Cinematic Underdogs

The Replacements came out at the turn of the millennium as a strange follow up for Keanu Reeves to The Matrix . Also starring Jon Favreau (in ridiculously aggro / full-throttle mode), Orlando Jones (bug-eyed / timorous / hilarious in every scene), and Gene Hackman (oddly sentimental for the otherwise goofy film), the movie boasts an all-star cast, off-the-wall humor, and a great comeback narrative...

Starring Mark Walhberg, Greg Kinnear, and Elizabeth Banks, and tracking the unbelievable story of Vince Papale - a Philly bartender and substitute school teacher who somehow earned a spot on one of Dick Vermeil's late 70's Philadelphia Eagles teams -   Invincible has all the ingredients to be a bonafide feel good underdog sports movie.  Unfortunately, something went afoul with the recipe...

Whether it was due to its criticism for being Oscar-bait, or Will Smith's valiantly manufactured but still awkward Nigerian accent, Concussion never really got hold of the cultural zeitgeist. A slick legal and scientific procedural, filled with tons of exposition and salacious exposés about the damning evidence of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) and the iniquitous cover-up antics of the Nat...

Visceral, gritty, immersive, oversaturated, raw, unfiltered, cynical, decadent, cutthroat: telling from the frequency of descriptors such as these in this podcast episode,   Any Given Sunday is in no way a film for the feint of heart. Oliver Stone's reimagining of a war film on a football field, this film is unlike any other in the genre in that it delves into the dirty backstories and underb...

Starring Rick Moranis, Ed O'Niell, and a very young Devin Sawa (so young, in fact, he had not yet proliferated the cover of Teen Bob), there are few other kids' based 90's sports films as quintessentially 90's as the little gem: Warner Bro's 1994 entry, Little Giants .  Produced by Steven Spielberg, directed by the man who brought you Homeward Bound & Halloweentown , inspired by a 19...

On this episode of Cinematic Underdogs, Jordan Puga and Paul Keelan are confronted with a film that exists on the threshold of the podcast's dedicated genre: should Heavyweights be considered a sports film at all? Beyond this dilemma, we are also perplexed by the assortment of tones and sensibilities in this strange curio. Produced, created, distributed, and marketed by Disney as a kid's comedy, H...

In this episode, Jordan Puga and Paul Keelan delve deeper into The Mighty Ducks trilogy, geeking out the world of Gordon Bombay and his quack attack. We compare and contrast the pomp and pizazz of D2, which is set in Los Angeles and features the iconic Iceland team as the primary rival, with the juvenile pranks and mopey adolescent moodiness of D3, which finds the Ducks back in Minneapolis at Eden...

On this episode, Jordan Puga and Paul Keelan look at the film that really started the fad of Disney-based 90's Kids Sports Movies: 1992's The Mights Ducks . Written by Steven Brill, directed by Stephen Herrick, and staring Emilio Estevez and Joshua Jackson, amongst many other recognizable actors, this cult classic has some of the most memorable scenes and quotable lines of its decade.  The fi...

On this episode of Cinematic Underdogs, we discuss how our memory of The Big Green was upended by our adult viewing experience of the film. Nevertheless, there was a lot to take from this film, despite the fact that it doesn't have the same emotional payoff as other classic Disney 90's Sports Movies.  In some ways, The Big Green is more politically relevant than ever: dealing with issues of i...

On our first podcast for the Disney Kids' Sports Movie bracket, Jordan Puga and Paul Keelan discuss why they still find the 1994 Angels in the Outfield so adorable. With a stellar cast, a heartfelt story, and a whole lot of angelic hijinks, Angels in the Outfield is a film that is ripe for analysis. Exploring the themes of faith, family, and the complicated dynamics of being a child in the foster...

On the very first episode of Cinematic Underdogs, Jordan Puga and Paul Keelan discuss, debate, and circumscribe the scope of what their podcast will focus on: sports movies.  What exactly defines a sports movie? Is it the setting? Is it simply any film with an athlete or a sports franchise in it? Are skateboarding movies sports films? What about chess films? The Big Lebowski? Ace Ventura?&nbs...