The extraordinary athleticism and skills of these teenagers, all prime prospects for eventual NBA stardom, makes this a game you really want to see.
Gunnin' for That #1 Spot (2008)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted: 40
Fresh: 30
Rotten:10
Average Rating: 6.2/10
Consensus: Beastie Boy Adam Yauch proves his worth as a director with Gunnin' for That #1 Spot, a fun-filled chronicle of the top high school hoopsters of 2006.
Theatrical Release:Jun 27, 2008 Limited
Synopsis:
On the corner of 155th and Frederick Douglas Boulevard in Harlem lies Rucker Park. By appearances, the concrete pavement, anchored on one side by its run down slab bleachers, is no different than...
On the corner of 155th and Frederick Douglas Boulevard in Harlem lies Rucker Park. By appearances, the concrete pavement, anchored on one side by its run down slab bleachers, is no different than any other basketball court in the city, but this is the place where nicknames are indelibly branded, and legends are born.
On September 1, 2006, the top 24 high school basketball players in the nation stepped out on this court, that once saw the likes of Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Dr. J to compete in the first annual “Elite 24” all-star game. Gunnin' for that #1 Spot follows eight of these players as they prepare to showcase their skills at the most legendary playground in the world.
Directed by Adam Yauch (MCA of the Beastie Boys and director of Awesome; I F***ing Shot That!), the documentary trails these players on the fast track to the NBA, as they are being groomed to be in the spotlight of a multi-million dollar game. Combining Yauch’s unique directing style with raw hip hop music, Gunnin' highlights these soon to be NBA All Stars. --© Official Site
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Starring: Bobbito Garcia
Starring: Bobbito Garcia
Director: Adam Yauch
Director: Adam Yauch
Producer: Adam Yauch, Jon Doran
Studio: Oscilloscope Pictures
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Reviews for Gunnin' for That #1 Spot
Spot provides the basics with foot-tapping, head-bobbing flamboyance, providing the viewer with a serious helping of heart, soul, and scorching basketball action blended up into a taut, explosive documentary.
Although this is never less than watchable, you can't help feeling that it would have been a better film if they'd waited a year or so and actually included details of the players' futures.
To concentrate on the film you have to be a basketball fan, or just a basket case.
Unlike the 1994 basketball doc Hoop Dreams, which investigated collateral issues of education, race and money, this merely sets a twitchy hip-hop soundtrack to an unenlightening parade of eager sporting wannabes.
OK, so it’s not quite as searching as Hoop Dreams, but it’s hugely enjoyable all the same and boasts – as you’d expect – a terrific soundtrack.
Beastie Boy Adam Yauch’s basketball diary is of limited general appeal.
The slow-motion footage of these athletes showing off their macho skills is generously underpinned by rumbling hip-hop. Great nightclub wallpaper.
At the heart of everything there's Yauch, directing with remarkable authority for someone who's pretty new to the director's chair.
A spunky, impassioned and resourceful doc on the cutthroat world of US college basketball made for a pittance by Adam Yauch.
As a tribute to the game and its accessibility to all, Gunnin’ is hard to beat.
In the opening section of the film, we get to know them through interviews, game footage and scenes of family life. It's here where the film shines, giving us a glimpse into what it's like for young athletes being groomed for the NBA.
It's a fly-on-the-wall look at eight prodigiously talented kids hooking up to play ball in the big city, and as such, it's a great deal of fun.
A funkier, shallower version of 1994's Hoop Dreams, Beastie Boy Adam Yauch's doc follows eight high school basketball phenoms as they head to Harlem's asphalt mecca, Rucker Park, to take part in 2006's Elite 24 tournament.
Gunnin’ is everything the fatuous, condescending Hoop Dreams was not.
Shining a light on eight of the brightest stars in American high school basketball, Gunnin' for That #1 Spot is a refreshing and thrilling reminder of why we watch and why they play.
I daresay the results would inspire Eisenstein himself to proffer an affirming nod from the great beyond.
Gunnin' for That #1 Spot is a basketball documentary where the climactic game looks like a Hong Kong wire-fu epic.
Latest News for Gunnin' for That #1 Spot
June 30, 2008:
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June 15, 2008:
Trailer & Poster review ![]()
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