Summary
Overview
Josh Whitacomb, Chris Scull, and Michael Marden review the 1986-87 straight-to-video football film 'Hot Shot' starring Pelé. The film follows Jimmy Christidis, an entitled American soccer player who travels to Brazil to find the retired Pelé (called Santos in the film) for training advice. Despite Pelé's surprisingly good performance and impressive physique, the film suffers from poor acting, bizarre plot choices, and technically flawed football sequences. The hosts hilariously dissect the film's numerous shortcomings, from the protagonist's unlikeable character to absurd training montages and impossible goal-scoring sequences.
Film Introduction and Production Background
The hosts introduce 'Hot Shot,' a forgotten 1986-87 football film starring Pelé. They discuss the bizarre production credits, including producer Steve Pappas who never made another film and composer William Orbit who had an eclectic career before his mainstream success. The film is available on Amazon Prime, leading to humorous speculation about how obscure films end up on streaming platforms and how this podcast might influence their viewership analytics.
- Hot Shot is a straight-to-video release from 1986-87 starring Pelé and a cast of poor supporting actors
- William Orbit, who later produced for Madonna and Blur, provided the music for this film
- Producer Steve Pappas never made another film after this - possibly the same person who runs Costco
- The film is available on Amazon Prime, likely acquired as part of a bulk licensing deal
" I actually thought Pelé was one of the better actors. I've written down about four times, Pelé is a good actor. He's also really good-looking. He's in such great shape. "
" This film club, like additional podcasts we're doing, is going to change the game for football films globally. Should we be buying up the rights to some of these films before we talk about them maybe? "
Journey to Brazil and Meeting Pelé/Santos
Jimmy travels to Brazil to find the retired Pelé, who in the film is bizarrely named Santos after his real-life club. Upon arrival, Jimmy gets robbed but eventually finds Pelé living off-the-grid and refusing to help with football. The hosts note the strange choice to have Pelé's character share the name of his actual team, comparing it to casting Steve Bull and calling him Wolverhampton. Despite initial refusal, Jimmy gets a job working on Pelé's farm.
- Pelé's character is named Santos, which was actually the name of Pelé's real-life team
- Jimmy arrives in Rio, immediately gets his wallet stolen at gunpoint during the opening credits
- Pelé has retired from football for 10 years and wants nothing to do with the sport
- Jimmy eventually gets hired to work in Pelé's gardens but Pelé refuses to teach him football
" It's like if you were to cast Steve Bull and call him Wolverhampton. Like, it's bizarre. "
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