Peeps at the past.
Movies. TV. Let’s go.
BABYLON BERLIN.
Current tv/streaming. 2024
On SBS on demand and Netflix. Why are both on concurrently? Because, well, it is so good. Tough life of cops, Russians in Berlin, there is secret gold on a train loaded with poison gas. Where is the gold.! In between multiple factions jostling for power there is corruption and sex and drugs shown in some long sequences with an amazing trans type singer, with everyone there having a wonderful wild time. Through the other characters - the common folk - we see the desperate poverty and hard times. Concentration required but certainly a well produced nightmare between the wars.
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ROCKY.
Not always books.
Films are nothing without a good writer. Movies often come from books. Or inspiration. Writers prepare the stories for a visual experience. So let us go, to ROCKY. Stallone wrote, directed and acted in it - superstar.
1976. And that is when I would have first seen it. Recently in 2024, I realised hubby never saw Rocky. And other popular films of that era, think Jaws. He was developing his scientific career.
Now on a Saturday arvo, after a morning making apple pies - would you believe it - and ready for a relaxing time, by the tv, Rocky on offer. I made Apple pies from our two trees, I was becoming rather homespun.
So I suggesred we fly to USA on the silver screen.
My beloved has the tv hand control, the film was beginning and I decided to stay with it. As it was advertised on that lay back Saturday afternoon. I knew he had never seen it. Now the family film expert, I said it won Oscars, so then we click clicked. Off we went and the wonderful emotional soundtrack made an entrance into my movie memory.
First, I must say, I hate boxing. I had seen de Niro in Raging Bull. (Also The Godfather and, oops, Taxi Driver). Seventies movies were good fun. Great music helped
Were they real, were the people really like that? Wow, doesn’t matter.
Rocky written and performed by Sylvester Stallone whose diction was hard on the ears. The city was Philadelphia and the accent difficult for some of us. Soft bit slurry.
Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky was real, i.e. believable. Almost a thug, with a kind heart. The tough guy was a warm, daggy, character, talented, useless, dirty. But once the story line had him training for a fight with a real world champion, he stopped being a sloth and started training with that inspiring music background. I really found the background music appropriate and exciting, we had an underdog ready to be sacrificed to the world champ. He went for it.
Cinema is wonderful. It can tell us anything. In skilful boxing scenes blood spattered as the combatants smacked and thumped each other for fifteen rounds until the final bell. A memorable but violent film experience. Rocky won the hearts of the audience who clung to their chairs as the depleted boxers hung into to each other, still standing.
Rocky in 15 rounds. He did it, not win, made history for lasting fifteen rounds. The world would scream for him. He lost but took his chance at the world title and won movie goers for generations. I was glad to revisit this film and I must say that my hubby never changed the channel but sat engrossed. Thump thump.
The brilliant music score won awards. Come on home, the music rose in crescendo, as our hero ran and trained himself. I didn’t want to be just someone from the suburbs who no one knows. Said Rocky.
It had wonderful casting and acting annd won awards. It was unforgettable. Tough guy from the slums, hopeless, really, but he wanted to box and got one chance at the big time. All l he wanted was to be on his feet at the end, which he did so just watch it and enjoy it . It is such an American thing.