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Sports Film Festival
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online sports film festivals
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The movies selected for this Sports Film Festival include dramatic feature films, documentary
shorts & features, and video & DVD box set collections, plus a few books on the subject.
(For purposes of this page, war is not a sport, love is not a sport, gambling is not a sport . . . )
And there are just not a lot of movies about ice skating, martial arts (as a sport), fishing, cricket . . .
The Sports Film Festival Page kept expanding, so this second half was split off in Summer 2014.
Movies About Other Sports
browse Sports Movies category at Amazon
Surf Shack Page / Surfing Movies Section at Spirit of America Bookstore
http://www.amazon.com/Endless-Summer-Collection-Patrick-OConnell/dp/B0001BKAGC/
Zane Grey's books & movies about fishing [1919-2003]
Fine Fishing information website [est. 1995]
The Ski Channel VOD sports network [launched Dec 2008]: official website •
Wikipedia
The Surf Channel VOD sports network [launched Sept 2012]: official website •
Wikipedia
All Sports Film Festival [Nov 2012 = #4] in North Hollywood, CA
"Harry Potter and The Transfigured Town" Quidditch Festival [Oct 2017 = #2] in Goderich, Ontario, Canada
"Amazing Grace and Chuck" [1987] /tt0092545/
"BASEketball" [] not a real sport, but it is a funny sports movie
"Big Wednesday" [1978] surfing
"Cool Running" [1993] Olympic bobsled
"Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story" [2004] comedy
"Dorf" movies starring Tim Conway /tt0168702/
"Ferrari Ki Sawaari" [Kuwait/India June 2012] /tt2122340/
The pursuit of an Indian cricket legend's Ferrari makes a young boy's dreams of playing cricket at Lords a reality
"Lagaan: Once Upon A Time In India"
[Aamir Khan / Sony Classics 2001]
 | The title is the Hindi word for 'land tax'. In the late 1800s, during the British Raj in India, a drought and an increase in the land tax threatens the existence of a village. The local military overseer challenges the villagers to a cricket match three months hence - if the villagers win, no taxes; if they lose, the taxes will be tripled. Written & directed by Ashutosh Gowariker; starring Aamir Khan, Raghuvir Yadav, Gracy Singh, Rachel Shelley & Paul Blackthorne; Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film; won 8 awards from Intl Indian Film Academy, including Best Picture
Columbia/TriStar widescreen DVD [1/2002] for $23.99 CTS color VHS [6/2002] 2 tapes for $21.21 Sony soundtrack audio CD [6/2001] out of stock/used Musicrama soundtrack audio CD [7/2001] out of stock/used full credits from IMDb • official website |
 | "The Spirit of Lagaan: The Extraordinary Story of The Creators of A Classic" [2002] by Satyajit Bhatkal & W.A. Rodgers Popular Prakashan pb [1/2002] for $21.95 |
"The Miracle Season" [L.D./Apex April 2018] 
 | When the star & captain of the Iowa City West High School girls volleyball team dies in a moped accident, the team despairs of winning the state championship for a second time • Directed by Sean McNamara; written by David Aaron Cohen & Elissa Matsueda; starring Helen Hunt, Tiera Skovbye, Danika Yarosh, Erin Moriarty, Nesta Cooper, Rebecca Staab, William Hurt, Natalie Sharp, Burkely Duffield, Jason Gray-Stanford, Larissa Albuquerque, Sean McNamara, Ava Grace Cooper, Lillian Doucet-Roche, Bailey Skodje, Lee Booker, Jillian Fargey, Andrea Adams, Carolyn Adair, Eli Gabay, Cedric De Souza, Jan Bos, Steve Richmond, Candus Churchill, Sarah Ziolkowski, Michael Meneer, Emmett Carnahan
DVD/Blu-ray not yet available • full credits at IMDb • official movie site • no entry at Wikipedia watch 12/2017 official trailer [2:36] at YouTube |
 | "Live Like Line, Love Like Ellyn" [2015] by Bill Hoeft Book not credited as source of the movie, but this is the true story that the movie tells. Kindle Edition from Ice Cube Press [4/2016] for $8.99 Ice Cube Press pb [1/2018] for $21.95 Ice Cube Press 9½x6½ hardcover [9/2015] for $21.95 |
"Point Break" [Alcon/Warner Bros. 2013?]
