Let us speak of the film _Eight Men Out

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As observed by Chuck on the Hoosiers thread:

Sort of off topic, but do any people still think of *Field of Dreams* as a great baseball movie? I totally forget. It wasn't even the best 1919 Black Sox-related movie of the 1988-1989, for crissakes! (That would have been *Eight Men Out,* obviously.)

-- xhuxk (xedd...), March 17th, 2005. (later)

I'd have to add a 'that's for damn sure' -- I was lucky enough to have finally caught the film after reading the book, and shortly thereafter as well so it was fresh in my mind. Sayles to my way of thinking nailed it as a great period piece on a budget, got as much of the complexity of the situation into the movie as he could, and harnessed some outstanding performances (Cusack, Sweeney, Sheen, not to mention himself and Studs Terkel as the journalistic double-team, but the list really goes on -- Sayles rep player David Strathairn is my choice for best of the bunch as Cicotte).

Not being a hyper-baseball addict myself, I enjoyed the film as a loving tribute and sorrowful critique of the sport, the way he handled the grey of the book (cheating sucks but screwing over your players sucks as well -- and who really got punished in the end, after all) was perfectly in keeping with his general outlook on things.

Also, lovely opening credits, simple but effective.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 17 March 2005 17:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Sayles is godhead to me. Although I haven't seen the film since I was ten. Perhaps a re-viewing is in order...

― Girolamo Savonarola, Thursday, 17 March 2005 18:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Charlie Sheen is in this right? And this came out close to the first Major League movie, right? So clearly, Charlie Sheen, and not Kevin Costner is the King of Baseball films.

― Huk-L, Thursday, 17 March 2005 18:04 (twenty-one years ago)

It's a good book too actually. Probably the best baseball film though. Field of Dreams is terrible.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 17 March 2005 18:05 (twenty-one years ago)

F o D also loses points for being based on a story by W.P. Kinsella.

― Huk-L, Thursday, 17 March 2005 18:06 (twenty-one years ago)

I went to see this in the theatre when I was a kid and hated it. I walked out. Of course back then "Mannequin" was my favorite movie. I need to put this on my Netflix queue. I HAVE NOTHING BAD TO SAY ABOUT FIELD OF DREAMS. But when it comes to baseball movies...THE NATURAL is where its at.

― Chris 'The Nuts' V (Chris V), Thursday, 17 March 2005 18:06 (twenty-one years ago)

BAD NEWS BEARS IS WHERE ITS AT

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 17 March 2005 18:08 (twenty-one years ago)

True.

― Chris 'The Nuts' V (Chris V), Thursday, 17 March 2005 18:09 (twenty-one years ago)

I'd like the Bad News Bears more if it wasn't NOW the default template for every subsequent crappy sports flick.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 17 March 2005 18:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Also true

― Chris 'The Nuts' V (Chris V), Thursday, 17 March 2005 18:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Blount OTM & Nuts OTM re: Mannequin, which was the first movie I saw in a theatre w/o parental supervision. Thanks a lot, sis.

― Huk-L, Thursday, 17 March 2005 18:10 (twenty-one years ago)

never saw this!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 17 March 2005 18:13 (twenty-one years ago)

And you call yourself an Expos fan!?!!?

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 17 March 2005 18:14 (twenty-one years ago)

eight men out's pretty great, a bit too sympathetic with shoeless joe and maybe buck weaver (who's generally considered to have the best case though i've read some who think he's guilty as hell too), but still pretty great. probably my fave sayles pic.

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 17 March 2005 18:15 (twenty-one years ago)

More than Matewan???

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 17 March 2005 18:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh it's definitely sympathetic towards Weaver, but the book is too. I think you are really supposed to feel pretty bad for the whole team though and really supposed to hate Comiskey (who by all accounts was a cheap SOB.)

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 17 March 2005 18:17 (twenty-one years ago)

It's right up there with Matewan actually. Those are the only two Sayles films I really like. The rest go a little overboard for me.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 17 March 2005 18:18 (twenty-one years ago)

8MO is among my least fave Sayles films. Very predictable treatment, acting, etc. (tho I haven't seen it since its original release). At least he got actors who could play ball.

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 17 March 2005 19:11 (twenty-one years ago)

8mo is a great film (though not as good as Matewan IMHO). BNB also fun baseball movie. 'Bull Durham' anyone?

