The Orchard waited until today, which happens to coincide with the hallmark anniversary date of Dock Ellis’ no-hitter to announce their pick-up. Via their docu label Opus Docs, the distrib are targeting pennant race September fall date for the theatrical release of Jeffrey Radice’s No No: A Dockumentary. The docu premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival in one of the difficult to obtain U.S Docu Comp slots.
Gist: The truth is indeed stranger than fiction. On June 12, 1970, Dock Ellis threw a no-hitter for the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 137 years of organized professional baseball, it’s the only no-hitter tossed while the pitcher was on LSD. Dock was often embroiled in controversy on and off the field. While professional baseball hadn’t fully embraced racial equality, he was an outspoken leader who lived the expression “Black is Beautiful!” His fearlessness enabled him to become one of the most intimidating pitchers of the 70s and a trailblazer for a new wave of civil rights.
Worth Noting: Radice’s directorial debut also premiered at the SXSW.
Do We Care?: Clearly not just a doc for ballpark enthusiasts, this received a passing grade from our team.
