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best soccer movie

snake

By snake
in World Soccer

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beachesl Community Regular

beachesl

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quote:Originally posted by snake

whats the best ever soccer movie.documentarys dont count.

Good Ones

1. The Cup (Bhutan)

2. Fever Pitch (England) -not for guys that can't handle chick flicks

3. Bend it Like Beckham (though very corny)

4. There's Only One Jimmy Gimbel (England)

5. Gregory's Girl (Scotland, late 1970's ?)

6. When Saturday Comes (England, mid-90's , sean Bean)

7. The Golden Ball (France) haven't seen it, but it is supposed to have the best football skills sequences)

Bad Ones (only Hot Shots is really bad)

1. Hot Shots (USA, starring Pele)-absolute worst

2. Victory (USA, starring Pele)

3. Mean Machine (UK) -adaption of the Longest Yard

4. Shot at Glory (US/UK)

Of course, this is just my taste. I hate gratuitous violence or

sentimentality.

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Alberto7 Newbie

Alberto7

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I don't know, I kind of enjoyed Victory. I know, I know. It's a schmaltzy war movie, but the Soccer sequences are well staged and what a terrific supporting cast of players (Pélé, Bobby Moore, Werner Roth, Ardiles, etc...)

Bend it Like Beckham was also not too bad. I am going to see Shaolin Soccer next week so I'll wait before pronouncing myself.

Does anyone remember The Boys in Company C (1978)? It was a Vietnam War film where the troup had to throw games against a squad of Vietnamese players in order to stay off the front lines. I seem to remember that the soccer sequences were good in that film(I saw it in 1978 on the big screen, so my memory could be a little rusty).

BTW, The Cup was absolutely wonderful.

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mattbin Newbie

mattbin

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quote:Originally posted by beachesl

Bad Ones (only Hot Shots is really bad)

1. Hot Shots (USA, starring Pele)-absolute worst

2. Victory (USA, starring Pele)

3. Mean Machine (UK) -adaption of the Longest Yard

4. Shot at Glory (US/UK)

Of course, this is just my taste. I hate gratuitous violence or

sentimentality.

I didn't think Mean Machine had either. It wasn't that bad, especially for a soccer fan. Vinnie Jones is at least entertaining, and I liked picking out the guys who were in other Guy Ritchie flicks.

Then again, I never saw The Longest Yard so maybe that helps.

Personally, I'd put Fever Pitch into the "poor" column. I usually like Colin Firth but it felt like a couple of hours to read the book, and a few days to get through the movie. I thought it was a dog.

Allez les Rouges,

M@

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Gian-Luca Grand Master

Gian-Luca

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Gregory's Girl was 1980 to be precise, and should probably be #1. Victory was mostly good, it's just too bad we had to put up with Sylvester Stallone making the key save!

Hotshots was definitely the worst, I'll agree there. I haven't seen Fever Pitch, Bend it Like Beckham, Mean Machine or There's Only One Jimmy Grimble so I can't comment (though I find it difficult to imagine that anything with Vinnie Jones belongs in the poor column), but I have seen Purely Belter - a number of Voyageur/Ultras saw that a few years ago, about a couple of Newcaslte supporters that would do just about anything to get season tickets. The kids hearts are broken when they steal Alan Shearer's car and discover a Celine Dion CD inside. Probably the most under-rated soccer film that I can think of.

There's also Hillsborough, an English TV movie starring the new Doctor Who Christopher Eccleston and Ricky Tomlinson (who replaced Eccleston on Cracker in 1994 - but I'll get to that in a moment), it's not exactly a documentary (docu-drama I guess) but it isn't your average "feel-good" soccer movie, given the subject matter, the tragedy at Sheffield Wednsday's grounds when Liverpool were playing Notthingham Forest (can't recall why they were playing there) and 96 fans were killed.

