Showing posts with label mets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mets. Show all posts

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Baseball - A Film By Ken Burns (1994) Review

Baseball - A Film By Ken Burns (1994)
Average Reviews:

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Contained in these ten DVD's are just about every historical moment in baseball.
Inning 1 Baseball from its inception in the 1840's to the 1900's This explores baseballs roots from Abner Doubleday to the beginnings of what we know as modern day baseball.
Inning 2 1900 to 1910. The beginning of the World Series. Great footage and photos of old parks and players.
Inning 3 1910 TO 1920. Covers Babe Ruth, the Black sox, Grover Cleveland Alexander and more. Footage of Fenway being built
Inning 4 1920 to 1930 Really the beginnings of the Yankee dynasty but the Cardinals rule the National league with the famed gas house gang.
Inning 5 1930 to 1940. More footage of all the great stars of the day, Ruth, DiMaggio, Williams and more.
Inning 6 1940 to 1950. The effects of war on the American pastime. The splendid splinter goes to war, he comes back and picks up where he left off.
Inning 7 1950 to 1960. The Yankee dynasty continues. Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, The shot heard around the world, Don Larson's perfect game. The Giants and Dodgers pick and leave.
Inning 8 1960 to 1970. The Los Angeles Angels are born, The Kansas City A's become the Oakland A's, The Royals and Mets are born. The Padres are born and move into a small stadium outside of San Diego. And then there was the Seattle Pilots. Those amazin Mets win the World series. Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax get agents but are unsuccessful in changing baseballs anti trust act and re sign with the Dodgers. Maris passes the Babe with an asterisk.
Inning 9 1970 to 1994. Curt Flood loses his war against baseball but the players eventually win. The players union gets stronger. The Reds come to power. The A's win a couple world series. Roberto Clemente's life cut short. Washington loses another team called the Senators.
The film also has some great commentary interspersed through out all of the DVD's. At the end of each DVD is a trivia game based on the decade that the DVD covered. While the movie is based for the most part on New York teams this is truly a must for all baseball fans. There is no other collection of materials that covers baseball like this one does in terms of breadth and depth.
I have watched this m any times now and it's still just as interesting as the first time I watched it.

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Ken Burns tops himself with this epic of American history, told in "nineinnings," with a skilled narration by John Chancellor and the voices of Paul Newman,Jason Robards, Billy Crystal, and other stars. The series spans 150 years, starting with themyth-debunking tale of baseball's true beginnings -- when it was a game "one degreeabove mayhem." Then follow the growth of America's National Pastime through thedecades of glory and record-setting achievements, as well as the scandals, the bigotry,and the big money. The series portrays the game as a mirror of America itself -- thepassions, prejudices, and ambitions that have shape the country.

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Monday, June 13, 2011

The Last Play at Shea Review

The Last Play at Shea
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I remember filing out of SHEA that hot summer night in 2008 - stunned at what I'd just witnessed - and already chomping at the bit for a CD or DVD of this historic show. After seeing a bunch of garbage on youtube, we FINALLY got to see it at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2010, and I was FLOORED.
OK - in the interest of full disclosure - I'm a huge Billy Joel fan, and even bigger Paul McCartney fan, and (alas) a die-hard NY Mets fan. So, really - what's not to like.
Billy Joel turning over the mic to Sir Paul - at his own concert, in his own backyard, was really classy. So much so, that when McCartney opened "the new Shea" (CitiField), he invited Billy to perform with him. No big deal ? Tell me, for as often as Paul is a "special guest" on the concert stage, how many times does he bring on a guest ?
NOTE: It's not a straight concert film - there's lots of New York history - baseball and otherwise - in the mix. I really was hoping they'd have done a treatment similar to the "Concert For George" (George Harrison tribute) DVD - one disc with the theatrical release (edits, interviews, backstory, documentary stuff), and one with just the concert (beginning to end).
UPDATE - JUST ANNOUNCED JAN 21: There will be a CD/DVD set called "Billy Joel Live at Shea Stadium", to be released March 1st. NOW it seems all will be right in the world ! Set list looks like a combination of the two-night stand, with guests from both nights.
Still, top to bottom, the movie is terrific. Very informative and entertaining.

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Two New York icons meet for one final time in The Last Play at Shea. Academy® Award-winning documentary writer Mark Monroe (The Cove) chronicles the intersecting histories of the landmark Shea Stadium and the legendary performer Billy Joel. An engaging look at the highs and lows of the New York Mets and the music career of Joel, The Last Play at Shea interweaves interviews with players and performers with exclusive concert footage from the good-bye performances in July 2008. New York City serves as a background for those who were there – including Sting, Christie Brinkley, John Mayer, Garth Brooks, Tony Bennett and others – to share their stories of these electric summer nights. The film, narrated by New Yorker Alec Baldwin (TV’s “30 Rock"), also highlights a special performance by Paul McCartney.

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