Fourteen years after accidentally deflecting a ball during the Chicago Cubs run in the 2003 National League Championship series, Steve Bartman is getting a team World Series ring.
Bartman – a life-long Cubs fanwho catapulted into the limelight and much-reviled after the 2003 incident – was given the 2016 championship ring on Monday as a gift from team owner Tom Ricketts, according to local outlet Wgn-tv.
“On behalf of the entire Chicago Cubs organization, we are honored to present a 2016 World Series Championship Ring to Mr. Steve Bartman,” the Cubs told the outlet in a statement. “We hope this provides closure on an unfortunate chapter...
Bartman – a life-long Cubs fanwho catapulted into the limelight and much-reviled after the 2003 incident – was given the 2016 championship ring on Monday as a gift from team owner Tom Ricketts, according to local outlet Wgn-tv.
“On behalf of the entire Chicago Cubs organization, we are honored to present a 2016 World Series Championship Ring to Mr. Steve Bartman,” the Cubs told the outlet in a statement. “We hope this provides closure on an unfortunate chapter...
- 7/31/2017
- by Lindsay Kimble
- PEOPLE.com
HBO has garnered acclaim for their prestige TV offerings, but one of their most underrated contributions to the television landscape is 2015’s “7 Days in Hell,” a mockumentary of the infamous John Isner/Nicolas Mahut Wimbledon showdown that shattered the record for longest tennis match in history. On the strengths of stars Andy Samberg and Kit Harrington, “7 Days in Hell” also took aim at a few of the legendary tennis rivalries of the 70s, 80s and 90s that brought the sport into the mainstream.
It’s a goofy, perfectly timed spoof that plays with the familiar tropes of sports docs, namely the ones in Espn’s “30 for 30” series. Apparently, it worked so well that HBO wanted more. Samberg and “7 Days in Hell” writer Murray Miller have reteamed for another trip through niche sports history with “Tour de Pharmacy,” a fictional look at a doping scandal in the world of 80s cycling.
It’s a goofy, perfectly timed spoof that plays with the familiar tropes of sports docs, namely the ones in Espn’s “30 for 30” series. Apparently, it worked so well that HBO wanted more. Samberg and “7 Days in Hell” writer Murray Miller have reteamed for another trip through niche sports history with “Tour de Pharmacy,” a fictional look at a doping scandal in the world of 80s cycling.
- 5/19/2017
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
Despite the involvement of two directors making their “30 for 30” debut, “Doc & Darryl” is a sports story told in the Espn documentary series’ house style. Reliving the ascent, precipitous decline and muted return of Darryl Strawberry and Dwight “Doc” Gooden, directors Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio adhere to the familiar format, letting the intertwined stories of the two men’s tragedy-laden lives speak for themselves.
Strawberry and Gooden were two electrifying rookie talents; the former an outfielder with a special blend of speed and power and the latter a gifted right-handed pitcher and strikeout machine. Apatow and Bonfiglio show how, after entering pro baseball within a season of each other, they quickly became staples of sports page headlines and New York nightlife alike. Despite the growing spectre of substance abuse, the two became cornerstones of the 1986 New York Mets’ improbable championship run (capped off by a World Series victory prominently featured...
Strawberry and Gooden were two electrifying rookie talents; the former an outfielder with a special blend of speed and power and the latter a gifted right-handed pitcher and strikeout machine. Apatow and Bonfiglio show how, after entering pro baseball within a season of each other, they quickly became staples of sports page headlines and New York nightlife alike. Despite the growing spectre of substance abuse, the two became cornerstones of the 1986 New York Mets’ improbable championship run (capped off by a World Series victory prominently featured...
- 7/15/2016
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
Park City. If the bursting-at-the-seams crowd at Sunday's (January 25) world premiere of "Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief" was any indication, the film festival world (and probably the subsequent HBO world) has been waiting impatiently for a cinematic pulling back of the curtain from the Church of Scientology. And when you absolutely, positively have to get informed on a subject in a reasonably smart, reasonably all-encompassing, reasonably passionate (without succumbing to sloppy outrage), narratively tight 120-minutes, it's hard to imagine a more reliable tour guide than director Alex Gibney. The absurdly prolific filmmaker can be counted on to deliver a comprehensive rendering of difficult issues and that's exactly what "Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief" is. If you've read Lawrence Wright's book -- I have not -- or any of the recent string of tangential Scientology exposes -- including Wright's profile of Paul Haggis, which...
- 1/26/2015
- by Daniel Fienberg
- Hitfix
Espn is planning heavy coverage of the 2014 World Cup. In addition to live coverage of every game from Brazil, the sports network is launching a series of documentaries under its "30 for 30" banner in the lead-up to the tournament.
"30 for 30 Soccer Stories" will premiere April 22 with "Hillsborough," a feature-length film about the 1989 disaster in Sheffield, England, that killed 96 fans in an overcrowded stadium. Directed by Daniel Gordon ("9.79"), the movie chronicles the tragedy and also what emerged from it, including the birth of the Premier League several years later.
The series includes one other feature-length film, "White, Blue and White," about Argentinian stars Ossie Ardiles and Ricky Villa going to England to join Tottenham Hotspur in 1978 -- and Ardiles' decision to leave the club when the Falklands war broke out. It's set to air July 1. Six 30-minute films will also be part of the series, airing back-to-back in the weeks following the debut of "Hillsborough.
"30 for 30 Soccer Stories" will premiere April 22 with "Hillsborough," a feature-length film about the 1989 disaster in Sheffield, England, that killed 96 fans in an overcrowded stadium. Directed by Daniel Gordon ("9.79"), the movie chronicles the tragedy and also what emerged from it, including the birth of the Premier League several years later.
