MOVIE Review:

CRASH FANS

Amy B. Taylor

SEATTLE Washington (July 15, 2003) Previously, local race fans, drivers and movie goers attended the World Premiere of Paul Killebrew’s “Crash Fans”, a feature length documentary on Demolition Derby and its subculture that was filmed in part at Evergreen and Spanaway Speedways, and screened at the Seattle Art Museum. This film was hosted by DISTINGUISHING FEATURES as presented by The Warren Report at www.thewarrenreport.com

The audience was treated to visually stimulating montages from smash ups, to paint “schemes” on one of the featured cars, hard hits and fires, to articulate driver interviews peppered in between to keep the momentum going without being convoluted, even if you were not a race fan when you walked into the theater.

However, it wasn’t the visual images of bent, smoking vehicles that kept the viewers attention, but truly the eccentric characters of this flick that made the piece worth the price of admission. Had Mr. Killebrew scripted a part, I doubt he could have written the comedic elements of Monty, paraplegic head of a blacklisted race team, the fatherly side of Steve, a devoted family man, or the unconformity of Jim, the infamous nudist with a Hearse as his tow rig to and from the track. And although Maque was a bit of a distraction to this viewer, it wasn’t enough to keep this documentary off the ‘must see’ list!

These men, in addition to other drivers and family members interviewed, helped to capture the essence of the sport and part of its cult-like following, while breaking the stereotypes of racers in general.

Movie stills and additional information can be found at www.crashfans.com