knightni Posted October 29, 2011 Author Share Posted October 29, 2011 16. Rocky IV (5 of 15 lists - 96 points - highest ranking #2 Iwritecode) Rocky IV is a 1985 American film written by, directed by, and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the fourth and most financially successful entry in the Rocky franchise. In the film, Rocky Balboa plans to retire from boxing after regaining his title from Clubber Lang in Rocky III while an unknown amateur boxer from the Soviet Union, Ivan Drago (played by Dolph Lundgren), makes a bid to enter professional boxing. Plot The story opens with a flashback of Rocky's rematch against Clubber Lang, where Rocky defeated Lang to regain his title. Meanwhile, Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), a highly intimidating 6 foot 5 inch, 261 pound Soviet boxer, arrives in America with his wife Ludmilla (Brigitte Nielsen), an Olympic gold medal swimmer, his manager Nicolai Koloff (Michael Pataki), and a team of trainers headed by grizzled Russian coach Igor Rimsky (George Rogan), and the Cuban Manuel Vega (James "Cannonball" Green) to challenge the best U.S. fighters. His manager shows off the hi-tech equipment which aids in improving Drago's performance, demonstrating Drago throwing punches at a machine that measures superhuman level, at 1850 psi. Motivated by patriotism and an innate desire to prove himself, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) challenges Drago to an exhibition bout. During the ensuing press conference, Apollo is accused of being a "has been" by Drago's manager. Livid, Apollo loses his temper, and a melee ensues. It is broken up and Apollo leaves the press conference abruptly vowing to "finish this in the ring" while an unfazed Drago looks on. Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) has reservations, but agrees to train Apollo, who enters the ring in an over-the-top patriotic entrance with James Brown performing Living in America. It soon turns serious though, as Drago beats Apollo mercilessly. Apollo is in dire straits and taking the worst beating of his life as the first round ends. Rocky and Apollo's trainer Duke (Tony Burton) plead with him to give up, but Apollo refuses to do so, and tells Rocky not to stop the fight. The second round doesn't go any better, and despite Duke begging Rocky to throw in the towel, he honors Apollo's wish. This turns out to have fatal consequences as Drago beats Apollo so badly that he dies from his injuries. In the immediate aftermath Drago displays no sense of remorse commenting to the assembled media: "If he dies... he dies." Incensed by Drago's cold indifference, and feeling a deep sense of guilt Rocky decides to avenge Apollo's death by agreeing to relinquish his title and fight Drago in Russia on Christmas Day in an unsanctioned bout. Upon returning home from the press conference Rocky is confronted by Adrian who tells him "you can't win". Rocky than leaves for his flight without her supported by Duke and brother-in-law Paulie (Burt Young) he flies to Krasnoyarsk, Soviet Union to train. To prepare for the fight, Drago uses very high tech equipment with (implied) use of anabolic steroids and a team of trainers and doctors monitoring his every fiber. Rocky, on the other hand uses a very basic, spartan approach: he throws heavy logs, chops down trees, pulls an overloaded snow sleigh, jogs in heavy snow and treacherous icy conditions and climbs a mountain aided only by Duke and Paulie's moral support. When Adrian (Talia Shire) shows up unexpectedly to give Rocky her support after initially refusing to travel to Russia, the two settle their differences with Adrian telling her husband she is with him "no matter what". Rocky's training than takes on an even greater intensity buoyed by the love of his life joining him for the greatest fight of his life. Drago is introduced with an elaborate, patriotic ceremony that puts the Russian crowd squarely on Drago's side, as Rocky is booed by all in attendance. In contrast to his fight with Apollo, Drago immediately goes on the offensive, and Rocky takes a fierce pounding. Rocky comes back toward the end of the second and silences the Russian crowd by landing a strong left hook that cuts Drago just over his left eye. While Drago is visibly shaken, Rocky is fired up and suddenly goes on the offensive, which continues even after the bell rings. While Duke and Paulie cheer Rocky for his heroism, they remind him that Drago is not a machine, but a man. Ironically, Drago comments that Rocky "is not human, he is like a piece of iron" with his own corner reprimanding him for being "weak" in comparison to the "small American." At this point, the fight becomes a fierce battle of wills between the two boxers. Drago, for the most part, holds the upper hand but his confidence drops due to Rocky's seemingly limitless endurance, allowing Rocky to get in under his guard and deliver his own attack. By the fourteenth round, the previously hostile Soviet crowd has been won over by Rocky's determination and is cheering him on. Koloff, fearing retribution from the Soviet General Secretary who resembles Mikhail Gorbachev, goes over to Drago and berates his performance, fiercely urging him to win and shoving his head. Drago snaps and picks up Koloff by the throat with a single hand and throw him to the ground, and adamantly proclaim that he fights only for himself. In the 15th (final) round of the fight, Rocky and Drago trade punch after punch and fight each other to a standstill with Rocky eventually knocking Drago out to the shock of the Soviet General Secretary. A bloody and battered Rocky gives a victory speech, acknowledging the initial and mutual disdain between himself and the once hostile crowd as much as the disdain between Russians and Americans generally, and how they've come to respect and admire each other during the course of the fight which he also says is better than war between their two countries. He finishes by saying that everybody can "change." The General Secretary stands and passionately applauds Rocky and his aides follow suit. Rocky ends his speech by wishing his son a Merry Christmas, and throws his arms into the air in victory as the crowd applauds. Cast Sylvester Stallone - Rocky Balboa Burt Young - Paulie Pennino Talia Shire - Adrian Balboa Carl Weathers - Apollo Creed Brigitte Nielsen - Ludmilla Vobet Drago Dolph Lundgren - Captain Ivan Drago Tony Burton - Tony "Duke" Evers Michael Pataki - Nicoli Koloff Stu Nahan - Commentator #1 (Creed-Drago) Warner Wolf - Commentator #2 (Creed-Drago) R.J. Adams - Sports Announcer Barry Tompkins - American Commentator #1 (Rocky-Drago) Al Bandiero - American Commentator #2 (Rocky-Drago) James Brown - The Godfather of Soul Production Wyoming doubled for the frozen expanse of the Soviet Union. The small farm where Rocky lived and trained was in Jackson Hole, and the Grand Teton National Park was used for filming many of the outdoor sequences in Russia. The PNE Agrodome at Hastings Park in Vancouver, British Columbia, served as the location of Rocky's Soviet bout. Sylvester Stallone has stated that the original punching scenes filmed between him and Dolph Lundgren in the first portion of the fight are completely authentic. Stallone wanted to capture a realistic scene and Lundgren agreed that they would engage in legitimate sparring. One particularly forceful Lundgren punch to Stallone's chest slammed his heart against his breastbone, causing the heart to swell and his breathing to become laboured. Stallone, suffering from labored breathing and a blood pressure over 200, was flown from the set in Canada to St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica and was forced into intensive care for eight days. Stallone later commented that he believed Lundgren had the athletic ability and talent to fight in the professional heavyweight division of boxing. Additionally, Stallone claimed that Lundgren nearly forced Carl Weathers to quit in the middle of filming the Apollo versus Drago exhibition fight. In one take for the Creed-Drago fight scene, Lundgren tossed Weathers into the corner of the boxing ring. Weathers shouted profanities at Lundgren while leaving the ring and announcing that he was quitting the movie and calling his agent. Only after Stallone forced the two actors to reconcile did the movie continue. This event caused a four day work stoppage while Weathers was talked back into the part and Lundgren had to be forced into toning down his aggressiveness. Casting Sportscaster Stu Nahan makes his fourth appearance in the series as commentator for the Apollo/Drago fight. Warner Wolf replaces Bill Baldwin, who died following filming for Rocky III, as co-commentator. For the fight between Rocky and Drago, commentators Barry Tompkins and Al Bandiero portray themselves as USA Network broadcasters. Apollo Creed's wife Mary Anne (Sylvia Meals) made her third and final appearance in the series, the first being Rocky II, although the character was mainly featured in "Rocky II". Stallone's then-wife, Brigitte Nielsen, appeared as Drago's wife, Ludmilla. The Soviet premier in the sky box during the Rocky-Drago match strongly resembles contemporary Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Actor David Lloyd Austin later played Gorbachev in The Naked Gun and played Russian characters in other films. Other media Novelization A novelization was published by Ballantine Books in 1985. Sylvester Stallone was credited as the author. Soundtrack The soundtrack for the movie included "Living in America" by James Brown; the film's music was composed by Vince DiCola (who also composed the soundtrack for The Transformers: The Movie that same year), and also included songs by John Cafferty (featuring Vince DiCola), Survivor, Kenny Loggins, and Robert Tepper. Go West wrote "One Way Street" for the movie by request of Sylvester Stallone. Europe's hit "The Final Countdown", written earlier in the decade by lead singer Joey Tempest, is often falsely stated as being featured in the film - no doubt due to its similarity to DiCola's "Training Montage." However, Europe's track was not released as a single until late 1986. DiCola replaced Bill Conti as the film's composer. Conti, who was too busy with the first two Karate Kid films at the time, would return for Rocky V and Rocky Balboa. Rocky IV is the only film in the series not to feature original music by Conti. However, it does features arrangements of themes composed by Conti from the previous film in the series such as "The Final Bell". Conti's famous piece of music from the Rocky series, "Gonna Fly Now", does not appear at all in Rocky IV (the first time in the series this happened), though a few bars of it are incorporated into DiCola's training montage instrumental. According to singer Peter Cetera, he originally wrote his best-selling solo single "Glory of Love" as the end title for this film, but was passed over by United Artists, and instead used as the theme for The Karate Kid Part II. Release Box office performance Rocky IV made $127.8 million in United States and Canada and $300 million worldwide, the most of any Rocky film. It was the highest-grossing sports film of all time until 2009's The Blind Side which grossed $309 million (albeit unadjusted for inflation). Critical reception The film received a "rotten" 44% approval rating from Rotten Tomatoes, indicating mixed reviews. Dolph Lundgren received acclaim for his performance as Ivan Drago. He won the Marshall Trophy for Best Actor at the Napierville Cinema Festival. Rocky IV also won Germany's Golden Screen Award. Analysis Paulie's Robot, an item that through the years has enjoyed a cult following of its own, was created by the International Robotics Inc. in New York City. The robot's voice was the company's CEO Robert Doornick. The robot is identified by robotic engineers as "SICO" and is/was a member of the Screen Actors Guild and toured with James Brown in the 1980s. Rocky IV has been interpreted as a commentary on the power struggle between technology and humans, illustrated by both Paulie's Robot and the technology utilized by Drago. The infamous robot has also been characterized as a "pleasure-bot" to service the needs of Paulie was also performing the duty of watching Balboa's son while he and Adrian are in Moscow. The film is recognized as being ahead of its time in its demonstration of groundbreaking high-tech sporting equipment, some of which was experimental and twenty years from public use. Rocky IV has been noted as a prime example of propaganda through film, with both the stark culture contrast of Apollo's patriotic showing in Las Vegas and Drago's cold, subdued performance in the USSR and the ubiquitous yet ineffective KGB officers stationed around Balboa's cabin outside Krasnoyarsk. Rocky IV is one of the few sport movies that applies genuine sound effects from actual hits, bonafide training methods created by consultants and a bevy of special effects that in turn creates a film that has grown in popularity. One prominent film critic has noted not only the increase in popularity of the film over the years, but that Stallone felt (much to his chagrin) his creative powers peaked at this chapter of the saga.[14] Stallone has also been quoted as saying the enormous financial success and fan following of Rocky IV once had him envisioning another Rocky movie devoted to Drago and his post-boxing life (although Stallone acknowledged he was in better shape, he was excommunicated from his country), with Balboa's storyline parallel. However, he noted the damage both boxers sustained in the fight made them "incapable of reason" and thus planned Rocky V as a showcase of the results, though the film failed to resolve the saga. Scholars have examined Rocky IV and note the film's strong, yet formulaic structure that emphasizes the power of the individual, particularly an idealistic American. One author has noted the totalitarian regime Ivan Drago represents, his power demonstrated when he topples an arrogant opponent, and his subsequent defeat by the inventive, determined foe. At Comic-Con 2010, Sylvester Stallone and Dolph Lundgren accepted the Guinness World Record for the ‘Most Successful Sports Movie Franchise’ for Rocky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knightni Posted October 30, 2011 Author Share Posted October 30, 2011 15. The Bad News Bears (1976) (7 of 15 lists - 122 points - highest ranking #1 FlaSoxxJim) The Bad News Bears is a 1976 comedy film directed by Michael Ritchie. It stars Walter Matthau and Tatum O'Neal. The film was followed by two sequels, The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training in 1977 and The Bad News Bears Go to Japan in 1978, a short-lived 1979-80 CBS television series, and a remake titled Bad News Bears. Also notable was the score by Jerry Fielding, which is an adaptation of the principal themes of Carmen. Plot Morris Buttermaker (Walter Matthau), an alcoholic and former minor-league baseball player, is recruited by a city councilman and attorney who filed a lawsuit against an ultra-competitive Southern California Little League which excluded the least skilled athletes (including his son) from playing. In order to settle the lawsuit, the league agrees to add an additional team - the Bears - which is composed of the worst players. Buttermaker becomes the coach of the unlikely team, which includes (among others) a near-sighted pitcher, an overweight catcher, a foulmouthed shortstop with a Napoleon complex, an outfielder who dreams of emulating his idol Hank Aaron, and a motley collection of other "talent". Shunned by the more competitive teams (and competitive parents), the Bears are the outsiders. They play their opening game, and do not even record an out, giving up 26 runs before Buttermaker forfeits the game. Realizing the team is nearly hopeless, he recruits a couple of unlikely prospects: First up, is sharp-tongued Amanda Whurlizer (Tatum O'Neal), a skilled pitcher (trained by Buttermaker when she was younger) who is the 12-year-old daughter of one of Buttermaker's ex-girlfriends. At first, she tries to convince Buttermaker that she has given up baseball, but then she reveals that she had been practicing "on the sly". Before agreeing to join the team, Amanda makes a number of outlandish demands (such as imported jeans, modeling school, ballet lessons, etc.) as conditions for joining. Upon hearing her demands, Buttermaker asks, "Who do you think you are, Catfish Hunter?" Amanda responds by asking, "Who's he?" Rounding out the team, Buttermaker recruits the "best athlete in the area," who also happens to be the local cigarette-smoking, loan-sharking, Harley-Davidson-riding troublemaker, Kelly Leak (Jackie Earle Haley). With Whurlizer and Leak on board, the team starts gaining more confidence, and the Bears start winning games. Eventually, the unlikely Bears make it to the championship game opposite the top-notch Yankees, who are coached by aggressive, competitive Roy Turner (Vic Morrow). As the game progresses, tensions are ratcheted up as Buttermaker and Turner engage in shouting matches, and the players become more ruthless and competitive against each other. After a heated exchange between Turner's son (and Yankees pitcher) Joey (Brandon Cruz) and the Bears at-bat catcher Engelberg (Gary Lee Cavagnaro), Turner orders his son to walk Engelberg, the only Bears hitter he cannot overcome, despite Joey's wish to give it a try. In response, Joey intentionally throws a wild beanball nearly striking him in the head. Horrified, Turner goes to the mound and slaps his own son. On the next pitch, Engelberg hits a routine ground ball back to Joey who exacts revenge against his father by holding the ball until Engelberg has an inside the park home run. Joey then leaves the game dropping the ball at his father's feet. Buttermaker - realizing that he has become the ultra-competitive Roy Turner - puts the benchwarmers on the field, thus giving everyone a chance to play. After narrowly losing the game 7 to 6, Buttermaker gives the team free rein of his beer cooler, and they spray it all over each other. Although they did not win the championship, they have the satisfaction of trying, knowing that winning is not so important. The condescending Yankees congratulate the Bears telling them although they are still not that good, they have "guts." Tanner, the shortstop, replies by telling the Yankees where they can put their trophy. The other players cheer and yell, "Wait 'til next year!" The movie ends with a photograph of the team. Cast Adults Morris Buttermaker Walter Matthau Coach of the Bears: A drunken, loud, ex-professional baseball pitcher and part-time pool cleaner, who drives a yellow Cadillac convertible; the protagonist Roy Turner Vic Morrow Coach of the Yankees and the antagonist Cleveland Joyce Van Patten League manager Bob Whitewood Ben Piazza City councilman and lawyer who sued the league to allow the Bears (in particular, his son) to play. He convinces (and pays) Buttermaker to coach the team. Kids Regi Tower Scott Firestone Another lightly developed character; has red hair. Plays third, then first base. Wears number 1. Toby Whitewood David Stambaugh An unassuming boy who plays first base. He knows about the other players' personalities and at times speaks for the team. Son of councilman Bob Whitewood. Wears number 2. Kelly Leak Jackie Earle Haley Local troublemaker who smokes and rides a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Also the best athlete in the neighborhood. He alternates between left and center field and has a crush on Amanda. Wears number 3. Timmy Lupus Quinn Smith A "booger-eating spaz;" plays right field and is considered to be the worst player on the team, but surprises everyone in the final game by making a key play to keep the Bears in the game. He is the most quiet and shy player, but showed the odd ability to properly prepare a martini for Coach Buttermaker while the team was assisting the coach with pool cleaning. Wears number 4. Mike Engelberg Gary Lee Cavagnaro An overweight boy who plays catcher; A great hitter, he frequently teases Tanner about his size, his jabs at rival pitcher Joey Turner ignite a rivalry. Wears number 5. Jose Aguilar Jaime Escobedo Miguel's older brother who plays second base; doesn't speak English. Wears number 6. Miguel Aguilar George Gonzales Jose's younger brother; mostly plays right field. He doesn't speak English either; so short that the strike zone is non-existent. Wears number 7. Jimmy Feldman Brett Marx Fairly quiet third baseman with curly blond hair. Wears number 8. Alfred Ogilvie Alfred W. Lutter A bookworm who memorizes baseball statistics. He's mostly a benchwarmer who assists the coach with defensive strategy. A backup outfielder/first baseman. Wears number 9. Rudi Stein David Pollock Nervous relief pitcher with glasses who is a terrible hitter; often asked by Coach Buttermaker to purposely get hit by pitches so he won't try to swing. Also a backup outfielder. Wears number 10. Amanda Whurlizer Tatum O'Neal 12-year-old pitcher who feels insecure about her tomboy image. She is proven to be a good pitcher. Her mother is Buttermaker's ex-girlfriend. Wears number 11. Tanner Boyle Chris Barnes Short-tempered shortstop with a Napoleon complex; after suffering a horrible loss on their first game, he picks a fight with the entire seventh grade from his school (and loses). He tends to curse more than the others, and often insults and bullies Timmy. Wears number 12. Ahmad Abdul-Rahim Erin Blunt An African-American Muslim who plays in the outfield and adores Hank Aaron; strips off his uniform in shame after committing errors, but is convinced to return to the team by Buttermaker. Wears number 44 in honor of his hero. Joey Turner Brandon Cruz The star pitcher for the Yankees (wears number 2 for that team). Coach Roy Turner's son. He has a rivalry with Engleberg and regularly bullies Tanner and Timmy. Allows Engleberg an inside-the-park home run, then quits the team after Roy slaps him in anger over a wild pitch. Production and success The Bad News Bears was filmed in and around Los Angeles, primarily in the San Fernando Valley. The field where they played is in Mason Park on Mason Avenue in Chatsworth, California. In the film, the Bears were sponsored by an actual company, "Chico's Bail Bonds." One scene was filmed in the council chamber at Los Angeles City Hall. The film was notable in its time for the amount of vulgarity (including profanity and ethnic slurs) placed into the mouths of the various child actors who played the principal roles (specifically, a memorable Tanner Boyle, played by Chris Barnes, quoted as calling his teammates en masse "a bunch of Jews, spics, n*****s, pansies, and a booger-eating moron"). Most of the questionable dialogue was used for comic effect. A true product of the mid-70s, it includes a scene that would most likely no longer be allowed in a PG-rated film today: an inebriated Buttermaker drives the players, who are not wearing seatbelts, in an open-top convertible. In his 1976 review, critic Roger Ebert called the film "an unblinking, scathing look at competition in American society." The film inspired two sequels, The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training and The Bad News Bears Go to Japan, a TV series, and a 2005 remake. Saturday Night Live did a parody of the film with Matthau as the guest host called The Bad News Bees with John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd and the rest in their recurring "bee" costumes. This subtly dealt with masturbation which was referred to as "buzzing-off". American Film Institute AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs-nominated AFI's 10 Top 10-nominated sports film AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers-nominated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knightni Posted October 30, 2011 Author Share Posted October 30, 2011 14. Brian's Song (1971) (8 of 15 lists - 122 points - highest ranking #5 HickoryHuskers, Tex, PlaySumFnJurny) Brian's Song is a 1971 ABC Movie of the Week that recounts the details of the life of Brian Piccolo (played by James Caan), a Wake Forest University football player stricken with terminal cancer after turning pro, told through his friendship with Chicago Bears running back teammate and Pro Football Hall of Famer Gale Sayers (Billy Dee Williams), who helps him through the difficult struggle. The production was such a success on ABC television (November 30, 1971) that it was later shown in theaters, with a major premiere in Chicago; however, it was soon withdrawn due to a lack of business. Some critics have called the movie among the finest telefilms ever made. The movie is based on Sayers' account of his friendship with Piccolo and coping with Piccolo's illness in Sayers' autobiography, I Am Third. The film was written by veteran screenwriter William Blinn, whose script, one Dallas television critic called, "highly restrained, steering clear of any overt sentimentality [yet conveying] the genuine affection the two men felt so deeply for each other." Although based on a true story, the film did include some fictional scenes. One example was when George Halas (played by Jack Warden) told Gale Sayers that he wanted to bench Brian Piccolo when he suspected that there may be a problem affecting his performance. He later learned of Brian's cancer. In reality, Jim Dooley was the head coach at that time, as Halas had retired from the position following the 1968 season. Cast James Caan as Brian Piccolo Billy Dee Williams as Gale Sayers Jack Warden as Coach George Halas Shelley Fabares as Joy Piccolo Judy Pace as Linda Sayers Bernie Casey as J.C. Caroline David Huddleston as Ed McCaskey Ron Feinberg as Doug Atkins Jack Concannon as Himself Abe Gibron as Himself Ed O'Bradovich as Himself Dick Butkus as Himself Chicago Bears as Themselves Music The musical theme to Brian's Song, "The Hands of Time," was a popular tune during the early 1970s and has become a standard. The music for the film was by Michel Legrand, with lyrics to the song by Marilyn and Alan Bergman. LeGrand's instrumental version of the theme song charted for eight weeks in 1972, peaking at #56.