Film Review: Creed

Rocky franchise not yet down for the count: Coogler’s newest entry invigorates series

Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone, l.) gives some pointers to his old friend Apollo Creed’s son, novice boxer Donny (Michael B. Jordan, r.).

Ryan Coogler, who grew up in Oakland and Richmond, was an unknown filmmaker with just a few shorts under his belt when he became the toast of Sundance in 2013, winning both the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award for his very first feature, the Bay Area-centered Fruitvale Station. The film went on to garner 52 award nominations and 38 wins, and now, just two short years later, Coogler is at the helm of the seventh movie in one of the most renowned, revered film franchises in cinema history: Rocky. Fortunately, Coogler proves his Sundance success was no fluke, as his second feature and the newest Rocky film, Creed, maintains the spirit of its predecessors while bringing fresh energy and depth to the storied series.

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Film Feature: Carrie’s Top 10 Films of 2013

Spinning Platters film critics Carrie Kahn and Chad Liffmann present their Top 10 Films of 2013.  Here’s Carrie’s list, presented in alphabetical order.

1.) All is Lost
Robert Refdord struggles against the elements in All is Lost.
Robert Redford struggles against the elements in All is Lost.

That a film with just a single actor and virtually no dialog can be absolutely riveting is a testament both to Robert Redford’s brilliant acting and to writer/director J.C. Chandor’s exceptional skill at his craft. Redford says more with his rugged face and worried eyes than most actors do with a wordy, five-star script. Not since Jaws and The Perfect Storm has a film so totally absorbed us in a man-against-sea survival story. And Chandor’s ambiguous ending lends itself to hours of debate and discussion; everyone who has seen this film has a strong opinion, and that a near-silent film can generate such passion makes it special and noteworthy. Continue reading “Film Feature: Carrie’s Top 10 Films of 2013”