Tag: Basketball

FREAKY TALES – Review

As the big Spring break period approaches its conclusion, there’s still just enough time left for a quick trip via the multiplex. The destination’s not an exotic locale far from our shores, nor the pixel-generated backdrops of this weekend’s big studio flick. This movie “getaway” all takes place on the sunny streets of Oakland, CA. And, more importantly, this is a “time trip” since the “stories” are set in the long-ago Reagan era of 1987. Yes, I said “stories’ as this is an anthology of “twisted” fables with characters dropped in and out of different segments, so it differs from the TALES FROM THE CRYPT or NEW YORK STORIES template, though there’s an off-screen narrator (unlike the Cryptkeeper). So, get your hair teased out, unplug the Walkman, lace up the Reeboks, and set the “Wayback machine” 38 years in reverse to take in some truly FREAKY TALES.

Speaking of that narrator, he provides a bit of a prologue as we’re told of a mysterious green glow, perhaps alien in origin, that affected that gritty West Coast city in 1987. As a TV commercial for a “self-help” style center called “Psytopics” fades out, we’re taken to the outside of a movie theatre playing a quartet of classic 80s flicks for the first story, “The Gilman Strikes Back”. A trio of “New Wave” garbed friends are hassled by a truck full of teenage Neo-Nazi skinheads, who speed away. Ah, but they aren’t done for the night as they invade an underground dance club and destroy the venue and the band’s instruments. A young couple, Tina (Ji-young Yoo) and “Lucid” (Jack Champion) decide, along with the other club regulars and owners, to fight back. Next is “Don’t Fight the Feeling,” in which two young women who work in an ice cream shop decide to pursue their dream of being hip-hop stars. It may come true when Entice (Normani) and Barbie (Dominique Thorne), AKA “Danger Zone”, get a chance to be part of a big concert with rap superstar Too $hort (DeMario Simba Driver). But could it actually be a “set up”? From there we’re dropped into the last days of a loan shark enforcer with the third tale “Born to Mack”, as weary “leg-breaker” Clint (Pedro Pascal) tries to leave the “life’ and settle down with his pregnant partner Grace (Natalia Dominguez). But the ‘sins of the past” catch up to him outise a video rental shop, run by a familar talkative cinefile. The final story is “The Legend of Sleepy Floyd”, which focuses on the title Golden State Warriors superstar (Jay Ellis) who becomes the target of a home invasion committed by a biker gang turned burglars sent out by the crime mastermind known simply as “The Guy” (Ben Mendelsohn). They soon find out that basketball is just one of Floyd’s incredible “skills”.

Now, even though it’s four stories, several of the actors should be lauded since there’s certainly a lot of “cross-over” activity. Its biggest star might be the busiest guy in streaming TV, though he’ll truly stretch (sorry) as Mr. Fantastic this Summer: the internet’s “daddy”, Pedro Pascal. He brings a real gravitas to the haunted Clint, a “working class” mob soldier who’s aching to reach that light at the end of the tunnel, the road to a better future. That’s reachable unless the past grabs him. Yes, he’s fearsome when he confronts his last “gig”, but Pascal can tug on our hearts moments later with his love. At the opposite end of the spectrum is the always terrific Mendelsohn, who is ruthless and brutal with none of the sophistication of previous “baddies” in STAR WARS: ROGUE ONE or READY PLAYER ONE as the sneering, lascivious crimeboss creep. And kudos to him for resisting the temptation to twirl his mustache. The most physical, rather than verbal, of the main roles is “Sleepy,” played with lots of charisma and steely determination by Ellis. He’s gregarious and charming after the big game, but “flips a switch” when responding to the tragedy in a twist on the typical superhero origin story. Also engaging are the BFFS played by Normani and Thorne, who try to escape food service “Hell”, with a chance at hip hop stardom. Their ‘arc” takes a turn when they decide to forge ahead even though they believe their “invite” was merely to put them back in “their place”, mainly as “eye candy” for the men with the mike. And happily we get one last big screen performance by the late Angus Cloud as the main “intel man” for The Guy.

