"Out From Ali's Shadow: The Larry Holmes Story"

[Mike DeLisa]

The Cyber Boxing Zone Presents

"Out From Ali's Shadow: The Larry Holmes Story"

New York International Independent Film and Video Festival Screening

When: Friday, November 10, 2006 6PM
What: Documentary Film Screening (55min)
Where: Village East Cinema 12th St. and 2nd Ave

ALL CBZ Board Members are encouraged to support HEGrant's film by showing up (and buying tickets)! Tickets can be purchased online at
http://www.ticketweb.com/user/?regio...703&interface=


About the film:
"Out From Ali's Shadow: The Larry Holmes Story" Written and Directed by Evan Grant, Produced by Mike DeLisa founder & co-publisher of the Cyber Boxing Zone, author of Cinderella Man (2005), and director of the CBZ's first production, the "Superfight: Marciano vs. Ali."

Out From Ali's Shadow includes some rare never seen interviews with Larry Holmes, Gerry Cooney, Al Sharpton, Burt Sugar, Lou Dibella, Tom Hauser, Steve Farhood,... and many, more. Also of interest in the doc are interviews with the late Ralph Wiley and the late Jack Newfield.

Director: Evan Grant -
The documentary "Out From Ali's Shadow: The Larry Holmes Story" was written and directed by Evan Grant. A graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, Mr. Grant is a lifelong fight fan and a boxing historian. He is currently in production on and "Smart Homes USA"

[hawk5ins]

Just went and placed my Pre-order of the DVD on Amazon.com.

Hawk

[Mike DeLisa]

Oh, yeah! I was going to mention that later -- for those who can't make the screening the film -- and a few extras -- is going to be released by Macinac Media!

For you earlybirds --
http://www.amazon.com/Out-Alis-Shado...312852?ie=UTF8

[hawk5ins]

And still will try, but need to do the next best thing if I'm not there. Hell, I'm gonna buy it no matter if I'm there or not. This is a Keeper!

Thanks agian for the heads up!

Hawk

[GorDoom]

Evan, known as HE Grant on this board, sent me a rough unmixed copy a few years ago & I was really impressed. For someone who had never done something like this it was amazing what a great job he did.

This is an HBO quality doc. If you live in the New York area you really should catch this screening.

GorDoom

[hawk5ins]

I was lucky enough to see the same version I imagine Steve saw and it is indeed fantastic.

Espn and Fox Sports have also done bio pieces on Holmes and NEITHER was as good as the piece Evan did.

IMO opinion, HeGrant's doc blew those two away.

Can Not wait to own the DVD.

For years I thought the Only Holmes Documentary that I would ever have in my library would be the Greatest SPorts Legends video in whihc Holmes was interviewed by Jayne Kennedy (Got it as a "gift" when I subscribed to Bert Sugar's Boxing Illustrated in the late 80's. Along with Joe Frazier's GSL special. On that one you got to hear Smokin Joe sing Proud Mary! Like 5 times!).

Other than seeing Jayne in a loose fitting top, that Holmes piece was AWFUL!

I am so psyched!

Hawk

[Overhand_Right]

I'll def buy it buddy. Does it have any interviews with Holmes opponents, or just the boxing writer crew?

Does it have any rare footage of Holmes fights? Or even dare i ask clips of the Roy Tiger Williams fight? Holmes says he has a copy.

Either way it'll make for some good christmas viewing bro.

[Mike DeLisa]

Rare footage includes never-before-seen sparring sessions with Ali and Joe Frazier -- home movies of Larry's pro debut -- clips from most of his top fights -- including the Roy Williams fight! Larry provided the clips for Wiliams.

Interviews include Gerry Cooney, Tex Cobb,etc. Extras on the DVD include Snipes and a long, beutiful segment with Ralph Wiley.

[Overhand_Right]

Okay now you have me sweating. Shame its released so late in december, i would have liked to order it & get it before christmas day. (i live in UK)

Damn.

[ShawnTheBleeder]

I remember hearing about this some time back. I've always enjoyed Larry Holmes, and was very curious about HeGrant's doc. I'll be getting a copy for sure!
Shawn

[hagler04]

Sounds great! I would love to go to the screening but unfortunately do not live up in that area. But Christmas git for myself? You betcha!

[HE Grant]

It appears there may be a decent turnout for this screening...we will have a copy of the final poster on Monday and I'll try and post it for you guys....while the event will be fun I want to let everyone know the film would still be a coster on my coffee table if Gor did not put Mike and I together. He is a thoughtful and decent guy. I want to thank him for his creativity and good faith.

