Last time I published a movie list I had a lot of time to enjoy them. While I still occasionally take afternoon naps, it’s really only out of habit rather than need. So I don’t have nearly the time to spare now, but have seen all these films over the last few months just to make sure. Lets be clear I’m a long way from being fully up to speed and while not every day is better than the one before it, the trend is certainly in the correct direction.
So with a tip of the hat to the dreadful film (Bad Teacher) that started my whole movie list thing I present my favorite 10 sporting films.
Slapshot – this would find a place on both my best sports movies and best comedies lists. Who can forget the Hanson brothers, Killer Carlson and of course the appearance of the legend himself, Ogie Ogilthorpe? The best part, they are all based on real people that played in minor league hockey.
Le Mans – If this film does not get your blood pumping there is an issue. It’s not about the dialogue, the story or even Steve McQueen. It’s about the glorious eye-candy (Porsche 917s and Ferrari 512s). The whole movie is summed up in one of McQueen lines “When you’re racing, it… it’s life. Anything that happens before or after… is just waiting.”
Raging Bull – Rewatched this one recently and liked it far more second time round. The boxing scenes are brutal, the self-destruction of Jake LaMotta even more so. De Niro is (of course) brilliant as the unsympathetic boxer and Scorsese filming of the boxing from the ring earned him all sorts of deserved accolades (and an Oscar).