Murderball (film)
| Murderball | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Henry Alex Rubin Dana Adam Shapiro |
| Produced by | Jeffrey V. Mandel Dana Adam Shapiro |
| Starring | Keith Cavill Andy Cohn Scott Hogsett Christopher Igoe Mark Zupan Bob Lujano Joe Soares |
| Cinematography | Henry Alex Rubin |
| Edited by | Conor O'Neill Geoffrey Richman |
| Music by | Jamie Saft |
Production companies | MTV Films 1More Film |
| Distributed by | ThinkFilm |
Release dates | July 8, 2005 (limited) July 22, 2005 |
Running time | North America 88 min. UK/AUS 85 min. |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $300,000 |
| Box office | $1,750,211 |
Murderball is a 2005 documentary film about paraplegic athletes who play wheelchair rugby. It centers on the rivalry between the Canadian and U.S. teams leading up to the 2004 Paralympic Games. It was directed by Henry Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro, and produced by Jeffrey Mandel and Shapiro. It was nominated for Best Documentary Feature for the 78th Academy Awards.[1] This film is also #1 on the Rotten Tomatoes countdown of the top sports movies.[2]
UN screening
The film was screened at the United Nations uncut. One of its stars, Mark Zupan, winced when describing how embarrassed he was to have his mother hear his remarks on the sex lives of persons with quadriplegia.
Equipment
Murderball is notable for shooting with a very low budget. The main camera used was a Panasonic DVX100. A Sony PD150 was used to shoot some of the early interviews. The crew rigged a Sennheiser shotgun microphone to use as a boom, and relied heavily on Lavaliere wireless microphones as well. Available lighting was used almost exclusively. Additional light was provided using an inexpensive china ball. In one example of on-the-spot lighting, a flashlight was diffused using only a napkin.[3]
"Get Into the Game" campaign
"Get Into the Game" is a social action campaign that uses Murderball to increase public awareness about people with disabilities and to raise funds for the U.S. Paralympics. Funds raised provide sports wheelchairs for athletes in need.
Awards
- Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival.
- Nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 78th Academy Awards.
- Audience Award for Best Feature at the 2005 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival.
- Audience Award for Best Feature Film at the 2005 Indianapolis International Film Festival.
- Audience Award for Best Non-Fiction Film at the 2005 Indianapolis International Film Festival.
See also
- Joe Soares, coach who first led Team Canada to victory against the United States
- Mark Zupan, captain of the U.S. Quad rugby team
References
- ^ "NY Times: Murderball". NY Times. Retrieved 2008-11-23.
- ^ Rotten Tomatoes Top Sports Movies 18 November 2011
- ^ Double Feature Murderball Interview w/ Dana Adam Shapiro June 4, 2009
External links
- Murderball at IMDb
- Murderball at AllMovie
- Murderball at Box Office Mojo
- Distributor page
- Roger Ebert review
- Murderball review
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