Rocky:
Rocky Balboa is a struggling boxer trying to make the big time. Working in a meat factory in Philadelphia for a pittance, he also earns extra cash as a debt collector. When heavyweight champion Apollo Creed visits Philadelphia, his managers want to set up an exhibition match between Creed and a struggling boxer, touting the fight as a chance for a “nobody” to become a “somebody”. The match is supposed to be easily won by Creed, but someone forgot to tell Rocky, who sees this as his only shot at the big time.
- Best Picture Oscar Winner 1976.
- Best Picture Golden Globe Winner 1976.
Critic Reviews:
- " Sylvester Stallone [is] as likable as a basset hound. " – Gene Siskel
- " Sly's best pic winner sets underdog-hero standard. " – Nell Minow
- " The real deal, offering a raw, gritty feel that none of the slicker sequels even attempted to replicate. " – Matt Brunson
Raging Bull:
The story of a middleweight boxer as he rises through ranks to earn his first shot at the middleweight crown. He falls in love with a gorgeous girl from the Bronx. The inability to express his feelings enters into the ring and eventually takes over his life. He eventually is sent into a downward spiral that costs him everything.
Critic Reviews:
- " Scorsese goes overboard in an attempt at low-keyed naturalism, however, and there is little dramatic structure to the biographical overview… But there's no denying the power and artistry of De Niro's performance. " – Ron Pennington
- " This is a masterpiece. It proves that a film can have violent undertones and overtones, but still illuminate and comment upon violence in a moving, poetic and profound way. " – Bruce McCabe
- " The other night, my wife and I sat down to watch the new 30th Anniversary Blu-ray edition of Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull. I could scarcely believe it's been three decades since… " – Leonard Maltin