10 Films Inspired by Rocky

Since 11/21/2021 was the anniversary of the release of the famed 1976 film Rocky, the people at Ultimate Classic Rock took a look at some of the films of the 1980s, where the main character is an underdog-type person, overcoming extreme odds to accomplish a dream or something else. Here are 10 films inspired by Rocky.

Flashdance (1983)

-The "Rocky" of the dance floor

-This film centers around a blue-collar steel worker named Alexandra "Alex" Owens (Jennifer Beals) who works as a steel welder during the day and a dancer by night, with dreams of acing the audition to get into a prestigious dance school, specifically the Pittsburgh Conservatory of Dance and Repertory. Along the way, she also finds love in the form of Nick Hurley (Michael Nouri), the owner of the steel plant. There's also an inspirational song and a series of scenes showing her getting into shape, inspired by Rocky

Footloose (1984)

-The "Rocky" of high school

-Kevin Bacon plays city kid Ren McCormack, who moves to a small Midwestern town that outlaws dancing and rock music due to the influence of the local reverend Shaw Moore (John Lithgow). Ren falls in love with Reverend Moore's daughter Ariel (Lori Singer). It's then he decides to not only win her hand and heart, but get the town's ban on dancing removed. Like Rocky, there are scenes showing Ren doing what he does best - gymnastics - and showing his friend Willard (Chris Penn) to dance. Of course, there's also an inspirational song, a song of the same name as the movie by Kenny Loggins

The Natural (1984)

-The "Rocky" of baseball

-This film stars screen legend Robert Redford as Roy Hobbs, a young but already talented pitcher who learns the game of baseball from his dad and even carves his own bat out of wood from a tree struck by lightning. Before his tryout for the Chicago Cubs, a deranged fan shoots him in the stomach, nixing his tryout. Sixteen years later, he's aged and struggling to find a chance in baseball. He gets a chance with a last-chance, no-hope team and his story intermingles with theirs. He manages to lead the team to a one-game playoff and manages to fall in love with the girl he left behind years ago. He goes up to bat and hits a home run into the stadium lights and he and his team are going to the World Series

The Karate Kid (1984)

-The "Rocky" of karate and the West Coast

-Ralph Maccio plays Daniel LaRusso, a middle class kid from New Jersey who moves to the suburbs of Los Angeles with his mother. At his school, he gets bullied by members of the local martial arts school Cobra Kai. Legendary actor Noriyuki "Pat" Morita plays the role of Mr. Miyagi, a Japanese immigrant and the handyman in Daniel's apartment building. He's also a master of karate. He teaches Daniel karate without Daniel even realizing it. He does this by having Daniel do menial tasks around Mr. Miyagi's house and when Daniel finally confronts Mr. Miyagi about karate lessons, Mr. Miyagi then shows him that he has been learning all along, through the tasks he's been assigned. At the same time, Daniel falls for his classmate Ali Mills (Elisabeth Shue). The movie comes down to a final fight at the All-Valley Karate Championship. The final fight is between Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka). Daniel wins by using the "Flying Crane" move he seen Mr. Miyagi doing once

Rocky IV (1985)

-"Rocky" on Steroids

-It might be surprising to see one of the Rocky movies here, but this one is here because it's Rocky himself who is once again the underdog

-Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) is now a highly successful boxing champion. Because of the wealthy lifestyle he's suddenly gained, he's gone a little soft. When his good friend Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) takes on a Red Army officer/boxer named Ivan Drago, this fight turns fatal. Drago kills Creed in the ring. Now Rocky decides to take on the Russian himself. Drago uses state of the art technology and a strict training schedule and even the use of the steroids to get himself in shape. Rocky travels to Russia and trains without technology to get himself in shape. When the final fight comes, he is in the best shape he's ever been in. At first, people aren't impressed with his fighting style. But as the fight closes in on the end, even Drago is impressed. Rocky wins the fight and the approval of everyone, including the top Russian government officials in attendance

Top Gun (1986)

-"Rocky" takes to the skies

-Tom Cruise gets his first action role here as Navy pilot Pete Mitchell, nicknamed "Maverick". He gets a chance to train at an elite flight school for pilots. He's considered an underdog due to his father, who was also a pilot, had a misunderstanding in an air battle which resulted in his death. He also falls in love with a scientist (Kelly McGillis)

Hoosiers (1986)

