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    <title>Ali's Recent Activity - Spout</title>
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      <title>Ali's Recent Activity - Spout</title>
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      <title>Film:Ali</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/films/Ali/195895/default.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<table width='100%' style='font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><tr><td><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t44208q5rkk.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' /></td>
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<strong>Title:</strong> Ali<br/>
<strong>Year:</strong> 2001<br/>
<strong>Director:</strong> Michael Mann<br/>
<strong>Plot:</strong> Notoriously obsessive director <a href="/players/P___101066/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Michael Mann</a> and star <a href="/players/P____66596/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Will Smith</a> devoted nearly two years and over 100 million dollars from the coffers of Columbia Pictures and other financiers to creating this biography of boxing great <a href="/players/P______915/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Muhammad Ali</a>, which focuses on the ten-year period of 1964-1974. In that time, the brash, motor-mouthed athlete quickly dominates his sport, meets and marries his first wife (Jada Pinkett-Smith), converts to Islam (changing his name from Cassius Clay), and defies the United States government by refusing to submit to military conscription for duty in Vietnam. His world heavyweight champion title thus stripped from him entirely for political reasons, the champ sets about to win back his crown, culminating in a legendary unification bout against George Foreman (Charles Shufford) in Zaire, dubbed the "Rumble in the Jungle." In his travels, Ali becomes a symbol of power to disenfranchised African-Americans everywhere and meets such luminaries as Malcolm X (<a href="/players/P____55777/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Mario Van Peebles</a>), Martin Luther King Jr. (<a href="/players/P_____9812/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>LeVar Burton</a>) and Maya Angelou (Martha Edgerton). Ali features an all-star supporting cast that includes <a href="/players/P___115561/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Jon Voight</a>, <a href="/players/P____22133/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Giancarlo Esposito</a>, <a href="/players/P____24604/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Jamie Foxx</a>, <a href="/players/P___302076/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Nona Gaye</a>, <a href="/players/P____48935/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Michael Michele</a>, <a href="/players/P____50922/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Joe Morton</a>, <a href="/players/P____61029/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Paul Rodriguez</a>, <a href="/players/P___111481/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Ron Silver</a>, <a href="/players/P____76595/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Mykelti Williamson</a>, and <a href="/players/P____77607/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Jeffrey Wright</a>. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide<br/>
<strong>Times Tagged:</strong> 4<br/>
<strong>Number of Lists:</strong> 18<br/>
<strong>Number of blog posts:</strong> 3<br/>
<strong>SpoutRating:</strong> 3<br/>
</td></tr></table>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 17 Dec 2008 23:00:27 GMT</pubDate><spout:Title>Ali</spout:Title><spout:Year>2001</spout:Year><spout:Director>Michael Mann</spout:Director><spout:Plot>Notoriously obsessive director &lt;a href="/players/P___101066/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Michael Mann&lt;/a&gt; and star &lt;a href="/players/P____66596/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Will Smith&lt;/a&gt; devoted nearly two years and over 100 million dollars from the coffers of Columbia Pictures and other financiers to creating this biography of boxing great &lt;a href="/players/P______915/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Muhammad Ali&lt;/a&gt;, which focuses on the ten-year period of 1964-1974. In that time, the brash, motor-mouthed athlete quickly dominates his sport, meets and marries his first wife (Jada Pinkett-Smith), converts to Islam (changing his name from Cassius Clay), and defies the United States government by refusing to submit to military conscription for duty in Vietnam. His world heavyweight champion title thus stripped from him entirely for political reasons, the champ sets about to win back his crown, culminating in a legendary unification bout against George Foreman (Charles Shufford) in Zaire, dubbed the "Rumble in the Jungle." In his travels, Ali becomes a symbol of power to disenfranchised African-Americans everywhere and meets such luminaries as Malcolm X (&lt;a href="/players/P____55777/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Mario Van Peebles&lt;/a&gt;), Martin Luther King Jr. (&lt;a href="/players/P_____9812/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;LeVar Burton&lt;/a&gt;) and Maya Angelou (Martha Edgerton). Ali features an all-star supporting cast that includes &lt;a href="/players/P___115561/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Jon Voight&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="/players/P____22133/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Giancarlo Esposito&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="/players/P____24604/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Jamie Foxx&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="/players/P___302076/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Nona Gaye&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="/players/P____48935/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Michael Michele&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="/players/P____50922/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Joe Morton&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="/players/P____61029/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Paul Rodriguez&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="/players/P___111481/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Ron Silver&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="/players/P____76595/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Mykelti Williamson&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href="/players/P____77607/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Jeffrey Wright&lt;/a&gt;. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide</spout:Plot><spout:TimesTagged>4</spout:TimesTagged><spout:taglevel>Slightly Tagged (1-5)</spout:taglevel><spout:Numberoflists>18</spout:Numberoflists><spout:NumberOfBlogPosts>3</spout:NumberOfBlogPosts><spout:SpoutRating>3</spout:SpoutRating><spout:FilmCoverURL>http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t44208q5rkk.jpg</spout:FilmCoverURL><spout:SpoutFilmDetailURL>http://www.spout.com/films/Ali/195895/default.aspx</spout:SpoutFilmDetailURL><spout:type>Film</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: Blagojevich Biopic. Casting Call</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/12/17/38505.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t44208q5rkk.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/9325/default.aspx'>SpoutBlog</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/default.aspx'>SpoutBlog on spout.com</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 12/17/2008 6:00:27 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> One of the many things Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich did this week — instead of resigning from his position, as many people desired — was sign into law an increase on tax credits for films produced in his state. So, it should be only appropriate, and somewhat bittersweet, for the inevitable movie about his life and corruption hearings to be shot there.
Now that we’ve got a location for the film, it’s time to cast the players in Blogojevich’s scandalous tale. The Washington Post has already published a list of possible actors to portray the lead (John Travolta, Sean Astin, Gary Cole, Stephen Baldwin, Tom Cruise, Ray Liotta, Charlie Sheen, Mike Myers and Steve Carrell), but more difficult than casting Blogojevich (see our pick below) is determining what other significant figures should be prominently featured.
A straight biopic calls for way too many characters, so we’ve narrowed the film down to focus on just Blagojevich’s arrest and subsequent (forthcoming) trial. As always, if there’s another character to be included or another thespian suited to a role we’ve cast, chime in with a comment. Also, due to the fact that we’ve previously done posts about Barack Obama casting, let’s just assume that he’ll only be portrayed by a voice on the phone, a la Al Gore in Recount.


