Movie Night - ROLLER DERBY NIGHT DOUBLE FEATURE! Blood on the Flat Track & Hell on Wheels

Roller Derby fight from the 1950's
Photo from "The Selvedge Yard" blog

Tonight, the Soy City Rollers take on the Illinois Valley Vixens at the Decatur Civic Center.

In honor of that, I present two (count 'em two!) documentaries from 2007 dealing with the resurgence of this sport, made famous from the '50's to the '70's.

First up, Blood on the Flat Track: The Rise of the Rat City Rollergirls tells the story of a team from Seattle, Washington through their first two seasons and their fight to win the championship.

Next, Hell on Wheels details the rise of the team from Austin, Texas who almost single-handedly brought roller derby out of the dustbin and gave it a 21st century twist, despite the trials and tribulations of bringing back a sport from the brink of death.

I'll be at the Decatur Civic Center tonight, along with the Lady of the Manor and our friends Quietly Disgruntled and Rayne of Terror, so come on out and have some fun at the roller derby!  The doors open at 5PM with bouts at 6PM and 7:30PM.

Check 'em out!

Blood on the Flat Track (WP)(AMG)(IMDB)
Hell on Wheels (WP)(AMG)(IMDB)

Playlist for April 29th, 2011

If April showers bring May flowers, we (along with a huge chunk of the lower 48) will have flowers coming out our ears during the upcoming month.

In all seriousness, the massive rains we have been getting here on the prairie and elsewhere are causing all kinds of trouble along the rivers and streams and the towns that dot their shores. (Don't Forget Cairo!!!)

With spring "springing" all around, it seemed like a good time to pull out some tunes with flowers in the title.

Tulips, Hyacinths, Poppies, Begonias, Orchids, Hibiscus, Lillies, Daisies and a little less than a dozen Roses.



Enjoy!

April 28th is Worker's Memorial Day

Worker's Memorial Day poster
produced by the US Dept. of Labor
in 2010.

Today is Worker's Memorial Day.

Take the time to remember the battles men and women have fought for things such as....

...the eight hour workday...

...weekends...

...child labor laws...

...safety and health regulations...

It is because we didn't have these (and many other) laws in the past, that workers died in the course of their labor.

And remember to fight to keep worker safety and health (and other worker's rights) laws on the books against an onslaught by reactionary right wingers who would dismantle the safety net in order to benefit those in power.

That is the end of my soapboxing for the day.

Movie Night - Two Lane Blacktop

Made the same year as one of our previous films, Vanishing Point, this movie is a nice companion piece to that film in many ways.

Like Vanishing Point, the cinematography is stark and the script is minimal, with an undertone of existential angst.

Two Lane Blacktop deals with four people, the Driver (James Taylor), the Mechanic (Dennis Wilson), the Girl (Laurie Bird) and G. T. O. (Warren Oates) as they race cross-country, from Needles, California to Washington, D. C.

The Driver & the Mechanic are owners of a 1955 Chevy 150, souped up and primered.  

They make their living going from town to town in the U. S. desert Southwest, challenging locals to races they know they will win.

Along the way, the Girl joins them after getting bored with her surroundings.

As they race down old Route 66, they meet up with G. T. O., a mysterious character who tells multiple stories of how he got where he is today.

After seeing each other many times on the road, they meet up at a rural gas station and challenge each other to a race to Washington, D. C. "for pinks", or ownership of the others vehicle.

During the race, the group come together in many ways and unravel in many others.

A classic amongst lovers of old Route 66 and gearheads in general, this is a movie you should check out!  (WP)(AMG)(IMDB)

(another link regarding the cars and the making of the film can be found at the great blog "The Selvedge Yard")