Rocky

Sylvester Stallone barely had two nickels to rub together when he engineered the deal for this 1976 Oscar winner for Best Picture about a small-time Philadelphia fighter turned soft-hearted strongarm man who lands a once in a lifetime opportunity to fight heavyweight champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers). Written by and starring Stallone in the title role as the Italian stallion who just wants to prove to his trainer Mickey (Burgess Meredith), his gal Adrian (Talia Shire) and, most of all, himself, that he can go the distance, Rocky, the "special edition" boasts Dolby Digital 5.1 sound, a passable digital transfer, and several extras, including a moving interview with Stallone. Followed by Rocky II, Rocky III, Rocky IV and Rocky V (also available in a boxed set for $89.95), none of which matched the innocent charm of the original. Highly recommended. (R. Pitman)[DVD Review--Dec 12, 2006--MGM, 2 discs, 120 min., PG, $26.98--Making its third appearance on DVD, 1976's Rocky (2-Disc Collector's Edition) sports a great transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. DVD extras include three audio commentaries (the first by star Sylvester Stallone; the second by boxing legends trainer Lou Duva and commentator Bert Sugar; and the third—an older track—by director John G. Avildsen, producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff, costars Burt Young, Talia Shire, and Carl Weathers, and Steadicam inventor Garrett Brown), a 76-minute “In the Ring” three-part “making-of” documentary, a 29-minute video commentary by Stallone, an 18-minute segment from Stallone's appearance on Dinah!, “Steadicam: Then and Now with Garrett Brown” (18 min.), “The Opponents” (16 min.), “Make Up! The Art and Form” featuring makeup designer Michael Westmore (15 min.), a 13-minute behind-the-scenes segment featuring Avildsen, “Staccato: A Composer's Notebook” featuring composer Bill Conti (12 min.), “The Ring of Truth” with art director James Spencer (10 min.), an eight-minute tribute segment to late costar Burgess Meredith, the interview segments “Bert Sugar: Author, Commentator, and Historian” (7 min.) and “Three Rounds with Legendary Trainer Lou Duva” (5 min.), a four-minute tribute to cinematographer James Crabe, a four-minute sneak peek at the 2006 sequel Rocky Balboa, a 27-page Rocky: The Ultimate Guide excerpted booklet preview of the new book, and trailers and TV spots. Bottom line: Yes, Rocky has gone into the DVD ring many times, but this double-disc edition is the champion—at least until the high-def version comes along.]