Sam Rockwell as Governor Rod Blogojevich

The perfect look-a-like casting choice would be former Attorney General Janet Reno, but Sam Rockwell (Frost/Nixon) is also a pretty close match. The actor has already played a lot of sleazy characters, including the lead role in Choke, for which he was recently named one of the “most offensive male characters” of 2008 by the Women Film Critics Circle. Rockwell also has experience portraying a conceited and delusional celebrity in George Clooney’s Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. If that actor-director pair could link up again for this movie, Rockwell could certainly be looking at his first well-deserved Oscar nomination.

Mary Lynn Rajskub as Patti Blogojevich
Rockwell is a tad young for the role of Blogojevich, so it’s fair that we also aim younger in casting the actress to play Illinois’ First Lady. Few women are more perfect for the part than Mary Lynn Rajskub (TV’s 24), who is about 8 years Blogojevich’s junior, anyway. Talented for playing cranky and/or two-faced women (mainly we’re thinking of her character in Punch-Drunk Love), she would be excellent as the allegedly foul-mouthed wife of the Governor.


Mario Van Peebles as U.S. Representative Jesse Jackson, Jr.
Fittingly the son of an important African American leader (though being an icon of black cinema is admittedly not quite the same as being an icon of the civil rights movement), Mario Van Peebles (Ali) is conversely too old to play this part, especially since Jackson looks a lot younger than he is. But he’s a great, underrated actor (too good for All My Children, that’s for sure) and he could easily pull off a portrayal of the congressman, who was one of the contenders for Barack Obama’s now-vacant Senate seat, and who has apparently been a longtime informant to feds regarding Blagojevich’s shady dealings.

Martin Donovan as U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald
One idea for the part of the federal prosecutor in this case is Richard “John Boy” Thomas. He does look a little more like Fitzgerald, but Martin Donovan (Saved!)  got the Irish-American thing going for him, and it would be more interesting to see if he can do the Brooklyn accent. Plus, Donovan often works with Mary-Louise Parker, who would be perfect for the part of Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan if she were an included character in the film.

