Ever since Edweard Muybridge took successive images of a racehorse in full gallop, sports movement have been a part of the moving image. As collegiate and professional sport became more popular, they found themselves the center of attention in films dating back to 1913. Football was a particularly visual game, which made it particularly suited to the big screen. As time went on, more loveable losers and inspirational underdogs made it to the gridiron — and the cinema. As the Buffalo Bills once again descend upon Rochester for Training Camp, experience some of the best examples of the sport on screen.
Dates and Titles:
July 22: The Freshman (Fred C. Newmeyer, Sam Taylor, US 1925, 77 min., 16mm)
July 24: The Longest Yard (Robert Aldrich, US 1974, 121 min., 35mm)
August 15: Friday Night Lights (Peter Berg, US 2004, 118 min., DCP)
August 22: Any Given Sunday (Oliver Stone, US 1999, 162 min., 35mm)
August 29: Remember the Titans (Boaz Yakin, US 2000, 113 min., 35mm)
Events in this Series
The Freshman (DCP)
Training Camp In one of his supreme comic masterpieces, the great Harold Lloyd tries anything to be the most popular man on campus, including becoming a tackling dummy for the school football team.
The Longest Yard (DCP)
Training Camp Paul “Wrecking” Crewe (Burt Reynolds) has made a lot of mistakes in his life. After getting banned from the NFL for shaving points, he steals his lover’s car, leads police on a chase, and dumps the car in the ocean, earning him eighteen months in state prison.