My lack of knowledge about the people behind this film gave an added element of pleasant surprise as the end credits rolled. I had assumed (which is always a “no-no”) that this was made by a film student (or students) fresh from graduation, eager to make their “mark”, and trying to use all the cinematic “toys ” at their disposal. But no, this is from the directing/screenwriting team of Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, who have been making features for twenty years now. Most of their work would be considered “indie”, though their last effort was a stint in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with CAPTAIN MARVEL. With that film’s late 1990s setting, they were comfortable in going back another decade with this sprightly, grungy, zingy ode to pop culture tropes at he time. Sure, there’s a definite Quentin Tarantino influence, particularly PULP FICTION and especially ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD with the inclusion of several real people (Sleepy and Too $hort), but it also felt as though the story was concocted after a weekend video store rental “binge” during that era. We get nods to everything from SEVEN SAMURAI to the “Lone Wolf and Cub” flicks to REPO MAN and even SCANNERS, with some Bruce Lee tossed in for a bit of spice. Oh, and back to the “toys”, Boden and Fleck make great use of retro special effects, from the practical “gore” of the final battle to the green glow that gives a boost to a city bus (which is a riff on the orb from HEAVY METAL). And there’s some nifty “2D” animation, as sketchy stick folk act out the inner thoughts of Tina and Lucid (naughty boy), and later to illustrate the big basketball game in the style of Saturday morning TV adventure shows. Those cartoon bits may have been “side winks” to underground comix, lurid paperbacks, and the glory days of black and white comic magazines such as “Creepy” and “Eerie”. Boden and Fleck also reward us for paying attention as they return to different locales and offer “blink-and-you ‘miss them” cameos, which add to the fun of the flick. And “fun” is the main “f” word, along with fabulous, flashy, funky, and ferocious, making it the perfect “midnight movie” that can be enjoyed anytime of day at the multiplex, drive-in, or “grindhouse”. So thank you, Oakland, for the perfect quick escape from the 2020s via the talent and imagination of the truly dynamic duo of Boden and Fleck and their FREAKY TALES. Hmm, now I’m in the mood for the tasty hot dogs this curly-haired lanky kid once sold at the A’s games…

3.5 Out of 4

FREAKY TALES is now playing in theatres everywhere

WHITE MEN CAN’T JUMP (2023) – Review

So, do you have an appetite for sports films after the entertaining true life-inspired AIR from a few weeks ago (which, BTW, is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video)? To be more specific do you have, as Cheech and Chong most famously proclaimed, a “basketball jones”? Oh, here’s the movie for you! Now unlike the earlier film, this isn’t set in the 1980s, though it has a connection to a previous decade. And it’s not “inspired by true events”. This is more of a rollicking “buddy comedy” and is a remake of a movie from over 30 years ago (the decade being the 1990s). Perhaps it will once and for all either prove this true or false per the still provocative title, WHITE MEN CAN’T JUMP.


Speaking of time, this version starts with a flashback going back only six or seven years. It’s a telling TV interview on a cable sports show profiling high school basketball phenom Kamal (Sinqua Walls), though the interview is dominated by his boasting blustering Papa Benji (Lance Reddick). We then are taken to a big championship game soon after, as Kamal has an off day leading to…an “incident”. Jump forward to now as Kamal works as a delivery driver and shares a small apartment with his mate Imani (Teyana Taylor) and their adorable five-year-old son Drew. She’s tired of styling hair in their home and is saving toward space for her own salon. Towards that, Kamal hangs out with pals Renzo (Myles Bullock) and Speedy (Vince Staples) at the basketball courts of the LA area to “hustle some cash” via “pick-up games”. But this day, an unlikely hoopster hustles them, the goofy “Whole Foods whiteboy”, Jeremy (Jack Harlow). He’s determined to work past the surgery in both (!) knees and try out for the minor leagues. Of course, he keeps that a secret from his live-in girlfriend, Tatiana (Laura Harrier), who wants to be a professional dance director. Jeremy tells her that he’s a personal trainer, and his goal is to move them out of his childhood home (he was literally born there). When he and Kamal clash again at a fitness center, an idea occurs. There’s a big hoops contest in a few weeks with a big cash prize (5 figures), but it’s got an entrance fee of over a grand. They’ll take their “act” on the “road” and accumulate the cash from “ballers” all around the SoCal area. But can these very different personalities mesh together and move past their personal demons to grab the life-changing jackpot?

Though the duo at the heart of the story aren’t major screen veterans they have an easy-going chemistry and a real rapport. Walls as Kamal may have the more compelling backstory, which he conveys just below the surface of his snarling swagger. And in his haunted eyes, Walls conveys the regrets and frustrations of a man whose future should have been “gold”. And some of that is in Harlow’s Jeremy, who keeps plugging along even as his body fights his efforts. Mainly known for his music, Harlow is a terrific screen presence with a great sense of comic timing aided by a wonky, off-kilter line delivery. Taylor is tough and tender as Imani, who also has her dreams but is angered by her role as the “planner” of her family’s destiny. Much as with Harrier, who has a softer side, until she “reads the riot act” to Jeremy when he’s too wrapped up in his goals while dismissing hers. The supporting comedy players are Bullock, who also has a quick quip ready while constantly eating, and Staples as the picked-upon (for his romantic choices) Speedy. Ah, but the real gem here is one of the last big screen performances by the much-missed Lance Reddick who turns Kamal’s blowhard daddy into a strong guiding force and later a tragic inspiration for his son. Few actors could give us such a wide character arc as this gifted man.

