The Great White Hype

Director: Reginald Hudlin
Writers: Tony Hendra, Ron Shelton
Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Jeff Goldblum

Released: 1996

Seeing this film at the cinema was one of the great cinematic experiences for me. Not because the film was that good, but that our gang were the only people in the room. The film was shown in the smallest screening room anyway (screen 10 – out of 10 – I think) but having only 5 people attend on opening weekend was still pretty lame.

It meant that we could mess about. Everyone immediately lay across about 4 seats. Food and various other items (including shoes) were thrown around. We climbed up at the back and could look into the projection room. It was quite small and there wasn't much in there. Not even a seat.

"Off the Ground" by Paul McCartney (released three years earlier) was playing on the stereo in there before the film started. I'd heard this album before (I got it out from Leek Library) and it wasn't very good. The title track was strong but the rest of the album was weak. We found that if you smacked the wall with your hand you could make the CD jump. Kind of added a hip hop edge to Macca's dad rock.

I don't really remember that much about the film and I've not seen it again since. I think Samuel L. Jackson was in it as a Don King-type character and that guy from that film (you know the one) was a white guy fighting a black champion boxer in a hyped up bout. I think he had beaten the champ when they were amateurs and the champ hadn't lost since, so fight fans were getting bored. Or something. The champ won in the end though.

Cinema staff popped in occasionally to keep an eye on us as the film was playing, but we had already gotten bored of messing about by the time the trailers started so there wasn't much for them to see, though we were all still lying across several seats at various locations around the room. Being mischievous is tiring.

I'd recommend only watching this film under similar circumstances.

Rating: ?