June 30th - July 6th
Hell on Wheels- We caught this one at Noble Theatre at OKCMOA. First we had dinner at the Museum Cafe–taking advantage of their Prix Fixe Menu($28/person which includes the movie ticket)–and then we saw the movie. It was a documentary about the inception and early struggles of women’s roller derby in Austin, TX. Director Bob Ray was in attendance and answered questions following the screening. It was like deadCENTER never stopped.
So, I was already an admiring fan of Satan’s Cheerleaders. Tattoos and bangs are enough to make me swoon on just about any day of the week. But add roller skates and some fierce competitiveness and I’m all in.
These girls are sexy. There’s no doubt about it. No argument. But that doesn’t do them justice. They’re sexy and just plain bad-ass. They’ve embraced the punk rock & DIY aesthetic and made something out of it that continues to grow and continues to build admirers worldwide. There may be splinters here and there as conflicts ensue. But in the end, this is feminism at its core. Its women coming together to create something great.
At one point, the newly founded derby league was described as a place where a bunch of loners could come together. That was enough to sell me on it. Part of me was kind of jealous…that I wasn’t of the opposite sex living in Austin. If I can’t be a derby girl, dammit, I want something in my life with half the passion of those girls on skates.
I’m already anxiously anticipating the Oklahoma Victory Dolls’Â next home bout on July 26th at Miles’ Roll-A-Way Rink. And I’m even looking forward to Whip It!, Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut starring Ellen Page that revolves around derby the derby culture.
I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With- I was let down by this one. There were a few laughs here and there. But it was too scatter-shot to be really funny and too devoid of emotion to otherwise be compelling. I’d much prefer an episode of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” with Jeff Garlin as Larry’s manager than Jeff Garlin as star/writer/director. Maybe I need to see Marty…
I’m Not There- I wouldn’t call myself a Dylanophile, but I got my share of references in this not-so-conventional biopic. And that made it a lot of fun. I thought it really got to the essence of artistry as invention. Nothing is new and nothing is old. Everything is borrowed and everything is lent. If it tugs at your heart, does it matter how authentic it really is?
And while I’d seen clips before, I was still somewhat taken aback as to how Cate Blanchett was more physically Bob Dylan than anybody else in the film. And her Jude Quinn wasn’t a novelty part. She truly pulled off the portrayal. I must get to a record store and buy more Dylan.
“The Hill” (TV series)- We DVR’d this six episode series and watched them all back-to-back. It was a behind-the-scenes look at Capitol staffers for Florida Representative Robert Wexler (The Fighting 19th!). Much like with Hell on Wheels, I found myself yearning to be in their shoes. If only I could have pursued a D.C. internship back in college…
The series was an interesting look at both the process and the personalities behind it. I was enthralled. It fed my political geek hunger. Those people were me…but with more ambition and more connections (and as a result more prestige and more money). I wanted more episodes. Why does this not interest everybody else like it interests me? Why didn’t “K Street” last beyond ten episodes?
