Murderball

Henry Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro

BY James KeastPublished Dec 1, 2005

Of a slew of pop-docs from the last 12 months, that Murderball failed to find an audience for its compelling look at the Canadian-invented sport — now renamed quad rugby for marketing purposes — is the biggest surprise. A look at the rivalry between the Canadian and U.S. wheelchair rugby teams, Murderball provides compelling insight at the strong personalities that populate these sports teams, which combine bumper cars in tricked-out, tank-like chairs with "crossing the line with the ball" rugby rules. Whether it's the "behind the scenes" drama of former American star turned Canadian team coach Joe Soares or the frank discussions of sex for quadriplegics, Murderball makes for compelling human drama and a cheer-inducing sports doc. What makes this more than a "look at me trying!" feel-good film is the inclusion of not only the sport's heroes but young men like Keith, who's struggling with his recent accident and for whom the discovery of a sport like quad rugby offers real hope. Doc stars like Mark Zupan — the film's goateed, tough-guy poster boy — wouldn't change a moment of their lives, including the accidents that put them in the chair, since they've become Olympic athletes and now movie stars as a result. It's a fine line between quad rugby and the boys of MTV's Jackass, who participate heavily in promotion for the MTV-produced Murderball, and who rightfully point out how close they've come themselves to ending up in a wheelchair. Most of a featurettes chronicle the film's reception and the media attention given to compelling personalities like Zupan and team-mates Andy Cohn and Scott Hogsett. By not shying away from the realities of their lives — and acknowledging that Zupan's abrasive personality isn't defined by his chair, it's who he's always been — puts a human face on these four-wheeled terrors. Plus: deleted scenes, commentaries by filmmakers and players, update interviews, more. (ThinkFilm)



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