This movie looks good and I will probably see it but mostly it just seems like Bend it Like Beckham for America. I've even noticed a part in the preview where Ellen Page is obviously at a pageant and her dad hands her her roller skates. That totally parallels the scene in Bend it Like Beckham where Jess is at her sister's wedding and the dad tells her to go ahead and play in the finals that day.
@lola_in_the_dark: It's a coming of age story, so, you'll find that kind of parallel in almost any movie with that core theme. So, sure, there are probably parallels to that...just like there are to other movies.
@tiredfairy: I know that there are a lot of coming of age stories but it threw me for a loop when I saw the dad actually handing her the skates while she's in a pageant dress. In Bend it Like Beckham Jess is wearing a sari.
I rarely go to the movies because I really do hate just about everything that hollywood puts out, but both this and Capitalism: A Love Story opened today. I've never had two movies that i actually WANTED to see playing at the same time. I had to make a choice as to which one to see though, and one.
I am *really* excited about this! I'm having a resurgence of 90s nostalgia with it that I felt with movies like Mad Love and Dazed and Confused, even though I imagine it takes place in the present day, yes?
Does anyone else pine for the bleach-blonde rebel-Drew days when she was kind of a grunge princess, ala Wayne's World 2 or Mad Love?
I saw a free screening of this on Tuesday and I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. The plot in and of itself isn't groundbreaking, but there's a lot of little side moments along the way that just feel very real and relatable in a way that overcomes the cliched "butterfly spreading her wings" message. And Ellen Page was great but Kristen Wiig nearly stole the movie out from under her. Alia Shawkat had some nice moments too.
@RustyHeadedGirl: Well, no plot is really all that ground-breaking when you think about it. They can usually all be boiled down to something used over and over...and nearly all stories are a "quest" of some kind.
I don't need a revolutionary plot, I just want a well told story.
If anyone's in Austin TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls, the league the film's league is based on will be working at the Alamo Ritz and the Regal Gateway theaters.
Define high income bracket. You can get healthcare working 20 hours/week at Starbucks. I don't skate with a bunch of executives.
The insurance that IS required by nearly all leagues (mostly through USARS or WFTDA) is secondary insurance that is used primary for general liability purposes (required by venues) but does have accident coverage as well. These policies are about $50/year have deductibles up to $10k (http://usarollersports.org/pages/936) so its really only secondary coverage.
If there's ANYTHING that makes this sport exclusive based on income it has nothing to do with healthcare. A decent pair of skates without any modifications starts at $300, these need to be replaced every couple years. Wheels are $60-100 and need to be replaced every 3-9 months. You need different wheels for different surfaces. Mouthguards are $10-20 and a recent report says they need to be replaced every 2 weeks. A full set of good pads is over $100 and those need to be replaced at least once/year. Then add on top of that monthly dues ($30-50/month), a uniform ($20-$100+), and travel. If your league has good sponsors you might get a travel stipend, but many skaters have to travel on their own dollar.
A freshie's first year will cost her well over $1,000 before she buys her first shirt with her name printed on it.
First of all, I love that ref'd the Bechdel test. Everyone should read Fun Home and Dykes to Watch Out For. Plus, it's a really simple, but really important, little lithmus test. There are lots good movies that do fail it, of course, and there are legit reasons why it doesn't always apply. But it's still important to think about.
I'm SO going to this tomorrow and doing a double-header with Zombieland. Can. Not. Wait.
Not to beat a dead horse, here, but it varies from league to league as to insurance requirements. When I skated for Grand Raggidy Roller Girls (Grand Rapids, Mich), we didn't require anyone to have primary insurance, but everyone was required to have supplemental through USARS (they now go through WFTDA).
Most of our skaters were from pretty humble backgrounds and weren't fortunate enough to have comprehensive employer-provided insurance. That is one of the factors that leads to a high turnover rate in the sport of derby. Skaters get a minor injury and (understandably) get scared and retire.
That being said, roller derby isn't akin to jumping from airplanes. It's dangerous, yes (I have the bad knees to prove it), but not necessarily more-so than any full-contact sport. You take risks, but you also wear safety equipment and learn the proper way to hit, block, skate and fall.
