10 Films That Were Blatant Propaganda

Nostalgia for Rocky IV is currently at a high and understandably so. At least it was crying for peace during a rather dicey period in U.S./Russian Relations. Foreign policy between the two countries hasn't been this as heightened since the end of the cold war, and cinema hasn't been as quick to fire on their former enemy this time around. There have been light shots across the bough but they are just as indicative of the U.S. as its former nemesis.

You won't, for instance, see a Red Heat II this time around, as much as we'd honestly sort of like to. But it is likely that we'll get a few hammy cries like Rocky Balboa's again.

By the fourth Rocky, the Italian Stallion had done TV commercials, fought Mr. T and won Best Picture. Stallone felt like he had to speak up, and for that to be done, it meant killing off a series regular. It would have been a dynamic plot shakeup had it not happened in the previous film with Mickey Goldmill, making Apollo Creed's death a lazy retread.

As for the cringe-worthy end speech, let's let Hunter Thompson sum it up: "a series of horrible beatings climaxed abruptly in a frenzy of teenage political blather from Sylvester Stallone...the only excitement came when Sly beat the huge Russky like a mule."