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Movies are full of stars and directors playing heightened versions of themselves. Indeed, they don’t come much bigger than Robert Altman’s The Player (1992), in which Tim Robbins played a ruthless producer against a backdrop of stars including Cher, Bruce Willis, Julia Roberts, Burt Reynolds and Jack Lemmon. But, until The Studio came along, TV shows have always played by different rules. For Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s show, Hollywood legends have been queuing up, from Martin Scorsese, to Ron Howard, Olivia Wilde, Anthony Mackie, Ice Cube, Charlize Theron, Ted Sarandos, Johnny Knoxville and Aaron Sorkin.

In non-industry comedies, however, playing yourself is quite the rarity. Here are ten examples of celebrities who were prepared to go all-in for the small screen…

Muhammad Ali at home in Los Angeles before his last fight with Larry Holmes in 1980 Paul Harris/Getty Images

1. Muhammad Ali

NBC show Diff’rent Strokes...

When filmmakers began discussing a project based on The Autobiography of Malcolm X, they approached Eddie Murphy about a role. It could have redefined Murphy as an actor. Still, according to the new Apple TV+ documentary Number One on the Call Sheet, as reported by People, Sidney Poitier advised the comedian to take a pass.

“I don’t know if it was an insult or a compliment, or something,” Murphy explained. “They were talking about doing Malcolm X. Norman Jewison was putting it together, and they were gonna use The Autobiography of Malcolm X by (Roots author) Alex Haley. And they approached me about playing Alex Haley.”

Around that time, Murphy bumped into Poitier and told him about the prospect of taking on the Haley role. Murphy imitated Poitier’s Bahamian accent when relaying his response: “You are not Denzel, and you are not Morgan. You are a breath of fresh air.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is the definition of a modern-day success with a high-profile career in acting, business, politics, and bodybuilding. The former ‘Governator’ often crossed paths with boxing legend Muhammad Ali during both of their prime careers. They even trained together on occasions having met at a common gym.

Arnold Schwarzenegger in a still from Two and a Half Men | Credits: CBS

Fans often wondered who among the two legends was the strongest and Ali himself had answered that question in an old interview. Ali, the undisputed boxing champion from 1974 to 1978, claimed that the seven-time Mr. Olympia title winner was much stronger than he was.

Muhammad Ali needed a pushing match to find that Arnold Schwarzenegger was stronger than him Muhammad Ali in a match against Jürgen Blin | Credits: Comet Photo Ag, licensed under Cc By-sa 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Muhammad Ali and Arnold Schwarzenegger came together to appear on ABC’s...

Is Mike Tyson overrated? (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Remember that Saturday when we watched the whole thing unfold? When Roy Jones Jr. stepped into the ring against Mike Tyson? Hall of Fame stuff. First, let’s talk about Jones Jr. He fought 50 times between 1989 and 2014, and like, Never came close to losing. Sure, there was one “oops” moment—a disqualification for hitting an opponent when they were down—but honestly? His opponent was already wrecked, so it was a technicality at best. Jones was a freak of nature.

Jones made history by winning titles in four weight classes: middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight. Only one other guy, Bob Fitzsimmons, did that in 1in3.

Tyson’s reign was all about speed and power. But here’s the thing—he had no backup plan. He folded if he couldn’t land a flurry of punches in the first few rounds. Exhibit...

Many have suggested that Jake Paul is crazy for agreeing to a fight with former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson. However, Paul is a YouTuber-turned-professional boxer who has been eager to prove himself in the world of boxing over the last several years. While Paul has demonstrated his talent with several impressive knockouts against various opponents, Tyson is by far his most significant opponent yet. Tyson is one of the most notorious figures in boxing history, which makes this upcoming fight a major draw.

The boxing match between Paul and Tyson will take place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on November 15, 2024, and will be streamed globally on Netflix. Usually a premium event such as this would be behind a paywall on a streaming service, but Netflix streaming Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul is part of a strategy to implement more live events. This event is an exciting starting point...

