There's a lot of people that diss on Sly, and yes, it's fun to yell "DAYLIGHT!" in his voice while coming out of the turnpike tunnels, but he really has an amazing ability to craft characters like Rocky and the original Rambo figure (I mean this). I also liked Copland a lot, too (I need to watch it again to see if it's as good as it was in 1997). The Expendables did what it was supposed to do (be an ensemble cast action film), and yes, in most movies, he was either typecast or trying to be something else that wasn't that stereotype, but at the end of the day, he really has an ability to speak well (yes, I'm serious) about how he came to find success and to be the type of character that is in his wheelhouse.
For this, I recommend the video above and below. If you only have time to watch one, watch the next one. Then you'll find time to watch the above one and the final two at the end of this post. He speaks a lot about finding victory, motivation, and the writing process in a way that's much better than being in a stodgy college lecture hall.
After all, what's so great about Rocky 1 is that he loses. It's not about victory, but rather, it shows how we can come from nowhere to be someone. Once Apollo gives him his props at the end, this stunt production of a boxing match allows Rocky to be a hero (and it sets up the franchise).
The same is true of how Sylvester wins in real life. Right before Stallone sold the Rocky script, he managed to find interest in his story when his acting wasn't going anywhere. However, during the time between that and selling Rocky, everything went wrong and he had to sell his dog for money to live. It was the biggest mistake of his life. Fortunately, he bought back Butkus (said dog) for much more than he sold it, but his lesson was learned.
Friendship is everything, whether with a person or an animal.
Oh, and there's that point about his medical issues that caused his slurred speech, though he didn't let that embarrass or stop him from being who he is today.
Now, people flock to the Philadelphia Art Museum to imitate / celebrate him doing the Rocky run.
As a result, I would say the take away message from the above is the following:
1) Never give up on yourself, no matter what happens.
2) Some things are priceless.
3) Whether it's writing, acting, or life, push it to the maximum.
4) Never stop talking when you have a connection. You may not be an X, but perhaps, you were meant to be a Y.
5) Encourage others to the maximum.
6) If you want to be a writer, write. Knock out the rough draft quick. Build on the skeleton after the fact. Even if it isn't grammatically solid, everyone has a story inside of him or her. Get it out.
and
7) If you want to do something, stop talking and do it. If it really matters to you, you'll do it and not talk about it. Everything Stallone talks about (the writing and forcing himself in as an actor when the studio was holding out on him) shows that it's all about making his / your dreams happen. When you do, you achieve your greatness and attain your real value.
One last video, which was put together by Evan Carmichael, who does some amazing compilations. Check him out, too.
