NAHSTE reviews the entire "30 for 30" series

[padman59]

Wait, are these on NetFlix instant!? Or are you still getting DVDs?

These are still DVDs only unfortunately.

 

[FedEx227]

No that's good or else I'd never sleep.

 

[Rudi]

This thread really took off

 

[NAHSTE]

This thread starter really took off

Fixed.

I had a rough last couple of weeks but I'll get the next two up shortly. Possibly will streamline the format though, not keen on writing 900 words on all 30 films.

 

[nwfisch]

Ah shit, that's what I forgot.

I knew there was something for Christmas that I wanted to hint at people....this.

How do you watch a movie in a van?

 

[nwfisch]

Is the Fab Five a 30 30 movie, or is that extra?

 

[dell71]

Somehow I missed the Gaethers/Westhead doc. My faves were "The Two Escobars", the ones on Allen Iverson, Ali vs. Holmes, the Fab Five, SMU & Len Bias. Interesting sidenote on Fab Five: HBO did one on Jerry Tarkanian's UNLV Runnin' Rebels (can't think of the name right now). So many similarities between the two teams the docs work like companion pieces. Highly recommend that one if you liked the Fab Five.

Oh, almost forgot the one on Steve Bartman but not sure if that's part of the original series.

 

[NAHSTE]

Somehow I missed the Gaethers/Westhead doc. My faves were "The Two Escobars", the ones on Allen Iverson, Ali vs. Holmes, the Fab Five, SMU & Len Bias. Interesting sidenote on Fab Five: HBO did one on Jerry Tarkanian's UNLV Runnin' Rebels (can't think of the name right now). So many similarities between the two teams the docs work like companion pieces. Highly recommend that one if you liked the Fab Five.

Oh, almost forgot the one on Steve Bartman but not sure if that's part of the original series.

Yeah I caught the Tarkanian one, it is crazy how closely they parallel each other. The Bartman one ran after the original 30 so it was not included in my box set.

 

[Villain]

*SUBSCRIBED*

Does your set include the one on the LA Raiders? I was really impressed with Ice Cube on how he did it. I also loved the ones on Wayne Gretzsky coming to LA and "The U."

Awesome series.

 

[NAHSTE]

THE BEST THAT NEVER WAS
No. 29 of 30
Directed By: Jonathan Hock Runtime: 102 min.

As a society, we love to deify young people who can play sports. Ascribing God status to a high school kid is just how we do things in America. That's why it's noteworthy that Jonathan Hock (you may know him as the producer of ESPN's "Streetball" series) chose to begin a documentary about Marcus Dupree with an incredibly humanizing cold open -- we follow a middle-aged and slightly overweight Marcus go through a typical day as a truck driver in rural Mississippi. Hock needs only five seconds of run time to turn the concept of a CAN'T MISS athlete on its head. While this may not be a story about a promising young athlete who went on to do great things, it's also not a story of one who failed. With an unflinching look at the highs and lows of early stardom, and what comes after, Hock deftly straddles the line between happiness and despair, winning and losing, fame and anonymity.

There is not too heavy of a racial slant to this documentary, but some needed background on the volatile relations in Dupree's hometown of Philadelphia, MS is provided before we begin. After a high-profile triple murder of civil rights workers in 1964, the city's reputation was thought to be permanently stained ... It didn't help matters that Martin Luther King had deemed it the "worst city in America." The group of seniors that graduated with Marcus in 1981 was Philadelphia's first fully integrated class to complete K-12 together.

But, like succesful sports teams are known to do, the Philadelphia Tornadoes -- specifically the hulking black kid wearing #22 -- brought blacks and whites together every Friday night.

The immense talents of Marcus Dupree could not heal everything though. His younger brother, Reggie, was born with cerebral palsy and was bound to crutches. No big deal though, right? At 17 years old, he had an entire town's identity and the medical well-being of his family members propped solely on his shoulders. Isn't it understandable that a person in this position would seek to draw income from his trade as soon as possible? We often label hot shot young athletes as "greedy" or "selfish" when they seek payment for their gifts ... but what could be less selfish than wanting to help your family?

