As a big fan of the comedic quintet known as "Broken Lizard," which blessed us with the cult-favorite "Super Troopers," I felt it was my duty to see "Club Dread" this past weekend. A couple of my buddies and I went to a showing to find we were the only three people in the theater. As I laughed hysterically at the film, I said to myself, "This is the lowest attendance of an opening weekend movie I've been a part of since 'He Got Game' back in 1998."

As I thought about "He Got Game," I decided to dig deep into my DVD collection and watch the Spike Lee "joint." You've probably seen it. Ray Allen, my favorite player (see my Feb. 5 column), who, as the nation's No. 1 prep recruit, is offered money, cars and acts of horizontal exercises with females to persuade him into choosing a college. It also co-stars Rick Fox, Travis Best, Walter McCarty and John Wallace. With theater being one of my fields of study at Marquette, I respect the art of acting, and some of these NBA players can act.

Michael Jordan is the best player of all-time, so why wouldn't he be able to play alongside Bugs Bunny and those diabolical monsters in "Space Jam"? With the help of Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Larry Johnson, Muggsey Bogues, Patrick Ewing and even Shawn Bradley, it was delightful to watch NBA players who weren't total stiffs on the big screen. Take into consideration that I saw this movie for the first time when I was in eighth grade, but the sight of MJ saving the Looney Tunes made me want to be the best player I could be.

A movie, in my mind, that is very underrated in displaying NBA acting talent is "Eddie" with Whoopi Goldberg. Rick Fox again stars with John Salley, Mark Jackson (the pg, not the center) and Greg Ostertag as Goldberg becomes head coach of the Knicks and leads them from being the league laughing stock to a playoff team.

Other basketball movies feature OK performances by NBA players ("Forget Paris," "Like Mike"), while some of the greatest basketball movies ever made shy away from NBA stars ("Above The Rim," "Hoosiers," "White Men Can't Jump"). A few of these basketball films, whether featuring NBA players or not, can teach us about drugs ("The Basketball Diaries"), cheating ("Blue Chips") or just how to make a bad movie ("Slam Dunk Ernest").

If your DVD collection doesn't have classics like these, give them a try. But whatever you do, don't ever, ever, ever watch "Kazaam." Spend your money on "Club Dread" instead.