Monday, January 22, 2018

What makes a great Sports movie?

(0:36-end mark from the theme from the final season of American Gladiators original run play the camera moves back to see James on top of the slab with the words “The Last Of The Americans” on it before cutting to James physically in his office)

TLOTA:
I'm James Faraci The Last Of The Americans and The views I'm about to express are that of my own and some of yours. Watching all these movies about sports, the Olympics and everything else I noticed something of a formula. (Cut to different sports movies as James does a voiceover)

TLOTA (Voiceover):
And that's not a bad thing. Sometimes you need a good formula to a movie format. In the case of Sports movies there is usually either an underdog or a team of underdogs that are looked upon as jokes but slowly but surely are seen as equals with the exception of those who have been champions for so long everyone of the opponents is so beneath them they go through everyone without effort except the hard working underdogs who somehow found the right element that beats the champions and knocks them back to earth. Whether it'd be a wise mentor or something internal the underdogs find themselves sometimes rising beyond and becoming champs themselves. Now when it works, it's awesome and we get movies like "Rocky", "Creed", "The Bad News Bears" (The Original), "The Mighty Ducks", "Cool Runnings", "Miracle", "Angels In The Outfield" (Both the original and the remake with Christopher Lloyd) and others in the same vein. But when it goes bad it's the same as "Air Bud" movies, the "Bad News Bears" remake and the sequels to the "Angels In The Outfield" remake. (Cut to James physically)

TLOTA:
So when does the formula work and when doesn't it work.
(Cut to different sports movies as James does a voiceover)

TLOTA (Voiceover):
Part of it depends on the story. If the story isn't good then you can put in the best sport possible and it wouldn't matter because no one will buy it. Speaking of the sport, it has to be one that can get into easily , If it's something like say Racquets then the audience might not get what it's about and it could alienate the audience you were supposed to aim for and Also the characters have to be relatable even the stuck up champions have to relatable. That's why I not only liked Rocky but the villains had there likable moments even as someone as cartoonish and one dimensional as say George Washington Duke was likably bad. (Cut to James physically)

TLOTA:
But that's not what's entirely necessary to a movie's success. The audience has to be willing to accept that this movie will not be what they think it is. (Cut to the first Rocky movie as James does a voiceover)

TLOTA (Voiceover):
One of the reasons why the first Rocky movie was a success wasn't the fact the sport was the center of the movie. The focus was on Rocky and how he was before the offer of the shot to take on Apollo Creed for the championship and how he and the people react when he gets the shot and conversely how Apollo reacts or doesn't react as Rocky takes the match seriously. There's also how everyone is surprised to see how the two went the distance and for Rocky THAT was more worth it than winning the championship. (Cut to James physically)

TLOTA:
However, the formula is very easy to screw up under the wrong circumstances. (Show clips of Air Bud and it's multitude of sequels as James does a voiceover)

TLOTA (Voiceover):
The reason we can suspend our disbelief towards certain things in the Air Bud movies is yeah a basketball playing dog is something I can see. But when the sequels put him in crazier scenarios yeah even the most hardcore Sports movie fan is looking at this franchise while goofy fun does tend to wear a bit thin on the nerves of even the most casual film fan. (Cut to James physically)

TLOTA:
So is there a way to make every sports fan and movie fan happy with sports movies? Well, it depends on the movie itself. (Cut to clips of Sports movies as James does a voiceover)

TLOTA (Voiceover):
It has to be a sport that people not only know about but love, know about or want to know about and get into. The characters must be likable even the antagonists of the movie. The story must support the characters and the sport without making the sport the center of the movie. The finale must either be supportive to the heroes whether they win or not. The audience also has be invested in everything with what is going on with the characters. I know it sounds basic but that is what makes not only a great sports movie but great movies in general. If you can do that while keeping the formula fresh, there's no reason why you can't please everyone who love sports and movies. Just keep the formula fresh enough to keep everyone coming and keep some sports stars away from La-La Land. We've got plenty of them in the acting game as is. (Cut to James physically)

TLOTA:
I'm James Faraci The Last Of The Americans and that's my opinion.

