Today (May 25, 2010) is the 79^th birthday of producer/director Irwin Winkler. First in partnership with Robert Chartoff and then later solo, Winkler has produced 33 films dating back to 1967. Chartoff and Winkler really gained notoriety with Sylvester Stallone's Rocky in 1976, which earned the Academy Award for Best Picture. Subsequently, the producing duo picked up Best Picture Oscar nominations for Raging Bull (1980) and The Right Stuff (1983), their last project together before Winkler launched his solo career.

Winkler would re-team with director Martin Scorsese to get another Best Picture nomination for 1990's GoodFellas. It's a different re-teaming that gets Irwin Winkler to appear in this issue and that is with Sylvester Stallone for the Rocky sequels. The two that were released during the 80s are Rocky III (1982) and Rocky IV (1985). Rocky III was written and directed by Stallone himself. It follows "Rocky" as he surprisingly loses both his title and trainer. "Apollo Creed" offers to help him rediscover "the eye of the tiger" and get back to the basics in order to regain his reputation and title. Here's the original trailer for Rocky III...

The film enjoys cult status thanks in part to its cultural introduction of both Hulk Hogan in a cameo role as "Thunderlips" and Mr. T as the fearsome "Clubber Lang", both whom would go on to become major pop culture icons of the 80s. Mr. T's role in Rocky III led directly to his role in The A-Team television series. The film's theme song "Eye of the Tiger", was written by the group Survivor at the request of Stallone, and became a smash hit single, topping the US Billboard music charts, receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song and ranks on my Top Songs from 80s Movies list.

I consider 1985's Rocky IV a guilty pleasure movie that I have seen a countless number of times and will watch it every time I come across it. It was again written and directed by Stallone himself. In the film, "Rocky Balboa" plans to retire from boxing after regaining his title at the end of Rocky III. An unknown amateur boxer from the Soviet Union, "Ivan Drago" played impressively by Dolph Lundgren, makes a bid to enter the U.S. boxing ranks. After "Apollo Creed" dies in an exhibition match, Rocky steps into the ring to defend his country and fight Drago. Rocky IV made $128 million in U.S. ticket sales and grossed over $300 million worldwide, the most of any Rocky film. It is the highest-grossing sports film of all time. Here is the original trailer for Rocky IV...

Though set over a Cold War background, Rocky IV has been interpreted more as a commentary on the power struggle between technology and humans. This is illustrated subtly by Paulie's Robot (who I mentioned in my Top 80s Robots issue) and more obviously by the technology utilized by Drago for training. Like Rocky III, this sequel has another Survivor song ("Burning Heart") on my Top Songs from 80s Movies list. According to singer Peter Cetera, he originally wrote his best-selling solo single "Glory of Love" as the end title for Rocky IV, but it was passed over by United Artists, and instead used as the theme for The Karate Kid Part II. Rocky IV also ranks on my Top Inspirational Speeches from 80s Movies and Top Montage Scenes from 80s Movies lists.

My favorite montage scene is when Rocky goes to frigid Russia to train for his big match. None of the movie was actually filmed in Russia. Wyoming doubled for the frozen expanse of the Soviet Union. The small farm where Rocky lived and trained was in Jackson Hole, and the Grand Teton National Park was used for filming many of the outdoor sequences in Russia. Canada's PNE Agrodome at Hastings Park in Vancouver, British Columbia, served as the location of Rocky's Soviet bout against Drago. It was believable enough to me and the USA vs. Russia made for a perfect setting especially when Rocky wins the crowd (and the world) over at the end. Though not a cinematic masterpiece in most regards, Rocky IV is one of my very favorite 80s movies.

That'll wrap up another issue of Kickin' it Old School. Thanks as always for reading. If you are interested in reading any of my other 80s related issues, please click there for a summary of those. If you want to see the past issues of Preview Review, just type that into the Google Search Box at the top of the right hand column and it should give you a list of all of them. You can also always click on the Archives in the upper left hand column or use the Google Search Box at the top of the right hand column to find any other issues you may have missed. If you are a fan of Kickin' it, PLEASE CLICK ON THE FACEBOOK LOGO in the upper right hand column. This will take you to the Fan Page where I ask you to then click on the "Like" button. Even if you are not a Facebook member yet, please consider joining and registering as a fan at that page. You can also follow Old School on Twitter by clicking on the FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER LOGO also in the upper right hand column. This will take you the page and you can just click on the box that says "Follow". I am sending daily 80s tweets, so sign up to get those. Let other 80s fans know about it as well! Peace and much love.