Announced 9/2011: Remake of the 1991 surfing movie 'set in the world of extreme sports' and directed by Kathryn Bigelow
"The Ringer" [2005] /tt0267891/ Special Olympics comedy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbtDQ6SZJGE [2:06]
"Rollerball" [1975]
"Speed Kills" [2018?] boat racing drama
Announced 4/2017: True life tale of Don Aronow [1927-87], a boat racing champion-turned-multimillionaire known for being susceptible to women's attentions and for his
creation of the Cigarette brand speedboat; John Travolta will star as speedboat racing champion Donald Aronow; director John co-wrote the script with David Aaron Cohen
("Friday Night Lights"); filming begins in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Miami Beach starting May 30; Richard Rionda Del Castro of Hannibal Pictures in West Hollywood
is producing with Oscar Generale and Luillo Ruiz of the Pimienta Film Company in Puerto Rico • not yet listed at IMDb
"White Palms (Fehér Tenyér)" [Hungary Feb 2006] /tt0464955/ about gymnasts
Disney's 'Air Bud' Movie/Video Series
details (synopses, sequels, books & ebooks, links, merchandise) on the
Disney's 'Air Bud' Movie & Video Series Page
Billiards / Snooker / Pool (Cue Sports) Movies
"A Game of Pool" episode of 'The Twilight Zone' TV series
A frustrated pool champ has beaten everyone. Everyone except one man; the legend, Fats Brown. Brown is dead, and the champ can only curse his name. But guess who just walked in . . .
Season 3, Episode 5 [broadcast Oct 1961] /tt0734540/
written by George Clayton Johnson; directed by Buzz Kulik; starring Jack Klugman, Jonathan Winters, Dee Sharon, Margie Liszt
color remake series Season 3, Episode 20 [broadcast 1989] /tt0734698/
adapted by Will Bermender, directed by Randy Bradshaw; starring Esai Morales & Maury Chaykin
"The Baron and the Kid" TV Movie [November 1984]
Stars: Johnny Cash, Darren McGavin, Greg Webb
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIsXbiC3Gq0
"The Basics of Billiards" family video [2007] /tt0972778/
easy to watch, easy to learn, 45-minute self help video intended for newcomers
Director: Matthew J. Pellowski | Stars: Stephanie Chang, Justin Lefty Flynn, Andrew Scott
"Brats" 21-minute comedy short [1930] /tt0020708/
Laurel & Hardy plan a quiet evening of checkers and pool but are constantly interrupted by their squabbling brats
little Ollie and little Stanley // Director: James Parrott
"Celebrity Billiards" syndicated TV series [1967] /tt0198078/
"Champion of the Cue" short [1945] /tt0239289/
Columbia's "Sport Reels" (production number 7801), regular series narrator Bill Stern,, talks while
Director: Harry Foster | Stars: Bill Stern, Willie Mosconi
"Classic" [1998]
criminal drama about the life of Russian snooker professionals
"Cue Ball Cat" cartoon short [1950]
Tom is in a pool hall after hours and soon discovers that Jerry is sleeping in the corner pocket. Tom chases Jerry around the table and the rest of the pool hall.
"HeartBreak" [2017] /tt3175260/
Harry Platt is a washed up billiards pro who hustles just enough cash to stay flush with liquor. When Mina Lee, a promising young Korean woman, shows up
at his run-down pool hall seeking a ... Director: Ralph Clemente | Stars: Brett Rice, Jane Park Smith, Dennis Neal, Piper Rae Patterson
"The Hustler" [1961] /tt0054997/ pool
http://www.amazon.com/Hustler-Two-Disc-Collectors-Paul-Newman/dp/B000O77SPO/
sequel "The Color of Money" [1986] /tt0090863/
"Kiss Shot" TV movie [1989] /tt0097671/
A detached black mother loses her job and the ability to pay back her credit. She recalls her billiard skills
and begins to play for money; Director: Jerry London | Stars: Whoopi Goldberg, Dennis Franz, Tasha Scott, David Marciano
"Kisses and Caroms" comedy [2006] /tt0381341/
Zack owns Breakingtime Billiards in California, a store that sells pool tables and game room supplies. He works with
his girlfriend Jennifer; the sexy seller Tara; the installer of
"Der Mann mit Dem Glasauge" (1969) /tt0063270/
A pool-hall is used as the front for a white slavery ring. story by edgar wallace Director: Alfred Vohrer
Stars: Horst Tappert, Karin Hübner, Hubert von Meyerinck, Stefan Behrens
"The Mosconi Story" 10 min short [1953] /tt1636620/
Director: Dave O'Brien | Stars: Willie Mosconi, Pete Smith
"Mr. Fifteen Balls (Il Signor Quindicipalle)" (Italy 1998) aka "Gambling With Love" /tt0140547/
Francesco Di Narnali is a world champion billiards in Italy and America, with a particular talent for spectacular performances . . .