If there’s one name that shakes things up in the boxing world and echoes through the ages, it’s Mike Tyson. Also known as Iron Mike and Kid Dynamite, Tyson is one of the most iconic heavyweight boxers in history, popularly known for his fearsome power, speed, and raw intimidation that left his opponents and audiences stunned. The Baddest Man on the Planet was a phenomenon whose journey in the ring wasn’t just about winning titles, it was about redefining what it is like to be feared and admired at the same time.

Mike Tyson (Credits- @miketyson/Instagram)

Ever since he entered the ring professionally, Tyson was unstoppable. He became the youngest heavyweight champion in history at the age of 20 after a victory over Trevor Berbick, and stunningly, the record still holds. Following his memorable win, his fights became legendary the moment the bell rang. And Tyson exactly...

Back to the 1980s with Muhammad Ali, reminds us of the time when the former world heavyweight boxing champion appeared on Good Morning America and put David Hartman in a tricky spot. Well, it happened somewhat this way, after the host welcomed Ali on the show following his fight with Larry Holmes and informed him about Arnold Schwarzenegger’s appearance as the second guest.

Muhammad Ali | image: srichinmoycentre.org, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

In a humorous bit, Muhammad Ali almost made the show host David Hartman question his pronunciation, after pretending to hear Arnold Schwarzenegger’s name as a slang. Ahead of the star’s appearance on the show, Ali took advantage of the situation to showcase his quick wit and make his audience crack laughing.

Muhammad Ali’s Appearance on GMA 1980 was Marked by Humor

In the vibrant atmosphere of 1980s television, the former world heavyweight boxing champion,...

Director Steve Read and producer-narrator Robert Douglas take viewers into the ring with their documentary “In the Company of Kings.” Released in 2024, the film presents a tribute to the sport of boxing through the words of those closely involved.

Douglass guides us into the rich but rough world of the game, sharing how it shaped his journey from Liverpool to Philadelphia. We’re introduced to young boxers finding purpose at an inner-city gym, putting in rounds to stay on their feet.

The film moves between memorable figures who graced the sport, like Bernard Hopkins, and those who knew The Greatest, Muhammad Ali. Read complements these portraits with vivid glimpses into gyms and urban streets.

Despite taking detours, its mosaic emerges compelling. We see boxing as a complex force, rewarding challengers who confront hardship in and out of the ring.

Origins in the Ring

Robert Douglas takes us into the world...

Freewheeling documentary presents a compelling if somewhat rambling portrait of the hardscrabble roots of many contenders

Admittedly, their freewheeling boxing documentary is a little rambling and understructured, but nevertheless director Steve Read and producer-narrator Robert Douglas (both Brits) end up making a compelling and illuminating mosaic about the sport by focusing on an eclectic range of figures, some interviewed on screen. The opening sequence, narrated by Douglas, starts with his personal recollections about how much watching boxing meant to him, especially as a biracial kid from the roughest parts of Liverpool. He ended up living in one of Philadelphia’s seamiest neighbourhoods where he felt right at home, and this leads into a portrait of young boxers at an inner-city Philly gym where training and competing have opened up whole new worlds for young men who otherwise might have been sucked into the violence of the streets.

Then the film...

"Rocky" has endured as one of the most uplifting sports films of all time thanks in large part to its heartfelt portrayal of two social misfits falling haltingly in love as one of them trains for an unlikely, yet plausible shot at the heavyweight boxing title. Sylvester Stallone and Talia Shire give lovely, lived-in performances that are painful to watch at times because Rocky has no idea how awkwardly his gregariousness lands, while Adrian seems terrified that anyone would find her worthy of affection.

For most of its runtime, "Rocky" is a human drama about losers. It soars to life during its Bill Conti-scored training montage that explodes the film into its exhilarating third act. Interestingly, the final match isn't all that long. From the opening bell to the end of the fifteenth round, it occupies a scant eight-and-a-half minutes of screen time. But it feels like trench warfare...

Mills Lane, the flinty boxer turned referee who became a judge in Washoe County, Nv before segueing to his own courtroom TV show, has died. His son Tommy Lane confirmed the news to the Reno Gazette Journal. The boxing hall of famer was 85.

