Tag: USA | Page 5

[Review] ‘Save The Crew: The Fans vs The System’ (2017)

Dec 17, 2017

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If they give an Oscar for brilliant documentary made under incredible time pressure, Save the Crew: The Fans vs the System wins hands down. It starts with the first #SaveTheCrew rally: Morgan Hughes: “This is not over! If you came here for a funeral, you’re in the wrong place!”Crowd chants: “We’re not done yet! We’re…

‘New Generation Queens’ (2015) – when women can’t play football

Nov 28, 2017

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MJ-A

in Cultural, Documentary

Megan went to Zanzibar and was looking for a pickup game. She found a women’s team called the New Generation Queens. They were getting chased off fields because Zanzibar is 99% Muslim, and women aren’t supposed to play football. But they prevail, and this pleasant little film, with an ethnographic story and a long title,…

‘The Nation Holds Its Breath’ (2016) in Ireland’s first World Cup

Aug 11, 2017

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MJ-A

in Comedy, Short

In 1990, a young Irishman’s anticipation of his child’s birth coincides with the breathless anticipation of his nation as it competes in the World Cup for the first time.

Only watch ‘Hotshot’ (1987) to enjoy Pelé

Jul 5, 2017

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MJ-A

in Drama

To describe Bill King’s Hotshot in the vernacular of the 1980s, most of the time, this is a hokey soccer movie. But Hotshot is still worth watching, if only for the 20 minutes that Pelé is on-screen.

Being ‘Men in The Arena’ (2017) helps exit Somalia

Jun 20, 2017

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MJ-A

in Cultural, Documentary

Men in the Arena comes to your screen in the time of the xenophobic Trump Administration. It took over 3 years for Writer-Director J.R. Biersmith to deliver his tale of 2 young Somalian footballers, whose steadfast friendship and soccer skills are crucial in bringing them to the USA.

Is biopic ‘For the Glory’ (2012) more fiction than fact?

May 25, 2017

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MJ-A

in Drama

I have mixed feelings about the faith-based film For the Glory. Realtors Chris and Katherine Craddock wrote this screenplay about their fellow church member Kurt Kuykendall. His faith helped him overcome a privileged but difficult upbringing.

‘Win!’ (2016) is a good documentary and not an infomercial

May 6, 2017

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MJ-A

in Documentary

Last week, the NYCFC documentary Win! showed up on the NY Yankees YES cable channel. I reluctantly did my duty, because after all, who wants to watch a movie with an exclamation point in the title?

A gritty insider’s view of ‘Going Pro: American Soccer’ (2014)

Apr 4, 2017

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MJ-A

in Documentary

Going Pro: American Soccer is a gritty insider’s view of the young men on the 2012 Brooklyn Knights, then a 4th division amateur PDL team. Director Sebastian Podesta captures tough moments as the Knights struggle to light up the scoreboard. Players aspire to become paid professionals, and a winning record is essential for any of…

Trying to qualify for WC 2010 in ‘Laduma! Benin’s Journey’ (2011)

Mar 3, 2017

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MJ-A

in Documentary

Part travelogue, part cultural anthropology, and part football history, Director Richard Shepherd’s film Laduma! Benin’s Journey captures an insider’s view as a small African nation tries to qualify for WC 2010.

‘The Prize’ (2014) teaches how religion can help athletes

Feb 9, 2017

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MJ-A

in Documentary, Short

Video evangelism is a soccer movie genre I haven’t reviewed until now. I was contacted by filmmaker Shawn Keith, who created The Prize: Under Pressure for sports chaplains. His 26-minute piece is well-done, interspersing World Cup footage with testimonials by international players. The most well-known of these is Kaká, and Americans will all recognize USMNT…

Review: ‘San Bernardino Alive and Kicking’ (2016)

Jan 26, 2017

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MJ-A

in Documentary

Rockerrazzi Filmz makes visual branding videos for up-and-coming rock stars. So I wondered why Producer-Director Jared Sagal created this very good hour-long documentary about SoCal SC, a 4th division soccer team in San Bernardino.

‘Dennis Viollet: A United Man’ (2016) and a Busby Babe survivor

Dec 27, 2016

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MJ-A

in Documentary

Rachel Viollet’s documentary may have started as a memorial to her father, Dennis Viollet of Manchester United fame. But as she conducted interviews and collected history, her film also became an intriguing record of how the soccer world changed around him and because of him.

Every sport parent should watch ‘Concussion’ (2015)

Nov 21, 2016

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MJ-A

in Drama

This is a public service announcement. Concussion is not a soccer movie, but every soccer parent should watch it. Writer-Director Peter Landesman used to be an investigative reporter, and he brings that kind of intensity to his film. No one watching this movie can stay in denial about the long-term effects of TBI – Traumatic…

[Review] Pelé: Birth of a Legend (2016)

Oct 16, 2016

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MJ-A

in Cultural, Drama, Kids

In their Pelé biopic, Directors Jeffrey and Michael Zimbalist create a loving, lush, and longish ode to the Beautiful Game of Brazil. If you sit back and absorb, there is a lot to enjoy. But it might be the kind of movie that only a soccer fan can love.

A zany improv mockumentary in ‘Mascots’ (2016)

Oct 5, 2016

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MJ-A

in Comedy

Watching Christopher Guest’s Mascots, I hadn’t heard such laughter in a theater since It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World. 1,400 people showed up for the special San Francisco Film Society screening at the Castro Theater on Oct-4-2016.

US Soccer history should not forget ‘Redemption Song’ (2016)

Jun 9, 2016

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MJ-A

in Documentary, Short

Redemption Song is an important piece to watch on US soccer and Afro-American history. It is the true story of the Howard University all-black Mens Soccer team, compressed into a woefully short 16 minutes. The team won the 1971 NCAA championship, only to see it perhaps unjustly vacated and the team put on probation. To prove…

‘Golden Shoes’ (2015) a Cinderfella with cleats

May 24, 2016

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MJ-A

in Kids

Many of the customer reviews of the film Golden Shoes are brutal, but IMHO this is a fairly good kids soccer movie. It is a Cinderella story, and most of the acting holds your attention.

‘In the Game’ (2015) in Chicago

May 22, 2016

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MJ-A

in Cultural, Documentary

In the Game is a moving ethnographic study that captures both the hope and the hope deferred of girls on a high school soccer team. It is a great video example of how sports, taught by a coach with an unwavering positive attitude, can have a meaningful impact on girls of low-SES (low socioeconomic status).

‘The Brothers Grimsby’ (2016) fight to save an English final

Mar 12, 2016

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MJ-A

in Comedy

The Brothers Grimsby is a new path for Sacha Baron Cohen. Instead of giving us a narcissistic Borat, Bruno, or Ali G, his Nobby is a likable character: family man, loyal brother, wasted England fan, and unlikely action hero. That is, when Cohen isn’t delivering his usual shtick of male sex organs and anal violation.

‘Bounce: How the Ball Taught the World to Play’ (2015)

Dec 22, 2015

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MJ-A

in Documentary

Jerome Thelia’s Bounce is a fascinating and thought-provoking documentary that explores why ball play is so instinctive and important to us. According to the researchers, ‘A ball game is a microcosm of our lives’, and sport is a combination of tribalism and brilliant storytelling. That’s pretty heavy stuff (and there’s more), but the filmmakers present convincing…