Director: Francesco Nuti | Stars: Francesco Nuti, Sabrina Ferilli, Novello Novelli, Giulia Weber
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Fifteen_Balls
"9-Ball" [studio Nov 2012]
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A young woman aspires to become a 9-ball professional and champion but her hustling uncle has other plans for her skills • Co-produced, written & directed by Anthony Palma; starring Jennifer Barretta, Jennifer Butler, Jeanette Lee, Kurt Hanover, Mark Kochanowicz, Allison Fisher, Brian Anthony Wilson, Anthony List, Kayli Maree Tolleson, Jeanine Bartel, Carrie Leigh Snodgrass, Rachel A. Tisera, Lisa Roman, Teena Byrd, Phil E. Eichinger, Lawrence Whitener
Main Street Ent. color DVD [2012] out of prodn/scarce full credits at IMDb • watch 10/2009 official trailer [1:35] online at YouTube |
"Pool Hall Blues - September 4, 1954" [1990] /tt0681154/
episode of "Quantum Leap" TV series [1989–1993] Sam leaps into an old pool playing acquaintance of Al's and must win a pool game so that
his granddaughter doesn't lose her bar. Director: Joe Napolitano | Stars: Scott Bakula, Dean Stockwell, Shari Headley, J.W. Smith
"The Pool Hustlers" [Italy 1983] /tt0084151/
"Pool Sharks" 10-minute comedy short [1915]
Two romantic rivals play a game of pool for the hand of their lady love.
Director: Edwin Middleton | Stars: W.C. Fields, Marian West, Larry Westford, Bud Ross
"Poolhall Junkies" [2002] /tt0273982/
"Sport Slants II" [April 1932] /tt2016287/
Host Ted Husing looks at boxing (world lightweight champion Tony Canzoneri sparring welterweight Teddy Martin)
and pocket billiards (world champion Ralph Greenleaf)
"Super Cue Men" short [1949] /tt0029621/
Director: Dave O'Brien | Stars: Pete Smith, Willie Mosconi, Jimmy Caras, Corinne Calvet
"Turn The River" (2007) /tt0811128/
A pool shark takes the ultimate gamble when she kidnaps her own son and flees her ex-husband.
Director: Chris Eigeman | Stars: Famke Janssen, Jaymie Dornan, Rip Torn, Matt Ross
"Vitaphone Pictorial Revue (Series 2 #7)" [March 1938] /tt1158923/
first segment is about teaching tricks to two stage dogs; the second segment is narrated by sportscaster Clem McCarthy, presenting a billiard exhibition
by the USA champion, Ralph Greenleaf; third shows processes in the manufacturing of a color plate for reproduction purposes
"The Willie Hoppe Story (Columbia World of Sports #4801)" 9-minute short [1952] /tt1196130/
Bill Stern narrates the story of Willie Hoppe, world-champion billiard player for more than fifty years, even into his seventies.
Body-Builder Movies
"Bigger Stronger Faster *" documentary [2008] /tt1151309/
"The Hustler of Muscle Beach" [TV 1980] /tt0080909/
"Iron and Beyond" short video [2002] /tt0431836/
"Muscle Beach Party" [1964] /tt0058384/
"Muscle Beach Then and Now" TV documentary [2011] /tt1189899/
"No Pain, No Gain" [2005] /tt0306846/
"Pain and Gain" [Paramount Pictures April 2013?]
Produced & directed by Michael Bay; stars Mark Wahlberg & Dwayne Johnson portray Florida bodybuilders who get caught up in an extortion ring
and kidnapping scheme; other cast members include Ed Harris, Anthony Mackie, Rob Corddry & Ken Jeong •
latest info at IMDb
"Pumping Iron" documentary [1977] starring Arnold Schwarzenegger
http://www.amazon.com/Pumping-Iron-25th-Anniversary-Special/dp/B0000C3I6U/
"Pumping Iron II: The Women" documentary [1985] /tt0089852/
"Raw Iron: The Making of Pumping Iron" [2002 TV documentary] /tt0369866/
"Stay Hungry" [1976]
see also Magic Lantern's Muscle-Head Film Festival
Bowling Movies
American Bowling Congress [est. 1895] now U.S. Bowling Congress [merger 2005] in Wisconsin
"The Big Lebowski" [1998] by the Coen Brothers
The Big Lebowski – 10th Anniversary Bowling Ball Limited Edition (DVD)
"Kingpin" [1996] /tt0116778/
"Rollin’ Thunder" [Maven/Federal 2013?]