Brian Cox (or Albert Finney) as Defense Attorney Ed Genson
An immediate idea following a Google image search was to jokingly cast actor Kevin Scannell, who played wheelchair-bound lawyer “Gar Girard” in The Player. But as it turns out, contrary to most photos available on the web, Genson no longer has such a handicap. So, a more appropriate suggestion for the famously tough lawyer (often called “the bulldog of the court room”), who formerly won R. Kelly’s child-pornography trial and who will now defend Blagojevich, is The Bourne Identy’s Brian Cox (not ever called “the bulldog of cinema,” though he should be). Or, in the event that you too think he’s easily interchangeable with Cox, Albert Finney (The Bourne Ultimatum) would also be suitable. Whichever of the two is cast, he’ll have to either get Genson’s accent down or have his dialogue overdubbed by William Hurt.

James Woods as Lt. Governor Pat Quinn

He may not really look like Quinn, but James Woods (Ghosts of Mississippi) is terrific at changing his appearance for Oscar-worthy supporting roles. This might not be a big enough part for an actor of his stature, but he’d be great at aping the wide-eyed expressions Quinn does when speaking publicly.

Stanley Tucci as Antoin “Tony” Rezko 
It’s not certain yet if convicted fundraiser Tony Rezko will be involved in Blagojevich’s trial, though his testimonial would serve the prosecution well. If he is a major player, then Stanley Tucci (The Devil Wears Prada), with a puffy makeup job and fake mustache, should fill the role. Although Tucci is not Syrian like Rezko, he did once play a Middle Eastern assassin in The Pelican Brief.

William Petersen as John Harris
As Blagojevich’s former Chief of Staff, who resigned from his position after his joint arrest with the governor last week, William Petersen (TV’s CSI) would callback to his similar role as a political scandal figure in The Contender.

“The Football” as Itself
One of the harshest punishments for Blagojevich would be for the feds to deny the Governor his beloved hairbrush, which is nicknamed “The Football” (after a term used for the president’s possession of bomb codes). Then, producers of the Blagojevich film should purchase the item for a cameo appearance. Because, as the Governor would declare, there’s no substitute for it. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 17 Dec 2008 23:00:27 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>SpoutBlog</spout:postby><spout:postto>SpoutBlog on spout.com</spout:postto><spout:postdate>12/17/2008 6:00:27 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>One of the many things Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich did this week — instead of resigning from his position, as many people desired — was sign into law an increase on tax credits for films produced in his state. So, it should be only appropriate, and somewhat bittersweet, for the inevitable movie about his life and corruption hearings to be shot there.
Now that we’ve got a location for the film, it’s time to cast the players in Blogojevich’s scandalous tale. The Washington Post has already published a list of possible actors to portray the lead (John Travolta, Sean Astin, Gary Cole, Stephen Baldwin, Tom Cruise, Ray Liotta, Charlie Sheen, Mike Myers and Steve Carrell), but more difficult than casting Blogojevich (see our pick below) is determining what other significant figures should be prominently featured.
A straight biopic calls for way too many characters, so we’ve narrowed the film down to focus on just Blagojevich’s arrest and subsequent (forthcoming) trial. As always, if there’s another character to be included or another thespian suited to a role we’ve cast, chime in with a comment. Also, due to the fact that we’ve previously done posts about Barack Obama casting, let’s just assume that he’ll only be portrayed by a voice on the phone, a la Al Gore in Recount.


Sam Rockwell as Governor Rod Blogojevich

The perfect look-a-like casting choice would be former Attorney General Janet Reno, but Sam Rockwell (Frost/Nixon) is also a pretty close match. The actor has already played a lot of sleazy characters, including the lead role in Choke, for which he was recently named one of the “most offensive male characters” of 2008 by the Women Film Critics Circle. Rockwell also has experience portraying a conceited and delusional celebrity in George Clooney’s Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. If that actor-director pair could link up again for this movie, Rockwell could certainly be looking at his first well-deserved Oscar nomination.

Mary Lynn Rajskub as Patti Blogojevich
Rockwell is a tad young for the role of Blogojevich, so it’s fair that we also aim younger in casting the actress to play Illinois’ First Lady. Few women are more perfect for the part than Mary Lynn Rajskub (TV’s 24), who is about 8 years Blogojevich’s junior, anyway. Talented for playing cranky and/or two-faced women (mainly we’re thinking of her character in Punch-Drunk Love), she would be excellent as the allegedly foul-mouthed wife of the Governor.


Mario Van Peebles as U.S. Representative Jesse Jackson, Jr.
Fittingly the son of an important African American leader (though being an icon of black cinema is admittedly not quite the same as being an icon of the civil rights movement), Mario Van Peebles (Ali) is conversely too old to play this part, especially since Jackson looks a lot younger than he is. But he’s a great, underrated actor (too good for All My Children, that’s for sure) and he could easily pull off a portrayal of the congressman, who was one of the contenders for Barack Obama’s now-vacant Senate seat, and who has apparently been a longtime informant to feds regarding Blagojevich’s shady dealings.