-"Rocky" takes to the court

-Gene Hackman plays Norman Dale, a basketball coach no longer allowed to work the college basketball circuit because he punched one of his own players. With no options left, he agrees to become the coach, in addition to history teacher, at a small, rural school in Indiana. There are obstacles everywhere he turns. The team only has seven players. The best one on the team doesn't want to play. The school is dwarfed by larger rivals in the area. His assistant coach (Dennis Hopper) is an alcoholic. But, through his own wisdom and hard work, in addition to intense training, Dale turns the team around and takes the team to a final game for the Indiana State championship. The team wins and Dale wins the heart of a woman he's interested in (Barbara Hershey)

Dirty Dancing (1987)

-"Rocky" on the 1960s dance floor in New York

-This is one of those classic girl films or "chick flicks". Patrick Swayze plays Johnny Castle, a dance instructor at a wealthy Catskills resort. Jennifer Grey plays Frances "Baby" Houseman, the daughter of a doctor who is on vacation with her family. When Castle's dance partner is unable to fill in for a short time, Baby offers to step in her place and fill in. Castle teaches Baby everything related to dance, all sorts of different dance styles. At the same time, they fall in love. This movie shows scenes where Baby is learning to dance and the movie ends with everyone out on the dance floor for the end of season talent show and Baby's father accepting Johnny for who he is

Over the Top (1987)

-"Rocky" enters the world of arm wrestling

-Some might think there is some favoritism towards Sylvester Stallone because of at least two of his movies being on here. It's not that; it's just this movie is considered one of those "underdog overcomes odds" type situations. Sylvester Stallone plays Lincoln Hawk, a truck driver who moonlights as a professional arm wrestler. He is separated from his wife and his son Michael (David Mendenhall) is living with his grandfather (Robert Loggia), who enrolled him in a military school. When Lincoln finally gets his son back, he shows Michael the world of arm wrestling, which is as foreign a concept to Michael as you can imagine. The only way for Lincoln to get ahead in life is to win the World Arm Wrestling Championship, being held in Las Vegas. The prize is a brand new truck and a cash prize. Not surprisingly, there is that series of scenes showing working out - in this case, Hawk working out to make sure he's in top shape. The final scenes show Hawk at the World Arm Wrestling Championship and his son, now a loyal supporter of his dad, on the sidelines, cheering him on. Hawk wins the championship with his famed move "Over the Top", by putting the thumb over the opponent's hand

Bloodsport (1988) Kickboxer (1989)

-"Rocky" enters the world of kickboxking and martial arts

-As a side note, I'm unsure why some people think of Jean Claude Van Damme as a poor man's Sylvester Stallone. I don't think that. For one thing, Jean Claude Van Damme is an expert martial artist; Sylvester Stallone is not. Both have different acting styles. I have never seen of Jean Claude Van Damme's movies, but I still give him the benefit of the doubt of being a good actor.

-These two films feature a Belgian actor named Jean Claude Van Damme. In Bloodsport, he plays Frank Dux, a US Army Captain/martial artist who is asked to compete in an illegal martial arts tournament in Hong Kong. To win the tournament and avenge one of his comrades, who was killed, he gets himself in shape to fight the top fighter Chong Li (Bolo Yeung). In Kickboxer, he plays Kurt Sloane, younger brother to a kickboxer who is paralyzed from waist down as a result from a fight with a Thai kickboxing champion named Tong "The Tiger" Po (Michel Qissi). To help his brother get some payback, Sloan engages Po in a fight. He makes sure his skills are up to par by training hard and intense.

22 Benefits of Seeing Live Concerts

I think I shall be investing my time in concerts!!

1. Moving Around and Dancing
-There is nothing more enjoyable than dancing and singing your favorite songs by your favorite band while seeing them live. You will sing every word at the top of your lungs and dance like no one is watching. The upside? Exercise! You'll be burning calories in no time! Studies show that you can burn 400+ calories dancing at concerts!!

2. Stress Reduction
-Everyone has stressors in their life. Those people or things that just make you mad and angry. Musical events such as concerts reduce the amount of cortisol, known as the "stress hormone" from being released. According to a study from Imperial College in London, 117 applicants for an experiment involving listening to wind instruments noted that their blood pressure, heart rate were lower, their breathing rate reduced, thus inducing a calm feeling


3. Mood changer
-Everyone loves live music events. Did you know this can uplift your mood? It can put a smile on your face listening to those classic rock or metal guitars, the pounding drums, that deep soulful sound of the bass and other instruments on stage

4. Come Together/Join Together
-Not to reference a Beatles or Who song, but going to concerts allows a feeling of togetherness. You and hundreds of other fans can join together to sing the songs. Everyone is there to see their favorite musician and nothing makes you feel more warm and fuzzy inside than knowing that everyone is there with the same level of dedication

5. Constant concerts
-You don't have to hang around the big name venues. There are always concerts in parks going on, concerts at small, intimate venues going on. Heck, there is usually even music coming from people busking on the street

