"Hoosiers" is considered by many to be the greatest sports movie of all time. I'm not of that belief, but with Butler University on the doorstep of possibly beating Duke tonight for the NCAA Men's Baskball Championship.. I just had to watch it yesterday. My hope is to channel a little Hickory magic for Butler tonight..
I mean the state championship game in "Hoosiers" was filmed in Hinkle Fieldhouse.. on Butler University. And "Hoosiers" was loosely based on Indiana's 1954 State Champions Milan high school who's star player Bobby Plump went on to later play at Butler Unversity. Anyone else pullimg for Butler tonight?
Gene Hackman stars as Norman Dale, a new coach with a spotty past. It also stars Barbara Hershey, Sheb Wooley and Dennis Hopper. Hopper plays a basketball-loving town drunk and father to one of the players on Hickory's team.. a performance that actually brought Hopper an Oscar nomination.
I picked up the Blu-ray for $7.99, but it was stripped of any extras which was a bit surprising. Overall.. a very good movie.
Posted by Valley (Member # 1322) on :
What a great game last night, but apparently Gordon Hayward must have fell asleep before the end while watching "Hoosiers". He was suppose to make that final shot!
Posted by oneyedwilly (Member # 8730) on :
valley, does thrashin and rad count as sports movies coz they rock big time...havnt seen hoosiers for a decade and havnt got it in my collection yet as im still tryin to get everything on dvd, im not convinces about blu ray as the technology is bound to change again and again so thinkin of stickin to dvd until the dolorian can take me back and actually live the 80s again.
Posted by aTomiK (Member # 6575) on :
I´ve actually never seen Hoosiers aka Best Shot but i have the vhs tape. I need to check this out soon.
Posted by Valley (Member # 1322) on :
I just heard about the death of Dennis Hopper. I think it is surreal that he was friends with James Dean!
Amazing the different lives that they each experienced. One live fast and died young while the other still lived hard but made it to 74.
But one thing is unfortunately certain.. we all eventually pass on.
So all I can think to say right now is.. live the best life you can and make it count!
Posted by logan5 (Member # 1467) on :
I loooove the story of Alec Guinness and James Dean.
Wasn't Hopper dating Natalie Wood when they made 'Rebel'? I heard that his character was reduced because the director kept flirting with Natalie and Hopper caused a stink.
Posted by aTomiK (Member # 6575) on :
Well, it took over two years but i finally watched Hoosiers
No, it´s not the best sports movie ever made. But it is a good one.
Gene Hackman was good and i liked the Jerry Goldsmith score which also got an Oscar nomination. I also love the midwestern locations. The sky and the cornfields.
Yes, the underdog storyline is a bit overused nowadays but it worked pretty well. Nice movie. Nothing more, nothing less.
Posted by Crash (Member # 7484) on :
Totally agree, aTomiK. It's quite a good little movie, I think somewhat overrated, with Hollywood plot #49, the "redemption plot"--coach with a skeleton in his closet has one last shot at redemption with his rag-tag team. Hackman did extremely well--he's very sympathetic--and I liked Barbara Hershey too. Hopper was in this one and "Blue Velvet" in 1986. He should have gotten a Best Supporting Actor nomination for "Blue Velvet," but he got it for "Hoosiers," apparently because the Academy thought he deserved the recognition but couldn't bear to give it to him for a psycho role in a David Lynch film. Posted by aTomiK (Member # 6575) on :
Yeah, that was of course the story behind the nomination. I like Hopper and he´s always solid but i though that he was not "Oscar good" in Hoosiers.
Posted by Crash (Member # 7484) on :
I agree wholeheartedly. He was solid in "Hoosiers," sensational in "Blue Velvet."
Posted by Zigyma7ik (Member # 12351) on :
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