Also, if you happen to spot the Cracker story "To Be a Somebody", pick it up. An all-star cast (Robbie Coltrane, Robert Carlyle and the aforementioned Christoper Eccleston and Ricky Tomlinson) in what is not exactly a typical soccer tale, but is a fictional tale spawned from the aftermath of the Hillsborough tragedy.

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L.T. Newbie

L.T.

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Anyone see "The Final Goal" created by and starring the owner of the CPSL's Brampton Hitmen?

Soccer scenes were filmed at Lamport and it starred Eric Estrada...need I say more?

(i only watched it because a high school buddy played the kid paralyzed in a soccer accident)

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Cheeta Grand Master

Cheeta

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FA Cup semi I think. Liverpool were being punished for fan violence and had to play the match at a neutral ground (again, I think). Hillsborough has always had a good reputation so off to Sheffield.

Horrible subject matter and I don't think principaly a football movie for all that. More one of those conspiracy theroy/scapegoating theatrical studies. Was a good movie though. Spoke volumes of the cultural importance and attitudes towards football in England at the time.

Mean Machine sucks. Save yourself the hour and a half. You'll want that time back when your on your death bed. Monk steals the show. Vinny proves he can't act.

Victory was very good. Always liked it. Max is absolutely brilliant. Pele the Conquerer 20 years on his next best work as far as I'm concearned.

Didn't like Bend it Like Beckham. Did like There's Only One Jimmy Grimbel, so go figure...

Hot Shots! Forgot that one. Total rubbish. Barf up a quote from that picture every now and again though. "No one touchs my locks but my woman!". Classic.

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Vancouver Fan Enthusiast

Vancouver Fan

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It's not surprising that the best soccer movies are English or Scottish productions.

Gregory's Girl is one of my faves as well as Jimmy Grimble,Bend it Like Beckham,and The Cup.I liked Victory but I was a kid when I saw it for the first time and I cringed a bit when I saw it later as an adult.Did'nt care too much for Fever Pitch.

American productions like The Big Green,Soccer Dog and Ladybugs are typical"Bad News Bears"rip offs.

I was an extra in an Italian production shot at Coquitlams Town Centre about 6 years ago.I think it was simply called World Cup and it was supposed to be a made for TV movie in Italy.Probably not a very good one judging from what little I saw of it.Really don't know if it was even ever shown anywhere.I did get to sit behind Giancarlo Giannini in a crowd shot though.

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beachesl Community Regular

beachesl

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quote:Originally posted by DJT

Has anyone seen The Other Final? I posted about it a couple of months ago.

Yeah, but that's a d o c u m e n t a r y . About the 2nd last place Montserrat flying to Bhutan to play the then last place team of the Himalayas the same day as the WC2002 final match. Good one at that though, like "The Game of Their Lives" (not the upcoming US movie of the same name) about the aged North Korean heroes from 1966 returning to Middlesborough.

The first documentary on soccer I ever saw was "Goal", a brilliant grainy black-and-white summary of the 1966 World Cup narrated with startling conviction by Sean Connery. That was in 1967 on CBC, and I've always wanted to see it again since.

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Alberto7 Newbie

Alberto7

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If we are going to mention documentaries, I have to mention Soccer(made by the National Film Board, where I work)a 30 minute doc from 1974. It focuses on the soccer "culture" of British Columbia. It is not a great documentary by any stretch(actually very dated) but it has a great interview with Glen Johnson of the Whitecaps(remember him?)who talks about how the creation of the Whitecaps made a huge difference in Canadian soccer because the most promising players no longer have to go to Europe to develop their skills but can do so at home. We also get to see Bob Lenarduzzi dribling during the end credits and see Tony Chursky(who was the Simon Fraser keeper at the time) training.

I have talked to many producers here about making a new film on how soccer has exploded in Canada (especially among kids) but sadly, no one seems very interested.