A familiar face to boxing fans not just for his presence but also for his pre-fight catchphrase “Let’s get it on!”, Lane reached the peak of his popularity after being the third man in the ring for the 1997 heavyweight title fight between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield in which Tyson bit part of Holyfield’s ear off. The diminutive Lane — who himself fought at 147 pounds — was the one who pried the two apart and, his own shirt stained with Holyfield’s blood, later disqualified Tyson.

Mills Lane tries to separate Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield after Tyson bit Holyfield’s ear in the third round of...

Making “Armageddon Time” proved both a gift and weirdly traumatizing for director James Gray, who revisited his old New York City stomping grounds for the Focus Features release arriving in theaters next month.

One of Gray’s most personal films yet, it loosely follows his experiences as a student at the private Kew-Forest School in Queens during the 1980s. While Gray could not shoot in his childhood home — the current owners didn’t grant filming permission — it didn’t stop neighborhood friends from coming out to see him when he toured the area. “It felt like a gift,” Gray says of those interactions.

But his warm feelings faded in the editing bay. “When I saw the footage, it was oddly disturbing and weirdly traumatizing,” he says. “I don’t know why I had a different reaction.”

The filmmaker was surprised at the little things that had changed — like the fixtures...

Earnie Shavers, considered one of boxing’s hardest punchers during his long career, died Thursday at 78. No cause was revealed in reports.

Shavers was best known for his work in the 1970s, although he was active from 1969 through 1995. Overall, he was 74-14-1 with 68 knockouts in his career. He fought Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes for the heavyweight title, losing to Ali in a 15-round decision in 1977 at Madison Square Garden. It was a close decision and Ali needed a strong final round to pull out the victory.

After the fight, Ali praised Shavers’ power. “Earnie hit me so hard, it shook my kinfolk in Africa,” Ali said.

Ali was not the only heavyweight impressed with Shavers. Shavers fought heavyweight champ Larry Holmes twice, the first time being a non-title bout on March 25, 1978 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, his first after losing to Ali. Holmes won a 12-round decision over Shavers in that match,...

Ring of Honor is back again for another pay-per-view, this time Death Before Dishonor, which sees all but one match on the main card be a title match! Talk about putting it all on the line… Let’s get to it.

Roh: Zero Hour Pre-show Match #1: Colt Cabana def. Anthony Henry The following is courtesy of ringofhonorwrestling.com:

Anthony Henry was making his Ring of Honor debut tonight. Henry ignored Colt’s attempt at a handshake and recognizing the Code of Honor. Henry and Cabana displayed beautiful chain wrestling. Henry clubbed Cabana with forearms. Anthony Henry blocked a sunset flip from Colt and then wrenched Colt’s neck. Henry mounted Colt and ground and pounded him. Henry took Colt off his feet with a thrust kick to the midsection. Henry locked Colt in the bow-and-arrow but Colt escaped. Cabana was riled up after Henry kicked “Boom Boom” in the chest.

Past is present, and nailing those specifics turns James Gray’s heartfelt 1980 Queens family drama into something universal. Gray’s fifth Cannes entry and best film to date, “Armageddon Time” is carried by Anne Hathaway, Jeremy Strong, and Sir Anthony Hopkins as the parents and grandfather, respectively, of sixth-grade rebel Paul Graff as the younger filmmaker.

At a sunset dinner in Antibes ahead of the Thursday night premiere, Focus chairman Peter Kujawski told the “Armageddon Time” team, “This is the last night the movie is yours.” The movie played like gangbusters at the Palais and is generating upbeat reviews. Filmgoers beyond Cannes could embrace this likely Focus fall release (it’s a natural for the New York Film Festival), which like most Universal movies these days, from “The Northman” to “Downton Abbey: A New Era,” will hit PVOD three weeks after theaters, followed by Peacock. With the right handling, it...

“Armageddon Time” may be a film about James Gray’s childhood in Queens, New York, but the writer-director told a Cannes press conference on Friday that he very deliberately used that setting to address ways in which today’s America is broken.