[apollack]

I live in Iowa so I can't show up, but I pre-ordered a copy of it on DVD. I could care less about interviews, but I LOVE watching rare footage.

[HE Grant]

I'll proudly be the first to announce that the Holmes doc premiered at the film festival last night to a huge success. The crowd was packed. Celebrities such as Teddy Atlas, Tom Hauser and Steve Farhood were there...most importantly of all Larry Holmes made a tremendous appearance and was swarmed by photographers the entire night...much more to come...

[Juan C Ayllon]

Hey Guys and Gals,

Here's a link to a posting of pics on our Newswire page from the screening of the Larry Holmes documentary:

Posted Pics

Enjoy!


Juan C. Ayllon

[GorDoom]

HOLMES STORY HEADED FOR HAPPY ENDING!
By George Willis from Boxing Talk

There is a line near the end of Evan Grant’s documentary, “Out From Ali’s Shadow: The Larry Holmes Story,” where the late-Ralph Wiley sums up the way we all should view Larry Holmes. “Sometimes it takes distance to judge the true measure of greatness,” he says. Holmes is 57 now, and on this night he is around people who appreciate his greatness. He is the center of attention at a small reception in Manhattan to celebrate the upcoming distribution of the 55-minute documentary on his life. The title is bit of wishful thinking because Holmes will never escape the enormity of Muhammad Ali. Not when you’re his successor and ultimately his conqueror.

The documentary tells us, Holmes only wanted a “good fight” from Gerry Cooney and took no joy in beating up Ali. “I love the guy,” he told me at the screening. “Ain’t nothing I wouldn’t do for Ali.”

The documentary was actually completed several years ago but sat on Grant’s desk unappreciated much like Holmes’ career. But distance has helped this project, too. Wiley, who died in 2004, offers a classic narration and the documentary also contains interviews by Larry Merchant, a much-younger Lou DiBella, and the late Jack Newfield. What carries the documentary is Holmes’ private footage of numerous sparring sessions with Ali. That alone is worth whatever it is priced.

After the screening, I sat down with the Easton Assassin, who successfully defended his title 20 times from 1978-85.

On enjoying life.

Holmes: "I don't look down on nobody because I've been down there before. I know what it is to get hit in the mouth, to get knocked down, to get stopped. So why should I look down on somebody else when I didn't like the way it felt when I was down. You would never know (how it feels) unless you've been through the welfare system, the Salvation Army, going to rummage sales to put clothes on your back. You'll never understand it unless you've done it.”

On his love, hate relationship with the media.

Holmes: “I tried to kiss ass with all the writers while I was boxing. I used to have parties in my room, but they didn't care. They still wrote bad (things) about me. In the sports business you’ve got writers that get mad at you for something or something that happened to one of their friends that they don't like and it all turns on you.”

On his dealings with Don King.

Holmes: “I had to take the short end of the stick. But I did that and I saved it. I didn't throw it away. If I didn't do it, where was I going to be? They' weren’t going to give me nothing. But if I got (paid) a million dollars, I’ve still got $800,000 of it now. I ain't broke. If I need a million I can go get it.”

On WBO champion Shannon Briggs.

LH: “He could clean up that division if he gets his shit together. Shannon calls me before every fight and asks me to be his trainer. I tell him I don't want to do that. He's got a couple of big guys that punch real good out there, and after four or five rounds, (Shannon) hands drop down. He can't do that. I've told him that.”

On Muhammad Ali.

Holmes: “Muhammad Ali, they can say he was the Greatest, but I say he was one of the greatest because I'm not going to take anything away from the Marcianos, the Joe Louises, the Dempseys, the Sonny Listons. Ask me who’s the greatest and I’ll tell you I am. But that’s just my opinion. I just wish Ali hadn’t taken all those punches. You can't take punches upside your head. Ali was showing how strong he was all the time, taking those damn shots upside the head. You can't take shots upside your head and on your body like that. I was with him four years as a sparring partner. I know what he was going through. You can't do it. But I love the guy. There ain't nothing I wouldn't do for Ali. There ain't nothing I wouldn't do for Joe Frazier.”

On a recent report that suggested he paid Frazier’s recent hospital bills.

Holmes: "I didn't do that. But if I did pay for it, that's my business. If I give Joe a million dollars, that's my business. If he needs something and asks me to do it, I'm going to do it because he always does (things) for me. I'll say, ‘Joe I want you to make an appearance with me.’ He'll come up and do it.”

On holding grudges.

Holmes: “Heck, I got into boxing to make money. I didn't get into boxing to hurt nobody or make anybody mad at me or be mad at anybody else. I got in it to make some money. That rest of that shit can go down the river.”

On his favorite part of the documentary.

