With the weather getting warmer, most New Yorkers begin having olympian delusions of grandeur. Here at Spectacle, we want to celebrate the sprint to Summer by… staying inside and living vicariously through the real life stories of athletes outside the mainstream broadcasts. As our prestigious professional leagues become increasingly enraptured in gambling promotions, these quaint looks into the Professional Bowlers Association or even more micro, a Vermont farmer’s dream to become a dog musher feel like a pep rally against the monetized current state of sports, pushing instead for a pure love of the game.
A LEAGUE OF ORDINARY GENTLEMEN
dir. Christopher Browne, 2004
United States. 93 min.
In English.
TUESDAY, JUNE 3 – 7:30 PM
THURSDAY, JUNE 12 – 10 PM
FRIDAY, JUNE 20 – 10 PM
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25 – 10 PM
Premiering at the SXSW Film Festival in 2004, A LEAGUE OF ORDINARY GENTLEMEN is a sincere exploration of PBA or Professional Bowlers Association and the league’s resurgence in the 21st Century. Chronicling the full 2002-03 PBA Tour Season, the film follows an eccentric bunch of real world characters including the unhinged, unique Pete Weber as he strives to take the MVP title from PBA’s “Deadeye” and most awarded player, Walter Ray Williams Jr. A LEAGUE OF ORDINARY GENTLEMEN uses every trick in the book to showcase bowling as a game that transcends mere birthday parties and work happy hours.
“After a few flourishes of Errol Morris-like editing, first-timer Browne settles into a tone resembling the ESPN telecasts so crucial to the PBA’s revenue stream, thriving on the intrinsic drama of competition and the league’s emerging star system.”
Special Thanks to Christopher Browne, Mary Lugo, Neal Block and Magnolia Films.
UNDERDOG
dir. Tommy Hyde, 2021
United States. 82 min.
In English.
FRIDAY, JUNE 6 – 5 PM
TUESDAY, JUNE 10 – 7:30 PM
THURSDAY, JUNE 19 – 10 PM
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25 – 7:30 PM
The Curiously Optimistic Tale of Doug Butler
An official selection at Slamdance and Camden International Film Festival — UNDERDOG is a loving salute to Doug Butler, a dairy farmer from Vermont willing to do whatever it takes to get up to Alaska to compete in the world famous sled dog race, the Open North American Championships. While the picture boasts plenty of action shots, UNDERDOG makes sure to present Butler as person first, athlete second — come for the dogs racing in snow, stay for the rugged, down to earth character portrait of New England’s fading working class. “You gotta go through Hell to get to Heaven” Featuring One Night Only Q&A with producer Aaron Woolf!
“UNDERDOG succeeds on the empathetic depiction of its subject. Butler’s charmingly garrulous demeanor in the face of dire circumstances is enough to win over one of his creditors, who deems a conference over un-paid bills ‘a great fun call.’ Viewers will likely find that Butler wins them over, too.”
Special Thanks to Tommy Hyde and Nice Marmot Films.