In the director’s chair is music video ver Calmatic in her second feature film after recently rebooting another comedy classic from the 90s, HOUSE PARTY. He brings lots of flash and rapid energy to the game sequences, while never ignoring the big dramatic beats in the script from Kenya Barris, Doug Hall, and the original’s scribe, Ron Shelton. The competitions are intense, and so are the passions between the two men and their partners. Some would zero in on the goofball antics of Jeremy and his “fish out of water” persona, but we see how the friendship with Kamal is healing for both of them, especially as Kamal learns to quiet his failure-fueled nightmares. Sure, we didn’t need a “redo” of the Snipes/Harrelson crowd-pleaser, but this “take” has some new things to say and its own retort to that put-down WHITE MEN CAN”T JUMP, because with the right pal, you can soar.


3 out of 4

WHITE MEN CAN’T JUMP streams exclusively on Hulu beginning on Friday, May 19, 2023

CHAMPIONS – Review

(L to R) Kevin Iannucci as Johnathan, Kaitlin Olson as Alex, James Day Keith as Benny, Madison Tevlin as Cosentino, Cheech Marin as Julio, and Woody Harrelson as Marcus in director Bobby Farrelly’s CHAMPIONS, a Focus Features release. Credit : Shauna Townley/Focus Features

Woody Harrelson stars as a former pro basketball coach court-ordered to coach a Special Olympics team with intellectual disabilities, in director Bobby Farrelly’s CHAMPIONS. With such a premise, one might worry the film could go one of two ways: offensive or cloyingly sentimental. Bobby Farrelly brings enough signature Farrelly brothers humor to CHAMPIONS to make it a funny, if slightly raunchy, comedy and while it avoids the first issue, it does lean to the sentimental although it dodges the cloying part. The result is a more entertaining film than one might expect, largely due to the appealing cast of actors with disabilities, although it generally hits all the expected sports movie beats. It’s not THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY but this warm film is more enjoyable than the premise might suggest.

Coach Marcus Marakovich (Harrelson) is a jerk, in both his personal and professional life, We first meet him being rude to a woman the morning after a Tinder hook-up and he follows that clueless, arrogant behavior by challenging his boss, Coach Phil Perretti (Ernie Hudson) on the court where he is assistant coach. Marcus is a coach in the NBA but just barely – an assistant for a minor-league team in Des Moines, Iowa, having been demoted from the big teams as his once-promising career stalled due to his bad behavior. Phil is Marcus’s friend from way back but Marcus’ defiant attitude leaves him little choice. Fired from his job, Marcus arrogantly blusters and drinks heavily, getting behind the wheel of his car and colliding with a cop car. The crash brings him before a judge, who offers Marcus community service, coaching a Special Olympics basketball team made up of players with intellectual challenges.

A deadpan Cheech Marin plays Julio, the manager of the program to which Marcus is sentenced for 90 days. Marcus is his usual jerk self as he walks into the gym to meet his team but he is briefly hopeful when he spots a team mate, Darius (Joshua Felder),

with some real skills. But the young Black man takes one look at the new coach, says “nope” and leaves, which the team tells him means he won’t play for him (we learn why later).

The team members all have their signature quirks, like a player, Showtime (Bradley Edens), who only wants to try for baskets by throwing the ball with his back to the basket, throws he always misses. The actually disabled actors in the roles bring more personality, pointed humor, and fun to the sports films than one expects or usually sees, which gives the film a refreshing feel. A couple of standouts are Madison Tevlin as Cosentino, the sole female teammate, who sassily puts everyone in their place, and Kevin Iannucci as Johnny, an animal-loving, shower-avoiding teammate who is a kind of leader for the team as well as the brother of Alex (Kaitlin Olson), who plays the love interest role for coach.

Harrelson does a nice job but he is greatly aided by Olson, who brings a refreshing sharp humor to her love interest role. The two have great comic chemistry together and the romance works as well. There is a nicely played scene when Harrelson meets Johnny’s sister and is shocked to realize she is that earlier Tinder date. Cheech Marin’s cool, slightly wry demeanor as the program director is a nice balance to Harrelson’s loud self-importance, with Marin quietly taking Harrelson’s character down a notch every time.

The film is actually a remake of a Spanish one, Campeones, (and yes, it is a basketball team in the original, not a soccer team). While this version retains the original comedy’s table-turning by the teammates on the coach, it softens some humor that might seem to make fun of disabilities in that 2018 Spanish film, although both film have the same inclusion and understanding goal. Bobby Farrelly directed THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY and several others with his brother Peter Farrelly but the two have directed separate projects in recent years, Peter directing the Oscar-winning GREEN BOOK but also THE GREATEST BEER RUN, which was not the greatest film by any measure.

