Just Before Opening Day... "Fastball"

Fastball (2016)

Not Rated

Narrated by Kevin Costner

Directed by Johnathan Hock

The Story:

A relatively simple, straightforward documentary about the history of the fastball in baseball is actually way more complex than you could imagine.

And, if you're going to have a documentary about baseball, is there any better voice to carry the film than that of Kevin Costner?

The film takes a look at the fastball, specifically, and the history of the game all while trying to figure out which pitcher really, truly has thrown the fastest fastball in the history of the game.

Using science, physics, history and math, they are able to compare the greats of different eras and crown the ultimate King of the Fastball.

The answer might surprise you...

With interviews from some of the best that ever threw it, and those that dared to hit it, this compelling tale keeps you interested from start to finish.

Even if you don't like baseball, you'll likely find something to enjoy about this film.

Currently streaming on Netflix as of this writing.

Final Grade: A-

Some Time Capsules Should Remain Buried..."Everybody Wants Some!!"

Everybody Wants Some!!

Rated R

Starring Blake Jenner, Juston Street, Ryan Guzman, Tyler Hoechlin, Wyatt Russell, Glen Powell, Temple Baker, J. Quinton Johnson, Will Brittain

Written and Directed by Richard Linklater

The Story:

Jake (Jenner) arrives at college and heads to the house where his baseball team (Everyone else) lives. It's the weekend before the semester starts, what hijinks will ensue?

I'd love to write more, but this is a difficult movie to review, because that's basically it.

It's a bunch of college guys enjoying their last weekend before school starts, so while things happen...

That's not much of a plot to work with.

From the guy that brought you Dazed and Confused in the early 90s, a film I still haven't seen, apparently he strikes again with an homage to 1980.

So unknown (mostly? relatively?) cast and a great soundtrack.

If lightning strikes again, he'll have found the next Matthew McCounaghy for us.
Alright, alright, alright.

But seriously, other than that...

I've got nothing.

This movie didn't leave much of an impression on me.

I even have to rack my brain to remember... did I actually watch the whole thing? Did I fast forward hoping something interesting happened?

And, I've got nothing.

Now, that said, the cast of actors did a great job with what they were given.

And yes, I hope to see them again in something else.

With a plot.

: )

Final Grade: C

How The West Wasn't Won..."The Ridiculous 6"

The Ridiculous 6 (2015)

Not Rated

Starring Adam Sandler, Terry Crews, Nick Nolte, Rob Schneider, Jorge Garcia, Taylor Lautner, Luke Wilson, Will Forte, Steve Zahn, Harvey Keitel, Danny Trejo, David Spade, Jon Lovitz, Vanilla Ice,
Directed by Frank Coraci

The Story:

Tommy (Sandler) was raised by Indians after his mom died. When his father (Nolte) finally finds him after all these years, he is quickly taken away by Cicero (Trejo) to find the money that he thinks is his. Tommy goes after his dad and discovers that he has 5 brothers from other mothers and they ride into the West to get $50,000 in order to save their dad's life!

Wow, this one goes off the rails quickly and never fully recovers.

I'm usually the first in line to proclaim that an Adam Sandler isn't that bad.

However, for whatever reason, this movie starts off very slow, and very unfunny. There are amusing bits, but when you sign on for a movie like this, with this much talent on display, there needs to be laughs, not smiles when a joke or gag hits the screen.

Perhaps it is the legacy of Blazing Saddles that will forever make any western comedy feel something less than great, but a lot of this has to fall onto Sandler's shoulders as co-writer of this piece.

He's assembled a great cast, many of whom I don't mention in the credits above simply because of how many people are in this film for a bit part or larger.

The other is the running (or dragging) time of this film.

2 hours?!

No.

Comedies should clock in at 90, maybe 100 minutes. At nearly 120 minutes, most of them laugh free, that's interminable for a comedy.

Add to that the horribly annoying Taylor Lautner's Forrest Gump inspired idiot brother, I wanted to punch something just about any time he's on screen.

Which was way more often than he should have been. Which could have cut back the running time of the film considerably.

:)

That said, there are a few pieces that actually work in this film.

Most notable, John Turturro's arrival as Abner Doubleday who decides to create a little game, and proceeds to make up the rules as he goes along.

That scene is funny, and actually feels like how the rules of baseball were likely made up!

Plus, Vanilla Ice as a strangely inspired version of Mark Twain is ridiculous, but in a good way.

I want to give these guys a break, with the whole 4 picture exclusive to Netflix deal, but with a cast and crew that should know better, I think I'm going to have to downgrade this to a Turkey of the Year candidate.

Final Grade: D+

25 Years? It Still Seems Like Yesterday... "The Day The Series Stopped"

The Day The Series Stopped (2014)

ESPN: 30 For 30

The Story:

The World Series, 1989. The Battle of the Bay, Game 3 as the San Francisco Giants looked to come back from an 0-2 deficit against the Oakland A's.  Then at 5:04, an earthquake strikes and the Series goes dark. The biggest quake since the 1906 disaster, and the Bay Area was sent reeling. Al Michaels reassures us as we have only audio that for now, all is well at least in the ballpark.

