Phantom Punch (2008)

Director:

Robert Townsend

Writers:

Ryan Combs (writer)
Rob Steen (book)

Release Date:

September 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Sport

Tagline:

"Before Tyson, there was Liston".

Plot:

The fascinating life story of Sonny Liston, the controversial heavyweight boxing champion of the world.

Plot Keywords:

Boxing | Heavyweight Champion | Boxer | Thrown Fight | 1950s

Cast

Ving Rhames	...	Sonny Liston
Stacey Dash	...	Geraldine Liston
Nicholas Turturro	...	Ceasar Novak
Bridgette Wilson-Sampras	...	Farah
David Proval	...	Savino
Rick Roberts	...	Father Alios
Alan Van Sprang	...	Nico Orso
Egidio Tari	...	Bobby Zazo
Andrew Hinkson	...	Muhammad Ali / Cassius Clay
Troy Amos-Ross	...	Floyd Patterson
Brian Paul	...	Police Chief Greensburg
Gord Rand	...	Bill Macky
Phillip Jarrett	...	Bishop Knight
Brian Frank	...	Officer Mellow
Philip Williams	...	St. Louis Cop
Sean Mauricette	...	Catfish Jenkins
Pete Zedlacher	...	Plainsclothes Cop #1
James Binkley	...	Plainsclothes Cop #2
Mustafa Abdelkarim	...	Young Sonny
Joseph Motiki	...	Announcer Trent Mays
Pat Kelly	...	Announcer
Stephen Lee Wright	...	Bookie
Adrian Griffin	...	Man #1
Nigel Shawn Williams	...	Toby Liston
Ray Marsh	...	Referee #1
John Kalbhenn	...	Referee #2
Peter Wylie	...	Referee #3 (as Peter E. Wylie)
Christopher Amos	...	Referee #4
Layton Morrison	...	Officer Buck
Andelle Posival	...	Young Fan #1
Laura Wyatt	...	Young Fan #2
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Raymond Olubawale	...	jailed Boxer
Mark Simmons	...	Irish Assassin
Danielle Benton	...	Cigarette Girl (uncredited)
Jennifer Donison	...	Lewiston Ring Girl (uncredited)
Natalie Gauvreau	...	(uncredited)
Neven Pajkic	...	Irish Thunder (uncredited)
Amber Shonts	...	Fan (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Townsend

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ryan Combs		writer
Rob Steen		book Sonny Liston: His Life, Strife and the Phantom Punch

Produced by
Simon DeKaric	....	executive producer
Byron A. Martin	....	executive producer
Pazz Neglia	....	associate producer
Marek Posival	....	producer
Ving Rhames	....	producer
Wayne Thompson	....	executive producer
Hassain Zaidi	....	producer

Original Music by
Stephen James Taylor

Cinematography by
John Dyer

Film Editing by
Michael Doherty

Casting by
Stephanie Gorin
Juli-Ann Kay		(US casting)

Production Design by
Bob Sher

Set Decoration by
Svjetlana Jaklenec

Costume Design by
Joanna Syrokomla

Makeup Department
Teena Black	....	key makeup artist
Sarah Craig	....	assistant hair stylist
Patricia Cuthbert	....	key hair stylist
Stella Margaritis	....	assistant makeup artist

Production Management
Marvin Lawrence	....	post-production supervisor
Marek Posival	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mark MacDonald	....	third assistant director
Pazz Neglia	....	first assistant director
Fatima Palhetas	....	assistant director
Ken A. Smith	....	second assistant director
Jennifer Zabawa	....	trainee assistant director

Art Department
James Banos	....	set dresser
Nazgol Goshtasbpour	....	graphics artist
Chris Gotzamanis	....	property master
Greg Kleynhans	....	scenic painter
Michelle Lannon	....	lead dresser
Eugenie Lau	....	set dresser
Mark Moher	....	assistant props buyer
Alicia Remigio	....	art department apprentice
Michael H. Ward	....	set dresser (as Mike Ward)

Sound Department
Elma Bello	....	dialogue editor
Christian T. Cooke	....	sound re-recording mixer
Paula Fairfield	....	sound designer
Paula Fairfield	....	sound effects editor
Mark Gingras	....	supervising sound editor
Doug Johnston	....	sound mixer
Richard Leacock	....	adr/voice talent
Rudy Michael	....	foley mixer
Steve Moore	....	sound re-recording mixer
Carla Murray	....	sound designer
Carla Murray	....	sound effects designer
Carla Murray	....	sound effects editor
Marilee Yorston	....	foley artist

Visual Effects by
David Alexander	....	digital artist: Switch VFX
Jon Campfens	....	visual effects supervisor: Switch VFX
Amir Eftekhari	....	matte painter: Switch VFX
Gudrun Heinze	....	digital compositor: Switch VFX
Beau Parsons	....	visual effects coordinator: Switch VFX

Stunts
Flint Eagle	....	stunt performer
Blair Johannes	....	stunt boxer
Liise Keeling	....	stunt double
Egerton Marcus	....	stunts
Layton Morrison	....	stunt coordinator
Edward A. Queffelec	....	stunt performer

