7.08.2005

what i'm watching: murderball

Murderball is a new movie to put on your "must see" list. It's about wheelchair rugby, a rough-and-tumble sport played by quadriplegics. That may sound like an oxymoron, but once you've seen wheelchair rugby, you'll understand the word quadriplegic in a different way.

I covered wheelchair rugby at the 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta, and have interviewed rugby players for various wheelchair sports stories along the way. It's an irresistible sport - fast, aggressive, strategic. It also happens to be Canadian in origin. The Canuck quads who dreamt it up called in Murderball, hence the name of the movie.

The New York Times reviewed it yesterday, and some photos of the sport here, here and here.

7 comments:

Crabbi said...

Thanks, L! This movie is definitely on my must-see list. I saw the previews before Mad Hot Ballroom (which I recommend), and it looks terrific.

laura k said...

I'm glad to know it's getting out there in previews. I can't wait to see it myself.

Not least because it will mean that my book deadline has passed. :-)

laura k said...

And thanks for the Mad Hot Ballroom tip. That looks cool, too.

Crabbi said...

Yay for passing deadlines!

I can't wait to see Murderball, too. So many good documentaries these days!

laura k said...

Yay for passing deadlines!

Two weeks to freedom.

Crabbi said...

Congrats! And I do want to read your book. Will it be available on Amazon?

laura k said...

Thanks!

You know, I don't know how they market this series.

It's being produced by a Disney subsidiary - Disney Worldwide Publishing. It'll be translated into all different languages, but I'm not sure if that's for retail, or subscription order, or schools. The chain of command is so long, and writers are at the very bottom. (Marketing folks on top, of course.)

But I'll post a pic when I get a copy. :)