Some sports movies are great, others are bad. But can a sports movie ever be both?  

If you’re genuinely asking that question, then you cannot have seen the 1987 movie, Hotshot, starring Jim Youngs, Billy Warlock and… Pelé!  

The plot is very simple. Jim Youngs plays Jimmy Kristidis, a no-hope footballer who idolizes Pelé but is not succeeding where he wants to on the pitch. In desperation, this rich New Yorker travels to Brazil in order to track down Pelé (oddly renamed ‘Santos’ for the purposes of the movie) and get him to teach the young player how to bridge the gap between try-hard and pro.  

Youngs is an interesting story before he landed the part of Jimmy, only auditioning as a laugh before landing a few small parts. This was his first starring role and while the film only got a lukewarm reception at the box office, it was popular with football fans.