Category Archives: film and tv

Nov 28 2013

SHHH: I just got to watch the first two episodes of “Derby Till I Die”


Obviously, even though we don’t like to admit it here, the Brits sometimes do things first and better than us.

The people from Rampage Studios were kind enough to send me the first two episodes of this series about the London Rollergirls (and a lot more). But they were also smart enough to allow me just a few hours to watch them and with restricted passwords, so I can’t post them for all to see. The series can be seen on Extreme TV in the UK.

I have seen every Derby Film from The Fireball with Mickey Rooney, Pat O’Brien, and Marilyn Monroe. to my “Derby”. “Whip It” and “Derby Baby” so you can say I know my Derby. But DTID chooses an interesting path: each episode follows a different individual through her daily life, especially with Derby. Treekill Tart (Theresa Brown) wants more than anything to be a London Rollergirl and is in their rec league. The first episode follows her through her training, competing and finally with her tryout which occurs every six months by LRG. What makes it good programming is seeing the reaction of others in her personal life, her work as a park ranger, her try with the other women at burlesque. and finally her tryout, which if you have watched Derby at all you know she will be rejected, but she just goes forward to try again. And unlike the series shown on AE years ago, this show is never dull or exploitive.

Although the camera work and editing are stellar there will be complaints from Derbyites that there isn’t more Derby and less other. The obvious answer: if you are creating a series you want everyone to watch and be interested in, you better achieve balance, and the producers have accomplished that. And Treekill exudes such joy and spirit the episode just flies by, and of course my very own (she will learn someday) Raw Heidi and the others are huge contributors. They were able to catch the naturalness and the uniqueness of Roller Derby (“Darby”) people. And the Ewok portion showed another side of the fun of the game.

The second episode is definitely more hardcore. The focus is on that great Derby couple from the Brawlers, Stefanie Mainey and Olivia Coupe; Stefanie the star skater, Olivia the captain, and a couple in real life. You want to see fitness and training that any sport participant would want to emulate, it is here….a great tourney in Europe where the Berlin Bombshells upset the team from the UK, the Tiger Bay Brawlers; it is there where the skating and the fans are captured perfectly. And the episode ends with LRG coming to the US to skate (and beat!) the fabulous Rat City (Seattle) Rollers in a huge NBA arena. The action caught is startling.

I am not a reviewer and there is no way I can do this series justice. Those who know me know that I love film and am rather harsh in my criticisms (see “The Dallas Buyers Club” and know I liked it), so I am far less likely to fall over everything just because it is Derby.

This is a wonderful series: I hope someone picks it up here: frankly, if not ESPN, then Oprah, Bravo, etc. Perhaps the most important thing you will get from these shows are implied empowerment, team play, athleticism, love of sport with no pay, and an enthusiasm for life that is bigger than life.

Good show, Rampage, and the London Rollergirls and supporting cast.

Nov 26 2013

Roller Derby, Derby, Roger Ebert and my politics


Derby Movie Review & Film Summary (1972) | Roger Ebert.</p

Most who follow me on facebook know my political views. Obviously a number don't like them. But today I heard a speech by our President at Dreamworks, and he quoted a man who had a large impact on my life, Roger Ebert.

Now I have done a few different things in my life….it is fortunate that I have always been able to use my attention deficit to my advantage: failing and then trying something different and keeping going (for the most part).

So when Roller Derby was going well, I decided I wanted to produce a movie about it in order to complete a grand marketing scheme I had then; this was in an era of no cable, satellite, dvds, etc.

I gave some filmmakers some cash, told them to go on the road with the Roller Derby as it toured the US, and make a film (no script, what was I thinking about).

Well, I addressed that part on another blog, but what we ended up with (and I helped with the segmenting, postproduction, etc) was an amazing film. At that time (1970), probably the best, most brutal, most edifying film about sport (documentary) ever made.

I loved it; my father, the skaters, the fans all hated it. It received awards at all major film festivals, was distributed by Cinerama, and nobody saw it.

Except the critics, and without exception they loved it; it made most lists of the top ten films of 1971; including the New York Times, Washington Post, Chicago Sun Times, and on and on.

To read Roger Ebert's review, click on the link at the top of this page.

Roger was a wonderful man who overcame a very tragic illness and fought it to the end. Because of a dear friend of mine, I was able to know him better.

He also influenced President Obama, who today at a movie studio quoted Roger: "My political beliefs are based on kindness."

I would like to think those words apply to me. I am concerned with poverty, abuse, health and many other issues. It is not a Democrat or Republican thing. My sister and brother-in-law, both avowed Republicans, did more than their share for others.

I am proud to be a liberal, and don't just label me; understand what I believe. Wouldn't it be great if everyone practiced kindness on others.

Nov 21 2013

On November 22, 1963, I was on an airplane headed to Salt Lake City for Roller Derby


I wasn’t happy about, but I had sold a five-day series of games to a promoter.

Our season in the Bay Area was from April through September. Our live televised games were taped over that time to be shipped to our expanding network across the US. And our tour through the Midwest and East was scheduled for January through April.

