’61*’ review
NDSU Spectrum: Movie review Pepper’s flawless portrayal of Maris makes ‘61*’ a hit By JOHN HANSEN April 27, 2001 Amazingly, prior to “61*,” there had never been a film made about Roger Maris’s and Mickey […]
Sports
First episode impressions: ‘Pitch’ (TV review)
Executive producer Dan Fogelman threw a perfect game earlier this week with “This Is Us,” but he doesn’t quite pull a Johnny Vander Meer with his second outing of the season, the premiere of “Pitch” (8:59 p.m. […]
‘Creed’ respects ‘Rocky’ traditions while doing something a bit different (Movie review)
“Creed” — the seventh entry in the “Rocky” series — respects its elders while also doing its own thing. As the saga’s first film not written by Sylvester Stallone, and the first not directed by Stallone […]
Countdown to ‘Creed’: ‘Rocky Balboa’ (2006) unapologetically, effectively tugs at heartstrings (Movie review)
Rightly ranked by IMDB voters as the best of the “Rocky” sequels (with a 7.2 rating), “Rocky Balboa” (2006) is a beautiful grace note to the fighting portion of the Italian Stallion’s career. (His training career appears […]
Countdown to ‘Creed’: This ain’t no pie-eating contest, but ‘Rocky V’ runs off the rails in final act (1990) (Movie review)
The “Rocky” films never drifted into the arena of spectacle as much as their reputation suggests. Even the most over-the-top entry, “Rocky IV,” includes acknowledgements of the heightened plot, like when the commentators note the […]
Countdown to ‘Creed’: Boxer takes on Cold War, inner demons in muscular ‘Rocky IV’ (1985) (Movie review)
With its montages and Eighties arena-rock songs, not to mention the “U.S. versus U.S.S.R.” foundation that begs for the hoariest of subtexts to be added, “Rocky IV” (1985) is unquestionably the most stylized film in the series […]
Countdown to ‘Creed’: ‘Rocky III’ (1982) regains eye of the tiger with enjoyable friendship yarn (Movie review)
Are the “Rocky” films more spectacle or substance? At first blush, the opening act of “Rocky III”(1982) suggests spectacle. Rocky fights professional wrestler Hulk Hogan – OK, technically “Thunderlips” – in a charity bout. It’s unclear […]
Countdown to ‘Creed’: Boxer recovers, finds new challenges in solid ‘Rocky II’ (1979) (Movie review)
Life doesn’t become easy after your first success: Blowing up one Death Star doesn’t mean you’ve defeated the Empire. Dumping Shredder into a garbage truck doesn’t mean he won’t come back as a supermutant. And […]
Countdown to ‘Creed’: Boxer’s underdog journey parallels Stallone’s in all-time masterpiece ‘Rocky’ (1976) (Movie review)
The buzz is heating up for the seventh movie in a legendary film franchise that dates back to the 1970s. I’m referring, of course, to the “Rocky” series, which will continue with “Creed” on Nov. […]
One-season wonders: ‘Hellcats’ (2010-11) (TV review)
With the fall TV season off to a rough start, it’s beginning to look like this might be a good time to catch up on older shows. Although I started watching “Hellcats” (2010-11, The CW) on its […]