While this little sports comedy, with a positive message and image-positive portrayal of disabilities, this is no THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY, it is likable, funny, and heart-warming without being overly sentimental. This sweet, funny film is something families with a member with intellectual disabilities might particularly enjoy, for the way the cast handle things and their confidence. It also would have been a good film for younger audiences, but bad language and too frank sexual situations undermines that.

CHAMPIONS opens Friday, Mar. 10, in theaters.

RATING: 2.5 out of 4 stars

BOOGIE – Review

Though film fans may not acknowledge it, several other entertainment venues have had a tough time getting by in the past year. Just a few miles from the shuttered multiplex there were the empty stadiums and sports arenas. Now many more theatres are starting to open their doors once more (hey Big Apple and Tinsel Town), and the prospect of watching live baseball in a few weeks has many fans ecstatic. But there’s another sport just finishing up, allowing a few fans in, and adding another pandemic phrase for the “new normal”. That would be the basketball “bubble” that’s had a bumpy history. This new release is set in the before days, with a high schooler “baller” dreaming of the “big show”. But his parents are also counting on his “dream”. That and the pressure of representing his unique cultural community weigh heavily on the shoulders of the teen “hoop sensation” nicknamed BOOGIE.

His story actually begins just months before his birth in 2001 as a fortune teller tries to convince a young Chinese-American couple to stick together for their baby. Jumpcut to 2019 as that child, the lanky high school senior named Alfred “Boogie” Chin (Taylor Takahashi) has used his considerable basketball skills to gain entry into an elite NYC prep school. He cruises through his courses with the help of his best pal and teammate Richie (Jorge Lendeborg Jr.) while trying to “make time” with the dazzling Eleanor (Taylour Page). These activities take a back seat to his efforts to be noticed by college scouts. But the big pressure comes from his folks, who are still together despite their clashes. Mr, Chin ( Perry Yung) is on parole after an assault conviction, and ekes by as a runer for sports gamblers, while his missus (Pamelyn Chase) tries to keep them from drowning in debt. They believe Boogie could be their winning ticket if he can nail down a college scholarship which would lead right into the NBA. Unfortunately, Boogie alienates the scouts with his on-court “showboating” and inability to adhere to Coach Hawkins’ (Domenick Lombardozzi) plays. When he’s not playing, Boogie spends his evening at an outdoor court called “the Barracks’ which is ruled by the swaggering “B-ball” bully known as Monk (Bashar “Pop Smoke” Jackson). They’ll face-off soon, and Boogie hopes to be ready. But as their match approaches, things at home heat up as his mom brings in a “wannabe” sports again named Melvin (Mike Moh), who gets an offer from the pros…in China. His folks are truly split on this idea, while Boogie ponders these options as things begin to heat up with Eleanor. But before contracts can be signed he has to reign in his ego and prepares to take on Monk in a game that could decide his, and his family’s, entire future.

In his screen acting debut, Takahashi proves he has the dramatic skills to match his athletic prowess, looking confident on and off the court in the title role. In school, he’s all “laid back” as he teases Richie and works his line on Eleanor (one of his “compliments” should have gotten him suspended at least), but in his quiet time, we see the at-home tensions in his sad, downturned eyes. His folks are pulling him from all sides, often using him as a weapon on each other. Boogie works out those conflicts on the court, but he frustrates the audience and his peers with his casual arrogance, but Takahashi still has us rooting for him. Luckily Paige as Eleanor brings out his tender side, even as she projects a tough, “don’t play me” attitude as she strips away his sports “swagger”. Much of the same can be said of Lendeborg Jr. as his confident/defender who tires of being the “gatekeeper” to Boogie, enduring endless questions from his Coach, played with a “tough love” concern along with endless patience by Lombardozzi. As for the basttling Chins, both have been “beaten down” by life, with that frustration often exploding at each other and their son. For Yung, he views his son as a way to express his cultural pride, and perhaps a way to shake his ex-con stigma. Chee’s much more of a “hard case”, a version of the pop culture “tiger mom”, who’s unable to express any maternal affection for fear it will take Boogie’s mind off “the prize”. And while they act out (lots of destroyed dishwares), they are still moments of unexpected tenderness. Moh, who we last saw as Bruce Lee fighting Brad Pitt, conveys the right amount of silky-smooth sleaze as the low-rent Jerry Maguire with a financial interest in Boogie and a personal one in his mom. Fortunately, the film has a great villain in Jackson who has a truly terrifying gaze as the gifted thug Monk who will go to any lengths to win.

