tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post2722105555032650287..comments2024-03-27T15:16:57.305-05:00Comments on F This Movie!: Heath Holland On...Five Underrated Baseball MoviesPatrick Bromleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00771837625286775607noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-70868977299808791222014-07-04T22:22:50.135-05:002014-07-04T22:22:50.135-05:00Bad News Bears isn't underrated. It's the ...Bad News Bears isn't underrated. It's the first and ultimate underdog-kids-sports-movie. It was also very mainstream and a gigantic hit. Plus it wasn't only remade by Linklater in 2005. It was remade as Ladybugs, The Mighty Ducks, and Little Giants, among copious others.Danny Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16252056942156898291noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-69821830265456889362014-07-03T17:10:38.884-05:002014-07-03T17:10:38.884-05:00YES! I didn't mention the Carmen element to th...YES! I didn't mention the Carmen element to the score but you're right, of course. It's just one more element that made Bad News Bears really different and special. Heath Hollandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03802874033845631338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-29685317944055029922014-07-03T17:09:07.932-05:002014-07-03T17:09:07.932-05:00You saw Mr. Baseball in the theater? Weren't y...You saw Mr. Baseball in the theater? Weren't you like 12? YES, INSTANT STREET CRED.Heath Hollandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03802874033845631338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-87491262134800117222014-07-03T17:07:10.223-05:002014-07-03T17:07:10.223-05:00!!!!!!Heath Hollandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03802874033845631338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-59317627685573192082014-07-03T13:00:45.670-05:002014-07-03T13:00:45.670-05:00So glad you gave a nod to Bad News Bears! And you...So glad you gave a nod to Bad News Bears! And you're spot on about what makes it so fun and great. I was 12 or 13 when this movie came out and I can't tell you what it meant to us - finally, after years of Disney kids' fare, here were REAL KIDS in all their profanity-laced, lazy, beer-sneaking, misunderstood glory -- just like the kids we knew and were. And its terrific use of the score from Carmen elevated these kids' struggles to the level of tragic opera... which, if you remember being 13, is exactly what it feels like. No way that same movie would get a PG rating today. I feel lucky to have been exactly the age of Amanda when the movie came out. And every time I see the great Jackie Earle Haley in a film today I lean over to my husband and whisper "it's Kelly Leak!"janbottighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00126929026388305201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-88599427406167842082014-07-03T12:02:15.914-05:002014-07-03T12:02:15.914-05:00Can't watch BBOB this weekend as it debuts on ...Can't watch BBOB this weekend as it debuts on Netflix July 11th.Chaybeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00696179838579647187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-21865996601020111362014-07-03T09:13:01.348-05:002014-07-03T09:13:01.348-05:00Thanks for the reminder that there's more to b...Thanks for the reminder that there's more to baseball movies than Kevin Costner. I enjoyed all of these (except I never saw Jackie Robinson), but a couple had fallen off my radar. I think it's time to revisit Angels in the Outfield and Mr. Baseball.Kyle Mulfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00633797611187931312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-59757976495162080692014-07-03T07:56:56.568-05:002014-07-03T07:56:56.568-05:00Great column Heath :-)
OMG Mr. Baseball! I haven&...Great column Heath :-)<br /><br />OMG Mr. Baseball! I haven't seen it in a long time but I really like that movie and it's the best movie about baseball in Japan that I can remember. I did see it in theaters though, Heath, so instant street cred? <br /><br />It plays on MLB Network from time to time and it has a cameo from White Sox Hall of Famer, Frank Thomas! The Big Hurt!!Adam Riskehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01165600746796326821noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-47710278514781051752014-07-03T06:20:34.553-05:002014-07-03T06:20:34.553-05:00No "Pride of the Yankees"?No "Pride of the Yankees"?Zack D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/02884211471459422976noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-54948162599610613452014-07-02T22:07:45.456-05:002014-07-02T22:07:45.456-05:00It's streaming on Netflix!It's streaming on Netflix!Joseph Finnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17168159790992899470noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-24408654597857948762014-07-02T21:48:47.862-05:002014-07-02T21:48:47.862-05:00That documentary sounds fantastic. I'm going t...That documentary sounds fantastic. I'm going to have to seek it out. And I've not yet seen 61*, though