Phantom Punch

Phantom Punch

Before Tyson, there was Liston.

R 2008 · 105 min · ★ 5.3 · Drama

From his discovery by a priest while serving time at the Missouri State Penitentiary to the infamous 'Phantom Punch' by Cassius Clay which effectively ended his career, the movie spans the years from 1950 to Liston's mysterious and untimely death in 1971.

Directed by Robert Townsend · Written by Rob Steen

Your Rating

Cast

Make it a double feature

3h 16m together

Both from Robert Townsend.

More from Robert TownsendSee all →

Book of Love: The Definitive Reason Why Men Are DogsBook of Love: The Definitive Reason Why Men Are Dogs · 2002
Book of Love: The Definitive Reason Why Men Are Dogs
9.52002
MovieComedyRomance
Book of Love delivers humor along with the mysteries of unrequited love and relationships gone bad. The film's story line focuses on three men living, dating and loving in Los Angeles in the 90's. They struggle with heartbreak and insecurity as a result of failed relationships. The three characters’ stories unfold through sessions with their therapist – sessions that are often as comedic as they are insightful.
Power Book IV: ForcePower Book IV: Force · 2022
Power Book IV: Force
8.32022
SeriesCrimeDrama
Tommy Egan leaves New York behind and plans to take on Chicago, using his outsider status to break all the local rules and rewrite them on his quest to become the biggest drug dealer in the city.
The BearThe Bear · 2022
The Bear
8.12022
SeriesDramaComedy
Carmy, a young fine-dining chef, comes home to Chicago to run his family sandwich shop. As he fights to transform the shop and himself, he works alongside a rough-around-the-edges crew that ultimately reveal themselves as his chosen family.
Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black ComedyWhy We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy · 2009
Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy
8.02009
MovieComedyDocumentary
Directors Robert Townsend and Quincy Newell offer this comprehensive and hilarious examination of the history, evolution and cultural significance of African American comedy in America, from the earliest minstrel shows to the latest HBO special. Featuring interviews with cultural critics and loads of comedic clips, this program features appearances by a who's-who of black comedians including Chris Rock, Bill Cosby, Whoopi Goldberg and many more.
M*A*S*HM*A*S*H · 1972
M*A*S*H
7.91972
SeriesWar & PoliticsDrama
The 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital is stuck in the middle of the Korean war. With little help from the circumstances they find themselves in, they are forced to make their own fun. Fond of practical jokes and revenge, the doctors, nurses, administrators, and soldiers often find ways of making wartime life bearable.
The WarriorsThe Warriors · 1979
The Warriors
7.71979
MovieActionThriller
Prominent gang leader Cyrus calls a meeting of New York's gangs to set aside their turf wars and take over the city. At the meeting, a rival leader kills Cyrus, but a Coney Island gang called the Warriors is wrongly blamed for Cyrus' death. Before you know it, the cops and every gangbanger in town is hot on the Warriors' trail.
Scooby-Doo! Music of the VampireScooby-Doo! Music of the Vampire · 2012
Scooby-Doo! Music of the Vampire
7.62012
MovieFamilyAnimation
Scooby and the gang have their first musical mystery in “Scooby Doo: Music of the Vampire.” It begins when they take a sing-a-long road trip into bayou country to attend the “Vampire-Palooza Festival” – an outdoor fair dedicated to all things Draculian. At first it looks as if they’re in for some fun and lots of Southern snacks, but events soon turn scary when a real live vampire comes to life, bursts from his coffin and threatens all the townsfolk. On top of that, this baritone blood sucker seems intent on taking Daphne as his vampire bride! Could the vampire be a descendant of a famous vampire hunter who is trying to sell his book? Or perhaps he’s the local politician, who has been trying to make his name in the press by attacking the vampires as downright unwholesome. The answers are to be found in a final song-filled showdown in the swamp in which our heroes unmask one of their most macabre monsters yet.
Amazing StoriesAmazing Stories · 1985
Amazing Stories
7.51985
SeriesSci-Fi & FantasyComedy
A truly amazing, fantastical, science fiction, funny and odd, and sometimes scary, sad and endearing anthology series presented by Steven Spielberg with guest appearances by many famous actors, actresses, and directors.
The Parent 'HoodThe Parent 'Hood · 1995
The Parent 'Hood
7.31995
SeriesComedy
The Parent 'Hood is an American sitcom that aired on The WB airing from January 18, 1995 to July 25, 1999. The series starred Robert Townsend and Suzzanne Douglas. Originally to have been titled Father Knows Nothing, the series was one of the four sitcoms that aired as part of the original Wednesday night two-hour lineup that helped launch The WB network.
The Five HeartbeatsThe Five Heartbeats · 1991
The Five Heartbeats
7.31991
MovieDramaMusic
In the early 1960s, a quintet of hopeful, young African-American men form an amateur vocal group called The Five Heartbeats. After an initially rocky start, the group improves, turns pro, and rises to become a top flight music sensation. Along the way, however, the guys learn many hard lessons about the reality of the music industry.
Eddie Murphy RawEddie Murphy Raw · 1987
Eddie Murphy Raw
7.31987
MovieComedy
Eddie Murphy delights, shocks and entertains with dead-on celebrity impersonations, observations on '80s love, sex and marriage, a remembrance of Mom's hamburgers and much more.
South of NowhereSouth of Nowhere · 2005
South of Nowhere
7.32005
SeriesDrama
The Carlin family moves from small town Ohio to Los Angeles to find life's not the same. And neither are they.
Holiday HeartHoliday Heart · 2000
Holiday Heart
7.02000
MovieDramaTV Movie
After losing his police officer lover, Christian drag queen Holiday Heart meets 12-year-old Niki and her drug-addicted mother, Wanda. Heart finds relief from heartache and a renewed sense of purpose when he steps in as a father figure to Niki and welcomes the two women into his life. But when Wanda becomes romantically involved with her drug dealer, Silas, it may endanger Niki and threaten to destroy the makeshift family.
Cooley HighCooley High · 1975
Cooley High
7.01975
MovieComedyDrama
In the mid-1960s, a group of high school friends who live on the Near North Side of Chicago enjoy life to the fullest...parties, hanging out, meeting new friends. Then life changes for two of the guys when they are falsely arrested in connection with stealing a Cadillac. We follow their lives through to the dramatic end of high school.
The Wonder YearsThe Wonder Years · 2021
The Wonder Years
7.02021
SeriesComedyDrama
A coming of age story set in the late 1960s that takes a nostalgic look at a black middle-class family in Montgomery, Alabama through the point-of-view of imaginative 12 year-old Dean. With the wisdom of his adult years, Dean’s hopeful and humorous recollections show how his family found their “wonder years” in a turbulent time. Inspired by the classic series of the same name.
Black LightningBlack Lightning · 2018
Black Lightning
6.92018
SeriesAction & AdventureSci-Fi & Fantasy
Jefferson Pierce is a man wrestling with a secret. As the father of two daughters and principal of a charter high school that also serves as a safe haven for young people in a New Orleans neighborhood overrun by gang violence, he is a hero to his community.

