Sport Archives - From | The | Balcony

Concussion (2015)

Bill Clark — Thu, 17 Dec 2015 13:48:54 +0000

What’s most surprising about Concussion is that it doesn’t let the NFL off easy. Considering the league has its grubby, saccharine hands all over just about every aspect of American life, it’s fair to wonder if they’d strong-arm Columbia Pictures into making this a vapid puff piece with no lasting… Continue reading

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McFarland USA (2015)

Bill Clark — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 21:16:49 +0000

McFarland USA is that steady, dependable inspirational sports film that Disney churns out and releases at will. The formula is practically as old as the medium itself, but director Niki Caro and her team have crafted a touching human story that supersedes the visually uninteresting sport at the heart of the… Continue reading

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Unbroken (2014)

Bill Clark — Sun, 21 Dec 2014 18:17:33 +0000

“If you can take it, you can make it.” Those were the words spoken by Louis Zamperini’s brother as he prepared to train as an Olympic runner in Unbroken. Little did he know that over the next few years those words would take on more meaning than ever. The film… Continue reading

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Foxcatcher (2014)

Bill Clark — Thu, 18 Dec 2014 19:32:26 +0000

Foxcatcher, director Bennett Miller’s latest blend of sport and human drama, is an actor’s movie. That’s not so much an insult as an observation. Understated and very casually-paced, the film features three pristine performances in service to a story that builds tension leading to inevitable tragedy. The ending will be a… Continue reading

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Happy Valley (2014)

Bill Clark — Sun, 23 Nov 2014 19:45:00 +0000

Amir Bar-Lev’s Happy Valley is about hero worship, first and foremost. When the Jerry Sandusky scandal rocked Penn State University to its core in 2011, it sent a tight-knit community that viewed themselves as a notch above the rest in terms of morals and decorum into a downward spiral. For anyone that… Continue reading

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Days of Thunder (1990) – “Victory Lane” By Hans Zimmer

Bill Clark — Wed, 21 May 2014 14:24:28 +0000

Released in June of 1990 to the tune of $82 million at the box office, Days of Thunder is another high-octane action film from the unstoppable Simpson/Bruckheimer production team that dominated the 80’s and 90’s. Roger Ebert would call it the quintessential example of the “Tom Cruise Picture,” and he’s… Continue reading

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Moneyball (2011) – “It’s A Process” By Mychael Danna

Bill Clark — Thu, 01 May 2014 14:19:27 +0000

To be good at something is one thing. To be good at something consistently for years is another. In a sport where getting a hit three times out of ten over a career makes you a borderline Hall-of-Famer, baseball requires an immense amount of discipline, repeatable mechanics, and the ability… Continue reading

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Draft Day (2014)

Bill Clark — Thu, 10 Apr 2014 20:06:41 +0000

Draft Day takes on the challenging task of balancing the sports-nerd event that is the NFL draft with a story that the average, non-football fan can take in. The results are mixed, with the verbal battles between the general managers making for far better entertainment than the sappy and under-cooked… Continue reading

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Grudge Match (2013)

Bill Clark — Mon, 23 Dec 2013 08:00:14 +0000

It would only seem natural to assume that Grudge Match is some kind of “Rocky v. Raging Bull” spinoff, but there’s nothing to indicate that it is. Sure, there’s some potshots at both films, but Grudge Match positions itself as more of a light-hearted comedy that fully understands the ridiculousness… Continue reading

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The Karate Kid (2010)

Bill Clark — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 04:00:41 +0000

Now you’re messing with my childhood! That was my initial response to the news of a Karate Kid remake. While I hardly hold the 1984 original on the same pedestal as many others my age, I regard it as one of the finest “underdog” movies ever. It was formula (though… Continue reading

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