Kyle Sebree (GeorgeBailey88)

In 1976, Sylvester Stallone was unknown in the acting world. He pleaded to MGM to let him play the lead character in a story he wrote himself over a period of 10 years. That same year, a handful of other timeless movies were released creating dominating competition for Rocky. Those being "All the Presidents Men", "Network" and "Taxi Driver" which are all excellent movies in their own respect. The chances of Rocky beating those great movies to become Best Picture are direct parallels of how small of a chance the character of Rocky Balboa had to fight with the champ, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers). Not only does Rocky evoke inspired emotions from the viewers who have a heart and soul, but Rocky resembles many of us who feel like life is against us sometimes. This movie was made on a very low budget compared to the other Winkler-Chartoff masterpiece "Raging Bull" which had the typical Hollywood fund with Marty Scorcese as the director. Many argue that Raging Bull beats Rocky...It is all opinion. Personally, I can watch both movies and say "Wow, that was great" and share equal respect for the masterpiece they both share. They are both different movies. One is based on a true story, and the other has such a legacy that the name "Rocky Balboa" is an automatically recognized name in American culture. This is my favorite movie of all-time because I feel better about myself after every viewing. I don't know about you, but that to me has to mean something. The character that is "Rocky" has made a profound affect on many peoples lives and has proved that anyone who is anyone can over come a struggle in life no matter what the exact problem is.

The grainy camera pans back and forth between three grizzled men squinting from the unrelenting sun. All after the same thing...gold. The conclusion to Italian spaghetti western mastermind Sergio Leone's "Man with No Name Series" truly ranks among the elite in film history. Film composing legend Ennio Morricone was robbed of an Oscar for the epic soundtrack which gave us one of the most recognizable themes of all time. Not to mention the final showdown: "Ecstasy of Gold" scene...gives me goosebumps. Sergio Leone's wild-west intrigues nearly all five senses as you can almost smell the gunpowder and taste the dirt of the dry desert blowing into your face. A landmark in western cinema and easily one of the most iconic films of the past 100 years.