Holmes: “When I see my wife and my son. I got a for real wife. She’s down to earth and the real deal. That's why we've been together 31 years. And also to see my son walking out to the ring with me. He was nine years old then. Now he's 24 years old.”

On today’s heavyweight division.

Holmes: “It’s sucks. They don't realize that if they would work harder they could become something and make money.. Because this ain't forever. Get it while you can."

[GorDoom]

bump

[Mike DeLisa]

Hey Guys -- We had a little reception for the press after the premiere of Out From Ali's Shadow: The Larry Holmes Story" and Larry Holmes hung out for most of the night.

Here is a little clip of Larry that was taken at our event and posted on Youtube -- Out From Ali's Shadow: The Larry Holmes Story"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5031Bs49kI


Delisa -- Holmes -- Grant

[Mike DeLisa]

x

[Overhand_Right]

Does anybody have a copy of Holmes fight with Roy Tiger Williams?

I might quite literally kill a man if it meant i could watch that fight.

[HE Grant]

Larry does. I can ask if they can make a VHS copy off their master.

[KOJOE90]

Oh, yeah! I was going to mention that later -- for those who can't make the screening the film -- and a few extras -- is going to be released by Macinac Media!

For you earlybirds --
http://www.amazon.com/Out-Alis-Shado...312852?ie=UTF8

Are there any plans to release the DVD on Region 2 for us European fight fans? Also any updates on The Superfight - Marciano v Ali DVD region 2 release?

[Overhand_Right]

Mr Grant, were you to do that i think i will have to spend the remainder of my natural life in your debt. Hopefully it wont be necessary to call me in to kill your enemies but still, a deals a deal...

Let me know if you have any luck with Holmes, buddy. Thank you.

[Overhand_Right]

Are there any plans to release the DVD on Region 2 for us European fight fans? Also any updates on The Superfight - Marciano v Ali DVD region 2 release?

Shouldn't you be working Joe?

Just invest in a decent DVD player like Panasonic or Sony, most if not all of them can play Region 1 DVDs anyway, including the ones that dont even state 'multi-region'. You might be surprised.

[KOJOE90]

Shouldn't you be working Joe?

Just invest in a decent DVD player like Panasonic or Sony, most if not all of them can play Region 1 DVDs anyway, including the ones that dont even state 'multi-region'. You might be surprised.

I've got the week off as annual leave, just relaxing in my house listening to music etc and trying to decide where to place an original canvas abstract piece of art I purchased this morning,

I'm in the process of saving up to update my TV setup. I will probably stick with Panasonic as that is what I usually get. I'm planning on the full 28" LCD TV, DVD recorder with hard drive and wireless sorround system.

I have a good Panasonic setup now but it's over four years old and I really want to update it in 2007. Like you say with some luck my new DVD will handle Region 1.

[Overhand_Right]

If its Panasonic it will definitely play NTSC DVDs, so you wont have to worry about converting them anymore.

Speaking of TVs, recently i was up in Newcastle doing some work for the head of music at some radio station. In his house, no shit, the guy had a 48'' FLATSCREEN TV. Was the size of a frickin wall! I was thinking "if i had a TV this size, i would likely never leave the house again..."

[HE Grant]

I'll take care of it. I might even have a copy. Give me a few days...by the way, Evan please. I feel old enough.

[Roberto Aqui]

Congrats all.

As a side, does Holmes still hold a grudge against Butterbean and Big George, or was that all marketing hot air?

[Fat Abbot]

Holmes gave credit to Butterbean for being a better fighter than he thought he was after the fight and a hard puncher.

Imo Holmes at his best was a better version of Ali, better jab, harder puncher, plus he had an uppercut, infighting skills and a body attack, all things Ali lacked. Holmes may not have been quite the natural athlete was, but he patched enough of Ali's technical holes to make him superior.

[apollack]

I too would love to see the Williams fight. In Larry's autobio, he speaks highly of Roy. From what I've seen of him, Roy was a big dude with good speed and power. Must have been a significant win for Larry. Larry should let that one out. Would add to his legacy amongst fight discussions.

Bean put up a decent fight, but let's face it, even with one foot in the grave Larry handily beat him. Only surprise for me was that Bean went the distance, but I chalk that up to the fact that Larry was ancient and did not want to risk Bean's power, and no longer had the condition, zip, and punching output and intensity that it would require to take him out. Five years earlier, Holmes would have stopped him.

Oh, and I truly believe Foreman was scared to death of Holmes. That's why Holmes-Foreman never took place. Not during Larry's prime years, not during Larry's wane. He would have been a stylistic nightmare for George, who knew it too. It would have been embarrassing.