Blackballed: The Bobby Dukes Story (2004) Reviews

• Hilarious movie, see it first chance you get

  se7en1872005-06-14

  I was lucky enough to catch this at the Waterfront Film Festival in Saugatuck, Michigan. I loved it so much, I saw it twice, and I never do that at festivals. This hilarious film stars Rob Corddry from The Daily Show. The film is about Bobby Dukes, a famous paintball star that was caught "wiping" during the championship match. After ten years, Dukes returns to the game, assembling a new team and hoping to gain back his title. The mockumentary is well done, though the laughs don't come right away, when they show up they don't leave. The teammates are all hilarious, and the side characters add to the comedy. Though the games are fun to watch, the comedy comes from training for the games. When Bobby gets his team together you can't help but laugh. Each member has their own great qualities, especially Rob Riggle and Paul Scheer. Writing this review, it's been two days since I last saw it, and I still keep laughing at some of the jokes. I really hope this movie makes it to theatres, I know people will check it out and love it. I saw the director after the film and he said he had a lot of great extra footage shot that he would love to include on the DVD, so I can't wait, I'll buy it first chance I get. See the movie, spread the word.

• Saw this at the Sarasota Film Festival

  beachbumofFL2005-02-08

  I was instantly attracted to the title of this film when I was walking by the Sarasota Film Festival box office. Blackballed….what could that possibly be about? Moving closer to the film poster I realized that the man in the shot had his back to the frame and was carrying a helmet and a gun with paint splattered on the floor behind him. All I was thinking…this is going to be interesting. "Blackballed:The Bobby Dukes Story" stars Rob Corddy of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart fame. Corddy plays Bobby Dukes, a once famous paint baller who infamously "wiped" ten years ago (i.e. tried to wipe the paint off of himself in order to stay in the game). Dukes has come back to his roots in New York to prove himself in "The Classics", a paint ball tournament in which he has to face his former friend now nemesis Sam Brown who is married to Dukes' old flame Jill. Dukes' problem: no one wants to play with a "has been", so he has to formulate a new team in a very short period of time. Enter a Canadian, a drill sergeant, a paint ball referee, a video game enthusiast and Dukes' sister and we have the "Rounds". While the "Rounds" may not be the most compatible group of players, we see the way they connect while preparing for one of the greatest paint ball moments in their lives. Preparation includes drills, kick boxing and facials, (of course…) In the end, the various personalities unite to form a fierce front on the paint ball field with a surprising twist at the end of the tournament, making this a little less cliché than other films we have seen about sports teams. The film stars some of the folks we see on VH1's popular "Best Week Ever" such as Paul Scheer and Rob Huebel. The other less notable actors make the story that much funnier and add originality to the storyline. The film is shot in a mockumentary style, much like Christopher Guest films such as "Best in Show" according to director Brant Sersen. Sersen, a recreational paint baller, got the idea for the film when he would go out to play on the weekends. He took note of the odd characters around him and was inspired to write the script for "Blackballed". Sersen also mentioned that about 90% of the film was improvised allowing for a lot of original humorous moments, something many Hollywood comedies try to capture, but the timing is frequently off. I enjoyed "Blackballed" immensely for its' honest characters and storyline as well as the amateur-looking format in which it was filmed. The entire film was shot on digital video, but it works for the comedic, yet simple, story being told. There is never a dull moment in "Blackballed" and the cast of the film plays off each other in refreshing performances. I would recommend this film for anyone looking for a good film about sportsmanship, but also understands the wacky humor attached.

• Funny and well done parody of the paintball world

  iranosaurus_rex2006-05-18

  Being an avid and serious paintballer, this movie really appealed to me when I first heard of it. The movie has laughs nonstop and the characters are all hilarious and unique - some of them remind of people I've paintballed with. The story involves a famous paintballer who has lost his fame and now attempts to make his name known again by playing in 'The Classic' years later. He assembles his team and trains hard for the tournament, with plenty of laughs and good jokes along the way. This indie film had me laughing in ways that big Hollywood productions couldn't, and the great chemistry between the cast members just adds to the hilarity. I also loved how well understood and parodied paintball subculture was, with the gangsta-wannabe kids and wiping. I really hope this movie gets a national release so everyone can see it, and I definitely plan to buy it on DVD. Overall, I highly recommend this movie if you are into non-stop laughter and a comical look at the not-so-well-known world of paintball.

• Help spread the word about this great hilarious movie...

  rorygator2004-06-14

  This is by far one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. Rob Corddry (Daily Show w/ Jon Stewart) is supported by the cast of Upright Citizens Brigade (an improv comedy troupe from NYC which branched off for a show on Comedy Central) in this phenomenal mockumentary about the world of the paintball sub-culture. Blackballed is currently making the round on the independent film festival circuit, and has racked up awards at SXSW (South by SouthWest Film Festival) and LPFF (Lake Placid Film Festival). At the present time, Blackballed is still seeking distribution for release, but because of its network clout with Corddry, and an overwhelmingly positive audience response, it is sure to be out within the year either as a release in theaters nationwide, or else as a special on cable TV.

• Blacklisted paint ball player returns to reclaim glory and respect

  specialk-262005-03-09

  This is a hilarious film with some of the funniest people on earth, seriously. You can find these guys at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York City if you're lucky. The film is a moucumentary about a great paint ball player named Bobby Dukes who is blacklisted from the paint ball league for "wiping". 10 years later he returns with a bunch of misfits to win one more competition. Rob Corddry (from the Daily Show) is great as the leader of this team. Rob Riggle (Saturday Night Live) will make you pee your pants in laughter as he plays a zany ex-marine. If you get an opportunity to see this movie, do yourself a favor and go!!! Seriously go right now!!! Why are you reading this still!?!?