Review(s): DVD Rocky (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
Thanks for a great release!!!!
Rocky has finally received the respect it deserves. This is not just a movie, it is a powerful play. Better than anything written by Shakespeare. It's everything wrapped into one movie. This is my fourth copy on DVD. I can't just own one of this movie, it's that good. MGM gave us a good release with this one, with some excellent commentary.
"He doesn't know it's a show. He thinks it's a fight."
Rocky Balboa is a local guy who is just going through life making ends meet. He boxes at underground clubs for extra cash. He breaks legs for a local bookie on the side. He trains at a gym, but only does so halfheartedly--to the point where the owner of the gym gives his locker away because of his lack of focus. He has a crush on his best friend's sister, a girl named Adrianne who works at a pet shop. All in all, Rocky is just another guy trying to make it in 1975 Philadelphia.
When the heavyweight champion of the world, Apollo Creed, has problems finding someone to fight at a holiday spectacle he's planning on New Year's Day, he decides to give a local guy a shot at the title. He chooses Rocky not for his skill, but because he's known as the Italian Stallion. Apollo thinks beating this hometown boy will let people know that he is the American Dream.
Rocky is the quintessential American hero. This is the greatest underdog sports movie and the one that paved the way for all the ones to follow. This rerelease in a two-disc collector's edition is long overdue. Some have problems because the film has been released so times, but with Rocky Balboa hitting theaters this winter it was pretty much a given that they would rerelease this film.
The extras:
About the best thing in this collector's edition (in my opinion) is the inclusion of three sets of audio commentaries. The one with Sylvester Stallone is, in itself, worth the $20 price tag. Since Stallone wrote the movie as well as starred in it, he has some interesting perspectives and his reflection on the project 30 years later will be a big draw for longtime fans of the film. The "making of" featurette on the second disc is lengthy, so be prepared for all the info it contains. It comes in three parts and I watched them separately since they contain over an hour's worth of extra info. Finally, the booklet that comes with this set is an excerpt from an upcoming book called Rocky: The Ultimate Guide.
I would definitely recommend this DVD set for fans of the movie, and anyone who loves underdog sports movies. Rocky's whole life was a million-to-one shot and watching this movie will be uplifting and inspirational for anyone who has ever been down on their luck.
GREAT movie gets PROPER DVD edition...finally!
Hello Folks,
I want to thank MGM for this release....they really got it right!
first off...
all the excellent bonus features from the 25th Anniversary edition..
the 30 minute on camera commentary by Stallone, the tributes to Burgess Meredith, the cinematographer James Crabbe and Bill Conti..ALL made it to this edition...which means you don't have to hold onto older inferior editions to have all the bonus features...and this IS a big deal. Too many recent DVD editions of movies lose old features which make keeping mutliple copies essential and that stinks.
The extra features are really too many to list...multiple commentaries..and the Stallone alone is worth the update...its truly like watching the movie with him in the room...WOW!
all the past trailers...the appearance on the Dinah Shore show..featurettes...this is a NO BRAINER for fans of the movie.
The three part "making of" which runs about an hour and half and features the main players is extraordinary in its revelations about the movie and the craft of making movies and WHY this was a million to one chance and WHY their lack of budget actually helped in many ways. The twenty minute documentary on the Steadicam and its inventor ...who filmed his demo on the art museum steps before heading to Hollywood....its just proof that all the planets lined up for this one!
For those out there bitching about the upgraded releases of DVDs...don't buy em...for those of us who love the movies...these higher quality releases are very welcome. I picked this 2 disc set up for $15 at Target...and there are hours of features...WHAT A DEAL!
If you love the movie...get this version.
if you don't care about bonus features...stick with your old copy.
Related DVD's Rocky (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
To my disbelief, what I got are two copies of the 2nd disc of Superman Returns. The disc "You Will Believe: The Cinematic Saga of Superman" is not included. How do Warner will go about it? More Info about this DVD DVD Release Date: Released the 28 November 2006 This item is currently not available.
List Price: $99.98 Your Price: YOU SAVE $99.98!
Buy it
Nicholas Cage and Michael Pena star as two New York City Port Authority police officers in this magnificent film by Oliver Stone which describes one of the darkest days in the history of the United States: September 11, 2001.
Cage stars as Sgt. John McLoughlin, and Pena stars as officer Will Jimeno. These two men, along with a crew of other officers, entered into the stricken World Trade Center shortly after the brutal terrorist attacks. Their job was to go up inside the tower and assist with rescue efforts. However, shortly after entering the buildings, the collapse began. The officers immediately dove for an elevator shaft; supposedly one of the strongest places in the building. Despite their quick thinking, McLoughlin, Jimeno, and the rest of the officers are buried... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Oliver Stone DVD Release Date: Released the 12 December 2006 Usually ships in 24 hours
List Price: $34.99 Your Price: $23.49YOU SAVE $11.5!
Buy it
This 1956 pop adaptation of Shakespeare's The Tempest is one of the best, most influential science fiction movies ever made. Its space explorers are the models for the crew of Star Trek's Enterprise, and the film's robot is clearly the prototype for Robby in Lost in Space. Walter Pidgeon is the Prospero figure, presiding over a paradisiacal world with his lovely young daughter and their servile droid. When the crew of a spaceship lands on the planet, they become aware of a sinister invisible force that threatens to destroy them. Great special effects and a bizarre electronic score help make this movie as fresh, imaginative, and fun as it was when first released. --Amazon.com
On the DVDs Nestled in a metal collector's box decorated with... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Fred M. Wilcox DVD Release Date: Released the 14 November 2006 Usually ships in 24 hours
List Price: $59.98 Your Price: $39.87YOU SAVE $20.11!
Buy it
"The book was better" has been the complaint of many a reader since the invention of movies. Frank Darabont's second adaptation of a Stephen King prison drama (The Shawshank Redemption was the first) is a very faithful adaptation of King's serial novel. In the middle of the Depression, Paul Edgecomb (Tom Hanks) runs death row at Cold Mountain Penitentiary. Into this dreary world walks a mammoth prisoner, John Coffey (Michael Duncan) who, very slowly, reveals a special gift that will change the men working and dying (in the electric chair, masterfully and grippingly staged) on the mile . As with King's book, Darabont takes plenty of time to show us Edgecomb's world before delving into John Coffey's mystery. With Darabont's superior storytelling abilities, his touch for perfect... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Frank Darabont DVD Release Date: Released the 14 November 2006 Usually ships in 24 hours
List Price: $20.98 Your Price: $18.99YOU SAVE $1.99!
Buy it