And this is another debut, behind the camera (and script). Restaurateur, clothing designer, author, and sitcom-creator (ABC’s “Fresh Off the Boat”) Eddie Huang can now add feature film writer/director to his list of accomplishments. Huang never appears to hit a false note with his glimpse into this culture barely explored on our shores, making a gritty urban companion to the recent MINARI. There’s a yearning from the characters to break out of the stereotypical roles US society wants to impose. In one scene Boogie’s pop makes him watch a big tennis match from the 90s, hoping he’ll be swept up in a major sports victory for a Chinese-American. Huang captures the rhythms of the crowded streets along with the flirty exchanges between Boogie and his pal and Eleanor and his BFF. The pace shifts to the game sequences as Huang puts us right in the middle of the “organized chaos” as Boogie seemingly ignores any pleas for the ball from the other players, while the Coach can only swallow his anger with a few ineffectual vocal bursts of “C’mon!”.Much of that is true in the domestic battles as mother and father vie for domination, as Boogie looks on with tired regret. And though it ends with the “big game”, as most sports films do, Huang doesn’t indulge in the usual cliches (a shift to slow motion as the music swells). As family drama and coming of age basketball fable, BOOGIE scores.

3 out of 4


BOOGIE is now playing in select theatres.

THE WAY BACK (2020) – Review

Maybe that Shakespeare guy was on to something. That line about “All the world’s a stage” in particular. Then everyone’s life or “story” could be that a play, or a piece of theatre. This may account for the popular phrase about folks in the news when they burn brightly in the limelight of fame, then the glow around them dims, often amping back up as pundits relate the story of someone’s “second act”. But that might apply to most everyday people if they’re fortunate. And what if we’re not limited to two acts, but a never-ending series of such life changes? That’s the main theme of the new drama hitting the multiplexes, and it might very well pertain to its lead. The setting is the world of amateur sports and that one guy who’s far beyond his “golden days” as a “phenom”. His life’s now on the skids, and, out of the blue, his old passion provides a lifeline as the waters of depression and rage that engulf him. The question for him is whether this revisiting of his youth will show him THE WAY BACK.

The man in question is Jack Cunningham (Ben Affleck), a burly 40-something construction worker who’s drifting through life in a fog of booze and regrets. Separated from his wife Angela (Janina Gavankar), he spends his days on the “worksite” slurping “spiked” coffee, and his nights getting “blackout ” drunk in a seedy neighborhood “watering hole” or in his squalid walk-up apartment. Thanksgiving with the family provides little relief as his sister Beth (Michaela Watkins) chides him for his drinking, and his stagnant lifestyle (not returning calls from his soon-to-be-ex). Then one message on his voicemail stuns Jack. It’s the priest who ran the high school where Jack played basketball (twenty-five years ago he was the local star athlete). He cleans himself up and goes down to Bishop Hayes to meet his old “padre”. Seems that they need a new basketball coach since a heart attack has put the current one on the “bench”. After much soul searching (over a case of beer), Jack decides to give it a try. He meets with assistant coach Dan (Al Madrigal), who has too much on his “plate” at home to take over the position. The “ragtag” squad has few members and lacks height and a real dedication to the sport, with far too many “showboats” with little skill. But Jack sees the raw talent that he can mold and shape. He’s a tough taskmaster, but come game time an inner fire ignites the old passion. More importantly, the new after-hours gig seems to keep him sober. His efforts begin to lessen the point gap at games, with the team on a “roll”. Ah but Angela and their tragic past catch up to him. Will that old “darkness” derail this new chance at life? Or will the respect of his “boys” pull him back from the depths of despair?

The film works due to the compelling performance of Affleck, who is on screen for nearly all of its nearly two-hour running time. He seems to have found a way to channel his very public struggles (his tabloid exploits were getting more attention than his films for a time) into one of his best screen roles in years. Jack is a self-medicating bear of a man, trying to hide away from anyone, his family, his wife, who enters his “cave”. Through Affleck’s sunken dark eyes we see that Jack has truly “disconnected”, even lashing out at all who would try and throw him a rescue rope. But we see how the game pulls him back in. With his body language, from lumbering and “hunched-over” to head held high as he strides on the court, Affleck conveys the new sense of purpose that has jolted Jack back to life. He also begins to engage with others, becoming a passionate mentor (complete with colorful language) to the young men in his charge. This builds into a most heart-wrenching, but honest climax. It’s a career-high for this talented artist (hopefully we’ll see another directing effort soon). He gets surprisingly strong support from two actors with roots in TV comedy. Perhaps best known for his stint as a “Daily Show” reporter (along with stand-up comedy), Madrigal takes what could be a one-note goofy side-kick, the nerd who wants to be a jock, and infuses him with a real confident spirit, looking up to Jack but not letting him s”slide by” on his gifts, always doing the “right thing”. A single season on SNL was the springboard to a busy career for Watkins, shifting from TV comedies (superb work on Hulu’s “Casual”) to “indie” comedies like last year’s BRITTANY RUNS A MARATHON and SWORD OF TRUST. Now she shows us her dramatic “chops” in a great turn as Jack’s unfiltered, no “B.S.” sister who adores him, but who also won’t give him a “pass”, her haunted eyes hinting at the years of worry and betrayal. the same could be said of Gavankar as estranged wife Angela who shares Jack’s trauma but pushes aside her pain to try and help the man she once adored. There’s also some impressive work from several young actors as the players, including Da’Vinchi as the reserved but gifted Devon, Melvin Gregg as the arrogant Marcus who gets a much needed “humbling”, and Will Ropp as the very funny, motor-mouthed “playa'” Kenny.