“I think we’re in serious trouble today, don’t you?” said Gray, whose film stars Banks Repeta as Paul Graff, a version of the director as a sixth-grader, and Jeremy Strong and Anne Hathaway as his parents. “What happened? How’d we get here, where there’s, like, two people who own everything and a bunch of authoritarians trying to take over the planet?”

The system of inequality, he added, extends to Hollywood and to the plight of filmmakers and artists today. “The market is God,” he said. “If you tell someone under 20 ‘you’re a sellout,’ they think it means they have no more tickets left.

Russell Hornsby has been cast as Don King in the upcoming Hulu limited series about Mike Tyson, “Iron Mike,” Variety has learned exclusively.

Hornsby joins previously announced series lead Trevante Rhodes, who will play Tyson. The series is said to be an exploration of the wild, tragic and controversial life and career of Tyson, one of the most polarizing figures in sports culture. Production on the eight-episode series is currently underway.

The King character is described as ruthlessly ambitious with a flashy personality. He is a notorious boxing promoter that takes Tyson’s boxing career to the next level. He’s a businessman; strategic, resilient, knowing how to work everything in his favor. However, much of his arrogance might be hiding a deeper vulnerability. While others may focus on the little details, King has his eyes on the prize – always thinking of the bigger picture.

King entered the world of...

Muhammad Ali’s bark was as formidable as his bite, and “What’s My Name: Muhammad Ali” pays tribute to both, allowing the three-time heavyweight champ to narrate his own story via a combination of audio and video archival material. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, this 165-minute documentary uses copious interview soundbites to highlight the pugilist’s unparalleled gift of gab — and, consequently, the way it served as his means of defiant self-definition. Debuting on HBO in two parts (after premiering at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival), it’s a celebration that, if not quite definitive, proves a stirring work of nonfiction assembly.

Comprised of old photos and film, TV, and radio clips, Fuqua’s project (executive-produced by LeBron James) does its best to approximate an autobiographical authorship, allowing “the greatest” to be his own storyteller. That approach, along with a narrative focus that remains almost exclusively on his public...

This story originally ran in the January 13, 1997 issue of PEOPLEMuhammad Ali is up to his old tricks, and he's reeling you into his act. You're at his 81-acre place in Berrien Springs, Mich., chatting in the kitchen with his buddy, Howard Bingham, when Ali, a noted prestidigitator, drifts into the room. "Look me in the eyes," he rasps, making them as big as saucers. "People say I got powers." Suddenly you hear a whirring noise by your ear. "Hear anything?" he asks. "Yeah, sounds like a cricket," you say, though you suspect it's Bingham, who's behind you rattling a newspaper.

Sad news for sports fans as boxing legend Muhammad Ali has passed away at the age of 74. Known as a 'silver-tongued' presence in the ring, the athlete was also a civil rights activist who was perhaps most famous for proudly proclaiming himself 'The Greatest'. After a lifetime spent living up to the nickname, Ali, who was born Cassius Marcellus Clay, succumbed to respiratory complications.

Ali's death came Friday night in the Phoenix-area hospital where he'd spent the past few days. The boxer had suffered from Parkinson's disease for the past thirty years. The neurological condition had progressively worn down his physical dexterity and speech over the decades, yet never robbed him of his persona. The man's body is being returned to his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky where the funeral will be held. Family spokesman Bob Gunnell had this to say to NBC News

"After a 32-year battle with Parkinson's disease,...

Gimme Shelter and Grey Gardens documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles has died, aged 88.

Maysles passed away from natural causes on Thursday (March 5), a spokesperson for the Maysles Centre told The Hollywood Reporter.

Albert formed one-half of a filmmaking duo with his late brother David Maysles, and together they released many acclaimed documentaries.

The Maysles brothers chronicled the Rolling Stones' infamous concert at Altamont for 1970's Gimme Shelter, and later explored the lives of two New York eccentrics in Grey Gardens.

The making of Grey Gardens was dramatised by HBO in the Emmy-winning television movie of the same name, in which Arye Gross and Justin Louis played the Maysles brothers.

Albert more recently worked with Espn to complete his 1980 documentary Muhammad and Larry, which chronicled a title bout between Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes.

