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Best Cricket Movies?

Ike

Cricket Web Staff Member
In the US, baseball has a great tradition of baseball movies. Some are wonderful, quite a few are modest or downright lousy. I suspect the same is true for cricket, so I'm asking all you knowledgeable folks, what are the best cricket movies?

I thought of this because one movie, Fire In Babylon, was mentioned in another thread. I even found it on YouTube, which is great. Haven't had time to watch it yet, but I will, especially since the Windies are my team, and I've read so much about the great cricketers of that era. Other movies you recommend I hope to be able to find, either via Ebay or Netflix.

Of course, this is an established forum, perhaps this topic has been well discussed previously. If so, please just direct me the thread. Thanks!
 

Burgey

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There aren't too many cricket movies apart from docos like Fire in Babylon. There was the pretty terrible Bodyline miniseries made in Australia in the 80s, the only redeeming features of which were Agent Smith Hugo Weaving as Jardine and the bloke from Police Rescue playing the Don.

If you're after some decent docos, the ABC produced each of Cricket in the 60s, 70s and 80s which are decent, albeit from an Australian perspective.

The excellent Calypso Summer deals with the West Indies' famous Tied Test tour here in 1960-61, and I'm sure you'd enjoy it. There are a lot of interviews with the surviving players, which are quite illuminating. I'll be interested if you form the view after watching it which I did that Bob Simpson is a ****.

Enjoy :)
 

OverratedSanity

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There's that two episode mini series on Kerry Packer that came out recently, too. It's pretty bad, but thought the guy who played Packer was great fun to watch.
 

Burgey

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I mean, we all like our stories, but an Indian batsman actually performing well when it counts in Australia is truly beyond any reasonable form of fiction.
 

OverratedSanity

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Is that the one where the Indian kid hits Brett Lee for six to win a WC at the SCG? I've not seen it, but I recall it being made out here a while ago.
Nah, it's the one where the pre-independence peasants play a cricket match against the Brits on the condition that they waive off their taxes.

The one you're talking about is, I think, a horrendous movie called Victory. Seem to remember that last ball not just going for six, but smashing the floodlights :laugh:
 
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Burgey

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Well that sounds a great movie tbf. Is it readily available?

And yeah, it was Victory.
 

Ike

Cricket Web Staff Member
Thanks guys! I'll respond more later, but in response to 'is it available', after reading this I checked Ebay, and a seller in California is selling it for $6.20, free shipping (in US anyway). That's probably about 4 pounds. Just checked, shipping to UK is $9.45. Might well be better deals from English/Aussie dealers on Ebay or elsewhere of course, but my copy is already ordered. :) Btw, seller name is bollywoodpalace.
 

OverratedSanity

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Well that sounds a great movie tbf. Is it readily available?
Shouldn't be hard to find. It was a pretty big hit, even internationally and made it to the final nominees list at the Oscars that year for the Foreign language category. The cast caused a commotion by crying like babies when the film didn't win :lol:

Really great flick imo, if you can handle the usual melodrama associated with Indian films. It's ridiculously long, like all our films, but it's great fun, and the soundtrack is fit for the gods.
 

Marius

International Debutant
Fire in Babylon is pretty good.

How has nobody mentioned Shaun of the Dead yet? Shaun plays some magnificent cricketing shots in that movie to dispatch some zombies.
 

watson

Banned
Fire in Babylon is pretty good.

How has nobody mentioned Shaun of the Dead yet? Shaun plays some magnificent cricketing shots in that movie to dispatch some zombies.
'Fire in Babylon' is useful as a guide to West Indian history and culture, but has a distinct and notable lack of cricket in it. Sounds weird I know, but true none-the-less.

Actually, 'Shaun of the Dead' probably has more footage of cricket shots now that I think about it.
 
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Red

The normal awards that everyone else has
The Cricket Archives is either excellent or dull depending on your tastes.

I like it.
 

watson

Banned
The Cricket Archives is either excellent or dull depending on your tastes.

I like it.
Yes, it's excellent and not dull at all to people who get off on history. But you really have to have an appreciation of black and white cricket reels to enjoy it because Jack Egan's commentary is about as dry as a dead dingos donger. He's the dull bit.
 
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cnerd123

likes this
Lagaan's the best tbh. Excellent movie allround.

Iqbal is a decent movie too. About a deaf and mute boy who wants to play cricket for India.

Bollywood has a few more cricket-based movies, but they have sadly been mostly garbage. I can list them out later if you really wanna watch them.
 

weldone

Hall of Fame Member
I'm a Lagaan fan too. On cricketing front alone, it has everything -

1. A Muralitharan type spin bowler with broken arm,
2. Run out caused by confusion with a runner,
3. Match fixing,
4. Spinner not being able to get enough purchase with the new ball,
5. All 11 fielders (who are all new to the game) running to save the same shot,
6. Good batsman struggling at the start of an inning,
7. Importance of good ground fielding when the opposition has a strong partnership,
8. Personal rivalries on the cricket field,
9. Sledging, (and inexperienced hot-tempered batsman giving in to it)
10. Aggressive short bowling,
11. Wicket on a no-ball,
12. Injured player getting retired hurt and coming to bat again on the next day

..and many more

Most importantly, unlike most other movies, cricket scenes here are believable.

Otherwise also, it's a good movie. [Cricket match is only in the second half]
 
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