Capital Celluloid 2012 - Day 341: Thu Dec 6

White Men Can't Jump (Shelton, 1992): Clapham Picturehouse, 8.30pm

Here's the introduction to what should be a great night: Following hot on the heels of sold-out showings of DO THE RIGHT THING and BEATS RHYMES AND LIFE: THE TRAVELS OF A TRIBE CALLED QUEST, film blog Permanent Plastic Helmet returns with a special 20th anniversary screening of Ron Shelton’s classic basketball comedy.
One of the funniest films of the 90’s - and one of the greatest sports movies full stop - WHITE MEN CAN’T JUMP features career-best performances from Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson as competing street b-ball hustlers pushing each other to the limit in the scorching L.A. sun. With ace support from Rosie Perez, and bags of zinging dialogue, it’s a dazzling tale of hoops, race, relationships ... and foods that begin with the letter ‘Q’! The screening will be preceded by food and drink soundtracked by classic 90s hip-hop and soul in the bar, plus a raffle with some great prizes on offer.
Time Out review:
'America's homeboy comedy of the year is about basketball only in the sense that writer-director Ron Shelton's Bull Durham was about baseball. It's a truly terrific piece of entertainment propelled by the magic and dynamism of its stars. Sidney Deane (Snipes) meets Billy Hoyle (Harrelson) on a public court where the game is played as a mix of macho combat, stand-up comedy and con-artistry. The jokes and banter are wonderful. But this is also a most unlikely buddy movie, where the black/white pair team up as hustlers floating around the rougher areas of Los Angeles, turn on each other, and finally bury the hatchet to get Billy out of hock to some surprisingly obliging hoods. Sadly, in doing so, the duo alienate Billy's long-suffering Hispanic girlfriend (Perez), who dreams of the straight life and spends her time memorising trivia in hopes of a TV game show break. Snipes and Harrelson bounce off the screen like Michael Jordan, while Shelton and cinematographer Russell Boyd perfectly capture the agile thrills of the game itself. A double-whammy slam-dunker of a movie.'
Steve Grant


Here is the trailer.

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