Announced 9/2012: Kenny Smith, Jr. script set in Atlanta is a hip-hop comedy project about a former bowling champion turned ex-con, who sees a chance
to get back in the game via a bowling tournament, as well to as prove his innocence to the tycoon who owns Atlanta’s biggest bowling alley,
and mend bridges with his estranged teenaged daughter • not yet listed at IMDb
Chess Movies
Chess is certainly a game, but is it a sport? Maybe it should be.
"Chess Fever (Shakhmatnaya goryachka)" [Russia 1925 silent] /tt0015673/
"Zatoichi and The Chess Expert" [#12 Daiei Japan Dec 1965]
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During a trip to Honshu, blind swordsman Zatôichi and a chess-loving samurai help a girl accidentally wounded in a brutal sword fight.
Directed by Kenji Misumi; script by Daisuke Itô; cinematography by Chishi Makiura; starring Shintarô Katsu, Mikio Narita, Chizu Hayashi, Kaneko Iwasaki & Gaku Yamamoto •
full credits from IMDb
Home Vision widescreen color subtitled DVD [5/2004] for $17.99 Chambara letterboxed color VHS [4/98] out of prodn/used see also Magic Lantern's Zatô-Ichi Samurai Films Series Page |
"Jouer sa Vie" aka "The Great Chess Movie" 80-min documentary [Canada Sept 1982] /tt0084177/
"Dangerous Moves (La diagonale du fou)" 110-min [France May 1985] /tt0087144/
"Chess King (Qi Wang)" [China 1988] + award /tt0340925/
"Qi Wang (King of Chess)" [Hong Kong 1991] /tt0095450/
"La Partie d'Échecs" [France Oct 1994] /tt0110780/
"Chess Kids" 51-min documentary [1996] /tt0115877/
"The Luzhin Defence" [2000] chess movie based on a book by Nabakov /tt0211492/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BeWpZVVDhw [2:07]
"Chess" 128-min musical video [Sweden Nov 2003] /tt0389851/
"Game Over: Kasparov and The Machine" docufilm [Canada 2004] /tt0379296/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBzI7y8VNCA full movie [1.24.58]
"The Prince of Chess" 50-min documentary [2005] /tt0481603/
"Knights of The South Bronx" TV film [2005] inspiring chess movie for kids
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBCLUTCRM9w full movie [1:29:07]
"The Chess Player" 22-min short [2008] /tt1362377/
"Queen To Play (Joueuse)" [France 2008, USA 2011] /tt1082009/
starring Sandrine Bonnaire & Kevin Kline + http://www.joueuse-lefilm.com/
"The Chess Shop" 23-min documentary [2010] /tt1604054/
"Chess Kids: Special Edition" [2011 sequel] /tt2308565/
"Bobby Fischer Against The World" documentary [2011] /tt1777551/
"Brooklyn Castle" [2012] /tt1800266/
tells the stories of five members of the chess team at I.S. 318 http://www.brooklyncastle.com/
"Computer Chess" [Kino Lorber July 2013]
 | A comedy about computer nerds circa 1980 preparing for a human vs. computer chess competition. Written & directed by Andrew Bujalski DVD/Blu-ray not yet available • full credits at IMDb • official movie site watch 7/2013 official trailer [1:57] at YouTube |
Poker Movies
"All In: The Poker Movie" [2012?]