― M. White (Miguelito), Thursday, 17 March 2005 19:14 (twenty-one years ago)

I have some problems with Sayles (dude makes respectable efforts to hide that he's preachy as fuck but he's still preachy as fuck) but I definitely enjoy Eight Men Out. Fun cast.

I love Bull Durham

― miccio (miccio), Thursday, 17 March 2005 19:15 (twenty-one years ago)

anthony, I think that's why I like 'Matewan' better. It is preachy but that seems appropriate to the subject.

― M. White (Miguelito), Thursday, 17 March 2005 19:18 (twenty-one years ago)

My only real memory of Eight Men Out is that it looks washed-out and dreary, everyone speaks in a soft monotone about cryptic things, and you can't tell one character from another. This was years ago, mind you, but I remember it seeming really dull and unpleasant.

― sunburned and snowblind (kenan), Thursday, 17 March 2005 19:19 (twenty-one years ago)

well that's Sayles for you.

― miccio (miccio), Thursday, 17 March 2005 19:20 (twenty-one years ago)

I think its time I give it up for Brother From Another Planet, though I haven't seen that in ages.

― miccio (miccio), Thursday, 17 March 2005 19:21 (twenty-one years ago)

8MO is great (great acronym too), back when John Cusack was in the midst of his INcredible movie streak. But, it's no "Pride of the Yankees", my absolute favorite baseball movie of all time. Babe Ruth played by... Babe Ruth! Game Over.

― theophilus jones (theophilus), Thursday, 17 March 2005 19:24 (twenty-one years ago)

"Pride of the Yankees" is a fantasy. Nothing much to do with the real Gehrig (Coop is no native Gothamite-Columbian).

John Mahoney played the skipper, yes? He and Cuz were both far more memorable in Say Anything.

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 17 March 2005 20:22 (twenty-one years ago)

You BNB fans know Richard Linklater is remaking BNB w/ Billy Bob Thornton as the coach, right?

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 17 March 2005 20:25 (twenty-one years ago)

They should just rerelease the original. Matthau ROOLZ.

― Huk-L, Thursday, 17 March 2005 20:26 (twenty-one years ago)

yah i think Matthau is my fav actor of all time.

― charleston charge (chaki), Thursday, 17 March 2005 20:34 (twenty-one years ago)

I love love love Field of Dreams, one of the first non-Disney movies I can remember seeing in the theater. James Earl Jones is ridiculously great as is Ray Liotta.

Surprisingly good baseball movie - the Billy Crystal-directed 61*

― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Thursday, 17 March 2005 20:53 (twenty-one years ago)

i attended the world premiere of this movie (eight men out)! they handed out cracker jacks.

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Thursday, 17 March 2005 20:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Wow, I didn't know my post would inspire a thread.

Still, I think my favorite baseball movie is probably *Fear Strikes Out,* with Anthony Perkins as Jimmy Piersall going nuts.

― xhuxk, Thursday, 17 March 2005 20:58 (twenty-one years ago)

best baseball movie is kitano's "hard boiled," though. obv.

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Thursday, 17 March 2005 20:59 (twenty-one years ago)

xpost

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Thursday, 17 March 2005 20:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Sports movies suck, you guys.

― sunburned and snowblind (kenan), Thursday, 17 March 2005 20:59 (twenty-one years ago)

BIGOT

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Thursday, 17 March 2005 21:04 (twenty-one years ago)

I've read Fear Strikes Out but never seen the movie. Always wanted to see it. The book is awesome though. Piersall is still on the radio here in Chicago as a baseball commentator and he is still absolutely hilarious.

― Stormy Davis (diamond), Thursday, 17 March 2005 21:05 (twenty-one years ago)

DB Sweeney's best sports movie was The Cutting Edge.

― tokyo rosemary (rosemary), Thursday, 17 March 2005 21:06 (twenty-one years ago)

TOE PICK

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Thursday, 17 March 2005 21:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Piersall complained that Perkins threw like a girl.

I liked the Kinsella book OK (20 years ago), but FOD took it to a whole new level of sappiness (and where were the black ghosts? why wouldn't J E Jones complain?). And THEY HAD JOE JACKSON BATTING RIGHTY!!!

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 17 March 2005 21:17 (twenty-one years ago)

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Let us speak of the film _Eight Men Out_