The series includes one other feature-length film, "White, Blue and White," about Argentinian stars Ossie Ardiles and Ricky Villa going to England to join Tottenham Hotspur in 1978 -- and Ardiles' decision to leave the club when the Falklands war broke out. It's set to air July 1. Six 30-minute films will also be part of the series, airing back-to-back in the weeks following the debut of "Hillsborough.
- 1/11/2014
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
In 2009, cyclist Lance Armstrong wanted to prove his naysayers wrong. He came back from retirement, and touted that he’d win the Tour de France in order to prove to the world that his past seven wins were not boosted by any illegal enhancements. As with other chapters of his fascinating life, this comeback provided a great narrative, one made into a nearly-finished documentary project called “The Road Back,” which had director Alex Gibney and his crew following Armstrong around as he hustled for another Tour de France victory. Matt Damon was signed on to do voiceover, and the project was co-produced by Spielberg’s key producer Frank Marshall.
“The Road Back” was then remodeled into The Armstrong Lie when the truth about Armstrong’s doping began to make its way to the surface in 2012, both through teammate testimonies and a few select moments from Armstrong himself. Initially crafting what...
“The Road Back” was then remodeled into The Armstrong Lie when the truth about Armstrong’s doping began to make its way to the surface in 2012, both through teammate testimonies and a few select moments from Armstrong himself. Initially crafting what...
- 11/13/2013
- by Nick Allen
- The Scorecard Review
Chicago – The long goodbye of tainted cycling athlete Lance Armstrong continues – after all the victories, “Live Strong,” the multiple denials of cheating and finally the confession that he lied. Oscar winning documentary maker Alex Gibney is the latest to take on this legacy of dishonesty, in “The Armstrong Lie.”
The new film dissects the history of Lance Armstrong as he kept denying his use of performance enhancing drugs and methods, on his way to seven straight Tour de France bike race titles (which have since been revoked). In meticulous detail, Gibney – who began the documentary as a chronicle of Armstrong’s 2009 comeback – strips back the veneer of public relations and peer protection of Armstrong. The director even talked to Armstrong himself, after his infamous confession to Oprah Winfrey that he had use performance enhancement techniques to cheat his way to those race victories.
Director Alex Gibney (center) Puts the Spotlight...
The new film dissects the history of Lance Armstrong as he kept denying his use of performance enhancing drugs and methods, on his way to seven straight Tour de France bike race titles (which have since been revoked). In meticulous detail, Gibney – who began the documentary as a chronicle of Armstrong’s 2009 comeback – strips back the veneer of public relations and peer protection of Armstrong. The director even talked to Armstrong himself, after his infamous confession to Oprah Winfrey that he had use performance enhancement techniques to cheat his way to those race victories.
Director Alex Gibney (center) Puts the Spotlight...
- 11/13/2013
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
We're living in a great time for sports documentary filmmaking. Espn's 30 For 30 series has featured a number of fantastic films by notable filmmakers that have played at such film festivals as Sundance and Toronto. Just two years ago, Undefeated, a football doc, won the Best Documentary Oscar. And 2010 racing doc Senna has topped lists for best documentary of all time. One of the most notable documentarians today, Oscar winner Alex Gibney, is no stranger to this trend. His 2011 baseball doc Catching Hell was distributed by Espn as part of their 30 For 30 follow-up series "Espn Films Presents." Now Gibney is back with a remarkable documentary that focuses on one of the darker corners of the world of sports. In The...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 11/7/2013
- Screen Anarchy
We're living in a great time for sports documentary filmmaking. Espn's 30 For 30 series has featured a number of fantastic films by notable filmmakers that have played at such film festivals as Sundance and Toronto. Just two years ago, Undefeated, a football doc, won the Best Documentary Oscar. And 2010 racing doc Senna has topped lists for best documentary of all time. One of the most notable documentarians today, Oscar winner Alex Gibney, is no stranger to this trend. His 2011 baseball doc Catching Hell was distributed by Espn as part of their 30 For 30 follow-up series "Espn Films Presents." Now Gibney is back with a remarkable documentary that focuses on one of the darker corners of the world of sports. In...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 9/21/2013
- Screen Anarchy
Fight Club: Gibney Finds Tragedy In ‘Knuckles’ Nilan
The assiduous docu director Alex Gibney wrapped three films back in 2011, all of which seem minor works in his ever growing oeuvre, and the proof is in the lagged theatrical release of The Last Gladiators, which arrives over a year after it’s Tiff premiere. Falling at the tail end of this stream of lighter fare that includes Steve Bartman’s unfortunate baseball foul in Catching Hell, and a drug fueled Ken Kesey tale with Magic Trip, the film details the rise and fall of famed hockey enforcer Chris ‘Knuckles’ Nilan on a quality scale comparable to a mid-grade 30 For 30 title, lacking the political gravitas of Taxi to the Dark Side, the propulsive style of Gonzo, and the intellectual proclivities that pervade them both. That’s not to say Gibney’s valiant salute to his childhood sport of choice and a...
The assiduous docu director Alex Gibney wrapped three films back in 2011, all of which seem minor works in his ever growing oeuvre, and the proof is in the lagged theatrical release of The Last Gladiators, which arrives over a year after it’s Tiff premiere. Falling at the tail end of this stream of lighter fare that includes Steve Bartman’s unfortunate baseball foul in Catching Hell, and a drug fueled Ken Kesey tale with Magic Trip, the film details the rise and fall of famed hockey enforcer Chris ‘Knuckles’ Nilan on a quality scale comparable to a mid-grade 30 For 30 title, lacking the political gravitas of Taxi to the Dark Side, the propulsive style of Gonzo, and the intellectual proclivities that pervade them both. That’s not to say Gibney’s valiant salute to his childhood sport of choice and a...
