Hot Docs 2005 - UPDATE #1
Murderball
Directed by Dana Adam Shapiro and Henry Alex Rubin
USA/86 MINUTES
Murderball is a fascinating, thoroughly engaging doc revolving around a group of handicapped athletes and their participation in "murderball" - a sport that's essentially football on wheels (tackling is encouraged, as players ram their chairs into each other). But more than that, the film provides a surprisingly intimate look at the day-to-day life of a quadriplegic (which includes everything from mobility issues to problems dealing with the opposite sex). Filmmakers Dana Adam Shapiro and Henry Alex Rubin introduce us to several of these people - including Mark Zupan (a fierce member of team USA) and Joe Soares (a former team USA player who defected to Canada after being cut) - and as a result, it's impossible not to get wrapped up in their individual stories (which are fascinating, in a fly-on-the-wall sort of way). Add to that the newfound rivalry between USA and Canada (culminating in a showdown at last year's Paralympic Games), and you've got a film that's as gripping as some of the best sports-themed movies (if not more so).
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Abel Raises Cain
Directed by Jenny Abel and Jeff Hockett
USA/82 MINUTES
Abel Raises Cain documents the life and career of Alan Abel, a professional "hoaxster" whose penchant for pulling silly (yet believable) pranks has gained him a certain amount of notoriety over the years. Abel's objective is to expose the media's willingness to air pretty much anything as long as it's salacious enough, something he accomplishes by concocting pranks that are exceedingly ridiculous (ie the formation of the Society for Indecency to Naked Animals, an organization whose sole purpose is to clothe animals). Abel Raises Cain has been co-directed by Abel's daughter, Jenny, and while it's clear she has an obvious affection for her father, the filmmaker doesn't shy away from exposing some of the less flattering aspects of his life (ie the loss of his home). Abel Raises Cain is a fun, easy-going documentary that doesn't offer any earth-shattering revelations, focusing instead on the various hoaxes perpetrated by Abel throughout his career (and as a result, the movie would be perfect as a double-feature with The Yes Men).
