In this episode Mark talks about one of his favourite films: the inspirational 1976 American sports drama film "Rocky" directed by John G. Avildsen, which was written and stars Sylvester Stallone. The premise of the film is the "rags to riches" story of Rocky Balboa: a working class Italian-American boxer, who works works as a debt collector for a loan shark in the slums of Philidelphia, who gets given the opportunity to prove himself as a fighter by being given a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship. Also starring Talia Shire as Adrian, Burt Young as Paulie (Adrian's brother), Burgess Meredith as Mickey Goldmill (Rocky's trainer), and Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed. This was the first film of many that tells the story of the character of Rocky Balboa's rise from an amateur club fighter to an elite athlete and boxer, his family, the start of a rivalry that would grow to become a relationship of both respect and friendship over the course of the other films, and Rocky's indomitable spirit to never give up no matter what opponent he is facing. "Rocky" is an inspirational film in so many ways, and it is a film that teaches us all the value of "going the distance" and not stopping until you have achieved all that you have worked hard for and perhaps sacrificed so much.