"Big Hand For The Little Lady" [1966]
"California Split" [1974] directed by Robert Altman
"The Cincinnati Kid" [1965] starring Steve McQueen, Edward G. Robinson
"Kaleidoscope" [1966] with Warren Beatty
"Lucky You" [2007] /tt0338216/
"Luckytown" [2000]
"Queen High" [1930]
Roller Derby Movies
"Derby" [1971] roller derby documentary /tt0169756/
"The Fireball" [1950] men's roller derby movie starring Mickey Rooney /tt0042463/
"Hell On Wheels" [2007] documentary directed by Bob Rayon & Werner Campbell /tt0384162/
shot over 5 years time; about creation of all-girl Texas roller derby leagues that sparked intl revival
"Kansas City Bomber" [1972] roller derby /tt0068795/
"Unholy Rollers" [1972] roller derby movie starring Claudia Jennings /tt0069444/
"Whip It!" [Fox Searchlight Nov 2009]
 | "Be your own hero" A teenage girl who hates the beauty pageants that her mother grooms her for stumbles onto the roller derby circuit in nearby Austin, Texas. Co-produced & directed by Drew Barrymore; script by Shauna Cross, based on her novel; starring Ellen Page, Marcia Gay Harden, Kristen Wiig, Juliette Lewis, Jimmy Fallon, Daniel Stern, Landon Pigg, Alia Shawkat & Eve
Rhino Records soundtrack CD [9/2009] 19 tracks for $9.99 DVD/Blu-ray not yet available • full credits at IMDb • official movie site |
Skiing, Ice-Skating, Snowboarding & Skateboarding
The Ski Channel
"Blades of Glory" [2007] /tt0445934/
"The Making of Blades of Glory [2007 video] /tt1073127/
http://www.amazon.com/Dogtown-Z-Boys-Deluxe-Tony-Alva/dp/B0007V6IUS/
"Downhill Racer" [1969] Robert Redford & skiing
"Feuer und Eis (Fire and Ice)" [1986] /tt0093027/
'This Willy Bogner picture is the definitive ski film'
"Ice Castles" [1978] blind ice skater; starring Robby Benson and Lynn-Holly Johnson
"Ice-Capades" [1941] /tt0033749/
A woman-hating newsreel cameraman is assigned to cover an ice skater at Lake Placid, but he misses
his plane and instead films a beautiful anonymous skater in Central Park.
"The Ice Follies of 1939" [Loew's/M.G.M. March 1939]
 | Just after an ice-skating team marries, she gets a Hollywood movie contract, and he is left alone at home; so he produces an ice-skating revue in Canada . . . Directed by Reinhold Schünzel, with skating choreographers Frances Claudet & Val Raset; starring Joan Crawford, James Stewart, Lew Ayres, Lewis Stone & Lionel Stander, and featuring skaters Eddie Shipstad, Roy Shipstad, Oscar Johnson & La Verne Busher; portions are in Technicolor
Warner Bros. Archive color DVD-R [6/2009] for $16.04 full credits at IMDb • movie entry at Wikipedia • watch official trailer [3:25] at YouTube |
"Made In Venice" documentary [Aug 2016]
 | The skateboarders of Venice progress from raising hell at the beach and on the boardwalk in their teens to turning professional in the 1980s and putting 'street skating' on the global map. But their biggest challenge wasn't becoming skateboarding legends, it was getting what they had long dreamed of: a skatepark on Venice Beach for the commu-nity and the pro skaters of tomorrow • Co-produced & directed by Jonathan Penson; co-produced & written by Diane Rozas; featuring Jay Adams, Dave Duncan, Ray Flores, Christian Hosoi, Jesse Martinez, Jim Muir
DVD/Blu-ray not yet available • full credits at IMDb • official movie website watch 4/2016 official trailer [1:33] online at YouTube |
"On Edge" ice skating comedy [2001] /tt0206184/
Tennis Movies
The Tennis Channel [launched May 2003]: official website •
Wikipedia
International Tennis Hall of Fame
http://www.ytp.tennis/
“The depressing thing about tennis is that no matter how good I get, I'll never be as good as a wall.”
— comedian Mitch Hedberg [1968-2005]
"The Agassi Story: The Journey of A Tennis Legend" 2006
http://www.amazon.com/Agassi-Story-Journey-Tennis-Legend/dp/B000QFBVSO/
"Arthur Ashe: Citizen of The World" 1994
http://www.amazon.com/Arthur-Ashe-Citizen-Maya-Angelou/dp/B0009WIE48/
"Beautiful Country: A Novel" [4/2016] by J.R. Thornton
Author is Beijing Normal University writer-in-residence and former junior international tennis player; book provides a behind-the-scenes look at how China's state sports
system selects and grooms its young tennis players for a cutthroat world in which young athletes become the unwitting pawns of government officials.