[4] Nashville pianist Floyd Cramer performed a popular version of "The Hands of Time". Awards and nominations The film won an Emmy Award for Best Dramatic Program (1971–72). William Blinn won an Emmy for his teleplay, and Jack Warden won for his performance as Coach Halas. Caan and Williams were both nominated for best leading actor. Remake Thirty years after its original airing, a remake was aired in 2001 on ABC's The Wonderful World of Disney starring Mekhi Phifer as Sayers and Sean Maher as Piccolo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knightni Posted October 30, 2011 Author Share Posted October 30, 2011 13. Eight Men Out (9 of 15 lists - 122 points - highest ranking #2 FlaSoxxJim) Eight Men Out is an American dramatic sports film, released in 1988 and based on the book 8 Men Out, published in 1963 by Eliot Asinof. It was written and directed by John Sayles. The film is a dramatization of Major League Baseball's 1919 Black Sox scandal, in which eight members of the Chicago White Sox conspired with gamblers to intentionally lose the World Series. Much of the movie was filmed at the old Bush Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. Plot The 1919 Chicago White Sox are considered the greatest team in baseball and, in fact, one of the greatest ever assembled to that point. However, the team's owner, Charles Comiskey, is a skinflint with little inclination to reward his players for a spectacular season. When a gambling syndicate led by Arnold Rothstein gets wind of the players' discontent, it offers a select group of Sox — including star pitcher Eddie Cicotte — more money to play badly than they would have earned by winning the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds. A number of players, like Chick Gandil, Swede Risberg, and Lefty Williams, gladly go along with the scheme. The team's greatest star, Shoeless Joe Jackson, is depicted as being not very bright and not entirely sure what is going on. Buck Weaver, meanwhile, is included with the seven others but insists that he wants nothing to do with the fix. When the best-of-nine series begins, Cicotte deliberately pitches poorly to lose the first game. Williams does likewise in Game 2, while Gandil and Hap Felsch make glaring mistakes on the field. Several of the players become upset, however, when the various gamblers involved fail to pay their promised money up front. Chicago journalists Ring Lardner and Hugh Fullerton grow increasingly suspicious. Meanwhile, the team's manager, Kid Gleason, continues to hear rumors of a fix, but he remains confident that his boys will come through in the end. A third pitcher not in on the scam, Dickey Kerr, wins Game 3 for the Sox, making both gamblers and teammates uncomfortable. Other teammates such as Ray Schalk continue to play hard, while Weaver and Jackson show no visible signs of taking a dive. Cicotte, who won 29 games during the season, loses again in Game 4. With the championship now in jeopardy, Gleason intends to bench him from his next start, but Cicotte begs for another chance. The manager reluctantly agrees and is rewarded with a victory in Game 7. Unpaid by the gamblers, Williams also intends to do his best, but when his wife's life is threatened, he purposely pitches badly to lose the final game. Cincinnati wins the World Series (5 games to 3) to the shock of Sox fans. Even worse, sportswriter Fullerton exposes the strong possibility that this series was not on the level. His findings cause Comiskey and the other owners to appoint a new commissioner of baseball, Kenesaw Mountain Landis, and give him complete authority over the sport. Eight players are indicted and brought to trial. Cicotte, Williams, and Jackson even sign confessions. But in court, while Weaver maintains his innocence, the confessions are mysteriously found to be stolen, and the popular Chicago players are found not guilty. While they celebrate, however, Judge Landis bans all eight from professional baseball for life, citing their failure to reveal being approached by gambling interests in the first place. Weaver is among those exiled from the game. The final scene shows him in the bleachers of a New Jersey minor league ballpark, watching the great Joe Jackson play under an assumed name. Cast Jace Alexander as Dickey Kerr John Anderson as Kenesaw Mountain Landis Gordon Clapp as Ray Schalk John Cusack as Buck Weaver Richard Edson as Billy Maharg Don Harvey as Swede Risberg Bill Irwin as Eddie Collins Clifton James as Charles Comiskey Perry Lang as Fred McMullin Michael Lerner as Arnold Rothstein Christopher Lloyd as Bill Burns John Mahoney as Kid Gleason Michael Mantell as Abe Attell James Read as Lefty Williams Michael Rooker as Chick Gandil John Sayles as Ring Lardner Charlie Sheen as Happy Felsch Danton Stone as Hired Killer David Strathairn as Eddie Cicotte D. B. Sweeney as Shoeless Joe Jackson Studs Terkel as Hugh Fullerton Kevin Tighe as Sport Sullivan Nancy Travis as Williams' Wife Paul Walters as Roy Mitchell James Desmond as Smitty Andy Dominianni as Scoreboard Kid Background Former Chicago Cubs third baseman Ron Santo served as the personal coach for John Cusack, who played Buck Weaver. Santo taught Cusack the basic footwork and moves of the position. In addition, former Chicago White Sox outfielder Ken Berry served as a baseball coach for the cast. In preparing for the role of Shoeless Joe Jackson, D. B. Sweeney, a former Tulane University outfielder, spent a season training with the Class-A Kenosha Twins of the Midwest League. A natural right-handed hitter, Sweeney learned to bat left in the six months prior to filming. This film contains one of the hardest plays for live-action baseball broadcasters to execute.[citation needed] Shoeless Joe Jackson, played by Sweeney, drove a triple into the right-field corner while the camera operator was able to keep the batter-runner and the ball in the camera frame for the duration of play. The camera was positioned on the third-base side of home plate. Several people involved in this film would go on to be involved with Ken Burns' 1994 film miniseries Baseball. Cusack, Lloyd, and Sweeney did several voice-overs, reading recorded reminiscences of various personalities connected with the game. Sayles and Terkel were interviewed on the subject of the 1919 World Series. Sayles also contributed to the section on Roberto Clemente, and Terkel, a historian and a former labor leader, spoke about the movement toward labor freedom in baseball. Terkel also "reprised his role" by reading Hugh Fullerton's columns during the section on the Black Sox. Production During the late summer and early fall of 1987, news media in Indianapolis were buzzing with sightings of the film's actors including Sheen and Cusack. Sayles told the Chicago Tribune that he hired them not because they were rising stars, but because of their ball-playing talent. Sweeney remarked on the chilly Indiana temperatures in an interview with Elle magazine. "It got down to 30, 40 degrees, but John [sayles] would stand there in running shorts, tank tops, sneakers -- sometimes without socks -- and never look cold." The young actor said Sayles appeared to be focused on an "agenda, and that's all he cared about. Looking at him we thought, 'Well, if he's not cold, then we certainly shouldn't be.'" Reports from the set location at Bush Stadium indicated that cast members were letting off steam between scenes. "Actors kidded around, rubbing dirt on each other", the Tribune reported. "... Actors trade jokes, smokes and candy" in the dugout. "'Some of them chewed tobacco at first, but,' noted Bill Irwin, 'Even the guys who were really into it started to chew apricots after a while.'" Sheen made his reasons for taking the role clear. "I'm not in this for cash or my career or my performance", Sheen told the Tribune. "I wanted to take part in this film because I love baseball." The actors' baseball coach Berry told the paper that Sheen's baseball skills were exceptional. Berry said Sheen made a diving back-handed catch in the movie that rivaled the famous catch by Willie Mays in the 1954 World Series. When cloud cover would suddenly change the light during the shooting of a particular baseball scene, Sayles showed "inspirational decisiveness", according to Elle, by changing the scripted game they would be shooting — switching from Game Two of the series to Game Four, for example. "The second assistant director knew nothing about baseball", Sayles told Elle, "and she had to keep track of who was on base. Suddenly we'd change from Game Two to Game Four, and she'd have to shuffle through her papers to learn who was on second, then track the right guys down all over the ballpark." Right-handed Sweeney told Elle that producers considered using an old Hollywood trick to create the illusion that he was hitting lefty. "We could have done it from the right side, then run to third and switched the negative, like they did in The Pride of the Yankees, but we didn't really have enough money for that", Sweeney said. There was a visit to the set by the son of one of the movie's characters. Ring Lardner, Jr., Oscar-winning screenwriter of such films as Woman of the Year and M*A*S*H, came to Bush Stadium to see what the buzz was all about. Lardner's article in American Film magazine reported that Sayles' script depicted much of the story accurately, based on what he knew from his father. But the audience, Lardner wrote, "won't have the satisfaction of knowing exactly why everything worked out the way it did." Lardner also seemed to get a kick out of the production crew's daily headache of trying to make "a few hundred extras look like a World Series crowd of thousands." Tactics to entice Indianapolis residents to come to the stadium to act as film extras were "a flop", Lardner wrote. "The producers offer free entertainment, Bingo with cash prizes, and as much of a stipend ($20 a day) as the budget permits..." Critical reception When the film was first released, the film industry staff at Variety magazine wrote "Perhaps the saddest chapter in the annals of professional American sports is recounted in absorbing fashion in Eight Men Out...The most compelling figures here are pitcher Eddie Cicotte (David Strathairn), a man nearing the end of his career who feels the twin needs to ensure a financial future for his family and take revenge on his boss, and Buck Weaver (John Cusack), an innocent enthusiast who took no cash for the fix but, like the others, was forever banned from baseball." Film critic Roger Ebert was underwhelmed, writing, "Eight Men Out is an oddly unfocused movie made of earth tones, sidelong glances and el[l]iptic conversations. It tells the story of how the stars of the 1919 Chicago White Sox team took payoffs from gamblers to throw the World Series, but if you are not already familiar with that story you're unlikely to understand it after seeing this film." Ebert's television colleague Gene Siskel said "Eight Men Out is fascinating if you are a baseball nut ... the portrayal of the recruiting of the ball players and the tight fisted rule of Comisky is fascinating ... thumbs up." Critic Janet Maslin spoke well of the actors, writing, "Notable in the large and excellent cast of Eight Men Out are D. B. Sweeney, who gives Shoeless Joe Jackson the slow, voluptuous Southern naivete of the young Elvis; Michael Lerner, who plays the formidable gangster Arnold Rothstein with the quietest aplomb; Gordon Clapp as the team's firecracker of a catcher; John Mahoney as the worried manager who senses much more about his players' plans than he would like to, and Michael Rooker as the quintessential bad apple. Charlie Sheen is also good as the team's most suggestible player, the good-natured fellow who isn't sure whether it's worse to be corrupt or be a fool. The story's delightfully colorful villains are played by Christopher Lloyd and Richard Edson (as the halfway-comic duo who make the first assault on the players), Michael Mantell as the chief gangster's extremely undependable right-hand man, and Kevin Tighe as the Bostonian smoothie who coolly declares: 'You know what you feed a dray horse in the morning if you want a day's work out of him? Just enough so he knows he's hungry.' For Mr. Sayles, whose idealism has never been more affecting or apparent than it is in this story of boyish enthusiam gone bad in an all too grown-up world, Eight Men Out represents a home run." The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 86% of critics gave the film a positive review, based on 36 reviews." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knightni Posted October 30, 2011 Author Share Posted October 30, 2011 12. Caddyshack (9 of 15 lists - 129 points - highest ranking #1 PlaySumFnJurny) Caddyshack is a 1980 American comedy film directed by Harold Ramis and written by Brian Doyle-Murray, Ramis, and Douglas Kenney. It stars Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight, Michael O'Keefe, Cindy Morgan, and Bill Murray. Doyle-Murray also has a supporting role. This was Ramis' first feature film and was a major boost to Dangerfield's film career; previously, he was known mostly for his stand-up comedy. Grossing almost $40 million in the U.S. alone (16th highest of the year), it was the first of a series of similar comedies. A sequel, Caddyshack II, followed in 1988, although it was not nearly as successful or well-received. Plot Danny Noonan works at the upscale Bushwood Country Club as he tries to raise enough money to go to college since his parents cannot afford it and his grades were unremarkable in high school. Danny caddies for Ty Webb, the free-spirited playboy son of one of Bushwood's co-founders, as Ty teaches Danny about the finer points in life usually while showing off random trick shots. One day, Danny decides to caddy for Judge Elihu Smails, the country club's stodgy co-founder, in hopes of earning his favor and the next Caddy Scholarship, a cash award Smails controls. Smails' golfing group includes Dr. Beeper, his obnoxious grandson Spaulding and are joined by Smails' sensuous niece, Lacey Underall, who is visiting for the summer. Meanwhile, Sandy McFiddish, Bushwood's greenskeeper, entrusts his assistant Carl Spackler to remove a gopher digging tunnels underneath the course. During the game, Smails is mocked by Al Czervik, a flamboyant, relentlessly obnoxious nouveau riche real estate tycoon. Al loudly wagers $1,000 that Smails will miss his relatively short putt, which draws a crowd of onlookers. Smails misses the putt and flings his putter in a blind rage, striking a woman. Danny takes responsibility for the incident, claiming the grips on the club were worn and Smails was not responsible, finally putting Danny in good standing with the judge. Smails mentions to Danny that the caddy scholarship has become available again, and encourages him to apply. At a Fourth of July banquet, Danny and his girlfriend, Maggie O'Hooligan, work as servers as Danny becomes enamored of Lacey. Maggie informs Danny of Lacey's sexually promiscuous reputation, but this only encourages him. Danny wins the Caddy Day golf tournament and seals the deal for his scholarship. This earns Danny praise from the Judge along with an invitation to a party at the Judge's upcoming yacht christening. Al literally crashes the party, destroying Smails' tiny wooden sloop with his enormous yacht, the Seafood, by dropping the anchor onto it, chiefly because he took over from his hired captain without knowing how to operate his boat. The judge and his wife angrily return home and discover Lacey and Danny naked in his bed. The judge chases Danny out of his house with a golf club, breaking up half of his bedroom in the process. The next day, Judge Smails calls Danny into the office. Expecting to be fired, Danny is surprised when the judge offers him the scholarship after Danny promises never to mention the embarrassing incident involving Lacey to anybody. Afterward, Al encounters Smails in the club's private bar and states to him that he wishes to buy the club and build condominiums on the site. To avoid a scuffle, Ty helps the two men to agree to a golf match contest for $20,000. Smails and Dr. Beeper against Al and Ty in match play. The match is held the following day. Smails chooses Danny to be his caddy. Suddenly, word spreads of the stakes involved and a crowd builds. With Smails' team winning at the end of the 9th hole, Al decides to double the stakes to $40,000. But he's having his worst game ever, so when a ricocheting ball strikes him, he pretends to be hurt in hopes of having the contest declared a draw. The caddy supervisor, Lou Loomis, standing in as an umpire, tells Al his team would forfeit unless they found a substitute. Ty chooses Danny, causing Smails to threaten his scholarship; Danny realizes that award has too many strings for his liking, especially when Smails is tugging on the ends of them. Al promises to Danny that he will make it "worth his while" if he wins. At the final hole, the match is all square. Judge Smails makes his putt, thus giving the Smails-Beeper team a birdie on the final hole. Danny must sink his very long putt to birdie the hole, thus tying the match, if he misses the putt they lose. Al then raises the stakes to a double-or-nothing $80,000 on only Danny making the putt which eliminates the result of the match, which Smails accepts. Danny's putt reaches the edge of the cup and stops, causing Smails and Beeper to begin celebrating. While the match has been going on, Carl has been escalating his attempts to destroy the gopher, and he has now wired much of the course with plastic explosive. As Danny's putt hangs on the edge of the cup, Carl pushes the detonator and explosions shake the whole course. The force of the explosions causes Danny's ball to drop, so the Ty-Danny-Czervik team wins the $80,000 bet. Smails refuses to pay, which Al anticipated - he has a couple of big bruiser types "help the Judge find his check book." The gopher emerges, unharmed by the explosives, and dances to Kenny Loggins' "I'm Alright" as the credits roll. Cast Chevy Chase as Ty Webb Rodney Dangerfield as Al Czervik Ted Knight as Judge Elihu Smails Michael O'Keefe as Danny Noonan Bill Murray as Carl Spackler Sarah Holcomb as Maggie O'Hooligan Scott Colomby as Tony D'Annunzio Cindy Morgan as Lacey Underall Dan Resin as Dr. Beeper Henry Wilcoxon as Bishop Pickering Albert Salmi as Mr. Noonan Elaine Aiken as Mrs. Noonan John F. Barmon, Jr. as Spaulding Smails Lois Kibbee as Mrs. Smails Brian Doyle-Murray as Lou Loomis Jackie Davis as Smoke Porterhouse Hamilton Mitchell as Motormouth "Chuck Rodent" as The Gopher Production The film was inspired by writer and co-star Brian Doyle-Murray's memories working as a caddy at Indian Hill Club in Winnetka, Illinois. His brothers Bill and John Murray (production assistant and a caddy extra) and director Harold Ramis also had worked as caddies when they were teenagers. Many of the characters in the film were based on characters they had encountered through their various experiences at the club, including a young woman upon whom the Maggie character is based and the Haverkampfs, a doddery old couple, John & Ilma, longtime members of the club, who can barely hit the ball out of their shadows ("That's a peach, hon"). The now legendary scene[citation needed] involving a Baby Ruth candy bar being thrown into the swimming pool was based on a real-life incident at Doyle-Murray's high school. During the pool party, several people on the deck were fighting over a Baby Ruth bar when it accidentally slips in the pool with its wrapper off. Thinking someone had defecated in the pool due to the bar's uncanny resemblance to human feces, everyone makes a mad scramble out of the pool. When Bill Murray's character is cleaning out the pool afterward and recognizes it as a Baby Ruth bar, he picks it up, smells it, and takes a bite out of it, much to the disgust to the owners of the country club (Ted Knight and Lois Kibbee), who still believe it to be feces. The scene in which Al Czervik hits Judge Smails in the genitals with a struck golf ball happened to Ramis on what he quipped was the second of his two rounds of golf, on a nine-hole public course. Additionally, producers worked to ensure that at least two pairs of female breasts appeared in the film (as a bonus, two appearances of thinly sheathed nipples also star). Initially, Ted Knight and Michael O'Keefe's characters were the central characters of the movie. However, the improvisational atmosphere surrounding the other cast members (specifically Dangerfield, Chase, and Murray) led to the expansion of Dangerfield's, Chase's, and Murray's parts from cameos to starring roles. This didn't sit well with some of the cast, specifically Knight and Scott Colomby. Knight, widely regarded as a kind-hearted person in real-life, eventually became fed up with the constant shenanigans on set, and Colomby's role was reduced as a result of Dangerfield, Chase, and Murray getting more screen time. The dinner and dancing scene was filmed at the Boca Raton Hotel and Club in Boca Raton, Florida. The film was shot over 11 weeks during the autumn of 1979. Golf scenes were filmed at the Rolling Hills Golf Club (now the Grande Oaks Golf Club) in Davie, Florida. According to Ramis, it was picked because the course did not have any palm trees. He wanted the movie to feel that it was in the Mid-West, not Florida. The explosions that take place during the climax of the film were reported at the nearby Fort Lauderdale airport by an incoming pilot, who suspected a plane had crashed. Also the explosions were not approved by the club owners, who were at the background at all times, in fear of them damaging the course. The movie producers were able to convince the club owners to attend an off site meeting. When they were gone, the crew set off the explosions. The pool scene was filmed at Plantation Golf Course (now Plantation Preserve) in Plantation, Florida. There is an overhead shot where the pratice green and 1st tee can be seen. The marina scene involving Al Czervik's boat wreaking havoc upon Judge Smails's "dinghy" was filmed in Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida. The scene that begins when Ty Webb's golf ball crashes into Carl Spackler's ramshackle house was not in the original script. It was added by director Harold Ramis after realizing that two of his biggest stars, Chevy Chase and Bill Murray (who did not get along due to a feud dating back to their days on Saturday Night Live), did not have a scene together. The three met for lunch and wrote the scene together. This is the only time that Chase and Murray have appeared in a movie together. Bill Murray's "Cinderella story" scene was improvised based on two lines of stage direction. Ramis basically gave him direction to act as a kid announcing his own imaginary golf moment. Murray just took it from there. The flowers were his idea. Murray was with the production only six days, and all of his lines were unscripted. In interviews, Cindy Morgan stated that the scene she shared with Chevy Chase, in which he pours massage oil on her, was completely improvised, and her reaction to Chase dousing her back with the massage oil, where she exclaimed "You're crazy!", was genuine. Due to her being legally blind without glasses or contacts, as well as afraid of heights, there was concern about the scene where she had to dive into the pool. Morgan climbed the ladder, but the flawless dive was executed by a professional diver. Except for the brief scene in which Rodney Dangerfield tussles with the gopher (with the end of his golf club) the gopher was not an onscreen character in the film. A simple hand puppet was created by the props department for that scene, with the director's assistant (Trevor Albert) the delegated puppeteer. After several cuts of the film reduced the original story arc (of Danny's relationship with the Irish waitress) another through line was required. The producers suggested that the gopher's battle with Bill Murray's character be further developed. Therefore, the remaining gopher sequences were written and filmed after the movie was shot. Director Harold Ramis at one point suggested a live animal to play the gopher. Rusty Lemorande, executive in charge of production, and specifically assigned to supervise post production, searched for a suitable creature builder. Companies such as The Henson Company (which became the premiere creature builders in the 80's) did not yet take outside assignments, so Lemorande contacted friends at Walt Disney Imagineering for advice. One of the Disney theme park creature designers, Jeff Burke, was willing to create the character but only on a moonlight basis. Burke was responsible for the creature's design and character with input and guidance from Lemorande. The rod puppet sat in Lemorande's office for weeks. During that time producers Kenny and Peter and Director Ramis would come into the office to play with the creature, all trying to figure out how to integrate it into the film. Simultaneously, an overall deal was made with John Dykstra's effects company for all the necessary visual effects (including lightning, stormy sky effects, flying golf balls, disappearing greens' flags, etc.) so shooting the gopher puppet became part of the intensely negotiated effects package. Dykstra's technicians added extra animation to the existing puppet, including ear movement, and built the tunnels through which he moved. The gopher sounds were the same sounds used by Flipper the dolphin in the 60's television show of the same name. This was after principal cinematography had been completed and used higher quality film stock in an indoor soundstage resulting in the higher picture quality of these scenes still evident even on the current DVD. Reception Caddyshack was released on July 25, 1980, in 656 theaters, where it grossed $3.1 million on its opening weekend. It went on to make $39,846,344 in North America. The film holds a 76% approval rating at popular review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, based on 38 reviews, with the consensus: "Though unabashedly crude and juvenile, Caddyshack nevertheless scores with its classic slapstick, unforgettable characters, and endlessly quotable dialogue." Christopher Null gave the film four stars out of five, and wrote, "They don't make 'em like this anymore... The plot wanders around the golf course and involves a half-dozen elements, but if you simply dig the gopher, the caddy, and the Dangerfield, you're not going to be doing half bad."