‘GOAT’ is an Animated Love Letter to the Game of Basketball

February 9, 2026February 9, 2026 Michael Lee

GOAT may look like one of those underdog sports movies where you can clock the protagonist and antagonist in the first five minutes, but it has more on its mind than simply winning the big game. The animated film is a love letter to basketball and everything that comes with it. This isn’t just about the score. It’s about the plays, the chemistry, the legacy a veteran fights to protect, and the way a team can become the heartbeat of a community.

Animation, Movies, Sports

‘GOAT’ Brings Basketball Culture to Life in Sony Animation’s Boldest Experiment Yet

February 3, 2026February 3, 2026 Michael Lee

GOAT looks like an underdog sports story on the surface, where a goat tries to earn his place in a league built for bigger animals, but it’s really driven by something more intimate. Family, belief, legacy, and the ache to prove you belong are what actually ground the journey.

Horror, Movies, Reviews, Sports

How ‘HIM’ Exposes the Cult of Sports and the Commodification of Black Athletes

September 20, 2025 Ainsley 'LadyL' Landry

American football isn’t just a game; it’s a religion. The rituals, the chants, the stadiums packed with worshippers draped in team colors, it all mirrors a form of collective devotion. In Justin Tipping’s new psychological thriller HIM, produced by Jordan Peele, football becomes something far more literal: a site of sacrifice, worship, and horror.

Horror, Movies, Sports

‘HIM’ is a Chilling Thriller Knocking on Athletes’ Doors

September 19, 2025September 19, 2025 Nikita Francois

With bold, in-your-face depictions of football injuries and the culture surrounding professional athletes, HIM delivers a chilling commentary on pro sports that will have you at the edge of your seat. This film leaves you wondering if risking it all for the love of the game is actually worth it.

Sports, Theatre

CASA 0101 Theater Celebrates Fernando Valenzuela in ‘Fernandomania’

September 10, 2025September 18, 2025 Rosana Maris Arias

CASA 0101 Theater opened its Fernandomania Ten-Minute Play Festival on August 29, 2025 as part of its 25th Anniversary season. The festival featured the world premiere of twelve 10-minute plays that honor the legacy of Fernando Valenzuela, the late and great Major League Baseball pitcher and former Los Angeles Dodger who passed in October of last year.

Fandom, Gaming, Sports2 Comments

The Pokémon Company Scores Big in Overtime

March 22, 2025March 22, 2025 Jamal Michel

Back when I was in middle school, every other kid on our small basketball court would pretend to be some kind of Pokémon or Gym Leader from the anime, and it extended into rivalries we thought would stay relegated to our imagination.

Movies, Sports

Full Speed Ahead with Director Joseph Kosinski at the ‘F1’ Trailer Event

March 15, 2025March 17, 2025 Mike Manalo

The world of Formula 1 is revving up bigger and bigger every year. With every race that occurs, audiences everywhere are pulled into the high stakes, high speed thrills of their favorite drivers zooming at top speed down the most challenging tracks ever. This year, Warner Bros, Apple, and director Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick, Tron: Legacy) are going to immerse fans deeper than ever into the driver’s seat with their tentpole film F1, hitting theaters June 27!

Interview, Movies, Sports

‘Rez Ball’ Director and Stars on Their Creative Approaches to the Sports Drama Genre

September 23, 2024September 18, 2024 Lauren Lola

This week will see the release of Rez Ball on Netflix. Directed and co-written by Sydney Freeland, the story is set around a high school basketball team at a Native American reservation. In the aftermath of the loss of their star player, the remaining members must learn to come together and continue their efforts in competing for the state championship title.

Animation, Movies, Sports

New ‘Transformers One’ Featurette Showcases Robots in Jerseys

September 10, 2024September 12, 2024 Mike Manalo

We are very close to the release of Transformers: One folks! But it’s also the start of football season! So what do we do now? Pick teams and go to battle in a new featurette of course!

Conventions, Hard N.O.C. Life, Sports1 Comment

Hard NOC Life 346: To the Caleb Williams, To the Harris-Walz

August 26, 2024August 28, 2024 Hard NOC Media

Last week, all eyes were on Chicago… because the Bears, the subject of HBO’s Hard Knocks, went undefeated in the preseason! Oh, and the Democrats officially nominated Kamala Harris’ presidential candidacy. On Hard NOC Life, Dominic and Keith react to it all, as well as Disney’s cancellation of The Acolyte.

Movies, Sports

New Trailer and Poster for Brad Pitt’s ‘F1’ Race Their Way Online

July 7, 2024July 8, 2024 Mike Manalo

Director Joseph Kosinski is perhaps one of the most underrated filmmakers working today. Say what you will, but I loved the hell out of Tron: Legacy. And naturally, everyone saw and loved Top Gun: Maverick, a movie no one expected to make over $1B at the box office, let alone walk away with a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars. But now Kosinski is following up his need for speed with another picture about speed, teaming up with Brad Pitt to bring us F1!

Movies, Reviews, Sports

NOC Review: ‘Young Woman and the Sea’ Defies the Odds and Inspires

May 30, 2024May 30, 2024 Mike Manalo

I’m not generally a fan of inspirational sports-themed dramas. I know Disney has been making bank off them since Remember the Titans way back in 2000 (back before star Ryan Gosling was a household name, by the way). But as someone who isn’t an athlete or a sports fan, I generally just don’t see these movies. But I’m very glad I saw Young Woman and the Sea. And I’m very glad it’s getting a theatrical release rather than a streaming one.

Hard N.O.C. Life, Sports

Hard NOC Life 341: Ant-Man and the NBA Playoff Mania

May 20, 2024May 20, 2024 Hard NOC Media

After Dominic shares his experience at the Pearl Jam concert, Keith looks back at the weekend’s NBA Playoff matchups and the superhero battle between Ant-Man and the Joker. Then, they look at the dismal state of the summer box office season.

Podcasts, Sports

FDI Cast 189: That Time We Went to a Professional Wrestler’s Wedding

April 12, 2024 Jamie

For the first time in a very long time, the FDIC goes on an away mission to sunny Connecticut for a whimsical wedding in a freaking aquarium! We also review Wrestlemania weekend in our not-at-all-wrestling-related podcast.

Hard N.O.C. Life, Sports

Hard NOC Life 335: Recapping ‘Wrestlemania XL’ with Jamie Noguchi

April 8, 2024April 8, 2024 Hard NOC Media

Dominic is out this week, so Keith decided to talk all things Wrestlemania XL with one-half of the not-wrestling Fuckin Do It podcast, Jamie Noguchi! They mainly break down how The Rock’s return to WWE and Cody Rhodes finishing his story against Roman Reigns brought pro wrestling back to prominence.

Gone Too Soon, Podcasts, Sports

FDI Cast 188: That Time Brandon Bought Virgin an Orange Julius

March 8, 2024March 8, 2024 Jamie

We remember wrestling superstar Virgil.

Podcasts, Sports

FDI Cast 186: Soft Ground Wrestling Uganda Asks, is Ground Soft? Then Can Suplex Mans!

February 16, 2024 Jamie

On our non-wrestling podcast, we again talk about wrestling! This time, we gush over Soft Ground Wrestling Uganda. You have to check them out!

Movies, Sports

Trailer and Poster for Prime Video’s ‘Giannis: The Marvelous Journey’ Revealed

February 15, 2024February 16, 2024 Mike Manalo

Legends don’t get any bigger than Milwaukee Bucks mega-star Giannis Antetokounmpo. And just in time for NBA’s All-Star Weekend, Prime Video has released a trailer for their upcoming documentary about his life, Giannis: The Marvelous Journey.

Podcasts, Sports

FDI Cast 185: The Road to Bayleymania Begins

February 2, 2024 Jamie

We review 2024’s WWE Royal Rumble where we discover that the best way to enjoy Rumble is with people who’ve never watched wrestling before!

Hard N.O.C. Life, Sports1 Comment

Hard NOC Life 325: NFL Playoffs (NOC’s Version)

January 29, 2024February 5, 2024 Hard NOC Media

Keith and Dominic recap Championship Sunday of the NFL Playoffs, as the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers advance to Super Bowl LVIII. That’s right, Hard NOC Life is a sportsball podcast now!

Podcasts, Sports

FDI Cast 184: Finally, The Rock Has Come Back

January 12, 2024January 16, 2024 Jamie

Welcome to our first cast of 2024!

Interview, Movies, Sports

Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, and Stanley Simons Discuss ‘The Iron Claw’

December 20, 2023December 20, 2023 Sophia Soto

Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, and Stanley Simons star as Kevin, Kerry, and Mike Von Erich in The Iron Claw. You can see the film in theaters everywhere starting Friday, December 22.