- 2/26/2013
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
The popularity of sports documentaries is not recognized enough. Maybe it’s because a lot of the favorites find their audience on TV, particularly as part of Espn’s “30 for 30” series. Perhaps they aren’t considered “important” enough by the documentary community, even when they deal with serious issues as in the case of Steve James’s most recent and most overlooked film, Head Games. Like music docs, they may be disregarded as insignificant fare mainly targeted to a particular fanbase. But with many sports, that’s a very large fanbase we’re talking about. Professional ice hockey is the least followed of the four major team sports in America, but millions of people do watch it, and the number has been on the rise these past few years. So, there’s definitely a large demographic who’ll be interested in Alex Gibney’s The Last Gladiators, a documentary about NHL enforcers with a predominant focus on...
- 2/2/2013
- by Christopher Campbell
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
The Producers Guild of America announced the winners of its theatrical motion picture and TV nominations for the 2013 PGA Awards. Check out the full list of nominees and winners (marked in red) below. This year's big winner was Ben Affleck's "Argo," which means that the film will likely also go on to win the Oscar for Best Pictures since the PGA Awards predict the Academy Award winner almost 80% of the time, including last year when PGA and the Oscars both selected "The Artist." In the animation category, "Wreck-It Ralph" won, beating out Pixar's "Brave." On television, "Modern Family" was once again chosen as the best comedy and "Homeland" as the best drama. Theatrical Motion Picture Nominees: Theatrical Motion Pictures: * Argo * Beasts of the Southern Wild * Django Unchained * Les Miserables * Life of Pi * Lincoln * Moonrise Kingdom * Silver Linings Playbook * Skyfall * Zero Dark Thirty Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures: * Wreck-It Ralph * Brave...
- 1/27/2013
- WorstPreviews.com
Earlier this week The Producers Guild of America (PGA) announced the nominations for their annual awards for theatrical motion picture, animated motion picture and long-form television nominations for the 2013 Producers Guild Awards.
This was an incredible year for films, and most of the movies nominated here deserve to be. Out of all the films listed here, I'd like to see Zero Dark Thirty or Silver Linings Playbook take the top prize for motion picture, Paranorman for animated film, Game of Thrones for TV drama, and Curb Your Enthusiasm for TV Comedy. In case you missed them, here they are! Look them over and let us know what films you'd like to see win!
Ten nominations in the theatrical motion picture category include:
Argo (Warner Bros.)
Beasts of the Southern Wild (Fox Searchlight)
Django Unchained (The Weinstein Company)
Life of Pi (20th Century Fox)
Lincoln (DreamWorks)
Les Misérables (Universal)
Moonrise Kingdom...
This was an incredible year for films, and most of the movies nominated here deserve to be. Out of all the films listed here, I'd like to see Zero Dark Thirty or Silver Linings Playbook take the top prize for motion picture, Paranorman for animated film, Game of Thrones for TV drama, and Curb Your Enthusiasm for TV Comedy. In case you missed them, here they are! Look them over and let us know what films you'd like to see win!
Ten nominations in the theatrical motion picture category include:
Argo (Warner Bros.)
Beasts of the Southern Wild (Fox Searchlight)
Django Unchained (The Weinstein Company)
Life of Pi (20th Century Fox)
Lincoln (DreamWorks)
Les Misérables (Universal)
Moonrise Kingdom...
- 1/5/2013
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
The Producers Guild of America has announced its nominations for best productions of the year, in what is often looked to as an indicator for how the Academy Awards may go.
The guild selected 10 films — most of them common guesses for the group that could make up the Oscar list of the best films of 2012: Argo, Lincoln, Les Misérables, among others.
The one surprise: Skyfall. No 007 film has ever cracked the Best Picture list, but if this nomination is any indication, that could change when the Oscar nods are revealed Jan. 10.
Check out the full list …
The Darryl F. Zanuck...
The guild selected 10 films — most of them common guesses for the group that could make up the Oscar list of the best films of 2012: Argo, Lincoln, Les Misérables, among others.
The one surprise: Skyfall. No 007 film has ever cracked the Best Picture list, but if this nomination is any indication, that could change when the Oscar nods are revealed Jan. 10.
Check out the full list …
The Darryl F. Zanuck...
- 1/2/2013
- by Anthony Breznican
- EW - Inside Movies
On Wednesday, the Producers' Guild of America announced the TV and digital nominees for the 24th Annual Producers Guild Awards. The winners will be announced in a ceremony on January 26, 2013 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. In addition to the nominees listed below, the PGA will present special honors to Bob and Harvey Weinstein, J.J. Abrams, and Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner.
The Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama:
"Breaking Bad" (AMC) Producers: Melissa Bernstein, Sam Catlin, Bryan Cranston, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Mark Johnson, Stewart Lyons, Michelle MacLaren, George Mastras, Diane Mercer, Thomas Schnauz, Moira Walley-Beckett
"Downton Abbey" (PBS) Producers: Julian Fellowes, Gareth Neame, Liz Trubridge
"Game of Thrones" (HBO) Producers: David Benioff, Bernadette Caulfield, Frank Doelger, Carolyn Strauss, D.B. Weiss
"Homeland" (Showtime) Producers: Henry Bromell, Alexander Cary, Michael Cuesta, Alex Gansa, Howard Gordon, Chip Johannessen, Michael Klick, Meredith Stiehm
"Mad Men" (AMC) Producers: Jon Hamm,...
The Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama:
"Breaking Bad" (AMC) Producers: Melissa Bernstein, Sam Catlin, Bryan Cranston, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Mark Johnson, Stewart Lyons, Michelle MacLaren, George Mastras, Diane Mercer, Thomas Schnauz, Moira Walley-Beckett
"Downton Abbey" (PBS) Producers: Julian Fellowes, Gareth Neame, Liz Trubridge
"Game of Thrones" (HBO) Producers: David Benioff, Bernadette Caulfield, Frank Doelger, Carolyn Strauss, D.B. Weiss
"Homeland" (Showtime) Producers: Henry Bromell, Alexander Cary, Michael Cuesta, Alex Gansa, Howard Gordon, Chip Johannessen, Michael Klick, Meredith Stiehm
"Mad Men" (AMC) Producers: Jon Hamm,...
- 11/28/2012
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
The Producers Guild of America has announced its annual award nominations, with Homeland and Downton Abbey both cracking the top category: the Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television.
The winners will be announced on January 26...
The Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama:
"Breaking Bad" (AMC)
"Downton Abbey" (PBS)
"Game of Thrones" (HBO)
"Homeland" (Showtime)
"Mad Men" (AMC)
The Danny Thomas Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Comedy:
"30 Rock" (NBC)
"The Big Bang Theory" (CBS)
"Curb Your Enthusiasm" (HBO)
"Louie" (FX)
"Modern Family" (ABC)
The Award for Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television:
"American Masters" (PBS)
"Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations" (Travel Channel)
"Deadliest Catch" (Discovery Channel)
"Inside the Actors Studio" (Bravo)
"Shark Tank" (ABC)
The Award for Outstanding Producer of Live Entertainment & Talk Television:
"The Colbert Report" (Comedy Central)
"Jimmy Kimmel Live" (ABC)
"Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (NBC)
"Real Time with Bill Maher...
The winners will be announced on January 26...
The Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama:
"Breaking Bad" (AMC)
"Downton Abbey" (PBS)
"Game of Thrones" (HBO)
"Homeland" (Showtime)
"Mad Men" (AMC)
The Danny Thomas Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Comedy:
"30 Rock" (NBC)
"The Big Bang Theory" (CBS)
"Curb Your Enthusiasm" (HBO)
"Louie" (FX)
"Modern Family" (ABC)
The Award for Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television:
"American Masters" (PBS)
"Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations" (Travel Channel)
"Deadliest Catch" (Discovery Channel)
"Inside the Actors Studio" (Bravo)
"Shark Tank" (ABC)
The Award for Outstanding Producer of Live Entertainment & Talk Television:
"The Colbert Report" (Comedy Central)
"Jimmy Kimmel Live" (ABC)
"Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (NBC)
"Real Time with Bill Maher...
- 11/28/2012
- by matt@mediavine.com (Matt Richenthal)
- TVfanatic
HBO’s Game of Thrones, Showtime’s Homeland, CBS’ Big Bang Theory and FX’s Louie were among the nominees in the top categories for the annual Producers Guild of America awards.
There’s a lot of overlap here with the 2012 Emmy award nominations, with a few exceptions: HBO’s Boardwalk Empire missed landing a slot for best drama series (there were six Emmy nominees and five for PGA). While on the comedy side, HBO’s Girls and Veep weren’t nominated, but Louie was. If you’re wondering why Comedy Central’s Emmy favorite The Daily Show with Jon Stewart...
There’s a lot of overlap here with the 2012 Emmy award nominations, with a few exceptions: HBO’s Boardwalk Empire missed landing a slot for best drama series (there were six Emmy nominees and five for PGA). While on the comedy side, HBO’s Girls and Veep weren’t nominated, but Louie was. If you’re wondering why Comedy Central’s Emmy favorite The Daily Show with Jon Stewart...
- 11/28/2012
- by James Hibberd
- EW - Inside TV
Gibney Exposes Suppression Of Truth Behind Ministerial Molestation
After taking a breather from feature hardline journalism with a series of lighter docs in Catching Hell, Magic Trip and The Last Gladiator, the prolific documentarian Alex Gibney returns to the austere with Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God, a film that begins with the personal tale of a religious school for the deaf that became the first public exemplification of pedophilia in the Catholic church, adroitly permeating the depths of cover-up within the organization, leading all the way to the apical seats of the Vatican. Impeccably researched and devastatingly tragic, Gibney’s latest is a magnificent deconstruction of organized crime rather than a blatant attack on religion as one might assume a film of this nature could become.
Starting back in the 1950s, Father Lawrence Murphy, an instructor and caretaker of children at the St. John’s School for the Deaf in St.
After taking a breather from feature hardline journalism with a series of lighter docs in Catching Hell, Magic Trip and The Last Gladiator, the prolific documentarian Alex Gibney returns to the austere with Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God, a film that begins with the personal tale of a religious school for the deaf that became the first public exemplification of pedophilia in the Catholic church, adroitly permeating the depths of cover-up within the organization, leading all the way to the apical seats of the Vatican. Impeccably researched and devastatingly tragic, Gibney’s latest is a magnificent deconstruction of organized crime rather than a blatant attack on religion as one might assume a film of this nature could become.
Starting back in the 1950s, Father Lawrence Murphy, an instructor and caretaker of children at the St. John’s School for the Deaf in St.
