By Aaron Hillis
Beastie Boys founding member and filmmaker Adam Yauch (that's "McA" to you, sucka!) isn't giving up the studio and stage for a life in Hollywood, though he's certainly passionate about the medium. Besides directing many of his band's videos and the multi-camera Beasties concert doc "Awesome; I Fuckin' Shot That!", Yauch recently launched his own indie film label and sales company called Oscilloscope Pictures. Their first project? "Gunnin' For That #1 Spot," a doc helmed by Yauch himself, about the 24 high school b-ball prodigies who competed in 2006's first annual "Boost Mobile Elite 24 Hoops Classic," held in Harlem's Rucker Park. With a predictably well-curated soundtrack of hip-hop and break beats, the film chases eight of the competitors down the court and behind the scenes, as the media, shoe companies, money-eyed advisers and coaches line up to woo them with future NBA dreams. I passed the mic to Yauch,...
Beastie Boys founding member and filmmaker Adam Yauch (that's "McA" to you, sucka!) isn't giving up the studio and stage for a life in Hollywood, though he's certainly passionate about the medium. Besides directing many of his band's videos and the multi-camera Beasties concert doc "Awesome; I Fuckin' Shot That!", Yauch recently launched his own indie film label and sales company called Oscilloscope Pictures. Their first project? "Gunnin' For That #1 Spot," a doc helmed by Yauch himself, about the 24 high school b-ball prodigies who competed in 2006's first annual "Boost Mobile Elite 24 Hoops Classic," held in Harlem's Rucker Park. With a predictably well-curated soundtrack of hip-hop and break beats, the film chases eight of the competitors down the court and behind the scenes, as the media, shoe companies, money-eyed advisers and coaches line up to woo them with future NBA dreams. I passed the mic to Yauch,...
- 6/27/2008
- by Aaron Hillis
- ifc.com
By Stephen Saito
As McA of the Beastie Boys, Adam Yauch has rapped about "Three MCs and One DJ," but as a filmmaker, he's had to learn to go solo. With his latest documentary "Gunnin' For That #1 Spot," Yauch is continuing the tradition of musicians who crossed over to direct movies, something that started all the way back when Frank Sinatra sat in the director's chair for 1965's World War II drama "None But the Brave." From documentaries to narratives, here's a list of modern musicians who have become filmmakers in one form or another in recent years.
Madonna
It seems as though the one place Madonna has never been able to reinvent herself is on the big screen, but that might change. Although she's had an almost disastrous track record as an actress (particularly when working with whomever was her significant other at the time), one forgets that Madonna...
As McA of the Beastie Boys, Adam Yauch has rapped about "Three MCs and One DJ," but as a filmmaker, he's had to learn to go solo. With his latest documentary "Gunnin' For That #1 Spot," Yauch is continuing the tradition of musicians who crossed over to direct movies, something that started all the way back when Frank Sinatra sat in the director's chair for 1965's World War II drama "None But the Brave." From documentaries to narratives, here's a list of modern musicians who have become filmmakers in one form or another in recent years.
Madonna
It seems as though the one place Madonna has never been able to reinvent herself is on the big screen, but that might change. Although she's had an almost disastrous track record as an actress (particularly when working with whomever was her significant other at the time), one forgets that Madonna...
- 6/27/2008
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
Directed by Adam Yauch, better known for his day job in the Beastie Boys, the basketball documentary Gunnin' For That #1 Spot comes from a pure place. Or rather, it comes from a desire for a pure place in a game poisoned by mercenary compromise. Yauch and his fellow Beastie Boys were featured as an "unlockable" team in the videogame NBA Street 3, and his affection for that brand of free-flowing, playground-style hoops makes the film come alive whenever ball hits pavement. But in the space between that footage, which is mostly limited to the final third, Yauch introduces just enough issues surrounding the big business of high-school recruitment to get himself in trouble. In a world where predatory shoe companies play kingmaker to fragile young talents, much of the fun has been sucked out of the game. And Yauch's movie isn't entirely immune. Shot in 2006, Gunnin'...
- 6/26/2008
- by Scott Tobias
- avclub.com
By Neil Pedley
As the temperature rises, romance blooms amongst the geriatric set, "Mary Poppins" goes Bollywood, and parents will get their first chance to lay eyes on that which will likely have them driving to Toys "R" Us all summer long.
"Elsa and Fred"
Seeing anyone under 30 fall in love on screen is elusive these days, and so director Marcos Carnevale's gentle and endearing tale of romance between a couple with a real-life combined age of 176 is quite the breath of fresh air. In a role that nabbed several awards in his native Spain, Manuel Alexandre stars as Fred, an embittered widower whose chance encounter with Elsa (China Zorilla), a mischievous Fellini fanatic, leads the pair to Italy to fulfill her dream of reenacting the famous Trevi Fountain scene from Fellini's "La Dolce Vita." In Spanish with subtitles.
Opens in limited release.
"Finding Amanda"
Fans of the small...
As the temperature rises, romance blooms amongst the geriatric set, "Mary Poppins" goes Bollywood, and parents will get their first chance to lay eyes on that which will likely have them driving to Toys "R" Us all summer long.
"Elsa and Fred"
Seeing anyone under 30 fall in love on screen is elusive these days, and so director Marcos Carnevale's gentle and endearing tale of romance between a couple with a real-life combined age of 176 is quite the breath of fresh air. In a role that nabbed several awards in his native Spain, Manuel Alexandre stars as Fred, an embittered widower whose chance encounter with Elsa (China Zorilla), a mischievous Fellini fanatic, leads the pair to Italy to fulfill her dream of reenacting the famous Trevi Fountain scene from Fellini's "La Dolce Vita." In Spanish with subtitles.
Opens in limited release.
"Finding Amanda"
Fans of the small...
- 6/23/2008
- by Neil Pedley
- ifc.com
NEW YORK -- Oscilloscope Pictures will release its first theatrical film, Adam Yauch's Gunnin' for That #1 Spot, on June 27.
The film, a look at eight of the nation's top high school basketball players as they are groomed for the limelight, will have its world premiere at the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival in late April.
It will be released in the top 10 markets on its opening weekend followed by a national release throughout July.
Gunnin' marks the second feature for director and Beastie Boy Yauch ("Awesome; I F***ing Shot That!") and was produced by Yauch and Jon Doran.
The film documents the inaugural Boost Mobile Elite 24 Hoops Classic, an invitation-only high school all-star game that takes place at Harlem's Rucker Park. Five of the eight players featured in the movie are now playing for top NCAA programs and are in the middle of March Madness, Oscilloscope said.
The film, a look at eight of the nation's top high school basketball players as they are groomed for the limelight, will have its world premiere at the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival in late April.
It will be released in the top 10 markets on its opening weekend followed by a national release throughout July.
Gunnin' marks the second feature for director and Beastie Boy Yauch ("Awesome; I F***ing Shot That!") and was produced by Yauch and Jon Doran.
The film documents the inaugural Boost Mobile Elite 24 Hoops Classic, an invitation-only high school all-star game that takes place at Harlem's Rucker Park. Five of the eight players featured in the movie are now playing for top NCAA programs and are in the middle of March Madness, Oscilloscope said.
- 3/20/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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