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MOVIE TALK (June - 2011)
Hellmant
"The film is not only informative but emotionally impacting as well...it becomes quite involving and builds to a pretty satisfying conclusion. The directing and editing is impressive and the soundtrack is beautifully fitting. If you're a fan of roller derby you'll definitely want to check this film out."
Bust Magazine (April - 2010)
Krista Ciminera
"Whether you were underwhelmed or overwhelmed by last year's Whip It, a fictional Hollywood movie about women's roller derby, Brutal Beauty will answer your call for more hardcore derby action."
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DVD Verdict (April - 2011)
Mac McEntire
"In great sports movie tradition, we in the audience wonder if this plucky bunch can make it all the way and come home winners. We're with them during every painful loss and every exhilarating win, and it's exciting stuff."
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Blood & Thunder - Women's Derby Magazine (April - 2011)
"Brutal Beauty has some outstanding qualities and scenes that separate it from the masses of derby docs that seem to be popping up."
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NOW Toronto (April 2011)
Andrew Dowler
"Forget that mild-mannered Ellen Page vehicle, Whip It. This is the real roller derby..."
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The Flick Fanatic - (March 2011 DVD review)
"Nothing is off limits in this film. What you won't get in this awesome DVD is a Hollywood starlet, enormous sets and lavish costumes.....THIS IS THE REAL DEAL!"
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USA Today (February - 2011)
Steve Jones
"Brutal Beauty takes on a certain poignancy near the end... There's no miraculous Hollywood ending, but the little triumphs ring true and the emotions are much more honest."
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Twin Cities Daily Planet (February - 2011)
Jim Brunzell, III
"Showing two different sides to the sport, one within Portland and the other on the national circuit, Mabry's doc brings an energetic spark in capturing these women not only as tough players but as women with surprising big hearts."
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Missoula Independent (February - 2011)
Erika Fredrickson
"Roller derby is about winning and losing, and team spirit. It's about personal transformation. And, as one might suspect, it's perfect fodder for a documentary."
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Missoula Independent (February - 2011)
Erika Fredrickson
"In deftly capturing the player's love for the sport - that sense that, for some girls, roller derby is everything - Mabry makes the actions on the track that much more charged."
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The Onion A.V. Club (January - 2011)
"The documentary goes beyond the noise and fishnets of the derby scene and gives the viewer a glimpse into what it's like to have a network of 200 women who are tough as shit, and why they say derby isn't a hobby, it's a lifestyle."
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The Independent Critic (featured review) (January - 2011)
Richard Propes
"It's nearly impossible to not marvel at the punk rock poetry that follows... Undeniably entertaining." 3 out of 4 stars
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SLUG Magazine (January - 2011)
Paige Snow
"The story of each player makes you feel a connection to them and the league. That alone makes this film successful, but it is also successful because it showed how derby can reconcile the tough, independent chick with the beautiful, passionate lady."
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Oklahoma Gazette (January - 2011)
Rod Lott
"Chip Mabry's film is both an introduction to and a celebration of the oddball sport, which exudes a sort of gladiatorial-games appeal. You get plenty of glimpses of action, but it's the offscreen scenes that grant "Brutal Beauty" its heart."
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Film Journal International (December - 2010)
Frank Lovece
"A talented new director. Mabry artfully intercuts everyday details and local atmosphere as he seamlessly tells the story of alpha females who are neither disaffected nor seeking affirmation about anything. (Brutal Beauty) delivers an interesting look at a sport with great potential, and at women who can be testosterone-tough while remaining fully feminine."
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Five on Five Magazine (November - 2010)
Steven LaFond
"Brutal Beauty's narrative is constructed with the same care as a literary masterwork. It's the first of its kind to show the sport as what it is and is becoming... Mabry and his crew show that these women rock every moment of their lives with the same intensity that they take to the track."
The Seattle Times (November - 2010)
Jeff Shannon
"reflects the same punkabilly aesthetic that fuels the craze..." 3 our of 4 stars.
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Washington Herald (October - 2010)
" a tattooed punk style..."
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CHUD (October - 2010)
Alex Riviello
"Brutal Beauty is one of the stronger looks into this strange world, and this is because it chooses to focus almost entirely on the woman that make up the sport." 8.0 of 10.00
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Campus Circle Magazine (September - 2010)
Christine Hernandez
"The inside stories of how these women push themselves to succeed and overcome the various obstacles that are presented to them in their derby lives, will captivate, entertain and inspire."
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LA Weekly (September - 2010)
Deidre Crawford
"Brutal Beauty examines the sport without glamorizing it, going beyond the stereotypes of derby girls as Rockabilly pinups and R. Crumb fantasies, in order to reveal the librarians, doctors, teachers and nonprofit directors who come together to 'kick the lipstick off some bitches'."
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LA Times (September - 2010)
Robert Abele
"For anyone unfamiliar with the flowering punk aesthetic of female roller derby in the last few decades, the scrappy, admiring "Brutal Beauty" is an energetic personality parade of some of the sport's die-hards."
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LA Weekly (September - 2010)
Deidre Crawford
"Through interviews and performance footage (Eli Dorsey's strong camera work captures the ferocity of the sport without aping the frantic editing and frenzied pace of sports television), Mabry makes a convincing case that roller derby is more than just a hobby - it's a chance for the everywoman to develop the alter ego she's always wished she had."
Deidre Crawford
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Twitch Magazine (September - 2010)
Dustin Chang
"Brutal Beauty is endlessly entertaining... The film made me look up the local roller derby league. I might get hooked, too. Drew Barrymore's movie didn't make me do that."
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The Independent - Magazine (June - 2010)
"This is my favorite of all the (derby) films... Mabry cleverly juxtaposes skater action with the movement of pastries in what is both the funniest and easiest to follow rules explanation caught on film... All in all, it's an excellent film." Read More...
Bitch Magazine (March - 2010)
"Brutal Beauty contextualizes the sport of roller derby and explores how participating in a full-contact sport can challenge our notions of traditional femininity." Read More...
Willamette Week (February - 2010)
"Without the contrived personalities or plotlines of Whip It, Mabry's tattooed and bruised chicks are entertainment enough..."
The Oregonian (February - 2010)
"The HD shot film balances testimonials of female empowerment and newfound identities with visceral game action."
Willamette Week (January - 2010)
"Forget Drew Barrymore's recent foray into roller derby: Chip Mabry's Brutal Beauty gives an honest shot of girl-powered adrenaline in his documentary on Portland's own Rose City Rollers." Read More...
The Portland Mercury (January - 2010)
"There's a thrill to seeing Portland's scenerary and people as director Chip Mabry follows the roller girls through last year's season... the Rose City Rollers make for fun documentary fodder."
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