- 11/15/2012
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
Coming September 25, Espn Home Entertainment and Team Marketing will release the 30 for 30 Film Favorites Collection. Conveniently, the DVD is available for purchase just prior to the return of the widely acclaimed 30 for 30 series on Espn next month. The collection will appeal to sports enthusiasts and film fans alike, providing as it does well crafted films based on many of the most riveting sports stories of the past 30 years. Bonus: The Film Favorites include celebrated documentaries from Tff alums Alex Gibney (Catching Hell) and Jeff and Michael Zimbalist (The Two Escobars), both of which celebrated their premieres at the Tribeca Film Festival. In Catching Hell, Academy Award®-winning documentarian Gibney probes the tricky subject of sports curses and scapegoats, focusing on Chicago Cubs left fielder Moises Alou's inability to catch a crucial foul ball, a gaffe that robbed the star-crossed Cubbies of a chance to go to ...
- 9/12/2012
- TribecaFilm.com
Whether you're a sports nut or not, some of the finest documentaries of the past few years have been found on Espn's "30 For 30" series. Kicking off in October 2009 and ending in December 2010 (which about a dozen more films added in 2011), the endeavor gave feature filmmakers creative control to helm docs about any sports subject that they were interested in, and the tactic resulted in some very strong work. Some of the highlights that premiered on the channel included "The Two Escobars" by Jeff and Michael Zimbalist; "Catching Hell" by Alex Gibney; "Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks" by Dan Klores and much more. In short, the series has spawned some utterly fascinating stories, and the good news is, there's more on the way.
The network has announced a new batch of docs are on the way, and they will start airing this fall. The directors involved are yet to be announced,...
The network has announced a new batch of docs are on the way, and they will start airing this fall. The directors involved are yet to be announced,...
- 5/15/2012
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
I watched and reviewed almost all of Espn's "30 for 30" films, but since the documentary series relaunched last year under the simpler Espn Films banner, I have to admit I've lost track. I have DVDs of all of them, but "Fab Five" and "Catching Hell" were the only ones I actually found time for, unfortunately. This weekend's "The Announcement" (tomorrow at 9 p.m.), though, deals with one of my favorite athletes of all time, and with the story that literally made me watch Espn for the first time ever, so there was no way I was going to miss it....
- 3/10/2012
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Hitfix
Another year is coming to an end. Where does the time go? Seems the older I get the faster the time goes and there is no surer sign than that of me getting into the E-Reader game.
I finally broke down and bought a Kindle this year and no the world didn’t end. In fact I am very happy I did. I will first and foremost always love the feel of a real book; the fragrance, the crisp clean pages being turned and the weight of it gently held in my hands.
The Kindle has allowed me to read the back catalogs of many authors I love that I wouldn’t have otherwise been able afford to do. Plus, a lot of publishers and authors are sending me Kindle books for review, which is a lot better than Pdf’s. As I had to print the Pdf books out.
I finally broke down and bought a Kindle this year and no the world didn’t end. In fact I am very happy I did. I will first and foremost always love the feel of a real book; the fragrance, the crisp clean pages being turned and the weight of it gently held in my hands.
The Kindle has allowed me to read the back catalogs of many authors I love that I wouldn’t have otherwise been able afford to do. Plus, a lot of publishers and authors are sending me Kindle books for review, which is a lot better than Pdf’s. As I had to print the Pdf books out.
- 12/20/2011
- by Peter Schwotzer
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
The "Breaking Dawn Part I" madness has begun. The movie premiered in Rome on Sunday (Oct. 30) and while most of the cast was not on hand, stars Nikki Reed and Jackson Rathbone were there to not only walk the red carpet, but also participate in a Q&A session with the media and fans.
The premiere was part of the 6th annual International Rome Film Festival. Other films being screened at the festival include Michelle Williams' "My Week With Marilyn"; "Catching Hell," the story of Steve Bartman and the Chicago Cubs; "A Few Best Men," starring Xavier Samuel and Olivia Newton-John; and "Too Big to Fail," the chronicle of the 2008 financial crisis.
Richard Gere will also be receiving the Marcus Aurelius award to honor his film career. The festival kicked off Thursday, Oct. 27 and runs through Friday, Nov. 4.
"Breaking Dawn's" United States premiere will take place Monday, Nov.
The premiere was part of the 6th annual International Rome Film Festival. Other films being screened at the festival include Michelle Williams' "My Week With Marilyn"; "Catching Hell," the story of Steve Bartman and the Chicago Cubs; "A Few Best Men," starring Xavier Samuel and Olivia Newton-John; and "Too Big to Fail," the chronicle of the 2008 financial crisis.
Richard Gere will also be receiving the Marcus Aurelius award to honor his film career. The festival kicked off Thursday, Oct. 27 and runs through Friday, Nov. 4.
"Breaking Dawn's" United States premiere will take place Monday, Nov.
- 11/1/2011
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Pop2it
"Catching Hell" debuted Tuesday night (Sept. 27) on Espn as part of the sports channel's 30 for 30 documentary series. It detailed the events and aftermath of Steve Bartman's historic foul-ball catch during Game 6 of the 2003 Nlcs between the Chicago Cubs and Florida Marlins, a series the Cubs were leading 3 games to Florida's 2.
In case you are not aware, the Cubs were leading Game 6 3-0 in the eighth inning when a foul ball came towards the left-field line. Bartman (and several other spectators) went for the ball, as did left fielder Moises Alou. Bartman caught it - it was pretty much out of play for the outfielder. But Alou's angry reaction on the field was all it took for the fans to get murderously riled up, especially after the Marlins peeled off eight (eight!) runs that inning. Clearly, Bartman was solely to blame.
Bartman's life changed forever, hence the title of the documentary.
In case you are not aware, the Cubs were leading Game 6 3-0 in the eighth inning when a foul ball came towards the left-field line. Bartman (and several other spectators) went for the ball, as did left fielder Moises Alou. Bartman caught it - it was pretty much out of play for the outfielder. But Alou's angry reaction on the field was all it took for the fans to get murderously riled up, especially after the Marlins peeled off eight (eight!) runs that inning. Clearly, Bartman was solely to blame.