[8] Roger Ebert gave the film two-and-a-half stars out of four and wrote, "Caddyshack feels more like a movie that was written rather loosely, so that when shooting began there was freedom - too much freedom - for it to wander off in all directions in search of comic inspiration". Dave Kehr, in his review for the Chicago Reader, wrote, "The first-time director, Harold Ramis, can't hold it together: the picture lurches from style to style (including some ill-placed whimsy with a gopher puppet) and collapses somewhere between sitcom and sketch farce". Nevertheless, the film has slowly gained a massive cult following among those of the younger generation as well as in the golf world. Tiger Woods has said that it is his favorite film, so much so that he played Spackler in an American Express commercial based on the film) and many of the film's quotes have entered the lexicon of pop culture. Ramis notes in the DVD documentary that TV Guide had originally given the film two stars (out of four) when it began showing on cable television in the early 1980s, but over time, the rating had gone up to three stars. He himself says he "can barely watch it. All I see are a bunch of compromises and things that could have been better" such as the poor swings of everyone save O'Keefe. In 2007, Taylor Trade Publishing released The Book of Caddyshack, an illustrated paperback retrospective of the movie, with cast and crew Q&A interviews. The book was written by Scott Martin. Denmark was the only place outside the US/Canada where Caddyshack was a hit. The distributor had cut 20 minutes from the movie to emphasize Bill Murray's role. Honors American Film Institute recognition In 2000, Caddyshack was placed at number 71 on the American Film Institute (AFI) list of the 100 funniest American films. In 2004, the song I'm Alright by Kenny Loggins was nominated for their list of the top 100 songs. In 2005, Murray's line "Cinderella story. Outta nowhere. A former greenskeeper, now, about to become the Masters champion. It looks like a mirac...It's in the hole! It's in the hole! It's in the hole!" was ranked at number 92 by the AFI for their list of the top 100 movie quotes from U.S. films. Chase's line "Be the ball." was also nominated. In 2008, the AFI revealed its "10 Top 10" (the best ten films in ten "classic" American film genres) and Caddyshack was named the seventh best film in the sports genre. Other recognition Caddyshack is second on Bravo's list of "100 Funniest Movies". Caddyshack restaurants On June 7, 2001, Bill Murray, Brian Doyle-Murray, and their other four brothers opened a themed restaurant inspired by the movie at the World Golf Village, near St. Augustine, Florida. The restaurant is meant to resemble a stodgy country club, much like the fictional Bushwood Country Club, and serves primarily American cuisine. The brothers are all active partners and make occasional appearances at the restaurant. Three more restaurants opened in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Orlando, Florida; and Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida; however, all three have been closed, leaving only the World Golf Village location. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knightni Posted October 30, 2011 Author Share Posted October 30, 2011 11. Rocky (10 of 15 lists - 137 points - highest ranking #2 ZoomSlowik) Rocky is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen, and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It tells the rags to riches American Dream story of Rocky Balboa, an uneducated but kind-hearted debt collector for a loan shark in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Rocky starts out as a club fighter who then gets a shot at the world heavyweight championship. The film also stars Talia Shire as Adrian, Burt Young as Adrian's brother Paulie, Burgess Meredith as Rocky's trainer Mickey Goldmill, and Carl Weathers as the champion, Apollo Creed. The film, made on a budget of less than $1 million and shot in 28 days, was a sleeper hit; it made over $225 million the highest grossing film of 1976, and won three Oscars, including Best Picture. The film received many positive reviews and turned Stallone into a major star. It spawned five sequels: Rocky II, III, IV, V and Rocky Balboa. Plot On November 25, 1975, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) is introduced as a small-time boxer and collector for Anthony Gazzo (Joe Spinell), a loan shark, living in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia. The World Heavyweight Championship bout is scheduled for New Year's Day 1976, the year of the United States Bicentennial. When the opponent of undefeated heavyweight champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) is injured, Creed comes up with the idea of giving a local underdog a shot at the title and, because he likes Rocky's nickname, "The Italian Stallion", he selects the relatively unknown fighter. He puts it in lights by proclaiming "Apollo Creed meets 'The Italian Stallion'". The fight promotor says the decision is "very American," but Creed adds it is also "very smart." To prepare for the fight, Rocky trains with a 1920s-era ex-bantamweight fighter and gym owner, Mickey Goldmill (Burgess Meredith). Mickey always considered Rocky's potential to be better than his effort, and the two conflict over Mickey's motives for training Rocky for the big fight. Rocky's good friend, Paulie (Burt Young), a meat-packing plant worker, lets him practice his punches on the carcasses hanging in the freezers. During training, Rocky dates Paulie's shy, quiet, virginal sister, Adrian (Talia Shire) who works as a clerk in a local pet store; and, he refrains from 'fooling' around with her until the fight on the instruction of his manager Mickey. The night before the fight, Rocky confides in Adrian that he does not expect to beat Creed, and that all he wants is to go the distance with Creed (which no fighter had ever done), meaning that lasting 15 rounds (the typical scheduled length of championship fights at the time) against him would mean he "... wasn't just another bum from the neighborhood". On New Year's Day, the climactic boxing match begins. Apollo Creed does not initially take the fight seriously, and Rocky unexpectedly knocks him down in the first round, embarrassing Creed, and the match turns intense. The fight indeed lasts 15 rounds with each fighter suffering many injuries; the match illustrates Rocky's apparently unlimited ability to absorb punishment. Rocky suffers his first broken nose, and Creed sustains brutal blows to his ribs, obviously not accustomed to such punishment. As the final round bell sounds with both fighters locked in each other's arms, an exhausted Creed vows "Ain't gonna be no re-match", to which an equally spent Rocky replies "Don't want one". After the fight, Rocky calls out for Adrian, who runs down to the ring. As the ring announcer declares the fight for Apollo Creed by virtue of a split decision (8:7, 7:8, 9:6), Adrian and Rocky embrace while they profess their love to one another, not caring about the results of the fight. Cast Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa, an enforcer for a loan shark by day and a semi-pro boxer by night. He is given the chance at the heavyweight title. Talia Shire as Adrian Pennino, Rocky's love interest; a quiet pet store clerk who falls in love with Rocky and supports him through his training. Burt Young as Paulie Pennino, Adrian's brother; a meat-packing plant worker by trade, Paulie permits Rocky to train in the freezer. Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed, Rocky's opponent and heavyweight champion. The character was influenced by the outspoken, real-life boxing great Muhammad Ali. Burgess Meredith as Mickey Goldmill: Rocky's manager and trainer, a former bantamweight fighter from the 1920s and the owner of the local boxing gym. Thayer David as George Jergens: the fight promoter who has "promoted fights all over the world". Joe Spinnell as Tony Gazzo, loan shark and Rocky's employer Cameo appearances Boxer Joe Frazier has a cameo appearance in the film. The character of Apollo Creed was influenced by outspoken boxer Muhammad Ali who fought Frazier three times. During the Academy Awards ceremony, Ali and Stallone staged a brief comic confrontation to show Ali was not offended by the film. Some of the plot's most memorable moments—Rocky's carcass-punching scenes and Rocky running up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, as part of his training regime—are taken from the real-life exploits of Joe Frazier, for which he received no credit. Due to the film's low budget, members of Stallone's family played minor roles. His father rings the bell to signal the start and end of a round, his brother Frank plays a street corner singer, and his first wife, Sasha, was set photographer.[citation needed] Other cameos include Los Angeles television sportscaster Stu Nahan playing himself, alongside radio and TV broadcaster Bill Baldwin and Lloyd Kaufman, founder of the independent film company Troma, appearing as a drunk. Longtime Detroit Channel 7 Action News anchor Diana Lewis has a small scene as a TV news reporter. Tony Burton appeared as Apollo Creed's trainer, Tony "Duke" Evers, a role he would reprise in the entire Rocky series, though he is not given an official name until Rocky II. Production United Artists liked Stallone's script, and viewed it as a possible vehicle for a well-established star such as Robert Redford, Ryan O'Neal, Burt Reynolds, or James Caan. Stallone appealed to the producers to be given a chance to star in the film. He later said that he would never have forgiven himself if the film became a success with someone else in the lead. He also knew that producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff's contract with the studio enabled them to "greenlight" a project if the budget was kept low enough. Certain elements of the story were altered during filming. The original script had a darker tone: Mickey was portrayed as racist and the script ended with Rocky throwing the fight after realizing he did not want to be part of the professional boxing world after all. Although Chartoff and Winkler were enthusiastic about the script and the idea of Stallone playing the lead character, they were hesitant about having an unknown headline the film. The producers also had trouble casting other major characters in the story, with Adrian and Apollo Creed cast unusually late by production standards (both were ultimately cast on the same day). Real-life boxer Ken Norton was initially sought for the role of Apollo Creed, but he pulled out and the role was ultimately given to Carl Weathers. Norton had had three fights with Muhammad Ali, upon whom Creed was loosely based. According to The Rocky Scrapbook, Carrie Snodgress was originally chosen to play Adrian, but a money dispute forced the producers to look elsewhere. Susan Sarandon auditioned for the role but was deemed too pretty for the character. After Talia Shire's ensuing audition, Chartoff and Winkler, along with Avildsen, insisted that she play the part. Garrett Brown's Steadicam was used to accomplish a smooth shot running alongside Rocky during his training run up the flight of stairs. It was also used for some of the shots in the fight scenes and can be openly seen at the ringside during some wide shots of the final fight. (Rocky is often erroneously cited as the first film to use the Steadicam, although the distinction actually goes to Bound for Glory.) While filming Rocky, both Stallone and Weathers suffered injuries during the shooting of the final fight; Stallone suffered bruised ribs and Weathers suffered a damaged nose. The poster seen above the ring before Rocky fights Apollo Creed shows Rocky wearing red shorts with a white stripe when he actually wears white shorts with a red stripe. When Rocky points this out he is told that "it doesn't really matter does it?". According to director Avildsen's DVD commentary, this was an actual mistake made by the props department that they could not afford to rectify, so Stallone wrote the brief scene to ensure the audience didn't see it as a goof. Avildsen said that the same situation arose with Rocky's robe. When it came back from the costume department, it was far too baggy for Stallone. And because the robe arrived on the day of filming the scene and there was no chance of replacing or altering it, instead of ignoring this and risk the audience laughing at it, Stallone wrote the dialogue where Rocky himself points out the robe is too big. The first date between Rocky and Adrian, in which Rocky bribes a janitor to allow them to skate after closing hours in a deserted ice skating rink, was shot that way only because of budgetary pressures. This scene was originally scheduled to be shot in a skating rink during regular business hours. However, the producers ultimately decided that they couldn't afford to hire the hundreds of extras that would have been necessary for that scene. Rocky has the 6th highest return of investment of any film ever made. With a production budget of less than 1 million dollars, it eventually earned worldwide box-office receipts exceeding $225 million. Stallone's inspiration Stallone was inspired to create the film by Rocky Marciano and the famous fight between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner in 1975. Wepner had been TKO'd in the 15th round by Ali, but nobody ever expected him to last as long as he did. Wepner recalls in a January 2000 interview, "Sly (Stallone) called me about two weeks after the Ali fight and told me he was gonna make the movie." Rocky Steps The famous scene of Rocky running up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art has become a cultural icon. In 1982, a statue of Rocky, commissioned by Stallone for Rocky III, was placed at the top of the Rocky Steps. City Commerce Director Dick Doran claimed that Stallone and Rocky had done more for the city's image than "anyone since Ben Franklin." Differing opinions of the statue and its placement led to a relocation to the sidewalk outside the Philadelphia Spectrum Arena, although the statue was temporarily returned to the top of the steps in 1990 for Rocky V, and again in 2006 for the 30th anniversary of the original Rocky (although this time it was placed at the bottom of the steps). Later that year, it was permanently moved to a spot next to the steps. The scene is frequently parodied in the media. In The Simpsons episode "I'm Spelling as Fast as I Can", Lisa Simpson runs up a flight of stairs wearing a tracksuit similar to the one worn by Rocky. In You Don't Mess with the Zohan, Zohan's nemesis, Phantom, goes through a parodied training sequence finishing with him running up a desert dune and raising his hands in victory. In the fourth season's finale of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, as the credits roll at the end of the episode, Will is seen running up the same steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art; however, as he celebrates after finishing his climb, he passes out in exhaustion, and while he lies unconscious on the ground, a pickpocket steals his wallet and his wool hat. Also in The Nutty Professor, there is a scene where Eddie Murphy is running up the stairs and throwing punches at the top. In 2006, E! named the "Rocky Steps" scene #13 in its 101 Most Awesome Moments in Entertainment. During the 1996 Summer Olympics torch relay, Philadelphia native Dawn Staley was chosen to run up the museum steps. In 2004, Presidential candidate John Kerry ended his pre-convention campaign at the foot of the steps before going to Boston to accept his party's nomination for President. Critical reception Rocky received mixed reviews at the time of its release. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave Rocky 4 out of 4 stars and said that Stallone reminded him of "the young Marlon Brando. " Box Office Magazine claimed that audiences would be "...touting Sylvester 'Sly' Stallone as a new star". The film, however, did not escape criticism. Vincent Canby, of the New York Times, called it "pure '30s make believe" and dismissed both Stallone's acting and Avildsen's directing, calling the latter "...none too decisive..." Frank Rich liked the film, calling it "almost 100 per cent (sic) schmaltz," but favoring it over the cynicism that was prevalent in movies at that time, although he referred to the plot as "gimmicky" and the script "heavy-handed". He attributed all of the film's weaknesses to Avildsen, describing him as responsible for some of the "most tawdry movies of recent years", and who "has an instinct for making serious emotions look tawdry" and said of Rocky, "He'll go for a cheap touch whenever he can" and "tries to falsify material that was suspect from the beginning...Even by the standards of fairy tales, it strains logic." Rich also criticised the film's "stupid song with couplets like 'feeling strong now/won't be long now.'" Several reviews, including Richard Eder's (as well as Canby's negative review), compared the work to that of Frank Capra. Andrew Sarris found the Capra comparisons disingenuous: "Capra's movies projected more despair deep down than a movie like Rocky could envisage, and most previous ring movies have been much more cynical about the fight scene," and, commenting on Rocky's work as a loan shark, says that the film "teeters on the edge of sentimentalizing gangsters." Sarris also found Meredith "oddly cast in the kind of part the late James Gleason used to pick his teeth." Sarris also took issue with Avildsen's direction, which he described as having been done with "an insidious smirk" with "condescension toward everything and everybody," specifically finding fault, for example, with Avildsen's multiple shots of a chintzy lamp in Rocky's apartment. Sarris also found Stallone's acting style "a bit mystifying" and his character "all rough" as opposed to "a diamond in the rough" like Terry Malloy. More than 30 years later, the film enjoys a reputation as a classic and still receives positive reviews; Rocky holds a 93% "Certified Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Another positive online review came from the BBC Films website, with both reviewer Almar Haflidason and BBC online users giving it 5/5 stars. In Steven J. Schneider's 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, Schneider says the film is "often overlooked as schmaltz." In 2006, Rocky was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". In June 2008, AFI revealed its "Ten top Ten"—the best ten films in ten "classic" American film genres—after polling over 1,500 people from the creative community. Rocky was acknowledged as the second-best film in the sports genre, after Raging Bull. In 2008, Rocky was chosen by Empire magazine as one of The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time. Academy Awards – 1976 Rocky received ten Academy Awards nominations in nine categories, winning three: Award Result Nominee Best Picture Won Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler Best Director Won John G. Avildsen Best Actor Nominated Sylvester Stallone Best Actress Nominated Talia Shire Best Writing, Story and Screenplay Based on Material not Previously Published or Produced Nominated Sylvester Stallone Best Supporting Actor Nominated Burgess Meredith Best Supporting Actor Nominated Burt Young Best Film Editing Won Richard Halsey and Scott Conrad Best Music (Original Song) for Gonna Fly Now Nominated Bill Conti Carol Connors Ayn Robbins Best Sound Mixing Nominated Harry Warren Tetrick (posthumous) William McCaughey Lyle J. Burbridge Bud Alper Rocky has also appeared on several of the American Film Institute's 100 Years lists. AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies, - #78.[29] AFI's 100 Years... 100 Thrills - #52 AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes "Yo, Adrian!" - #80.[30] AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs - Gonna Fly Now #58 AFI's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains Rocky Balboa - #7 Hero.[31] AFI's 100 Years... 100 Cheers, - #4.[32] AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition), - #57. AFI's 10 Top 10: Sports #2 The Directors Guild of America awarded Rocky its annual award for best film of the year in 1976, and in 2006, Sylvester Stallone's original screenplay for Rocky was selected for the Writers Guild of America Award as the 78th best screenplay of all time. Soundtrack Rocky Soundtrack album by Bill Conti Released 1976 Label United Artists Records Capitol Records (reissue) All music by Bill Conti. "Gonna Fly Now (Theme from "Rocky")" (vocals: DeEtta Little/Nelson Pigford) 2:48 "Philadelphia Morning" 2:22 "Going the Distance" 2:39 "Reflections" 3:19 "Marines' Hymn/Yankee Doodle" 1:44 "Take You Back (Street Corner Song from "Rocky")" (vocals: Valentine) 1:49 "First Date" 1:53 "You Take My Heart Away" (vocals: DeEtta Little/Nelson Pigford) 4:46 "Fanfare for Rocky" 2:35 "Butkus" 2:12 "Alone in the Ring" 1:10 "The Final Bell" 1:56 "Rocky's Reward" 2:02 Rocky's soundtrack was composed by Bill Conti. The main theme song, "Gonna Fly Now", made it to number one on the Billboard Magazines Hot 100 list for one week (from July 2 to July 8, 1977) and the American Film Institute placed it 58th on its AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs. The complete soundtrack was re-released in 1988 by EMI on CD and cassette. Conti was also the composer for Rockys: II, III, V, and Rocky Balboa. The version of "Gonna Fly Now" used in the film is different from the versions released on later CDs and records. The vocals and guitars are much more emphasized than the versions released. The "movie version" has yet to be released. Although the Conti version of "Gonna Fly Now" is the most recognizable arrangement, a cover of the song performed by legendary trumpeter Maynard Ferguson on his Conquistador album prior to the release of the motion picture soundtrack actually outsold the soundtrack itself. Novelization A paperback novelization of the screenplay was written by Rosalyn Drexler and published by Ballantine Books in 1976 Video games Several video games have been made based on the film. The first Rocky video game was released by Coleco for ColecoVision in August 1983 titled Rocky Super Action Boxing; the principal designer was Coleco staffer B. Dennis Sustare. Another was released in 1987 for the Sega Master System. More recently, a Rocky video game was released in 2002 for the Nintendo GameCube, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation 2, and Xbox, and a sequel, Rocky Legends, was released in 2004 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. In 2007, a video game called Rocky Balboa was released for PSP. In 1985, Dinamic Software released a boxing game for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum (also advertised for and/or published on the Sega Master System, Amstrad CPC and MSX) called Rocky. Due to copyright reasons it was quickly renamed "Rocco". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knightni Posted October 30, 2011 Author Share Posted October 30, 2011 10. Bull Durham (8 of 15 lists - 138 points - highest ranking #3 ZoomSlowik) Bull Durham is a 1988 American romantic comedy baseball film. It is based upon the minor league experiences of writer/director Ron Shelton and depicts the players and fans of the Durham Bulls, a minor league baseball team in Durham, North Carolina. The film stars Kevin Costner as "Crash" Davis, a veteran catcher brought in to teach rookie pitcher Ebby Calvin "Nuke" LaLoosh (Tim Robbins) about the game in preparation for reaching the Major Leagues. Baseball groupie Annie Savoy (Susan Sarandon) romances Nuke but finds herself increasingly attracted to Crash. Also featured are Robert Wuhl and Trey Wilson, as well as popular baseball "clown" Max Patkin. Baseball movies were not considered a viable commercial prospect at the time and every studio passed except for Orion Pictures, which gave Shelton a USD $9 million budget, an eight-week shooting schedule, and creative freedom. Even so, many cast members accepted salaries lower than their usual due to their enthusiasm for the material. Costner was cast because of the actor's natural athletic ability. During filming, Costner was able to hit two home runs while the cameras were rolling. Bull Durham was a commercial success, grossing over $50 million in North America, well above its estimated budget, and was a critical success as well. Sports Illustrated ranked it the #1 Greatest Sports Movie of all time. The Moving Arts Film Journal ranked it #3 on its list of the 25 Greatest Sports Movies of All-Time. In addition, the film is ranked #55 on Bravo's "100 Funniest Movies." It is also ranked #97 on the American Film Institute's "100 Years...100 Laughs" list, and #1 on Rotten Tomatoes' list of the 53 best reviewed sports movies of all time. Plot "Crash" Davis, a veteran of 12 years in the minor leagues, is sent down to the single-A (advanced) Bulls for a specific purpose: to educate hotshot rookie pitcher Ebby LaLoosh (Robbins, playing a character loosely based on Steve Dalkowski)about being a major-league talent, and to control Ebby's haphazard pitching. Crash immediately begins calling Ebby by the degrading nickname of "Meat", and they get off to a rocky start. Thrown into the mix is Annie (Sarandon), a lifelong spiritual seeker who latched onto the "Church of Baseball" and has, every year, chosen one player on the Bulls to be her lover and student. Annie flirts with Crash and Ebby, but Crash walks out, saying he's too much a veteran to "try out" for anything. Before he leaves, Crash further sparks Annie's interest with a memorable speech in which he lists the things he "believes in". Tim Robbins as "Nuke" LaLoosh and Kevin Costner as "Crash" Davis. Despite some animosity between them, Annie and Crash work, in their own ways, to shape Ebby into a big-league pitcher. Annie plays mild bondage games, reads poetry to him, and gets him to think in different ways (and gives him the nickname "Nuke"). Crash forces Nuke to learn "not to think" by letting the catcher make the pitching calls (memorably at two points telling the batters what pitch is coming after Nuke rejects his calls), and lectures him about the pressure in facing major league hitters that can hit his "heat" (fastballs). Crash also talks about the pleasure of life in "The Show" (Major League Baseball), which he briefly lived for "the 21 greatest days of my life" and to which he has tried for years to return. Meanwhile, as Nuke matures, the relationship between Annie and Crash grows, until it becomes obvious that the two of them are a more appropriate match, except for the fact that Annie and Nuke are currently a couple. After a rough start, Nuke becomes a dominant pitcher by mid-season. By the end of the movie, Nuke is called up to the majors and the Bulls, now having no use for his mentor, release Crash. This incites jealous anger in Crash, who is frustrated by Nuke's failure to recognize all the talent he was blessed with. Nuke leaves for the big leagues, ending his relationship with Annie, and Crash overcomes his jealousy to leave Nuke with some final words of advice. Crash is released by the Bulls and joins another team, the Asheville Tourists, and breaks the minor league record for career home runs. We see Nuke one last time, being interviewed by the press as a major leaguer, reciting the clichéd answers that Crash had taught him earlier. Crash then retires as a player and returns to Durham, where Annie tells him she's ready to give up her annual affairs with "boys". Crash tells her that he is thinking about becoming a manager for a minor league team in Visalia. Both characters end one phase of their lives and begin another, Annie and Crash dancing in her candle-lit living room. Cast Kevin Costner as "Crash" Davis Susan Sarandon as Annie Savoy Tim Robbins as Ebby Calvin "Nuke" LaLoosh Trey Wilson as Joe Riggins Robert Wuhl as Larry Hockett William O'Leary as Jimmy Jenny Robertson as Millie David Neidorf as Bobby Samuel Veraldi as second baseman Stephen Ware as umpire Background The film's name is based on the nickname for Durham, North Carolina, which has been called "Bull Durham" since the 1800s, when the Blackwell Tobacco Company named its product "Bull" Durham tobacco, which soon became a well-known trademark. In 1898, James B. Duke purchased the company and renamed it the American Tobacco Company. By this time, the nickname Bull Durham had already stuck. The film's writer and director, Ron Shelton, played minor league baseball for five years after graduating from Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California. Initially playing second base for the Baltimore Orioles' farm system, he moved from the Appalachian League to California and then Texas before finally playing AAA baseball for the Rochester Red Wings in the International League. Shelton quit when he realized he would never become a major league player. "I was 25. In baseball, you feel 60 if you're not in the big leagues. I didn't want to become a Crash Davis", he said. He returned to school and earned an M.F.A. in sculpture at the University of Arizona before moving to Los Angeles to join the city's art scene. However, he felt more kinship in telling stories than in creating performance art. His break into filmmaking was second unit work on the films Under Fire and The Best of Times (both of which he also wrote). Production According to Shelton, "I wrote a very early script about minor league baseball; the only thing it had in common with Bull Durham was that it was about a pitcher and a catcher." That script was entitled, The Player To Be Named Later; a single anecdote from that script made it into Bull Durham. For Bull Durham, Shelton "decided to see if a woman could tell the story" and "dictated that opening monologue on a little micro-recorder while I was driving around North Carolina." Crash was named after Lawrence "Crash" Davis but was modeled after Pike Bishop, the lead character William Holden played in The Wild Bunch: a guy who "loved something more than it loved him." Annie Savoy's name was a combination of the nickname ("Annies") that baseball players gave their groupies and the name of a bar; she was a "High Priestess [who] could lead us into a man’s world, and shine a light on it. And she would be very sensual, and sexual, yet she’d live by her own rigorous moral code. It seemed like a character we hadn’t seen before." After Shelton returned to Los Angeles from his road trip, he wrote the script for Bull Durham in "about twelve weeks." When Shelton pitched Bull Durham, he had a hard time convincing a studio to give him the opportunity to direct. Baseball movies were not considered a viable commercial prospect at the time and every studio passed except for Orion Pictures who gave him a $9 million budget (with many cast members accepting lower than usual salaries because of the material), an eight-week shooting schedule and creative freedom. Shelton scouted locations throughout the southern United States before settling on Durham in North Carolina because of its old ballpark and its location, "among abandoned tobacco warehouses and on the edge of an abandoned downtown and in the middle of a residential neighborhood where people could walk". Shelton cast Costner because of the actor's natural athleticism. He was a former high school baseball player and was able to hit two home runs while the cameras were rolling and, according to Shelton, insisted "on throwing runners out even when they (the cameras) weren't rolling". He cast Robbins over the strong objections of the studio, who wanted Anthony Michael Hall instead Shelton had to threaten to quit before they backed off. Producer Thom Mount (who is part owner of the real Durham Bulls) hired Pete Bock, a former semi-pro baseball player, as a consultant on the film. Bock recruited more than a dozen minor-league players, ran a tryout camp to recruit an additional 40 to 50 players from lesser ranks, hired several minor-league umpires and conducted two-a-day workouts and practice games with Tim Robbins pitching and Kevin Costner catching. Bock made sure the actors looked and acted like ballplayers and that the real players acted convincingly in front of the cameras. He said, “the director would say, 'This is the shot we want. What we need is the left fielder throwing a one-hopper to the plate. Then we need a good collision at the plate.' I would select the players I know could do the job, and then we would go out and get it done”. The scene in the pool hall where Nuke tells Crash that he is going to "the Show" was originally shot in a black whorehouse with Costner's character playing "Unchained Melody" on the piano to a 60-year-old hooker while drunk. Nuke came in and the two men fought in an alley with several black hookers cheering Crash on. Costner remembers, "The pool hall was somehow thought to be a better experience for the audience, because we didn't want to see him with a black woman, I guess. But it was perfectly in line with who he was". Reception Box office Bull Durham debuted on June 15, 1988 and grossed $5 million in 1,238 theaters on its opening weekend. It went on to gross a total of $50.8 million in North America, well above its estimated $9 million budget. Critical response “ A few months after it came out, I was having dinner at a restaurant called The Imperial Gardens. A man came up and asked if I was Ron Shelton. I said yes, and he said, “Somebody would like to meet you.” So I followed him—I didn’t realize at the time it was Stanley Donen, the director—and he brought me over to his best friend, Billy Wilder. Wilder looked up and said, “Great f***in’ picture, kid!” I said, “Mr. Wilder, that’s the best review I’ve ever had!” ” —Director Ron Shelton, in a 2008 interview The film was well-received critically. It currently has a rating of 98% on Rotten Tomatoes. Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 73 out of 100, based on 16 reviews. In David Ansen’s review for Newsweek magazine, he wrote that the film “works equally as a love story, a baseball fable and a comedy, while ignoring the clichés of each genre”. Vincent Canby praised Shelton’s direction in his review for the New York Times, “he demonstrates the sort of expert comic timing and control that allow him to get in and out of situations so quickly that they're over before one has time to question them. Part of the fun in watching Bull Durham is in the awareness that a clearly seen vision is being realized. This is one first-rate debut". Roger Ebert praised Susan Sarandon's performance in his review for the Chicago Sun-Times: "I don't know who else they could have hired to play Annie Savoy, the Sarandon character who pledges her heart and her body to one player a season, but I doubt if the character would have worked without Sarandon's wonderful performance". In his review for Sports Illustrated, Steve Wulf wrote, "It's a good movie and a damn good baseball movie". Hal Hinson, in his review for the Washington Post, wrote, "The people associated with Bull Durham know the game ... and the firsthand experience shows in their easy command of the ballplayer's vernacular, in their feel for what goes through a batter's head when he digs in at the plate and in their knowledge of the secret ceremonies that take place on the mound". Richard Corliss, in his review for Time, wrote, "Costner's surly sexiness finally pays off here; abrading against Sarandon's earth-mama geniality and Robbins' rube egocentricity, Costner strikes sparks". Legacy Bull Durham was named Best Screenplay of 1988 by New York Film Critics' Circle. The film became a minor hit when released, and is now considered one of the best sports movies. In 2003, Sports Illustrated ranked Bull Durham as the "Greatest Sports Movie". In addition, the film is ranked number 55 on Bravo's "100 Funniest Movies." It is also ranked #97 on the American Film Institute's "100 Years...100 Laughs" list, and #1 on Rotten Tomatoes' Top Sports Movies list of the 53 best reviewed sports movies of all time. Entertainment Weekly ranked Bull Durham as the fifth best DVD of their Top 30 Sports Movies on DVD. The magazine also ranked the film as the fifth best sports film since 1983 in their "Sports 25: The Best Thrill-of-Victory, Agony-of-Defeat Films Since 1983" poll and #5 on their "50 Sexiest Movies Ever" poll. In June 2008, AFI revealed its "Ten top Ten"—the best ten films in ten "classic" American film genres—after polling over 1,500 people from the creative community. Bull Durham was acknowledged as the fifth best film in the sports genre. For years, Ron Shelton has contemplated making a sequel and remarked, "I couldn't figure out in the few years right after it came out, what do you do? Nuke's in the big leagues, Crash is managing in Visalia. Is Annie going to go to Visalia? I've been to Visalia. That will test a relationship ... It was not a simple fable to continue with - not that we don't talk about continuing it, now that everyone's in their 60s". Actor Trey Wilson, who played Durham manager Joe Riggins, died of a cerebral hemorrhage at age 40, seven months after this film's release. Awards and honors American Film Institute recognition 2000: AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs #97 2008: AFI's 10 Top 10 #5 Sports Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knightni Posted October 30, 2011 Author Share Posted October 30, 2011 9. The Natural (8 of 15 lists - 143 points - highest ranking #1 knightni) The Natural is a 1984 film adaptation of Bernard Malamud's 1952 baseball novel of the same name, directed by Barry Levinson and starring Robert Redford. The film, like the book, recounts the experiences of Roy Hobbs, an individual with great "natural" baseball talent, spanning decades of Roy's success and his suffering. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Supporting Actress (Glenn Close), and nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress (Kim Basinger). Many of the baseball scenes were filmed in Buffalo, New York's War Memorial Stadium, built in 1937 and demolished a few years after the film was produced. Buffalo's All-High Stadium stood in for Chicago's Wrigley Field in a key scene. It was the first film produced by TriStar Pictures. Plot Roy Hobbs is a child, playing baseball with his father on the family farm. Roy's father dies suddenly while Roy is still young, collapsing under a tree. That tree is split in half by lightning, and young Roy carves a baseball bat from it, on which he burns the image of a lightning bolt and the label Wonderboy. In 1923, a 19-year old Hobbs (Robert Redford) is granted a tryout by the Chicago Cubs as a pitcher. The train to Chicago makes a stop at a carnival and Roy is challenged to strike out "The Whammer" ("...a thinly disguised version of Babe Ruth") (Joe Don Baker), the top hitter in the major leagues. He does so in front of many people, including a sportswriter named Max Mercy (Robert Duvall), who draws a picture of the event to put in the paper the next day. Just before Hobbs gets on the train, a young boy shouts, "Hey, Mister, what's your name?!" Roy Hobbs responds by telling the boy his name and throwing him a ball. Back on the train, the naive Hobbs is seduced by Harriet Byrd (Barbara Hershey), an alluring but sinister woman, who gravitates to him after judging that he, rather than The Whammer, is now the best baseball player in the world. Byrd lures young Hobbs to a hotel room, shoots him, and then jumps out the window to her death. The story skips forward 16 years to 1939. A fictitious National League team called the New York Knights has signed the now 35-year-old Hobbs to a contract, to the ire of the team's gruff manager and co-owner, Pop Fisher (Wilford Brimley). With the Knights mired in last-place, Pop is angry about being saddled with a "middle-aged rookie" and refuses to even let him participate in team practice. After a showdown in which Roy refuses to submit to Pop's judgement of him when angrily told he is to be sent back to the minors, Pop is impressed and relents. When finally allowed to practice with the team, Hobbs shows incredible hitting ability. During the next game, the team's star player, Bump Bailey (Michael Madsen), angers Pop with his chronic laziness in the field and Roy is sent to pinch hit. Pop encourages Hobbs to knock the cover off the ball, which Hobbs actually does, providing the game-winning hit for the Knights in a rain-shortened game. After a now-motivated Bump dies running through the outfield fence in pursuit of a fly ball, Roy takes over as the team's starting right fielder and plays phenomenally, becoming the league's sensation and single-handedly turning the Knights' fortunes around. Hobbs' spectacular success prompts Max Mercy to try and unearth details about his mysterious background, but Mercy's attempts to elicit information from Hobbs himself are unsuccessful. Mercy starts a rumor that Wonderboy is a loaded bat, but the allegation is disproven when the league weighs and measures the bat, which meets specifications. Roy is soon summoned to a meeting with the principal owner of the Knights, The Judge (Robert Prosky). Beforehand, he is informed by Pop's assistant, Red (Richard Farnsworth), that The Judge actually has an interest in the team losing, since Pop is obligated to sell his share of the team to his co-owner if the Knights fail to win the National League pennant. To ensure that result, The Judge had secretly ordered his chief scout to stock the roster with unknown players like Hobbs. The Judge worries now that Hobbs' unexpected talent will foil his plans. At the meeting, The Judge inquires about Roy's background but is rebuffed. The Judge then offers him a new contract as an implicit bribe to throw the season, but Hobbs makes it clear he is committed to winning the pennant for Pop. Hobbs leaves, at which point gambler Gus Sands (Darren McGavin) emerges from the shadows and is revealed to be in league with The Judge. They realize Roy is not as greedy as Bump and devise a plan to manipulate him: Memo Paris (Kim Basinger) is sent to seduce and distract Roy. Mercy sees Roy playfully pitch to a teammate after practice one day and finally realizes where he saw Hobbs before. Mercy confronts him with the cartoon he drew way back after Roy had struck out The Whammer and offers him $5,000 for his story, but Roy isn't interested. Mercy takes Roy to dinner and introduces him to Gus and Memo. Memo seduces Roy and they begin seeing each other regularly. Roy actually cares for her and fails to see that he is being set up. Despite warnings from Pop that his niece is "bad luck," he continues the relationship. Hobbs soon falls into a slump. The Knights are at Wrigley Field in Chicago to play the Cubs and Hobbs, having another miserable game, comes to bat in the top of the ninth inning with the Knights trailing by one run with a man on third. With two strikes, he notices a woman dressed in white stand up in the crowd, illuminated by sunlight, and he promptly belts a game-winning home run that shatters the scoreboard clock. After the game, Roy realizes the mysterious woman in white is his childhood sweetheart, Iris (Glenn Close), and they meet at a soda shop and reconnect. She attends the next day's game, at which Hobbs hits four home runs. Afterwards, they go for a walk and Roy, for the first time, confides his shooting and how he subsequently lost his way in life. Iris is sympathetic and they return to her apartment for tea. Roy notices a baseball glove lying around, which Iris informs him belongs to her 16-year old son. Roy wonders where his father is and Iris tells him he lives in New York. Roy is curious to meet the boy, who is a big fan, but Iris doesn't want Roy to miss his train and tells him he should leave. Roy's encounter with Iris renews his focus. With Hobbs hitting again, the Knights surge into first place, needing just one win in their final three games against the Philadelphia Phillies to clinch the pennant. Against Pop's admonitions, a victory party is held at Memo's, where Roy once again refuses a payoff from Gus. Memo then feeds Roy a poisoned éclair, causing him to fall ill. Roy awakens in a hospital bed a few days later and learns that the Knights lost their final three games of the season, setting up a one-game playoff against the Pittsburgh Pirates for the pennant. The doctor informs Roy that the lining of his stomach has been gradually deteriorating due to his previous gunshot injury, which was discovered when they recovered the silver bullet head while pumping Roy's stomach. Hobbs is warned that his stomach could tear apart and kill him if he continues to play ball. Memo visits Roy in the hospital and tries to persuade him to sit out and accept Gus' payoff. Roy later sneaks out of the hospital to take batting practice, but collapses after a few swings as The Judge secretly observes from his office. Later that night, The Judge appears at Roy's bedside and increases his offer to $20,000, even though he doesn't think Roy is in any condition to play. Hobbs refuses and The Judge threatens to ruin Roy's image by releasing police photographs from the Harriet Byrd shooting, which were obtained from Mercy. The Judge also informs Roy that he has a contingency plan in place, having bribed another key player on the team. The Judge leaves the money. The day before the game, Iris visits Roy, who is glum. He still blames himself for getting shot and failing to achieve his full potential in baseball. Iris insists he's a great player anyway, but Roy responds that he could have broken every record and been "the best there ever was." Iris tells him her theory that people have two lives: "the life they learn with and the life they live after that". Roy tells her how much he loves baseball and asks whether her son is in New York with her. She says he is and Roy asks if they will be attending the game, but nurses enter and Iris leaves before giving an answer. The day of the game arrives and Hobbs goes to The Judge's office to return the money, telling The Judge he intends to hit away. Memo draws a gun and fires at the floor. Roy takes the gun from her and throws it across the room, finally recognizing her similarity to Harriet Byrd. Echoing words said earlier by Roy's father, Gus tells Roy he has a great gift, but it's not enough. As Hobbs walks out, Gus calls him a loser and predicts the Knights will lose anyway. Hobbs heads to the locker room, where a nervous Pop is ruminating about the virtues of farming. Roy joins in the conversation and agrees there's nothing like a farm. Pop tells Roy that his mother wanted him to be a farmer, and Roy replies that his father wanted him to be a baseball player. Pop tells Roy he's the best player he's ever coached and the best hitter he ever saw, and tells him to suit up. The game begins and Roy, both hurting and rusty, strikes out in his first at-bat. The Pirates take the lead when the Knights' starting pitcher, Fowler, surrenders a two-run home run. Hobbs realizes Fowler is the player The Judge bribed and runs in from right field to meet with him on the mound. Roy tells him not to throw the game, to which Fowler replies he'll start pitching when Roy starts hitting. Hobbs is terribly overmatched in his next at-bat and strikes out again, falling to the ground. Iris is watching from the stands with her son and heads down near the dugout railing. She has a message for Roy and asks the usher to deliver it. Hobbs receives the message, which explains Iris and her son are at the game and Roy is the boy's father. Shocked by the revelation, Roy peers out from the dugout but cannot locate them in the crowd. Meanwhile, Fowler has settled down and kept the Knights in the game. In the bottom of the ninth, the Knights are still trailing 2-0 and are down to their final out. After the next two batters reach base, Hobbs comes up and the Pirates decide to make a pitching change, bringing in a young, hard-throwing, left-handed Nebraska farmboy resembling Hobbs as a youth. Hobbs fouls the first pitch back, breaking the glass to the press box, where Mercy had been sketching a cartoon portraying Roy as a goat. Hobbs swings through the next pitch. Down to his last strike, he hits what looks like a home run down the right field line, but the ball hooks foul. As he jogs back to the plate, he sees that Wonderboy has split in two. He asks the batboy to pick out a winner and the batboy hands him his own handmade bat, the Savoy Special, which Roy had earlier shown him how to make. As Hobbs digs in to the batter's box, his stomach starts to bleed through his jersey. The catcher notices and calls for an inside fastball to exploit Roy's injury. With lightning flashing in the sky, Hobbs crushes the pitch and sends it into the lights above the right field roof for the game-winning home run. The lights explode and sparks rain down upon the field as Hobbs rounds the bases. The Knights win the pennant. The screen fades then opens to a wheat field bathed in sunlight, with Hobbs playing catch with his son as Iris watches them from afar. Production The film's producers stated in the DVD extras that the film was not intended to be a literal adaptation of the novel, but was merely "based on" the novel. Malamud's daughter said on one of the DVD extras that her father had seen the film, and his take on it was that it had "legitimized him as a writer". This is in spite of the fact that Malamud's novel ends with Roy Hobbs striking out, rather than hitting a home run. A young boy later approaches Hobbs, aware of speculation about gambling, and says, "Say it ain't true, Roy", a reference to Shoeless Joe Jackson and the Chicago White Sox throwing the 1919 World Series to gamblers. Roy's response to boy's interrogative reads as follows: "When Roy looked into the boy's eyes he wanted to say it wasn't but couldn't, and he lifted his hands to his face and wept many bitter tears." This despondence contrasts sharply with the film's home run victory and familial denouement. Hobbs' hope that one day people will say "There goes Roy Hobbs, the best there ever was" is inspired by Ted Williams' - "A man has to have goals - for a day, for a lifetime - and that was mine, to have people say, 'There goes Ted Williams, the greatest hitter who ever lived'." The number 9 Redford wore as Roy Hobbs in the film was a reference to his longstanding admiration for Williams. Darren McGavin was cast late in the process as gambler Gus Sands and was uncredited in the film. Another uncredited actor was the radio announcer heard from time to time throughout the picture; Levinson stated on the DVD extras for the 2007 edition that there had been too little time to find a bonafide announcer during post-production, so Levinson himself recorded that part of the audio track. "Two-thirds" of the scenes were filmed in Buffalo, New York, mostly at War Memorial Stadium, built in 1937 and demolished a few years after the film was produced. Buffalo's All-High Stadium, with post-production alterations, stood in for Chicago's Wrigley Field in a key scene in the film. Other scenes were filmed in South Dayton, New York. Release Reception The Natural currently stands as one of the most beloved sports movies of all time. On movie review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an 83% positive score based on 29 reviews, with an average rating of 7.0/10. Variety called it an "impeccably made...fable about success and failure in America."