ESPN's "Reel Classics" contributor and L.A. Times film critic Kenneth Turan dropped by to chat during ESPN Classic's broadcast of "Let it Ride."

Here's an edited transcript of the chat:

John:
Ken,

What are the best movies that include horse racing? What's your opinion on the Marx Bros. "A Day at the Races?"

Kenneth Turan: I really enjoy the Marx Brothers "A Day at the Races." But I think it's more about the Marx Brothers than horse racing. I'm not sure about the best horse racing films of all time. But two that I've really enjoyed are "The Black Stallion" starring Mickey Rooney and "The Killing" a wonderful early Stanley Kubrick film about a robbery at a race track.

Joe:
Mr. Turan, Love what you do in The Times. Anyway, what are your top five sports movies? Also, does "Caddyshack" count as a sports movie? Thanks

Kenneth Turan:
Thanks for your kind words. I'm not sure about the best sports movies, but five of my favorites are: the original "Rocky," "Raging Bull," "Downhill Racer" (great athlete-coach interaction between Gene Hackman and Robert Redford), "The Black Stallion," and a personal favorite I haven't seen in years "Go Man Go: The Harlem Globetrotters Story." As for "Caddyshack," it's been too long since I've seen it to have any opinion worth giving.

DJ:
Ken,

What's the difficulty in making a sports-related movie, it seems like so many are so bad?

Kenneth Turan:
True Story. The lure of cliche situtions is so strong that film makers often have a tough time resisting them. That's true of a lot of movies but it's especially true of sports films.

Tim:
Hey Ken,

How do you move from sports writing to film critic. Which group is more of a pain to deal with athletes or actors?

Kenneth Turan:
That's a great question. Because sports writing allows you a greater freedom of language than regular news writing, it's actually good preparation for being a critic. As to the athletes vs. actors question, I actually found athletes as often as not to be bigger prima donnas than actors. If athletes are good enough to make it to a professional level their talent has usually been recognized or worshiped since their early teens or earlier. Actors, even the biggest stars, go through a longer period of being normal before fame strikes them.

Mason:
Ken,

What do you think is Richard Dreyfuss' best performance and what is the best movie he acted in?

Kenneth Turan:
Obviously "Let It Ride," is not one of his best. My favorites include "American Graffitti," "The Aprentice of Betty Kravitz," "Jaws" (of course) and "The Goodbye Girl."

Jasta41:
My favorite baseball movie is Cobb starring Tommy Lee Jones. Have you seen this film and how accurate do you think it is? Did you enjoy the movie?

Kenneth Turan:
I have seen "Cobb." And I'm afraid I didn't like it as much as you did. I enjoyed Tommy Lee Jones but I wasn't as impressed as the actor who played the sportswriter. As far as accuracy, my sense of things is that it was fairly accurate about Cobb's incendiary personality.

dy in buff: your thoughts on "paper lion" please. i consider it one of the all-time classis sport movies. alex karras was incredible...as were most of the lions in the film.

Kenneth Turan:
I'm gonna take pass on that one. I enjoyed the book it was based on, but my memory of the film is so weak I may not have actually seen it.

jgc67:
What do u think the best golf movie is?

Kenneth Turan: Of the top of my head I can't think of any golf movie that really thrilled me. Maybe there's something about the sport that doesn't lend itself to the movies.

Mike Coffman:
Ken,

Lets talk about the Oscars. Who do like for best picture, actor and actress? What did you think about Crouching Tiger? I don't understand why so many critics love that movie?

Kenneth Turan:
First of all, congratulations to be the first person to use his real name. It's really to early to tell what's going to happen with the Oscars but my guess is -- and at this point they really are guesses -- "Gladiator" for best picture, Russell Crowe for best actor, and Julia Roberts for best actress. As for "Crouching Tiger," I was a big fan, but long experience has taught me that there is no movie that everybody likes.

Lenny:
What in your mind are the characteristics that make up a great sports film?

Kenneth Turan:
That's an interesting question. I think you have to capture the drama and excitement that's inherent in sports without descending into the world of cliches. That tends to be harder than it sounds.

kirk:
Would you ever make a movie about Hank Gathers?

Kenneth Turan:
I think his story would make an interesting film, but it sounds to me more like something that HBO or Showtime might consider.

Cecil Exum:
Is there any scene more painful in its cloying, shameless stab at deeper meaning to watch in sports movies than Rocky's speech after the fight in "Rocky IV?" It's right down there with Steven Seagal's tacked-on environment diatribe at the end of an already bad movie, "On Deadly Ground."

Kenneth Turan: Once you get passed the original "Rocky," each successful film set new marks for shamelessness.

Dean:
What athlete do you think made the most successful transition into acting?

Kenneth Turan:
The one that comes to mind first is Burt Reynolds, who never played professionally, but apparently was good in college. And Michael Jordan did a pretty good job in that animated film.

Dean Cornelio:
Kenneth,

I'm watching this movie and it seems like the actors are really over-the-top. Is the actor or director most to blame for overacting?

Kenneth Turan:
That's a good question. It's probably a case of shared blame. A lot of actors have a weekness for going over the top and unless there is a strong director to rein them in, over the top is where they go.

Tim Nickles:
Ken,

"Let It Ride" is pretty bad. When you give a film a bad review, do the actors, director or studio ever call you to complain?

Kenneth Turan:
What's more likely to happen is that the actor's, director's, or studio's people will call to complain. Though even that doesn't happen very often.

Steve Johnson:
Ken, I want everyone to know that you did the best imitation of Howard Cosell when I worked with you in the early sixties at Two Park Ave, N.Y.

Kenneth Turan:
I'm amazed anyone remembers that far back. I even forgotten those Cosell imitations myself.

Ted Bryan:
How many movies do you see in a year? Do you see movies you will review in a theater with the audience or at special screenings?

Kenneth Turan:
I see between 150 and 200 movies a year. Sometimes, I see them in small screenings, sometimes in big theaters filled to capacity in the studio's attempt to duplicate the enthusiasm of a reel audience.

Dave :
Kenneth:

What story do you think would make the best sports movie that has not been made yet?

Kenneth Turan:
I would love to see a good film made on the world of college (not professional) wrestling which I think is one of the most exciting sports going and vastly underappreciated.

Enrico Pallazzo:
What are your thoughts on the recent wave of football movies -- Remember the Titans, Any Given Sunday, The Replacements?

Kenneth Turan:
I think each of those three movies was flawed in a different way. If I was absolutely forced to see one a second time, I'd probably go to see "Remember the Titans," largely because Denzel Washington is such a terrific actor.

Jasta41:
Hoosiers is if not the best, one of the best sports films of all time. Do you think there are any other sports films that come close to it?

Kenneth Turan:
I also enjoyed Hoosier, which benefits greatly from one of Gene Hackman's better performances and one of the more incredible real life American sports stories.

Kenneth Turan
Thanks for a very interesting group of questions. I hope we can do this again.