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all that and its only a 2 out of 4?
I just got back from seeing this.
Well, it's a Will Ferrell movie, there's no doubt about that. If you've seen his movies you know what I am talking about.
But, it's one of his best ones. It is genuinely funny in some moments, and it does do a good job of parodying some of the wildness of the ABA as well as the at ude and music of the mid 70's.
As for the Spurs connection...
The Spurs aren't in the movie till the very end and they are more or less the bad guys(how come we're always the bad guys?). IMO, the team bears little or no resemblance to the actual Spurs of that era....however I am no expert on the ABA or that era of the Spurs, and others might have a better perspective and see more references.
I will say that IMO, Woody Harrelson's character is definitely reminiscent of Larry Brown...right down to the hair.
As for the old Spurs/ABA players in the movie...near as I can tell their scenes didn't make the final cut, and that sucks because I think they would have added something to the movie.
It is a pretty funny ABA tribute/parody, and one of Will Ferrell's best movies, if not the best.
all that and its only a 2 out of 4?
i thought the funniest part was when the dirty hippy went for the free throw shot from the other end of the court. Jackie Moon interviewed him before the shot and asks him what he does for a living. The hippy thinks about it for a second "ummm nothing right now". hahahahaha
2/4 is actually a pretty good rating from me for a Will Ferrell movie. I think it might be his funniest one. It's definitely better than Anchorman although I don't know if it will do as well at the box office.
Kelly Leak has really hit the skids...and to think, he was one of the greatest littlelleague baseball players ever.
there werent alot of other other funny parts to mention now that i think about it... at least it wasn't painful to watch though
The funniest part for me was the part with the gun...
HAHAHA, oh yeah that was funny
I thought it was pretty funny...I had some good laughs.
lol, you knew it was going to go off eventually. where did you watch it? I saw it up at Alamo Drafthouse on Anderson
Tinseltown Pflugerville...I didn't think about going to see it at the Draft House...
Thanks for the props and the spoilers.
Will Ferrell's best movie is obviously The Producers.
The Director is actually from SA.
Basketball: 'Semi-Pro' director uses Spurs memories to give movie some authenticity
Web Posted: 02/28/2008 12:48 AM CST
Clint Hale
San Antonio Express-News
Kent Alterman spent a sizable portion of his childhood at HemisFair Arena — center court, third row — heckling the living out of anyone who had the misfortune of being a Spurs opponent on that particular night.
"I was an obnoxious, smart-mouthed kid," Alterman recalls, "screaming and yelling."
Alterman does more these days than reflect on his memories of rooting for the Spurs during the waning years of the American Basketball Association. Rather, he turned those memories into a feature-length film.
A native San Antonian, Alterman directed "Semi-Pro," a comical — and fictional — take on the 1976 ABA season. The R-rated flick, which stars Will Ferrell, Woody Harrelson and Andre Benjamin, hits theaters nationwide on Friday. "Semi-Pro" tells the story of the fictional Flint Tropics and owner/coach/player Jackie Moon (Ferrell), who attempt to finish in the top four of the 1976 ABA standings, thus allowing them to join the NBA the following season. Aside from the Tropics, each team referenced in "Semi-Pro" actually played in the ABA.
"This couldn't be more personal," Alterman said of "Semi-Pro," which marks the first feature-length directorial effort for the 1975 Lee High School graduate. "I have deep roots with it. I was a kid when the Spurs came from Dallas in the old ABA days."
Red McCombs and Angelo Drossos were among the Spurs' principal investors when the team relocated from Dallas in 1973, though the group encouraged investment from others in the community. That enabled Alterman's father Bill and uncle Richard, along with some friends, to combine their efforts and purchase a single share of the team.
That lone share helped Kent Alterman land a premier seat at HemisFair Arena, and enabled him to watch Spurs legends such as George Gervin and James Silas. Both of those iconic figures, plus former Spurs center Artis Gilmore, served as consultants during the filming of "Semi-Pro" and shot a cameo that will be shown on the film's extended DVD version.
Gervin recalls plenty of the ABA's wacky promotional tactics, one of which involved Spurs opponents holding him to less than 30 points, thus granting everyone in attendance free food from a local eatery.
He contends, however, that the ABA was more than a carnival-like sideshow to the more prominent NBA.
"There were a lot of great ballplayers that played in that league, and we proved once we merged in 1976 that we did have a lot of talent," Gervin said. "There was a lot of young talent in the ABA, and in my eyes, the ABA helped the NBA become what it is today."