Martin Donovan as U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald
One idea for the part of the federal prosecutor in this case is Richard “John Boy” Thomas. He does look a little more like Fitzgerald, but Martin Donovan (Saved!)  got the Irish-American thing going for him, and it would be more interesting to see if he can do the Brooklyn accent. Plus, Donovan often works with Mary-Louise Parker, who would be perfect for the part of Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan if she were an included character in the film.

Brian Cox (or Albert Finney) as Defense Attorney Ed Genson
An immediate idea following a Google image search was to jokingly cast actor Kevin Scannell, who played wheelchair-bound lawyer “Gar Girard” in The Player. But as it turns out, contrary to most photos available on the web, Genson no longer has such a handicap. So, a more appropriate suggestion for the famously tough lawyer (often called “the bulldog of the court room”), who formerly won R. Kelly’s child-pornography trial and who will now defend Blagojevich, is The Bourne Identy’s Brian Cox (not ever called “the bulldog of cinema,” though he should be). Or, in the event that you too think he’s easily interchangeable with Cox, Albert Finney (The Bourne Ultimatum) would also be suitable. Whichever of the two is cast, he’ll have to either get Genson’s accent down or have his dialogue overdubbed by William Hurt.

James Woods as Lt. Governor Pat Quinn

He may not really look like Quinn, but James Woods (Ghosts of Mississippi) is terrific at changing his appearance for Oscar-worthy supporting roles. This might not be a big enough part for an actor of his stature, but he’d be great at aping the wide-eyed expressions Quinn does when speaking publicly.

Stanley Tucci as Antoin “Tony” Rezko 
It’s not certain yet if convicted fundraiser Tony Rezko will be involved in Blagojevich’s trial, though his testimonial would serve the prosecution well. If he is a major player, then Stanley Tucci (The Devil Wears Prada), with a puffy makeup job and fake mustache, should fill the role. Although Tucci is not Syrian like Rezko, he did once play a Middle Eastern assassin in The Pelican Brief.

William Petersen as John Harris
As Blagojevich’s former Chief of Staff, who resigned from his position after his joint arrest with the governor last week, William Petersen (TV’s CSI) would callback to his similar role as a political scandal figure in The Contender.

