Tag: Jon Voight

  • Since it is Super Bowl LIII weekend, here are TailSlate’s Ten Favorite Football movies

    Since it is Super Bowl LIII weekend, here are TailSlate’s Ten Favorite Football movies

    Movies about football have been around almost as long as the game itself. The first professional football player signed a contract to be paid to play in 1892. In 1921, Two Minutes to Go was the first movie about the game.

    Here, in no particular order are our 10 favorite films primarily about football.

    Billy Bob Thornton in Friday Night Lights

    2004 saw the first of several movies on this list that are based on real-life events. Friday Night Lights began as a non-fiction book titled Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team and A Dream. Written by H. G. Bissinger, it told the story of the Permian High Panthers, a team from Odessa, TX. The book is a great read and so is After Fright Night Lights, which tells the story of how the author stayed involved in the life of one of the team’s star players.

    Burt Reynolds in The Longest Yard

    A lot of folks find the 2005 remake of The Longest Yard funny. I am one of them. But the 1974 original is a terrific film. Burt Reynolds stars as “Paul ‘Wrecking’ Crewe” the former NFL quarterback and MVP who was drummed out of the league for point shaving. He is forced by the prison warden (Eddie Albert) to organize a team of prisoners to provide the semi-pro team of prison guards with a tune-up game.

    Gene Hackman and Keanu Reeves in The Replacements

    2000’s The Replacements was about a group of men recruited to replace the players of the fictional Washington Sentinels team, who had gone out on strike. Gene Hackman was the team’s coach and Keanu Reeves played “Shane Falco” a former superstar college quarterback whose star faded quickly after a dismal performance in the Sugar Bowl. Great characters and funnier than the critics made it out to be.

    Kris Kristofferson and Burt Reynolds in Semi-Tough

    Some contend that one of the reasons that EST disappeared was how the 1977 film Semi-Tough skewered it mercilessly. Starring Burt Reynolds and Kris Kristofferson as teammates on a pro team in Miami who share a home with the team owner’s daughter, played by Jill Clayburgh. It was the final on-screen appearance of actress Lotte Lenya, best known for portraying “Rosa Klebb” in the Bond film From Russia With Love.

    Will Patton and Denzel Washington in Remember the Titans

    In 1971, all high school students in the city of Alexandria, VA were integrated into one high school. Herman Boone, a highly successful high school football coach was hired to be the school’s head coach that year. His being a black man was a major issue for many in the area. This true story was turned into the 2000 film Remember the Titans. Denzel Washington portrayed Herman Boone and won that year’s NAACP Image Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture.

    Knute Rockne, All American came out in 1940 and originated a phrase that endures to this day.

    Yes, that is Ronald Reagan in the role that caused reporters covering his 1980 presidential campaign to label him “The Gipper.” The movie is a bio-pic of the life of Knute Rockne, played in the film by Pat O’Brien. George Gipp was the first Notre Dame football player ever named to the All-American team.

    Matthew McConaughey in We Are Marshall

    Like every other facet of life, there are tragedies in football. On November 14, 1970, a chartered aircraft carrying 70 players, coaches and boosters of the Marshall University’s Thundering Herd football team crashed. They and all five flight crew members were killed. It remains the worst tragedy involving a sports team in U.S. history. The acting university president, Donald Dedmon strongly considered ending the program, but he was convinced to let it go on. Jack Lengyel was hired on as the new coach. In the movie We Ae Marshall, David Straithairn plays Dedmon and Matthew McConaughey gives an inspired performance as Lengyel.

    Greg Kinnear and Mark Wahlberg in Invincible

    The 2006 movie Invincible is based on how a Philadelphia bartender named Vince Papale became a local hero when he earned a spot on the roster of the Philadelphia Eagles football team in 1975. Like other films based on real-life events, there is some dramatic license taken. That doesn’t make this story of overcoming oppressive odds any less engaging. Greg Kinnear plays Dick Vermeil, head coach of the Eagles. Elizabeth Banks plays Janet Cantrell, who would go on to become Vince’s third wife.

    James Van Der Beek and Jon Voight in Varsity Blues

    Like Friday Night Lights, 1999’s Varsity Blues is a look at high school football in Texas. The difference is that this isn’t a fictionalized version of a true story, but a dramedy that generates laughs while looking into just how far some are willing to go to achieve victory. Jon Voight is the high school football coach who will stop at nothing to win another title. Paul Walker plays the star quarterback who suffers a career ending injury. That thrusts Paul Walker’s “Mox” into the role of quarterback. Scott Caan is a wide receiver who drinks beer before and after making great pass receptions. While Varsity Blues is all about high school football, it might be best remembered for Ali Larter in a bikini made of only whipped cream.

    Rick Moranis and Ed O’Neill in Little Giants

    While Ed O’Neill portrayed a fictional football hero on television’s Married With Children, you wouldn’t think he and Rick Moranis would be the leads in a movie about football. But they were. 1994’s Little Giants is a feel-good film about pee-wee football. O’Neill and Moranis are brothers and the daughter of Moranis’ character is played by Shana Waldron. She tries out for the team coached by O’Neill’s character and is cut solely because she is a girl. She convinces her father to start a new team for her and to coach it.

    While they didn’t make our top ten, honorable mentions go to Gridiron Gang, Undefeated and The Waterboy.