Last summer, Albert was honoured with a National Medal of Art by Us president Barack Obama.

Watch a...

Blu-ray Review

Grudge Match

Directed by: Peter Segal

Cast: Robert De Niro, Sylvester Stallone, Kim Basinger

Running Time: 1 hr 53 mins

Rating: PG-13

Own “Grudge Match” on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital HD on 4/8

Plot (courtesy of Warner Bros. Home Video): In “Grudge Match,” Billy “The Kid” McDonnen (De Niro) and Henry “Razor” Sharp (Stallone) are two local Pittsburgh fighters whose fierce rivalry put them in the national spotlight. Each had scored a victory against the other during their heyday, but in 1983, on the eve of their decisive third match, Razor suddenly announced his retirement, refusing to explain why but effectively delivering a knock-out punch to both their careers. Thirty years later, boxing promoter Dante Slate, Jr., seeing big dollar signs, makes them an offer they can’t refuse: to re-enter the ring and settle the score once and for all.

But they may not have to wait that...

Boxer Frank 'Wise Guy' Buglioni tallies the points and renders his verdict on the De Niro-Stallone comedy about two fighting rivals

Like most young boxers, I loved Rocky and Raging Bull. In fact, I've been a fan of Sylvester Stallone and Robert de Niro since I was a kid. So I enjoyed this film, in which they play two retired boxers who come back to fight each other one last time. It's nothing like Rocky and Raging Bull, though. It's a comedy, very tongue-in-cheek: as long as you don't go along expecting a serious film, it's actually pretty funny.

The concept of a "grudge match" between two former rivals is certainly feasible. Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn are a good example. Boxing does get personal, especially if there's a major title at stake. Two older fighters would still tend to be evenly matched, too: what you don't see is an...

Former heavyweight boxing champ Ken Norton -- who had 3 classic fights with Muhammad Ali -- died today in Las Vegas ...according to his son.Norton had been in failing health for several years after a series of strokes.Norton defeated Ali -- breaking his jaw in the process -- during their first non-title fight in 1973. They faced each other in the ring two more times ... with Ali winning both. Their last battle was the 1976 classic...

If IMDb is to be believed, the star of Men in Black 1, 2 and 3 has plans to make Hancock 2, Bad Boys 3 and I, Robot 2. Which films do you want to see Smith revisit?

It's never the most reliable of indicators but, if IMDb is to be believed, Will Smith is going to spend the next few years dwelling exclusively on well-trodden ground. After the success of Men in Black 3 – although that's a relative term, based on whether or not you believe "slightly better than Men in Black 2" to be a valid definition of success – the site would have you believe that Will Smith is only interested in making sequels from now on.

Apparently, after starring in the next M Night Shyamalan movie and a film about a magical horse, Will Smith will make Hancock 2. And then Bad Boys 3. And then, in 2015, I, Robot 2. Add to...

If Muhammad Ali hadn't existed, Hollywood might have tried to invent him. A handsome athlete who speaks like a poet and can back up his trash talk with his fists, a principled martyr who can take an insane amount of punishment inside and outside the ring, a hero who goes from underdog to champ and back again several times -- if a Hollywood screenwriter had invented such a character arc, who would believe it? Ali, who turns 70 today, was bigger than the movies. Several films have tried to capture portions of his life, but the whole story is simply too big for one movie. Here are five that focus on portions of his life, either in documentary or lightly fictionalized form. None does him complete justice, but together, they'll remind you of why Ali was, and always will be, the Greatest. 1. "Ali the Fighter" (1971). Shot at the time of the...

Boxing legends Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali turned out to pay their respects to former world heavyweight champion Joe Frazier at his funeral on Monday.

Friends and family bid farewell to Frazier, who lost his fight with liver cancer last week, at the Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Civil rights leader Reverend Jesse Jackson also attended the service, and he gave a moving tribute to Frazier.

Jackson also called for city officials to honour the late sports star with a statue, similar to the one of film fighter Rocky, portrayed by Sylvester Stallone, which stands outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

He said, "Rocky is an imaginary figure who never existed. Rocky never tasted his own blood. Rocky never faced Ken Norton. He never faced Ali. He never faced Larry Holmes.