[5] James Berardinelli praised The Natural as "[a]rguably the best baseball movie ever made." ESPN's Page 2 selected it as the 6th best sports movie of all time, and sports writer Bill Simmons has argued, "Any 'Best Sports Movies' list that doesn't feature either Hoosiers or The Natural as the No. 1 pick shouldn't even count." While The Natural's reputation has enhanced over time, critics were not universally impressed when the film first appeared. Leonard Maltin's annual Movie Guide said in its 1985 edition that the film is "too long and inconsistent". Dan Craft, long-time critic for the Bloomington, Illinois paper, The Pantagraph, gave it three stars, while saying, "The storybook ending is so preposterous you don't know whether to cheer or jeer." Frank Deford, reviewing the film for Sports Illustrated, had faint praise for it: "The Natural almost manages to be a swell movie." Both John Simon of the National Review and Richard Schickel of Time were disappointed with the screen adaptation of Malamud's novel. Simon contrasted Malamud's story about the "failure of American innocence" with Levinson's "fable of success . . . [and] the ultimate triumph of semi-doltish purity," declaring "you have, not Malamud's novel, but a sorry illustration of its theme." Schickel laments that "Malamud's intricate ending (it is a victory that looks like a defeat) is vulgarized (the victory is now an unambiguous triumph, fireworks included)," and that "watching this movie is all too often like reading about The Natural in the College Outline series." Roger Ebert wrote a fairly negative review, calling it "idolatry on behalf of Robert Redford." Ebert's television collaborator Gene Siskel praised its themes and acting performances, giving it four stars, and also putting down other critics that he suggested might have just recently read the novel for the first time. In an analysis of the film as part of a lengthy article on baseball movies, Roger Angell pointed out that Malamud had intentionally treated Hobbs' story as a baseball version of the King Arthur legend, which came across a bit heavy-handed, "portentous and stuffy", in the film version, and that the book's ending should have been kept. However, he also cited a number of excellent visuals and funny bits, and noted that Robert Redford had prepared so carefully for the role, modeling his swing on that of Ted Williams, that "you want to sign him up". Awards The Natural was nominated for four Academy Awards: Actress in a Supporting Role (Glenn Close), Cinematography (Caleb Deschanel), Art Direction (Mel Bourne, Angelo P. Graham, Bruce Weintraub), and Music (Randy Newman). Kim Basinger was also nominated for Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress. Soundtrack The film score of The Natural was composed and conducted by Randy Newman. The score has often been compared to the style of Aaron Copland and sometimes Elmer Bernstein. Scott Montgomery, writing for Goldmine music magazine, referenced the influence, and David Ansen, reviewing the film for Newsweek, called the score "Coplandesque." The score also has certain Wagnerian features of orchestration and use of Leitmotif. Adnan Tezer of Monsters and Critics noted the theme is often played for film and television previews and in "baseball stadiums when introducing home teams and players." It was also used in the John McCain presidential campaign in 2008, when introducing Sarah Palin. The soundtrack album was released May 11, 1984 on the Warner Bros. label. All music was composed by Randy Newman. "Prologue 1915-1923" – 5:20 "The Whammer Strikes Out" – 1:56 "The Old Farm 1939" – 1:07 "The Majors: The Mind Is a Strange Thing" – 2:14 "'Knock the Cover Off the Ball'" – 2:17 "Memo" – 2:02 "The Natural" – 3:33 (track not used in the film) "Wrigley Field" – 2:13 (two separate tracks spliced) "Iris and Roy" – 0:58 "Winning" – 1:00 "A Father Makes a Difference" – 1:53 "Penthouse Party" – 1:10 "The Final Game / Take Me Out to the Ball Game" – 4:37 (three separate tracks spliced) "The End Title" – 3:22 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knightni Posted October 31, 2011 Author Share Posted October 31, 2011 8. Rudy (7 of 15 lists - 147 points - highest ranking #1 HickoryHuskers, Milkman delivers, dasox24) Rudy is a 1993 American sports film directed by David Anspaugh. It is an account of the life of Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger, who harbored dreams of playing football at the University of Notre Dame despite significant obstacles. It was the first movie which the Notre Dame administration allowed to be shot on campus since Knute Rockne, All American in 1940. In 2005, Rudy was named one of the best 25 sports movies of the previous 25 years in two polls by ESPN (#24 by a panel of sports experts, and #4 by espn.com users). It was ranked the 54th-most inspiring film of all time in the "AFI 100 Years" series. The film was released on October 13, 1993, by TriStar Pictures. It stars Sean Astin as the title character, along with Ned Beatty, Jason Miller and Charles S. Dutton. The script was written by Angelo Pizzo, who created Hoosiers (1986). The film was shot in Illinois and Indiana. Plot Daniel Eugene "Rudy" Ruettiger grows up in Joliet, Illinois; dreaming of playing college football at the University of Notre Dame. While achieving some success with his local high school team (Joliet Catholic), he lacks the grades and money to attend Notre Dame, not to mention talent and physical size. Ruettiger was much smaller than an average football player, standing just 5'6" (1.68 m) and weighing 165 lb (75 kg). Ruettiger takes a job at a local steel mill like his father Daniel, Sr. (a Notre Dame fan); he prepares to settle down. But when his best friend Pete is killed in an explosion there, Rudy decides to follow his dream of attending Notre Dame and playing for the Fighting Irish. He leaves for the campus, but fails to get admitted to Notre Dame. With the help of a local priest (who mistakenly thinks at first Rudy wants to become a priest), Rudy starts at a small junior college nearby named Holy Cross, hoping to qualify for a transfer. He also manages to get a part-time job on Notre Dame's groundskeeping staff and befriends D-Bob, a graduate student at Notre Dame and a teaching assistant at his junior college. The socially-awkward D-Bob offers to tutor Rudy if he helps him meet girls. Suspecting an underlying cause to Ruettiger's previous academic problems, D-Bob has Rudy tested, and Rudy learns that he has dyslexia. Rudy learns how to overcome his disability and becomes a better student. At Christmas vacation, Rudy returns home to his family's appreciation of his report card, but is still mocked for his attempts at playing football and also dumped by his girlfriend, who starts seeing one of his brothers. During his final semester of transfer eligibility, Rudy is admitted to Notre Dame. He rushes home to tell his family. At the steel mill, his father announces it over the loudspeaker, "Hey, you guys, my son's going to Notre Dame!" After "walking on" as a non-scholarship player for the football team, Ruettiger convinces coach Ara Parseghian to give him a spot on the practice (or "scout") squad. An assistant coach warns the players that 35 scholarship players won't make the roster. But, Ruettiger exhibits more drive than some of his scholarship teammates. Parseghian agrees to the young man's request to suit up for one home game in his senior year so his family and friends can see him as a member of the team. However, Parseghian steps down as coach following the 1974 season. Dan Devine succeeds him in 1975 and decides against giving Ruettiger a chance to appear at a home game. Led by team captain and All-American Roland Steele, the other seniors rise to his defense and lay their jerseys on Devine's desk, threatening to go on strike unless Ruettiger is allowed to play. Devine relents and lets Ruettiger suit up for the final home game, against Georgia Tech. At the final home game, Steele invites Ruettiger to lead the team out of the tunnel onto the playing field. As the game comes to an end, and Notre Dame is ahead, Devine sends all the seniors to the field, but refuses to let Rudy play, despite the pleas from Steele and the assistant coaches. Then, the Notre Dame bench starts a "Rudy!" chant that soon goes stadium wide, and the offensive team, led by tailback Jamie O'Hare, overrules Devine's call for victory formation and they score another touchdown instead. Devine finally lets Rudy enter the field with the defensive team on the final kickoff. He stays in for the final play of the game and sacks the opposing quarterback, and is carried off on the shoulders of his teammates. Cast Sean Astin as Daniel E. "Rudy" Ruettiger Jon Favreau as D-Bob; this was Favreau's film debut. Ned Beatty as Daniel Ruettiger Sr. Charles S. Dutton as Fortune Greta Lind as Mary Scott Benjaminson as Frank Ruettiger Lili Taylor as Sherry Christopher Reed as Pete Robert Prosky as Father Cavanaugh Jason Miller as Coach Ara Parseghian Chelcie Ross as Coach Dan Devine Ron Dean as Assistant coach Joe Yonto John Beasly as Assistant coach Warren Vince Vaughn (as Vincent Vaughn) as Jamie O'Hare; this was Vaughn's film debut. John Duda as 15-Year-Old Frank Rudy Ruettiger appears in a picture at the end of the movie and in a football crowd scene at the Georgia Tech game. He is behind Ned Beatty. Soundtrack Rudy Soundtrack album by Jerry Goldsmith Released September 28, 1993 Recorded 1993 Genre Soundtrack Length 36:44 The soundtrack to Rudy was composed and conducted by veteran composer Jerry Goldsmith. Goldsmith had previously worked with filmmakers Angelo Pizzo and David Anspaugh on their successful 1986 film Hoosiers, garnering the film an Oscar nomination for Best Original Score and thus making Goldsmith their first choice to compose a soundtrack for Rudy. "Main Title" (3:35) "A Start" (2:27) "Waiting" (2:35) "Back on the Field" (2:07) "To Notre Dame" (6:55) "Tryouts" (4:27) "The Key" (3:55) "Take Us Out" (1:51) "The Plaque" (2:36) "The Final Game" (6:16) According to Soundtrack.net, the music from Rudy has been used in 12 trailers, including those for Angels in the Outfield, The Deep End of the Ocean, Good Will Hunting and Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron. In 2008, Senator John McCain used "Take Us Out" as an official anthem during his presidential run. The piece of music was played at major events such as after Senator McCain's acceptance speech to the Republican National Convention and after John McCain announced Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate in Dayton, Ohio. Notes and background In reality, Coach Devine had announced that Rudy would dress for the Georgia Tech game during practice a few days before. The dramatic scene where his teammates each lay their jerseys on Coach Devine's desk in protest never happened, though according to Ruettiger, Devine was persuaded to allow him to dress only after a number of senior players requested that he do so. Also, Coach Devine had agreed to be depicted as the "heavy" in the film for dramatic effect but was chagrined to find out the extent to which he was vilified, saying "The jersey scene is unforgivable. It's a lie and untrue." As a guest on The Dan Patrick Show on September 8, 2010, Joe Montana, who was an active member of the team when Ruettiger played in the Georgia Tech game, also confirmed that the jersey scene never happened. Critical reception Rudy received primarily positive reviews from critics. Roger Ebert of The Chicago Sun-Times wrote that "It has a freshness and an earnestness that gets us involved, and by the end of the film we accept Rudy's dream as more than simply sports sentiment. It's a small but powerful illustration of the human spirit." Stephen Holden of The New York Times observed that "For all its patness, the movie also has a gritty realism that is not found in many higher-priced versions of the same thing, and its happy ending is not the typical Hollywood leap into fantasy." In The Washington Post, Richard Harrington called Rudy "a sweet-natured family drama in which years of effort are rewarded by a brief moment of glory." Kenneth Turan of The Los Angeles Times called the film "Sweet-natured and unsurprising...this is one of those Never Say Die, I Gotta Be Me, Somebody Up There Likes Me sports movies that no amount of cynicism can make much of a dent in." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knightni Posted October 31, 2011 Author Share Posted October 31, 2011 7. Hoosiers (8 of 15 lists - 156 points - highest ranking #1 BigEdWalsh) Hoosiers is a 1986 sports film about a small-town Indiana high school basketball team that wins the state championship. The story is set during 1951/1952, when all high schools in Indiana, regardless of size, competed in one state championship tournament. It is loosely based on the Milan High School team that won the 1954 state championship. Gene Hackman stars as Norman Dale, a new coach with a spotty past. The film co-stars Barbara Hershey and Sheb Wooley, and features Dennis Hopper as the basketball-loving town drunkard. His performance earned him an Oscar nomination. The movie was written by Angelo Pizzo and was directed by David Anspaugh. Pizzo next co-produced the underdog sports movie Rudy (1993), which was also directed by Anspaugh. Jerry Goldsmith was nominated for an Oscar for his score of Hoosiers. When released in the United Kingdom, the film was re-titled as Best Shot. Plot Norman Dale arrives in the rural Indiana town of Hickory to be a high school teacher and basketball coach. He had lost a previous coaching position after striking a student, so is under pressure to succeed. Like much of the state, Hickory's community is passionate about basketball. People are aware that the best player in town, Jimmy Chitwood, does not intend to play on this season's team. Faculty member Myra Fleener warns the new coach not to try to persuade Jimmy to change his mind; she believes he needs to focus on school work in order to get a scholarship to attend college and have a better future. The school enrollment is so small that Dale has only a few players on his squad. But, when his strict rules are disobeyed, he dismisses a key member from the team. The coach alienates the community with a slow, defensive style that does not immediately produce results and by losing his temper, which causes him to be ejected from more than one game. Dale needs a new assistant coach and invites knowledgeable basketball fan Shooter, the alcoholic father of one of his players, to join him on the bench. This, too, confounds the town, including Shooter's son. By the middle of the season, an emergency town meeting is called to vote on whether Dale should be dismissed. Fleener appreciates the coach's staying away from Chitwood and sides with him, but the town votes him out. At the last minute, Chitwood asks permission to speak: he says he's ready to begin playing basketball again, but only if Dale remains as coach. From this point, Hickory becomes an unstoppable team. Despite a setback in which Shooter arrives drunk to a game and ends up in a hospital, the team advances through tournament play, with contributions from unsung players, such as the pint-sized Ollie and devoutly religious Strap. Hickory shocks the state by reaching the state championship game. In a large arena and before a crowd bigger than any they've seen, the Hickory players face long odds to defeat a team from South Bend, whose players are taller and more athletic. But with Chitwood scoring at the last second, tiny Hickory takes home the 1952 Indiana state championship. Cast Gene Hackman as Norman Dale Barbara Hershey as Myra Fleener Dennis Hopper as Shooter Sheb Wooley as Cletus Maris Valainis as Jimmy Chitwood Brad Long as Buddy Steve Hollar as Rade David Neidorf as Everett Kent Poole as Merle Brad Boyle as Whit Scott Summers as Strap Wade Schenck as Ollie Basis Milan High School Basketball Team, 1954. The film is very loosely based on the story of the 1954 Indiana state champions, Milan High School (play /ˈmaɪlən/ my-lən), but the term "inspired by a true story" may be more appropriate, as there was little the two teams had in common. In most US states, high school athletic teams are divided into different classes, usually based on the number of enrolled students, with separate state championship tournaments held for each classification. At the time, Indiana conducted a single state basketball championship for all of its high schools, and continued to do so until 1997. Some elements of the film do match closely with those of Milan's real story. Like the movie's Hickory High School, Milan was a very small high school in a rural, southern Indiana town. Both schools had undersized teams. Both Hickory and Milan won the state finals by two points: Hickory won 42–40, and Milan won 32–30. The final seconds of the Hoosiers state final hold fairly closely to the details of Milan's 1954 final; the final shot in the movie was taken from virtually the same spot on the floor as Bobby Plump's actual game-winner. The movie's final game was shot in the same building that hosted the 1954 Indiana final, Butler University's Hinkle Fieldhouse (called Butler Fieldhouse in 1954) in Indianapolis. Production During filming on location at Hinkle Fieldhouse, directors were unable to secure enough extras for shooting the final scenes even after casting calls through the Indianapolis media. To help fill the stands, they invited two local high schools to move a game to the Fieldhouse. Broad Ripple and Chatard, the alma mater of Maris Valainis who played the role of Jimmy Chitwood, obliged, and crowd shots were filmed during their actual game. Fans of both schools came out in period costumes to serve as extras and to supplement the hundreds of locals who had answered the call. At halftime and following the game, actors took to the court to shoot footage of the state championship scenes, including the game-winning shot by Hickory. Speculation exists that the character of Norman Dale was named for Norm Ellenberger, whose middle name is Dale. A longtime assistant coach for Bob Knight at Indiana, he once played basketball for coach Tony Hinkle at Butler. The film's producers chose New Richmond, Indiana to serve as the fictional town of Hickory, and recorded most of the film's location shots in and around the community. Signs on the roads into New Richmond still recall its role in the film. In addition, the old schoolhouse in Nineveh, Indiana was used for the majority of the classroom scenes and many other scenes throughout the movie. The home court of Hickory is located in Knightstown and is now known as the "Hoosier Gym." Pizzo & Anspaugh shopped the script for two years before they finally found investment for the project. Despite this seeming approval, the financiers only approved a production budget of $6 million, forcing the crew to hire most of the cast playing the Hickory basketball team and many of the extras from the local community around New Richmond. Gene Hackman also predicted that the movie was going to be a "career killer". Despite the small budget, dire predictions, and little help from distributor Orion Pictures, Hoosiers grossed over $28 million and received two Oscar nominations (Dennis Hopper for Best Supporting Actor and Jerry Goldsmith for Best Original Score). Soundtrack Hoosiers (Best Shot) Soundtrack album by Jerry Goldsmith Released 1987 Recorded 1986 Genre Soundtrack Length 39:33 The music to Hoosiers was written by veteran composer Jerry Goldsmith. Goldsmith used a hybrid of orchestral and electronic elements in juxtaposition of the 1950s setting to score the film. He also helped tie the music to the movie by using recorded hits of basketballs on a gymnasium floor to serve as additional percussion sounds. The score would go on to garner Goldsmith an Oscar nomination for Best Original Score, though he ultimately lost to Herbie Hancock for Round Midnight. Since the soundtrack has never been released in the United States on compact disc, it can primarily be found under the European title Best Shot. "Best Shot (Theme from Hoosiers)" - 4:25 "You Did Good" - 7:02 "Coach Stays" - 2:42 "Pivot" - 3:29 "Get the Ball" - 1:49 "Town Meeting" - 4:47 "Finals" - 15:19 Goldsmith would later work with filmmakers Angelo Pizzo and David Anspaugh again on their successful 1993 sports film Rudy. Honors Hoosiers has been listed by many publications as one of the best sports movies ever made. Hoosiers was ranked number 13 by the American Film Institute on its 100 Years... 