Bartman's life changed forever, hence the title of the documentary.
- 9/28/2011
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Pop2it
He wore glasses, a green turtleneck, and most damningly, Walkman headphones so he could listen to the Cubs’ historic pennant-clinching game on the radio. We would later find out that he was a computer consultant who still lived with his parents, but he looked like a little kid, which is what Fox announcer Steve Lyons initially thought he was. Steve Bartman, the 26-year-old Chicago Cubs fan who reached onto the field for what seemed like a meaningless foul ball in the eighth inning of Game 6 of the 2003 National League playoffs, fit a profile. Even his name — Bartman — seemed to contribute to making him a villain,...
- 9/27/2011
- by Jeff Labrecque
- EW.com - PopWatch
The saying goes that most documentary magic happens in the editing room. That’s an understatement for Magic Trip: Ken Kesey’s Search for a Kool Place, a found footage documentary assembled by Alex Gibney and Alison Ellwood.
Magic Trip takes us back to the cross-country road trip taken by Ken Kesey and his band of Merry Pranksters in their psychedelically painted bus, interchangeably called “Further” or “Furthur.” The trip was immortalized in Tom Wolfe’s pioneering work of New Journalism, The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test.
Fresh off the success of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Ken Kesey took the book’s proceeds to buy a bunch of film and audio equipment with which to film the Pranksters’ road trip to New York’s World Fair. For various reasons—not the least of which was their drug-induced state—that film never happened.
Working with over 100 hours of footage and even more audio,...
Magic Trip takes us back to the cross-country road trip taken by Ken Kesey and his band of Merry Pranksters in their psychedelically painted bus, interchangeably called “Further” or “Furthur.” The trip was immortalized in Tom Wolfe’s pioneering work of New Journalism, The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test.
Fresh off the success of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Ken Kesey took the book’s proceeds to buy a bunch of film and audio equipment with which to film the Pranksters’ road trip to New York’s World Fair. For various reasons—not the least of which was their drug-induced state—that film never happened.
Working with over 100 hours of footage and even more audio,...
- 8/14/2011
- by Daniel James Scott
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Espn will follow up on its critically hailed "30 for 30" series of documentaries with a new slate of films, including one on the infamous Steve Bartman game in the 2003 National League Championship Series, in the fall.
The Bartman movie, "Catching Hell," will kick off the fall run on Sept. 27. It's directed by Oscar winner Alex Gibney ("Taxi to the Dark Side") and will delve into why Chicago Cubs fans were so eager to make Bartman -- a fan who's blamed for costing the Cubs a World Series spot in 2003 (never mind that Cubs pitchers went on to give up eight runs in the same inning) -- a scapegoat. Gibney, a Red Sox fan, then looks at his own anger at Bill Buckner's gaffe in the 1986 World Series.
"Catching Hell" was initially scheduled to be part of "30 for 30" but was pushed back a couple times.
The Espn Films documentaries will air on successive Tuesdays through Nov.
The Bartman movie, "Catching Hell," will kick off the fall run on Sept. 27. It's directed by Oscar winner Alex Gibney ("Taxi to the Dark Side") and will delve into why Chicago Cubs fans were so eager to make Bartman -- a fan who's blamed for costing the Cubs a World Series spot in 2003 (never mind that Cubs pitchers went on to give up eight runs in the same inning) -- a scapegoat. Gibney, a Red Sox fan, then looks at his own anger at Bill Buckner's gaffe in the 1986 World Series.
"Catching Hell" was initially scheduled to be part of "30 for 30" but was pushed back a couple times.
The Espn Films documentaries will air on successive Tuesdays through Nov.
- 7/27/2011
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
After a successful run at the Tribeca Film Festival, Grave Encounters, The Vicious Brothers' funny and disturbing ride through the world of paranormal television, is about to play once more on the East Coast as part of the Tribeca Cinema Series at Caesars Atlantic City. Read on for the scoop!
From the Press Release
Caesars Atlantic City and the famed Tribeca Film Festival are bringing cinema to the sand with the return of the Tribeca Cinema Series at Caesars Atlantic City from Thursday, July 7th through Sunday, July 10th. Guests at the New Jersey Shore destination will get a sneak-peek at some of the year’s most anticipated films that have been presented at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City. All of the screenings are free to the public.
The Tribeca Cinema Series will redefine what it means to go to the movies with this unconventional and exciting event on the shore.
From the Press Release
Caesars Atlantic City and the famed Tribeca Film Festival are bringing cinema to the sand with the return of the Tribeca Cinema Series at Caesars Atlantic City from Thursday, July 7th through Sunday, July 10th. Guests at the New Jersey Shore destination will get a sneak-peek at some of the year’s most anticipated films that have been presented at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City. All of the screenings are free to the public.
The Tribeca Cinema Series will redefine what it means to go to the movies with this unconventional and exciting event on the shore.
- 6/30/2011
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
In Catching Hell, Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney explores the psychology of die-hard sports fans and scapegoating through the lens of two infamous moments in baseball history. Now available On Demand via Tribeca Film. At Game 6 of the 2003 National League Champion Series between the Chicago Cubs and the Florida Marlins, in a stadium of almost 40,000 rabid fans, a would-be foul ball found its way into the glove of one man - the soon-to-be-infamous Steve Bartman. Bartman, never again seen in public after that fateful night, became one more asterisk in the annals of sports history... Until Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side, Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer) made a movie about him and other famous scapegoats, including Bill Buckner, whose through-the-legs error was a pivotal plot point in yet another Game 6, this time in the 1986 World Series between the Boston Red Sox and ...