I can't wait to see this movie. Many of my leaguemates and I auditioned/skated for roles, and a few got roles. My former team captain, Jackie Daniels (bad ass skater with a Michigan tattoo on her arm) - was one of them. You can see her throughout the movie. I spent one day as an extra in some of the crowd shots. It was a blast.
It meant a lot to the derby community that Drew selected lots of rollergirls from Michigan to be in the movie and do the skating.
Dodai, maybe since this is not written in haiku format, you'll be quoted in giant letters on all the 'WHIP IT' ads. I put forth this quote for consideration:
I adored watching kick-ass, tattooed women with confidence and decidedly not frail, non-Hollywood bodies.-- JEZEBEL's DODAI
I went to a Sneak Preview last weekend and I cannot even express how much I loved it. It was incredibly inspiring and empowering and for some reason I was on the verge of tears throughout quite a bit of it just because I could relate to Bliss a lot. I thought the way the whole young love relationship was written was so realistic and the outcome was so unexpected and perfect. Ellen and Kristen and all the women really nailed it and I would definitely go see it again.
10/02/09
10/02/09
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10/02/09
I rarely go to the movies because I really do hate just about everything that hollywood puts out, but both this and Capitalism: A Love Story opened today. I've never had two movies that i actually WANTED to see playing at the same time. I had to make a choice as to which one to see though, and one.
Ellen Page has stolen my heart.
10/02/09
Does anyone else pine for the bleach-blonde rebel-Drew days when she was kind of a grunge princess, ala Wayne's World 2 or Mad Love?
10/02/09
10/02/09
10/02/09
I don't need a revolutionary plot, I just want a well told story.
10/02/09
Come meet us and talk derby!!
10/02/09
10/02/09
10/01/09
The insurance that IS required by nearly all leagues (mostly through USARS or WFTDA) is secondary insurance that is used primary for general liability purposes (required by venues) but does have accident coverage as well. These policies are about $50/year have deductibles up to $10k (http://usarollersports.org/pages/936) so its really only secondary coverage.
If there's ANYTHING that makes this sport exclusive based on income it has nothing to do with healthcare. A decent pair of skates without any modifications starts at $300, these need to be replaced every couple years. Wheels are $60-100 and need to be replaced every 3-9 months. You need different wheels for different surfaces. Mouthguards are $10-20 and a recent report says they need to be replaced every 2 weeks. A full set of good pads is over $100 and those need to be replaced at least once/year. Then add on top of that monthly dues ($30-50/month), a uniform ($20-$100+), and travel. If your league has good sponsors you might get a travel stipend, but many skaters have to travel on their own dollar.
A freshie's first year will cost her well over $1,000 before she buys her first shirt with her name printed on it.
10/01/09
I'm SO going to this tomorrow and doing a double-header with Zombieland. Can. Not. Wait.
10/01/09
Most of our skaters were from pretty humble backgrounds and weren't fortunate enough to have comprehensive employer-provided insurance. That is one of the factors that leads to a high turnover rate in the sport of derby. Skaters get a minor injury and (understandably) get scared and retire.
That being said, roller derby isn't akin to jumping from airplanes. It's dangerous, yes (I have the bad knees to prove it), but not necessarily more-so than any full-contact sport. You take risks, but you also wear safety equipment and learn the proper way to hit, block, skate and fall.
I can't wait to see this movie. Many of my leaguemates and I auditioned/skated for roles, and a few got roles. My former team captain, Jackie Daniels (bad ass skater with a Michigan tattoo on her arm) - was one of them. You can see her throughout the movie. I spent one day as an extra in some of the crowd shots. It was a blast.
It meant a lot to the derby community that Drew selected lots of rollergirls from Michigan to be in the movie and do the skating.
10/01/09
I adored watching kick-ass, tattooed women with confidence and decidedly not frail, non-Hollywood bodies.-- JEZEBEL's DODAI
10/01/09
10/01/09
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10/01/09
You have no idea how much I was hoping this would be good.
(And, in our time-starved now, the extent to which I'm starting to regularly depend on your reviews ...)
10/01/09
NO MOM, I WOULD NOT.
geez, generational differences, right?
10/01/09
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10/01/09
I'm seeing it with my best girlfriend next week, and I can't wait!