Monday, January 8, 2018

Live to Win-Ter: The "Miracle" of The Olympics


(Scene starts as James straps on snowboarding gear and snowboarding down a mountain before cutting to John Santos, Mike Santos, Eric Kurtzke as they do curling Paulo Fonseca, Nick Yaun, Andrew Beach and Ed Champion as they hit the ice in Team USA Hockey gear before seeing Renee Miller and Rebecca Yaun in a two-person Bobsled careening through the course before seeing Olivia Horvath and Brenda Fonseca team up in pair of choreographed ice skating as they do a matching flying triple salchow and land next to everyone on top of the Olympic Podium as they all raise their Gold Medals before the raising of the American flag is seen and as the flag waves the words “Live To Win-Ter” is seen as 2:20-3:09 of “Live To Win” by Paul Stanley plays in the foreground before cutting to James in his office.)
TLOTA:
I’m James Faraci The Last Of The Americans and the views I’m about to express are that of my own and some of yours. With the Winter Olympics around the bend I figured it’d be a good thing to toss my hand into the Olympic Arena and talk about some Olympic Sports movies. (Cut to clips of different Olympic Sports Movies as James does a voiceover)
TLOTA (Voiceover):
You know those movies with the tales of either Underdogs facing insurmountable odds or the champions trying to regain one last glimpse of glory at the grandest sports event of the Winter every four years which is half way through the Presidential term so for those fearing how much longer Trump will be in office just another two years everyone! But I digress, For the next three months I will be talking about some stories featuring characters winning or coming close to winning the Gold and most of these movies though based on real life events that happened at the Winter Olympics will be judged as movies NOT as how the stories went in real life. (Cut to James physically)
TLOTA:
And one of those stories happened just at a point where Patriotism was at an all time low and our Country had been hurt and we were on the verge of nuclear war. Hmm, not much has changed in the nearly forty years since that has happened. Wow. Forty years. Time flies. (Cut to images of newspapers and stories and images of the 1979-1980 point in time leading to the “Miracle On Ice” as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (Voiceover):
By 1979 President Carter had made the statement of our country being in a state of Malaise. Even worse was the fact that the American Embassy in Iran had been taken over and all those insides were held hostage. While Cinemas were showing movies that were showing things getting better. The reality was far grimmer with The Cold War getting about as bad as it could get without nuclear weapons getting involved. Even in our Olympic sports we were looked upon as jokes. We couldn’t strike gold if we were in Fort Knox! That is until a member of the last team to win Gold for the United States in Hockey who was cut became the coach for the 1980 Winter Olympic Hockey Team. That man was Herb Brooks and instead going with name players from established teams. Brooks decided to use fresh faced College kids. Through rigorous training and dedication and some great wins and humiliating losses before the 1980 Winter Olympics opening February 14th, 1980. Team USA led by Coach Brooks made the Miracle on Ice happen February 22nd, 1980 one of the most Iconic moments in the history of the Olympics and a sign that things were going to be better in the 1980s. Making people believe in Miracles again and giving people a glimmer of hope in the process. While we did come up third in total Medal count the story behind the Miracle on Ice remains one of the most interesting ones to this day. (Cut to James physically)
TLOTA:
Perfect fare for a Disney Sports movie! (Cut to title card of “Miracle” before cutting to clips of the movie as James does a voiceover while “Dream On” by Aerosmith plays in the foreground)
TLOTA (Voiceover):
And unlike another movie bio, this had two things going for it.  The First one being Herb Brooks being the creative consultant and secondly EFFORT in making it the most honest and true to real life events. But will it recapture the Miracle, or will it be yet another New York Jets Season.  (Cut to James Physically)
TLOTA:
 Let’s start our Olympic Winter Festival with “Miracle” (Cut to the movie as James does a voiceover)
TLOTA (Voiceover):
As the credits roll we’re given very brief glimpses of the political and social issues that somehow have become more pertinent now than when the moments happened. We’re soon introduced to Herb Brooks played by one of the most awesomest men ever to walk the earth Kurt Russell as Herb is coaching at the University Of Minnesota when the call for a coach for Team USA in the 1980’s Winter Olympics in Lake Placid New York. Herb is a little reluctant given the fact he was cut a week before the 1960’s Olympic team were to play and in all honesty, I don’t blame Herb for having the taste of Sour Grapes in his mouth. (Cut to James physically as everyone else off screen says “STOP!” before cutting to James meeting up with the others in the lobby)