http://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Country-Novel-J-R-Thornton-ebook/dp/B012OE3MV8/
http://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Country-Novel-J-R-Thornton/dp/0062411918/
"The Break" []
filmed in St. Petersburg, Florida; Vincent Van Patten (Actor, Writer), Rae Dawn Chong (Actor), Lee H. Katzin (Director)
http://www.amazon.com/Break-Vincent-Vanpatten/dp/B00008G8N0/
"Hard, Fast, and Beautiful" [1951]
Claire Trevor (Actor), Sally Forrest (Actor), Ida Lupino (Director)
http://www.amazon.com/Hard-Fast-Beautiful-Claire-Trevor/dp/B003NNG8Z2/
"The Journeymen" docufilm []
http://www.amazon.com/The-Journeymen/dp/B000GYI20K/
"Match Point" []
Scarlett Johansson (Actor), Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Actor), Woody Allen (Director, Writer)
http://www.amazon.com/Match-Point-Scarlett-Johansson/dp/B000EQHXNW/
"Pat and Mike" [Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer June 1952]
Directed by George Cukor; screenplay by Ruth Gordon & Garson Kanin; music by David Raksin; starring
Spencer Tracy & Katharine Hepburn • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_and_Mike
"The Prince of Tennis" tv series [2002]
"The Prince of Tennis" [2006]
http://www.amazon.com/Prince-Tennis-Japanese-English-region/dp/B018YL6BHW/
DVDJapanese Movie w. English Sub, All region DVD
"Raising Tennis Aces: The Williams Story" [2002]
http://www.amazon.com/Raising-Tennis-Aces-Williams-Story/dp/B0000714F3/
"Road To The Open" [2/2016] Cole Claassen (Director, Writer)
http://www.amazon.com/Road-Open-Cole-Claassen/dp/B00ZGJ8430/
"Somay Ku: A Uganda Tennis Story" [] Directed by Rex Miller
http://www.amazon.com/SOMAY-KU-Uganda-Tennis-Story/dp/B001P810M8/
"Top Spin" table tennis/ping pong movie []
Ariel Hsing (Actor), Michael Landers (Actor), Sara Newens (Director), Mina T. Son (Director)
http://www.amazon.com/Top-Spin-Ariel-Hsing/dp/B015JW7QRI/
"Unmatched" [] Lisa Lax & Nancy Stern Winter (Director)
http://www.amazon.com/Unmatched-Lisa-Nancy-Stern-Winter/dp/B0040ZN9KY/
"Wimbledon" [September 2004] /tt0360201/
A pro tennis player has lost his ambition and has fallen in rank to 119; fortunately for him, he meets a young player on the women's circuit
who helps him recapture his focus for Wimbledon • http://www.amazon.com/Wimbledon-Kirsten-Dunst/dp/B0006A9FIM/
Movies About Female Athletes
( required by Title IX, y'know? )
There was a mini-cycle of films centering around women athletes in the late 1970s and early 1980s that included "Blue Skies Again" (baseball),
"Goldengirl" (athletics), "The Miracle of Kathy Miller" (athletics), "Hockey Night" (ice hockey), and "Heart Like A Wheel" (drag racing).
"A League of Their Own" [1992] w/Geena Davis & Madonna /tt0104694/
"Blue Skies Again" [1983] baseball
"Goldengirl" [1979] athletics - starring Susan Anton
"Gregory's Girl" [1981] (soccer)
"Heart Like A Wheel" [1983] drag racing - starring Bonnie Bedelia
"Hockey Night" [1984 TV movie] ice hockey
"Kansas City Bomber" [1972] roller derby /tt0068795/
"Million Dollar Baby" [2004]
Directed by Clint Eastwood • full credits from IMDb
"The Miracle of Kathy Miller" [1981 TV movie] athletics - starring Helen Hunt
"Personal Best" [1982] track & field /tt0084489/
"Pumping Iron II: The Women" documentary [1985] /tt0089852/
"Rodeo Girl" [1980] starring Katherine Ross
"Unholy Rollers" [1972] roller derby movie starring Claudia Jennings /tt0069444/
"Whip It!" [Fox Searchlight Nov 2009]
| | "Be your own hero" A teenage girl who hates the beauty pageants that her mother grooms her for stumbles onto the roller derby circuit in nearby Austin, Texas. Co-produced & directed by Drew Barry-more; script by Shauna Cross, based on her novel; starring Ellen Page, Marcia Gay Harden, Kristen Wiig, Juliette Lewis, Jimmy Fallon, Daniel Stern, Landon Pigg, Alia Shawkat & Eve