Director Gavin O’Connor has crafted a character study set in the sports world that avoids the usual cliches of the sports flick genre. The script he co-wrote with Brad Ingelsby has its greatest emotional heft off the court and away from the locker run. A montage of each game conveys all that’s needed with a fast freeze-frame relaying the final score before moving on (though they start to win, Jack doesn’t seem much happier than the defeats). Ther’s no uplifting, bombastic music score during the final game seconds, but rather the lone, subtle piano tinkling from Rob Simonsen’s sparse soundtrack. That section of the script, the “team-building” sequences are the only time when the solid script loses a bit of its focus. That’s when Jack appears to have gone “cold turkey” (Dan does chide him for some “empties” he saw in his office), but with little of the realistic consequences. Sure, we don’t need a repeat of Ray Milland’s “DT” hysterics from THE LOST WEEKEND, but Jack would be showing more of the “detox’ effects, considering we see him “killing a case” during the course of one evening. Luckily the story gets back on track for the last act as life delivers a cruel reminder to Jack, one that the game can’t erase. That’s when he must decide to “save himself” as the usual final game “fade-out’ is replaced by a quiet promise of hope and redemption. And kudos for the honest depiction of the dismal “bar life’. In recent years, TV has somewhat romanticized the corner pub as a frequent sitcom setting from “Cheers” to “How I Met Your Mother” making them cozy, well-lit backdrops for witty banter and lovable eccentrics. This film’s “dive”, Harold’s Place, is a dark, dank den of misery, with regulars staggering out to do damage in the dawn’s new light. Not quite Hell, but not much like the clean bright “watering holes” we usually see. THE WAY BACK is a gripping drama that takes some offbeat chances, ones that pay off thanks to the great cast lead by a re-invigorated Affleck.

3 out of 4

UNCLE DREW – Review

So, this Summer a popular kids’ game has made it to the big screen: TAG, though the R-rated comedy isn’t for the smaller set. Well, why not release a flick about a real sport, one that the kiddos love, say basketball? Yes, it’s the subject of comedies and dramas, from HOOSIERS to WHITE MEN CAN”T JUMP to SEMI-PRO. But here’s something that sets this new flick apart. It’s a big screen adaptation, but not from a comic strip, comic book, novel, or TV show. Hmmm, it does have its roots on the tube, though it’s an expansion of a popular commercial campaign. Kind of like that 90’s cult classic, SPACE JAM. We’re not talking shoes this time, the ads (that date back six years) hawked a soft drink, Pepsi Max. Sure those spots are fun, but will movie audiences want to spend more than 60 seconds (103 minutes to be precise) watching the “slam-dunk” wizardry of UNCLE DREW?

The film’s first few minutes open with the history of the title character in a faux “30 by 30” ESPN mini-doc with lots of famous talking heads recalling his exploits, which led to the controversial first Rucker Classic street ball tournament fifty years ago. Jump (shot) to today as the big 2018 Ruckers celebration edition nears. we meet Dax (Lil Rrl Howery), who has loved the game all his life (though he says the game hasn’t loved him back). He’s sunk his meager life savings, amassed working at the local mall’s Foot Locker, into coaching a team to win the big 100 grand prize money. There’s lots of pressure, particularly form Dax’s “material” girlfriend Jess (Tiffany Haddish), who has big plans for the cash. As does Dax’s rival, Mookie (Nick Kroll), who plots to coach his own winning team. His true colors are revealed when he poaches Dax’s team. Desperate to recruit new players, Dax learns of the legend of Uncle Drew. Dax soon finds out the legend is no tall tale when he witnesses the geriatric hustler (Kyrie Irving) take down a boastful, much younger player. After the pick-up game Dax pleads with Drew to be part of his team. Drew agrees, with the stipulation that he fills the roster with his old crew. Thus begins the quest, as Drew and Dax travel the country in an old beaten-up van. First up, there’s “Preacher” (Chris Webber), now a real pastor who’s under the thumb of wife Betty Lou (Lisa Leslie). In an assisted living facility they pick up visually-impaired “Lights” (Reggie Miller) and wheelchair-bound “Boots” (Nate Robinson), along with his lovely granddaughter Maya (Erica Ash). The real challenge is convincing “Big Fella” ( Shaquille O’Neal) to leave his martial arts school and set aside old grudges. Even with his old squad, can Uncle Drew bring victory to the underdog Dax, and maybe reignite his old passion for the game?