6. Improve your well-being
-According to a study made by Deakin University in Australia in 2016, studies found that people who attended concerts regularly are happier in their every day lives. It improves their mental health and that people who attended concerts with a boyfriend/girlfriend had improved relationships

7. Discover new bands
-Odds are high that when you go to see a band perform, they are going to have at least 1-2 support acts on prior. These are invaluable because you can discover new music from there. There is an undying and unlimited amount of music out there, just waiting to find new fans. Each day a group of people somewhere are forming bands hoping to get found. Support acts are great because they might be similar to the band you're there to see but their own take on things. For example, if you go to see Led Zeppelin and they have Greta Van Fleet opening, that would be interesting. It would be old school Zeppelin with new school Zeppelin because Greta Van Fleet's front man sounds like Robert Plant. Or going to see Iron Maiden and the opening acts being As Lions/The Raven Age/Lauren Harris. You get legendary Iron Maiden with soon to be legendary The Raven Age (like Metallica only British and with more aggression in their music for those unfamiliar with the name), Lauren Harris (like Joan Jett except British and hard rock instead of punk), As Lions (very melodic metal)
-And what's even better is that if you attend a concert and you're an aspiring musician yourself, like a beginner bassist/drummer/guitarist/vocalist, you can do some research into the various types of equipment out there, like Fender Precision Bass guitars/Fender Stratocasters, Ludwig/Paiste/Pearl drums and cymbals, etc.

8. You're My Inspiration
-Not to be pun-y and quote a Chicago song, but sometimes concerts provide that extra little push of inspiration for some to take up an instrument, such as the bass, guitar, drums, vocals, keyboard, etc. If you've ever wanted to play an instrument, attend a concert and it might just give you that get up and go to start down the wonderful path to music!!

9. Nonstop energy
-The chemical for happiness is dopamine. When you go to a concert, that chemical is just flat out flooding your body. You get giddy, excited, you can feel goosebumps and a general electric feeling of excitement

10. Pain killer
-Not to quote a Judas Priest song, but studies show that concerts and live music events can produce an anesthetic effect on you, thus reducing pain. This works because the chemicals responsible for happiness, dopamine and endorphins, are released, thus blocking pain

11. Reflection
-When you hear a song on your music device or in your car, it will take you back to when you first heard that song

12. Appreciation
-We all have stressers in our life. Those concerts are not only for going to see your favorite musician, they are also a chance to just forget about life for a while and have fun

13. Meet and Greets
-Some bands do meet and greets. This is the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet your favorite musicians. Most if not all people would give their left arm to do so (I know I would with Judas Priest and Iron Maiden). Sometimes what makes it better is that if the band you are meeting and greeting has gotten you through some tough times in your life. Being able to get a photograph or an autograph from that musician is something you'll cherish forever!

14. Affordable Yet Fun
-While a vacation may be fun, it can also be expensive. So can a majority of concerts. Music festivals can also be expensive. You can have fun and check out local music events without destroying your bank account in the process

15. Meet new people
-Everywhere there are opportunities to meet new people. Concerts just so happen to be a big benefit for this one. When you're at a concert, you are surrounded by thousands of people already have at least one thing similar to you. So it's not rocket science to strike up a conversation and meet new people, make new friends.

16. Escape!
-While this is similar to the appreciation factor, doing the same thing day in and day out can really wear you down. Sometimes all you need is some loud music, some loud guitar, rumbling drums, calming bass and some good singing to bring you back to life

17. Something to look forward to
-Everyone looks forward to concerts, whether it be a big name artist, a tribute band or a local event. There is so much excitement and fun in planning things like this. Like if a concert you want to attend is out of town, there's the fun (and slight stress) of booking a hotel if it takes too long to get there, getting tickets, transportation, directions to the venue, etc. This excitement just keeps building and building until the event comes and then you're like a chain reaction approaching critical mass-you're ready to blow!!

18. The Nostalgia Effect
-There is an effect in science called the Nostalgia Effect. This occurs when you think back on memories that were enjoyable from your past and they become more and more enjoyable when you think about them.

19. A very unique experience
-Concerts are sometimes once-in-a-lifetime. You may or may never see that musician again. They are truly once-in-a-lifetime. It's very rare and very lucky to be able to see the same musician more than once. I can at least say that I've seen a few bands more than once. Deep Purple in 2017 and 2018 on their Infinite tour, both times at Riverbend Music Center. Judas Priest in 2015 at Rock on the Range on their 2015 Redeemer of Souls tour and in 2018 on their Firepower tour at Riverbend Music Center. Def Leppard in 2014 on their Kiss of Def tour at Riverbend Music Center and in 2018 on their anniversary tour at US Bank Arena. Kiss in 2014 on their Kiss of Def tour at Riverbend Music Center and in 2019 on their End of the Road tour at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH.

