User Reviews

I was fortunate enough to see this independently produced movie in pre-release.

Largely the work of writer and lead actor Brian Spaeth, it isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea. Some types of humour are not to everyone's taste, and Who Shot Mamba? is one of them. It takes elements from a number of mainstream genres and, with a completely straight face, does things with them which are completely daft (for the first five minutes the daftness is played so straight that you're not quite sure whether it's a comedy or not). As it happens, this style of humour is very much my cup of tea, and I enjoyed Who Shot Mamba? a lot.

For an independently produced movie, the production values are quite good. The music, particularly the opening theme, is attractive and the performances are all as straight-faced and daft as the script.

Spaeth himself, performing to his own script, delivers a performance almost of wide-eyed innocence: he has an appealing screen presence.

I recommend this movie to anyone with an affection for absurdist humour.

As I was lucky enough to get a pre release copy this will be spoiler/plot points free. Much of the humor originated back in the days of yaysports.com, a basketball blog full of inside jokes and a culture of its own. What started out as probably an 8 min short evolved into a full picture which was genuinely enjoyable to watch. For those who knew the site, many of the subtler jokes will be hilarious, but even for those starting from scratch with a good sense of humor looking for an enjoyable story it is fantastic. Not only that, the songs were fantastic and amusing, done just for the flick. Some may not enjoy the humor in the film but that seems to be par for the course with Lasterday Entertainment. While it may miss the mark for some, I for one loved it, well played.

This review is based on the pre-release DVD which was sent to me to review on behalf of the southern hemisphere.

Who shot Mamba? will delight some people, while it will miss the mark for others. Based on the blog "YAYsports! NBA", the movie includes a whole lot of "in" jokes that will leave YAYsports' readers cackling in the aisles whilst non-readers will laugh but may require a gentle explanation as to what it's all about. They'll still laugh without the explanation - such is the sharp humour and wit involved - but if they understand the context of the humour, they'll need to pause the movie after laughing themselves to tears.

The production quality is excellent for an independently produced film and includes a surprisingly catchy soundtrack, with most songs written by the producer and leading man himself.

The acting is of a very good quality and while none of the actors should expect an Oscar, Logie or Golden Globe any time soon (though we think there should be a category for independent films such as this), each played their part in telling the story and as noted, the overall quality of acting and production is very good - in fact, outstanding for an independent film. Spaeth plays his part very well, Sanborn is a fitting sidekick, Mooney is an excellent fit as the effervescent Calvin Stadiums, and the inclusion of NBA Hall-of-Famer Walton topped it off for us (memo to other NBA players - not since Space Jam has there been such an opportunity to launch your movie career - get in touch with Spaeth before it's too late!).

Highlights include ..... OK, no spoilers, but ..... there's a love scene that makes Top Gun look lame, a fight scene that belongs right up there in the Movie Fight Hall of Fame with the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar v Bruce Lee, and a sporting sequence that left us thinking Hoosiers is second-rate.

In closing, the movie won't appeal to all. The humour has a quirkiness and sarcasm that will turn off some viewers, whilst others will just love it. If Adam Sandler and Will Ferrell invented the "quirky, specific and slightly-out-of-left-field sarcastic humour" genre, then this movie has refined it yet again. Again, the production quality and soundtrack are of a genuinely high standard and the movie is well worth a look.

We've given it 9/10 for its genre (as noted above). As a mainstream movie, it'd be 7/10 but we love this genre so, it's 9/10 from us.

We look forward to more productions from the team and if a sequel is ever made - strewth, there's always a sequel these days - then we await its release with bated breath.

And for those who followed the blog ..... the movie is simply outstanding. A must-see.

Well, the day finally came. Who Shot Mamba? became a reality. After years of talk, doubt, and hate. Who Shot Mamba? is officially a reality.

Who Shot Mamba? was everything I honestly believed it would be, and more. It was entertaining from the first scene all the way to the end. Mamba, the charismatic snake, is the centerpiece of the movie, and everything that happens in the movie happens because of a murder investigation in which he is the victim. Every character plays an important role in the case, including Inflatable Ben.

I enjoyed the movie very much. You don't need to be a part of the YAYSports! world to understand the humor, but it wouldn't hurt as a good portion of the best humor in the movie revolves around the jokes and discussion on the site. The movie is good, I enjoyed every minute of it.