“The Football” as Itself
One of the harshest punishments for Blagojevich would be for the feds to deny the Governor his beloved hairbrush, which is nicknamed “The Football” (after a term used for the president’s possession of bomb codes). Then, producers of the Blagojevich film should purchase the item for a cameo appearance. Because, as the Governor would declare, there’s no substitute for it. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: The Great Quebecois Hope</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/tenenbaums/archive/2007/11/13/21665.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t44208q5rkk.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/49792/default.aspx'>Tenenbaums</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/tenenbaums/default.aspx'>Tenenbaums Blog</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 11/13/2007 5:57:00 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> Let&#39;s go back.  Back to a time when hockey was played without helmets or masks.  When being a professional hockey player was (apparently) not a full-time job.  A time before agents and million dollar contracts, when talent won out over hype and gimmicks.  A simpler time.Specifically 1942, when Maurice &quot;The Rocket&quot; Richard (Roy Dupuis), a Quebecois machinist who&#39;d financially supported his family since age 16, is signed by the hometown Montreal Canadians after an open training camp.  Richard dazzles coach Dick Irvin with his speed and determination, but other team officials urge Irvin to be wary of Richard&#39;s tendency to break bones.  Despite Richard being too brittle to join the army and fight in WWII, Irvin signs him anyway and is torched by the press after Richard breaks an ankle after a handful of electric games.Of course, the injury only motivates Richard to work harder and it is here that Pierre Gill&#39;s incredibly fluid cinematography really shines.  Most notably on Richard&#39;s solo training sessions, the camera dances around him in perfect circles, capturing his dedication in a most alluring manner.  Similar smoothness was seen in Children of Men, but Alfonso Cuaron admitted that camera tricks were used to achieve the effect, lending the film an artificial flavor.  The magic in The Rocket lacks the overly surreal nature of the Cuaron film.  Instead of separating one from the action, The Rocket&#39;s cinematography pulls one right on the ice, skating around Richard with Olympic skill.  Gill also uses an array of lens filters to create an appealing blue and smoky look at the past for a series of exterior shots.  The resulting effect is like an animated ancient photograph, blurring reality with sorcery.  Only when a lead cast member can be identified walking through the shot is one assured that one is not looking through a crystal ball.Richard quickly surpasses his prior skills, leading the Canadians to the Stanley Cup the following season and becoming the first player to score 50 goals (in exactly 50 games) the next.  As Richard&#39;s legend grows, it garners stories of Babe Ruth caliber.  He spends an entire day moving heavy furniture, tells acquaintances that he&#39;s &quot;spent,&quot; and then scores 5 goals in that night&#39;s game.  When the Boston coach tells the press that his most brutal player is going to target Richard, &quot;The Rocket&quot; goes after the brute first, clobbering the rival on the ice and in the penalty box.  And the amazing chapters of Richard&#39;s life go on.  What saves Charles Biname&#39;s film from being just another child of Rocky is its attention to social aspects.  While these issues are important and made Richard a multidimensional legend, they are not presented with enough detail.  A reporter makes brief mention of the league screwing Richard out of a scoring title because he is Quebecois and Richard and Irvin have heated discussions about Boston having certain referees in their pockets, but they are merely left to talk.  Where are the scenes of the Boston coach slipping a stack of bills to an official?  Or statisticians scratching Richard&#39;s name off a list of league leaders?  Richard and other racially-mistreated Quebecois players are in a tough position, but to really empathize with them, the actual scenes deserve to be shown.  One needs visual proof to heighten the hate.  Perhaps the filmmakers are banking on Quebecois audiences being so familiar with the Richard legend that only a mention will do.  If so, the film exists as little more than a folk tale.  Considering the subject matter, the film could surprisingly use more hockey action, but the existing action scenes are masterfully executed.  Dupuis is a pure athlete and this is the role he was apparently born to play: he previously channeled Richard in a 1997 Heritage Minute short film and in Beautiful Sundays: Maurice Rocket Richard Story, a 1999 French-Canadian TV miniseries.  Professional hockey players make appearances in supporting roles, but Dupuis is just as deserving of donning a real Canadians jersey.  The film nearly swept the 2007 Genies (Canadian Oscars), winning 9 out of its 14 nominations.  Acting, directing, and technical categories were won and only Overall Sound, Original Score, Original Screenplay, and Best Picture were not rewarded.  The Rocket will be granted limited released this fall in the U.S. and deserves to be seen.  Now that Quebec&#39;s top sports hero has been given due coverage, it&#39;s time for the U.S.&#39;s best to get theirs.  Ali was good, but where are the Jackie Robinson and Ted Williams biopics?  Hopefully The Rocket will inspire such projects.<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 13 Nov 2007 22:57:00 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>Tenenbaums</spout:postby><spout:postto>Tenenbaums Blog</spout:postto><spout:postdate>11/13/2007 5:57:00 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>Let&amp;#39;s go back.  Back to a time when hockey was played without helmets or masks.  When being a professional hockey player was (apparently) not a full-time job.  A time before agents and million dollar contracts, when talent won out over hype and gimmicks.  A simpler time.Specifically 1942, when Maurice &amp;quot;The Rocket&amp;quot; Richard (Roy Dupuis), a Quebecois machinist who&amp;#39;d financially supported his family since age 16, is signed by the hometown Montreal Canadians after an open training camp.  Richard dazzles coach Dick Irvin with his speed and determination, but other team officials urge Irvin to be wary of Richard&amp;#39;s tendency to break bones.  Despite Richard being too brittle to join the army and fight in WWII, Irvin signs him anyway and is torched by the press after Richard breaks an ankle after a handful of electric games.Of course, the injury only motivates Richard to work harder and it is here that Pierre Gill&amp;#39;s incredibly fluid cinematography really shines.  Most notably on Richard&amp;#39;s solo training sessions, the camera dances around him in perfect circles, capturing his dedication in a most alluring manner.  Similar smoothness was seen in Children of Men, but Alfonso Cuaron admitted that camera tricks were used to achieve the effect, lending the film an artificial flavor.  The magic in The Rocket lacks the overly surreal nature of the Cuaron film.  Instead of separating one from the action, The Rocket&amp;#39;s cinematography pulls one right on the ice, skating around Richard with Olympic skill.  Gill also uses an array of lens filters to create an appealing blue and smoky look at the past for a series of exterior shots.  The resulting effect is like an animated ancient photograph, blurring reality with sorcery.  Only when a lead cast member can be identified walking through the shot is one assured that one is not looking through a crystal ball.Richard quickly surpasses his prior skills, leading the Canadians to the Stanley Cup the following season and becoming the first player to score 50 goals (in exactly 50 games) the next.  As Richard&amp;#39;s legend grows, it garners stories of Babe Ruth caliber.  He spends an entire day moving heavy furniture, tells acquaintances that he&amp;#39;s &amp;quot;spent,&amp;quot; and then scores 5 goals in that night&amp;#39;s game.  When the Boston coach tells the press that his most brutal player is going to target Richard, &amp;quot;The Rocket&amp;quot; goes after the brute first, clobbering the rival on the ice and in the penalty box.  And the amazing chapters of Richard&amp;#39;s life go on.  What saves Charles Biname&amp;#39;s film from being just another child of Rocky is its attention to social aspects.  While these issues are important and made Richard a multidimensional legend, they are not presented with enough detail.  A reporter makes brief mention of the league screwing Richard out of a scoring title because he is Quebecois and Richard and Irvin have heated discussions about Boston having certain referees in their pockets, but they are merely left to talk.  Where are the scenes of the Boston coach slipping a stack of bills to an official?  