Not to be confused with the Tour de France documentary about the same name, but leaning towards the 60's b-movie for inspiration, this movie follows the fortunes of the revived Texas roller derby league over a period of a couple of years detailing the ups and downs of the along the way.
There were a lot of people interviewed in the making of the documentary and you can tell it became as much a part of the director's life as it was the story of the people involved. I never actually noticed the director on screen on the film, which was a nice change as they are not meant to be the focus of the story.
As with any organization with a lot of people involved there is bound to be politics and differences of opinion. The split in the league was unfortunate, but from diversity comes richness as both leagues now seem to be doing well. The original organisers ended up resigning after their struggles, but that often happens after such turbulent events and it is not until you step back from something until you appreciate what you have achieved.
I have to admit not to knowing much about roller derby before this documentary (Bob Log III did play at one of their bouts though) and had only ever heard of the skater Punky Bruiser due to her involvement in a movie. There are lots of opportunities to become acquainted with a whole new group of skaters through this film and it would definitely give me another reason to go to Austin, Texas apart from SXSW.
Action fans will not be disappointed as along with the training, there are quite a few bouts covered and some on a traditional banked track. For the gore hounds, there are quite a few crashes and some blood but it is not dwelt on.
Special guests at the screening I attended were the Victorian Roller Derby League. From the whoops and hollers coming from the rows behind me I can tell they really enjoyed the film and hopefully they will start having their competitions soon after coming up to speed with their training.
There were a lot of people interviewed in the making of the documentary and you can tell it became as much a part of the director's life as it was the story of the people involved. I never actually noticed the director on screen on the film, which was a nice change as they are not meant to be the focus of the story.
As with any organization with a lot of people involved there is bound to be politics and differences of opinion. The split in the league was unfortunate, but from diversity comes richness as both leagues now seem to be doing well. The original organisers ended up resigning after their struggles, but that often happens after such turbulent events and it is not until you step back from something until you appreciate what you have achieved.
I have to admit not to knowing much about roller derby before this documentary (Bob Log III did play at one of their bouts though) and had only ever heard of the skater Punky Bruiser due to her involvement in a movie. There are lots of opportunities to become acquainted with a whole new group of skaters through this film and it would definitely give me another reason to go to Austin, Texas apart from SXSW.
Action fans will not be disappointed as along with the training, there are quite a few bouts covered and some on a traditional banked track. For the gore hounds, there are quite a few crashes and some blood but it is not dwelt on.
Special guests at the screening I attended were the Victorian Roller Derby League. From the whoops and hollers coming from the rows behind me I can tell they really enjoyed the film and hopefully they will start having their competitions soon after coming up to speed with their training.