Rhino Records soundtrack CD [9/2009] 19 tracks for $9.99 DVD/Blu-ray not yet available • full credits at IMDb • official movie site |
Books About Sports & Movies
search books on keywords 'sports movies' at Amazon
"Sports In The Movies" [1982] by Ronald Bergan
Proteus US 10½x7½ pb [6/82] out of print/many used
Proteus US hardcover [6/82] out of print/used
"Sports Movies: A Guide To Nearly 500 Films Focusing On Sports" [1989]
by Jeffrey H. Wallenfeldt
Cinebooks 8¾x7 pb [10/89] out of print/used
 | "Illustrated History of Movies Thru Posters #4: Sports Movie Posters" [1996] by Bruce Hershenson self-published 11x9½ pb [6/96] for $17.24 and more on Magic Lantern's Movie Posters & Books Page |
 | "Great Quotes From Great Sports Heroes" [1997] Compiled by Peggy Anderson, illustrated by Rick Gonella Career Press mass pb [3/97] for $8.99 |
 | "Contesting Identities: Sports In American Film" [2003] by Aaron Baker Univ Illinois Press 9x5¾ pb [2/2006] for $20.00 Univ Illinois Press 9½x6¼ hardcover [2/2003] for $34.00 |
 | "Great Sports Stories: The Legendary Films" [2005] by Dr. William Russo Kindle Edition from Long Time Ago Press [6/2010] for $3.99 Xlibris 8½x5½ pb [2005] out of print/scarce author's faculty homepage at Curry College {outside Boston} |
 | "You Don't Say!: Over 1,000 Hilarious Sports Quotes & Quips" [2005] Compiled by Hartley Miller, edited by Jim Swanson Andrews McMeel Publng 8½x5½ pb [8/2005] for $10.95 |
 | "Sports Cinema: 100 Movies - The Best of Hollywood's Athletic Heroes, Losers, Myths & Misfits of The Silver Screen" [2006] by Randy Williams Limelight Editions 10½x8¼ pb [10/2006] for $18.96 |
 | "1001 Stupid Sports Quotes: Jaw-Dropping, Stupefying & Amazing Expressions From The World's Best Athletes" [2007] Edited by Randy Howe Lyons Press 7x5¾ hardcover [6/2007] for $14.65 |
 | "All-Stars and Movie Stars: Sports In Film and History" [2008] Edited by Ron Briley, Michael K. Schoenecke & Deborah A. Carmichael Univ Press of KY 9x6 hardcover [6/2008] for $36.00 |
 | "A People's History of Sports In The United States: 250 Years of Politics, Protest, People, and Play" [2008] by Dave Zirin
New Press 8x5½ pb [9/2009] for $12.89 New Press 9¾x6½ hardcover [9/2008] for $16.80 |
 |
"Reel Sports: The Unbelievably True Stories Behind Great Sports Movies - Featuring Bull Durham, Rocky, Slap Shot, Caddyshack, and Hoosiers" [2009] by Jeff Merron
Kindle Edition from Amazon Digital Services [1/2009] for 99¢ {sic} |
 | "The Ultimate Book of Sports Movies: Featuring The 100 Greatest Sports Films of All Time" [2009] by Ray Didinger & Glen Macnow, Foreword by Gene Hackman Running Press bargain edition 10x8 pb [9/2009] for $7.98 Running Press 10x8 pb [9/2009] for $10.99 |
 | "Encyclopedia of Sports Films" [2011] by K. Edgington & Thomas Erskine, with James M. Welsh Kindle Edition from Scarecrow Press [1/2011] for $61.26 {sic] Scarecrow Press 10½x7½ hardcover [1/2011] for $68.07 |
"All-Stars and Movie Stars: Sports In Film and History" [6/2008]
edited by Ron Briley, Michael K. Schoenecke & Deborah A. Carmichael
http://www.amazon.com/All-Stars-Movie-Stars-Sports-History-ebook/dp/B003COZSDU/
http://www.amazon.com/All-Stars-Movie-Stars-Sports-History/dp/0813124484/
http://www.kentuckypress.com/live/title_detail.php?titleid=2082
"Sports On Television" [12/2008] by Alvin H. Marill
http://www.amazon.com/Sports-Television-Praeger-Collection/dp/0313351058/
Top Fifty Sports Movies List
While Empire Magazine may not be known for serious movie criticism, their list was reader-determined and is
at minimum a good basis for discussion and inclusion here (i.e. several Top 50 selections were unknown to me).
original list/slideshow on the Empire Magazine website {from #50 to #1}
Counted by sport, the 50 are comprised of 9 for baseball; 8 for boxing; 6 for soccer/rugby; 4 for football; two each for
basketball, golf, martial arts & running; one each for auto-racing, bowling & horse-racing; and 12 miscellaneous.