100 Cheers list of most inspirational films. The film was the choice of the readers of USA Today as the best sports movie of all time. In 2001, Hoosiers was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". In June 2008, AFI revealed its "Ten top Ten" — the best ten films in ten classic American film genres — after polling over 1,500 people from the creative community. Hoosiers was acknowledged as the fourth best film in the sports genre. A museum to commemorate the real life achievements of the 1954 Milan team has been established. American Film Institute Lists AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills - Nominated AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers - #13 AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) - Nominated AFI's 10 Top 10 - #4 Sports Film Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knightni Posted October 31, 2011 Author Share Posted October 31, 2011 6. Slap Shot (10 of 15 lists - 162 points - highest ranking #1 Tex) Slap Shot is a 1977 film comedy starring Paul Newman and Michael Ontkean directed by George Roy Hill. It depicts a minor league hockey team that resorts to violent play to gain popularity in a declining factory town. Plot A team called the Charlestown Chiefs plays hockey in the fictional Federal League. A perennial loser and in financial trouble due to mill closings in the town, the team is due to be folded at season's end. Reggie Dunlop, the veteran player-coach, has no idea who the owner of the team is. While not particularly talented as either a player or a coach, Dunlop is a skilled con man, and regularly manipulates the team to his own advantage. During a hopeless season, the team picks up the Hanson Brothers, bespectacled violent goons with child-like mentalities, complete with toys in their luggage. Dunlop, appalled at being given players who seem stupidly immature and unreliable, initially chooses not to play them. But in a moment of desperation, he brings the trio of thugs into a game to see what they can do. Their fighting and overly aggressive style of play excites the fans and the Chiefs win the game. Dunlop, seeing the potential of a dynamic goon squad, retools the team in the Hansons' image. Most players, such as Dave "Killer" Carlson (Jerry Houser), take a liking to this. Talented young top scorer Ned Braden (Ontkean), however, prefers a clean style of hockey from his college days, and clashes with Dunlop over the direction of the team. Braden's depressed wife, Lily (Lindsay Crouse), has difficulty adjusting to the life and finds a sympathizer in Dunlop's estranged wife Francine (Jennifer Warren). To keep them motivated, Dunlop plants a story (in fact an outright lie) with sportswriter Dickie Dunn that the Chiefs are being sold to a prospective buyer in Florida, who would move the team out of bleak Charlestown to sunny climes. As the Chiefs continue winning and gaining fans, Dunlop blackmails the team's stingy General Manager Joe McGrath (Strother Martin) to tell him who the Chiefs' owner is, a running joke throughout the movie as nobody is sure who owns the Chiefs. The owner turns out to be a rich widow, Anita McCambridge, who couldn't care less about hockey. She compliments Dunlop on his clever manipulations of the team and suggests that she could easily sell the team now that Reggie has made it a success, but she can do better by folding the franchise and taking a tax write-off. Disgusted with her indifference towards the players losing their jobs, he storms out, and realizes that his lies blew up in his face. Seeing no alternative and feeling guilty, Dunlop elects to come clean to his boys. One last playoff game remains, and Dunlop reveals to the players that there is no buyer and he made the whole story up. After apologizing to his team, he decides that this is to be his last game, so Reggie wants to go out with dignity and not like a goon. Despite being conned, the team follows Dunlop's lead and vows to play clean, going out playing "old-time hockey." However, their opponents, the Syracuse Bulldogs, fed up with the aggressive tactics of the Chiefs, have chosen to assemble the most infamous set of enforcers ever to disgrace a hockey rink. They include legendary Federal League brawlers and a dreaded rookie goon, Ogie Ogilthorpe. Playing it straight, the Chiefs are brutally battered in the first period. In the locker room, a furious McGrath tells the players that there are NHL scouts in the stands. Some could get contracts. Hearing this, the Chiefs turn into goons again and the game degenerates into a slugfest. Braden, sulking on the bench after refusing to goon it up, finally snaps. He spies his wife Lily, who has undergone a complete makeover by Francine and is wearing a sexy new dress and hairdo. She's even enjoying the game. Braden skates out to center ice and strips off his uniform, prompting the arena's band to accompany him with "The Stripper". Both teams stop fighting and stare in amazement at Braden's striptease, hypocritically more offended by Braden's antics than the violence they have been engaging in. Syracuse captain Tim "Dr Hook" McCracken demands that the referee stop Braden. When the official refuses, McCracken sucker-punches him, causing the referee to declare a forfeit. This gives the game -- and the Federal League championship -- to the Chiefs. The team celebrates by parading around the ice with the championship trophy, carried by Braden, wearing nothing but skates and a jockstrap. It is revealed during a championship parade in Charlestown the following day that Reggie Dunlop has accepted a job as the coach of a new team, the Minnesota Nighthawks, and that he intends to bring Chiefs players with him. It is never made clear on whether or not this was another of Dunlop's lies. Cast Paul Newman - Reggie Dunlop Strother Martin - Joe McGrath Michael Ontkean - Ned Braden Jennifer Warren - Francine Dunlop Lindsay Crouse - Lily Braden Jerry Houser - Dave "Killer" Carlson Andrew Duncan - Jim Carr Jeff Carlson - Jeff Hanson (#18) Steve Carlson - Steve Hanson (#17) David Hanson - Jack Hanson (#16) Yvon Barrette - Denis Lemieux Allan F. Nicholls - Johnny Upton Brad Sullivan - Morris Wanchuk Stephen Mendillo - Jim Ahern Yvan Ponton - Jean-Guy Drouin Matthew Cowles - Charlie Kathryn Walker - Anita McCambridge Melinda Dillon - Suzanne Hanrahan M. Emmet Walsh - Dickie Dunn Swoosie Kurtz - Shirley Upton Paul D'Amato - Tim "Dr. Hook" McCracken Ronald L. Docken - Lebrun Guido Tenesi - Billy Charlebois Jean Rosario Tetreault - Bergeron Christopher Murney - Tommy Hanrahan Myron Odegaard - Final Game Referee Blake Ball - Gilmore Tuttle Ned Dowd - Ogie Ogilthorpe Gracie Head - Pam Nancy Dowd - Andrea Barbara L. Shorts - Bluebird Larry Block - Peterboro Referee Paul Dooley - Hyannisport Announcer Bruce Boudreau - Hyannisport player Mark Bousquet - Andre "Poodle" Lussier Connie Madigan - Ross "Mad Dog" Madison Joe Nolan - Clarence "Screaming Buffalo" Swamptown Cliff Thompson - Walt Comisky Dan Belisle, Jr. - Stickboy Ross Smith - Barclay Donaldson Development The screenplay, by Nancy Dowd, is based in part on her brother Ned Dowd's experiences playing minor league hockey in the United States in the 1970s, during which time, violence, especially in the low minors, was the selling point of the game. At the time, Dowd was living in Los Angeles, when she got a call from her brother Ned, a member of the Johnstown Jets hockey team. Her brother gave her the bad news that the team was for sale. Dowd would move to the area and be inspired to write Slap Shot. It was filmed in Johnstown, Pennsylvania; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and upstate New York (Utica Auditorium and the Onondaga County War Memorial Auditorium in Syracuse). Nancy Dowd (who also produced the film) used her brother Ned and a number of his Johnstown Jets teammates in Slap Shot, with Ned Dowd portraying Syracuse goon "Ogie Ogilthorpe". He later used the role to launch a career as a Hollywood character actor and producer. The characters of the "Hanson Brothers" are in fact based on three actual brothers, Jeff, Steve and Jack Carlson, who played with Ned Dowd on the Jets. The character of "Dave 'Killer' Carlson" is based on then-Jets player Dave "Killer" Hanson. Steve and Jeff Carlson played their Hanson brother counterparts in the film. Jack Carlson was originally scripted to appear in the film as the third brother, Jack, with Dave Hanson playing his film counterpart, "Dave 'Killer' Carlson". However by the time filming began, Jack Carlson had been called up by the Edmonton Oilers, then of the WHA to play in the WHA playoffs, so Dave Hanson moved into the role of "Jack Hanson", and actor Jerry Houser was hired for the role of "Killer Carlson". Paul Newman, claiming that he swore very little in real life before the making of Slap Shot, said to Time magazine in 1984: “ There's a hangover from characters sometimes. There are things that stick. Since Slap Shot, my language is right out of the locker room! ” Newman also stated publicly that the most fun he ever had making a movie was on Slap Shot, as he had played the sport while young and was fascinated by the real players around him. He also said that playing Reggie Dunlop was one of his favorite roles. Production notes Yvan Ponton and Yvon Barette (who played forward Jean-Guy Drouin and goaltender Denis Lemieux, the two French-Canadian players in the film) dubbed their own voices for the film's translated French version. The film is one of few mainstream American films that was translated in Quebecois French and not Parisian French. Heavy use of French-Canadian dialect and foul language has made this version of the film a cult classic in French Canada, where lines from the movie such as "Dave est magané" (Dave's a mess) and "Du hockey comme dans le temps" (Old Time Hockey) are common catch phrases. The movie was filmed in (and loosely based around) Johnstown, Pennsylvania and utilized several players from the then-active North American Hockey League Johnstown Jets (the team for which Dowd himself played) as extras. The Carlson Brothers and Dave Hanson also played for the Jets in real life. Many scenes were filmed in the Cambria County War Memorial Arena and Starr Arena in Hamilton, New York, the Utica Memorial Auditorium (used as "Peterborough" where the pre-game fight occurs and where a Hanson reprimands the referee for talking during the anthem), Onondaga County War Memorial in Syracuse, NY (used as "Hyannisport" where the Hanson Brothers charge into the stands to accost a fan and are subsequently arrested), and in other Johnstown locales. Coincidentally, the Johnstown Jets, and the NAHL, folded in 1977, the year Slap Shot was released. Although much of the movie takes place during the Fall and Winter seasons, when hockey is in season, filming at the Utica Memorial Auditorium took place during the month of July. Similarly, in Johnstown, Paul Newman is wearing a coat as though it should be cold, but there is no snow on the ground and the trees are in full bloom. The Reggie Dunlop character is based, in part, on former Eastern Hockey League Long Island Ducks player/coach John Brophy, who receives homage by his last name being used for the drunken center of the Hyannisport Presidents. Ironically, Brophy would later coach one of the Hanson brothers (Jack Hanson, real name Dave Hanson) in 1978 when he coached the Birmingham Bulls. Syracuse Bulldogs rookie goon Ogie Ogilthorpe, who was mentioned throughout the film but never actually seen until the final playoff game, was based on longtime minor-league goon Bill "Goldie" Goldthorpe. Like Ogie Ogilthorpe, Goldie Goldthorpe is also infamous for his rookie season in professional hockey (1973) when as a member of the Syracuse Blazers he amassed 25 major fighting penalties before Christmas. The Blades in the film were based on the Broome County Dusters. One scene in the film was specifically drawn from events that occurred in Binghamton. In the movie, the Hanson brothers wear black-rimmed, Coke-bottle eyeglasses, and in one game, get into a fight immediately after the opening faceoff. In reality what happened was that both Jeff and Steve Carlson wore those type of glasses, and did get into a long fight right after an opening faceoff. Coach Dick Roberge told the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat, "We got into Binghamton about two or three weeks before the playoffs. In the team warmup, we're out there and all the Binghamton players came out with the plastic glasses and big noses, every one of them, poking fun at the Carlson brothers. We went back in the dressing room and the boys said, 'Coach, as soon as that puck is dropped, we're pairing up.' We had one heckuva fight. They went about 30 minutes until everyone got tired. We met them again in the finals (1974–75) and beat them four straight." A scene in the film shows the Hanson brothers jumping the Peterboro Patriots during pre-game warm-ups. This scene is based on events in a mid-1970s North American Hockey League playoff series between the Johnstown Jets and the Buffalo Norsemen. The Jets had a black player on their roster, and during a playoff game held in North Tonawanda, New York (a northern suburb of Buffalo where the Norsemen played their home games) a Norsemen fan held up a derogatory sign stating that blacks should be playing basketball. The next game in the series was held in Johnstown, and the Jets retaliated by attacking the Norsemen players during the warm-ups, with a huge brawl erupting. The Norsemen players and coaches then returned to the dressing room and refused to come out to start the game. The game was awarded to the Jets by forfeit, as was the playoff series since the "win" gave the Jets the needed number of victories to capture the series. In an ironic twist of fate, in 1978 the NHL's Buffalo Sabres drafted a black player, Tony McKegney, who became the first black player to make a major impact in the NHL. McKegney played his Buffalo Sabres home games in front of many of the same fans who had attended Buffalo Norsemen games. Another scene from the movie is also based on a real life event. In the film, Jeff Hanson scores a goal and is hit in the face by a set of keys thrown by a fan. The Hansons then go into the stands after the fan and Jeff Hanson punches out the wrong fan. After the game, the Hansons are arrested for the incident. In real life, a similar incident occurred in Utica, New York in a game between the Johnstown Jets and the Mohawk Valley Comets. Jeff Carlson was hit in the face by a cup of ice thrown by a Utica fan and he went into the stands after the fan with his brothers Jack and Steve. All three were arrested and Dave Hanson gathered the money for bail for the Carlson brothers. Reception Film critic Gene Siskel noted that his greatest regret as a critic was giving a mediocre review to this movie when it was first released. After viewing it several more times, he grew to like it more and later listed it as one of the greatest American comedy movies of all time. The Wall Street Journal's Joy Gould Boynum seemed at once entertained and repulsed by a movie so "foul-mouthed and unabashedly vulgar" on one hand and so "vigorous and funny" on the other. Michael Ontkean's strip tease displeased Time magazine's critic, Richard Schickel, who regretted that, "in the dénouement [Ontkean] is forced to go for a broader, cheaper kind of comic response." Despite the mixed reviews, the film won the Hochi Film Award for "Best International Film". Critical reevaluation of the film continues to be positive. In 1998, Maxim magazine named Slap Shot the "Best Guy Movie of All Time" above such acknowledged classics as The Godfather, Raging Bull, and Newman's own Cool Hand Luke (which received a backhanded tribute when Newman's character, while the Hansons were being bailed out of jail, stated to the booking officer that "most folk heroes started out as criminals"). Entertainment Weekly ranked the film #31 on their list of "The Top 50 Cult Films". In the 2007 50th Anniversary Issue, GQ named Slap Shot one of the "30 films that changed Men's Lives." In the November 2007 issue of GQ, Author Dan Jenkins proclaimed Slap Shot "the best sports film of the past 50 years". In June 2008, Adam Proteau of The Hockey News rated Slap Shot as the best hockey film ever made. Legacy The movie has had an enduring impact on hockey culture. Key lines of script are frequently quoted, some of its terms entering the hockey lexicon outright. Its enduring popularity can be seen in the fact that replica Chiefs jerseys from the movie remain popular sellers, and that the "Hanson Brothers" (hockey players Steve Carlson, Jeff Carlson and Dave Hanson) have made permanent careers out of touring as their personas from the movie. McFarlane Toys released a set of figures of the Hanson brothers with connecting bases resembling the hockey rink. McFarlane Toys first set that they released received complaints because of the blood painted on the toys' characters. McFarlane then re-released the Hanson Brothers figures without the blood. The character of Ned Braden (described by the team's announcer as "a Princeton graduate...and an American citizen!", two unusual traits of a minor-league hockey player in the 1970s) is at least partially based on the actor Michael Ontkean, who played the part of Braden, a star player for the University of New Hampshire squad in the late 1960s. In another tribute to the movie's popularity, several real-life teams are called the Chiefs and, at one time or another, wore the fictional squad's sweaters. The ECHL's Johnstown Chiefs were also based in Johnstown and whose name came after the Charlestown team after the original owners of the Jets would not allow the new team to resurrect the Jets' name in 1988. The team's phone number is also 1-800-SLAP-SHOT, paying homage to the film. Other notables are the Saint-Jean Chiefs of the Ligue nord-américaine de hockey (LNAH) and the Garges Chiefs, a suburban Paris team playing in France's Division 1 (the country's second level). IHC Leuven of the Belgian Championship are also nicknamed the Chiefs, however they use an original jersey design bearing no resemblance with that of the Charlestown Chiefs. Two direct-to-video sequels have been made. Slap Shot 2: Breaking the Ice, was filmed in 2002 and Slap Shot 3: The Junior League in 2008. Both movies featured the Hanson brothers in supporting roles. The appearance and mannerisms of the Hanson Brothers inspired a professional wrestling stable known as the Dudley Boyz, who had great success in several major wrestling promotions, including World Wrestling Entertainment. Similarly, the movie inspired The Hanson Brothers, a side project of the Canadian rock band NoMeansNo. The Maxine Nightingale tune "Right Back Where We Started From" and a Sonny James country tune entitled "A Little Bit South of Saskatoon" are featured in the original release as was Elton John's "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word". These songs were in the film when first shown on Showtime in the 1970s. The Nightingale song had been replaced in later TV showings of the film with a generic sound-alike tune (possibly due to copyrights issues) or other music. However, the DVD release keeps all the original music. The VHS version of the film, released in the early 1980s, contains none of the music by the name acts as heard in the theaters; all that music is substituted with songs in the same general style of the originals, but not the actual original songs nor artists. Recent showings of the movie on the Versus cable channel has a lot of the original music back (with the Nightingale song being played in some scenes it was not in originally); however, one scene with the wives awaiting the return of the team, which has Elton John's song, seems to have been cut. The EA Sports video games "NHL 98, NHL 99, NHL 2000, NHL 2001, NHL 2002 and NHL 2003" features a mode in which you can create two custom teams, one of which, called the EA Blades, have very similar jerseys to the Chiefs. Darude's music video "My Game" was based around this film and one the characters in the video was named the Chief. Although uncredited, the opening scene in which Sportscaster Jim Carr is interviewing Chief's goalie Denis Lemieux, the "Indian Spring Water" commercial that they are paused for (which prompts Denis to get up to get a cup of water) is narrated by longtime character actor Richard Stahl, better known for his recurring role on the 1980s series It's a Living with Ann Jillian. In a scene just after the Hanson Brothers are acquired by the Charlestown Chiefs, they are seen in the locker room mixing aluminum foil with hockey tape on their hands before putting on their gloves, which would aid in cutting their opponents during a hockey fight. Dick Roberge, the Carlson brothers coach on the Johnstown Jets, claims that the Carlson brothers did this in real life too. "They used to come into the dressing room and wrap their hands with aluminum foil under the gloves. They came up with a ruling (a month into the season) that you could not wear anything under your hockey gloves except a golf glove." However in commentary on the Slap Shot 25th Anniversary DVD the Carlson brothers and Dave Hanson deny using aluminum foil. They do however state that they used to wear water-treated leather golf gloves that had been dried to a rock-hard state. During a charity auction by the Quad City Flames, Eric Nystrom stripped off his jersey in imitation of a Slap Shot scene. During the third period of every Syracuse Crunch game, if an opposing teams player goes in the box, one of three men dressed as the Hanson brothers runs from behind the bench to the box and slams into the glass. This is because when the Charlestown Chiefs played the Hyannisport Presidents on the road in the movie, they filmed it in the Onondaga County War Memorial, as mentioned earlier on this page. The Crunch also reserved the #7 worn by Newman's character for the 2008-09 season, weeks after Newman's death. The number is not retired, however, and could be used by a future Crunch player after the 2008-09 season. The Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League have The Mullet Brothers, a trio of long-haired, horn-rimmed-glasses-wearing guys who do "ice maintenance" during the official time-outs at home games, who are patterned after the Hanson Brothers. Northern Michigan University, located in Marquette, Michigan, where Steve and Jeff Carlson started their hockey careers has a tradition based on the film. Toward the end of the 3rd period, the marching band plays The Stripper while a fan takes off his shirt and pounds the glass behind the visiting goaltender. The film holds a cult status in the province of Québec because of the fact that the French version released there was dubbed in joual, the province's working-class slang. Also, the fact that local actors Yvan Ponton and Yvon Barrette co-star alongside world-famous movie stars like Paul Newman has contributed to its special status in the province. In 2010, Wiley Publishing released The Making of Slap Shot: Behind the Scenes of the Greatest Hockey Movie Ever Made by Jonathon Jackson. Old-Time Hockey Old-Time Hockey in the movie Slap Shot refers to the team's turn away from the brawling style for the last game of the championship. Instead, the team wants to play the style of hockey that still had respect and dignity. Ironically, when used in modern terms, "Old Time Hockey" is often used in reference to the violent, fist-happy style for which the film is famous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knightni Posted October 31, 2011 Author Share Posted October 31, 2011 5. Remember The Titans (9 of 15 lists - 167 points - highest ranking #3 Iwritecode, LittleHurt05, dasox24, farmteam) Remember the Titans is a 2000 sports film produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Boaz Yakin. Inspired by real events, the plot was conceived from a screenplay written by Gregory Allen Howard. The film starts as a new coach of the Titans, a football team previously coached by the white Bill Yoast, begins coaching the team. The new coach, Herman Boone (portrayed by Denzel Washington), is black, and his team is a mixture of black players and white players. The struggles that arise from the racial diversity are profound. Actor Will Patton portrays Bill Yoast, making a transition to help out Boone as an assistant coach. The portrayal of real life athletes Gerry Bertier and Julius Campbell (played by Ryan Hurst and Wood Harris, respectively) appears within the integrated storyline. Kip Pardue and Kate Bosworth also star in principal roles. A joint collective effort to commit to the film's production was made by the film studios of Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films. It was commercially distributed by Buena Vista Pictures. Remember the Titans explores civil topics, such as racism, discrimination and athletics. Remember the Titans premiered in theaters nationwide in the United States on September 29, 2000 grossing $115,654,751 in domestic ticket receipts. It earned an additional $21,051,932 in business through international release to top out at a combined $136,706,683 in gross revenue. The film was considered a financial success due to its $30 million budget costs. Preceding its theatrical run, the film was generally met with positive critical reviews before its initial screening in cinemas. Plot In 1971 in Alexandria, Virginia, at the desegregated T. C. Williams High School, African American head coach Herman Boone (Denzel Washington) is hired to lead the school's football team. Coach Boone takes the coaching position from current head coach Bill Yoast (Will Patton), who has been nominated for the Virginia High School Hall of Fame, and who also later decides to move on to other coaching opportunities. In a show of respect, Boone offers an assistant coordinator coaching position to Yoast. Yoast at first refuses Boone's offer, but is then tempted to join after the white players pledge to boycott the team if he doesn't participate. Dismayed at the prospect of the students losing their chances at scholarships, Yoast changes his mind and takes up the position of defensive coordinator much to the team's,especially Ken "the Smith" Smithson (Fintan Ryan), dismay. The black and white athletes of the football team frequently clash in racially motivated conflicts at their football camp, including those between captain Gerry Bertier (Ryan Hurst) and Julius Campbell (Wood Harris). However, after forceful coaxing and rigorous athletic training by Boone, the team achieves both racial harmony and triumph. After returning from football camp, Boone is told by a member of the school board that if he loses even a single game, he will be fired. Subsequently, the Titans go through the season undefeated while battling racial prejudice, before slowly gaining support from the community. Just before the state semi-finals, Yoast is told by a member of the school board that he will be inducted into the Hall of Fame after the Titans lose their game, essentially implying he wants Boone to get fired over his race. During the game, it becomes apparent that the referees are engaging in biased officiating against the Titans. Yoast warns the head official that he will go to the press and expose the scandal unless the game is called fairly. The Titans end up winning, but Yoast is told afterward that his actions have resulted in his loss of candidacy for the Hall of Fame. Later, while celebrating after the victorious game, Bertier is paralyzed in a car accident, when he is hit by a truck while accelerating into an intersection. Despite the fact that Bertier is no longer able to play, the team goes on to win the championship. Ten years later, the coaches and athletes from the team reunite to attend Bertier's funeral, as Sheryl reiterates the message of racial equality taught by the Titans. Cast Denzel Washington as Coach Herman Boone Will Patton as Coach Bill Yoast Wood Harris as DE Julius Campbell Ryan Hurst as LB Gerry Bertier Donald Faison as RB Petey Jones Ethan Suplee as OL Louie Lastik Kip Pardue as QB Ronnie "Sunshine" Bass Craig Kirkwood as QB Jerry "Rev" Harris Hayden Panettiere as Sheryl Yoast; Bill Yoast's daughter. Nicole Ari Parker as Carole Boone; Herman Boone's wife. Kate Bosworth as Emma Hoyt Fintan Ryan as Ken "the Smith" Smithson Earl C. Poitier as OL Blue Stanton Ryan Gosling as DB Alan Bosley Gregory Alan Williams as Coach Paul "Doc" Hines Burgess Jenkins as TE Ray Budds Musical score Trevor Rabin composed the instrumental score, of which "Titans Spirit" was the only cue (of 12 composed) added to the soundtrack. It is also the only piece of music on the soundtrack album not to have been previously released. "Titans Spirit" was a rousing seven-minute exploration of the movie's energetic themes that projected from Denzel Washington as he spoke during filming. It has been used on many sports telecasts, particularly those on NBC, which has the score during its closing credits for the Salt Lake 2002, Athens 2004, Torino 2006, Beijing 2008, and the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games as well as with the final closing credits montage for their 12-year run with the NBA in 2002. The song was also played as veteran New York Mets players crossed home plate during the closing ceremonies at Shea Stadium. It was also used during the 2008 Democratic National Convention to accompany the celebration and fireworks at Invesco Field after future president Barack Obama gave his nomination acceptance speech, and also at Chicago's Grant Park immediately following Obama's victory speech upon winning the 2008 presidential election.