20. A personal connection with the artist
-Every DVD, whether it's of a film or concert or even tour, will provide little insights into the bands, the meanings behind the songs or whatever else. And...let's not forget. That before those musicians became household names, they were fans, just like you, raging and jamming to the musician whose concert they were attending. They were fans once upon a time, getting excited about going to see their favorite musician in concert.

21. Social Connections getting upgraded
-Odds are high that when you go to a concert, you'll be going with friends or family (I know for a fact that sounds exactly like me! I go with family to concerts!). This is a great way to get families involved with each other and it's safe. Plus, people watching alone is worth it! It's also safer and more exciting than a night at home playing board games or a night at the bar.

22. Ticket stubs!!
-Not every band will issue ticket stubs. Some have recently been going with electronic tickets or e-tickets. Where you need a phone with internet access to have a special code to get you in. I speak like this because this is exactly what I had to do to get me and family in to see Iron Maiden in August. Anyway, ticket stubs from concerts are a special keepsake that should be cherished. We all like to have those little reminders that we went to see such and such in concert and the memories with it. You can frame them, put them in a binder or a shoebox. No matter what, keep every little reminder of the concerts you went to in addition to the multitude of souvenirs you probably bought that night.

Day 19-Talent of yours

IDK what my talent really is. I used to be really good at ballet, but it's been a few years. I suppose a somewhat talent of mine would be swing dancing. I remember a few moves here and there. I suppose another would be knowing a lot about music, although I'm not sure if that counts as a talent. From reading about music so much, I could tell you a great deal about almost any artist, mostly older though, lol!

I suppose doing swing dancing could count as a talent. It's fun to me. I also enjoy sketching. But I have to work on that one, lol. I really want to draw people good; all I need is some practice, lol

January Birthdays

Since it's January, time to give a big, huge, Happy Birthday wish to the following people:

Paul Stanley
-Birth name: Stanley Harvey Eisen
-DOB: 1/20/1950
-Where: Manhattan, New York City
-Going to be: 62
-Suffers from microtia, a rare ear deformity in which the outside of the ear is not fully developed, leaving it completely closed. Because of this, he is completely deaf in his right ear


So cute!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Verne Troyer

-Birth name: Verne J. Troyer

-DOB: 1/1/1969

-Where: Sturgis, Michigan

-Going to be: 45

-Best known for playing Mini-Me in the Austin Powers series

Rowan Atkinson

-Birth name: Rowan Sebastian Atkinson

-DOB: 1/6/1955

-Where: Consett, County Durham, England

-Going to be: 59

-Best known for Mr. Bean and Blackadder

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

David Bowie

-Birth name: David Robert Jones

-DOB: 1/8/1947

-Where: London, England

-Going to be: 67

-Changed his name to Bowie to avoid confusion with Davy Jones of The Monkees

Kate Middleton
-Birth name: Catherine Elizabeth Middleton
-DOB: 1/9/1982
-Where: Berkshire, England
-Going to be: 32
-Is currently the wife to Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and mother to Prince George of Cambridge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jimmy Page

-Birth name: James Patrick Page

-DOB: 1/9/1944

-Where: Heston, Middlesex, England

-Going to be: 70

-Was a member of The Yardbirds from 1966-1968. In 1968, he formed The New Yardbirds, which went on to be renamed "Led Zeppelin"

Rod Stewart

-Birth name: Roderick David Stewart

-DOB: 1/10/1945

-Where: Highgate, North London, England

-Going to be: 69

-Came to prominence in The Jeff Beck Group in the late 1960s because of his raspy singing voice

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Orlando Bloom

-Birth name: Orlando Jonathan Blanchard Bloom

-DOB: 1/13/1977

-Where: Canterbury, Kent, England

-Going to be:37

-Best known for the roles of blacksmith Will Turner in Pirates of the Caribbean, Legolas in the LOTR series

Jim Carrey
-Birth name: James Eugene Carrey
-DOB: 1/17/1962
-Where: Newmarket, Ontario, Canada
-Going to be: 52
-Makes his comical roles more funny with weird facial expressions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Phil Collins

-Birth name: Phillip David Charles Collins

-DOB: 1/30/1951

-Where: Chiswick, London, England

-Going to be: 63

-Left Genesis in 1996

Georgia May Jagger

-Birth name: Georgia May Ayeesha Jagger

-DOB: 1/12/1992

-Where: London, England

-Going to be: 22

-Took part in the 2012 London Olympic Games Closing Ceremony along with Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell and Lily Donaldson, representing modern British fashion