- 6/23/2011
- TribecaFilm.com
We're bringing you a summer of sports movies! Tribeca Film and Espn have teamed up to bring the best of independent sports films - movies about competition and sporting events around the world - to your living room. Today, for the first time, the Tribeca/Espn Sports Film Festival On Demand is available in over 40 million homes via VOD. Starting today, with support from Cadillac, Tribeca Film On Demand features a diverse range of sports films, with documentaries (and one narrative) about cricket, baseball, soccer, tennis and touch football. Four films are available On Demand from June 23 to August 25. Click each title to find out how/where to watch: Catching Hell Dir. Alex Gibney When Chicagoan Steve Bartman fatefully deflected a pop fly foul ball in Game 6 of the 2003 National League Championship, the city's long-suffering Cubs fans found someone new to blame for their cursed century without a World Series title.
- 6/23/2011
- TribecaFilm.com
Documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney just doesn’t stop. After winning the Oscar for Taxi to the Dark Side in 2008 he has released Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, Casino Jack and the United States of Money, My Trip to Al-Qaeda, Freakonomics, and Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer.
He recently premiered Magic Trip at Sundance and then his latest film, Catching Hell debuted at Tribeca just a few weeks ago. We now have the trailer for the former film, who he co-directed with Alison Ellwood. The film follows the 1964 expedition of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest author Ken Kesey on his drug-fueled road trip. It didn’t garner strong reviews at Sundance, but one can see the trailer below via Apple and the film later this summer on VOD and in theaters.
Synopsis:
In 1964, Ken Kesey, the famed author of “One...
He recently premiered Magic Trip at Sundance and then his latest film, Catching Hell debuted at Tribeca just a few weeks ago. We now have the trailer for the former film, who he co-directed with Alison Ellwood. The film follows the 1964 expedition of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest author Ken Kesey on his drug-fueled road trip. It didn’t garner strong reviews at Sundance, but one can see the trailer below via Apple and the film later this summer on VOD and in theaters.
Synopsis:
In 1964, Ken Kesey, the famed author of “One...
- 5/18/2011
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
By Sam Weisberg - May 5, 2011
Alex Gibney's riveting documentary "Catching Hell," part of Espn's "30 for 30" film series, centers on the ruthless scapegoating that high-strung, frenzied fans of ill-fated sports teams often resort to. It's about the ugly side of underdogs, about understandable but misplaced rage at avoidable—yet consistent—failure.
No sports movie will likely achieve the psychological depth that "Catching Hell" does any time soon, or the pathos. The variety of subjects Gibney interviews is staggering—from sportscasters to authors like Scott Turow to former Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs players. And they all share a common, hilarious humility, the instinct for anticipating the death knell that's been sounded at all too many near-victory playoff and World Series games.
During Game 6 of 2003's National League Championship Series, Steve Bartman, a meek, turtleneck-wearing Cubs fan, tried to catch a foul ball hit by the Florida Marlins' Luis Castillo,...
Alex Gibney's riveting documentary "Catching Hell," part of Espn's "30 for 30" film series, centers on the ruthless scapegoating that high-strung, frenzied fans of ill-fated sports teams often resort to. It's about the ugly side of underdogs, about understandable but misplaced rage at avoidable—yet consistent—failure.
No sports movie will likely achieve the psychological depth that "Catching Hell" does any time soon, or the pathos. The variety of subjects Gibney interviews is staggering—from sportscasters to authors like Scott Turow to former Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs players. And they all share a common, hilarious humility, the instinct for anticipating the death knell that's been sounded at all too many near-victory playoff and World Series games.
During Game 6 of 2003's National League Championship Series, Steve Bartman, a meek, turtleneck-wearing Cubs fan, tried to catch a foul ball hit by the Florida Marlins' Luis Castillo,...
- 5/4/2011
- by Screen Comment
- Screen Comment
Few documentary filmmakers’ careers are as fascinating to follow as that of Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room), and that’s not just because of the consistent quality of his films, but because of the astonishing rate at which he produces them. In the midst of three other projects — an untitled Wikileaks documentary in pre-production; The Road Back, about Lance Armstrong, in post-production; and the newly completed Magic Bus, about Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters — Gibney was at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival with his sports documentary Catching Hell, which will premiere on Espn as part of its 30 for 30 series.
Catching Hell explores the terrifying phenomenon of fan scapegoating as it manifested itself in the 2003 World Series between the Chicago Cubs and the Florida Marlins. After diehard Cubs fan, Steve Bartman, diverted a foul ball from outfielder Moisés Alou’s grasp,...
Catching Hell explores the terrifying phenomenon of fan scapegoating as it manifested itself in the 2003 World Series between the Chicago Cubs and the Florida Marlins. After diehard Cubs fan, Steve Bartman, diverted a foul ball from outfielder Moisés Alou’s grasp,...
- 5/1/2011
- by Daniel Scott
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
The Tribeca Film Festival continues on through this weekend, but awards were announced Thursday night in New York for the tenth edition of the festival, making it so that New York audiences will have at least one more chance to see all the winners this Sunday May 1st. These films include Best World Narrative Feature "She Monkeys," a Swedish drama set in the world of equestrian acrobatics where a competition between two young women transcends mere rivalry, and Best Documentary "Bombay Beach," a elegiac look at the denizens of the dusty seaside California town.
Individual honors in the World Narrative Competition also went to Ramadhan "Shami" Bizimana for Best Actor in the Rwandan drama "Grey Matter" (which also picked up a Special Jury Mention for its writer/director Kivu Ruhorahoza), "Black Book" star Carice van Houten for Best Actress in "Black Butterflies," Luisa Tillinger for Best Cinematography in "Artificial Paradises,...
