"No-No: A Dockumentary", By the Numbers

“It was easier to pitch with the LSD because I was so used to medicating myself.” So said former MLB pitcher Dock Ellis, discussing his infamous acid game. Perhaps you know that story: Ellis, then with the Pirates, took acid thinking he had the day off, realized he was actually starting, and then pitched a no-hitter. What you likely haven't heard is the larger context of his life and career—the activism, the women, the sobriety (and lack thereof), and the years he spent counseling those with addiction problems. That LSD game is just a small piece of the puzzle.

In No No: A Dockumentary—which premiered at Sundance, and will be shown multiple times at SXSW over the next week—viewers get the entire package. The movie features interviews with teammates, lovers, and family members as they look to piece together the life of one of the most outrageous and outspoken athletes in baseball history. (Ellis passed away from a liver ailment in 2008.) For anyone desiring a more specific breakdown of what the movie offers, we kept count.