Mr. Howery is a talented, funny fellow, we know that from his scene-stealing supporting turn in GET OUT. Unfortunately his lead (though not in the title) role is not nearly as interesting as the TSA BFF. Dax is far too needy and “whiny”, a doormat for everyone, and later a straight man for Drew and crew. You deserve much better material Mr. H, though you commit with lots of manic energy. In the same vein, this is a bit of a letdown after Ms. Haddish’s break-out work in last Summer’s GIRLS TRIP. Jess is a one-note “gold-digger” who exists only to give Dax more “agita” and anxiety. She works hard, but the script fails her, making her repeat “Remember ‘dat?” almost like a mantra in the final end credit farewell. Things don’t go much better for the film’s “good girl” Maya, a constricting “straight” sister that never allows Ms. Ash a chance to cut loose (a shame since she’s a “MadTV” vet). Kroll is able to wring some laughs as the obnoxious villain, but the playground taunts and teases seem a waste of his considerable comic skills, now on great display in the Netflix version of his hit Broadway show “Oh, Hello” (not to mention his terrific recent dramatic turn in LOVING). Mookie’s really a flashy baboon (and buffoon). As for the “hoops stars” none of them really seem destined for future screen stardom (that includes movie vet Shaq), though Webber has some high-spirited fun as the  bouncing “baby-baptizing” holy man.

The tepid script from Jay Longino is barely given any energy from director Charles Stone III, though they may have been too obligated to replicate the format of the commercials (and yes, Pepsi is one of the producers making certain there are lots of “product placement”). Gags that worked so well in the classic COCOON are hammered and milked to exhaustion. We’re well aware that these young guys are capable of amazing court prowess. In part, that’s due to the ludicrous “old age” makeup. I can imagine how the late great makeup genius Dick Smith (LITTLE BIG MAN) would’ve reacted to the clumsy grey wigs and crude drawn wrinkle lines. And we get the “senior citizen” cliches repeated over and over. No matter the outside temps, Drew must crank up the heater. And they have to “go” all the time. Hysterical! Perhaps that’s a way to stretch the road trip (including a useless dance club challenge) before the “big final game”. Even that’s hampered by a cloying attempt at pathos (talking to a headstone at a cemetery…really). Hard core hoops fans may enjoy the “trash talk” and sweet “no net” scores. For the rest of us, well, here’s hoping that UNCLE DREW hangs up that smelly old track suit for good. Hit the showers!

1.5 Out of 5

 

THE OTHER DREAM TEAM – The Review

Could there be a new trend in the field of feature-length documentaries? After last year’s Oscar winner UNDEFEATED and the surprise box office success of this year’s SEARCHING FOR SUGARMAN, are we seeing a spate of  “feel-good” doc? They’ve had an unfair rep as dour and somber for quite some time now. Many film goers avoid them completely, feeling that they’re the movie equivalent of a dull lecture or homework (“shudder”)! But THE OTHER DREAM TEAM is a truly uplifting movie. And to quote one of the film’s subjects, “What a long, strange, trip it’s been”.

This is primarily the story of the 1992 Lithuanian basketball team whose tale really begins in 1940. That’s when the USSR, in order to battle the Axis menace, took over the country of Lithuania. During those many dark days of occupation Lithuanians sought relief by indulging in their favorite national sport of basketball. Make-shift hoops and goal post sprung up everywhere. Many gifted athletes emerged and were major players in the Soviet Olympic teams. The NBA in the United States attempted to draft several other them, but the Soviets would not allow them to leave Lithuania. After Russia pulled out of the 1984 Olympics, many thought their gold medal dreams were dashed. Then came the triumph of the 1988 games with four Lithuanians in the starting five. Shortly thereafter came the fall of the USSR and the liberation of their homeland. They would compete in the 1992 Olympics for Lithuania at last. Wonderful, except for the lack of funds for the team’s expenses. Who could could step in and help?  Their unlikely benefactors were Jerry Garcia and his band. The Dead even provided special tye-dyed uniforms. The Lithuanians would be able to compete, but how would they fare against the juggernaut known as the USA “Dream Team” (consisting of superstars like Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley)?

