or taken a more commercially profitable film project.  This dedication to their craft shows in the stellar performances by all. 

The movie centers on small town Sheriff Freddy Heflin, played by Stallone, in a small New Jersey community that is home to numerous NYPD officers, who do not carry themselves to the high moral standing one would expect of New York Police Officers.  I wont go into too much detail with the plot, as it is a bit complex, but nonetheless fascinating to watch.  If you get a chance, I highly recommend this movie. 


Sylvester Stallone gained a 40 pounds to play the role of Sheriff Freddy Heflin in this film, and while his portrayal of the Sheriff was riveting, the role seemed to hurt his acting career to a certain extent. After this movie, he put out a few lower budget features that did not get the same promotion as his earlier works did, perhaps because of his decision to branch out and try a serious, dramatic role.  This is quite unfortunate, as he shined in Copland, and as evidenced by his roles in Rocky Balboa, Rambo, and The Expendables, he lost nothing in regards to his ability to play the role of action hero.


Sylvester Stallone is truly an underrated actor, and I feel that his tremendous box office success makes some people forget that he is quite a talented actor, and his performances are not merely action movie caliber, as evidenced by his 1976 Oscar nomination.  He is also the brains behind most of his blockbuster movies, as he served as writer, director, and star for most of them.  If you are still not convinced of Sylvester Stallone's acting prowess, go watch Cop Land and see for yourself.  Then watch Rocky1-6 and First Blood. The proof is in the pudding.