"Murderball" Talkback (Spoilers)

[randomguy]

"No arms, no legs, no problem." - Bob Lujano

Release Date: July 8, 2005 (Limited), July 22, 2005 (Wide)
Studio: ThinkFilm
Director: Henry Alex Rubin, Dana Adam Shapiro
Starring: Mark Zupan, Joe Soares, Keith Cavill, Andy Cohn, Scott Hogsett and Bob Lujano

Plot Summary: Featuring fierce rivalry, stopwatch suspense, and larger-than- life personalities, Murderball, Winner of the Documentary Audience Award and a Special Jury Prize for Editing at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival, is a film about tough, highly competitive rugby players. Quadriplegic rugby players. Whether by car wreck, fist fight, gun shot, or rogue bacteria, these men were forced to live life sitting down. In their own version of the full-contact sport, they smash the hell out of each other in custom-made gladiator-like wheelchairs. And no, they don't wear helmets.

From the gyms of middle America to the Olympic arena in Athens, Greece, "Murderball' tells the story of a group of world-class athletes unlike any ever shown on screen. In addition to smashing chairs, it will smash every stereotype you ever had about "gimps" and "cripples." It is a film about family, revenge, honor, sex (yes, they can) and the triumph of love over loss. But most of all, it is a film about standing up, even after your spirit - and your spine - has been crushed.

Visit the official movie site here.

Comments?

[randomguy]

So when I first created this talkback, it sank like a stone and that's not surprising.

When Murderball was released this summer, despite good promotion and a 98% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it made few waves at the box office. I'm not quite sure why. Maybe the documentary status turned away the sports buffs and the sports turned away the documentary buffs. Hard to say. So a quiet reaction here on TZ only mirrored the way the film was received... well, pretty much everywhere.

But I noticed this flick showed up on a couple of people's Best of 2005 lists (thanks, Spider-Man and Condiment King!), and now that the movie's out on DVD, I figured I'd take a second go at getting folks interested.

Thing is, Murderball is a damn fine flick and one of the (at least) best five films released in 2005. There's a reason Rotten Tomatoes has it listed as the third best-reviewed film of the year.

You might be afraid of a film like this being too touchy-feely, or the other extreme of being too sports-centered and losing the human element. It's neither. This is a documentary that treats its subjects not as inspiring examples of the disabled struggling against tough odds, but genuine, take-no-prisoners athletes who works their asses off and, chair or no chair, could probably kick the crap out of most of us. It's rousing, sure, and their are moments of real poignancy, but it's doesn't get lost in sensitivity. It's also not the exercise in tedium many documentaries can be... this is, no fooling, the single most entertaining flick of 2005. It'll make you laugh (a lot), and is a real blast to watch. Plus it'll make you think, and hopefully, work a little better harder and be just a little more appreciative in your day-to-day life.

If anybody here has a free evening sometime, rent this one. If you've got a Net Flix account, please take my word and stick it in the queue. You won't regret it.

[Captain Harlock]

I saw the movie about a month ago, and didn't know there was a talkback thread. Anyhow..

I thought it was a great movie. I don't think there's any elements of "touchy-feely" as these people don't want to be felt sorry for; or thought of as disabled. I felt that the disabled angle was played down the entire movie. To the people who play Murderball, there is no such thing as a disability. They play a physical game after suffering devistating injuries while some of us wouldn't even venture to do something safe when we are healthy. Being a big sports fan, I think this film meant more to me. I'm getting tired of seeing big athletes in the major sports put in lackluster efforts, or just not showing any heart in what they do. Those people are being paid millions of dollars, yet there's a group of people playing in wheelchairs with more heart and passion for their game. A refreshing sight to see. It's inspirational, entertaining, and one of the best movies of 2005. I was hyped for the film before it's release and it didn't disappoint. More people should see this movie.