Or statisticians scratching Richard&amp;#39;s name off a list of league leaders?  Richard and other racially-mistreated Quebecois players are in a tough position, but to really empathize with them, the actual scenes deserve to be shown.  One needs visual proof to heighten the hate.  Perhaps the filmmakers are banking on Quebecois audiences being so familiar with the Richard legend that only a mention will do.  If so, the film exists as little more than a folk tale.  Considering the subject matter, the film could surprisingly use more hockey action, but the existing action scenes are masterfully executed.  Dupuis is a pure athlete and this is the role he was apparently born to play: he previously channeled Richard in a 1997 Heritage Minute short film and in Beautiful Sundays: Maurice Rocket Richard Story, a 1999 French-Canadian TV miniseries.  Professional hockey players make appearances in supporting roles, but Dupuis is just as deserving of donning a real Canadians jersey.  The film nearly swept the 2007 Genies (Canadian Oscars), winning 9 out of its 14 nominations.  Acting, directing, and technical categories were won and only Overall Sound, Original Score, Original Screenplay, and Best Picture were not rewarded.  The Rocket will be granted limited released this fall in the U.S. and deserves to be seen.  Now that Quebec&amp;#39;s top sports hero has been given due coverage, it&amp;#39;s time for the U.S.&amp;#39;s best to get theirs.  Ali was good, but where are the Jackie Robinson and Ted Williams biopics?  Hopefully The Rocket will inspire such projects.</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:boxing</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/boxing/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/boxing/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>boxing</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 746</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 31</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 55</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 17 Jun 2009 18:04:16 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>746</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>31</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>55</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:islam</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/islam/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/islam/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>islam</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 197</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 10</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 18</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:02:48 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>197</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>10</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>18</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:champion</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/champion/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/champion/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>champion</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 601</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 9</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 13</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:04:22 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>601</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>9</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>13</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:lifechoices</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/lifechoices/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/lifechoices/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>lifechoices</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 607</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 6</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 8</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:56:35 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>607</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>6</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>8</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:africanamerican</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/africanamerican/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/africanamerican/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>africanamerican</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 418</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 1</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 3</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:04:22 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>418</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>1</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>3</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:flylikeabutterfly</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/flylikeabutterfly/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/flylikeabutterfly/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>flylikeabutterfly</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 1</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 1</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 1</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 16 Mar 2006 23:16:47 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>1</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>1</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>1</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:stinglikeabee</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/stinglikeabee/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/stinglikeabee/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>stinglikeabee</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 1</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 1</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 1</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 16 Mar 2006 23:16:58 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>1</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>1</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>1</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:conscientiousobjector</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/conscientiousobjector/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/conscientiousobjector/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>conscientiousobjector</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 17</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 0</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 0</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:01:54 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>17</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>0</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>0</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:heavyweight</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/heavyweight/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/heavyweight/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>heavyweight</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 88</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 0</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 0</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 12 May 2008 13:02:22 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>88</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>0</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>0</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:religiousconversion</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/religiousconversion/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/religiousconversion/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>religiousconversion</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 37</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 0</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 0</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 20 Feb 2006 14:06:36 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>37</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>0</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>0</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:sportscaster</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/sportscaster/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/sportscaster/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>sportscaster</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 66</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 0</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 0</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 16 Jul 2007 10:53:40 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>66</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>0</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>0</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
  </channel>
</rss>