Captivating movie !

Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,

The acting in this movie is really good.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Say "No No" to drugs, kids, but YES YES to this great documentary about pro baseball player Doc Ellis, who in the 1970s pitched a no-hitter game on LSD. Ellis played in Major League Baseball from 1968 through 1979 for the Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Texas Rangers, and New York Mets. The film goes through his career in pro- ball, his romantic entanglements, as well as his long bout with drugs, recovery, and later life counseling drug addicts in treatment centers and prisons.*Possible SPOILER* I found the most inspiring part of this film the interview with Ron Howard, who talked about working with Ellis on the set of his 1986 film, "Gung Ho" (Ellis was in the cast- you may recall him as one of the factory workers; was seen playing in the softball game as well). Howard talked about his conversation with Ellis about pitching that famous no-hitter game on LSD, and he found it interesting Ellis did not brag about the incident, but instead was embarrassed about it- saying he would've rather been clean & sober at the time than having pitched that no-hitter game.Well, anyway, I would recommend this great doc. for sports and non- sports fans (like myself) alike. Great interviews, a great '70s soundtrack and some good inspiration make this doc. a home run! (ouch!- I know that was bad... o.O )

I've always been a big baseball fan and I barely knew this guy's name beyond the no-hitter story. He was an important and courageous player in speaking out against unfair treatment back when there was still a lot of racism in the game and to make it in the big leagues as a black man you had to be a star. His honesty about his drug and alcohol abuse also helped open the door into this darker side of sports. Baseball has always been a traditional game interested in protecting its image, so guys like Ellis were a challenge. It seems to me that he was good for the game and helped change occur at a faster rate than it might have without him.

A well-done film featuring interviews with baseball legends, Hollywood director Ron Howard, vintage Pirates like Blass, Al Oliver, Bob Robertson and others, and interviews with Dock Ellis himself. The movie traces Dock's journey from a gifted pitcher who threw a no-hitter on LSD, faced Vida Blue in the 1971 All Star Game, and eventually faced his addictions and became a counselor to other addicts. If you liked this film, you'll also love "Baseball's Last Hero: 21 Clemente Stories", another new film showing the spiritual journey of the great Roberto Clemente who was Dock's teammate and mentor. " Baseball's Last Hero" is the companion film to this film and is also on IMDb and Amazon. Both films go beyond baseball to say something meaningful.

Greetings again from the darkness. Caught this one at the Dallas International Film Festival, and the most impressive part of director Jeff Radice's approach is just how much he attempts to tackle. Most baseball fans immediately associate the name Dock Ellis with his much publicized 1970 no-hitter thrown while under the influence of LSD. Radice doesn't focus on the baseball side of this story, but rather much more of the man and the times.One must be of a certain age to have watched Dock Ellis pitch (he retired in 1979), and the era must be considered when understanding his often outspoken and arrogant behavior. Jackie Robinson had long ago broken the color barrier in baseball, but it wasn't until the early 1970's when things really started to change. 1971 saw the first all black and brown lineup from the Pirates (with Dock Ellis on the mound). The blacks and Latins interviewed here recall the moment they noticed.In addition to his baseball and related antics, we get some history on his marriages, style, drug abuse and struggle to remain healthy near the end of his career. Radice scores with the numerous interviews of former teammates, as well as friends and family. Steve Blass and Bruce Kison provide a contrast to the words of Dave Cash, Mudcat Grant and Al Oliver, but the most insight comes from Ellis' friends and family. This is where we see the hope and disappointment that Dock produced.We also see the later years as Dock became a drug counselor and educated many on the mistakes he had made. Radice uses a 1981 movie called "Dugout" features former major league pitcher Bo Belinsky talking to little-leaguers about the importance of staying on the right track ... the parallels to the career of Dock Ellis are obvious.Some terrific game footage is used, but one of the most interesting moments occurs when Brad Corbet, Jr explains how his father (former owner of Texas Rangers) had interaction with Dock Ellis the player, and later with Dock Ellis the addiction counselor. There is also much made about "everyone" in baseball being on "greenies" (amphetemines) during the era ... an interesting contrast to the steroid era. The main thing we learn is that there was much more to Dock Ellis than LSD and curlers in his hair.