O.J.: Made In America (2016)

Back in 2000 there was a TV movie about the OJ case titled American Tragedy. I remember at the time thinking that the title was quite an overstatement for a film about an ex-athlete's murder trial. It's not like Simpson was a politician or something. Someday I'll check that movie out, but having now consumed over seven hours of expertly crafted documentary filmmaking on the subject, I completely agree with that title.

It's twenty years later and all of the issues at play during the first trial are still problems today. Rather than showing us how far we have come in two decades, this film makes us acutely aware that nothing has changed. In fact, things have gotten worse. This is not a nostalgia piece. This film is relevant to the here and now. Orenthal James Simpson might have fallen from a great height, but it's nothing compared to how far American Culture has fallen. If Spike Lee had made this film, it would have ended or began with someone yelling, "WAKE UP!"

A League of Their Own (1992)

Pretty sure this was my first viewing in at least twenty years. The danger with such big gaps is that sometimes the film that is actually in front of you doesn't live up to the memory. Luckily for me, I remembered very little of this film. I remembered stuff like "No crying in baseball" and some of the Rosie O'Donnell goofing around (because that's the kind of stuff that appeals to a prepubescent boy who hasn't yet turned into a horn-dog) but much of the rest felt brand new to me. What I was really taken by was the extremely minimal plot. Essentially this is a hang-out movie. The film is enjoyable because we enjoy these characters and like spending time with them. It's also a great look at the gulf between image and reality. By contrasting how these women actually lived and behaved with the staged photos and newsreels that went out to the world, Penny Marshall and her collaborators are subtly chipping away at the conservative idealization of the past. It's not a film with a radical, feminist agenda, but it does have something to say, and it says it well.

Creed (2015)

As a comic book fan, I'm well acquainted with continuity. No matter how many times Marvel or DC re-sets the clock back to zero, fifty some-odd years of history still remains. All those stories are informing the present. Even if the publisher has decided to retcon everything, that history is still influencing the people behind the scenes. They're consciously deciding whether to embrace or reject all that came before.

Having said all that, it's not impossible to jump into a long-running series. If the creative team is solid, the story should still be as engaging and compelling for a new reader as an old fan. Done right, all that history will give palpable weight to the present. The newbie might not know the specifics, but they will be able to feel it. And once you've hooked them, they're certain to go searching through the back issues.

Video Days (1991)

Growing up in Southern California in the 90’s it was impossible to avoid skate culture. Though I never became a skater myself, I always found myself on the periphery of that scene. I loved spending time in skate shops. So many interesting things to look at! Reservoir Dogs posters next to Hook-Ups shirts with anime girls on them? Window stickers of Calvin as Spaceman Spiff!? I was in aesthetic heaven. Oddly enough, the one thing I never bothered to get into was skate films. Sure there was always playing on a screen somewhere, but I was too busy rummaging through posters to notice. To me they were all the same: fish-eye lens shots of kids grinding to Pennywise songs. Seen one, you've seen ‘em all right? Apparently not.

Directed by Spike Jonze and released in 1991, Video Days is something of a revelation. While there is nothing overly remarkable about the skating on display (says the guy who can’t even ollie) what sets this film apart from the others is the soundtrack. War? The Jackson Five? John Coltrane? Yes, please!

While “Low Rider” over the opening credits is pretty standard, hearing “I Want You Back” kick in while Guy Mariano sails through the air is a thing of sheer beauty. And Red Garland’s piano intro to “Traneing In” sounds fits so well you’d swear it was composed for the express purpose of accompanying Mark Gonzalez’s skating. Of course in true punk rock fashion, none of this music was legally licensed. Fortunately the whole 24 minute opus can be found on Youtube…at least for now.

Ali (2001)

A young man named Cassius Glay (Will Smith) converts to the Nation of Islam, changes his name to Muhammad Ali and does battle with the US Government over the Vietnam War. Oh did I mention he was also the greatest athlete of all time?

*      *      *

A lot of people argue that this film was unnecessary as it covered much of the same material as the amazing and Oscar-winning documentary When We Were Kings. I am not one of them. As great and engaging as that doc is, the filmmakers (like most documentarians) were limited by the footage available as well as the technology of the times. In a documentary you often have to rely on some talking head in an interview segment to tell you about an important moment. With a fiction film you get to see that moment. Film is after all a 'show me' medium rather than a 'tell me' medium. And boy does this movie show! Director Michael Mann's use of tiny digital cameras takes us literally inside a boxing match for the first time ever. Inside all of those split-second decisions that can either make or break a fight. I don't know what this says about me but, after seeing When We Were Kings, I was able to understand why people called him The Greatest, after seeing Ali, I believed it.

The Natural (1984)

Roy Hobbs (Robert Redford) has a magical bat named "Wonderboy" and is really really really good at playing baseball.

*      *      *

I hate sports. I especially hate baseball. It's so slow. I mean at least with soccer they're constantly moving ya know? Anyway...Even though I hate baseball with a passion, I cannot help but love The Natural. It's one of those movies that sucks you in when you come across it while flipping channels. Yes it's formulaic and sure it traffics in archetypes, but so what? So what if everyone who's ever gone to film-school knows these story beats? If making a movie this good was as simple as connecting some dots, everyone would be doing it. Only the real naturals are capable of knocking one out of the park.