  • ‘Pride and Glory’ is not glorious to watch

    ‘Pride and Glory’ is not glorious to watch

    Colin Farrell and Edward Norton in ‘Pride and Glory’

    Sadly there is very little glory or pride to be found in Gavin O’Connor’s Pride and Glory. an attempt at a gritty New York City police crime drama involving a family with a deep history of service wearing the blue uniforms of NYPD’s Finest.

    Starring two time Academy Award nominee Edward Norton (Primal Fear, American History X), Colin Farrell, Noah Emmerich and Academy Award winner Jon Voight (who has three nominations to go along with his win for Coming Home), this is a movie with a stellar cast of talented actors.  Add a director (O’Connor) who has achieved success both critically (Tumbleweeds) and commercially (Miracle) and yet with all of that going for it, Pride and Glory doesn’t live up to its promise.

    The story is simple enough. While the key players are occupied elsewhere, four street cops under the command of “Sgt Jimmy Egan” (Farrell), who is under the command of “Inspector Francis Tierney Jr”., (Emmerich), who is trying to make it into the upper echelons of the NYPD brass and follow in the footsteps of his father, “Chief Francis Tierney Sr.” (Voight). The problem is, there are problems with the situation involving the deaths of these cops and as the truth begins to come to light, there are questions coming up that no one wants to try to answer.

    Worse yet, it is “Detective Ray Tierney” (Norton) who is asked by his father to join the task force investigating these killings.  He was put into a dead end job after a scandal where he took the fall for something and someone else to protect other cops.  This may be a way back into the good graces of the police powers that be.  In any event he has no choice about taking this case, his former partner is among the four victims. The further that Ray digs, the worse things look for Jimmy and Ray’s investigation is something that both his father and older brother would like to see “handled” to protect Jimmy.

    Edward Norton and Jon Voight in ‘Pride and Glory’

    That is because Jimmy happens to be married to the sister of Ray and Francis Jr., and if things are not complicated enough, Francis Junior’s ability to properly supervise his command is being severely hampered by the fact that his own wife is terminally ill with a debilitating disease that means the upcoming holiday season is probably their last together.

    As always, Edward Norton is excellent. He brings nuance and perspective to every role I’ve ever seen him in and I continue to be amazed as his ability to transcend ordinary material. He is among the best actors of his generation and I wish he would work more and take on more challenging roles. In pedestrian fare like this, his talents are lost among the plodding plot, overly burdened characters and a story that asks its characters to take on loyalty at levels not normally found in real life, even among cops.

    This movie had a lot of potential before it was made. To quote Linus Van Pelt, “there is no heavier burden than a great potential.”  Pride and Glory did not handle that burden well.

  • What went wrong with ‘Tomb Raider’?

    Angelina Jolie is Lara Croft in ‘Tomb Raider’

    Imagine this: You have one of the most successful and recognized computer game character in the world. You think, “Hey, let’s make a movie out of it.”

    One problem. The video stars one bungee-jumping, butt-kicking, Kung Fu-fighting, gun-wielding, archaeologist, wet dream-uber-babe. Oh, did I forget to mention that she has the body of Pamela Anderson, the skills of James Bond and Indiana Jones, and talks likes Mister T?

    You could solve your problem and let her become one of the new cyber-babes that are all the rage. But, no, you want an actress with some DNA. You don’t want to make a cartoon. You already have the video. What do you do? It’s obvious.

    You get Angelina Jolie.

    All the ingredients of a mega-hit were there: Just add Angelina, stir and mix. What went wrong with this recipe for success? Shall we start with the opening fight sequence?

    Do we really need Lara Croft fighting a test “monster” robot to inform us that we came to see an action movie? I think not.

    Tomb Raider is about heiress/archaeologist Lady Lara Croft as she continues the work of her, missing-in-action Lord Croft (played by Jon Voight, Angelina’s real-life father).

    The adventure begins with Lara discovering a clock that is counting down to the alignment of the planets. A feat that only happens once every 5,000 years.

    The significance of this event is that once the alignment is complete, the person that is in the possession of “the key” (which is actually an All Seeing Eye) will have the ability to suspend time. Time would be “bent” and the holder of the Eye would then have the ability to time travel back and forth changing history.

    Manfred Powell is the diabolical agent of the Illuminati that wants to steal the Eye from Lady Lara so that he can change.

    I wanted so much for this movie to send me over the edge. It did send me over the edge, but not in a positive way. I even went to a costume party and came as Lara Croft. Complete with my black tank top, black short and two side arms (Okay, they were water pistols). I had the long braid down my back and a pouch that was filled with items that I had recently “raided” from a tomb. I also have the cup size that would make any X-rated director happy. (Hey, why didn’t Jolie’s breast get credit in this movie. They had more of a starring role than her father)?

    I was impressed with the exotic locations in the movie. Jolie is wonderful in her bungee scene. Of course, you just know that there is going to be, “Tomb Raider: The Ride” at some theme park next year. It’s just too big of an opportunity to pass up.

    I was equally impressed that Lady Jolie did all of her own stunts. She tore several ligaments in her foot, nicked her knee when she fell 20 feet off a climbing wall and wore out her shoulder due to the strenuous boxing schedule that she maintained.

    But the movie dug itself into a hole from the opening scene and barely climbs out of it.

    So if you played the video game and found the hidden link that lets you view Lara topless. Have at it. The game is a better thrill.