"Joe paid real dues and he is a guy who we can emulate because of his sense of family, an ordinary Joe with extraordinary things. He remained our neighbour. He remained a church member. He remained a guy from the streets, so Philadelphia will honour itself by honouring Joe Frazier, but better late than never."

Actor Mickey Rourke sent a video-taped message of condolence, while Ali says, "I will always remember Joe with respect and admiration."

Frazier became the first man to beat Ali as a professional when he knocked him down in a 1971 match, which was known as the Fight of the Century.

The FX boxing drama Lights Out is bringing its first season to a close over the next few weeks, leading up to Patrick "Lights" Leary's ultimate showdown with "Death Row" Reynolds (Billy Brown) for the heavyweight title. The next episode of Lights Out, entitled Rainmaker, airs on Tuesday, March 22 at 10 Pm Et on FX, which is the 11th episode of this 13-episode first season. Series star Holt McCallany and executive producer Warren Leight recently held a conference call to discuss the last few episodes of the season. Here's what they had to say below.

I was just hugely struck by this week's episode the David Morse one. I did not see the ending coming at all which is a sign of great television. I want to write about it and yet I want to make super sure that I don't do anything that spoils the surprise to the readers. So,...

Very few people have had a great movie made about them. Fewer still have been the subject of a great documentary, mostly because docs about famous people are usually of the A&E variety or produced by those people as promotion. However, one man, the self-proclaimed Greatest Ever, has been the subject of nearly a dozen good documentaries. Here are the three best docs on the man who spent a quarter-century as the most famous person in the world.

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A.K.A. Cassius Clay:

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Originally produced for a short-term run in New York in 1970, A.K.A. Cassius Clay is an oddity. The majority of the film takes place on a sound stage, where Ali and legendary boxing trainer Cus D’Amato sit wearing suits, watching fights and arguing, largely about Ali’s claims of being the greatest fighter ever.

Cus had trained champions Jose Torres and Floyd Patterson and would...

Check out these photos from the Lights Out Red Carpet premiere in NYC. Series stars in attendance included Holt McCallany (The Losers, Burn Notice), Pablo Schreiber (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Stacy Keach (White Knight, Two and a Half Men), Meredith Hagner, Catherine McCormack (Midnight Man), Ryann Shane, Lily Pilblad (Fringe), Billy Brown and Reg E. Cathey (30 Rock). Boxing legends invited include: Gerry Cooney, Joe Frazier, Larry Holmes, Lennox Lewis, Micky Ward and . Hayden Panettiere (Heroes, Scream 4) was the invited guest of Klitschko but did not make the carpet.

About Lights Out:

Lights Out, from Executive Producer/Showrunner Warren Leight (In Treatment), stars Holt McCallany (CSI: Miami) as an aging former heavyweight boxing champion who struggles to find his identity and support his wife and three daughters after retiring from the ring. Financial problems leave him at a perilous crossroads – battling the urge to return to boxing...

By the time its final episode premieres on December 11, "30 for 30" will have aired thirty films on the last thirty years of sports. Nine were about football, six about baseball, five about basketball, two about boxing, two about running, and one each about BMX, hockey, Nascar, rugby, soccer, and tennis. The series, designed to celebrate Espn's thirtieth anniversary, featured the work of thirty different directors, but through its entire range of filmmakers and topics, one theme dominated the year of "30 for 30": money's insidious effect on the purity of sports.

Consider its very first episode, "King's Ransom," about the trade of Wayne Gretzky from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings. The Oilers' motivation? Money. Or "The Two Escobars," about the destructive impact of drug money on the Columbian national soccer. The pursuit of money was the obvious subject of some of the films, like "Small Potatoes: Who Killed the Usfl?...

McClatchy-Tribune News Service (McT) -- Pasadena, Calif. — Though he was heavyweight champion of the world three times, Muhammad Ali's opponents were no wimps. At last 10 bruisers who fought Ali tell their side of the story in the documentary "Facing Ali," airing Feb. 15 on Spike TV. Charismatic, talkative and witty, Ali wasn't always viewed as the "butterfly" he claimed to be. "We didn't think it was funny at the time," says Larry Holmes, who beat Ali by a…...