More Like This

Lady Sings the BluesLady Sings the Blues · 1972
Lady Sings the Blues
6.91972
MovieDramaMusic
Chronicles the rise and fall of legendary blues singer Billie Holiday, beginning with her traumatic youth. The story depicts her early attempts at a singing career and her eventual rise to stardom, as well as her difficult relationship with Louis McKay, her boyfriend and manager. Casting a shadow over even Holiday's brightest moments is the vocalist's severe drug addiction, which threatens to end both her career and her life.
The Keeping RoomThe Keeping Room · 2014
The Keeping Room
5.82014
MovieWesternDrama
In this radically reimagined American Western set towards the end of the Civil War, Southerner Augusta encounters two renegade, drunken soldiers who are on a mission of pillage and violence. After escaping an attempted assault, Augusta races back to the isolated farmhouse that she shares with her sister Louise and their female slave Mad. When the pair of soldiers track Augusta down intent on exacting revenge, the trio of women are forced to take up arms to fend off their assailants, finding ways to resourcefully defend their home––and themselves––as the escalating attacks become more unpredictable and relentless.
Mrs. Parker and the Vicious CircleMrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle · 1994
Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle
5.91994
MovieDrama
Dorothy Parker remembers the heyday of the Algonquin Round Table, a circle of friends whose barbed wit, like hers, was fueled by alcohol and flirted with despair.
The Bad News BearsThe Bad News Bears · 1976
The Bad News Bears
6.91976
MovieFamilyComedy
An aging, down-on-his-luck ex-minor leaguer coaches a team of misfits in an ultra-competitive California little league.
InvictusInvictus · 2009
Invictus
7.22009
MovieDramaHistory
Newly elected President Nelson Mandela knows his nation remains racially and economically divided in the wake of apartheid. Believing he can bring his people together through the universal language of sport, Mandela rallies South Africa's rugby union team as they make their historic run to the 1995 Rugby World Cup Championship match.
The Blind SideThe Blind Side · 2009
The Blind Side
7.72009
MovieDrama
The story of Michael Oher, a homeless and traumatized boy who became an All American football player and first round NFL draft pick with the help of a caring woman and her family.
Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson StoryGifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story · 2009
Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story
7.82009
MovieDrama
Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story is a movie based on the life story of world-renowned neurosurgeon Ben Carson from 1961 to 1987.
Speed KillsSpeed Kills · 2018
Speed Kills
5.42018
MovieCrimeDrama
Speedboat racing champion and multimillionaire Ben Aronoff leads a double life that lands him in trouble with the law and drug lords.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter