The Black Mamba | |
---|---|
Directed by | Robert Rodriguez |
Screenplay by | Robert Rodriguez |
Produced by | Robert Rodriguez |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Robert Rodriguez |
Edited by | Robert Rodriguez |
Music by | Robert Rodriguez |
Production companies | |
Distributed by | Nike |
Release date |
|
Running time | 6 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
The Black Mamba is an American short film produced, written, and directed by Robert Rodriguez. It stars Kobe Bryant, Kanye West, Danny Trejo, and Bruce Willis.
The Black Mamba was released by Nike online on February 19, 2011.
The Black Mamba is about the making of a fictional movie, with Robert Rodriguez pitching Kobe Bryant a story about a hero called "The Black Mamba". It is shown, as Rodriguez describes it, with Bryant squaring off against a monster-fied Danny Trejo, before meeting Bruce Willis. The film ends with Bryant fighting zombie basketball players led by Kanye West. [1]
By 2011, Kobe Bryant, Bruce Willis, Danny Trejo, and Kanye West signed on to star in a 6-minute short film under the title The Black Mamba. [2] [3] The film was produced, written, and directed by Robert Rodriguez. [4] The film was part of a promotional campaign for the Nike Air Kobe Zoom VIs. [5]
The Black Mamba was released by Nike online on February 19, 2011. [6] The short film also played in several Los Angeles cinemas, including Mann's Chinese Theatre. [7]
Kevin Jagernauth, of IndieWire , said the short film was "OK", elaborating "it fits very comfortably into the grindhouse wheelhouse for Rodriguez, so if you've worn out your Machete DVD this is probably worth a quick spin". [1]
Chris Yuscavage, of Vibe , gave a mixed review, praising Rodriguez's metahumor, but criticizing Bruce Willis' minor role and Bryant's "manufactured" stage name of "The Black Mamba". [8]
Germain Lussier, of /Film , gave the short film a negative review, saying it was "not as fun as I thought it was going to be. I think having Rodriguez as one of the main parts of the film and making the whole thing a pitch/fantasy is the only thing that makes it work. The cameo appearances are funny and the idea of a super-villain collecting shoes is kind of interesting, but overall the action was stale and the basketball itself was boring. Seeing a new film by Rodriguez is cool, and his visual style within the film is hugely apparent, but, for my money, The Black Mamba can't hold a candle to the real highlight of the NBA All-Star Weekend: the Slam Dunk Contest". [6]
William Goodman, of CBS News , was more positive of the film, calling it "pretty slick". [9]
Robert Anthony Rodriguez is an American filmmaker, composer, and visual effects supervisor. He shoots, edits, produces, and scores many of his films in Mexico and in his home state of Texas. Rodriguez directed the 1992 action film El Mariachi, which was a commercial success after grossing $2.6 million against a budget of $7,000. The film spawned two sequels known collectively as the Mexico Trilogy: Desperado and Once Upon a Time in Mexico.
Kobe Bean Bryant was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players and scorers of all time, Bryant won five NBA championships, was an 18-time All-Star, a 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, a 12-time member of the All-Defensive Team, the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), and a two-time NBA Finals MVP. Bryant also led the NBA in scoring twice, and ranks fourth in league all-time regular season and postseason scoring. He was posthumously voted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020 and named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.
Danny Trejo is an American actor. He has appeared in films including Desperado, Heat, and the From Dusk Till Dawn film series. With frequent collaborator and his second cousin Robert Rodriguez, he portrayed the character of Isador "Machete" Cortez, which was originally developed for the Spy Kids series and was later expanded into its own franchise of the same name.
Machete is a 2010 American exploitation action film written and directed by Robert Rodriguez and Ethan Maniquis. Based on the eponymous character from the Spy Kids franchise, the film is an expansion of a fake trailer of the same name published as a part of the promotion of Rodriguez's and Quentin Tarantino's 2007 Grindhouse double-feature. Machete continues the B movie and exploitation style of Grindhouse, and includes some of the footage from the original.
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The logos and uniforms of the Los Angeles Lakers have gone through many changes throughout the history of the team.
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Danny Trejo is an American actor. His filmography consists of about 250 film and television roles. His prominence in the B movie scene has resulted in disparate media sources referring to Trejo as an "iconic actor" and a "film legend", among other titles.
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American hip hop musician, songwriter and record producer Kanye West has released four video albums and been featured in various music videos. He has also made cameo appearances in films and appeared in several television programs.
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"24" is a song by American rapper Money Man. It was released on February 21, 2020 as a single from his eighteenth mixtape, Epidemic. A remix version featuring Lil Baby was released on August 14, 2020. Both versions and the song's title itself serve as tributes to basketball player Kobe Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash in January 2020.
Granity Studios is a multimedia original content company formed by former NBA player Kobe Bryant, focused on creating new ways to tell stories around sports. The company is headquartered in Newport Beach, California.
Vanessa Marie Bryant is an American businesswoman, philanthropist and model. She was married to basketball player Kobe Bryant. They founded the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Foundation in 2007 to provide scholarships to minority college students worldwide. Bryant leads the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation to support child athletes who are in need. She is the president and chief executive officer of Granity Studios and a member of the board of directors of Bodyarmor SuperDrink.
A glass basketball court is a basketball court with a glass floor that uses light emitting diodes (LEDs) to display the court lines and other graphics. After successful trials, FIBA legalized glass courts on October 1, 2022, for tier-1 competitions such as the FIBA Basketball World Cup. Glass courts are also approved for use for basketball at the Summer Olympics, whose tournaments are administered by FIBA.