Following some festival exposure, notably the AFI Silverdocs last summer, and a limited Oscar-qualifying theatrical run in Los Angeles and New York, in the fall, Facing Ali is now headed for cable TV, via the “male-centered” Spike TV network next month – February 10th.

Directed by Pete McCormack, Facing Ali won the most popular film award at last year’s Vancouver International Film Festival, and is one of 15 feature documentary finalists for the upcoming Oscars.

In the doc, 10 of Ali’s most formidable opponents pay tribute to perhaps the world’s most beloved and inspiring athlete, recounting their pivotal experiences in the ring with Ali, offering “unique insights into a man who remains one of the most prominent figures in American history.” Some of these fighters include, Ken Norton, Earnie Shavers, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Leon Spinks and Larry Holmes.

Every review I’ve read of this “riveting,” “compelling,” “impeccably researched...

Press Tour, the bane of the Television Critics Association members' waistlines, kicks off again with panels on Saturday (Jan. 9) in Pasadena, Calif.

The networks and their dutiful stars come out for the biannual event not only to talk about the upcoming shows, but also to show off their duds (clothes, that is) and do a little publicist-approved partying.

Zap2it will be on hand from morning till late at night to bring you the latest info. Yes, it's a rough life we lead, but there are some perks. Here's a preview of what we're looking forward to for the TCA Winter 2010 Press Tour:

1. "Vampire Diaries" panel and "Bloody Mary" cocktails to follow - It's not up to "Twilight" levels yet, but we wouldn't be surprised if a few enterprising pre-teens crashed the Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley party. Plus, the cocktail session later allows us to mingle with the vamps...

Though Muhammad Ali has had his life and career picked over more thoroughly than any athlete of the 20th century, his story—the man he was and is, the lives he touched, his poetry inside and outside the ring—continues to inspire endless fascination. The trick is finding a fresh angle: Earlier this year, Espn’s 30 For 30 documentary Muhammad And Larry, Albert Maysles and Bradley Kaplan’s recounting of Ali’s ill-fated 1980 comeback fight against Larry Holmes, revealed a past-his-prime champion at his most gentle, vulnerable, and tragically hubristic. By contrast, the fine new documentary Facing Ali ...

James Toback’s candid interview with “Iron” Mike Tyson may have missed the short list of 15 films vying for the Academy’s “Best Documentary,” but another boxing movie is a contender as the field narrows in a little over a month.

Out on DVD Tuesday (Dec. 29), Facing Ali recalls the career of Cassius Clay, better known as the self-proclaimed greatest boxer of all-time, Muhammad Ali. Ten fighters who faced the man, from George Foreman to Joe Frazier and Leon Spinks to Ken Norton, reminisce on his ring persona and the key bouts that changed their lives.

No former fighter is more open than George Chuvalo, who helps piece together the portrait of a powerful athlete and controversial figure. He recalls the famous taunts that earned Ali the nickname “the Mouth from the South,” the religious and political stands during a turbulent time, and of course the contests that shaped the sport in its prime.

Facing Ali will be released on DVD on December 29, and you know we have to celebrate this new documetary that takes a look at boxing great Muhammad Ali, which was also recently on the short list of contenders for the Best Documentary Oscar. We have a brand new contest set up and we're giving away copies of this critically-acclaimed new DVD to our readers and also some mini-posters as well. You know these prizes will go fast, so be sure to enter this big giveaway today.Winners Receive:Facing Ali DVDFacing Ali mini-posters to win this brand new DVD today. Three-time World Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali defeated almost every top fighter of the golden age of boxing. Now, through the untold stories of his opponents in the fights that defined him, experience "The Champ" like never before. Facing Ali turns the cameras on some of Ali's biggest rivals including George Chuvalo,...

