Cinematic Underdogs

Paul Keelan / Jordan Puga
  • 4.9 (12)
  • FILM HISTORY
  • UPDATED SEMIMONTHLY

Cinematic Underdogs is a joyful, intellectual, and nostalgic look at sports movies of all forms, shapes, and sizes. Hosted by Jordan Puga and Paul Keelan, this overlooked genre is re-evaluated with the sincerity that it deserves.

  1. 11/24/2025

    134. It’s In The Game: Madden NFL

    On the latest episode of Cinematic Underdogs, we’re diving into It’s In The Game: Madden NFL. This four-part documentary traces the unlikely collaboration between Trip Hawkins, a brilliant computer programmer, and the larger-than-life coach John Madden: an odd pairing that somehow ignited one of the most influential sports gaming franchises ever made. The series isn’t a traditional cradle-to-today history lesson; instead, it moves between two timelines. One chronicles Madden NFL’s early breakthroughs, creative battles, and the franchise-defining push for realism. The other drops us inside EA’s modern studio as the developers hustle to shape Madden 25, revealing just how massive and intricate that yearly operation has become. What emerges is a doc that starts modestly but grows steadily more engaging, blending nostalgia, industry insight, and a surprisingly heartfelt tribute to Madden himself. It doesn’t shy away from the franchise’s bumps or the criticism surrounding its current era, yet it still manages to capture why the game has mattered to so many players for so long. Whether you’ve logged thousands of virtual snaps or only know the series by reputation, this doc (and hopefully our discussion) offers a compelling look at how Madden became more than a game, rising to the status of a cultural fixture.

    58 min

  2. 10/23/2025

    133. Happy Gilmore 2

    The legacy sequel to end all sequels with more cameos than minutes of runtime hit Netflix this summer. We have thoughts. Enjoy.

    45 min

  3. 09/20/2025

    132. Pretending I’m a Superman: The Tony Hawk Video Game Story

    This week we ollie straight into a nostalgia inducing sports documentary: Pretending I’m a Superman: The Tony Hawk Video Game Story. On the surface, it’s a low budget tribute to a blockbuster video game franchise—underneath, it’s a wistful time capsule of late-‘90s counterculture, skateboarding’s rise from subcultural rebellion to mainstream phenomenon, and the way digital pixels reshaped half-pipe heroics and rail grinding theatrics. We break down how a skateboarding sim became one of the most important sports titles ever made, why it still carries an emotional charge decades later, and what the doc reveals (and maybe leaves out) about skateboarding’s uneasy dance with selling out to mass commercialization. From Goldfinger to glitchy kick-flips to Fulfill the Dream, we lunge deep into skate culture, 90s mythology, and the lasting impact of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. Yay!

    1h 4m

  4. 08/20/2025

    131. Untold: Volume 5 (2025)

    We're back! This week we dive into the latest batch of Netflix’s Untold episodes where sports mythmaking collides with scandal, spectacle, and self-destruction. We break down The Fall of Favre, tracing how a football legend’s reputation unraveled; dissect The Liver King, a surreal portrait of fitness culture’s most theatrical fraud; and reflect on Shooting Guards, a more tragic story of loyalty, locker room pranks, pathological hood mentality, and the shifting codes of brotherhood in basketball and on the streets. From larger-than-life heroes who stumble under the weight of their own image to the hidden costs of fame, performance, and masculinity, we explore how Untold continues to unearth the shadows behind the shine of sports mythology.

    1h 13m

  5. 07/29/2025

    130. Enigma + Hard Knocks: AFC North + Untold: Sign Stealer

    On the latest episode of Cinematic Underdogs, we step back into the huddle and open our third eye—waxing philosophic about the NFL’s most enigmatic, mystical quarterback: Aaron Rodgers. Enigma isn’t your average sports doc. It’s a new age headtrip wrapped in a spiral. One-part ayahuasca retreat, one-part playoff heartbreak, and all parts quarterback controversy. From MVP highs to media feuds, darkness retreats to Jets dreams, Rodgers’ career plays out like a Greek tragedy—if Zeus could break defenses with clever snap counts and throw a 50-yard dime off his back foot. Although we’ve been overloaded with Rodgers lately, Enigmaoffers some new insights into the man behind the immunized mythos. This isn’t just another look at Rodgers, the football player (even if it does chronicle his uprising from a Christian/conservative Central California town to a small JUCO to Cal to Green Bay). It’s a psychological expedition into the mind of a man who can read defenses and sense your aura. If you’ve ever wondered what happens when NFL talent meets psychedelic introspection and a slight distrust of modern science—this is the documentary and episode for you. Join us as we take a deep, groovy dive into the most mysterious franchise superstar in the NFL. Along with our talk on Enigma, we also enter anotherjungle—known as the AFC North, where rivalries are meaner, weather is colder, and playoff hopes get smashed like a quarterback on third and long. As Jordan breaks it down, this iteration of Hard Knocks offered an all-access pass to the NFL’s grittiest division, and let’s just say—it doesn’t disappoint. We’re talking about bad blood, big hits, primetime snowballclassics, and preacher-boy charisma that could motivate a scarecrow. Bengals, Ravens, Steelers, Browns—these teams are more than a rivalry. They are rivals with immense tradition, hostility, and attrition. Every play is personal. Every postgame quip comes wrapped in barbed wire. And every team is dealing with a completely unique position amid the midseason chaos. Last but not least, we cover Untold: The Sign Stealer—pullingback the curtain on Conner Stallions, Michigan football's most mysterious “analyst.” It’s a wild episode of collegiate spy games, sideline disguises, and a sign-stealing scandal that rocked college football harder than a Big Ten rivalry game. Now hit play and prepare for impact.