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leekoo Newbie

leekoo

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COMING UP TONITE ON OMNI1

Friday, May 14, 9pm (eastern time)

Repeats throughout the week

SOCCER IN THE NEW WORLD PART 1 (italian)

Dale Barnes, Producer

(former commissioner of the late great Canadian Soccer League)

Since 1586 when sailors of the HMS Sunneshine played the Eskimo of Gilbert Sound on the West Coast of Greenland during a voyage in search of the Northwest Passage, soccer has been a part of the North American sporting scene.

In fact, the United States was the first sovereign country outside of Great Britian to establish a soccer club and one of the first to form a national governing body. But unlike baseball, basketball, ice hockey and grid iron football, soccer has remained the poor cousin of the North American professional sports scene.

Considering soccer is the World's most popular sport, one has to ask! What on earth went wrong? We look back to the beginning with a cursory glance at its history in North America, and primarily focus on the trails and tribulations of soccer's 'on again off again' professional existence in North America over the past fifty years.

Languages: Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, English

http://www.omnitv.ca/tv/docs/episodes/soccer/

Dale Barnes

Executive Producer / Writer / Narrator

dalebarnes.jpg

Dale's broadcasting career has many highlights, including having produced and directed the first colour televised program - Maclure of India, filmed in Ratlam India and broadcast on September 1st 1966. Dale has produced & directed close to 5,000 TV shows, hosted 500 and has written hundreds more. An exemplary host, he has addressed live audiences ranging in size from 50 to 20,000.

Dale brings more than just broadcast experience to the documentary Soccer in the New World - he introduced soccer to the Canadian television audience. He is also an accomplished authority on the sport itself, serving as Commissioner of the Canadian Soccer League from 1986 to 1991 and Chairman of Canada's March to Mexico '86. Dale's keen sports sense was also developed through his cutting edge work at the Fan 590 and other leading sports networks.

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leekoo Newbie

leekoo

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IN PRODUCTION

http://www.adobeproductions.com/welcome.html

The Dawning

Synopsis

They’re not your legendary Canadian hockey heroes who have ruled the world’s sporting stage nor your fearless champions of the slopes. And they’re not yet household names or olympic winners. But from coast to coast, Canada’s national women’s soccer team is turning heads and putting this country on the frontlines of the world’s number one sport.

The Dawning is the dramatic, behind the scenes documentary that chronicles the trials and tribulations of the Canadian girls over the coming year. A year that will shape the destiny of women’s soccer and the sport in Canada for a generation. An event driven year that’s been heating up eversince Canada defeated the United States in a hotly contested match in 2002. A year that has everyone from coast to coast asking if can they really do it ? Can these underdogs from the far north surprise the world ?

The truth is that the women’s soccer team is determined to achieve what no Canadian soccer team has ever accomplished - win against the world’s best. In fact, until recently Canada had never won much on the world stage and has never been respected as a soccer nation like countries in Europe and South America. But with the arrival of a new head coach in 2000 and the emergence of young, talented stars, Canada’s soccer girls are finally breaking with the past. Today, this spirited team is intent on kicking it’s way right to the top of the global soccer scene - the Women’s World Cup in September 2003 and perhaps, the Olympics in Athens 2004. History could be in the making. No Canadian soccer team has ever won a World Cup match nor played in the Olympics.

Win or lose, the Canadian women’s team is headed directly into a dramatic, high stakes game of soccer madness. And The Dawning is the story of what happens and the human journey behind it. From a silent locker room with the players dressing up prior to a game to green practice fields and long hours under a burning sun and from busy airports, crowded stadiums and lonely hotel rooms to their families, friends and bedooms backhome, The Dawning will follow the girls and their quest for soccer glory.

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Dawning300x400.jpg

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ditty Newbie

ditty

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quote:Originally posted by Ed

"Das Wunder von Bern" is supposed to be "umglaublich". Zwei thumbs up.

Also corny but still a good portrait of post WW2 German society and the impact of the 54 World Cup. It was kind of a Miracle on Ice moment but with far greater societal implications. Many call it the day Germany became a nation again.

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