Search - Jam on DVD

A Must For All Roller Derby Fans!

George Gong | Vallejo, California | 04/12/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A interesting documentry into the current politics and goings on behind the scenes of the retro banked track sport known as Roller Derby. The story is sad yet inspiring. One can only root for former Bay City Bomber owner Tim Patten for putting his life savings and much of his free personal time in bringing a sport he and many loved, and keeping Roller Derby going as long as he did!"

Inspiring

Kristi Simmons | Bend, Oregon | 05/08/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Jam is a must see for any roller derby fan or roller derby skater. The story is inspiring, it shows what one is willing to do to keep their dream alive and to keep them feeling alive."

Jam

Windy Bailey | Ewa Beach, HI | 09/18/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Very interesting insight into the world of roller derby. Whether you're part of the modern flat track movement or old school derby - it's a must see"

Pathos at its highest level.

Robert P. Beveridge | Cleveland, OH | 07/28/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Jam (Mark Woollen, 2006)

There were two movies entitled Jam released in 2006. I actually thought I was getting the Craig Serling traffic-accident flick when I fired off a request for this one, but what I got instead was Mark Woollen's documentary on the attempt to recapture the glory days of roller derby circa 2002. (The attempt, it should be noted, is still going on as I write this; Cleveland has its own team, the Burning River Roller Girls, and it's certainly not the only city in the midwest that does.)

Thanks to both the nostalgia-based subject matter and the sense of desperation that pervades the lives of the subjects, this reminds me a great deal of Chasing Ghosts, the documentary about videogame superstars. With roller derby having had its heyday in the sixties and early seventies, however, the former stars to be found here are older, and thus even more pathetic than those in the other film. I use the word "pathetic" here not only in its current comic sense, but also in the original sense of pathos; while you're both laughing at and pitying these people, you have to admire the kind of tenacity that will cause people to bang their heads against a wall for thirty-plus years in the face of complete public indifference. (Especially since the rise in popularity of roller derby that seemed impossible a few years ago does seem to be getting underway.)

This is one of those movies where all the filmmaker really had to do was get out of the way and let the subjects do their own work, and it's amply done here. Well worth your time. *** ½
"