Individual honors in the World Narrative Competition also went to Ramadhan "Shami" Bizimana for Best Actor in the Rwandan drama "Grey Matter" (which also picked up a Special Jury Mention for its writer/director Kivu Ruhorahoza), "Black Book" star Carice van Houten for Best Actress in "Black Butterflies," Luisa Tillinger for Best Cinematography in "Artificial Paradises,...
- 5/1/2011
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
Updated through 4/30.
"At first it was about neighborhood," begins Eric Hynes in the Voice. "Then it was about stars, parties, and supersizing. But finally, for its 10th incarnation, the Tribeca Film Festival (April 20-May 1) seems to be about movies. Gone are the superfluous, attention-sucking Hollywood premieres (Tom Cruise on a Jet Ski, anyone?), and few are the big-name, low-quality vanity projects. Several years into a vital slimming of the slate — the fest topped out at 176 films in 2005; this year, it's a manageable 93 — Tff remains New York's largest film survey."
To celebrate Tribeca's 10th, we're running a retrospective of some of the best films the festival's shown over the past decade here at Mubi. Happy viewing.
"A notoriously uneven assemblage of titles, Tribeca aspires toward something like a mini Toronto, but despite, in recent years, bringing such important films as Jia Zhangke's Still Life and Mohammad Rasoulof's The White Meadows...
"At first it was about neighborhood," begins Eric Hynes in the Voice. "Then it was about stars, parties, and supersizing. But finally, for its 10th incarnation, the Tribeca Film Festival (April 20-May 1) seems to be about movies. Gone are the superfluous, attention-sucking Hollywood premieres (Tom Cruise on a Jet Ski, anyone?), and few are the big-name, low-quality vanity projects. Several years into a vital slimming of the slate — the fest topped out at 176 films in 2005; this year, it's a manageable 93 — Tff remains New York's largest film survey."
To celebrate Tribeca's 10th, we're running a retrospective of some of the best films the festival's shown over the past decade here at Mubi. Happy viewing.
"A notoriously uneven assemblage of titles, Tribeca aspires toward something like a mini Toronto, but despite, in recent years, bringing such important films as Jia Zhangke's Still Life and Mohammad Rasoulof's The White Meadows...
- 4/30/2011
- MUBI
Although it contains a whirlwind of talking heads, Alex Gibney's thoughtful baseball documentary "Catching Hell" lacks the one subject who provides its topic: Steven Bartman, the meek Chicago Cubs fan whose ill-fated grab for a foul ball during a pivotal 2003 game arguably played a role in the team's failure to reach the World Series. Witnessed by millions on live television and replayed untold times since then, Bartman's sudden bad ...
- 4/28/2011
- Indiewire
Alex Gibney's latest documentary, "Catching Hell," will no doubt appeal to the Espn crowd (the film is presented by the network), but I think it's best enjoyed by people who find sports rather silly. Or, not sports themselves but the hardcore fans and media, both of which nearly ruin baseball and other such athletic entertainments for us casual enthusiasts. I don't want to seem holier than thou or hate on the sports obsessed in general. But I do think a lot of people take sports too seriously, and this film really highlights the oftentimes ridiculous and occasionally violent nature of…...
- 4/27/2011
- Spout
Jiro and his fellow sushi chefs in the documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi. Courtesy of Sundial Pictures. It’s been an eclectic, somewhat low-key year at the Tribeca Film Festival, in which some of the more interesting viewing options have been the documentary selections. Sadly, we missed Catching Hell, Alex Gibney’s doc about the scourge of fan rage, but on the eco-friendly side, we did manage to fit in Chris Paine’s riveting documentary sequel, Revenge of the Electric Car, which boasted the richest cast of quirky, compelling characters at Tribeca.
- 4/27/2011
- Vanity Fair
As long as the Chicago Cubs are baseball's perennial losers, people will remember Steve Bartman and what he did on October 13, 2003. And that picture above is just how they'll remember him: Cubs hat, black sweatshirt, dorky green turtleneck, even dorkier headphones so he could listen to the game on the radio. How could they remember him any other way? After the fateful night when he got between Cubs left fielder Moises Alou and a catchable foul ball and set off a chain of events that led to the Cubs' implosion in the National League Championship Series and made him the target of an entire city's hatred, Bartman dropped off the face of the Earth. A lifelong, die-hard Cubs fan, Bartman issued an apology to Alou, the Cubs, and even old players like Ron Santo and Ernie Banks, then never spoke publicly about the incident again. It's as if he felt...
- 4/26/2011
- by Matt Singer
- ifc.com
Getty Director Alex Gibney
Everyone needs a scapegoat.
Whether it was Boston Red Sox player Bill Buckner in the ’86 World Series or ill-fated Cubs fan Steve Bartman at the National League playoffs in Chicago 2003, sports fans have always found a way to blame single individuals for their team’s losses.
“Catching Hell,” a new documentary from Oscar-winner Alex Gibney that premiered over the weekend at the Tribeca Film Festival, investigates how these men were made pariahs, and ultimately finds its own culprits: namely,...
Everyone needs a scapegoat.
Whether it was Boston Red Sox player Bill Buckner in the ’86 World Series or ill-fated Cubs fan Steve Bartman at the National League playoffs in Chicago 2003, sports fans have always found a way to blame single individuals for their team’s losses.
“Catching Hell,” a new documentary from Oscar-winner Alex Gibney that premiered over the weekend at the Tribeca Film Festival, investigates how these men were made pariahs, and ultimately finds its own culprits: namely,...
- 4/26/2011
- by Anthony Kaufman
- Speakeasy/Wall Street Journal
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