Silas, meanwhile, was pleased to see an ABA diehard like Alterman take the reins of "Semi-Pro."
"I felt like he was somebody that knew, not somebody who read a book or went out and got the info," Silas said. "He was there, and it makes a difference when you were there and saw it individually. It happened to you."
Alterman, 50, hasn't let his childhood adoration of the Spurs fade with age.
Though he now resides in Los Angeles — where he has been the executive producer of award-winning films like "A History of Violence" and "Little Children" — Alterman still ventures out to Staples Center when the Spurs are in town. He doesn't get quite as animated as in the past, though Alterman admits his fondness for the team sometimes leads to public displays of passion.
He was at Madison Square Garden when the Spurs won their first NBA championship, trekked to Detroit for Game 5 of the 2005 NBA Finals and sat in the stands of the AT&T Center for Game 1 of last season's Western Conference finals. In the climactic scene of "Semi-Pro," the Tropics play — who else — but the first-place Spurs ... even though the Spurs actually finished third during the ABA's final season.
"I took that liberty," Alterman said, "and made them the powerful team in the league."
As for the Spurs' current roster, Alterman lists Tim Duncan as the team's best overall player, though an affinity for Manu Ginobili is rather obvious.
Had Alterman and his wife had a son recently — the couple had a daughter instead — his name would have been Emanuel.
"It was my father's middle name, but we would have called him Manu," Alterman said. "I love the way he plays."
His daughter, Evelyn Maye Alterman, turned 1 in January.
Alterman's love of the Spurs and their old ABA exploits were not lost on the cast of "Semi-Pro," and in particular, the film's leading man.
"Oh yeah," Ferrell said in a sarcastic tone, "we've heard all of those stories, ad nauseam."
The Spurs, with four NBA les since 1999, aren't exactly keeping Alterman at a loss for on-set conversation with future Hollywood co-workers.
"To have the Spurs transformed into the pre-eminent franchise in terms of how it's run and the results they get ... everyone is doing an amazing job," he said. "It's a thrill to be able to take that kind of pride in your hometown team."
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http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...n.3c6e6c6.html
Last edited by METALMiKE; 03-01-2008 at 11:51 AM.
For anyone going to see it pay attention to the opening tip when the Tropics play the Spurs. They do the shot from above the ball and I swear it's the A-Train doing the tip. I said to Mrs. Chopper, "Was that Artis Gilmore?" To which she replied "Who's Artis Gilmore?" So she wasn't much help.
The movie was pretty funny. Mrs. Chopper actually liked it more than I did which was shocking considering the fact that I had to drag her kicking and screaming into the theater.
I saw this movie today and it wasn't as good as i thought it would be but i still liked it. The stuff with the bear was pretty funny.
Took my daughters to see it, there were some great scenes in it, like Whott said it's a Will Ferrell movie so you get what you pay for.
I'm a big fan so it was worth my coin.
They preveiwed Wills next movie "Best Friends" with John C Reilley, now that looked hillarious!
The moviegoers have voted:
"LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Will Ferrell's latest sports comedy ran afoul of moviegoers and is on track to become one of his worst performing movies, according to preliminary sales data issued on Saturday. "Semi-Pro," in which the comedian plays the flamboyant owner of an underdog team in the now-defunct American Basketball Association, opened at No. 1 with estimated earnings of $5.45 million on Friday, tracking firm Box Office Mojo said."
Maybe it will "pick up steam" later as a cult movie so bad that it's good?
I'm going to see it tonight after the Spurs game is over.
Its just a fun basketball movie. Ya know its not like your going to see a supposed Oscar winning movie.
I dont understand the critics when they judge a movie like that.
Saw it, loved it. The bear scene was hilarious.
"I dont understand the critics"
The moviegoers who are staying away seem to understand something.
Sometimes moviegoers and critics disagree, but here both groups seem to agree the movie sucks (at least against expectations).
Not that there's anything wrong with wasting time and money on a sucky film. Happens to everybody.
Then why do you say about Rocky and Rambo and point to the critics?
Hypocri..........
ANCHORMAN sucked.
I dont point to the critics.
I point to sylvester stallone being a patheticly horrible actor whos only talent is curling his lip and saying "Hey yo"
Shoot there was a wrestler when I was a kid who did that, and he was twice as funny as him.
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