Camera and Electrical Department
Alison Carby	....	electric
Ryan Keller	....	lighting technician
Dino Laurenza	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Clement Lush	....	lighting technician
Bruce Macaulay	....	still photographer
Mark O'Neill	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Peter Stranks	....	still photographer
Jeff Taylor	....	generator operator

Casting Department
Misha Rasaiah	....	casting assistant
Karen Williams	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sandra Ardagna	....	wardrobe mistress
Billie Blast	....	assistant costume designer
Kelsey Hart	....	extras wardrobe coordinator
Greg Kleynhans	....	wardrobe graphics
Wing Lee	....	costume maker
Amber Thomas	....	second assistant costume designer
Amber Thomas	....	wardrobe assistant
Adrienne Vranckaert	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Frank Biasi	....	digital intermediate editor

Transportation Department
Ricardo Violante	....	driver
Bill Wilson	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Alicia Pleasence	....	production coordinator
Nadia Sandhu	....	publicist
Shaan Singha	....	assistant to director
Sean Thompson	....	assistant to producer
Larry David Wilson	....	assistant production coordinator

Production Companies

• Access Motion Pictures
• Byron A. Martin Productions
• MP Productions
• Phantom Punch No. 1 Productions

Distributors

• Eagle Entertainment (2008) (Australia) (DVD)
• New KSM (2011) (Germany) (DVD)
• Screen Media Films (2010) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Switch VFX (visual effects)

Other Companies

• William F. White International  grip and lighting equipment

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for pervasive language, sexual content and some violence involving a sexual assault

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Australia:MA (2008) | New Zealand:R16 | USA:R (certificate #45692) | Canada:18A (Ontario) | Canada:13+ (Québec)

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Access Motion Pictures

Trivia:

Originally, the theme song to the film was titled 'No Love in the Game' and was produced, wrote and performed by Cleveland rapper turned director Boogieman (Kenny Latimer).

Soundtrack:

The Man That I Love

The mystery has been solved

Robert Townsend said in reports that he wanted to show the true Sonny Liston and he said, "History hasn't been kind to Sonny Liston." He goes and he makes Liston's death look like a suicide instead of a murder? He shows Liston just plain quitting on the stool in his first fight with Ali? He shows Liston trying to blind Ali in the first fight? He shows Liston throwing the Ali rematch for no apparent reason? Townsend is an idiot. This movie is so bad it makes Meteor Man look like a masterpiece.

I was unfortunate enough to see this movie and now I know why it was never released. It is a piece of garbage. This is one of the worst movies I've ever scene. Not only is it a terrible boxing movie, but it's an awful biopic. I was really shocked at how bad this movie was. I couldn't wait for a movie about Sonny Liston and this is what I got? This movie hasn't been released to theaters and it never will be. If Townsend is lucky, maybe the movie will get released straight to DVD or maybe they will put it on TV. But I don't see this doing well wherever it goes.

Meteor Man failed to mention in his movie that Liston was the favorite in his fights with Ali. In the first fight, Liston was a 7-1 favorite. It would make all the sense in the world for him to take a dive for the mob. I read accounts that Liston said he was "only following orders" when he quit on the stool. Another stupid part of the scene that had me shaking my head was the part when Townsend shows them putting a foreign substance on his glove to blind Ali. First of all, Liston did not need to cheat. Liston was a great fighter. He was one of the toughest fighters in history and he wasn't afraid of anyone. This is a man that knocked out the great Floyd Patterson in 2 minutes. Then it only took him 5 seconds more in the rematch. He slugged it out in 2 wars with Cleveland Williams. He fought a whole fight with a broken jaw and only lost a split decision to Marty Marshall. Second of all, why would Liston try to cheat in a fight that he was going to throw? There's no doubt something got in Ali's eyes during the fight, but to say Liston put it there is ridiculous and there is no proof. In the end of the fight Townsend tries to make you believe Liston just quit like a spineless bum. I know some people would love to believe Ali was this mighty man that overcame Sonny Liston, but let's get real. That's not the way it was.

The movie gets to the big moment, the infamous "phantom punch." The scene is so uneventfully done in the movie it's pathetic. Townsend never even tells you why Liston took a dive in the rematch. He just goes down for no apparent reason. Townsend had the nerve to keep the mob out of that fight too. That fight was fixed. It looked like even more of a sham than the first fight.

This movie failed to show Sonny Liston's hard upbringing. It also failed to show that he really wasn't a bad guy and that he loved children and even tried to help people that were less fortunate. One of the biggest slaps in the face to Liston is how they handle his death in the movie. Instead of showing Liston getting murdered they make it look like a suicide. I was completely outraged. I didn't think Townsend could be that dumb. In the movie they make it look like Liston was depressed over his girlfriend on the side leaving him, so he does heroine one night. The guy was deathly afraid of needles. He never did drugs in his life. Sonny Liston was M-U-R-D-E-R-E-D.

You want the real scoop on Liston, get the book The Devil and Sonny Liston by Nick Tosches. Avoid this horribly written and directed movie at all costs. I do not recommend buying it or renting it. It's not even worth watching on TV. I don't think Townsend was taking his job seriously when he made this movie. By the looks of it, it's like he was just fooling around. If you were wondering why this movie was never released, you have your answer. The mystery has been solved.