I plan to at some point.Heath Hollandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03802874033845631338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-83438453190256962272014-07-02T21:46:35.892-05:002014-07-02T21:46:35.892-05:00I've never even heard of this movie but I can ...I've never even heard of this movie but I can tell from the title and the cast that I HAVE to see it.Heath Hollandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03802874033845631338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-4291489733424804712014-07-02T21:33:39.655-05:002014-07-02T21:33:39.655-05:00I've always had an affinity for The Natural. ...I've always had an affinity for The Natural. Roy Hobbs is a perfect fake baseball player name and Robert Redford is great as Mr. Hobbs. I really wanted his bat as a kid and is there anything better than the ending?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13426789962517759056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-49084419998093192852014-07-02T16:55:04.265-05:002014-07-02T16:55:04.265-05:00I have always had a fondness for "Mr. Basebal...I have always had a fondness for "Mr. Baseball" and I enjoy it for what it is. I do think my enjoyment is bolstered by my love for actor Ken Takakura. Tom Selleck is pretty cool too. (Hey, I have every season of Magnum P.I. on DVD) <br />My wife and I actually quote lines from Mr Baseball often.<br />-"Cool your jets."<br />-"My jets are cool."Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10475027751253870681noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-54719683568697113782014-07-02T16:08:15.969-05:002014-07-02T16:08:15.969-05:00Great article Heath! I'm a huge Baseball guy ...Great article Heath! I'm a huge Baseball guy and it's nice to see some sports films represented every once in a while by you guys. Thanks! Btw - I'm watching the documentary "The Battered Bastards of Baseball" this weekend about Kurt Russell's dad who started an independent baseball team in 1973 (whom Kurt actually played for). really looking forward to seeing this. Has anyone checked it out yet?<br /><br />BTW - one of my fav. baseball movies that gets overlooked to a degree is "61*" (Barry Pepper, man, that guy is underrated). Chaybeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00696179838579647187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-63930113288371954352014-07-02T14:45:16.296-05:002014-07-02T14:45:16.296-05:00Great article, Heath. It's funny - I'm no...Great article, Heath. It's funny - I'm not a huge fan of baseball (I dropped off after the '94 strike, the Back2Back Champion Toronto Blue Jays having already fulfilled my baseball dreams anyway), nor do I actively seek out baseball movies, but when they accidentally cross my path I almost always really like (if not love) them and find them very rewatchable.<br /><br />I LOVE <i>A League of Their Own</i> for some damn reason - gets me every time and if I find it on TV there's no way I don't watch it. Such a great cast. And it taught me how to do the splits whilst catching a ball - useful!<br /><br />I haven't run across <i>Mr. Baseball</i> in a long time, but I remember really enjoying that as well. Tom Selleck used to spend a lot of time in my home city making Jesse Stone movies and I have it on good authority that he's just as sweet as he seems - I think that shines through in his performances and I always enjoy watching him.<br /><br />I've never seen the other three so I'll put them on my list along with <i>Field of Dreams</i> (I know, I know!) and <i>Bull Durham</i>! With the Blue Jays in the hunt this year I might be in the mood to play ball!Solhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03114869401584310369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-48129080317575630672014-07-02T14:08:53.075-05:002014-07-02T14:08:53.075-05:00I would also add "Mr. 3000" from 2004, s...I would also add "Mr. 3000" from 2004, starring Bernie Mac. The movie only made about $21.8 million worldwide (better than 99% of that in the U.S.), and most critics gave reviews ranging from marginally negative to marginally positive. But I thought it was a solid 3 stars out of 4, and maybe more enjoyable for MLB aficionados than for those who are not.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4217427319662074458.post-57723581413842235422014-07-02T12:41:30.635-05:002014-07-02T12:41:30.635-05:00That's 2 baseball movies for Dennis Haysbert, ...That's 2 baseball movies for Dennis Haysbert, who more importantly than 24 is also in Major League.<br /><br />If I may toss in one more under rated baseball movie, there's The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings from 1976; Richard Pryor, James Earl Jones, Billy Dee Williams all playing traveling baseball i the 30s. Fabulous comedy baseball movie with an edge, kind of like Slap Shot. Directed by John Badham, the same guy who did WarGames and Saturday Night Fever, and it's a lot of fun. (The novel is very good as well, though a lot darker.)Joseph Finnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17168159790992899470noreply@blogger.com