Murderball (film)

Music from the Film Murderball
Music from the Film Murderball
Soundtrack album by Various artists
Released	June 28, 2005
Genre	Film score
Length	48:39
Label	Commotion; CR011
Producer	Dana Adam Shapiro, Tracy McKnight, Jeff Mandel, Walter Yetnikoff
Jamie Saft chronology

Murderball
Murderball
	Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Henry Alex Rubin; Dana Adam Shapiro
Produced by	Jeffrey V. Mandel; Dana Adam Shapiro; Jeff Sackman; (Executive Producer);
Starring	Keith Cavill; Andy Cohn; Scott Hogsett; Christopher Igoe; Mark Zupan; Bob Lujano; Joe Soares; Brent Poppen
Cinematography	Henry Alex Rubin
Edited by	Conor O'Neill; Geoffrey Richman
Music by	Jamie Saft
Production; companies	MTV Films; Paramount Pictures; Participant Productions; A&E IndieFilms
Distributed by	THINKFilm
Release dates	July 8, 2005 (Limited); July 22, 2005;
Running time	88 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$350,000
Box office	$1.8 million

Murderball is a 2005 American documentary film about athletes who are physically disabled^[3] 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 V. Mandel and Shapiro. It was nominated for Best Documentary Feature for the 78th Academy Awards.^[4] Murderball was the first and only MTV film released through THINKFilm as well as Participant Media.

Production

Murderball was shot on a low budget. The main camera used was a Panasonic AG-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.^[5]

Reception

Murderball garnered almost universally positive reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an approval rating of 98% based on reviews from 141 critics, and an average rating of 8.37/10.^[6] This film also appears on the Rotten Tomatoes countdown of the top sports movies in 14th place as of 2023.^[7] Metacritic gives an aggregated score of 87 out of 100, based on 33 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".^[8] Murderball also received positive reviews from Hollywood.com^[9] and Roger Ebert, who said "This is one of those rare docs, like Hoop Dreams, where life provides a better ending than the filmmakers could have hoped for."^[10]

In December 2005, as part of the United Nations' International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs screened the film at the Dag Hammarskjöld Auditorium in its New York City headquarters. The movie was particularly celebrated for examining sexuality after spinal cord injuries.^[11]

In April 2024 it was selected by Britain's The Observer newspaper as one of their "20 best sports movies".^[12]

Awards

Award	Category	Result
Sundance Film Festival Audience Award	Best Documentary Feature	Won
78th Academy Awards	Best Documentary Feature	Nominated
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival Audience Award	Best Feature	Won
Indianapolis International Film Festival Audience Award	Best Feature Film	Won
Indianapolis International Film Festival Audience Award	Best Non-Fiction Film	Won

Musical score and soundtrack

The film score was composed and performed by Jamie Saft and the soundtrack album, which featured selections from Saft's score along with previously released tracks by Ministry, Ween, The Polyphonic Spree, Sam Prekop, The Moldy Peaches, The Whiles, Chessie and Scratch Massive used in the documentary, was released on the Commotion label in 2005.^[13] Additional music composed for the film was released on Saft's A Bag of Shells (Tzadik, 2010).

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[14]

Allmusic's James Christopher Monger said "Hearing Ministry's Alaine Jourgensen screaming "thieves, thieves & liars, murderers" over the clash of metal on metal during a wheelchair rugby match dutifully amplifies the primal nature of competition, especially when all of the players involved have overcome near-death physical (and psychological) injuries. ... The film's producers have compiled a rousing soundtrack that reflects the sport's brutality while maintaining an undercurrent of regretful stoicism. Keyboard player/composer Jamie Saft provides Murderball's backbone, laying down an original score that boasts atmospherics which are both tender and visceral. Other highlights include the engaging "Something" from the Sea and Cake's Sam Prekop, a trippy instrumental from Ween and the Moldy Peaches "Anyone Else But You."".^[14]