    58 min

  6. 07/08/2025

    129. The House (2017)

    This week on Cinematic Underdogs, we’re betting itall on a suburban fever dream of bad decisions, illicit blackjack, and cameo-toting blowtorches—that is right, we’re rolling our dice on The House, a 2017 comedy wherein Amy Poehler and Will Ferrell turn middle-class desperation into high-stakes chaos. The plot is as plain as poker; When their daughter’s collegefund vanishes, two mild-mannered parents do what any rational soon to be empty nesters would do: open an illegal underground casino in their neighbor’s basement. Imagine Breaking Bad meets Vegas Vacation, with PTA moms, home improvement mishaps, and Will Ferrell slowly unraveling into a budget Scorsese mob boss. Simplistic yet promising on paper, The House feels asarchitecturally trite as your average suburban lot. It plays out as the latest, lukewarm hedge in the studio comedy genre—confiding in recycled gags, a flimsy plot, and the kind of cheap laughs that scream "first draft." Will Ferrell, once a master of absurdist escalation, seems stuck in a creative holding pattern—the same shouting and man-child meltdown, dressed up in a different movie. There’s a sense that the Semi-Pro/Blades of Glory/OldSchool formula is wearing thin. We get it: take a well-known premise, throw in some improv, ante-up with some unhinged hijinks, and double down with slapstick shenanigans, then hope it lands. Here, it doesn’t. It’s not unwatchable (we both enjoyed it as a vapid diversion); but it’s utterly uninspired — another reminder that the golden era of Ferrell-led comedies, and 21st century theatrical comedies, are long past their prime and stuck in a rut. More direly, we discuss how the odds of a revival of thisflailing genre look increasingly grim, as lackluster efforts lead to waning box office receipts. Who will break the vicious cycle? Will someone soon hit the jackpot and rake in the next decade of theatrical releases? Join us as we theorize how the Hollywood hot hands of our adolescence have grown lazy, and whether the chips are too stacked up against a once surefire sanctuary of deep belly laughs and winning escapism for a comeback.

    1h 17m

  7. 06/17/2025

    128. Faceoff: Inside the NHL

    Lace up the skates and tighten that chinstrap—because Faceoff: Inside the NHL isn’t just a docuseries, it’s a full-speed breakaway into the heart of the world’s toughest league. It’sDrive to Survive meets Slap Shot—minus the charm, plus theconcussions. Prepare yourself to go way beyond the polished post-game interview version of hockey. This is raw ice, open wounds, locker room chaos, and front-office anxiety—all filmed in glorious HD. Injuries? Everywhere. Trades? Ruthless. Emotions? Constantly checked—and we’re not talking stick infractions. From wide-eyed rookies trying to crack the roster to grizzled vets on borrowed time, Faceoff: Inside the NHL captures the beautiful brutality of a sport where every shift could be your last, and every goal might be the one that saves your season. This is hockey like you've never seen it and we try to give it the treatment it deserves—unfiltered, unflinching, and unforgiving. Enjoy!

    1h 18m

  8. 06/02/2025

    127. The Russian Five (2018)

    Grab your passports and sharpen your skates, comrades—because on the latest episode of Cinematic Underdogs, we’re defecting straight into one of the most Cold War-adjacent sports docs ever crafted: The Russian Five! That’s right—we’re back and chatting about the real-life Red Dawn that hit the NHL when the Detroit Red Wings recruited five elite Soviet hockey players straight outta the Iron Curtain. Envision The Mighty Ducks facing-off against Mission: Impossible—missing teeth, Russian camaraderie, KGB henchman lurking in the shadows. The doc goes far beyond hockey, though—tapping into Cold War dynamics, draft day auspiciousness, and an on-ice revolution, whizzing by on skates. Sergei Fedorov, Slava Fetisov, Vladimir Konstantinov. Slava Kozlov, Igor Larionov: this legendary group of Soviet-born ice-skating assassins redefined line chemistry and international talent acquisition with slap shots hard enough and accents thick enough to leave opponents dizzy. They brought a USSR-informed brand of hockey to the NHL (emphasizing puck possession, short passes, constant motion, & a deep understanding of spatial awareness) and quickly revolutionized the NHL in the 90’s with a fast, fluid, & cerebral style of play, ending Detroit’s 42-year Stanley Cup drought with a championship in 1997—and again in 1998 (albeit without Konstantinov, who was paralyzed in a tragic limo accident just days after they hoisted the cup in '97). In the episode, we slice through everything: top-secret phone calls, high-stakes defections, shadowy figures in trench coats, and yes—the heartbreaking limo accident that nearly shattered the dream team and wore heavily on the players’ hearts as they repeated their championship run. From behind-the-scenes espionage to Stanley Cup glory, The Russian Five is so wild you’ll think it was ghostwritten by Tom Clancy and coached by Gordon Bombay. So lace up, comrades—because this week, we’re dropping the puck on The Russian Five.  Let’s get Red-y to rumble!

    52 min
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4.9
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

Cinematic Underdogs is a joyful, intellectual, and nostalgic look at sports movies of all forms, shapes, and sizes. Hosted by Jordan Puga and Paul Keelan, this overlooked genre is re-evaluated with the sincerity that it deserves.

Information

  • Creator
    Paul Keelan / Jordan Puga
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2025
  • Episodes
    133
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Paul Keelan / Jordan Puga
  • Show Website
    Cinematic Underdogs