The Total Football Soccer Show #14: Soccer and The Silver Screen

By: Taylor Rockwell | November 5th, 2009

   

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Taylor and Daryl take a trip to the cinema and ponder why it is that so many soccer movies end up being letdowns (”Goal” Trilogy, we’re looking in your direction) and which directors might be up to the task of making a decent soccer-specific feature film.

Not trying to be too critical, we’ll also give you our Top 5 Soccer Movies and close with another installment The Spelling Bee, wherein Taylor hopes to close the increasingly large gap.

As always, the show is broadcast on Richmond Independent Radio (WRIR), and is available as a podcast, or you can get future shows delivered directly by subscribing to iTunes here.

 

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Category: Weekly Podcast

   

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« Total Football Soccer Show #13: Retirement, and Top 5 Players Who Played into Their Forties. | Home | Total Football Soccer Show#15: Asian Soccer Special »

Comments  

• FBL |  November 5th, 2009 at 4:46 pm

  
  
  

  Not to be overly critical, but the only football films aren’t in English, surely you could have done a bit of research to see which football films that aren’t English that are very good. I can name a few that you should check out.

  1) Das Wunder Von Bern (The Wonder of Bern): Story on the improbable victory in the 1954 World Cup by Germany against the mighty Hungary.

  2) O Ano em Que Meus Pais Saíram de Férias (The year my parents went on vacation): Story through the eyes of a teenage kid during the 1970 World Cup in Brazil and the dictatorship, excellent film.

  3) Crónica de una fuga (Chronicle of an Escape): A true story of an Argentine keeper kidnapped by the Videla Argentine dictatorship before the 1978 World Cup, another excellent film on the contextual role of football.

  4) Offside: Iranian film about women who aren’t allowed into the stadium where Iran play a vital qualifier before the 2006 World Cup, contextualises that football is hard barrier for women in Iran.

  

• Daryl |  November 5th, 2009 at 6:48 pm

  
  
  

  FBL,

  “The Wonder of Bern” is mentioned in the first part of the podcast (although I refer to it as “The Miracle of Bern”) and “Offside” actually makes my Top 5.

  But thanks for the other two, will try and check those out.

  

• evelyn |  November 6th, 2009 at 5:15 pm

  
  
  

  love your show! you guys mentioned a documentary that covers all of football & is like 13 hours or something but i didn’t catch the name……help.

  think you guys were on the mark for why football/soccer doesn’t translate to the screen. my # 1 reason is the actor has to convincingly be able to play.

  this is a football movie, its a mexican flick & it cracked me up. check it out; rudo y cursi.

  

• Daryl |  November 6th, 2009 at 6:06 pm

  
  
  

  Thanks evelyn,

  I’ll try and find out the name of that documentary from Taylor. Will post it here as soon as we have an answer for you.

  

• Daryl |  November 7th, 2009 at 5:57 pm

  
  
  

  Have an answer for you evelyn. It’s titled “History of Soccer: The Beautiful Game” and is narrated by Terence Stamp (star of the excellent The Limey)

  It’s seven discs long. I kid you not.

  If you plan to buy it, you can click on this Amazon affiliate link below and The Offside will get a cut of your purchase.

  History of Soccer: The Beautiful Game

  

• evelyn |  November 9th, 2009 at 9:36 am

  
  
  

  Thanks Daryl! I’ll check it out. Check out the mexican flick I mentioned you’ll get a good laugh.

  

• football goals |  January 20th, 2010 at 2:50 pm

  
  
  

  Hey, I just wanted to say what a good website. I certainly enjoyed it and found it entertaining reading. Anticipating your next post!