Wow.

The memories, I remember watching the Series back then in college and we were watching the dorm when this happened.

The calm and cool that sportscasters who suddenly had to put on news broadcaster hats and relay the biggest disaster in ages to a nation, and they did it without missing a beat.

Looking back on it now, it's amazing to see a time before the internet, and cell phones (widespread) and news was literally unable to be broadcast as it happened.  The news feeds were so slow back then.

Incredibly, think about it this way- If there had not been all the network television and blimp and everything to cover the Series, there would have been no information at all out of San Francisco as they were without power and phones. Had the game been a day before or after, the chaos out of the Bay Area would have been pure speculation and guesswork by the newtworks.

Like the day of the earthquake, sports takes a quick backseat to the destruction and devastation of the day and the heroics of first responders and everyday people.  Naturally, the Series was postponed and rescheduled for a later time.

My first foray into any of the ESPN 30 for 30 series.

So far, so good.

Some definitely interesting subjects, and I will be back for more.


Now streaming on Netflix as of this writing.

Final Grade: A-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Will likely vary by episode, but good documentaries are always work revisiting after some time.

They've Got Some Balls... "The Battered Bastards Of Baseball"

The Battered Bastards of Baseball (2014)

Documentary

Starring Kurt Russell, Todd Field

Directed by Chapman and Maclain Way

The Story:

In 1973, Bing Russell, Hollywood character actor and baseball aficionado paid $500 to own a minor league team in Portland Oregon.  It was not affiliated with any Major League team.  The baseball world laughed at Russell.  He had open try-outs that brought prospects from around America, many that were undrafted or cast out of other major league farm systems.  The Major League teams continued to laugh.  Then a funny thing happened over the next 5 years, and Major League Baseball was no longer laughing.

This is the true story of one of the greatest underdog stories in the history of sports.

Pile up all the sports David vs. Goliath movies that you've seen in your life...
Toss them into a blender...

And you have the amazing true story of the Portland Mavericks.

Bing Russell, who grew up idolizing the New York Yankees as a ball boy in their spring training games in Florida, moved to Hollywood and was a successful character actor.

You may have heard of his son, Kurt Russell.  Well Bing used Kurt to produce some films on the fundamentals of baseball.  They were so good, several Major League teams used the films to help their players.

Yes, Bing's love for the game never wavered, and when he got the chance to own the only independent franchise in baseball, he jumped at it.

The Mavericks were all about fun.  If there was a rule about baseball, Bing went out of his way to break it, and the Mavericks proved to be so successful, it was only a matter of time until the Major Leagues wanted a piece of the action.

I don't want to spoil it, because again, all of the cliches are on full display here.

Give it a whirl, especially if you love baseball, you won't be disappointed.

My only thought, is this really needs to be made into a feature film, and let Kurt play the part of his dad.

It's Hollywood, it could happen.


Available for streaming instantly on Netflix as of this writing.

Final Grade: A

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I'd happily watch it again, and if Netflix makes it available to purchase, I would add this to the baseball section of my DVD library.

Springtime In New York... "The Last Play At Shea"

The Last Play at Shea (2010)

Not Rated

Starring Billy Joel

Directed by  Paul Crowder

The Story:

This documentary chronicles the life and career of Billy Joel.
This documentary chronicles the history of Shea stadium from creation to destruction.
This documentary chronicles the fall, rise, fall, rise, fall, rise... of the New York Mets.

It does all of this in 90 minutes, and it does it spectacularly.

It is a concert film...without a lot of the concert.
It's a baseball film...with rock and roll.
It's a rock and roll film...with baseball.

It's unique, and very enjoyable.

Not a lot of the 2 night finale actually makes the 90 minute performance.

However, over the 90 minute running time, you'll learn a lot about Joel, New York, Shea Stadium, The Beatles and much more.

Example:  Sting realized that performing at Shea was the pinnacle of their career, so while on stage, he decided he would leave The Police when their tour was over.

Crazy, right?

A musical history lesson, perfectly encapsulated in film.

I just wish that the 2 night concert performance was available as extras or released on its own as well.

Final Grade: A-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I don't see a need to own it, and a viewing is good.  But it could be a nice historical piece to pull out every so often to remember what life was like back in the days of Shea.

The Title is the Best Part of the Movie..."Dealin' With Idiots"

Quite possibly my least favorite baseball movie of all time...

The Story:

Max (Jeff Garlin) is a comedian and a father who watches in horror as his son's youth baseball team flounders on the field, and the parents drive him batty in the stands.  Then he realizes that he could do a documentary on youth baseball for his next movie, and it's sure to be a comic hit!

If only...

This is a comedy with a shotgun approach.

For every joke that hits, 7 sail by and are either mildly amusing or miss completely.

Which is sad, because there's a pretty talented cast hiding amongst the players including Jami Gertz, Gina Gershon, Nia Vardalos, Timothy Olyphant and Fred Willard.