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maksim Chmerkovskiy

-Birth name: Maksim Aleksandrovich Chmerkovskiy

-DOB: 1/17/1980

-Where: Odessa, Ukraine

-Going to be: 34

-Father is Jewish and mother is Christian

James May
-Birth name: James Daniel May
-DOB: 1/16/1963
-Where: Bristol, England
-Going to be: 51
-Despite being able to drive fast on Top Gear, he earned the nickname "Captain Slow" because of his careful driving

One Direction: pre-teen favorites

A lot of girls in their pre-teens seem to go gaga for the British accented cuties in One Direction. I think they're sorta like The Beatles of a new generation

-English Irish pop boy band based in London, England
-Consists of Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson
-After they formed in 2010, they signed with Syco Records, Simon Cowell's record label and finished in 3rd place on the seventh series (season) of the British version of The X Factor
-"Live While We're Young" and "What Makes You Beautiful" are, so far, their biggest known hits

History
-They are often said to have formed a new "British Invasion" in the US
-After they went onto The X Factor, they failed to get to the "boys" category

-But it was Pussycat Doll singer Nicole Scherzinger, who was a guest judge, who suggested that they put together a 5 piece boy band at Wembley Stadium in London during the "bootcamp" phase. This let them qualify for a "group". For two weeks, they got together and got to know each other and Styles came up with the name of One Direction
-In Sept. 2011, they released their first major known hit, "What Makes You Beautiful". It reached #1 on the UK Singles Chart and #28 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the highest British debut since 1998

-They made their first TV appearance on The Today Show at Rockefeller Center, where an estimated 15,000 fans waited eagerly
-Their album Up All Night was released in early 2012 because of their very high appeal with teens

-At the 2012 Olympic Games in London, they performed "What Makes You Beautiful" at the closing ceremony, which marked the handoff to Rio de Janeiro being the host of the 2016 Olympic Games.
-At the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards, they were nominated 3 times and won all 3 times, including one for Best New Artist

-In Nov. 2012, they released Take Me Home. The single on the album, "Live While We're Young" went into the top ten in every country it charted in and the second single "Little Things" debuted at #1 in the UK, which became something that made One Direction the youngest act in British chart history

-On August 30, 2013, they released a concert movie called One Direction: This is Us, where they show them doing a concert and take a behind the scenes look at getting prepared for the concert and other things. They said that they will donate $200,000 in English money to the Stand Up to Cancer charity from their 2014 Where We Are tour
-On. Nov. 25, 2013, they will release their Midnight Memories album. This album will be slightly more rock than pop, giving the guys a bit of an edgy touch. In my opinion, this is gonna be pretty cool, to see a boy band try their hand at rock. And with them being from London, they don't have to go far to find some rock inspiration

-In terms of their image, they are basically the "clean cut, parent friendly middle class pop band that girls can go gaga for". They're like Justin Bieber before he got to be an idiot. One Direction is described as starting a new "British Invasion" into the US. And something that is pretty cool is one of them has tattoos, how awesome!!

-Each member is described by one feature: Horan is the cute one, Malik is the quiet and mysterious one, Payne is the sensible one, Styles is the charming one, Tomlinson is the funny one


Niall Horan

Harry Styles



Zayn Malik

Louis Tomlinson

Liam Payne

Lineup
Liam Payne

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Louis Tomlinson

Zayn Malik

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Harry Styles

Niall Horan

Mick Jagger turns 70!

[snickering] Never thought I'd see the day when he hits the big 7-0! Hopefully he can stary rocking. People love watching him on stage and I'm still holding a glimmer of hope I can see The Stones in concert before either one of them dies or quits! Here are some pics of him and the Top 10 Mick Jagger Rolling Stones songs

10
Time Is On My Side
-12X 5 ( not anymore it isn't, lol!)

9
Midnight Rambler
-Get Yer Ya- Ya's Out
-Love it!

8
Let's Spend the Night Together
-Between the Buttons: 1967
-Love it!

7
Fool to Cry
-Black and Blue: 1976

6
Tumbling Dice
-Exile on Main St.: 1972
-Love it!

5
Start Me Up
-Tattoo You: 1981
-Woo-hoo! I love this song. It's the one song I could annoy my dad with, lol!!

4
Miss You
-Some Girls: 1978
-Love it!

3
Jumpin' Jack Flash
-Single: 1968

2
Gimme Shelter
-Let It Bleed: 1969
-Love it!

1
Sympathy fir the Devil
-Beggar's Banquet: 1968
-Not too bad!