On October 2, 1980, Muhammad Ali stepped into the ring at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas to face his former sparring partner, Larry Holmes, the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. Ali, then 38, had recently ended a two-year retirement in an attempt to win the heavyweight title for the fourth time. Though the fight lasted ten rounds, Ali landed fewer than a dozen serious blows and never challenged his 30-year-old foe. What most people remember from that night is the image of the champ folded over the ropes after a Holmes uppercut in the 9th. It would be his second to last fight. In the lead-up to the fight, the Maysles Brothers were given unfettered access to both Holmes and Ali as they trained. The resulting documentary, Muhammad and Larry, is an early forebear to HBO’s Hard Knocks and 24/7 franchises, and shows the two men to be a study in opposites.

We've already told you about the embarrassment of riches that is Espn's 30 for 30 series: 30 docs about 30 seminal moments in the last 30 years of sports history. Though the works were commissioned in honor of Espn's 30th anniversary, it's not all about Espn; it's about their bread-and-butter, i.e., being in the moment when sports history is made. The series kicked off a few weeks ago, with a new doc each Tuesday night on Espn. Last night, Tribeca and Espn co-hosted a premiere party for the fourth film in the series (on deck for next week), a documentary called Muhammad and Larry, co-directed by the great documentarian Albert Maysles (using the original footage he and his brother David shot in 1980) and Bradley Kaplan. Muhammad and Larry tells the story of the much-hyped 1980 fight between Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes, in which the 38-year-old Ali ...

Muhammad Ali has already been the subject of documentaries, films and biopics, but Facing Ali is different because it looks at the man, the fighter, through the eyes of those who faced him in the ring.

And in looking at the man — and the myth — of Ali, we're told the story of modern prize fighting. It is, English fighter Henry Cooper says in the film's early moments, a story of immigrants and the working class. Fighters, he explains, are motivated to get out of their environment.

Presented by director Pete McCormack (Uganda Rising) and producer Derik Murray (Legends of Hockey chronologically, starting with the 1963 fight between Ali — he was Cassius Clay then — and Cooper, and ending with Ali's 1980 loss to Larry Holmes.

The soundtrack for the film matches the shifting era, too, moving from jazz to funk as we move from the '60s into the '70s.

Along the way...

Legendary artist LeRoy Neiman doesn't normally go anywhere without his sketchpad. But he did the other night at the Friars Club, where he was roasted at an event staged by his good pals Broadway producers Irv Welzer and Herb Blodgett, and emceed by Mark Simone. The roasters included Freddie Roman, Stewie Stone, Dick Capri, Mickey (of the old "Sgt. Bilko" show) Freeman, and Larry ("F- Troop") Storch. Leading the applause was ex-heavyweight champ Larry Holmes, former Mayor David Dinkins...

Espn is taking a trip to the "Diner."

The network has brought on Barry Levinson to helm one of its documentaries in its "30 for 30" program.

The prolific writer-director, who has explored his native Baltimore in scripted pics such as "Avalon" and "Tin Men," will examine the Baltimore Colts' ignoble middle-of-the-night escape to Indianapolis in 1984.

"And the Band Marched On" will cover owner Robert Irsay's decision to sneak the team out of the city after a string of losing seasons; Levinson, a longtime Baltimore Colts fans, will investigate "how a fan base copes with losing the team that it loves," Espn said, in what will be his first documentary.

The sports giant also said Monday that it had signed up several more directors as part of its ambitious program, which aims to match noted filmmakers with subjects they're passionate about.

Barbara Kopple will helm a documentary about the Steinbrenners in which...

Espn has just announced that three additional filmmakers for Espn Films' "30 for 30" film project have been secured. Dan Klores (Black Magic, Crazy Love), Barry Levinson (Diner, The Natural) and Albert Maysles (Gimme Shelter, Grey Gardens) along with previously announced participant, Barbara Kopple (Harlan County USA and Shut Up & Sing), will film a variety of sports subjects from the past 30 years in sports. The subjects are: Reggie Miller and the New York Knicks, The Steinbrenners, The Baltimore Colts' departure to Indianapolis and the title fight between Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes. Debuting on Espn in October 2009, "30 for 30" will showcase the work of 30 filmmakers to create 30 one-hour films on sports topics from...