Gunnin' for That #1 Spot (2008)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Adam Yauch

Release Date:

10 October 2008 (UK)

Genre:

Documentary

Plot:

Eight of the U.S.'s top high school basketball players compete in the first "Elite 24" tournament at Rucker Park.

Plot Keywords:

Number In Title

Cast

Jerryd Bayless	...	Himself
Michael Beasley	...	Himself
Tyreke Evans	...	Himself
Robert Garcia	...	Unofficial MC / Narrator (as Bobbito Garcia)
Donte Greene	...	Himself
Brandon Jennings	...	Himself
Jason Kidd	...	Himself
Kevin Love	...	Himself
Kyle Singler	...	Himself
Lance Stephenson	...	Himself

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for language.

Runtime:

USA:90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Oscilloscope Pictures

Bull's Eye

When I read New York Magazine's recommendation of Gunnin' as their top pick of the 300+ flicks at TriBeCa Film Festival, I took a couple days off from work just to check it out. It turned out to be a magical trip. The audience at Tribeca talked to the screen the way any good congregation does on a Sunday morning. Neal Usatin, the film's lead editor, got a particularly good reception when his credit floated on a ball across the screen. (Makes me think I should keep my eyes on his work.) I loved it so much I went back to NYC for its theatrical premier, just down the street from the Rucker in Harlem, to see how it had been tweaked. And I'm not even a basketball fan.

This film fits the way I think. It's fast, and like good comedic timing, presents the player's stories in a way that left me wanting more -- if I'm interested, I'll look it up. The imagery goes from Redacted-style website searches, to fisheye trips over and through NYC, VHS- quality home video, to YouTube footage and HD slow-mo. It's like every photographic and film experiment ever discovered, sampled and flashed before my eyes. On that level, it's like the ultimate style collage.

I bought an educational license and showed it to my high school varsity basketball team. They rolled at Bobbito's nicknames (Shampoo!) the way only those who live it know how it sounds. In fact, they loved the soundtrack so much, I'm buying a copy so they can warm-up to it.

The stand-outs in my book are the bird's-eye, fisheye tour of New York to the smooth sounds of "Let's Do it Again" (on loop). The lens makes Manhattan seem like it's half the world. I love chapter 16's fisheye tour at ground-level; especially when the beat hits on the pigeon and taxi moving in opposite directions. Chapters like this in a movie make for perfect party background pieces. I show them to my friends who don't have time to see the whole movie, but know a good visual over a beat.

You could rent it, but this is also a great example of the artistry of packaging. It's a stand- out example of graphic design gone fine art. From the paper and ink choices, to the colors and the trading cards. (Would have been cooler if they'd been actual cards. Maybe an add-on purchase soon?), this is one of those instant classics that deserves to be in any film-lovers permanent collection.