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STUDIO: IndiePix
MSRP: $24.95
RATED: Not Rated
RUNNING TIME: 90 min
SPECIAL FEATURES:

  • Music Videos
  • Deleted Scenes
  • Commentaries
  • Original theatrical trailer

The Pitch

Ladies got to roll.

The Humans

The baddest ass ladies on wheels

The Nutshell

Bad Girl Good Woman was the start of the Roller Derby revival in America. Four teams based out of Austin, Texas worked their asses off to bring some respect back to the cult sport. Nobody can really explain why these ladies do what they do. Some do it for the activity, some for thrill and others have a love for the scene. But, what matters is that they play to win.

A thigh thicker than Tyson Farms.

The Lowdown

Bob Ray has crafted something special with this documentary. Some people have dared to compare it to Hoop Dreams. Ray seems like a capable filmmaker, but I wouldn’t go that far. It’s an insightful film that takes a look at how a gathering of nobodies can forge something special. Hell, what’s more impressive is that you got such a conglomeration together to revive what amounts to a 70s thrill sport.

The first three quarters of the documentary are dedicated to the sport’s revival in 2001. You spend a ton of time getting spot-on interviews from the lady pioneers of the sport. There’s a lot of loose talk about it was important to have a violent outing for women. Some even try to see the business side of the matter and how hard it was to keep this event afloat. Others, just show us their bruised asses.

Something’s either coming out or going in. Either way, it’s not good for business.

The film is infotainment, plain and simple. That doesn’t necessarily mean that something informative couldn’t be gleamed out of the film. It’s just that there are too many talking heads and not enough opposing voices. Nobody even questions the claim that roller derby empowers women. It just becomes a tired mantra that keeps getting spat out during the film. But, they wise up about halfway through and start giving us some sweet game footage.

The ladies of Roller Derby are shown as thoughtful athletes that always take their work seriously. But, issues such as injuries and other maladies aren’t handled that seriously. I’d like to hear more about the girls with outside jobs that get hurt on the Derby Rink. But, I guess that’s material for another documentary. Bob Ray seemed more interested in making a feel good documentary about ladies doing it for themselves.

Hell on Wheels is a decent documentary with some fun supplementals. You get music videos from bands that support the sport. There’s some commentaries from the Roller Girls and Filmmakers. The deleted scenes seem to gleam a more serious approach to the material. I still wonder why they were cut. Still, it’s an interesting experience and one that I can recommend placing on your Netflix queue.

They breed.

The Package

Music Videos – Short films scored by a contemporary music group.

Nashville Pussy    Say Something Nasty

USS Friendship    Rollergirls

Deleted Scenes –

You get to see what Bob Ray and Werner Campbell didn’t feel needed to be in the current cut. Honestly, I feel like it cheapens the experience by not providing any dissent. The complete run of the scenes run around an hour in length.

Commentaries by Bob Ray & Werner Campbell – The filmmakers join together to discuss the film and the time spent bringing this tale to the masses. They never discuss the mass cuts made to the final project. Hell, they never do anything but treat the girls like saints.

Original Theatrical Trailer – The trailer

The only nice cleavage shot in the entire feature.

7.0 out of 10