[2] On October 6, 2011, the theme was used during the raising of the 6th championship banner for the 2011 Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins. Reception Awards and nominations Award Date of ceremony Category Recipients and nominees Result Angel Awards February 15, 2001 Silver Angel - Feature Film Remember the Titans Nominated BET Awards June 19, 2001 Best Actor Denzel Washington Won Blockbuster Entertainment Awards April 10, 2001 Favorite Actor - Drama Denzel Washington Nominated Favorite Supporting Actor - Drama Fintan Ryan Nominated Casting Society of America October 4, 2001 Artios - Best Casting for Feature Film, Drama Ronna Kress Nominated Image Awards February 23, 2001 Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture Denzel Washington Won Outstanding Motion Picture Remember the Titans Won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Fintan Ryan Nominated Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Nicole Ari Parker Nominated Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress Krysten Leigh Jones Nominated Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards January 16, 2001 Best Performance by a Youth in a Leading or Supporting Role Fintan Ryan Nominated Political Film Society Awards 2001 Human Rights Remember the Titans Won Exposé Remember the Titans Nominated Golden Satellite Awards 2000 January 14, 2001 Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama Denzel Washington Nominated Teen Choice Awards August 12, 2001 Film - Choice Drama/Action Adventure Remember the Titans Nominated Young Artist Awards 2001 Best Performance in a Feature Film - Supporting Young Actress Hayden Panettiere Won Best Family Feature Film - Drama Remember the Titans Nominated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knightni Posted October 31, 2011 Author Share Posted October 31, 2011 4. The Sandlot (9 of 15 lists - 170 points - highest ranking #2 LittleHurt05, Buehrle>Wood, farmteam) The Sandlot is a 1993 American comedy-drama sports film about a group of young baseball players during the summer of 1962. The film was filmed in Utah and directed by David M. Evans. It was released with the title The Sandlot Kids in Australia and the United Kingdom. Plot The film is told through the perspective of Scotty Smalls (Tom Guiry), who is reminiscing about the summer of 1962. Smalls moves with his mother (Karen Allen) and stepfather Bill (Denis Leary) to a new neighborhood outside Los Angeles and and has a hard time making new friends. One afternoon, he decides to follow a group of neighborhood boys, and he watches them play an improvised game of baseball at a small field, which they call the “sandlot.” Smalls is reluctant to join their game because he fears he will be ridiculed based on his inexperience. Nevertheless, he chooses to play with them, but fails to catch a simple fly ball and properly throw the ball back to his infielders. All the other players, except for Benny Rodriguez (Mike Vitar), begin to laugh at Smalls for committing defensive miscues, prompting him to leave the sandlot in embarrassment. Benny, who is the best player in the neighborhood, shields Smalls from the insults of his peers and invites him to rejoin their game. He proceeds to give Smalls advice and helps him earn the respect of the other players. As Smalls continues to play with them, he begins to learn many of the customs of the sandlot, while experiencing many misadventures with his new friends. He learns that players avoid hitting home runs over the sandlot’s fences, as the property beyond them is guarded by a massive and ferocious dog, a 300-pound English mastiff called “The Beast.” One day, Benny hits a ball so hard, that he ruptures its leather, causing the ball's entrails to come out. The group does not have 98 cents to buy another baseball, and is forced to retire for the afternoon. However, Smalls runs to Bill’s trophy room, and steals his stepfather's autographed ball, in hopes of preserving the game. The team is impressed with Smalls’ gesture, and allows him to have the first at bat with the ball. He proceeds to hit the ball out of the sandlot, but is shortly enveloped by fear once he realizes that he has lost Bill’s ball. The situation is further worsened when Smalls realizes that the ball was autographed by Babe Ruth, and is almost irreplaceable. Believing that The Beast's owner will not give them the ball back, Smalls and his friends begin engineering elaborate plans to recover the ball from The Beast. After five failed rescue attempts, Smalls prepares to accept his fate. Around the same time, Benny has an enlightening dream, where he is visited by Babe Ruth, who encourages him to run into the Beast's domain, and use his speed to recover the ball and escape. Ruth leaves Benny with the words, “Heroes get remembered, but legends never die.” Benny rallies his friends the following morning at the sandlot, and prepares to recover Smalls’ baseball. Using his PF Flyers ("shoes guaranteed to make a kid run faster, and jump higher"), he steals the ball from the Beast, and successfully manages to elude the dog as it chases him through town. At the end of the race, the Beast is injured after a fence collapses on him. Smalls feels responsible for the ordeal, and helps The Beast escape the rubble. After being rescued, The Beast, whose real name is Hercules, becomes much more friendly and affectionate towards the boys, even showing them where he had buried all the baseballs that had gone into the yard over the years. Benny and Smalls then decide to tell the dog’s owner, Mr. Mertle (James Earl Jones), about the ordeal, and reveals he would have given them the ball back if they had just asked him. They eventually learn that Mr. Mertle was a professional baseball player in the Negro League and was a friend of Babe Ruth. Mr. Mertle, whose career ended after a hit by a stray pitch blinded him, agrees to give Smalls a ball signed by Murderers' Row – several of the best Yankee hitters in the late 1920s. In exchange, the boys are to visit Mr. Mertle once a week to talk baseball with him. Smalls proceeds to give his stepfather the ball that Mr. Mertle gave him. While Bill is pleased with the Murderer's Row ball, he is still upset about the Babe Ruth ball, but he only grounds Smalls for a week. Smalls goes on to explain what became of all his friends, and the future careers they pursued. The film then jumps 30 years into the future, where Smalls is a radio sports commentator for the Los Angeles Dodgers (wearing the same hat Benny dissed when they were kids), and Benny “The Jet” Rodriguez is one of the team’s star players, wearing #3. While he is in the twilight of his career, Benny manages to steal home in the movie’s final moments, before flashing a thumbs-up to Smalls in the press box. Cast The Sandlot baseball team Tom Guiry as Scott "Scotty" Smalls - a shy and academic boy who recently moved into the neighborhood. Mike Vitar as Benjamin Franklin "Benny the Jet" Rodriguez - the leader and eldest of the boys who is deemed as the best player on the team. Patrick Renna as Hamilton "Ham" Porter - a chubby boy who is usually the catcher of the team. Chauncey Leopardi as Michael "Squints" Palledorous - a smart aleck who wears glasses with thick black frames. Marty York as Alan "Yeah-Yeah" McClennan - given his nickname as he frequently says "yeah-yeah" before beginning a sentence. Brandon Quintin Adams as Kenny DeNunez - he is the pitcher of the team. Grant Gelt as Bertram Grover Weeks - wears glasses like Squints but with thin frames. Victor DiMattia as Timmy Timmons - the elder brother of Tommy. Shane Obedzinski as Tommy "Repeat" Timmons - the youngest and smallest boy on the team and Timmy's younger brother. Other characters Arliss Howard as adult Scott "Scotty" Smalls Denis Leary as Bill, Scott's Stepfather Karen Allen as Scott's Mom James Earl Jones as Mr. Mertle Marley Shelton as Wendy Peffercorn Art LaFleur as Babe Ruth Wil Horneff as Phillips Reception Critical reviews The Sandlot drew mixed reviews from critics. The film has a 61% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 22 reviews. The sites consensus says "It may be shamelessly derivative and overly nostalgic, but The Sandlot is nevertheless a genuinely sweet and funny coming-of-age adventure." Critic Roger Ebert gave the film three stars, comparing the movie to a summertime version of A Christmas Story, based on the tone and narration of both films. He said of one scene, "There was a moment in the film when Rodriguez hit a line drive directly at the pitcher's mound, and I ducked and held up my mitt, and then I realized I didn't have a mitt, and it was then I also realized how completely this movie had seduced me with its memories of what really matters when you are 12." Bob Cannon of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a B+, praising its simplicity and strong fundamentals. Leonard Klady of Variety gave the film a mostly negative review. He praised the cinematography and score, but felt the baseball team did not come together, and that the film, while sincere, was "remarkably shallow wade, rife with incident and slim on substance." Box office The film grossed $4 million in its opening weekend and a further $32 million through ticket sales. Figures for worldwide, VHS and DVD sales are estimated to be at $76 million. Since its release on both VHS and DVD, the film has become a cult favorite. Defamation suit In 1998, Michael Polydoros sued 20th Century Fox and the producers of the film for defamation. Polydoros, a childhood classmate of David Mickey Evans, the author and director of The Sandlot, claimed that the character Michael "Squints" Palledorous was derogatory and caused him shame and humiliation. The case reached the Supreme Court of California, which found in favor of 20th Century Fox. Sequels The Sandlot 2 (2005) – A direct-to-video sequel in which a new Sandlot gang is featured. The only returning cast member is James Earl Jones in his role of Mr. Mertle. The Sandlot: Heading Home (2007) – Another direct-to-video sequel starring Luke Perry as Tommy "Santa" Santorelli who gets knocked back to 1976 from 2007 and relives his childhood. Chauncey Leopardi reprises his role as Squints. Soundtrack The film's original score was composed by David Newman, and was unreleased until 2006, when a limited edition was released as part of the Varése Sarabande CD Club. Songs in order of appearance: "Finger Poppin' Time" - Hank Ballard and the Midnighters "Smokie Part II" - Bill Black's Combo "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" - The Tokens "There Goes My Baby" - The Drifters "This Magic Moment" - The Drifters "America The Beautiful" - Ray Charles "Green Onions" - Booker T & The MG's "Tequila" - The Champs "Wipe Out" - The Surfaris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knightni Posted November 1, 2011 Author Share Posted November 1, 2011 3. A League Of Their Own (11 of 15 lists - 178 points - highest ranking #4 Milkman delivers, pittshoganerkoff) A League of Their Own is a 1992 American comedy-drama film that tells a fictionalized account of the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). Directed by Penny Marshall, the film stars Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Tom Hanks, Madonna, and Rosie O'Donnell. The screenplay was written by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel from a story by Kim Wilson and Kelly Candaele. Plot In 1992, an elderly, widowed Dottie Hinson reluctantly attends the induction of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. She was one of its greatest players, but while she loved baseball she never considered it a large part of her life. She arrives at Cooperstown's Doubleday Field and sees many of her former teammates and friends in action, prompting a flashback to the league's start in 1943. When World War II threatens to shut down Major League Baseball, candy manufacturing magnate and Chicago Cubs owner Walter Harvey creates a women's league to make money. Ira Lowenstein is put in charge of public relations and Ernie Capadino is sent to recruit players. Capadino goes to an industrial-league softball game in rural Oregon and likes what he sees in the catcher, Dottie. She is a terrific hitter and likely to attract male fans. He offers her a tryout, but she is content where she is, working in a dairy and on the family farm while her husband, Bob, fights in the war. He is less impressed with her younger sister, pitcher Kit Keller, who loves the game but is overshadowed by Dottie. He lets her come along when she persuades Dottie to join the league. He also checks out Marla Hooch, a great switch-hitting slugger from Fort Collins, Colorado. As Capadino has been told to find women who are as pretty as they play, he rejects her, but Dottie and Kit refuse to go on without her, and he gives in when her father makes an impassioned plea on Marla's behalf. When the trio arrives at tryouts in Chicago, they meet hopefuls including taxi dancer "All the Way" Mae Mordabito and her best friend, bouncer Doris Murphy, both tough-talking New Yorkers. They also encounter soft-spoken right fielder Evelyn Gardner, illiterate and shy left fielder Shirley Baker, and pitcher and former Miss Georgia Ellen Sue Gotlander. They are assigned with nine others to form the Rockford Peaches, while 48 others are split between the Racine Belles, Kenosha Comets, and South Bend Blue Sox. The Peaches are managed by Jimmy Dugan, a former slugger with the Cubs who lost his career to alcohol. He treats the whole thing as a joke, forcing Dottie to take on most of the managerial duties. Jimmy takes over after clashing with Dottie over whether to let Marla swing away, a decision that proves him to be a smarter manager than he has shown. The league attracts little interest. Lowenstein tells the Peaches that the owners are having second thoughts about keeping the league going beyond 1943. With a Life magazine photographer attending a game, Lowenstein asks them to do something spectacular. Dottie obliges when a ball is popped up behind home plate, catching it while doing a split. The resulting photograph makes the cover of the magazine. A huge publicity campaign ensues, drawing more people to the ballgames. The league becomes successful. Despite this, Harvey and the other owners aren't interested in keeping the league going, as it is apparent that the Allies are winning. Lowenstein asks Harvey to turn the league over to him. As the Peaches establish themselves as the class of the league, the sibling rivalry between Dottie and Kit intensifies: Kit has an inferiority complex because Dottie is a better player, a better hitter and better-looking. Things come to a head when Jimmy pulls Kit for a relief pitcher, on Dottie's advice. After a heated argument between Dottie and Kit, Dottie tells Lowenstein she is thinking about quitting, as she does not want to be blamed for her sister's unhappiness. Lowenstein promises to arrange a trade--but rather than trade Dottie, he trades Kit to Racine. Kit blames her sister for getting her traded. Prior to a crucial game to the World Series run-up, the Peaches' utility player, Betty "Spaghetti" Horn, learns that her husband was killed in action in the Pacific Theatre; the same evening, Bob returns, having been honorably discharged after being wounded in Italy. The following morning, Jimmy discovers that Dottie and Bob are driving back to Oregon. He resents her decision, warning her that if she quits, she will regret it. The team continues without Dottie, and makes it to the World Series against Kit's Racine Belles. The Peaches fall behind three games to one, but win two games in a row to force a seventh game. Dottie rejoins the team for the deciding game. Racine leads 1-0 going into the ninth inning when Dottie hits Kit's pitch over her head, scoring two runs for Rockford, making Kit panic that she has let her team down. Kit comes up to bat with her team trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the ninth with two outs. Dottie advises Ellen Sue that Kit has a weakness for chasing high fastballs. After swinging and missing the first two pitches, Kit hits a line drive into left-center field and rounds the bases, ignoring a stop signal from the third base coach. Dottie fields the throw to the plate, but Kit runs into her, knocking the ball out of her glove to score an inside-the-park home run and win the championship. Kit achieves the respect and adoration she has been seeking. The sellout crowd convinces Harvey to let Lowenstein take over the league. After the game Dottie confronts her, but they reconcile before Dottie leaves with Bob to raise a family. Kit becomes one of the legends of the league. In the present day, Dottie and her estranged sister Kit are reunited, along with other former players. Dottie learns that Evelyn died in the last year, that Jimmy died five years earlier, and she confirms to another player that Bob died the past winter. The film ends with the posing of a photo of the surviving original Rockford Peaches team from 1943. Cast Rockford Peaches Tom Hanks - Jimmy Dugan (manager) Geena Davis - Dottie Hinson (#8, catcher/assistant manager) Lori Petty - Kit Keller (#23, pitcher) Anne Ramsay - Helen Haley (#15, first base) Megan Cavanagh - Marla Hooch (#32, second base) Rosie O'Donnell - Doris Murphy (#22, third base) Freddie Simpson - Ellen Sue Gotlander (#1, shortstop/pitcher) Tracy Reiner - Betty "Spaghetti" Horn (#7, left field/relief pitcher) Madonna - "All the Way" Mae Mordabito (#5, center field) Bitty Schram - Evelyn Gardner (#17, right field) Renée Coleman (credited as Renee Coleman) - Alice "Skeeter" Gaspers (#18, left field/center field/catcher) Ann Cusack - Shirley Baker (#11, left field) Robin Knight - "Beans" Babbitt (shortstop) Patti Pelton - Marbleann Wilkinson (second base) Kelli Simpkins - Beverly Dixon (#4, outfield) Others Jon Lovitz - Ernie Capadino, AAGPBL scout David Strathairn - Ira Lowenstein, AAGPBL general manager Garry Marshall - Walter Harvey, candy bar mogul and AAGPBL founder Julie Croteau - Helen Haley (baseball double for Anne Ramsay) Bill Pullman - Bob Hinson, Dottie's husband Janet Jones - Racine pitcher Téa Leoni - Racine first base Don S. Davis - Charlie Collins, Racine coach Eddie Jones - Dave Hooch, Marla's father Justin Scheller - Stillwell Gardner, Evelyn's obnoxious young son Mark Holton - Adult Stillwell Gardner. He attends the Peaches' reunion at the Baseball Hall of Fame on behalf of his mother who had died. Pauline Brailsford - Miss Cuthburt, Rockford chaperone Laurel Cronin - Maida Gillespie David Lander - Racine play-by-play announcer Eddie Mekka - Mae's Date in Bar Robert Stanton - Western Union delivery man Production League Stadium, located in Huntingburg, Indiana, served as the home field for the Rockford Peaches. Many other game scenes were filmed at Bosse Field in Evansville, Indiana,[2] the United States' third oldest ball park and oldest minor league ball park; it served as the home of the Racine Belles. The scenes that take place in fictional Harvey Field were shot at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. As with his film counterpart, Chicago Cubs owner P.K. Wrigley was the original sponsor of the real-life league. Other scenes for the movie were filmed around Chicago, including Walter Harvey's invitation to Jimmy Dugan to manage the Peaches, which was filmed at Cantigny Park in Wheaton, Illinois. The mansion in the scene formerly belonged to Robert McCormick, editor of the Chicago Tribune. The Soaper-Esser house (built 1884–87) in which the women lived is located at 612 North Main Street in Henderson, Kentucky, and is on the historic register. The roadhouse scenes were filmed at the Hornville Tavern in Evansville, Indiana, and Fitzgerald's in Berwyn, Illinois. All scenes on the train and at the stations were filmed at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Illinois. The Nebraska Zephyr, now part of the museum's collection, was prominently featured. Madonna ("This Used to Be My Playground") and Carole King ("Now and Forever") contributed songs to the film, however Madonna's song wasn't included as part of the official soundtrack. The video for the former was featured on the DVD. For the scenes set in 1992, rather than use make-up and prosthetics on the principal actors to make them look older, all the parts shown were recast with older actors who resembled the principal cast. The closing credits are shown over a baseball game between women who had actually played in the AAGPBL. Reception The film was released on July 1, 1992, and was #1 by its second weekend (July 10–12). It was a commercial success, making $107 million in the United States(and an additional $25 million worldwide) on a $40 million budget, and was well-received by critics. The Jimmy Dugan proclamation, "There's no crying in baseball!" was rated 54th on the American Film Institute's list of the greatest film quotes of all time. A television series based on the film aired on CBS in April 1993, with Garry Marshall, Megan Cavanagh, Tracy Reiner, and Jon Lovitz reprising their roles. It was quickly cancelled. 