Boxing Films: History of 8MM (Volume 12)

Friday, November 13th, 7:30pm
Boxing Films: History of 8MM (Volume 12)

(A mini-history of the Sub Genre including Albert and David Maysles' Muhammad and Larry (1980). A benefit for the Maysles Cinema. Will include 8MM and 16MM film. Dedicated to the memory of my father, my grandfather & Albert Maysles.)
Curated by 8mm Anonymous

"If you get belted and see three fighters through a haze, go after the one in the middle. That's what ruined me--going after the other two guys." - Max Baer, Onetime Heavyweight Champion.

".... like someone jammed an electric bulb in your face and busted it." - Former heavyweight champion James Braddock, describing what it was like to be hit by a Joe Louis jab.

My father, an avid boxing fan was born on the night of the (infamous) second Jack Dempsey - Gene Tunney fight (September 22, 1927) a.k.a." "The Long Count" because a referee apparently took longer than usual to count to ten while Tunney was down, unfairly giving him extra time to recover and go on to win the fight. Whether this "long count" actually affected the outcome remains a subject of debate. My grandfather lost a lot of money on the fight as the story goes (along with a lot of other people). We'll probably be showing footage from this fight.

The classic short Maysles Brothers film, Muhammad and Larry, which was the basis for the ESPN 30 for 30 feature Muhammad and Larry (2009) will be shown in this program in tribute to David and Albert Maysles. The film explores the dramatic relationship between rival heavyweight boxers Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes following both men as they train for an upcoming title bout between the two. It becomes apparent that each has a deep and abiding respect for the other, but still wants to crush him on fight night.

Possible films, this time, include:
- Knockout Thrills: Gene Tunney vs. Georges Carpentier, Jack Dempsey vs. Jack Sharkey, Joe Louis vs. James Braddock, etc. (Castle Films, reg. 8mm, silent, b&w, 1930's/1940's, c. 12 mins.)
- Jack Johnson v. Frank Moran (Reg. 8mm, silent, b&w, c. 1914, re-shot/transferred from 35mm onto 8mm)
- The Long Count & Other Footage (Super8, silent, b&w, c. 1927, c. 20 mins.)
- Muhammad & Larry by Albert & David Maysles (16mm, sound, color, c. 1980, c. 20 mins.)

-- 8mm Anonymous