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Jun 28, 2016 By Stephen Mayne Web Exclusive

Maybe writing, producing, and starring in a boxing movie got to William DeMeo. Just a few days ago he was briefly jailed for punching a club manager during his birthday party, an event that also celebrated the DVD launch of his film Back in the Day. Not that there’s much to celebrate. Think Rocky if Stallone’s classic were set in Brooklyn, beset with low-level mobsters, and also incredibly bad.

The whole thing is a vanity project too far. Within the first five minutes we’ve had a painfully trite defying the odds voiceover while DeMeo’s contender Anthony Rodriguez stares vacantly into space, and a give it all you’ve got speech from Danny Glover’s jittery trainer. It doesn’t get any better from here.

Back in the Day starts at the top with Rodriguez winning the Middleweight crown before retiring to his mansion with a couple of naked women. The next day he drives back to his old neighborhood in Brooklyn where he narrates his life story to real life sportscaster Larry Merchant. It’s sort of a rags-to-riches tale as a plucky half-Italian, half-Puerto Rican kid overcomes racism, abuse and rejection to rise to the top.

Along the way he’s mentored by Michael Madsen’s local mob boss Enzo, and the big kingpin Gino (Alec Baldwin), struggles through an on/off relationship with old flame Maria (Shannen Doherty), battles mob bully Dominick (Ronnie Marmo), and gets into scrapes with best pal Matty (Joe D’Onofrio), described by one character as a wannabe Joe Pesci. It’s a description so apt it’s almost as if DeMeo is trolling his own film.

It really is his film as well. Alongside a starring role, he writes and produces, delivering self-indulgence long on boys own fantasy and short on any kind of quality. The acting, particularly from several of the younger cast, but also from most of the adults, is poor, the script even worse. Clunky exposition piles up, line after line. The narrative arc is just as bad. DeMeo throws everything at the screen from periodically motivating deaths to an alcoholic father, racist taunts, mob violence, a brief foray into sexual abuse, bar fights, celebrity cameos, and a training montage, this time at a farm. Just for the hell of it, there’s even a slow motion dream sequence in which he goes on a shooting spree, pistol in each hand. In case that’s not enough, a brightly telegraphed damp squib of a twist pops up in the dying minutes.

Working with director Paul Borghese, at least there’s a basic technical competence to most of the scenes, until Anthony steps into the ring. Then the camera cuts all over the place, often favoring bizarre close-ups. The best that can be said is it doesn’t get in the way of the story. Though in the case of a film as appallingly leaden as Back in the Day, that might not be plus.

backinthedaymovie.com

Author rating: 1/10