TLOTA:
What do you guys mean by “STOP!”? (Cut to everyone else)
Paulo Fonseca:
We know where this is heading.
Brenda Fonseca:
The same spiel about Hollywood.
John Ross Santos:
And how they’re the enemy
Mike Santos:
And how they’ll never change because guys like you and The Nostalgia Critic, The Cinema Snob, Alex DeCourville, Antoni Mattei Garcia, Rowdy, Linkara, Viga, everyone with a Keyboard or a camera and an opinion that opposes Hollywood’s ways of doing things are the enemy and how Hollywood isn’t gonna be happy until Internet Reviewers are wiped off the map.
Olivia Horvath:
So much so we’ve compilated every single rant that is anti-Hollywood and we have decided to compile a lost of your top five complaints about Hollywood. (Cut to James)
TLOTA:
Right here? Right now? (Cut to everyone else)
Team TLOTA (In Unison):
Why not? (Cut to a very upset James as he is in Boxing gear and facing off with a Star as Hollywood Premiere music plays in the background before the words “Top 5 The Last Of The Americans Anti-Hollywood Rants” before cutting to everyone in Team TLOTA.)
Paulo Fonseca:
Number Five: You and Hollywood are Politically incompatible
Brenda Fonseca:
We’re all aware that you are a Conservative Republican and in Hollywood terms you might as well be wearing a Swastika and carrying a copy of Mein Kampf. While there are a few Republicans in the entertainment industry they’re relegated to being made into jokes. Considering that a lot of your values come from here in Sullivan County New York it’s no surprise you don’t see eye to eye with Hollywood.
John Santos:
Number Four: Hollywood is age intolerant
Mike Santos:
You are nearly 40. People rarely as old as you get a break for someone around your nieces ages they would get a break easier and as you get older the odds mount against you so much a snowball in hell have a better chance. Let’s face it Hollywood would soon have you play grandparent roles than leading man or even second banana characters. If you were to have gone to Hollywood in your early teens, you would’ve stood a modicum of a chance. Now not so much.
Rebecca Yaun:
Number Three: Hollywood has NO concept of the real world
Nick Yaun:
According to you Hollywood is so far up its own ass it couldn’t see daylight if they found a way to find it on a GPS. Also, according to you they don’t see anything outside of itself. I can honestly say we’ve seen enough of that not only from your perspective but from all the news outlets siding with Hollywood in wanting not only Donald Trump Impeached but also all of us bowing before either terrorist from the Middle East or North Korea. Seeing men like you being made to be left saying “DUH!” sans any way of defending yourself and being led to slaughter like Cattle! If Hollywood were running the country, we’d never see what evil is out there.
Eric Kurtzke:
Number Two: Hollywood is a big city
Renee Miller:
You prefer being lost in the woods with your hunting rifle or a fishing rod than being a big city. You would be SO uncomfortable. You’d go crazy from being stuck in a city with a few hundred million people so quickly even your ancestors’ spirits’ heads would spin so FREAKING FAST they’d have no idea what happened.
Olivia Horvath:
And your Number One Anti-Hollywood Rant is…
Everyone except James (In Unison):
YOU’RE AN INTERNET REVIEWER AND HOLLYWOOD HATES THE INTERNET!
Ed Champion:
Hollywood Hates the internet unless Hollywood can milk the cash out of them quickly then send them back into the ether of the obscurity just as quickly. Poor Lucas Cruikshank became such a pop culture phenomenon with “Fred Figglehorn” Nickelodeon got three movies and a series from Lucas until they tried to put him in their network series sans any creative control like they did when they gave Fred and more of their tired old garbage of their current live action series.
Andrew Beach:
And of course Hollywood isn’t gonna be happy until every single Internet Reviewer like yourself, The Nostalgia Critic, Linkara, Alex DeCourville, Huey Toonmore, Rowdy, The Hardcore Kid, Antoni Matei Garcia and every single one of you guys are taken off YouTube for critics who Hollywood bought so even their worst movie is the best movie they ever saw. Disney bought Blip just to kill it off and since then every one of you have been limping on hoping to God something as good as Blip was comes to save the Internet Reviewer community. I mean now we have an Internet Creators Guild but that won’t stop Hollywood to try to use as much Political Muscle they can use to force everyone off. But until Hollywood sees that you are not the enemy. You are going to attack Hollywood for attacking your fellow internet reviewing friends and until Hollywood is forced to see the Real World, Accept Conservative Republicans in their 30’s, not be as big they are and somehow not see the Internet Reviewers and entertainers as evil we get it!
Everyone except James (In Unison):
