Fat City

One of John Huston's lesser known films Fat City from 1972 is well worth a watch. It's the tale of a boxer played by Stanley Keach who's at the tail end of his career with his life in a downward spiral. It's a far more realistic portrayal of the boxing world than that depicted by the Rocky series which kicked off four years later. The understated cinematography by Conrad Hall is perfectly complimented by Kris Kris Kristofferson's Help Me Make It Through the Night and the overall air of melancholy that hangs heavily in the air throughout. It also stars a young Jeff Bridges, a year after his breakthrough performance in The Last Picture Show.