Anyway, we eventually get some grainy black and white footage of Dupree running through, over and around hapless high school defenders who don't even belong on the same field. Before the comparison to Jim Brown can be been made by one of the interviewees, it's already been made in the mind of the viewer. He just fucking was another Jim Brown. There's no other way to describe the speed, power and towering physique that a teenaged Marcus Dupree possessed. The highlights are jaw dropping and they alone make the doc worth watching.

You guys aren't gonna believe this, but college football recruiting was an unregulated and unscrupulous business in the 1980s. And of course, no sordid recruiting tale would be complete without a sketchy uncle. In this case, Uncle Curley handles the role without shame. Not only do we have a sketchy uncle, but we also get a bonus sketchy reverend thrown in. The sketchy duo is candid in recalling how much it sought to exploit the talents of Dupree. Both all but say it in their present-day recollections. Said sketchy uncle: "Those who were offering something were in the race, and those who weren't were not in the race." Uncles, gotta love 'em. Said sketchy reverend: "I set myself up to be a buffer for Marcus." Yeah, we'd hate for someone to exploit the poor kid!

Once the film shifts to Dupree's college career, things take a strange tone. Barry Switzer drops in to recount some of the early days with his blue chip recruit on campus, but not before first showing off all of his various trophies and rings. It's a bit like a mini-sode of MTV Cribs was shoehorned in. After Switzer is done playing show and tell, he explains how difficult it was to harness such a gifted athlete, and how he restricted Dupree's playing time initially so as not to ruffle the feathers of his other, less talented players.

The rocky coexistence between player and coach would last less than two seasons. After sustaining a concussion in the Texas game, a sophomore Dupree flew home to Mississippi and refused to return to Norman for the final game of the regular season or the bowl game. Marcus ignored the pleas of his mother and Uncle Curly, and at the behest of Sketchy Reverend, he enrolled at Southern Miss.

 

Wanna see my dick?​

He wouldn't stay in Hattiesburg for long, as Sketchy Reverend had been orchestrating a contract with the USFL's New Orleans Breakers behind the scenes. At 20 years old, Dupree agreed to a five year, $5 million dollar contract. Of course, he would never see a dime of it. He wound up in debt thanks to the questionable investments made by Sketchy Reverend, who by this time had been granted power of attorney over Dupree's finances.

A year later, Dupree sustained what was thought to be a career ending knee injury. At 21, the Legend of Marcus Dupree was over. He returned to his hometown and spiraled into a state of depression. The once chiseled physique had ballooned to 300 pounds.

The final act is the most heartwarming and effective portion of the doc, in my opinion. After working feverishly to get back in shape, Dupree makes a brief comeback in the early 90s with the LA Rams. He was cut a season and a half later, but hey, he made it right?

Though he never reached the greatness that was promised to him, Dupree sounds content when he reflects back on his life. If that is good enough for him, it should be good enough for us. He never became GREAT by our standard definitions of the word, but he never stopped pursuing happiness. For any of us, that's all that can be expected.

"The Best That Never Was" manages to include a great deal of social commentary without even once bordering on preachiness. There were no transitions or narrator, so all context was provided through interviews and archival footage. While the unobtrusive style of storytelling made for an entertaining watch, it also provided a more thought provoking and interactive experience for this viewer.

There are no heroes or villains here, only humans, and the director never intends to make you think otherwise. By leaving room for life's many shades of grey, Hock allows the audience to fill them in as they see fit.


Production value: 8
Cool/rare/unseen footage factor: 7
Handling of subject matter: 9
Informational value: 6
Entertainment value: 8

Total: 38 Avg: 7.6

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Awesome thread, great work.

 

[dell71]

Just caught TBTNW a couple weeks ago. Good stuff. Good review too. I would've liked to hear more of your thoughts on the concussion though, given how devastating it was too him, making want to quit the sport, and the current climate of football and its emphasis on head injuries.

 

[dell71]

Sup?

 

[Rudi]

:fail:

 

[FirstTimer]

I liked the "4 Nights in October" Red Sox one so..........

:toddhaleygif:

 

[Blick]

These are good. Do more.

 

[Juggernaut]

More would be nice. The write ups were great.

 

[Rudi]

- this thread