Greetings again from the darkness. I had to have that ball. The red, white, and blue basketball looked so cool whether you were shooting a jumper or spinning it on your finger. And it looked even better when “Dr J” was soaring in for a finger-roll or slamming one home. To this young kid, the ABA was ultra cool, and now this four-episode documentary series from director Kenan Kamwana Holley and producers George Karl, Julius Erving, and Common (among others) provides a rush of nostalgia for those my age, and a sports history lesson for younger folks.
Personally, I would have been satisfied with four hours of ABA game clips. After all, this was the league that introduced the three-point arc and the slam dunk contest, as well as flamboyant players and play. But of course, director Holley understands that there is also a significant story to tell about what was happening off the court. Quite an impact is made by allowing those involved to tell their version some fifty plus years later. Some of the best segments feature interviews with Rick Barry, Julius Erving, Spencer Haywood, and Ellie Brown … the latter being the first female sports team owner when she took over for her husband John Y Brown (owner of KFC, governor of KY, once owner of Celtics). We learn about the battle between the stodgy established NBA and the upstart dynamic young league.
The ABA began in 1967 and lasted until the four-team merger with the NBA after the 1976 season. During that span, most of the ABA teams functioned under tremendous financial strain, and teams and cities and logos were juggled fairly regularly. Still, the players and exciting brand of basketball (as compared to the slow-play NBA) sustained the league and its persistent annoyance to the more established league. In addition to those already named, some of the other true ABA stars included George McGinnis, Louie Dampier, Moses Malone, Marvin Barnes, James Silas, Dan Issel, Artis Gilmore, and George Gervin … those latter three all sit for interviews as well. A segment on David “Skywalker” Thompson reminds us of what an incredible talent he was.
It’s likely that Will Ferrell’s comedic SEMI-PRO (2008) film is the only exposure some have to the ABA. In keeping with the league’s actual history, it’s no surprise that Dr. J is the big draw. Julius Erving is a producer on the film, and also provides some insight and commentary along the way. His skills at the time were unlike anything we had ever seen on a basketball court, and he certainly earned the extra attention here. If there is a downside, it’s related to the poor quality and deterioration of the clips from 50 plus years ago. Obviously, we are spoiled with the high-definition replays over the past twenty years, and we should be thankful that this much video has been preserved from the rebel league, but some of it is pretty rough.
Common is the series narrator (he mentions that his dad played in the ABA), and kudos to all involved for the nostalgia and history lesson. The ABA played a crucial role in the evolution of professional basketball, and this film offers a documented record of how it all happened. From NBA legend George Mikan being the league’s first commissioner, to singer Pat Boone being an original team owner, to Rick Barry’s contentious relationship with everyone (except a basketball), to the legal battles involving Barry, Haywood, and Dr. J, to the fight for Lew Alcindor, to the first female team owner, to Darnell Hillman’s afro, to the players’ fashion, to the first microphone job for Bob Costas, to Larry Brown’s overalls, to that iconic first slam dunk contest, to Silna’s big payday, to the high-flying exploits of Erving and Thompson, to that final merger … this is quite a trip for fans.
Available on Prime Video
Posted by David Ferguson 
Greetings again from the darkness. Heroes come in many shapes and sizes, and heroic acts may be big or small. What’s consistent is the need for courage to do the right thing, regardless of the circumstances or personal risk. The actions of Pavel “Pasha” Talankin clearly fall under this definition, and with the help of his co-director David Borenstein, the finished film not only provides us with rare insight into Russian life, it has also been nominated for Best Documentary Feature at this year’s Academy Awards.
Greetings again from the darkness. “Laughter is the best medicine.” Proof comes in the form of filmmaker Mel Brooks and this two-part HBO Documentary from two Emmy award winning directors: Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio. The title is a take-off on Brooks’ age and his decades-long-running gag, “The 2000 Year-Old Man”. This is a film for anyone who is a fan of any of Mel Brooks’ eleven feature film comedies, his long track record of comedy writing (TV, film, Broadway), or a general history of the comedy forum. Two parts cover the familiar pieces of his career, while also putting his work into historical perspective, and offering insight into his personal life, his inspirations, and his romance and friendships.
Greetings again from the darkness. As far as non-political topics go, none are hotter than Artificial Intelligence (AI). What is the potential? What are the risks? Will it be used for good or evil? Who will control its use? Who am I kidding … AI is very much a political topic, and all of these questions have political and social implications. Award-winning documentarian Adam Bhala Lough has the same questions and concerns that we all do, and he decides to seek answers from the face of and driving force behind AI: Sam Altman, the founder of AI research organization OpenAI, which developed the chatbot, ChatGPT.
Greetings again from the darkness. I really try to be a good citizen. I watch and read the news daily – even when it’s painful. I keep up with cultural and societal shifts. Despite my best efforts, every now and then something comes along that stuns me … catching me off guard to the point that I simply never suspected what’s really happening. My latest eye-opener comes courtesy of documentarian Benjamin Flaherty, who utilizes his own experiences (finally getting sober at age 41) to wake us up to the corruption that feeds the profitability of addiction centers (a billion-dollar industry).
Greetings again from the darkness. The line between right and wrong may be more blurred than ever these days, yet we’d be mistaken if we were to assume that the line was once distinct and clear. Rick Rowley (Oscar nominated for his 2013 documentary DIRTY WARS) offers the disturbing details of the investigation into the 2010 event that led to the death at the border of an undocumented Mexican immigrant named Anastasio Hernandez – Rojas.
Greetings again from the darkness. The next entry in the HBO Music Box documentary series comes from director Amy Scott and provides a textbook example of what can happen when a band hits it big ‘overnight’. It’s not always pretty, and sometimes it’s downright uncomfortable. Counting Crows’ popularity exploded with the release of their 1993 debut album, “August and Everything After”. The hit single, “Mr Jones” was all over the radio, only to be followed by an even better song, “Round Here”. The band and their music were ubiquitous.
Greetings again from the darkness. There may be no more effective way to change the outside world’s perspective of a culture or country than through music. That’s the path Wizkid is taking to re-introduce the world to his home country of Nigeria and transform the image. Documentarian Karam Gill continues his focus on those in the music industry who have loftier goals than just hit records.
Greetings again from the darkness. The Music Box series at HBO brings us this documentary from Amy Berg (Oscar nominated for DELIVER US FROM EVIL, 2006), who profiles the tragic tale of the immensely talented Jeff Buckley. When he died in 1997 at age 30, Buckley had only released one album, “Grace”. Many musicians and critics call it one of the best albums ever. This film tells us how he reached that level.
Greetings again from the darkness. “The needle in the arm.” That’s how Paul Anka describes the will and the need to carry on after all of these years. How many years, you ask … well, he’s the only singer/songwriter to have a Billboard charting song in seven consecutive decades. Paul Anka is now 84 years old and documentarian John Maggio shows us that Anka is still going strong, still touring, still writing songs, and still loving what he does.
Movie Reviews from the Dark 