Money was always a problem. The only way you can keep a six-team league was to provide some pay, even if it was half in the off season. So in the middle of our hiatus when I received an offer for a guarantee and a participation of the “gate”, I accepted. It was the week before Thanksgiving and the thought of spending five days in Salt Lake City at that time was not appealing to me at all, but it was necessary.

So I boarded a United Airlines aircraft in Oakland that stopped in Reno and got aboard. As we were about to take off from Reno, the pilot made an announcement: “President Kennedy has been shot in Dallas. The extent of his injuries are unknown at this time. We will have more information when we reach Salt Lake City.”

I had an unimaginable feeling of horror. This President, the first born in the 20th century, America’s symbol of the new society, shot.

When we arrived in Salt Lake we were given the word that the President had been killed. I immediately went to a payphone and called the promoter. He had heard the news, but when I told him I wanted to cancel the run he coldly told me no: He had paid half of the guarantee ahead, he would pay the other half when I saw him, and he had all the expenses, advertising, etc and was not about to cancel. And if I tried, he would get his buddy the sheriff to come in and impound our track, etc.

I went to my motel, shaved and cleaned up, and got ready to meet the skaters and the promoter. I remember vividly the television on, Walter Cronkite crying, the whole thing unfolding before me live. I shaved with tears streaming down my face, just sick to my stomach.

The players assumed we would cancel; I had to inform them otherwise. In essence the promoter had us, including their payroll. We all went to the arena (a small one, I don’t remember) and skated the worst game possible before the smallest crowd imaginable.

I left Hal Janowitz in charge, headed back to the motel and reserved the first flight out the next morning (we were obligated to play through Sunday). obviously the crowds were terrible, and we had no additional revenue….the whole thing was wrong.

For the next three days I was glued to the television set, watching the whole reality, almost scripted, unfold. The Dallas policeman killed by Oswald, his capture, the crazy law scene around the police department and more. And watching live as they brought Oswald to the station, the police in their cowboy hats and lackadaisical security, and Jack Ruby walking up and shooting Oswald…..live for your viewing pleasure, folks.

And it just rolled on; Jackie and now President Johnson in Washington……Dallas……the funeral cortege with the horse drawn funeral wagon rolling by the White House and tiny little John John saluting the flag in front as it rolled by…..just try to picture everyone’s feelings.

And for me, who has lived through Roosevelt, Truman and the atom bomb, Eisenhower (whom I voted for) and shaking John Kennedy’s hand as he campaigned in Oakland, this was signaling the start of a terrible time for America.

Although Johnson fooled us all, especially carrying forth the agenda that Kennedy had started, including the passage of Civil Rights with the help of Republican Senator Dirksen of Illinois (imagine that today!), but Vietnam destroyed his Presidency and he decided not to run for another term.

So we have had all the subsequent assassinations, a crook in the White House, a actor who knew how to make great speeches and convinced everyone that greed is good; and unnecessary wars, leaders who don’t care about the populace and more. Ironically, Kennedy’s family was so wealthy, but he was a shining example of what we needed at that time. What if he had lived through the second term till 1968?

I have seen the good and the bad. You can read about it all you want, but I was there, and my life has never stopped being affected by it. That is what you should get out of this memory of a horrible day 50 years ago.

Oct 11 2013

Convergence for Roller Derby


I believe in convergence.

Sometimes things come together, and you would like to see that there is a pattern and a reason.

Sometimes you just have to assume there is.

This is the season for the championships of Roller Derby. The WFTDA tournament occurs the first week in November and the teams are in place. The number 1 team in the world Gotham should win it, but the Mile High Club from Denver is a real strong dark horse. But a huge difference this year is that a team from outside the US has qualified: The London Rollergirls, with the all powerful Raw Heidi.

And the Extreme Sports Channel has been quietly filming a 13-week series on the London Rollergirls which will start showing on October 18 to a potential audience of 30 million in Europe, Asia and Africa. This will certainly provide a boost to Derby in all those areas.

And a leading sports media company in this country will announce plans next week for a Roller Derby television program……over the air, not live streaming as now.

The Golden Era of Derby occurred in the 60′s and 70′s when the game was seen on 110 stations in the US and Canada, with an estimated 15 million viewers weekly, There is a short documentary on you tube (Mike Gammon Roller Derby) which will show you that time….Arenas from Madison Square Garden to Stadia such as Shea, Oakland, and White Sox Park had ten thousands of fans in attendance.

Yes, that was a different rule set and exhibition, but the fact that there are 1513 leagues in the world today in 41 countries playing amateur competitive Derby is a reality. And the fact that this has quietly occurred and most of our media has ignored it tells me that it is time to let millions see what the game is and what it will become.

http://www.rollerderbycommish.com/RDMadison_Square_Garden_1970s_001.jpg click to see photo of Roller Derby at Madison Square Garden.

And WFTDA has just announced that in February there will be beta testing of improvements in the current ruleset.

And USARS with the number two team Oly Rollers heading their tourney the end of October is also pushing the game forward.

Sports owners, producers, sponsors etc……we love lingerie football, crossfit training, curling, field hockey and whatever else you are trying to find under rocks, but the most competitive and difficult and woman-empowering game in the world (men competing again, also) is out there and already has a fan base in every North American city.

And this former promoter is willing to do whatever he can to help make it happen……..reach me jerry@brownpapertickets.com.