SnoReptilePlenty Memorable, crazy movie

Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

Nayan Gough A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Keeley Coleman The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

senorjuez If you liked the documentary, I suggest that you read the book by Dan Shaughnessy from which it is based. There is a lot more detail to the history of the Red Sox than what was depicted. Red Sox fans have been lead to believe that former owner Harry Frazee sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees simply to put on a Broadway musical. Although Ruth was a great player, he was not a team player. He was difficult and often abandoned the team to pursue his own interests. Frazee did not want to sell Ruth, but did not want a "one-man" team, which he saw the Red Sox turning into. This transaction changed the fortunes of two teams as the Yankees, who had never won anything before 1919, became contenders and champions almost overnight, while the Red Sox became forgettable. There is more to the Red Sox inability to win a championship than the sale of Babe Ruth. For example, the Red Sox had the opportunity to become the pioneers of integration when in 1945, Jackie Robinson and several other negro league players went to Fenway Park for a tryout and were soundly rejected. A few years later, Willie Mays was also rejected. In fact, the Red Sox did not have a black player until 1959. The hesitance of former owner Tom Yawkey to sign black players may have contributed to the Red Sox championship drought, as well as the fans obsession with the Yankees. Each chapter of the book covers various periods of Red Sox history, including the 4 World Series lost in 7 games and the strange occurrences in between, as well as the rivalry with the Yankees. I recommend the book to all baseball fans so that fact can be separated from hearsay.

poultonse Great presentation of a fascinating subject. Having seen this documentary several times on HBO, I've managed to get even non-sports fans to sit and watch.As a fan of baseball, but not a Boston or Yankees devotee, this documentary did a wonderful job of explaining to me the true depth of the rivalry. Everyone knows the Red Sox hate the Yankees and vice versa -- but I had no idea of the extent of it, or the real histories behind the teams.Those who say this documentary is about curses and silly superstitions, didn't pay close enough attention. It's about the two cultures, two communities clashing, exposing their strengths and weaknesses, about how competition and hope are an inherent part of the human condition and last, like baseball, unchanged across the years.Enjoyed Affleck's narration and the organized and balanced structure of the final show. Very funny. Great editing on the game recaps, too -- well done.

gotham23 There is no curse.HBO spent an hour documenting something that doesn't exist, and they didn't even do a very good job of it. The Boston Red Sox have a long, colorful history, and it's true that part of the story is their inability to win a championship for nearly 90 years despite getting agonizingly close about once a generation. But that's only part of the story. 86 years since 1918 and the best HBO can come up with is "The Curse"? There's so much more than that to this team. If HBO wanted to make a documentary about the Boston Red Sox, there really was the potential for a meaningful examination of a historic club that has a very special bond with its fans all across New England.Instead, we get an hour of sob stories set to depressing background music. I'm sure Affleck did this for a laugh, but he sounds like a fool narrating this nonsense. It's not even an accurate representation of the fans. One has to wonder how many hours of interviews they left on the cutting room floor, with most fans probably acknowledging that the team's had some bad breaks but that it just makes one anticipate the following season even more. Few Sox fans would say that Dan Shaughnessy speaks for them.And even fewer believe in a curse.

citiprime As a Cubs fan, my sympathy goes out to red sox fans. The documentary is the history of eighty years of Boston teams getting within reach of the promised land only to be struck down. It tells the tale of eighty years of grief, missed chances, and chokes. From Bucky "F...ing" Dent to Bill Buckner, to their battles with the Evil Empire in Yankee pinstripes and finally how the specter of Babe Ruth's trade hovering over the team affects them to this day. God may not hate the Red Sox, but he sure as hell likes the Yankees more.In all of the suffering and despair though, what comes through is not the misery of losing but the love and hope of people for a team who still every year gives them reason to believe.