Garlin pulls triple duty as star, writer and director.

I give him credit for putting together a movie that isn't a complete waste of time, and I wanted to like it.

However, it just sort of stutters and jerks along from quirky scene to quirky scene as Max attempts to find the source for his next big hit by interviewing each of these parents.

The finale to the baseball game itself is both amusing and heartbreaking at the same time.  Pee Wee baseball has some strange rules, and I wouldn't doubt that the one that is invoked is indeed a real rule.  However after the realization,  then the movie didn't seem to know how to end.  It just sort of rambles on and on,  so anything touching that that could be gathered from that moment is lost

Ultimately, disappointed in the movie.

Now available to stream instantly on Netflix if you'd like to try it.

Final Grade: C-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: No thanks. ;)
in the foolishness of what happens next.

Nothing Like Some Wrestling on Monday..."The Life and Times of Mr. Perfect"

If any wrestler lived up to their nickname...

The Story:

Curt Hennig's story, as related 5 years after his passing by the friends, family and wrestlers that knew him best.

It's been 10 years since Mr. Perfect passed away due to a cocaine overdose.  I hate to even mention that, because it seems like it was the one less than perfect thing he attempted in his career, and it cost him everything.

It still hurts, because the man loved the business and was one of the best performers that I've watched over the years.  He would be 54 if he were still with us, and whether or not he would still be lacing up the boots and wrestling, he definitely could do play by play as an announcer.

Because, as with everything Curt touched, it was absolutely perfect.

The man brought prestige to the Intercontinental Championship when he held it, and joined a long list of great wrestlers who were stuck in the shadow of Hogan, but put on a show that the fans never forgot.

Sadly, injuries to his back cut a great majority of his in-ring career short.

As I mentioned though, he enjoyed a great stint behind the microphone while his back healed, and he is probably one of the more underrated announcers the WWE has ever enjoyed on the shows.

Thankfully, most of it Hennig's work is collected in the archives so future generations can look back and marvel at just how perfect he really was.

One cool story that is relayed is from his friend, Wade Boggs.  If not for Mr. Perfect, Boggs wouldn't be here today.  Very impressive tale, and Boggs is still choked up about his friend's passing when he relays the story.

R.I.P. Curt, you were definitely taken way too soon.

You're still missed by this fan, and countless more.


Final Grade: A-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Easily yes to both of those.

The Only Number That Matters in Baseball: "42"

Big changes often come with small steps.

The Story:

This is the story of Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) and his pursuit of adding a black baseball player named Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) to the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1945.

How's that for a plot summary?

Simple, yet effective.

But it doesn't even begin to summarize what you'll watch on the screen.

Sure,  it's a lot of history condensed into a 2 1/2 hour movie, but it flies by and doesn't feel like that long of a movie.

The director/writer Brian Helgeland isn't very prolific, but I've enjoyed his output before (Payback and A Knight's Tale)

The performances are great.  Boseman carries the majority of the movie on his back.  Dealing with racism with quiet dignity.  All Robinson wants is a chance to play ball, and eventually even his critics come around.

Harrison Ford plays gruff in his sleep, and he does a fine job as Branch Rickey.

The tale is an interesting one, as it parallels both Rickey's insistence to put Robinson in the game, and Robinson's efforts to succeed.

Thankfully, as history tells us, he will.

It's amazing, that as much as I don't really care for baseball, I sure love baseball movies.

: )

Final Grade: B+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I could see adding this to the baseball wing of the DVD library.  Good stuff.

100 Greatest Movies of All Time...That I Own. # 79 ~ Major League

Should I begin today's look at the Top 100 with a confession that I don't even like baseball?  I can appreciate the sport.  Heck, I can appreciate just about any sport, I just choose not to watch most of them.  Baseball tops that list.  And no, golf and tennis are not sports, they are pastimes.

Perhaps if baseball was simply as entertaining as it seems to be in the movies, I would be more interested.

I do know, that baseball movies are vastly more entertaining than just about any game I've ever watched.

So moving on to today's movie, we start with one of baseball's best:  Major League.

The tale of the beleaguered Cleveland Indians, who are so bad, they're Cleveland.  Well, apparently they have been so bad for so long, that the newly appointed owner can get out of their lease and move the team to a bigger market if they continue to be a lousy team.

Soooo...

She works long and hard to ensure that she gets her way, and cuts costs, players and does whatever it takes to make the team as awful as possible.

But a funny thing happens on the way to the ballpark...

With an on-field lineup of Tom Berenger, Corbin Bernsen, Charlie Sheen, and Wesley Snipes among the starting lineup, it's one classic gag after another as the team goes from bad, to awful, to wait just a minute...they're winning!

Despite, and to spite, everything that the owner throws their way... the Indians start to mesh into a real team and begin to thwart the plans of their evil owner.

The sequels never quite recapture the charm and magic of the original, but they are all worth a spin.  You've definitely seen worse.

Especially if you've sat through any real baseball game.

Zing!!

: )