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knightni Posted November 1, 2011 Author Share Posted November 1, 2011 2. Field Of Dreams (13 of 15 lists - 262 points - highest ranking #1 pittshoganerkoff, farmteam) Field of Dreams is a 1989 American fantasy-drama film directed by Phil Alden Robinson and is from the novel Shoeless Joe by W. P. Kinsella. The film stars Kevin Costner, Amy Madigan, James Earl Jones, Ray Liotta, and Burt Lancaster in his final motion picture. Field of Dreams was nominated for three Academy Awards including Best Original Score, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture. Plot While walking in his cornfield, novice farmer Ray Kinsella hears a voice that whispers, "If you build it, he will come", and sees a baseball diamond. His wife, Annie, is skeptical, but she allows him to plow under his corn to build the field. Nothing happens, and Ray soon faces financial ruin. Ray and Annie discuss replanting the corn, but their daughter, Karin, sees a man on the ballfield. Ray discovers that he is Shoeless Joe Jackson, a dead baseball player idolized by Ray's father. Thrilled to be able to play baseball again, Joe asks to bring others to play on the field. He later returns from the cornfield with the seven other players banned in the 1919 Black Sox scandal. Ray's brother-in-law, Mark, cannot see the baseball players, and warns Ray that he will go bankrupt unless he replants his crops. While in the field, Ray hears the voice again, this time urging him to "ease his pain." After attending a PTA meeting involving a resolution to ban books by author and activist, turned recluse, Terence Mann, Ray decides the voice is referring to Mann. Ray finds a magazine interview about Mann's childhood dream of playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers and his heartbreak when the team moved to Los Angeles, and convinces Annie that he should seek out the author after they both dream about Ray and Terence attending a baseball game. Mann denies making the statement in the magazine, but Ray persuades him to attend a baseball game at Fenway Park. Ray hears the voice again, which urges him to "go the distance." The scoreboard shows statistics for a player named Archibald "Moonlight" Graham, who played one game for the New York Giants in 1922, but never had a turn at bat. Mann eventually admits to sharing the vision, and they travel to Chisholm, Minnesota where they learn that Graham became a doctor, but died 16 years earlier. During a late night walk, Ray realizes that he is in 1972, the year of Graham's death. Ray finds Graham in his office, where Graham confesses that he regrets never getting to bat, but would have regretted not being a doctor even more, and declines Ray's invitation to fulfill his dream. The Field of Dreams, Dyersville, IA—May 2006. While driving back to Iowa, Ray picks up a hitchhiker who introduces himself as Archie Graham. While Archie sleeps, Ray reveals that at age 14 he refused to play catch with his father after reading one of Terence's books. Terence replies that he is tired of being blamed for stories like Ray's. At the farm, enough players have arrived to field two teams, and Archie finally gets to bat. The next morning Mark implores Ray to sell the farm. Karin says that they won't need to because people will pay to watch the ball games. Terence agrees that "people will come" to relive their childhood innocence, and Ray refuses to sell. Frustrated, Mark scuffles with Ray, accidentally knocking Karin off the bleachers. Archie runs to help and, stepping off the field, becomes the old "Doc" Graham. After he saves Karin from choking, Ray realizes that Graham can not return to the field as a young man. After reassuring Ray that his true calling was medicine, the players shake his hand and he leaves. Suddenly able to see the players, Mark urges Ray not to sell the farm. After the game, Joe invites Terence to enter the cornfield. Terence accepts the offer and disappears into the cornfield, but Ray is angry at not being invited. Shoeless Joe rebukes his desire for a reward, then reminds him why he sacrificed so much, saying "If you build it, he will come", and glances toward home plate. The catcher removes his mask and Ray recognizes his father as a young man. Ray introduces his father to Annie and Karin. As his father heads toward the cornfield, Ray asks his "Dad" to play catch. As they begin to play, hundreds of cars can be seen approaching the field, fulfilling Karin and Terence's prophecy that people will come to watch baseball. Cast Main Kevin Costner as Ray Kinsella Amy Madigan as Annie Kinsella James Earl Jones as Terence Mann Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe Jackson Burt Lancaster as Dr. Archibald "Moonlight" Graham Timothy Busfield as Mark Frank Whaley as Archie Graham Gaby Hoffmann as Karin Kinsella Dwier Brown as John Kinsella Players Art LaFleur as Chick Gandil Michael Milhoan as Buck Weaver Steve Eastin as Eddie Cicotte Charles Hoyes as Swede Risberg Others Kelly Coffield Park as Mark's wife, Dee Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, spectators at the Red Sox game Historical connections Joe Jackson batted left and threw right, while in the movie Ray Liotta bats right and throws left. The DVD special feature section explains that Liotta would not have been able to hit the ball batting left. Also, Jackson was from South Carolina and had a thick Southern accent, but Liotta, a New Jersey native, uses his own accent. The character played by Burt Lancaster and Frank Whaley, Archibald "Moonlight" Graham, is based on the baseball player of the same name. The character is largely true to life, excepting a few factual liberties taken for artistic reasons. The real Graham's lone major league game occurred in June 1905,[1] rather than the final day of the 1922 season. The DVD special points out that the facts about Doc Graham, mentioned by various citizens interviewed by the Terence Mann character, were taken from articles written about the real man. Terence Mann is fictional but inspired by reclusive author J. D. Salinger, the author sought by the main character in the novel. In 1947, Salinger wrote a story called "A Young Girl in 1941 with No Waist at All," featuring a character named Ray Kinsella. Later, Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye features a minor character named Richard Kinsella, a classmate of Holden Caulfield. (Richard Kinsella is the name of Ray's twin brother in the novel.) Honors In June 2008, AFI revealed its "Ten top Ten"—the best ten films in ten "classic" American film genres—after polling over 1,500 people from the creative community. Field of Dreams was acknowledged as the sixth best film in the fantasy genre. Locations The baseball field from the film. Except for a few location shots for Boston, notably Fenway Park, much of the film was shot in Dubuque County, Iowa,[4] and Jo Daviess County, Illinois. The home (then and now a private residence) and field were on adjoining farms near Dyersville, Iowa. The baseball field built for the film has become an attraction with the same name. For the film's final scene, Dyersville was blacked out as part of a community event that also involved commuters to the field. The drivers of the cars in the final shot were instructed to switch between their high beams and low beams to allow for the illusion of movement. Other places used in the film are: Dubuque: University of Dubuque- Kevin Costner's character Ray looks up information on Terence Mann in the school library. When Ray and Annie are walking to their truck, Blades Hall and Van Vliet Hall - which at the time was the main administration building - are shown. Hendricks Feed. The store where Ray purchases supplies is located on Central Avenue in downtown Dubuque. Terence Mann's apartment and neighborhood were located near 17th Street and Central Avenue in Dubuque, although the scene is set in Boston. In the full screen version, the Dubuque County Courthouse can be seen in the distance when Ray returns Terence to his apartment after the game. Airline Inn. This roadside motel is about three miles south of Dubuque along US Highways 61 and 151. This is the motel where Ray and Terence stayed while traveling to Minnesota. Martin's gas station. The gas station where Ray gets directions to Terence Mann's place was located at the southeast corner of the intersection of W. 3rd and Locust Streets in Dubuque. The gas station has since been demolished. Zehentner's Sports World. In one of the scenes cut from the final film (outtakes available in the 15th Anniversary Commemorative DVD), Ray buys equipment at a local sporting goods store and discovers its employees are the first people who don't think he's crazy. Zehentner's was located near 9th and Main, and is now closed after 60 years in business at that location. Farley, Iowa. The PTA meeting dealing with Terence Mann's books was at Western Dubuque Elementary/Jr. High School (now Drexler Elementary/Jr. high), in Farley. The exterior portion of the school seen in the establishing shot for the scene was demolished in July 2009. Galena, Illinois - Galena was used to represent parts of Chisholm, Minnesota. Dr. Graham's office is located across the street from the Jo Daviess County Courthouse. The establishing shot of Chisholm was shot next to the DeSoto House Hotel. Local Dubuque attorneys Dan McClean and Bill Conzett were featured in the kitchen scene as Timothy Busfield's partners. The two lawyers, playing bankers, were the only two "bad guys" in the film. The film used local roads quite extensively to represent the drive from Dyersville to Boston, Boston to Chisholm, and Chisholm to Dyersville, using the geographic features of the Driftless Area to represent the eastern United States. The following are some of the local roadways used: U.S. Highway 20 - Part of the highway between the Illinois towns of East Dubuque, and Galena was used to represent the drive from Boston to Chisholm. The Citgo station where Ray and Terence stopped was along the highway west of Dubuque. When Ray and Annie are driving home from town, parts of the highway west of Dubuque are shown. The scene where Ray and Terence pick up the young Archie Graham is near the Junction of U.S. 20 and Illinois 84 north of Galena. U.S. Highway 52 - Parts of the highway north of Dubuque were used in the drive from Chisholm to Dyersville. U.S. Highway 151 - A portion of this highway that is about six miles south of Dubuque is seen in the scene where Ray and Terence are in the van and talking about Ray's father. Other roads: Interstate 90 near La Crosse, Wisconsin, where the first scenes from Dyersville to Boston were shot. Huntington Avenue in Boston, near the campuses of Northeastern University and Wentworth, and the street where the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the site of the first world series game can be found. As Ray drives along this heavily traveled road that leads into downtown Boston, he rehearses how he will greet Terence Mann. To this day, the "Field" has been maintained by Don Lansing (the original owner of the land), as a tourist destination. Mr. Lansing does not charge admission or parking fees, and derives revenue solely from the souvenir shop. People still come in droves, approximately 65,000 annually, to "have a catch" on the "Field." As of July 2010, the farm containing the "Field" has been listed as for sale. On 31st October 2011, the site was sold to a company called Go The Distance Baseball for an undisclosed fee, believed to be in the region of $5.4m Music In addition to James Horner's atmospheric score, portions of several pop songs are heard in the film's music track, including "Jessica" by The Allman Brothers Band, and "China Grove" by The Doobie Brothers. Reception The film was received positively by critics. Roger Ebert gave the film 4 stars out of 4. http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/grahamo01.shtml Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knightni Posted November 1, 2011 Author Share Posted November 1, 2011 1. Major League (14 of 15 lists - 275 points - highest ranking #1 ZoomSlowik, Iwritecode, LittleHurt05) Major League is a 1989 American satire comedy film written and directed by David S. Ward, starring Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen, Wesley Snipes, James Gammon, and Corbin Bernsen. Made for US$11 million, Major League grossed nearly US$50 million in domestic release. The film deals with the exploits of a fictionalized version of the Cleveland Indians baseball team and spawned two sequels (Major League II and Major League: Back to the Minors, which were released by Warner Bros.), neither of which replicated the success of the original film. Plot Rachel Phelps, a former Las Vegas showgirl, has inherited the Cleveland Indians baseball team from her deceased husband. She wants to move the team to the warmer climate of Miami. In order to do this, she must reduce the season's attendance at Municipal Stadium to under 800,000 tickets sold, which will trigger an escape clause in the team's lease with the city of Cleveland. After she moves the team, she would also be able to release all the current players and replace them with new ones. She instructs her new General Manager Charlie Donovan to hire the worst team possible from a list she has already prepared. The list includes veteran catcher Jake Taylor, who has problems with his knees, and was last playing in Mexico; incarcerated pitcher Ricky Vaughn; power-hitting outfielder Pedro Cerrano, who practices voodoo to try to help him hit curve balls; veteran pitcher Eddie Harris, who no longer has a strong throwing arm and is forced to doctor his pitches; and third baseman Roger Dorn, a one-time star who is under contract but has become a high-priced prima donna. As manager, Phelps hires Lou Brown, a tire salesman who "has managed the Toledo Mud Hens for the last 30 years". At spring training in Tucson, Arizona, the brash but speedy center fielder Willie "Mays" Hayes crashes camp uninvited, but is invited to join the team after displaying his running speed. Spring training reveals several problems with the new players. Vaughn has an incredible fastball but lacks control. Hayes is able to run the bases quickly but hits only pop flies, and Cerrano, despite his tremendous power, cannot hit a curveball. The veterans have their own problems: Dorn refuses to aggressively field ground balls, afraid that potential injuries will damage his upcoming contract negotiations, and it becomes clear that Taylor's bad knees will be a season-long concern. On the final day, when Brown is to cut the team down to 25 players, Dorn plays a practical joke on Vaughn, making him believe he was cut, resulting in a locker-room brawl. After the team returns to Cleveland for their opening game, Taylor takes Vaughn and Hayes out to dinner but comes across his ex-girlfriend Lynn, who is dining with her current beau. Taylor believes he can try to win her love again but is disappointed to hear that she is already engaged. The Indians' season starts off poorly with Vaughn's initial pitching appearances ending in disaster, his wild pitches earning him the derogatory title "Wild Thing." On a rare occasion when Vaughn does throw one for a strike, it is hit well over 400 feet by the New York Yankees' best hitter, Clu Haywood. Brown discovers that Vaughn's eyesight is poor, and after Vaughn is given glasses he becomes very accurate. "Wild Thing" remains Vaughn's nickname, and he becomes the team's ace. The team begins winning and is able to bring their win-loss percentage to .400. Phelps realizes this is not bad enough to stall attendance and decides to demoralize the team further by removing luxuries, such as replacing their team jet airplane with a dilapidated prop-plane, later replacing that with a bus. However, these changes do not affect the Indians' performance and the team continues to improve. Donovan reveals Phelps' plan to Brown who then relays the same news to the players, telling them that if the team plays too well for Phelps to void the lease, she will bring in worse players who will. Taylor says that, since they have nothing to lose, the team should get back at Phelps by winning the pennant. Brown gives the team an incentive by removing one portion of a dress on a cardboard cut-out photo of Phelps taken during her showgirl days for every win the team achieves. The team plays very well down the stretch of the season, and eventually clinch a tie for the division by beating the Chicago White Sox on the last day of the season. This forces a one-game playoff with the division's co-leaders, the Yankees. Prior to the playoff, Taylor continues to try to woo Lynn back and they share a night together. Vaughn learns that he will not be the starting pitcher for the game and goes to a bar to mope, where he encounters Suzanne Dorn. On the television broadcast of the Indians' victory party, Suzanne had seen her husband leave the team's hotel lobby with another woman; she retaliates by luring Vaughn to sleep with her. Vaughn is unaware of who she is until she tells him when she leaves Vaughn and Taylor's shared apartment. Taylor advises Vaughn to keep his distance from Dorn for most of the game by staying in the bullpen. The game remains scoreless until the seventh inning when Harris gives up two runs. Cerrano comes to the plate in the bottom of the seventh and misses badly on two curveballs. He angrily threatens his voodoo god Jo-bu and proclaims "If you not help me now. I say f*** you Jo-Bu, I do it myself," then hits a two-run home run off a curveball on the next pitch to tie the game. (Ironically, Harris -- a devout Christian -- now keeps Cerrano's voodoo doll at his side while warming up.) In the top of the ninth, the Yankees are able to load the bases and Vaughn is called in to relieve Harris, with the crowd going crazy. Vaughn and Taylor are concerned when Dorn comes over to the pitcher's mound, but he only urges Vaughn to strike the next batter out. Vaughn strikes out his nemesis Haywood on three straight fastballs and ends the inning. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Hayes manages to single to first and subsequently steals second. Taylor is next to bat, and after signaling back and forth with Brown, points to the bleachers, calling his shot. However, Taylor bunts instead, catching the Yankees infield off-guard. Despite his weak knees, Taylor gets to first base. Instead of stopping, Hayes rounds third and heads for home plate, catching the Yankees off-guard again. Hayes slides safely into home, giving the Indians the win on a walk-off single. As the team celebrates, Dorn punches Vaughn in the face but then helps him up to continue the celebration. Jake finds Lynn in the stands, who raises her left hand to show that she is no longer wearing an engagement ring. Alternate ending The theatrical release's ending includes Rachel Phelps, apparently unable to move the team because of increased attendance, angry and disappointed about the team's success. An alternate ending on the "Wild Thing Edition" DVD shows a very different characterization of Phelps. Lou tenders his resignation and tells Phelps that he can't in good conscience work for her after she sought to sabotage the team for her own personal gain. Phelps then tells him that, in fact, she loves the Indians and never intended to move them. However, when she inherited the club from her late husband, it was on the brink of bankruptcy. Unable to afford top flight players, she decided to take a chance on unproven players from the lower leagues, whom she personally scouted, and talented older players who were generally considered washed up. She tells Lou that she likewise felt that he was the right manager to bring the ragtag group together. Phelps made up the Miami scheme and adopted a catty, vindictive persona to unify and motivate the team. As the players believed that she wanted the Indians to fail, she was able to conceal that the team could not afford basic amenities such as chartered jet travel behind a veil of taking them away to spite the players. Lou does not resign, and Phelps reasserts her authority by saying that if he shares any part of their conversation with anyone, she will fire him. Producers said that while the twist ending worked as a resolution of the plot, they scrapped it because test screening audiences preferred the Phelps character as a villain. Casting Major League was notable for featuring several actors who would go on to stardom: Wesley Snipes and Rene Russo were relative unknowns before the movie was released, while Dennis Haysbert remained best known as Pedro Cerrano until he portrayed US President David Palmer on the television series 24. The film also featured former Major League players, including 1982 American League Cy Young Award winner Pete Vuckovich as Yankees first baseman Clu Haywood, former Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Willie Mueller as the Yankees pitcher known as "The Duke", and former Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Steve Yeager as third-base coach Duke Temple. Former catcher and longtime Brewers broadcaster Bob Uecker played the Indians' broadcaster Harry Doyle. The names of several crewmembers were also used for peripheral players. Charlie Sheen himself was a pitcher on his high school's baseball team. At the time of filming Major League, his own fastball topped out at 85 miles per hour. His delivery in Major League is frequently noted as far more realistic than others depicted in films. (In 2011, Sheen said that he had used steroids for nearly two months to improve his athletic abilities in the film.) Tom Berenger ... Jake Taylor Charlie Sheen ... Ricky Vaughn Corbin Bernsen ... Roger Dorn Margaret Whitton ... Rachel Phelps James Gammon ... Lou Brown Rene Russo ... Lynn Wells Wesley Snipes ... Willie Mays Hayes Charles Cyphers ... Charlie Donovan Chelcie Ross ... Eddie Harris Dennis Haysbert ... Pedro Cerrano Andy Romano ... Pepper Leach Bob Uecker ... Harry Doyle Steve Yeager ... Duke Temple Peter Vuckovich ... Clu Haywood Stacy Carroll ... Suzanne Dorn Background The film's opening montage is a series of somber blue-collar images of the Cleveland landscape synchronized to the score of Randy Newman's melancholy "Burn On": an ode to the infamous night in Cleveland when the heavily polluted Cuyahoga River caught fire. The filmmakers chose the Cleveland Indians as their example of a notorious losing franchise because the actual Indians had a very similar history of futility—the franchise was the butt of many jokes and fit in perfectly with the premise of the film. While it is not known if there was any inspiration taken from this source, the attempt by an owner to manipulate a roster to create the worst team possible actually was done with a Cleveland baseball team, in 1899, when Frank Robison, then owner of the National League's Cleveland Spiders, sent almost all of the Spiders' major league caliber players to another team he had simultaneously purchased (owning more than one franchise was allowed in baseball at this time) and thus left the Spiders as effectively a minor league team for the season. It was apparently an act of revenge against the fans of Cleveland after several seasons of falling attendance figures. There was no storybook poetic justice ending to the real life version, however; the 1899 Cleveland Spiders finished 20-134, the worst single season record in baseball history. Within five years of the film's release, however, the real life Indians had a new stadium (Jacobs Field, now Progressive Field) and had entered into a period of success. From 1995 to 1999, they won five division titles (with two more in 2001 and 2007) and two American League pennants. The Indians lost the 1995 World Series to the Atlanta Braves in six games, and they came within two outs of winning the 1997 World Series against the Florida Marlins, but ultimately fell in extra innings in Game 7. Despite being set in Cleveland, the film was principally shot in Milwaukee because it was cheaper and the producers were unable to work around the schedules of the Cleveland Indians and Cleveland Browns. Milwaukee County Stadium, then the home of the Brewers, doubles as Cleveland Municipal Stadium for the film, although several exterior shots of Municipal Stadium were used, including some aerial shots taken during a rare sellout game. Both facilities have since been demolished: the playing field of County Stadium is now a Little League baseball field known as Helfaer Field, while the rest of the former site is now a parking lot for the Brewers' new home, Miller Park; the new Cleveland Browns Stadium, a football-only facility owned by the City of Cleveland and used by the Browns, sits on the site of its predecessor. Life imitates art Life imitated art in the 2007 season, when continuous snowfall and cold led Major League Baseball to transfer an entire three-game series between the Indians and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, including the Indians' home opener, to Miller Park, forcing the real-life Indians to play three "home games" in Milwaukee. When Cleveland closing pitcher Joe Borowski entered in the ninth inning of the first game of the series, "Wild Thing" was played in the stadium, much to the delight of the 19,031 fans in attendance, as a tribute to the situation. In a bizarre coincidence, this game was originally scheduled to be Rick Vaughn Glasses Night in Cleveland. In the film's climactic one-game playoff with the Yankees, Rick Vaughn, relegated to a relief role, dramatically enters the game to a cover of the The Troggs' hit song "Wild Thing" as the crowd cheers wildly and sings along. Today many real-life closers walk or run in from the bullpen accompanied by loud and imposing entrance music that is either hard rock or heavy metal. Relief pitcher Mitch Williams, whose pitch speed and control problems were similar to Vaughn's, was nicknamed "Wild Thing" after the film came out. Instead of fighting the image, he switched his uniform number from 28 to Vaughn's 99, and wore it for the rest of his career. According to an interview on the Dan Patrick radio show on October 10, 2008, the number change had nothing to do with the movie Major League. Williams said he had wanted the number 99 for years because of an admiration for the football player Mark Gastineau, who also wore number 99. Williams said that he didn't change his number until 1993 because that was his first chance to get it. Corbin Bernsen, who played Indians third baseman Roger Dorn, stated in interviews relating to the film (including those for ESPN Classic's Reel Classics series) that Major League had an indirect effect on the real-life Indians, as the Tribe became perennial playoff contenders within five years of the film's release. Since 1994, Cleveland won seven American League Central Division titles (1995-1999, 2001, and 2007), two American League championships (1995 and 1997), and made two World Series appearances (the 1995 loss to the Braves, and the 1997 loss to the Marlins). During the beginning of the 2006 season, Boston Red Sox pitcher Jonathan Papelbon donned a haircut similar to that of Rick Vaughn's from the movie. Although Papelbon sported a mostly shaved head with a mohawk, he had a "zig zag" pattern in the back, beginning behind the ears and leading down to this neck. He reportedly won a friendly bet with teammate Kevin Youkilis, and in doing so, was forced to cut his hair. Even though he no longer resembled Rick Vaughn, Papelbon continued to enter home games from the bullpen to "Wild Thing" blaring from the Fenway Park sound system, until "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" became his entrance song. In 2008, Papelbon regained the theme music, using "Wild Thing" as his entrance song while running to the mound and using "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" by the Dropkick Murphys once he got there and started throwing his warm up pitches. To this day, the Indians embrace the Major League franchise as part of their history. On June 15, 2009, the Cleveland Indians held "Rick Vaughn Bobblehead Night" at Progressive Field, giving away a doll based on the Charlie Sheen character. They played the Milwaukee Brewers, for whom Bob Uecker still calls games. Bob Uecker threw out the first pitch. When Charlie Sheen's eccentric behavior became publicized on early 2011, he has often used his signature terms winning and fastball, where the latter was taken from Major League and used in his Twitter messages. He has since admitted to using steroids while filming, he said "Let's just say that I was enhancing my performance a little bit," he said. "It was the only time I ever did steroids." Sheen continued: "I did them for like six or eight weeks. You can print this, I don't give a f**k. My fastball went from 79 [mph] to like 85". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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