1 Martin Scorsese's "Raging Bull" [1980] boxing - starring Robert DeNiro
2 "Chariots Of Fire" [1981] running
3 "Rocky" [1979] boxing - starring Sylvester Stallone
4 "Senna" [2010] auto-racing
5 "Moneyball" [2011] baseball - starring Brad Pitt
6 "Friday Night Lights" [2004] high school football
7 "The Hustler" [1961] pool - starring Paul Newman
8 "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story" [2004] comedy - starring Ben Stiller
9 "Field of Dreams" [1989] baseball - starring Kevin Costner
10 "Jerry Maguire" [1996] football - starring Tom Cruise
11 "Slap Shot" [1977] ice hockey - starring Paul Newman
12 "Bull Durham" [1988] baseball - starring Kevin Costner
13 "The Wrestler" [2008] wrestling - starring Mickey Roarke
14 "Hoop Dreams" [1994] basketball
15 Oliver Stone's "Any Given Sunday" [1999] football
16 "Gregory's Girl" [1981] college soccer
17 "The Fighter" [2010] boxing - starring Mark Wahlberg
18 "This Sporting Life" [1963] rugby
19 Farrelly Brothers's "Kingpin" [1996] bowling
20 "Warrior" [2011] mixed martial arts
21 "Hoosiers" [1986] basketball - starring Gene Hackman
22 "Rollerball" [1975] - starring James Caan
23 "The Natural" [1984] baseball - starring Robert Redford
24 "Murderball" [2005] wheelchair rugby
25 "Cool Runnings" [1993] olympic bobsled
26 John Huston's "Escape To Victory" [1981] soccer
27 "The Loneliness of The Long Distance Runner" [1962] running
28 "The Rookie" [2002] baseball - starring Dennis Quaid
29 "Whip It!" [2009] roller derby
30 "When We Were Kings" [1996] boxing docufilm
31 "Big Wednesday" [1978] surfing - starring Jan-Michael Vincent
32 "The Damned United" [2009] soccer
33 "Twenty Four Seven" [1997] boxing
34 "Tin Cup" [1996] golf - starring Kevin Costner
35 Stephen Chow's "Shaolin Soccer" [2001]
36 "The Bad News Bears" [1976] baseball - starring Walter Matthau
37 "Major League" [1989] baseball - starring Charlie Sheen
38 John Sayles's "Eight Men Out" [1988] baseball
39 Michael Mann's "Ali" [2000] boxing - starring Will Smith
40 "Downhill Racer" [1969] skiing - starring Robert Redford
41 Charlie Chaplin's "The Champion" [1915 silent] boxing
42 "Miracle" [2004] ice hockey
43 "Girlfight" [2000] boxing
44 "Lagaan" [India 2001] cricket
45 "Breaking Away" [1979] cycling
46 David Mamet's "Redbelt" [2008] martial arts
47 "Happy Gilmore" [1996] golf - starring Adam Sandler
48 "A League of Their Own" [1992] baseball - starring Tom Hanks
49 "The Longest Yard" [1974] football - starring Burt Reynolds
50 "National Velvet" [1944] horse-racing - starring Elizabeth Taylor
Visit Our Other Online Film Festival Pages
Afro-American Film Festival at Magic Lantern
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47 Rônin / Chüshingura Film Festival at Magic Lantern
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Oscar-Winning Western Movies Page at 'Readers of the Purple Sage' Bookstore
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Road Movies Film Festival at Magic Lantern
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'Shakespeare On Film' Festival at Magic Lantern
Sherlock Holmes Film Festival at BlackHat Mystery Bookstore
War [& Anti-War] Film Festival Pages at Magic Lantern
Western Movies Film Festival at 'Readers of the Purple Sage' Bookstore
Magic Lantern's Sports Film Festival Pages « « you are here
top of page 1 • sports movie collections • auto racing movies F/F • baseball movies F/F • basketball movies F/F • boxing movies F/F •
football movies F/F • golf movies • hockey movies • horse racing movies F/F • martial arts • running / track & field •
wrestling movies • other sports {top of page 2} • top 50 sports movies
... and others on the Online Film Festivals Index Page
« «
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