Director Marius A. Markevicius keep things moving along at a fairly brisk pace in telling the early history of the sport in Lithuania. Newsreel footage is intercut with animation and movie clips that highlight Russian stereotypes (Ivan Drago, Boris Badenov,etc.). We get to see the old team passing on their skills to a younger generation. And of course there are TV reports on the battle to oust USSR troops (heart-wrenching scenes of carnage and chaos). Most of the film has the standard talking head interviews with those 1993 players along with US sport stars such as Bill Walton and Chris Mullin, NBA commissioner David Stern, Grateful Dead member Mickey Hart, and sportscaster Jim Lampley. This can put a bit of a drag on the film’s momentum, but the euphoria of the final moments will leave you ecstatic. THE OTHER DREAM TEAM is not just for basketball fans. This tale of a country finally gaining its independence is a story to inspire everyone, Seems a win is even sweeter when you’re playing for your homeland.

3.5 Out of 5 stars

THE OTHER DREAM TEAM plays exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas

THE GRAY SEASONS – SLIFF Review

THE GRAY SEASONS was originally reviewed during the St. Louis Filmmaker’s Showcase.

The title of Robert Herrera’s compelling new documentary THE GRAY SEASONS does not refer to overcast skies nor the tones of the exceptional black and and white photography. It’s main focus is Shimmy Gray-Miller, the young woman hired to overhaul the St. Louis University Lady Billikens basketball program starting starting in 2006. The title seasons are the four following that start, through 2010.Before she arrives the record of the team is dismal, so Coach Gray-Miller begins building from the ground up by recruiting star players from high schools all across the country.

The film focuses on this small group of young women as the coach,with her assistants, try to establish a new winning dynasty. With the opening of their new home facility, the Chafetz Arena, hopes are running high. Over the course of these four years staff and administration change as Gray-Miller tries to connect with her talented players. There’s lots of footage in the locker room as she spurs them on and later during the grueling early morning practice sessions. It’s jarring to see the nearly empty bleachers at the games-even the big tournaments.

It seems that the men continue to fill the stands and command media attention. Perhaps that will change soon because of dedicated players and coaches like the women profiled here. By the time the four seasons wind down few of the players from 2006 remain. As Coach Gray-Miller says, “This isn’t HOOSIERS.” Still, THE GRAY SEASONS is just as enlightening and inspiring.

Showtimes
Tuesday, November 15th at 6:30pm – Tivoli Theatre

SLFS Review – THE GRAY SEASONS

The title of Robert Herrera’s compelling new documentary THE GRAY SEASONS does not refer to overcast skies nor the tones of the exceptional black and and white photography. It’s main focus is Shimmy Gray-Miller, the young woman hired to overhaul the St. Louis University Lady Billikens basketball program starting starting in 2006. The title seasons are the four following that start, through 2010.Before she arrives the record of the team is dismal, so Coach Gray-Miller begins building from the ground up by recruiting star players from high schools all across the country. The film focuses on this small group of young women as the coach,with her assistants, try to establish a new winning dynasty. With the opening of their new home facility, the Chafetz Arena, hopes are running high. Over the course of these four years staff and administration change as Gray-Miller tries to connect with her talented players. There’s lots of footage in the locker room as she spurs them on and later during the grueling early morning practice sessions. It’s jarring to see the nearly empty bleachers at the games-even the big tournaments. It seems that the men continue to fill the stands and command media attention. Perhaps that will change soon because of dedicated players and coaches like the women profiled here. By the time the four seasons wind down few of the players from 2006 remain. As Coach Gray-Miller says, ” This isn’t HOOSIERS. “.Still THE GRAY SEASONS is just as enlightening and inspiring.
THE GRAY SEASONS will screen during the 2011 Stella Artois St. Louis Filmmaker’s Showcaseat 5:00PM on Thursday, August 18th at the Tivoli Theatre.

‘Streetballers’ Premieres Tonight in St. Louis

streetballers

Locally made film STREETBALLERS premieres tonight in Saint Louis!

Streetballers is an Irish-Urban drama exploring the lives of two junior-college basketball players and their struggles within a divided city, broken homes and the demands of college-level athletics. Both players are drawn into an underground world of gambling and crime on the courts of the city’s tough Northside.

Constantly searching for sanity in the midst of alcoholism, racism and drugs, John Hogan (writer/director Matthew Scott Krentz) and Jacob Whitmore (Jimmy McKinney) find their release and therapy in competing on one of the most competitive street courts in the U.S. Both men spend an entire summer helping one another overcome adversity to reach their goals.

Their dedication and love for the game of basketball transcends the playground courts, reaching into their dysfunctional households, where the two boys play the constant role of the father figure. Together, John and Jacob paint a sad and hopeful portrait with their innocence, concerns and faith in the unknown. — Cine’Scoop

‘Streetballers’ theatrical release begins on Friday, August 21st at Wehrenberg’s Ronnie’s 20 Cine and Landmark’s Tivoli Theatre in The Loop.

Check out the Official ‘Streetballers’ Website to purchase tickets and find out more about the movie.