Very disappointing...

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

From thequickflickcritic.blogspot.com/With the baseball season in full swing now here's a throwback to one of the sport's stars of the past whose legacy after he left the game is far more lasting than anything he ever did on the diamond.You don't have to be a fan of baseball as I am to appreciate the captivating tale of redemption candidly and affectingly told in 2014's "No No: A Dockumentary". Before seeing the film, I had always regarded the fact that gifted yet troubled Major League All-Star pitcher Dock Ellis once hurled a no-hitter while tripping on acid to be cool. Almost cute in a way.Learning that Ellis was a severe drug addict and alcoholic, and that he claims to have never pitched a game during his 12-year big league career when he wasn't "high as a kite", just absolutely broke my heart. This guy was such a favorite of mine and my friends when we were growing up in the '70's.However, it is after watching "No No" that Ellis emerges as a genuine hero. We are privileged to witness the all-in investment of this man's total soul in supporting fellow addicts as they navigate through a new world, having emerged as he had done from the hell life becomes when substance abuse becomes your only purpose for existing.Ellis left us in 2008, his liver having failed, the organ finally succumbing to decades of self-inflicted torture. His passing, while certainly before his time, was nonetheless preceded by years of humility and humanity.It is this legacy, and not that which he accomplished "between the white lines", that Ellis will forever be remembered with undying gratitude by those he touched, and who were in desperate need of both his guidance and his grace.

This documentary is about the excellent baseball pitcher and character, Dock Ellis. Much of the film concerns Ellis' crazy lifestyle--especially his use and abuse of drugs and alcohol during this career. Oddly, much of the time the drugs seemed to either help him or not hinder him--and he reportedly pitched a no-hitter while under the influence of LSD! Eventually, however, the drugs and alcohol got out of control and led to his early death (though this is oddly never mentioned in the film).This is an enjoyable film to watch, though I must also admit that the message about drugs was oddly mixed. During much of the film, it sounded as if Ellis' drug abuse was rather funny and it almost seemed to imply that the drugs were good! Later, however, his violent side came out and he, fortunately, became sober and a living example to others. Well made but strange in its focus.By the way, if you enjoyed this, there also is a wonderful documentary about Danny Trejo ("Champion")--which is quite similar in many ways.

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.

I'm in my mid-40's now, but I am still too young to have ever seen Dock Ellis play. In fact I had never even heard of him until I saw this movie. The famous no-hitter that gives the film its title was played 9 months before I was born. And his career ended in 1979 when I was too young to sit still long enough to watch a baseball game. Which is not to say I *shouldn't* have heard of him. The names of many of his contemporaries such as Roberto Clemente, Pete Rose and Reggie Jackson are known to anyone with even a passing interest in baseball. And from what I saw in this film, Dock Ellis should be mentioned in the same breath.From the 1980's onward, Ellis was known for his admission that he was addicted to drugs and alcohol throughout his baseball career. In 1970, he pitched a no-hitter while flying on LSD--which inspired Robin Williams to do a bit about it more than 30 years later. But when he was actually playing, he was known as the angry black pitcher who wore hair curlers and earrings--which inspired Johnny Carson to do a bit about it at the time.But the film is not just about baseball and popular culture. "No No: A Dockumentary" succeeds in its goal of providing a complete portrait of this fascinating individual. It uses interviews of friends, family and even two of his ex-wives. And even though Ellis died during filming, director Jeff Radice was able to get a very thorough interview with Ellis, so you don't get the feeling that you're only learning about this guy from others' points of view. It starts with his teen years in Compton. Then it focuses on his 1968-1973 peak with the Pirates, his 1976 comeback with the Yankees, and the 1978-1979 end of his career with the Rangers. And then finally it focuses on the final 25 years of his life as the public face of drug addiction in sports and a drug counselor.The things I like best about the movie are the interviews, which feel like you're sitting on the porch with your family swapping stories about your crazy cousin. And I like that Adam "King Ad-Rock" Horowitz is able to replicate the psychedelic rock and funk sounds from the period, even though the filmmakers couldn't get the rights to the big hits of the day.The main problem I have with this film--and it's a minor quibble--is that of all the on-field stories about Dock, the only game they show using old TV footage is the no-hitter. All the rest are represented through still photographs or--in one case--a slide show of comic strip panels.Dock Ellis was possibly the greatest pitcher of the early 1970's. And his influence extended into the greater culture at large--from his fashion sense that was replicated by the gangsta rappers of the early 1990's (Ice Cube in particular), to his becoming a leading advocate of drug rehabilitation programs in the Just Say No 1980's. The fact that I had never heard of him until now is frankly a shame. He was a great ballplayer, and once he sobered up he became a greater human being. "No No: A Dockumentary" is a testament to this. 8 out of 10.