As far as you’re concerned if Hollywood was wiped off the map. The world would be a better place! (Cut to James)
TLOTA:
Okay, can I get back to the review? (Cut to everyone else)
Olivia Horvath:
Yeah
Andrew Beach:
Sure
Ed Champion:
Go right ahead. It’s just being around you we kind of knew what you were thinking. (Cut to James)
TLOTA:
That’s scary. (Cut to the movie as James does a voiceover)
TLOTA (Voiceover):
Herb tells the Olympic Committee what he intends to do with the team for the United States when the Olympics come to Lake Placid and the Committee is impressed enough to give the Herb the job to coach the United Stated Olympic Hockey Team. Quickly getting his assistant coach and his team together but it’s not all sunshine and roses for the team as Coach Brooks tells the team his honest opinions and introduces an exercise known as “Herbies” until they dropped. (Cut to James physically)
TLOTA:
Now I know what many of you are thinking. Wasn’t that too much. Well me and my team do a team building exercise like that. (Cut to James and his team making strides from James’ home’s back porch to the far end of the Neversink Reservoir as everyone huffs and puffs James says “Just keep moving. We’ll be back soon enough and remember Pain is just God’s way of telling you to try harder” before cutting to 0:36-end mark from the theme from the final season of American Gladiators original run play the camera moves back to see James on top of the slab with the words “The Last Of The Americans” on it act as the commercial break intro and return to the review as it cuts to the movie as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (Voiceover):
After noticing his team was distracted during an exhibition game in Norway which ended in a tie. Herb made the team get back on the ice doing the “Herbies” until Mike Eruzione tells Coach Brooks that he and the team play for one place. (Show Mike Eruzione saying his name and that he plays for the United States before cutting to James physically.)
TLOTA:
Well that’s one way to say to your coach we’re ready to unite and open a can of Whoop-Ass. (Cut to the movie as James does a voiceover)
TLOTA (Voiceover):
While the movie omits the moment that had the US Team winning against the Russian second string in a championship game. It does show the team getting their backsides handed to them at Madison Square Garden by the Soviets as the Soviets won 10 to 3 and I’m willing to bet I know how the crowd handled the loss. (Cut to a bar as the patrons played by everyone on Team TLOTA are cheering the Downfall of the American dream as the character played by James starts drinking a bottle of Whiskey and falls as everyone else laughs before cutting to the movie as James continues his voiceover.)
But the time has come for the 1980 Olympics and as the US Team struggle against Sweden, but they tie and then go through Czechoslovakia, Norway, Romania and West Germany to make it to the Medal Round. Still feeling the hurting from the MSG manslaughter, they took that and turned it into inspiration as with split seconds left in the first period for the team Mark Johnson rebounds a shot from Soviet Goalie Vladislav Tretiak.  After the first round Tretiak is benched for Vladimir Myshkin as he takes them on ending the second period in a 3-2 lead in favor of the Soviets. Then came the mythic third and final period as Mark Johnson ties it up as a penalty that gave the US Team a man advantage. Later Mike Eruzione whose name means “Eruption” in English caused one with the game winning score, and then… (Show ending of the game through the movie as Al Michaels shouts “DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES?! YEAH!” as 0:13-1:56 from “The Final Bell” in the Rocky Soundtrack plays as we see everyone getting excited and cheering before cutting to the movie as James continues his voiceover)
And as Team USA wins against Finland to seal the Miracle on Ice. The movie ends as Coach Herb Brooks waxes philosophic on what happened and a dedication to Herb Brooks who died after Principal Photography ended. (Cut to James physically)
TLOTA:
And that was “Miracle” and guess what, made me believe in Miracles again! (Cut to clips of the movie as James does a voiceover while “Dream On” by Aerosmith plays in the foreground)
TLOTA (Voiceover):
While it does take liberties, it doesn’t water down what truly happened for the most part and it could’ve easily done that. The acting is amazing especially from the one and only awesome Kurt Russell. Give it a watch for a trip down Memory Lane for those who were there, and you remember the good points as well as the bad I hope it helped you and if you have kids or grandkids, it’s a good motivation to get them to believe in Miracles again. (Cut to James physically)
TLOTA:
But our Olympian Movie Marathon has just begun I’m… (A knock on the door is heard as James looks around before looking down and seeing a folded-up message which James reads and sees the words “YOU WILL BE… DELETED!” before cutting to James going back into his office)